The story of patriarchs and prophets
[Illustration: Abraham and Isaac stand next to the burning wood of the
altar. Isaac asks, “My father, behold the wood and the fire, but where
is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham answers, “My son, God will
provide himself an offering.”]
The Story of Patriarchs and Prophets
The Conflict of the Ages Illustrated in the Lives of Holy Men of Old
BY ELLEN G. WHITE
“_Righteous and true are thy ways, thou King of the ages_”
PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION
Mountain View, California
Portland, Oregon
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Kansas City, Missouri
Cristobal, Canal Zone
Brookfield, Illinois
_Copyright 1890, 1913, by MRS. E. G. WHITE_
_Entered at Stationers’ Hall_
_All Rights Reserved_
To the men and women of to-day, sharers in that great
struggle which to each means eternal victory or
defeat, this book is inscribed. May its records
inspire courage and strengthen determination
to fight the good fight,
to keep the faith, and to
win the crown of life.
Preface
The publishers send out this work from a conviction that it throws light
upon a subject of paramount importance and universal interest, and one
on which light is to be greatly desired; that it presents truths too
little known or too widely ignored. The great controversy between truth
and error, between light and darkness, between the power of God and the
attempted usurpations of the enemy of all righteousness, is the one
great spectacle which it is reasonable to suppose must engage the
attention of all worlds. That such a controversy exists as the result of
sin, that it is to pass through various stages of progress, and end at
last in a manner to redound to the glory of God, and the higher
exaltation of his loyal servants, is as certain as that the Bible is a
revelation from God to men. That word reveals the great features of this
controversy, a conflict which embraces the redemption of a world; and
there are special epochs when these questions assume unwonted interest,
and it becomes a matter of the first importance to understand our
relation thereto.
Such a time is the present; for all things indicate that we may now
confidently cherish the hope that this long controversy is drawing near
its close. Yet many now seem disposed to relegate to the realm of fable
that portion of the record opening to our view the steps by which our
world became involved in this great issue; and others, though avoiding
this extreme view, seem nevertheless inclined to regard it as obsolete
and unimportant, and are thus led to treat it with neglect.
But who would not wish to look into the secret causes of so strange a
defection; to discern its spirit, to mark its consequences, and to learn
how to avoid its results? With such themes this volume deals. It tends
to foster a living interest in those portions of God’s word most often
neglected. It clothes with new meaning the promises and prophecies of
the sacred record, vindicates the ways of God in dealing with rebellion,
and shows forth the wonderful grace of God in devising a way of
salvation for sinful man. Thus we are taken down in the history of this
work to a time when the plans and purposes of God had been clearly
unfolded to the chosen people.
Though dealing with themes so exalted, themes that stir the heart to its
depths and awaken the liveliest emotions of the mind, the style of the
book is lucid, and the language plain and direct. We commend this volume
to all who take pleasure in studying the divine plan of human redemption
and who feel any interest in the relation of their own souls to Christ’s
atoning work; and to all others we commend it, that it may awaken in
them an interest in these things.
That its perusal may be blessed to the good of those who read, and
result in turning the feet of many into the way of life, is the earnest
prayer of the
PUBLISHERS.
Introduction.
This volume treats upon the themes of Bible history, themes not in
themselves new, yet here so presented as to give them a new
significance, revealing springs of action, showing the important bearing
of certain movements, and bringing into stronger light some features
that are but briefly mentioned in the Bible. Thus the scenes have a
vividness and importance that tend to make new and lasting impressions.
Such a light is shed upon the Scripture record as to reveal more fully
the character and purposes of God; to make manifest the wiles of Satan
and the means by which his power will be finally overthrown; to bring to
view the weakness of the human heart, and show how the grace of God has
enabled men to conquer in the battle with evil. All this is in harmony
with what God has shown to be his purpose in unfolding to men the truths
of his word. The agency by which these revelations have been given is
seen—when tested by the Scriptures—to be one of the methods God still
employs to impart instruction to the children of men.
While it is not now as it was in the beginning, when man in his holiness
and innocence had personal instruction from his Maker, still man is not
left without a divine teacher which God has provided in his
representative, the Holy Spirit. So we hear the apostle Paul declaring
that a certain divine “illumination” is the privilege of the followers
of Christ; and that they are “enlightened” by being made “partakers of
the Holy Ghost.” Heb. 10:32; 6:4. John also says, “Ye have an unction
from the Holy One.” 1 John 2:20. And Christ promised the disciples, as
he was about to leave them, that he would send them the Holy Spirit as a
comforter and guide to lead them into all truth. John 14:16, 26.
