THE WORK OF THE

PROPHETS
CRISTOPHER V. LUAYA MAR
FACULTY, NORTHERN LUZON ADVENTIST
COLLEGE
“By a prophet the Lord
brought Israel out of
Egypt, and by a prophet
he was preserved”
(Hosea 12:13, NKJV).
The life of a
prophet was
never easy.
James and Ellen White were
very poor and had to depend on
others for living quarters and
furniture.
• Does the preaching of the gospel in the NT
differ from the proclamation of salvation in the
OT?
• Why were the early SDAs, who came out of
the Millerite movement, opposed to church
organization?
• What were some ways prophets delivered
God’s messages to His people?
Preaching the Gospel
Where do we find the gospel of
salvation in the OT? Gen 22:1–14,
Lev 4:27–31, Isa 53.
Does the preaching of the gospel in the NT
differ from the proclamation of salvation in
the OT? John 1:29, Rom 3:21–26.
In both testaments the focus is on what God
has done to remedy humanity’s fall into sin.
EGW’s writings have more than eight thousand references
to the gospel and about six thousand references
specifically to Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross.
The Christ of the
Cross and the cross
of Christ were the
focus of her message.
SDAs should uplift
Jesus Christ before
the world
“Of all professing
Christians, Seventh-
day Adventists should
be foremost in
uplifting Christ before
the world.” —Ellen G.
White, Gospel Workers,
156.
“Christ as manifested to the
patriarchs, as symbolized in the
sacrificial service, as portrayed in the
law, and as revealed by the prophets,
is the riches of the Old Testament.
Christ in His life, His death, and His
resurrection, Christ as He is
manifested by the Holy Spirit, is the
treasure of the New Testament.” —
Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, 126.
“The sacrifice of Christ as
an atonement for sin is the
great truth around which
all other truths cluster. . . .
This is to be the
foundation of every
discourse given by our
ministers.”—Gospel
Workers, 315.
• How much time do you spend thinking
about Jesus, focusing on His life and what
He’s done for you?
• How much stronger would your faith be if
you were to dwell more on Christ and His
sacrifice in your behalf?
Guiding God’s People
• Jesus appointed Paul and the Twelve Apostles,
some of whom also had the prophetic gift, to lead
and guide the early Christian church.
• What are some of the specific areas in which Paul
and the apostles provided counsel and guidance for
the church? Acts 6:1–7, 1 Cor 5:1–5, 7:10–16,
Titus 1:5, 1 John 4:1–3.
• The leaders of the early church faced many
problems.
• Questions of immorality, apostasy, church
organization, and a host of other matters
occupied the time and attention of the early
church.
• Prophets and apostles guided and directed the
people of God in accordance with the Lord’s
revealed will.
• First 20 years—there was no church
organization, so there also was no paid
ministry; preachers worked at other
jobs to make a living.
• Anyone could preach if he felt called,
and, as a result, heresies prospered.
Church buildings and the
Review and Herald press
were in the names of
individuals
For years James White urged
organization but with little
success.
 “The Lord has shown that
gospel order has been too much
feared and neglected. Formality
should be shunned; but, in so
doing, order should not be
neglected. There is order in
heaven. There was order in the
church when Christ was upon
the earth, and after His
departure order was strictly
observed among His
apostles. . . .
 “The danger of those traveling
whom God has not called, was
shown me. . . . I saw that this door
at which the enemy comes in to
perplex and trouble the flock can be
shut. I inquired of the angel how it
could be closed. He said, ‘The
church must flee to God’s Word and
become established upon gospel
order, which has been overlooked
and neglected.’ ” —Ellen G. White,
Early Writings, 97, 100.
1861
1863
• People sometimes talk about not wanting to be
part of an organized church.
• What are the advantages of being part of an
organized structure?
• How can you better serve the organized church
and help remedy aspects of it that you believe
could use improvement?
Reproving Sin
• What were some of the evils the prophets
spoke against, and what parallels can you see
to our own days? 1 Kings 18:21, Isa. 1:10–14,
Amos 5:12, Mal. 3:8–10, Matt. 3:7–10.
Prophets were to resist
social injustice, root out
idolatry, protest against
immorality, and condemn
formalistic worship and
hypocrisy.
Prophet’s protests
were God’s protests
and were delivered
regardless of the
consequences.
How did EGW deal with
messages of reproof for
individuals?
EGW had to
reprove sins
known only to the
individual and
God.
 “I bore my testimony and related things
which had been shown me in the past
history of some present, warning them of
their dangers and reproving their wrong
course of action. I stated that I had been
placed in most disagreeable positions.
When families and individuals were
brought before me in vision, it was
frequently the case that what was shown
me in relation to them was of a private
nature, reproving secret sins.
 I have labored with some for
months in regard to wrongs of
which others knew nothing. As my
brethren see these persons sad, and
hear them express doubts in regard
to their acceptance with God, also
feelings of despondency, they have
cast censure upon me, as though I
were to blame for their being in
trial. . . .
 It has been the disagreeable
work assigned me to reprove
private sins. Were I, in order to
prevent suspicions and jealousy,
to give a full explanation of my
course, and make public that
which should be kept private, I
should sin against God and
wrong the individuals.
 I have to keep private reproofs
of private wrongs to myself,
locked in my own breast. Let
others judge as they may, I will
never betray the confidence
reposed in me by the erring and
repentant, or reveal to others
that which should only be
brought before the ones that are
guilty.”—1TM, 584, 585.
• If the Lord gave EGW a
message for you, what do
you think it would say, and
why?
• How would you respond?
Communicating God’s
Will
What were some of the ways the prophets
delivered God’s messages to His people? Num
9:1–5; Jer 37:16, 17; Ezek 4:1–6; Col 4:16.
• Prophets were charged by God to deliver to the people
the messages that they received from Him.
• They proclaimed God’s words in a discourse before a
company of people.
• They delivered their testimonies in private interviews.
• Prophets were told to write out the messages received so
that not only the people living at that time but also all
future generations would hear what God had to say.
“‘Make known to
others what I have
revealed to you.’ ”—
Life Sketches of Ellen G.
White, 69.
“In these letters which I write,
in the testimonies I bear, I am
presenting to you that which
the Lord has presented to
me.”—5T, 67.
What do the writings of Ellen G. White
mean to you personally? Discuss your
answer . . .
Predicting the
Future
What were some of the Bible
prophecies that have been fulfilled?
Isa. 44:28, Jer. 25:11, Dan. 9:24–27.
“There are men in this
house who will lose
sons in that war.”—
Pacific Union Recorder,
March 7, 1912.
“When Protestantism shall
stretch her hand across the
gulf to grasp the hand of the
Roman power, when she
shall reach over the abyss to
clasp hands with spiritualism
. . . then we may know that
the time has come for the
marvelous working of Satan
and that the end is near.”—
5T 451.
“When the leading churches of the United States, uniting
upon such points of doctrine as are held by them in
common, shall influence the state to enforce their decrees
and to sustain their institutions, then Protestant America will
have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy, and the
infliction of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably
result.”—GC, 445.
• For more than one hundred fifty years, Adventists
have been warning the world about the coming
reconciliation between Catholics and Protestants
—even when all political and religious
indications made such a reconciliation seem
impossible.
• Today, the impossible has become all but inevitable, as
time and again Catholics and various Protestants are
coming together on a whole host of issues.
• The Protestants are the ones who are making the most
incredible compromises, all in order to bring about this
unity with Rome.
• Though there’s still much to unfold, these events are
leading to an amazing fulfillment of prophecy and are
another powerful vindication of Ellen White’s prophetic
gift.