Whether Prophecy Is Fittingly Divided into the Prophecy of Divine
Predestination, of Foreknowledge, and of Denunciation?
Objection 1: It would seem that prophecy is unfittingly divided
according to a gloss on Matt. 1:23, "Behold a virgin shall be with
child," where it is stated that "one kind of prophecy proceeds from
the Divine predestination, and must in all respects be accomplished
so that its fulfillment is independent of our will, for instance the
one in question. Another prophecy proceeds from God's foreknowledge:
and into this our will enters. And another prophecy is called
denunciation, which is significative of God's disapproval." For that
which results from every prophecy should not be reckoned a part of
prophecy. Now all prophecy is according to the Divine foreknowledge,
since the prophets "read in the book of foreknowledge," as a gloss
says on Isa. 38:1. Therefore it would seem that prophecy according to
foreknowledge should not be reckoned a species of prophecy.
Obj. 2: Further, just as something is foretold in denunciation, so is
something foretold in promise, and both of these are subject to
alteration. For it is written (Jer. 18:7, 8): "I will suddenly speak
against a nation and against a kingdom, to root out, and to pull
down, and to destroy it. If that nation against which I have spoken
shall repent of their evil, I also will repent"--and this pertains to
the prophecy of denunciation, and afterwards the text continues in
reference to the prophecy of promise (Jer. 18:9, 10): "I will
suddenly speak of a nation and of a kingdom, to build up and plant
it. If it shall do evil in My sight . . . I will repent of the good
that I have spoken to do unto it." Therefore as there is reckoned to
be a prophecy of denunciation, so should there be a prophecy of
promise.
Obj. 3: Further, Isidore says (Etym. vii, 8): "There are seven kinds
of prophecy. The first is an ecstasy, which is the transport of the
mind: thus Peter saw a vessel descending from heaven with all manner
of beasts therein. The second kind is a vision, as we read in Isaias,
who says (Isa. 6:1): 'I saw the Lord sitting,' etc. The third kind is
a dream: thus Jacob in a dream, saw a ladder. The fourth kind is from
the midst of a cloud: thus God spake to Moses. The fifth kind is a
voice from heaven, as that which called to Abraham saying (Gen.
22:11): 'Lay not thy hand upon the boy.' The sixth kind is taking up
a parable, as in the example of Balaam (Num. 23:7; 24:15). The
seventh kind is the fullness of the Holy Ghost, as in the case of
nearly all the prophets." Further, he mentions three kinds of vision;
"one by the eyes of the body, another by the soul's imagination, a
third by the eyes of the mind." Now these are not included in the
aforesaid division. Therefore it is insufficient.
_On the contrary,_ stands the authority of Jerome to whom the gloss
above quoted is ascribed.
_I answer that,_ The species of moral habits and acts are
distinguished according to their objects. Now the object of prophecy
is something known by God and surpassing the faculty of man.
Wherefore, according to the difference of such things, prophecy is
divided into various species, as assigned above. Now it has been
stated above (Q. 71, A. 6, ad 2) that the future is contained in the
Divine knowledge in two ways. First, as in its cause: and thus we
have the prophecy of _denunciation,_ which is not always fulfilled.
but it foretells the relation of cause to effect, which is sometimes
hindered by some other occurrence supervening. Secondly, God
foreknows certain things in themselves--either as to be accomplished
by Himself, and of such things is the prophecy of _predestination,_
since, according to Damascene (De Fide Orth. ii, 30), "God
predestines things which are not in our power"--or as to be
accomplished through man's free-will, and of such is the prophecy of
_foreknowledge._ This may regard either good or evil, which does not
apply to the prophecy of predestination, since the latter regards
good alone. And since predestination is comprised under
foreknowledge, the gloss in the beginning of the Psalter assigns only
two species to prophecy, namely of _foreknowledge,_ and of
_denunciation._
Reply Obj. 1: Foreknowledge, properly speaking, denotes precognition
of future events in themselves, and in this sense it is reckoned a
species of prophecy. But in so far as it is used in connection with
future events, whether as in themselves, or as in their causes, it is
common to every species of prophecy.
Reply Obj. 2: The prophecy of promise is included in the prophecy of
denunciation, because the aspect of truth is the same in both. But it
is denominated in preference from denunciation, because God is more
inclined to remit punishment than to withdraw promised blessings.
Reply Obj. 3: Isidore divides prophecy according to the manner of
prophesying. Now we may distinguish the manner of prophesying--either
according to man's cognitive powers, which are sense, imagination,
and intellect, and then we have the three kinds of vision mentioned
both by him and by Augustine (Gen. ad lit. xii, 6, 7)--or according
to the different ways in which the prophetic current is received.
Thus as regards the enlightening of the intellect there is the
"fullness of the Holy Ghost" which he mentions in the seventh place.
As to the imprinting of pictures on the imagination he mentions
three, namely "dreams," to which he gives the third place; "vision,"
which occurs to the prophet while awake and regards any kind of
ordinary object, and this he puts in the second place; and "ecstasy,"
which results from the mind being uplifted to certain lofty things,
and to this he assigns the first place. As regards sensible signs he
reckons three kinds of prophecy, because a sensible sign is--either a
corporeal thing offered externally to the sight, such as "a cloud,"
which he mentions in the fourth place--or a "voice" sounding from
without and conveyed to man's hearing--this he puts in the fifth
place--or a voice proceeding from a man, conveying something under a
similitude, and this pertains to the "parable" to which he assigns
the sixth place.
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