To show how this promise was to be fulfilled to the church, the apostle
Paul, in two of his epistles, presents a formal declaration that certain
gifts of the Spirit have been placed in the church for its edification
and instruction to the end of time. 1 Cor. 12; Eph. 4:8-13; Matt. 28:20.
Nor is this all: a number of clear and explicit prophecies declare that
in the last days there will be a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit,
and that the church at the time of Christ’s appearing will have had,
during its closing experience, “the testimony of Jesus,” which is the
spirit of prophecy. Acts 2:17-20, 39; 1 Cor. 1:7; Rev. 12:17; 19:10. In
these facts we see an evidence of God’s care and love for his people;
for the presence of the Holy Spirit as a comforter, teacher, and guide,
not only in its ordinary, but in its extraordinary, methods of
operation, certainly is needed by the church as it enters the perils of
the last days, more than in any other part of its experience.
The Scriptures point out various channels through which the Holy Spirit
would operate on the hearts and minds of men to enlighten their
understanding and guide their steps. Among these were visions and
dreams. In this way God would still communicate with the children of
men. Here is his promise on this point: “Hear now my words: If there be
a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a
vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.” Num. 12:6. By this means
supernatural knowledge was communicated to Balaam. Thus he says: “Balaam
the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said: he
hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the
Most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance,
but having his eyes open.” Num. 24:15, 16.
It thus becomes a matter of great interest to investigate the testimony
of the Scriptures concerning the extent to which the Lord designed that
the Spirit should manifest itself in the church during the period of
human probation.
After the plan of salvation had been devised, God, as we have seen,
could still, through the ministry of his Son and the holy angels,
communicate with men across the gulf which sin had made. Sometimes he
spoke face to face with them, as in the case of Moses, but more
frequently by dreams and visions. Instances of such communication are
everywhere prominent upon the sacred record, covering all dispensations.
Enoch the seventh from Adam looked forward in the spirit of prophecy to
the second advent of Christ in power and glory, and exclaimed, “Behold,
the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints.” Jude 14. “Holy men of
God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2 Peter 1:21. If the
operation of the spirit of prophecy has at times seemed almost to
disappear, as the spirituality of the people waned, it has nevertheless
marked all the great crises in the experience of the church, and the
epochs which witnessed the change from one dispensation to another. When
the era marked by the incarnation of Christ was reached, the father of
John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied. Luke
1:67. To Simeon it was revealed that he should not see death till he had
seen the Lord; and when the parents of Jesus brought him into the temple
that he might be circumcised, Simeon came by the Spirit into the temple,
took him into his arms, and blessed him while he prophesied concerning
him. And Anna, a prophetess, coming in the same instant, spake of him to
all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Luke 2:26, 36.
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit which was to attend the preaching of
the gospel by the followers of Christ, was announced by the prophet in
these words: “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out
my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see
visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days
will I pour out my Spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in
the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be
turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and
terrible day of the Lord come.” Joel 2:28-31.
Peter, on the day of Pentecost, quoted this prophecy in explanation of
the wonderful scene which then occurred. Cloven tongues like as of fire
sat upon each of the disciples; they were filled with the Holy Spirit,
and spake with other tongues. And when the mockers charged that they
were filled with new wine, Peter answered, “These are not drunken, as
you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day; but this is
that which was spoken by the prophet Joel.” Then he quotes the prophecy
substantially as found in Joel (quoted above), only he puts the words
“in the last days,” in the place of “afterward,” making it read, “And it
shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my
Spirit,” etc.
It is evident that it was that part of the prophecy only which relates
to the outpouring of the Spirit, that began to be fulfilled on that day;
for there were no old men there dreaming dreams, nor young men and
maidens seeing visions and prophesying; and no wonders of blood and fire
and pillars of smoke then appeared; and the sun was not darkened and the
moon was not turned to blood at that time; and yet what was there
witnessed was in fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel. It is equally
evident that this part of the prophecy concerning the outpouring of the
Spirit was not exhausted in that one manifestation; for the prophecy
covers all days from that time on to the coming of the great day of the
Lord.
But the day of Pentecost was in fulfillment of other prophecies besides
that of Joel. It fulfilled the words of Christ himself as well. In his
last discourse to his disciples before his crucifixion, he said to them:
“I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, ...
even the Spirit of truth.” John 14:16, 17. “But the Comforter, which is
the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you
all things.” Verse 26. “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come,
he will guide you into all truth.” Chap. 16:13. And after Christ had
risen from the dead, he said to the disciples, “Behold, I send the
promise of my Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem,
until ye be endued with power from on high.” Luke 24:49.
