Prophetic Truth and Present Truth

Does God send a prophet at the end of a time prophecy as well as the beginning? If so, what does this mean for us?

Analysis of the inspired chronicles alerts us to the fact that in each age the Lord has led His movement by persons endowed (cf. Amos 3:7) with the "gift of prophecy." He has carefully selected and called these messengers, and after their acceptance of His invitation to serve, He has consecrated, instructed (2 Pet 1:21) and empowered them to carry out His designs. He has then required them to pass on the "prophetic truth" which He has entrusted to them, either verbally or in writing (1 Pet 1:12; Rev 1:13). And then, near the fulfillment of each predicted era, the Lord has raised up a second prophet whose responsibility has been to apply to his own generation as "present truth" the "prophetic truth" of his predecessors, and to organize as a functioning "church" a believing "remnant" which eventually survives the crisis. Our study focuses on the major epochs during which-that God might conduct His people to victory-the gift of prophecy has been manifested is this dual manner.

Epoch 1, the Flood: Methuselah, Enoch, and Noah. A thousand years prior to the destruction of the unrepentant world by the deluge, God sent mankind a warning of their impending doom. Jude remembered that Enoch, who lived only seven generations following Adam (Jude 14), had prophesied, making him, in Ellen White's words, "the first prophet."1 God communed with Enoch through His angels, and gave him divine instruction. He made known to him that He would not always bear with man in his rebellion that it was His purpose to destroy the sinful race by bringing a flood of waters upon the earth......

"The Lord opened more fully to Enoch the plan of salvation, and by the Spirit of prophecy carried him down through the generations which should live after the flood, and showed him the great events connected with the second coming of Christ and the end of the world....

"In prophetic vision he was instructed in regard to the Son of God, who was to die as man's sacrifice, and was shown the coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven, attended by the angelic host, to give life to the righteous dead, and ransom them from their graves. He also saw the corrupt state of the world at the time when Christ should appear the second time-that there would be a boastful, presumptuous, self-willed generation arrayed in rebellion against the law of God, denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ, trampling upon His blood, and despising his atonement. He saw the righteous crowned with glory and honor, while the wicked were separated from the presence of the Lord, and consumed with fire.

"Enoch faithfully rehearsed to the people all that had been revealed to him by the spirit of prophecy. Some believed his words, and turned from their wickedness to fear and worship God....

"Enoch's translation to heaven just before the destruction of the world by a flood, represents the translation of all the living righteous from the earth previous to its destruction by fire....

"Enoch instructed his family in regard to the flood. Methuselah, the son of Enoch, listened to the preaching of his grandson Noah, who faithfully warned the inhabitants of the old world that a flood of waters was coming upon the earth. Methuselah and his sons and his grandsons lived in the time of the building of the ark. They, with some others, received instruction from Noah, and assisted him in his work."2 "Through [Methuselah] and other worthies the Lord has preserved" for all later generations "the revealings of His will."3

Helpful Digression: Personal Names as Prophetic Symbols. Inspired writers have sometimes used personal names to convey prophetic truth (cf. Gen 17:5-8, 15, 16; 32:27-31, etc.). When the population of the world was separated on the basis of varying language, Eber named his son Peleg, "Division," "for in his days was the earth divided" (Gen 10:25).

Inspired writers have sometimes used personal names to convey prophetic truth.

The Lord told Isaiah to call his son "Mahershalalhashbaz," meaning "Haste to the spoil!" (Isa 8:1-4), so that each time the boy was thus addressed the urgency of preparing for the Assyrian invasion would be proclaimed to all. God gave Hosea's children the names "Lo-ruhamah" and "Lo-ammi" (Hosea 1:6-9), which Paul understood to be omens of the salva❘tion of the Gentiles and the rejection of the Jewish nation (Rom 9:23-26; cf. Hosea 2:23). Gabriel instructed Joseph to give Mary's Son the name "Jesus," meaning "Yahweh is salvation," as well as His long-predicted name "Emmanuel," "God with us" (Matt 1:21-23; Isa 7:14). When these names were called in Nazareth, or wherever Christ traveled, the hearers were reminded of these gospel truths. Dozens of other meaningful and typical names are scattered throughout the Scriptures, from Adam's choice of Eve for his bride's name (Gen 3:20, margin) to the Revelator's use of almost two dozen names from Armageddon to Zion. The careful student must, therefore, be on the lookout for the significance of biblical proper names.

