A PROPHET OF LATTER DAYS.

BY ELDER EDWIN F. PARRY, LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

A GLORIOUS THOUGHT.

Would it not be joyful news to the seeker after truth to be assured that a prophet had been raised up in latter days? How glorious would be the thought that the Lord had again spoken from heaven! The direct word of God to man in this age ought to be sufficient to settle all disputes concerning the way of salvation.

SHOULD PROPHETS BE EXPECTED IN OUR DAY?

Is it in accordance with scripture to expect prophets to come in these latter days? Let us search the scriptures and learn what they teach.

GOD'S WORD INDICATES THAT A PROPHET SHOULD COME.

The Bible is a record of God's dealings with His prophets in past ages. It shows that He always raised up such men whenever He intended to perform any special work among mankind. One of the ancient prophets declared:

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret to his servants the prophets." (Amos 3: 7)

The whole book of divine scripture confirms these words of Amos. Whenever it mentions an important event in the world's history it speaks of a prophet in connection with it.

PROPHETS SENT TO ANNOUNCE ALL IMPORTANT EVENTS

Before destroying the earth with a flood the Lord sent Noah to cry repentance unto the people, that they might escape destruction if they would obey him. In all following ages of which the Bible speaks to the Lord sent prophets to warn the people before He brought destruction upon them. The Savior says,

But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." (Matthew 24: 37).

This being true we are to expect that some prophet will be sent to warn the world of the destruction of the wicked. That the wicked will be destroyed at that time is evident. St. Paul says that when the Savior comes He will take "vengeance upon them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." (II Thessalonians 1:8).

POSITIVE PROMISE OF THE LORD TO SEND A MESSENGER.

The Prophet Malachi, speaking in the name of the Lord, says:

Behold, I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple." (Malachi 3:1).

This is another proof that a divine messenger is to be sent to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. That this passage does not refer to His first coming is shown by the following verse, which reads,

"But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap." (Malachi 3: 2).

NECESSITY OF PROPHETS AND APOSTLES IN THE CHURCH.

The words of Jesus show that inspired prophets and apostles are necessary in His Church. He commanded His disciples in these words,

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER I HAVE COMMANDED YOU." (Matthew 28: 19, 20).

If all things whatsoever Jesus commanded are to be taught today how can one teach them unless he be inspired of God? It needs a prophet to reveal these things anew to mankind, for the Bible does not contain ALL the teachings and doings of the Savior. St. John in speaking of the doings of Jesus, says that "even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written." (John 21: 25).

CHURCH FOUNDED UPON PROPHETS AND APOSTLES.

The Apostle Paul gives us to understand that Christ's church is founded upon apostles and prophets:

"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are BUILT UPON THE FOUNDATION OF THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS, JESUS CHRIST BEING THE CHIEF CORNER STONE." (Ephesians 2: 19, 20).

POWER GIVEN APOSTLES AND PROPHETS.

Apostles and prophets in olden times were men who received power from the Lord to act in His name.

"And when he called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease." (Matthew 10: 1).

"Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 18: 18).

They were also men who "spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (II Peter 1: 21).

OBJECT OF INSPIRED MEN IN THE CHURCH.

St. Paul tells why apostles and prophets and other officers are in the Church.

"For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: . . that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." (Ephesians 4: 12, 14).

HOW LONG THEY SHOULD REMAIN.

He shows plainly that these inspired officers should remain in the Church of Christ "till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God." (Ephesians 4: 13). As that condition has not yet been attained, there is still need of apostles and prophets to bring mankind to the "unity of the faith." This desirable state cannot be brought about without living apostles and prophets, who are inspired of God. People are divided in their opinions about the meaning of many things written by ancient apostles and prophets, and they will not unite without receiving new revelation to enlighten them. Some may be led to think prophets are no longer needed in the Church because of the words of Paul:

"Whether there be prophecies, they shall fail. . . For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." (I Corinthians 13: 8, 9, 10).

The time he speaks of, "when that which is perfect is come," has not yet arrived. When it does come prophecies may fail or be "done away;" but that time will be when "they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for they shall know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord." (Jeremiah 31: 34; Hebrews 8: 11).

IS THE CANON OF SCRIPTURE FULL?

The following words of St. John are supposed by some to imply that no more revelation is to be given:

"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. (Revelation 22: 18).

The apostle here only warns man against adding to the words of the prophecy of his book. He says nothing about the Bible as a whole; nor does he say that God will not add any more revelations to His word.