On the day of Pentecost the disciples were thus endued with power from
on high. But this promise of Christ’s was not, any more than the
prophecy of Joel, confined to that occasion. For he gave them the same
promise in another form by assuring them that he would be with them
always, even to the end of the world. Matt. 28:20. Mark tells us in what
sense and what manner the Lord was to be with them. He says, “And they
went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and
confirming the word with signs following.” Mark 16:20. And Peter, on the
day of Pentecost, testified concerning the perpetuity of this operation
of the Spirit which they had witnessed. When the convicted Jews said
unto the apostles, “What shall we do?” Peter answered, “Repent, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission
of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the
promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off,
even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” Acts 2:37-39. This
certainly provides for the operation of the Holy Spirit in the church,
even in its special manifestations, to all coming time, as long as mercy
shall invite men to accept the pardoning love of Christ.
Twenty-eight years later, in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul set
before that church a formal argument on the question. He says (1 Cor.
12:1), “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you
ignorant”—so important did he deem it that this subject should be
understood in the Christian church. After stating that though the Spirit
is one it has diversities of operation, and explaining what those
diversities are, he introduces the figure of the human body, with its
various members, to show how the church is constituted with its
different offices and gifts. And as the body has its various members,
each having its particular office to fill, and all working together in
unity of purpose to constitute one harmonious whole, so the Spirit was
to operate through various channels in the church to constitute a
perfect religious body. Paul then continues in these words: “And God
hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets,
thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps,
governments, diversities of tongues.”
The declaration that God _hath set_ some in the church, etc., implies
something more than that the way was left open for the gifts to appear
if circumstances should chance to favor. It rather signifies that they
were to be permanent parts of the true spiritual constitution of the
church, and that if these were not in active operation the church would
be in the condition of a human body, some of whose members had, through
accident or disease, become crippled and helpless. Having once been set
in the church, there these gifts must remain until they are formally
removed. But there is no record that they ever have been removed.
Five years later the same apostle writes to the Ephesians relative to
the same gifts, plainly stating their object, and thus showing
indirectly that they must continue till that object is accomplished. He
says (Eph. 4:8, 11-13): “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on
high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.... And he gave
some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some,
pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of
the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come
in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto
a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of
Christ.”
The church did not reach the state of unity here contemplated, in the
apostolic age; and very soon after that age, the gloom of the great
spiritual apostasy began to overshadow the church; and certainly during
that state of declension, this fullness of Christ, and unity of faith,
was not reached. Nor will it be reached till the last message of mercy
shall have gathered out of every kindred and people, every class of
society, and every organization of error, a people complete in all
gospel reforms, waiting for the coming of the Son of man. And truly, if
ever in her experience the church would need the benefit of every agency
ordained for her comfort and guidance, encouragement and protection, it
would be amid the perils of the last days, when the powers of evil,
well-nigh perfected by experience and training for their nefarious work,
would, by their masterpieces of imposture, deceive if it were possible
even the elect. Very appropriately, therefore, come in the special
prophecies of the outpouring of the Spirit for the benefit of the church
in the last days.
It is, however, usually taught, in the current literature of the
Christian world, that the gifts of the Spirit were only for the
apostolic age; that they were given simply for the planting of the
gospel; and that the gospel being once established, the gifts were no
longer needed, and consequently were suffered soon to disappear from the
church. But the apostle Paul warned the Christians of his day that the
“mystery of iniquity” was already at work, and that after his departure,
grievous wolves would enter in among them, not sparing the flock, and
that also of their own selves men would arise, speaking perverse things
to draw away disciples after them. Acts 20:29, 30. It cannot therefore
be that the gifts, placed in the church to guard against these very
evils, were ready, when that time came, to pass away as having
accomplished their object; for their presence and help would be needed
under these conditions more than when the apostles themselves were on
the stage of action.
We find another statement in Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church,
which shows that the popular conception of the temporary continuance of
the gifts cannot be correct. It is his contrast between the present,
imperfect state, and the glorious, immortal condition to which the
Christian will finally arrive. 1 Corinthians 13. He says (verses 9, 10),
“For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is
perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.” He
further illustrates this present state by comparing it to the period of
childhood with its weakness and immaturity of thought and action; and
the perfect state, to the condition of manhood with its clearer vision,
maturity and strength. And he classes the gifts among those things which
are needed in this present, imperfect condition, but which we shall have
no occasion for when the perfect state is come. “Now,” he says (verse
12), “we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know
in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” Then he states
what graces are adapted to the eternal state, and will there exist,
namely, faith, hope, and charity, or love, “these three; but the
greatest of these is charity.”