Back to Epoch 1. It has long been believed that Enoch gave his son the name Methuselah as a vehicle through which to predict the flood (Gen 5:21, margin, "When he dies the sending forth of waters"). This name literally means, "When he dies, it will be sent."4 Some students are now choosing to render his name "Man of a dart." The singular form "man of" does not occur in Scripture. While the second half may very rarely suggest shooting an arrow, it has not been used of the missile itself.5 The first two syllables of Methuselah, "methu" spring from the root for death and to die, "muth"; and the last two syllables, "selah," come from the verb "shalach," to send.6 Let us now test the meaning of this name by the facts of the deluge narrative presented in the Bible to see whether they fit into the scheme of things.

Methuselah was 187 at the birth of his son, Lamech (Gen 5: 25), who, in turn, was 182 when his son Noah was born (Gen 5:28-29). Adding these figures we find that Methuselah was 369 at the birth of his grandson, Noah.

When Noah reached 600 the flood commenced (Gen 7:11). At this time Methuselah was 969, his age at death (Gen 5:27). Thus for almost a millennium God's warning message was repeated in the name of Methuselah, "When he dies, it will be sent!" We thus see that this meaning of the name Methuselah passes the pragmatic test of Scriptural interpretation. Names are used by the Spirit to convey prophetic truth, and it was in the year of his death that the deluge was sent!

One hundred and twenty years prior to the flood God revealed to the prophet Noah what he should do to meet the crisis (Gen 6:3). As we noted already, "Enoch instructed his family in regard to the flood. Methuselah, the son of Enoch, listened to the preaching of his grandson Noah, who faithfully warned the inhabitants of the world that a flood of waters was coming upon the earth. Methuselah and his sons and his grandsons lived in the time of the building of the ark. They, with some others, received instruction from Noah, and assisted him in his work."7

"More than one hundred years before the flood, the Lord sent an angel to Noah, to make known unto him his purpose in regard to the sinful race, that his Spirit would not always strive with man, but that he would send a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy man and beast. He would not leave the race ignorant of His design; but would, through Noah, warn the world of its coming destruction, that the inhabitants might be left without excuse. Noah was to preach to the people, and also prepare an ark as God should direct him for the saving of himself and family. As far as human wisdom could see, the event predicted by Noah was not likely to occur. Rain had never fallen; a mist or dew had watered the earth. "8

During these 120 years of preparation Noah took Enoch's "prophetic truth" and proclaimed it as "present truth," while at the same time, he "prepared an ark to the saving of his house" (Heb 11:7). I like to imagine the prophet boat-builder, with grandfather Methuselah by his side, climbing upon some scaffolding to appeal to his workmen and any others who would listen. "Look at this old man!" he might have cried. "Why do you think God has allowed him to live longer than any person? I see in this situation," Noah might have continued, "not a delay in the Lord's execution of judgment on the obdurate, but, on the contrary, His compassion in extending our probationary time. Remember, 'When he dies, it will be sent!' No one knows the day nor the hour. But it must be near, and getting nearer with every fleeting breath. Let us get ready now! The end is only a heartbeat away!"

 Noah took Enoch's "prophetic truth" and proclaimed it as "present truth," while at the same time, he "prepared an ark to the saving of his house."

And then, as we have figured, Methuselah died in "the very year of the flood.”9 Shortly after this the Lord invited Noah and his family, the only remaining believers, to enter the ark, while He induced animals, birds and reptiles, in precise numbers and genders, to come aboard. The door was then angel-locked. "Because the prophecy of Noah was not fulfilled immediately after he entered the ark, they thought that he was deceived, and that it was impossible for the world to be destroyed by a flood."10 But in God's good time the rain, which had not previously been experienced, descended in devastating cataracts.

An analysis of this story reveals the divine paradigm. The Lord first found a human channel through whom He might work. He then predicted the coming event through this prophet, Enoch, and set a time for its fulfillment. Although unknown to man, its duration was buried in the lifespan of Methuselah whose cryptic name was a warning filled with solemn and mysterious significance. Near the termination of this indefinite time period, the "prophetic truth" concerning the coming crisis was proclaimed as "present truth" by Noah, the second prophet whom God called. His appeals carried urgency because of the very uncertainty and mystery of the cryptic time element in the earlier prediction.

