Up until the time of Moses, the prophets of God all spoke by word of mouth, for there was not a Bible written anywhere, for reference, nor confirmation purposes. God sent holy men with very important messages or warnings to the people, and they were expected to believe. In fact, when we study closely we will discover that God never publicly declared to the antediluvians that Noah was a prophet.
Noah was righteous in his generation, but there were also several other righteous persons living in Noah’s day, so the antediluvians were faced with the prospect of believing the words of someone of contemporaneous standing, who declared that life as they knew it would come to a sudden end, with billions of individuals perishing.
Thus, the primary evidences God gave to the people back then was Noah’s righteous life, his faithfulness in setting before them the reasons for their coming destruction, and finally, the phenomenon of birds, and animals entering the ark in perfect formation. These evidences were designed to appeal both to the senses and intelligence of the people, but other than that they were expected to believe. Let’s read:
Genesis 6:1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
When God gave this message to Noah, it wasn’t in a public setting, but rather in private, but the people were to consider if Noah’s delineation of their sins was true, and if so, they were to believe, confess, and repent. Thus, at the very onset of his prophetic ministry, is the issue of how much evidence should be required before the antediluvians believed, for their salvation would be inevitably linked to belief.
More than this, Noah also declared that heavy rain was to fall, to the point where it would engulf the entire globe, something which had never occurred on the planet, and for which there was no scientific data, no historical precedent, and no evidence.
So, the question is: Why should the antediluvians of Noah’s day believe? Were they to sell their homes, put their education on hold, and go huddle in a boat filled with animals and creeping things solely on the word of the prophet, who had no formal training or education as a scientist. In other words, should the people back then believe Noah instead of Steven Hawking?
Similarly, when Joseph declared to pharaoh that a deadly famine was coming, all that the king had to go with was the singular testimony of his butler. He could choose to believe the butler’s testimony or he could chalk it up to figments of Joseph’s imagination but one thing was certain, the survival of Egypt was dependent on the kings disposition, and willingness to believe.
Thus, in dealing with the issue of a God-ordained prophet, we must first begin with the attitude of believing, for this is the one critical element that will set the stage for us to accept what God has to say through His servants, or conversely, to reject, quibble, or to be skeptical towards any prophetic utterances.
It is extremely important for Christians to cultivate a disposition of faith and belief, instead of an attitude of skepticism, because our eternal destiny can hang in the balance, depending on our disposition to believe, or not. Let’s read:
2nd Chronicles 20:20 And they rose early in the morning and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
2nd Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
The question is often asked: “Why the need for the prophetic ministry, not only in those former years, but also in our day? The answer to this important question is to be found in the Bible, for since the fall of man, God has very rarely spoken in public to the masses of people. Instead, He uses chosen human agents as His mouthpiece.
And in so doing, God is able to pass on the critically important information to those who are disposed to believe, information which in many cases would not be readily accepted by the popular majority, even if there was an abundance of additional extra details, explanations, insights, and warnings, that are not to be found anywhere in the Bible. Thus, the attitude of believing His prophets could save us from serious and even grave mistakes. Let’s read:
Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish.
Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
“His Secret” has to do with additional, and critically important information that is not primarily offered to the masses of people, but is designed for those with a believing mind. Thus, as we study, we would observe a pattern emerging, of which we should be cognizant, in which much meat is put upon “Them dry bones” that are often found in the scriptures. Let’s read:
Dry Bones # [1]: Revelation 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
The prophet Isaiah gives us more detail as to why satan and his angels were cast out, for he explains to us the pride that was indulged by lucifer, before he became satan. In addition, Isaiah laments the woes, the evil, the destruction, and death that has come upon humanity, as a result of that first war in heaven. Let’s read:
Isaiah 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the
congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most-High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;
17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?
But even those revelations given to Isaiah and John leave out important, and extensive details treating upon the same subject. The additional “Meat” was given to Ellen G. White to broaden the picture, and to enhance our comprehension of what took place. Thus, the meat we are now going to eat with those bones, could save very many from the fatal error of
misunderstanding the character of God. Let’s read:
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 36] In heavenly council the angels pleaded with Lucifer. The Son of God presented before him the greatness, the goodness, and the justice of the Creator, and the sacred, unchanging nature of His law; and in departing from it, Lucifer would dishonor his Maker and bring ruin upon himself. But the warning, given in infinite love and mercy, only aroused a spirit of resistance. Lucifer allowed his jealousy of Christ to prevail and became the more determined.
[Page 37] Leaving his place in the immediate presence of the Father, Lucifer went forth to diffuse the spirit of discontent among the angels. He worked with mysterious secrecy, and for a time concealed his real purpose under an appearance of reverence for God.
He began to insinuate doubts concerning the laws that governed heavenly beings, intimating that though laws might be necessary for the inhabitants of the worlds, angels, being more exalted, needed no such restraint, for their own wisdom was a sufficient guide.