WITHOUT MODERN REVELATION BIBLE PROPHECIES CANNOT BE FULFILLED.

The Bible contains many predictions concerning marvelous events to take place in latter days, just before or at the time of the second coming of Christ.

The Gospel of the Kingdom is to be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations. (Matthew 24: 14; Revelation 14: 6).

The Lord's elect is to be gathered from the uttermost parts of the earth. (Mark 13: 27; Isaiah 11: 11, 12).

The house of the Lord is to be established in the top of the mountains. (Isaiah 2: 2, 3; Micah 4: 1, 2).

The Lord is to set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor left to other people. (Daniel 2: 44).

The gifts of the gospel as enjoyed in the days of Christ's former apostles are to be restored. (Isaiah 35: 5, 6).

According to the ancient predictions, many other great things are to take place in latter days. But how can they be accomplished unless the Lord directs what is to be done by revealing "His secret unto His servants the prophets," and by sending His messenger to "prepare the way" before Him?

Sufficient proof has been given to show that apostles and prophets should be in the Church of Christ, and that we should expect prophets to be raised up by the Lord in these latter days.

TREATMENT OF PROPHETS IN PAST AGES.

The scriptures furnish abundant evidence to prove another peculiar fact respecting the Lord's holy prophets. That is, they have always been misunderstood, reviled, persecuted and spoken evil of. Jesus says to His disciples,

"Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. . . . FOR SO PERSECUTED THEY THE PROPHETS WHICH WERE BEFORE YOU." (Matthew 5: 11, 12).

Our Savior Himself met with the same kind of treatment. He is spoken of as a "stumbling stone and rock of offense."

JESUS A STUMBLING STONE.

The Gospel narrative as given by the four evangelists, shows very clearly that He was indeed a stumbling stone to the Jewish nation. He did mighty miracles before their eyes. They were in possession of the prophecies concerning His coming and ministry; but He did not fulfill their preconceived and erroneous ideas of what they expected of Him, and so they refused to accept Him as their Redeemer.

MANY PROPHETS REJECTED.

The Prophet Noah was rejected by all in his day except his own family. His message, no doubt, was regarded as a very strange and extraordinary one. It was hard to accept. No such thing as a flood covering the entire earth was known up to that time, and how could they accept his warning only through simple faith?

When Moses, under the direction of the Lord, undertook to free the Israelites from bondage in Egypt the people whom he was sent to deliver murmured against him, notwithstanding the Lord performed such mighty wonders in their behalf.

When Jeremiah and Ezekiel predicted the downfall of Jerusalem in their day they were not believed. The historian Josephus says that Zedekiah, the king, refused to believe the prophets because Jeremiah foretold that he, the king, should be taken captive to Babylon, while Ezekiel said he should not see Babylon. These two prophecies seemed to disagree, so Zedekiah made this apparent disagreement an excuse for not believing either of the two prophets. Yet they were both correct in their utterances. The king was taken to Babylon, but he never saw the city, for his eyes were put out before he arrived there.

PERSECUTION TO FOLLOW ALL INSPIRED TEACHERS.

The words of Jesus to His disciples about the prophets before them being persecuted convey the idea that those who should follow would get the same reception.

"If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you." (John 15: 20).

So says the Savior to His apostles; and so it was. They were persecuted and put to death. It is reasonable to believe that other prophets might be treated in a similar manner. If it is to be as in the days of Noah at the time of the coming of the Son of man, then we may expect that the great majority of mankind will reject the message of salvation proclaimed to them by the prophets which the Lord will send.

CONCLUSIONS DRAWN FROM SCRIPTURES QUOTED.

The scriptures pointed out in the foregoing clearly show these facts:

1. THAT PROPHETS ARE SENT BY THE LORD TO ANNOUNCE ALL IMPORTANT EVENTS CONNECTED WITH HIS PURPOSES.

2. THAT A PROPHET SHOULD BE RAISED UP IN LATTER DAYS TO PREPARE FOR CHRIST'S SECOND COMING.

3. THAT APOSTLES AND PROPHETS ARE ALWAYS NECESSARY IN THE CHURCH OF CHRIST.

4. THAT THE TRUE CHURCH IS BUILT UPON APOSTLES AND PROPHETS.

5. THAT THE CANON OF SCRIPTURE WAS NOT COMPLETED IN FORMER DAYS.

6. THAT WITHOUT NEW REVELATION THE BIBLE PROPHECIES CANNOT BE FULFILLED

7. THAT IN ALL PAST AGES PROPHETS HAVE BEEN PERSECUTED.