Those who chose to believe Noah's message entered into a covenant relationship with God (Gen 7:7), which constituted them as an obedient remnant with the prophet as their leader. Amid ridicule and hostility, they readied themselves by grace for the imminent crisis. The Lord then judged them worthy of salvation in the ark, while those who rejected the "present truth" perished. Let me summarize the divine methodology. "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7). When God foresaw a crisis in history He called a prophet to announce it and its timing to the world. Near the fulfillment of the time period he called a second prophet to apply the message to his age. And now let us see whether this flood model is followed during other crises in the salvation story.

Epoch 2, The Exodus: Abraham and Moses. About 350 years after the flood Abraham was called to serve as "a prophet" (Gen 20:7) and to him "God gave light in regard to the future" of his posterity.11 "Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance" (Gen 15:13, 14).

The span of time in this story covers one of twin phases of their history. One focuses on the 400 years on their affliction, while the other covers the 430 years of their "sojourning," both in the Promised Land and also in Egypt (cf. Ex 12:40, 41 [where the Septuagint adds "in... the land of Canaan"]; Gal 3:17). This pilgrimage commenced at the death of Terah in Haran, following which the 75 year old Abraham fulfilled his call and entered Canaan (Gen 12:4).12 The other period measures their "Egyptian affliction" which began after Abraham had been in Palestine for 30 years (Gen 15:13; Acts 7:6). During Isaac's weaning feast, generally held when a child was five, Hagar "the Egyptian" mocked Abraham's "seed" in the opening salvo of a conflict which was to last sporadically for four centuries (Gen 21:8, 9). Both these periods terminated on the very day of the Exodus (Ex 12:40, 41), and were so noted by Moses.

Near the close of this four-century era, God called the prophet Moses (Hosea 12:13) to perform a double task; he was to inform Pharaoh that the time had come to release the Hebrews (Ex 3:18), and also challenge the people of Israel to return to the land of their fathers (vv. 16-17). Urgency was added to these appeals because God's "time" was on their side!

We can see in this story a repetition of the deluge model. In contrast to the indefinite time prophecy leading up to the flood, God made a definite time prophecy of 400 years to cover the duration of the "Egyptian bondage." Like the flood, the Exodus hinged on time. The faithful remnant believed Abraham's "prophetic truth" as it was applied by the later prophet Moses as "present truth." Led by God's prophet (Hosea 12:13), the believing remnant eventually reached the Promised Land. Let us move to the third crisis and observe how the flood model is followed.

Epoch 3, the Exile: Jeremiah, Daniel, Haggai, and Zechariah. This watershed covered the banishment of God's people from their fatherland and their eventual return to it. Jeremiah was shown that Judah's captivity by the Babylonians would last for 70 years (Jer 25:11, 12, margin; 2 Chron 36:21-23). This disaster commenced with the conquest of Palestine by Nebuchadnezzar in 606/605 B.C. Near the end of this epoch Daniel studied the writings of Jeremiah and realized that the fulfillment of this prediction was imminent (Dan 9:2). But in the political climate following the overthrow of Babylonia in 539 B.C. and the establishment of the Media-Persian empire, he could see little prospect for the emancipation of the Jewish exiles. In his quandary he prayed for light, and the Lord graciously answered more fully than he could have dreamed.

Cyrus is one of a select group of persons whose names and careers are prophetically recorded in Scripture (Isaiah 44:27, 28; 45:1-4; 7:14; 8:8; Matthew 1:21, 23; 1 Kings 13:2; 2 Kings 23:15, 16). More than a century prior to Cyrus's birth Isaiah predicted that he would capture Babylon and release God's people. But when the time came for this to be done, the Persian king was slow to carry out his divine mandate. As Daniel continued to pray for the release of his people, he was taken behind the scenes and shown Gabriel trying to persuade the Persian king.