[Page 39] In great mercy, according to His divine character, God bore long with Lucifer. The spirit of discontent and disaffection had never before been known in heaven. It was a new element, strange, mysterious, unaccountable. A compassionate Creator, in yearning pity for Lucifer and his followers, was seeking to draw them back from the abyss of ruin into which they were about to plunge. But His mercy was misinterpreted.
[Page 41] God permitted Satan to carry forward his work until the spirit of disaffection ripened into active revolt. It was necessary for his plans to be fully developed, that their true nature and tendency might be seen by all.
[The Story Of redemption pp 26] Satan trembled as he viewed his work. He was alone in meditation upon the past, the present, and his future plans. His mighty frame shook as with a tempest. An angel from heaven was passing. He called him and entreated an interview with Christ. This was granted him.
He then related to the Son of God that he repented of his rebellion and wished again the favor of God. He was willing to take the place God had previously assigned him and be under His wise command. Christ wept at Satan's woe but told him, as the mind of God, that he could never be received into heaven.
Heaven must not be placed in jeopardy. All heaven would be marred should he be received back, for sin and rebellion originated with him. The seeds of rebellion were still within him.
Dry Bones # [2] Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 52] Our first parents were not left without a warning of the danger that threatened them. Heavenly messengers opened to them the history of Satan's fall and his plots for their destruction, unfolding more fully the nature of the divine government, which the prince of evil was trying to overthrow.
[Page 53] The serpent was then one of the wisest and most beautiful creatures on the earth. Resting in the rich-laden branches of the forbidden tree and regaling itself with the delicious fruit, it was an object to arrest the attention and delight the eye of the beholder. Thus, in the garden of peace lurked the destroyer, watching for his prey.
[Page 53>54] The angels had cautioned Eve to beware of separating herself from her husband while occupied in their daily labor in the garden; with him she would be in less danger from temptation than if she were alone. But absorbed in her pleasing task, she unconsciously wandered from his side.
On perceiving that she was alone, she felt an apprehension of danger, but dismissed her fears, deciding that she had sufficient wisdom and strength to discern evil and to withstand it. Unmindful of the angels’ caution, she soon found herself gazing with mingled curiosity and admiration upon the forbidden tree. The fruit was very beautiful, and she questioned with herself why God had withheld it from them.
[Page 55>556] Now was the tempter's opportunity. As if he were able to discern the workings of her mind, he addressed her: “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” Eve was surprised and startled as she thus seemed to hear the echo of her thoughts.
But the serpent continued, in a musical voice, with subtle praise of her surpassing loveliness; and his words were not displeasing. Instead of fleeing from the spot she lingered wonderingly to hear a serpent speak.
The serpent plucked the fruit of the forbidden tree and placed it in the hands of the half-reluctant Eve. Then he reminded her of her own words, that God had forbidden them to touch it, lest they die. Perceiving no evil results from what she had done, Eve grew bolder. It was grateful to the taste, and without a fear she plucked and ate.
Having herself transgressed, she became the agent of Satan in working the ruin of her husband. In a state of strange, unnatural excitement, with her hands filled with the forbidden fruit, she sought his presence, and related all that had occurred.
An expression of sadness came over the face of Adam. He appeared astonished and alarmed. To the words of Eve he replied that this must be the foe against whom they had been warned; and by the divine sentence she must die. In answer she urged him to eat, repeating the words of the serpent, that they should not surely die.
If we were to ask any prominent lawyer to analyze the information given in the Bible, pertaining to the fall of our first parents, they will ultimately conclude that many details, and specifics have been omitted from the crime scene, evidences that can greatly alter their conclusions, or findings.
But, through the additional circumstantial evidence given by the prophet, most lawyers would generally conclude that Eve disobeyed God before she saw or heard the serpent, thus placing the responsibility for her sin, squarely on her shoulders.
Dry Bones # [3] Deuteronomy 34:1 And Moses went up from the plains of Moab, to the top of Pisgah; And the Lord shewed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan,
2 And all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto the utmost sea,
3 And the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto Zoar.
4 And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.
5 So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 472] A panoramic view of the Land of Promise was presented to him. Every part of the country was spread out before him, not faint and uncertain in the dim distance, but standing out clear, distinct, and beautiful to his delighted vision. In this scene it was presented, not as it then appeared, but as it would become, with God's blessing upon it, in the possession of Israel.
[Page 475>476] Moses saw the chosen people established in Canaan, each of the tribes in its own possession. He had a view of their history after the settlement of the Promised Land; the long, sad story of their apostasy and its punishment was spread out before him. He saw them, because of their sins, dispersed among the heathen, the glory departed from Israel, her beautiful city in ruins, and her people captives in strange lands.
He was permitted to look down the stream of time and behold the first advent of our Savior. He saw Jesus as a babe in Bethlehem. He heard the voices of the angelic host break forth in the glad song of praise to God and peace on earth.
He beheld in the heavens the star guiding the Wise Men of the East to Jesus, and a great light flooded his mind as he called those prophetic words, “There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel.” Numbers 24:17. He beheld Christ's humble life in Nazareth, His ministry of love and sympathy and healing, His rejection by a proud, unbelieving nation.