This explains the language of verse 8: “Charity never faileth;” that is,
charity, the heavenly grace of love, will endure forever; it is the
crowning glory of man’s future, immortal condition; but “whether there
be prophecies, they shall fail;” that is, the time will come when
prophecies will be no longer needed, and the gift of prophecy, as one of
the helps in the church, will no longer be exercised; “whether there be
tongues, they shall cease;” that is, the gift of tongues will no longer
be of service; “whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away;” that
is, knowledge, not in the abstract, but as one of the special gifts of
the Spirit, will be rendered unnecessary by the perfect knowledge with
which we shall be endowed in the eternal world.
Now if we take the position that the gifts ceased with the apostolic
age, because no longer needed, we commit ourselves to the position that
the apostolic age was the weak and childish age of the church, when
everything was seen through a glass, darkly, but the age that followed,
when grievous wolves were to enter in, not sparing the flock, and men
were to arise even in the church, speaking perverse things to draw away
disciples after them, was an age of perfect light and knowledge, in
which the imperfect and childish and darkened knowledge of apostolic
times had passed away! For, be it remembered, the gifts cease only when
a perfect state is reached, and because that state is reached, which
renders them no longer necessary. But no one, on sober thought, can for
a moment seek to maintain the position that the apostolic age was
inferior in spiritual elevation to any age which has succeeded it. And
if the gifts were needed then, they certainly are needed now.
Among the agencies which the apostle in his letters to both the
Corinthians and Ephesians enumerates as “gifts” _set_ in the church, we
find “pastors,” “teachers,” “helps,” and “governments;” and all these
are acknowledged, on every hand, as still continuing in the church. Why
not, then, the others also, including faith, healing, prophecy, etc.?
Who is competent to draw the line, and say what gifts have been “set
out” of the church, when all were, in the beginning, equally “set”
therein?
Rev. 12:17 has been referred to as a prophecy that the gifts would be
restored in the last days. An examination of its testimony will confirm
this view. The text speaks of the remnant of the woman’s seed. The woman
being a symbol of the church, her seed would be the individual members
composing the church at any one time; and the “remnant” of her seed
would be the last generation of Christians, or those living on the earth
at the second coming of Christ. The text further declares that these
“keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ;”
and the “testimony of Jesus” is explained in chapter 19:10 to be “the
spirit of prophecy,” which must be understood as that which among the
gifts is called “the gift of prophecy.” 1 Cor. 12:9, 10.
The setting of the gifts in the church does not imply that every
individual was to have them in exercise. On this point the apostle (1
Cor. 12:29) says, “Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all
teachers?” etc. The implied answer is, No; not all are; but the gifts
are divided among the members as it pleases God. 1 Cor. 12:7, 11. Yet
these gifts are said to be “set in the _church_,” and if a gift is
bestowed upon even one member of the church, it may be said that that
gift is “in the church,” or that the church “has” it. So the last
generation was to have, and it is believed does now have, the testimony
of Jesus, or the gift of prophecy.
Another portion of Scripture evidently written with reference to the
last days, brings the same fact plainly to view. 1 Thessalonians 5. The
apostle opens the chapter with these words: “But of the times and the
seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you. For
yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief
in the night.” In verse 4 he adds, “But ye, brethren, are not in
darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” Then he gives
them sundry admonitions in view of that event, among which are these
(verses 19-21): “Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove
all things; hold fast that which is good.” And in verse 23 he prays that
these very ones who were thus to have to do with “prophesyings,” may be
preserved blameless unto the _coming of the Lord_.
On the strength of these considerations are we not justified in
believing that the gift of prophecy will be manifested in the church in
the last days, and that through it much light will be imparted, and much
timely instruction given?
All things are to be treated according to the apostle’s rule: “Prove all
things; hold fast that which is good;” and to be tested by the Saviour’s
standard: “By their fruits ye shall know them.” Appealing to this
standard in behalf of what claims to be a manifestation of the gift of
prophecy, we commend this volume to the consideration of those who
believe that the Bible is the word of God, and that the church is the
body of which Christ is head.
U. SMITH.
Contents
SECTION I.—In the Beginning
CHAPTER ... PAGE
I. WHY WAS SIN PERMITTED? ... 33
II. THE CREATION ... 44
III. THE TEMPTATION AND FALL ... 52
IV. THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION ... 63