The prophet then watched as Christ Himself came to the aid of His frustrated ambassador Gabriel (Dan 10:12, 13), and Cyrus soon signed the proclamation of emancipation. The seventy years of Jewish captivity ended on time, and in 535 B.C. the people were released to return home if they chose (2 Chron 36:21-23). But notwithstanding this remarkable providence, only a remnant responded. The historian triumphantly noted, however, that the children of Israel "builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah [according to] the commandment of Cyrus" (Ezra 6:14). These two prophets ministered in Palestine, while Daniel worked to the same end in Persia. But the majority of the Jews chose to remain where they had grown up and were settled. Had they been obedient to the heavenly vision they would have escaped the terror of Haman's pogrom, from which God's mercy alone saved them.

The divine paradigm, seen both in the Deluge and the Exodus stories, is here repeated.

The divine paradigm, seen both in the Deluge and the Exodus stories, is here repeated. The earlier prophet Jeremiah proclaimed the "prophetic truth" that the Jewish captivity would last for 70 years. At the time of its fulfillment three prophets encouraged the exiled people to respond to "present truth." A remnant believed and, supported by the royal proclamation and material resources provided by the king, returned to their own land to carry out the Lord's plans to rebuild the temple and restore the devastated countryside. Now let us go to the fourth episode.

Epoch 4, the Time of Christ: Daniel, John, and Stephen. "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and three score and two weeks" (Dan 9:25). This prophetic era spanned the five centuries of the story of redemption prior to the first advent. Gabriel revealed to Daniel that, starting at 457 B.C., the year when the decree "to restore and to build Jerusalem" went into effect, "70 weeks" or 490 years (Dan 9:24 RSV) would cover the probationary time allotted by the eternal Judge to the Jewish nation (Dan 9:24) and also reach to the ministry of the Messiah the Prince, i.e. the anointing of the King's Son and His subsequent "cutting off" (v. 26). By using the well-established year/day measure of apocalyptic prophecy, this cryptic statement of time may also be calculated as 490 literal years (70 x 7 = 490; see S.D.A. Bible Commentary, 4:851-855).

Near the end of this period God summoned the Baptist, whom the Savior described as "the greatest of the prophets" (Luke 7:26-28) to announce the arrival of the Messiah in the words, "the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matt 3:2). Six months later Christ, "that Prophet" predicted by Moses (Deut 18:15), corroborated the Baptizer's witness with the ringing assurance, "the time is fulfilled" (Mark 1:15). Years later Paul reminded his readers that the Savior had indeed come in "the fullness of the time" (Gal 4:4). All these affirmations were, of course, based on Daniel's 70 weeks, the only specific time prophecy in Scripture bearing on the date of the Messiah's appearance.

Once again we observe the hallmark of the divine Workman. Daniel's "prophetic truth" was proclaimed as "present truth" by both John and Christ. These later prophets focused the former prophet's time line on their age and organized a believing remnant, which they helped to face "the crisis at the close." "All these things happened unto them for ensamples" (1 Cor 10:11), so that we who live in these last days may understand how the unchanging Lord will work for His people at the end of the fifth epoch.

Epoch 5, the Second Advent: Daniel and Prophet Who? The "2300 days" (Daniel 8:14), the longest prophetic period in the Bible, locates the time of God's judgment hour message in connection with the second coming of Jesus. Commencing in 457 B.C., the date we used for the beginning of the shorter period of "70 weeks" which was "cut off" from it, Daniel's proclamation fell due in 1844.

Near the culmination of the "2300th cleansing-of-the-Sanctuary-day" God raised up the Millerite movement to urge men and women everywhere to prepare to meet Jesus. Although many students of prophecy in different countries joined in announcing the coming of Christ, the Savior did not return on October 22, 1844, as expected by William Miller and his disciples (see Rev 14:6, 7). According to other prophecies, Daniel's "vision tarried" (Hab 2:3; Matt 25:5). The Lord intended that the portion of the message, "then shall the Sanctuary be cleansed," should be proclaimed later.

Following the "great disappointment" on October 22, 1844 a few Bible students continued to search God's book to find the mistake they had made. The Spirit alerted them to these facts: While the date set for the termination of the 2300 days had been correct, another event must have occurred in 1844. As they pondered the words "then shall the sanctuary be cleansed," the typology of the Hebrew tabernacle and its "cleansing" on the Day of Atonement came into focus. They rightly concluded that Christ, the High Priest of the celestial sanctuary "which the Lord pitched and not man," had commenced a further phase of His ministry in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary on the real day of atonement (Heb 8:1, 2; 9:22-28), on October 22, 1844. This brought peace to these few erst-while followers of William Miller. And as they continued their investigations, more and more of the Bible's teachings became clear. These studies led them eventually to organize themselves as the Seventh-day Adventist church in 1863. In this way the Lord formed the nucleus of His remnant movement, which nineteen centuries earlier had been described by the Revelator as keeping "the commandments of God," and having "the testimony of Jesus" (Rev 12:17) or "the spirit of prophecy" (Rev 19:10).

