The Meaning Of The Term Defined

Opponents of any idea of the reappearance of that gift have urged that the word “prophesy” sometimes meant a mere bearing witness, as of testifying for Christ before men. But there is no place here for that interpretation. The prophecy is speaking here of two distinguishing marks of the last church. It “keeps” something, and it “has” or possesses something. It keeps “the commandments of God,” and it has “the testimony of Jesus.” The latter is not something the church does, in addition to keeping the commandments, it is something it “has” in its possession. It was to have in it the gift of the Spirit of prophecy. It is a possession to have and to hold. When John was about to fall at the feet of the angel, in his visions, to show reverence, the angel restrained him, saying, “See thou do it not. I am a fellow servant with thee and with thy brethren that hold the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10, R.V.SPIAM 21.1

Again, a second time, the angel defined the term, as though to meet the attacks which were to be made upon this gift in the remnant church of the prophecy. Note the repetition of the caution restraining John’s impulse to do the angel reverence: “See thou do it not; I am a fellow servant with thee and with thy brethren that hold the testimony of Jesus.” Revelation 19:10, R.V. “See thou do it not: I am a fellow servant with thee and with thy brethren the prophets.” Revelation 22:9, R.V. “The testimony of Jesus,” as the term is used specifically here, “is the Spirit of prophecy,” and this is the Spirit that moved in John’s brethren, “the prophets.”SPIAM 21.2

The picture of the whole prophecy is clear. In the last days, as the closing judgment work began in heaven above, a special advent movement was to come on earth, through which the great threefold message of Revelation 14 was to be borne to every nation, and tongue, and people.SPIAM 21.3