Whether Prophecy Is Only About Future Contingencies?
Objection 1: It would seem that prophecy is only about future
contingencies. For Cassiodorus says [*Prol. super Psalt. i] that
"prophecy is a Divine inspiration or revelation, announcing the issue
of things with unchangeable truth." Now issues pertain to future
contingencies. Therefore the prophetic revelation is about future
contingencies alone.
Obj. 2: Further, according to 1 Cor. 12, the grace of prophecy is
differentiated from wisdom and faith, which are about Divine things;
and from the discernment of spirits, which is about created spirits;
and from knowledge, which is about human things. Now habits and acts
are differentiated by their objects, as stated above (I-II, Q. 54, A.
2). Therefore it seems that the object of prophecy is not connected
with any of the above. Therefore it follows that it is about future
contingencies alone.
Obj. 3: Further, difference of object causes difference of species,
as stated above (I-II, Q. 54, A. 2). Therefore, if one prophecy is
about future contingencies, and another about other things, it would
seem to follow that these are different species of prophecy.
_On the contrary,_ Gregory says (Hom. i super Ezech.) that some
prophecies are "about the future, for instance (Isa. 7:14), 'Behold a
virgin shall conceive, and bear a son'"; some are "about the past, as
(Gen. 1:1), 'In the beginning God created heaven and earth'"; some
are "about the present," as (1 Cor. 14:24, 25), "If all prophesy, and
there come in one that believeth not . . . the secrets of his heart
are made manifest." Therefore prophecy is not about future
contingencies alone.
_I answer that,_ A manifestation made by means of a certain light can
extend to all those things that are subject to that light: thus the
body's sight extends to all colors, and the soul's natural knowledge
extends to whatever is subject to the light of the active intellect.
Now prophetic knowledge comes through a Divine light, whereby it is
possible to know all things both Divine and human, both spiritual and
corporeal; and consequently the prophetic revelation extends to them
all. Thus by the ministry of spirits a prophetic revelation
concerning the perfections of God and the angels was made to Isa.
6:1, where it is written, "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high
and elevated." Moreover his prophecy contains matters referring to
natural bodies, according to the words of Isa. 40:12, "Who hath
measured the waters in the hollow of His hand," etc. It also contains
matters relating to human conduct, according to Isa. 58:1, "Deal thy
bread to the hungry," etc.; and besides this it contains things
pertaining to future events, according to Isa. 47:9, "Two things
shall come upon thee suddenly in one day, barrenness and widowhood."
Since, however, prophecy is about things remote from our knowledge,
it must be observed that the more remote things are from our
knowledge the more pertinent they are to prophecy. Of such things
there are three degrees. One degree comprises things remote from the
knowledge, either sensitive or intellective, of some particular man,
but not from the knowledge of all men; thus a particular man knows by
sense things present to him locally, which another man does not know
by human sense, since they are removed from him. Thus Eliseus knew
prophetically what his disciple Giezi had done in his absence (4
Kings 5:26), and in like manner the secret thoughts of one man are
manifested prophetically to another, according to 1 Cor. 14:25; and
again in this way what one man knows by demonstration may be revealed
to another prophetically.
The second degree comprises those things which surpass the knowledge
of all men without exception, not that they are in themselves
unknowable, but on account of a defect in human knowledge; such as
the mystery of the Trinity, which was revealed by the Seraphim
saying: "Holy, Holy, Holy," etc. (Isa. 6:3).
The last degree comprises things remote from the knowledge of all
men, through being in themselves unknowable; such are future
contingencies, the truth of which is indeterminate. And since that
which is predicated universally and by its very nature, takes
precedence of that which is predicated in a limited and relative
sense, it follows that revelation of future events belongs most
properly to prophecy, and from this prophecy apparently takes its
name. Hence Gregory says (Hom. i super Ezech.): "And since a prophet
is so called because he foretells the future, his name loses its
significance when he speaks of the past or present."
Reply Obj. 1: Prophecy is there defined according to its proper
signification; and it is in this sense that it is differentiated from
the other gratuitous graces.
Reply Obj. 2: This is evident from what has just been said. We might
also reply that all those things that are the matter of prophecy have
the common aspect of being unknowable to man except by Divine
revelation; whereas those that are the matter of _wisdom, knowledge,_
and the _interpretation of speeches,_ can be known by man through
natural reason, but are manifested in a higher way through the
enlightening of the Divine light. As to _faith,_ although it is about
things invisible to man, it is not concerned with the knowledge of
the things believed, but with a man's certitude of assent to things
known by others.
Reply Obj. 3: The formal element in prophetic knowledge is the Divine
light, which being one, gives unity of species to prophecy, although
the things prophetically manifested by the Divine light are diverse.
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