The Testimony of JESUS is the Spirit of Prophecy

l. Return of Elijah

A. What is said concerning Elijah?Mal. 4:5, 6

He will return.

B. What did Jesus say about John the Baptist?Matt. 17:10-13

He was the Elijah which was to come.

C. In what way was John the Baptist the Elijah?Luke 1:17

He was to come in the same spirit and power of Elijah and with amessage similar to Elijah's.

D. What did John say about himself when asked about his identity?John 1:19-23

He denied that he was Elijah. John was trying to turn theirattention to his message ratherthan to himself. It mattered little who he was.

E. How did Jesus express this same truth?Matt. 11:10 ,14

'If you will receive it (the message), this is the Elijah which wasto come.'

II. Apostasy of Ancient Israel

A. Through Ahab's marriage to Jezebel whatconditions did he bring abut in Israel?1 Kings 16:30-33

He led all Israel into idolatry. They were in a state of confusion,trying to worship the Godof heaven and also to follow the teachings of the prophets of Baal.

B.What drastic action did God take to bring them back to Him?1 Kings 17:1

He withheld the rain for three and one half years.James 5:17, 18During this time God protected Elijah from his enemies.

C. At the end of the three-and-one-half-year period whatcommand was given to Elijah?1 Kings 18:1

To go to Ahab.Verses 17, 18

III. Elijah Message

A.What was Elijah's message to the people?Verse 21

If God is the true God, then follow Him, but if Baal, then followhim, but not to try to follow both. When Jesus was on earth the sameproblem existed. The people were trying to follow the traditions of menand also the Scriptures. Jesus always pointed them to the scriptures.Today we have a similar problem in the religious world. We still have thetraditions of our fathers and many, many theories of men that are beingtaught in the churches. At the same time, they still preachfrom the Bible. The Roman Catholic church claims she is the onlyauthority for truth. The Elijah message applies with equal force today:If the Bible is the Word of God, then follow it; but if the Roman Catholicchurch is the authority, then follow her, but don't try to follow both atthe same time. This has brought about the condition in the religiousworld called Babylon' which means confusion.

IV. Church Likened to the Human Body

A.To what does God liken His church in1 Corinthians 12:1 ;12

To the human body with all its members. The gifts in the church arecomparable to the various members of the body.

V. Gifts in the Church

A.Why have these gifts been placed in the church?1 Cor. 12:18 ,25

That there should be no divisions in the church.

B. Name some of the gifts.1 Cor. 12:28 andEphesians 4:11

C.When all of these gifts are in the church and working together harmoniously, what kind of a church will it be? Eph. 4:12-16 NIV

They will perfect and edify the church and also keep out any false doctrines. When all the members and organs of the human body are functioning properly, we have health.' So it is with the church. With all the gifts in the church and functioning properly, we will have a healthy,growing church.

VI. Gift of Prophecy

A. In olden times what was a prophet called?1 Sam. 9:9

A seer. He was the eyes for the church and guided it. When oneloses his sight he stumbles around in darkness. While God's people wereobedient to Him there was a prophet in the church, but when they strayedaway from His commandments, He withdrew the prophet from their midst.See Lam. 2:9 ;Prov. 29:18

The gift of prophecy was in the church during Apostolic times, butlater when the church apostatized there were no longer any prophets thatwe have a record of. During the 1260 year period, when the Papacy ruledthe world, the little church walked almost in total darkness. TheScriptures were precious in those days and were copied by hand.

B. Will the church, which will be waiting for Christ tocome, have all these gifts?1 Cor. 1:6, 7 ,10

It will come behind in no gift. It will also be a united church--notin uniformity, but in unity.Rev. 12:17

VII. Identification of the Remnant Church

A.How is the remnant church identified?Rev. 19:10 ;Rev. 22:9

The gift of prophecy.

VIII. Women Prophetesses

A. Did God give this gift only to men?

Ex. 15:20 ;Judges 4:4 ;2 Kings 22:14Luke 2:36 ;Acts 21:8, 9

No. There were also women prophetesses.

IX. Warning Against False Prophets

A. What warning has been given us concerning false prophets?1 John 4:1;Matt. 24:24

There will be false prophets who will perform miracles so great thatthey will deceive, if possible, the very elect of God.

B. What are the marks of a true prophet?

1. True prophets will be genuine Christians.Matt. 7:15 ,20 ;Gal. 5:22, 23

2. They will teach according to the Scriptures. We are to provethem on this point.1 Thess. 5:19, 21 ;Isa. 8:20

3. No matter if they can perform miracles and yet are teachingcontrary to the scriptures,believe them not, though their predictions even come true.Deut. 13:1-4

4. Their predictions should come true.Deut. 18:22

5. A prophet is unconscious of his surrounding while in vision. Theones in his presence donot see what he is seeing or hear what he is hearing.Dan. 10:7

6. A prophet does not breath while in vision.Dan. 10:17 last part

7.His eyes remain open at times.Num. 24:4

X. Function of Prophets

A. How does God speak to His people?Num. 12:6 ;Amos 3:7

He revealeth Himself and His secrets to His people through the prophets.

