After the fall of Adam and Eve, God no longer spoke face to face with human beings, for if He was to do so, instantaneous death would be the only natural result. Therefore, He communicated with man in a variety of ways, sometimes using angels, His Spirit, or prophets. Anytime and every time we may come across in the scriptures where God spoke to man, it was never face to face, even if the Bible says so.
This fact must be made abundantly clear up front so we may understand the study in context. There are at times supposedly conflicting statements made in the scriptures, but when studied line upon line, they are always in perfect harmony. So, let us reiterate this fact again: Since the fall of man, God has never once spoken face to face with anyone. Let’s read:
Exodus 33:10 And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.
11 And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.
12 And Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
17 And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
21 And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
Deuteronomy 4:9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;
10 Specially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.
11 And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.
12 And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.
15 Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:
16 Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
17 The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air.
Thus, after man sinned, the primary means of God communicating with us was through His prophets. These servants were not without faults themselves, but they were conduits through which God’s will was to be revealed. And therefore, their word come to us as it were the voice of God. Indeed, the entire canon of scripture was written by chosen servants of God, with the only exception being the law of ten commandments. Let’s read:
2nd Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
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.
Thus, it is imperative that we understand certain things about the prophets sent to us by God. Let the Bible speak for itself on this matter, for it is of grave importance especially as we have entered a new era in the history of the world, in which the 2nd coming of Christ looms large, and the prophecies pertaining to His return will become all the more urgent.
[1] Up until the time of Moses there wasn’t Bible or scripture written anywhere for reference purposes. God spoke through His prophets, and it rested with those who heard to believe or not to believe, for at its core, believing is a choice every person must make. Let’s read:
Genesis 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
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.
This was not a public announcement whereby God summoned the inhabitants of the earth and spoke directly to them. He spoke through one who was known among the people to be a God-fearing man, and it rested with the people to believe him or not. Indeed, the entire plan of salvation is structured in such a way that only believers could be saved. Let’s read:
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Consider very carefully what is being said; for one hundred and twenty years there was no way for the antediluvians to corroborate or verify that God had indeed spoken to Noah. Contemporary science back then could not support his prediction, for there was no historical precedent to base such an apparently wild conclusion upon. And there was no scripture for them to double-check his prophecy. Let’s read:
Genesis 2:5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.
6 But there went up a mist from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.
It was only during the final week of their existence that God gave to the antediluvians some evidence that seemed to support what Noah said, but even then, it was not any angel, nor God who spoke anything directly to people to certify the prophecy of Noah.
God gave to Noah the exact time of its fulfillment, which Noah then disseminated to the people, and some public evidence was also given to the masses, designed to appeal to their intelligence, and then, the choice to believe was left with each person. Let’s read:
Genesis 7:1 And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
2 Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.
3 Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.
4 For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.
5 And Noah did according unto all that the Lord commanded him.
The reason why we are spending so much time on this first point of belief, is because now that we may have the scriptures at our fingertips, the same issue arises, for we would have to believe the Bible for it to have any meaning in our lives. The issue of belief is not so much about the source of one’s facts and the corroborating research done to set the truth in stone.
It has more to do with a disposition to believe, for there are some people living on this planet who will never believe, regardless of how much irrefutable evidence might be presented. Indeed, a plethora of undeniable facts do not cause people to believe. In the case of pharaoh, incontrovertible evidence was piled one upon the next until he buried his firstborn and yet for all this, he refused to believe. Let’s read:
Exodus 8:19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.
Exodus 10:7 And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?
Nothing that God did, or said through Moses, and one million plagues would not make pharaoh into a believer, for belief must first pass through the gate of choice, and if one chooses not to believe there is nothing God can do for such a person.
Pharaoh, and Nebuchadnezzar were two peas in a pod as far as pride, and defiance of The Lord were concerned. But beyond that they diverged, and parted ways, for Nebuchadnezzar surrendered to God when undeniable evidence was presented. But pharaoh chose to believe alternate facts. This leads us to our second observation pertaining to God’s prophets:
[2] God reveals His secrets through His prophets. They may speak or they may write, yet because God sent them their words carry equal weight.
Neither Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob or Joseph ever wrote a single word in the scriptures, yet their word carried weight, for it was God who spoke through them. In all of the information, and predictions of the coming plagues on Egypt, not once did God speak personally to pharaoh. In other words, by believing Moses, he would be believing God. Let’s read:
Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
8 The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?
2nd Chronicles 36:15 And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place.
16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.
“No remedy” means that there is nothing else God can, or will do, if persons choose not to believe His prophets. Miracles, angels, friends, and family, and even a personal visit from The Holy Ghost wouldn’t make a person believe. After Lazarus was raised to life in the presence of the unbelieving Jews, they still chose not to believe. Hence the reason why the next passage is so important. 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.