A vital element was needed to complete the divine model: a prophet must appear near its termination to apply "prophetic truth" as "present truth" and organize a remnant of believers, which must possess the characteristics given by Inspiration.

Let us now review the background of the events of 1844. Almost two and a half millennia earlier the Lord had granted to Daniel a prophecy of 2300 years which were to reach to the end of the age (Dan 8:13-19). While the time of its fulfillment was recognized by Miller and his colleagues in America and Europe in 1844, the implications of this prediction were not immediately grasped. A vital element was needed to complete the divine model: a prophet must appear near its termination to apply "prophetic truth" as "present truth" and organize a remnant of believers, which must possess the characteristics given by Inspiration.

Because Daniel's prediction reached its consummation many centuries after the close of the sacred canon, and since no passage of Scripture names such a prophet, a student of the Bible must first list the marks given by Inspiration to identify one genuinely endowed with "the spirit of prophecy," and then use them to check whether such a one appeared near the close of the 2300 years. If no prophet can be found, a serious discrepancy will be evident, and Seventh-day Adventists, who claim to be the successors of the Millerites, had better invent a prophet! Without this prophet their belief that they form the nucleus of the "remnant" is inadmissible. But, of course, all this is unnecessary.

In December 1844 the prophetic gift did appear, and its recipient met all the requirements prescribed in the Scriptures. To one of this handful of believers in the second-advent awakening a frail, unlettered girl of seventeen, living in Portland, Maine-God soon granted a vision of what was transpiring in the heavenly sanctuary, and this she was asked to make known to others. On her agreement to become heaven's "messenger", her early visions became the first of more than 2000 she received in the exercise of her gift. Her name was Ellen Gould Harmon, and on her marriage to James White, she became known as Ellen G. Whine. Until her death in 1915, Sister Whine, as she was affectionately called by the members of the Seventh-day Adventist church which she and her husband helped to found, faithfully communed her unique prophetic ministry through 70 exciting years.

During each of the epochs which we have considered, including the 2300 years, this divine model has been followed. The unchanging Lord did raise up a prophet in 1844, just a He had trained His people to expect He would, and at no time during the subsequent 150 years of Seventh-day Adventist history has another claimant appeared who was even remotely qualified. The thrust of the divine paradigm, so often observed in past eras, finally pinpoints heaven's "remnant" movement, which, as "the seed of the woman," accepts Daniel's "prophetic truth" as it becomes "present truth," clarified and applied by one possessed of "the gift of prophecy." This group also "keeps the commandments of God," including the Sabbath.

The biblical evidence is clear that the Seventh-day Adventist believers have not followed cunningly devised fables in their acceptance of the ministry of "the spirit of prophecy" as exercised by Ellen G. White. She appeared on the scene of history at the precise moment when a true prophet was expected. In her messages her emphasis concerns the Savior and His special ministry at this time in the most holy apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary. Her work displays the "testimony of Jesus." and her extensive writings, when checked against the Scriptures, are seen to speak according "to the law and to the testimony."

NOTES

1. "Ellen G. White Comments" The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, 1:1088

2. Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times. February 20, 1979, emphasis mine.

3. Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings. pp. 682-683

4. Alfred Jones, "A List of the Proper Names of the Old and New Testaments with the Meaning or Signification of the Words in Their Original Languages, in the appendix of Cruden's Complete Concordance of the Old and New Testaments.

5. See P. Brown, S. R. Driver, and C. A. Briggs. A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, pp. 607, 539, 560, 1013, 1019

6. See Jones, " Proper Names," p. 249 2. Ellen & White, Signs of the Times February 20, 1879

8. White, Signs, February 27, 1879

9. Ellen G. White, Spiritual Gifts 165

10. White, Signs, March 6, 1379

11. "White Comments." S.D.A. Bible Commentary, 11092

12. White, Patriarchs and Prophets. P.127