Operation of the Gift

In the operation of the prophetic gift, it is the Lord who must call the prophet. He must give the vision or speak through the dream. He must impart the inspiration, and make the revelation of His divine will and purpose. In the days of Moses He promised that He would do so, and centuries later He said, “I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.” Hosea 12:10.AGP 23.2

It is freely acknowledged that while the meaning of the statements regarding this plan of communication is plain, the varied and manifold processes of the plan are well-nigh impossible for the mind to grasp. Just how God makes Himself known to the prophet in a vision and speaks to him in a dream is one of the many mysteries in the great plan of redemption. Yet He does this with the greatest clearness and certitude to the prophet; and the genuineness of the revelation thus made is confirmed.AGP 23.3

That the operation of the method used is mysterious and beyond the grasp of the human mind does not constitute evidence that the revelations are not made just as the prophet claims. The world is full of mysteries. Everywhere we behold effects, the causes of which we do not understand and cannot explain. The incarnation and the resurrection of the Son of God, who had created the worlds, are baffling mysteries to our finite minds; yet our very hope of redemption is built upon them.AGP 23.4

The call to the prophetic office, the character and responsibilities of the prophet, the visions, dreams, inspiration, revelation, and authority of the messages revealed, are all questions of vital importance and of deepest interest. Says one:AGP 23.5

“The importance of this subject [prophecy in the Old Testament] cannot well be overestimated, for a proper conception of it is necessary to a clear understanding of the very basis of Christianity. This fact has been so fully recognized that Christian scholars in all ages have found this a profitable and an almost inexhaustible field for research.”—“The Popular and Critical Bible Encyclopedia and Scriptural Dictionary,” Vol. III, art., “Prophecy,” p. 1391. Chicago: The Howard-Severance Company, 1909.