Long Line of Splendor

The first (so far as we know) of this amazing line of brave, faithful, and luminous prophets through whom God spoke His mind was “Enoch, the seventh from Adam” (Jude 14). Later there were Abraham (Genesis 20:7), and Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15). Miriam was the first woman designated as a prophet (Exodus 15:20).MOL 10.15

As time passed, the nation of Israel lost its spiritual focus and became like its neighbors in the worship of other gods. During the long and dreary period of the Judges, Israel was oppressed and humiliated by its neighbors. When Samuel was called to his prophetic role, the Philistines harshly controlled Israel. Eli, the high priest, was aged and ineffective. His two sons, Hophni and Phineas, though entrusted with the leadership both of government and the priesthood, “were corrupt; they did not know the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:12). Not surprisingly, “the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation” (1 Samuel 3:1). ^{8“Widespread revelation” is translated from two Hebrew words paras (“to burst forth”) and chazon (“vision”). As far as the Israelite nation was concerned, no “word of the Lord” was “bursting forth.” This is the first use of chazon in the Old Testament. The more frequently used word for “vision” is mar’ah, messages from God either in dreams or by personal encounters. The root meaning of chazon is “to perceive with inner vision,” whereas mar’ah is derived from a root meaning “to see visually.”}MOL 10.16

The “word of the Lord was rare” in Israel because rare were the men or women who could be entrusted with Heaven’s messages. God was willing to guide His people, but He lacked men and women through whom He could safely impart His word. When visions were rare, Israel’s spiritual and political circumstances were at low ebb. Israel’s well-being was restored only when the prophetic office was restored.MOL 10.17

For example, Israel’s restoration as a free and blessed nation coincided with Samuel’s prophetic ministry. Samuel’s long life is an amazing record of how one man can change the course of a whole nation. His early years, after his mother had given him to the Lord, are well known: “And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the Lord and men” (1 Samuel 2:26). As he matured, his spiritual leadership became evident: “So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord” (1 Samuel 3:19, 20). Eventually, “the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh.... And the word of Samuel came to all Israel” (1 Samuel 3:21 - 4:1).MOL 11.1

Samuel’s faithfulness as God’s messenger made it possible for God to reverse Israel’s misery. The prophet’s spiritual example, exhortation, and national leadership were so effective that the record states: “So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel” (1 Samuel 7:13).MOL 11.2

The life of Samuel is a clear and profound illustration of how effective the Spirit of prophecy can be in the establishment of God’s program on earth. Who can imagine what can be accomplished in these last days by heeding the Spirit of prophecy!MOL 11.3

When Samuel was old, something almost inexplicable occurred. Israelite leaders came to him and asked him to appoint “a king to judge us like all the nations” (1 Samuel 8:4). They forgot that their restored sovereignty and pleasant circumstances were due to Samuel’s prophetic leadership.MOL 11.4

God warned the leaders that a king would bring trials and troubles to their land—but they persisted, “that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles” (1 Samuel 8:20).MOL 11.5

But, though Israel rejected God’s plan for leading His people (theocracy), God did not reject Israel. He did not withdraw the prophetic gift. From the time of Saul, Israel’s first king, to the bleak days when both Israel and Judah were taken captive by Assyria and Babylon, thirty prophets are mentioned by name in the Bible. In addition, there were unnamed prophets, along with “sons of the prophets.”MOL 11.6