[3] Previous information, and instructions given by God can be superseded by later prophets at God’s discretion.
Exodus 21:23 Thou shalt give life for life,
24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
This information, and instruction was given under inspiration to Moses, and he thus delivered it to the people. But even though it came from God, it was not His ideal, but was justice in kindergarten form, not being blended with mercy. And therefore, as His people matured spiritually over the years, He sent other prophets with information to supersede those previous instructions. Let’s read:
Matthew 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
Romans 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil.
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Thus, the role of God’s prophets, and the weight of their words are clearly seen in both the old and new testaments, which leads us to our case study. Paul has been ordained a prophet of God, on the road to Damascus, he has preached the gospel fearlessly to Jew and Gentile.
And because of this he has gotten into trouble with the authorities, and is currently a prisoner, bound in chains with other prisoners and he is scheduled to appear before Caesar. The group would need to sail many days before reaching their destination, and on their way, they would have an important encounter with God, through His prophet. Let’s read:
Acts 26:1 And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band.
2 And entering into a ship of we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia.
3 And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself.
This courtesy was granted to Paul, because Julius, the centurion had some inkling that he was at least a godly man, this being established during Paul’s previous appearance in the courts of king Agrippa. Thus, when a potentially life-threatening situation arose, Paul spoke under the inspiration of God, and it would be left up to Julius, and the other mariners to believe or not. Let’s read:
Acts 26:7 And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone;
9 Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, Paul admonished them,
10 And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.
After giving this prediction, what follows constitutes the most common reasons why people choose not to believe God’s prophets. It is worthy of note that Paul in this instance did not say “The Lord told me”. All he said was “I perceive” yet his word was as the voice of God speaking to those sailors. But, as was stated before, three common factors often tend to foster unbelief in the human mind.
[1] The experts. Let’s read:
Acts 27:11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
It is often the case that the experts will be in direct contradiction to the prophets of God, since worldly wisdom or science as we know it, does not take into account the supernatural.
Whatever cannot be explained from scientific points of views is generally rejected as being irrational, and thus it was that experienced sailors, and weather forecasters were preferred above the voice of one who was on his way to face trial. Science and Noah could not be reconciled, and historical precedents failed to support his prediction of a flood, therefore he was regarded as a fanatic, and folks believed the experts instead.
[2] Popular majority opinion.
Acts 27:12 The “more part advised” to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice.
This means that the majority of sailors, and jailors agreed that Paul’s warning was not to be believed. In Noah’s day, it was not the majority who believed,
but rather a remnant out of a remnant. As a general rule of thumb, the ways of God are often found in the opposite direction of the popular majority.
[3] An inconvenient truth.
Acts 27:12 And because the haven was not commodious to winter in.
13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.
The prophets of God aren’t usually sent to prophesy any smooth things, for obedience and belief often incur some level of inconvenience. Staying put will be uncomfortable for the travelers, and so they preferred to risk it all for the sake of convenience.
In Noah’s day, it was an inconvenient truth that was spoken, because it would mean uprooting from the norms of everyday living, relinquishing property, and sharing room and board with wild animals; an inconvenient truth indeed. However, just as it was with Noah, it also happened with Paul. Let’s read:
ATS 27:14 But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.
15 And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.
17 And, fearing lest they should fall into the quick-sands, strake sail, and so were driven.
18 And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;
19 And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.
20 And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
Another dangerous storm is brewing on the horizon even as we speak, and true to His character, God is sending us prophets to warn us of things to come. These warnings are to be found in the Bible, and in the writings of Ellen G. White, and just like it was in Noah’s and Paul’s experience, it’s up to us whether to believe or not.
The evidences of this coming storm are all around us, for God permits evidences which appeal to our intelligence, but He does not force any person to believe. The general unsettled state of our nation, and the world at large, speak volumes to the truths written in the Bible and through His prophet, sent to our generation. Let’s read:
2nd Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.
1st Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then, sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
[The Great Controversy pp 622] It is often the case that trouble is greater in anticipation than in reality; but this is not true of the crisis before us. The most vivid presentation cannot reach the magnitude of the ordeal. In that time of trial, every soul must stand for himself before God. Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the land, “as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.”
While many are promising better days, with less violence, hate and bloodshed, while some may be promising to reduce the federal debt, and while others may be hoping for healing, tolerance, and unity across the nation, God through His prophets, cautions us not to bury our heads in the sand, for the prophecies pertaining to the last days will be fulfilled to the letter, whether we believe or not.
We therefore end with a passage that encourages us to believe, and to take commensurate actions, and make wise choices as we look forward to the 2nd coming of Jesus. Let’s read:
Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light.
13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.
God Bless!