As Moses beheld the final rejection of that people so highly blessed of Heaven—that people for whom he had toiled and prayed and sacrificed, for whom he had been willing that his own name should be blotted from the book of life; as he listened to those fearful words, “Behold your house is left unto you desolate” (Matthew 23:38), his heart was wrung with anguish, and bitter tears fell from his eyes, in sympathy with the sorrow of the Son of God.
He followed the Savior to Gethsemane, and beheld the agony in the garden, the betrayal, the mockery and scourging—the crucifixion. Moses saw that as he had lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of God must be lifted up, that whosoever would believe on Him “should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:15.
Grief, indignation, and horror filled the heart of Moses as he viewed the hypocrisy and satanic hatred manifested by the Jewish nation against their Redeemer, the mighty Angel who had gone before their fathers. He heard Christ's agonizing cry, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” Mark 15:34. He saw Him lying in Joseph's new tomb. The darkness of hopeless despair seemed to enshroud the world.
But he looked again, and beheld Him coming forth a conqueror, and ascending to heaven escorted by adoring angels and leading a multitude of captives. He saw the shining gates open to receive Him, and the host of heaven with songs of triumph welcoming their Commander. And it was there revealed to him that he himself would be one who should attend the Savior, and open to Him the everlasting gates.
[Page 476] Moses beheld the disciples of Jesus as they went forth to carry His gospel to the world. Moses saw the light of the gospel shining out through the disciples of Jesus to them “which sat in darkness” (Matthew 4:16), and thousands from the lands of the Gentiles flocking to the brightness of its rising.
He had heard from the priests and elders the frenzied cry, “Away with Him!” “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” and now he heard from professedly Christian teachers the cry, “Away with the law!” He saw the Sabbath trodden under foot, and a spurious institution established in its place. Again, Moses was filled with astonishment and horror.
How could those who believed in Christ reject the law spoken by His own voice upon the sacred mount? How could any that feared God set aside the law which is the foundation of His government in heaven and earth? He saw the last great struggle of earthly powers to destroy those who keep God's law.
He heard God's covenant of peace with those who have kept His law, as He utters His voice from His holy habitation and the heavens and the earth do shake. He saw the second coming of Christ in glory, the righteous dead raised to immortal life, and the living saints translated without seeing death, and together ascending with songs of gladness to the City of God.
Still another scene opens to his view—the earth freed from the curse, lovelier than the fair Land of Promise. With joy unutterable Moses looks upon the scene—the fulfillment of a more glorious deliverance than his brightest hopes have ever pictured. Their earthly wanderings forever past, the Israel of God have at last entered the goodly land.
The vision faded, and his eyes rested upon the land of Canaan as it spread out in the distance. Then, like a tired warrior, he lay down to rest. “So, Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord.
The phenomena of dry bones, and additional meat now leads us to the final chapter in the long running marathon of prophets, from the days of Noah, unto our own time, when God has again sent a prophet to warn the world of things to come.
As in former years, The Lord revealed “His Secret” unto His own, so He does now, for He has given us tremendous detail, and invaluable information to prepare us for the cataclysmic end of earth’s history when the great controversy between good and evil is to climax with a world war, between the laws of God and the laws of men.
Again, as in former instances, the Bible gives us the dry bones, the foundational info upon which the meat from God’s chosen prophet must be placed, so that true Christians will understand, and be able to prepare for what is about to engulf the planet. Let’s read:
Dry Bones # [4] Revelation 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Revelation 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
[The Great Controversy. pp 604] Fearful is the issue to which the world is to be brought. The powers of earth, uniting to war against the commandments of God, will decree that all, “both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,” [Revelation 13:16.] shall conform to the customs of the church by the observance of the false sabbath.
All who refuse compliance will be visited with civil penalties, and it will finally be declared that they are deserving of death. On the other hand, the law of God enjoining the Creator's rest-day demands obedience and threatens wrath against all who transgress its precepts.
With the issue thus clearly brought before him, whoever shall trample upon God's law to obey a human enactment, receives the mark of the beast; he accepts the sign of allegiance to the power which he chooses to obey instead of God. The warning from Heaven is, “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation.” [Revelation 14:9, 10.]
In closing, there is one important reminder for us to consider; there is nowhere in the Bible where it is explicitly stated that Sunday worship will become the mark of the beast, and thus, just as it was with Noah and the antediluvians, with Joseph and the king of Egypt, it will be left with each individual to decide whether we will believe “His prophets” and act upon the information given, or whether we will reject, ridicule, or harbor skepticism about her writings.
One thing is certain however, if we desire to be saved from the wrath to come, we must believe while we can, for it is clearly stated in the Bible that the ancient Hebrews entered not in because of their unbelief. Which leads us to our final passage on this subject. Let’s read:
2nd Chronicles 20:20 And they rose early in the morning and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
God Bless!