B. Why are prophets sent to us?2 Chron. 24:19

To bring us back to God and to His Word.

C. How did God bring His people out of Egypt?Hosea 12:13

By a prophet. Has there ever been a time in the history of thechurch when a prophet was more needed than today with all the confusion there is in the religious world?

XI. All the Gifts Needed in the Church

A. What is the only thing that will bring true prosperityinto the church?2 Chron. 20:20last part.

Believe in the Lord our God and also His prophets. (Perfect vision is20/20 vision.) The church that has this gift will have perfect visionwhich will enable her to see through the darknessof these last days and find her way to the kingdom.

Outpouring of the Holy Spirit

1. FOR what did Christ, just before His ascension, tell His disciples to wait?
"And, 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.

2. With what did He say they would be baptized?
"Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." Acts 1:5.

NOTE.-John the Baptist had foretold this baptism. He said: "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire." Matt. 3:11.

3. For what work was this baptism to prepare them?
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Acts 1:8.

4. What were some of the results of the preaching of the gospel under the outpouring of the Spirit?
"Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said . . . Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. . . . Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." Acts 2:37-41.

"And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; . . . and believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women." Acts 5:12-14.

"And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith." Acts 6:7.

5. How did persecution affect the preaching of the gospel?
"And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. . . . Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word." Acts 8:1-4.

NOTE.-"Persecution has only had a tendency to extend and establish the faith which it was designed to destroy. . . . There is no lesson which men have been so slow to learn as that to oppose and persecute men is the very way to confirm them in their opinions, and to spread their doctrines."-Dr. Albert Barnes, on Acts 4:4.

6. What words of Peter seem to indicate another outpouring of the Spirit?
"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." Acts 3:19.

7. What event does he speak of as immediately following these times of refreshing?
"And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive [Syriac, retain] until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began." Verses 20,21.

NOTE.-From this it seems evident that we may look for another outpouring of the Spirit for a final proclamation of the gospel to all the world just before Christ's second advent and the restitution of all things.

8. What prophecy was fulfilled in the Pentecostal outpouring of the Spirit in the time of the apostles?
"But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said, . . . These are not drunken, as ye suppose, . . . but this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of My Spirit, and they shall prophesy." Acts 2:14-18. See Joel 2:28,29.

9. What expressions in the prophecy of Joel seem to imply a double fulfillment of this outpouring of the Spirit?
"Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for He hath given you the former rain moderately, and He will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month." Joel 2:23. See also Hosea 6:3.

NOTE.-In Palestine the early rains prepare the soil for the seed sowing, and the latter rains ripen the grain for the harvest. So the early outpouring of the Spirit prepared the world for the extensive sowing of the gospel seed, and the final outpouring will come to ripen the golden grain for the harvest of the earth, which Christ says is "the end of the world." Matt. 13:37-39; Rev. 14:14,15.

10. For what are we told to pray at this time?
"Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain to everyone grass in the field." Zech. 10:1.

NOTE.-Before the apostles received the baptism of the Spirit in the early rain on the day of Pentecost, they all "continued with one accord in prayer and supplication." Acts 1:14. During this time they confessed their faults, put away their differences, ceased their selfish ambitions and contentions for place and power, so that when the time for the outpouring came, "they were all with one accord in one place," ready for its reception. To be prepared for the final outpouring of the Spirit, all sin and selfish ambition must again be put away, and a like work of grace wrought upon the hearts of God's people.

11. How is the closing work of the gospel under the out pouring of the Spirit described by the revelator?
"After these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory." Rev. 18:1.

12. What does this angel say?
"And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird." Verse 2.

13. What did Peter on the day of Pentecost tell his hearers to do?
"And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation." Acts 2:40.

14. What similar call and appeal will be made under the final outpouring of the Spirit?
"And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities." Rev. 18:4,5.

NOTES.-A great work will be accomplished in a short time under the final outpouring of the Spirit. Many voices all over the earth will sound the warning cry. Signs and wonders will be wrought by the believers, and, as at Pentecost, thousands will be converted in a day.
Those who fail to heed this final gospel call, like the unbelieving Jews, will be doomed to destruction. The seven last plagues will overtake them, as war, famine, death, and destruction overtook the Jews, who, not believing in Christ, failed to heed His call to flee, and shut themselves up in Jerusalem to their doom. Those who heed the call, and separate themselves from sin and from sinners, will be saved.