In the early history of Israel, there is evidence of false prophets (Deuteronomy 18:20). God, therefore, did not leave His people without guidance on who His true prophets were.

As recipients of God’s revelation and inspiration, true prophets faithfully, accurately, and honestly transmitted God’s messages, even if, at times, this made them unpopular with the people in power.

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To have a king say of a prophet that “ ‘I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil’ ” (1 Kings 22:8, NKJV) says a lot about the king, but more about the prophet. He was, obviously, a man not afraid to speak the truth, even to the king himself—not a way to win royal favor, to say the least.

Micaiah stood alone against 400 false prophets as he presented the truth revealed to him. In the face of coercion to alter negative messages from the Lord to placate evil King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel (1 Kings 22:13-14), Micaiah presented God’s truth, regardless of how it might be received.

There are numerous examples of the quality of life lived by prophets in the Bible. In this case, Saul was sent by his father, Kish, to look for his lost donkeys. The servant traveling with Saul suggested that he not abandon the search, because there was “ ‘in this city a man of God, and he is an honorable man’ ” (1 Samuel 9:6, NKJV). The description given here of Samuel the prophet depicts the qualities expected of God’s prophets. True prophets in Scripture are identified as “men of God,” chosen in part to exemplify His character. At the same time, just because some among the “men of God” may be prophets, this doesn’t make them flawless human beings.

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

As we saw last week, the Lord used Elijah the prophet to do a tremendous work in Israel, despite fervent opposition. What the Lord had accomplished through him was incredible. And yet . . . what?

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Elijah had a stunning success on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:1-46); God had worked in a mighty way through him, and one of the most astonishing miracles depicted in Old Testament history occurred: at the sound of Elijah’s own words, fire literally came down from heaven (1 Kings 18:38)! You would have thought that this man of God would have been exceedingly happy after something like that.

“ ‘It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!’ ” (1 Kings 19:4, NKJV). This sounds like a man suffering from some form of depression. Why? What happened on Mount Carmel would not be an easy act to follow, for sure, but, still, something else is going on here.

Perhaps the key could be found in his words, “ ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life’ ” (1 Kings 19:10, NKJV). This sounds as though he’s lamenting what he believes to be his failures in ministry. Apostasy remains, despite his best efforts, as if he alone could have stemmed the tide. Whatever ultimately is going on here, we can see the humanity and fragility of this man of God. In other words, Elijah was a man who had “a nature like ours.”

<–Sabbath Monday–>

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Read for This Week’s Study

James 5:17-18; 1 Kings 19:1-16; 1 Kings 22:1-14; Exodus 15:20; 2 Kings 22:11-14; Jeremiah 14:1-15.

Memory Text:

“Jehoshaphat stood and said, ‘Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper’ ” (2 Chronicles 20:20, NKJV).

The Global Positioning System (GPS) helps travelers know where they are, where they are going, and even provides warnings against hazards. Spiritual travelers journeying to heaven also need guidance now and in the future from a heavenly “positioning system.” One way that God did this in times past was through the ministry of Old Testament prophets. In their narratives, counsels, prophecies, poetry, and songs, we discover a lot about the dozens of prophets who presented God’s messages to the people.

This week’s lesson explores Old Testament descriptions of prophets, descriptions that help us understand the gift of prophecy as it had been manifested by some of these servants of God.

As we will see, these were people like us, in that they were frail human beings subject to fear, anger, and discouragement. Life for them was not easy but filled with challenges and hardships, as it is for all of us.

What, then, can we learn from looking at a few of these specially called servants of God?

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 17.

Sunday–>

By Mission Editor

Matthew and Martin were Marek’s best friends. If a fight broke out at school, the same three teens were always to blame: Matthew, Martin, and Marek. Today, Matthew is dead; Martin spent seven years in prison; and Marek is a former drug dealer who serves as one of the leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Poland. What happened?

Marek grew up in a Christian family in southern Poland. His life fell apart at the age of 18 when his girlfriend left him. He decided to pray: “God, I want her back.” Nothing happened. Then he prayed, “God, I don’t want to wake up anymore.” Still nothing happened.

Marek stopped praying and became an atheist. He started using drugs. Then his friend Martin decided to sell drugs and invited Marek to join him. Marek quickly became successful at selling and using drugs.

Two years passed, and Marek couldn’t find anyone to join him at a big party on New Year’s Eve. Disappointed, Marek decided to visit his grandmother.

That night, he found himself staring at a picture of Jesus in his grandmother’s home. He thought, Even if I don’t believe in God, Jesus was real. He remembered reading the Bible as a boy.

Several days later, Marek visited a woman who promised to reveal his future. She shuffled cards and warned about the end of the world. Astonished, Marek asked when the world would end. She said in exactly one year.

Marek started reading the book of Revelation, hoping to learn how the world would end, but understood nothing. Turning to the gospels, he was amazed to learn that Jesus had a kingdom where people would be happy and live forever.

One night, after a party, he was sitting in a car, eating takeout food with friends. Out the window he saw a bookstore called Signs of the Times.

The next day, he went to the bookstore and asked, “Do you have some books about Nostradamus?”

The woman behind the counter said, “No, but if you are interested in prophecy, we have The Great Controversy.”

Marek bought the thick book by Ellen White and was stunned as he read. He double-checked everything in the Bible and online. It all seemed to match.

One night, as he read The Great Controversy in bed, he asked himself, “Am I gaining light from reading this book?”

At that moment, the light bulb in the lamp above his head began to blink. That was unusual, and Marek grew nervous. Suddenly, he noticed a reflection of himself in a window. All he could see was his head and the light bulb right above it. The bulb stopped sputtering and shone brightly again.

The answer was clear. It was the first time in his life that he sensed God’s presence and love. He knelt and said, “God, if You are like this, I want to serve You.”

Called to Prophetic Ministry

God calls prophets at specific times for special purposes. They were there with the messages needed for that time. In this context, Seventh-day Adventists believe that Ellen G. White was one such person who demonstrated a modern manifestation of the prophetic gift, functioning much like a noncanonical prophet (more on this in the lessons to come). Ellen Harmon (White) received her first call in December 1844, a few weeks after Millerite Adventists had expected Jesus to return based on Daniel 8:14: “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.”

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Although William Miller never set an exact date, his followers eventually looked to October 22, 1844, based on the biblical time reckoning for the Day of Atonement as the date Christ would return to the earth. This belief brought tremendous anticipation to thousands upon thousands in North America and other regions of the world. Soon they would be united with their Savior in heaven. Miller, too, became filled with excitement and enthusiasm as the expected Advent approached.

But Christ did not appear, and the Millerite believers experienced one of the most devastating historical events, the Great Disappointment.

This is the setting in which God gave Ellen Harmon (White) her first vision. Its primary message was to encourage both her and the disappointed believers that God was still with them in spite of their mistaken interpretation. The vision pointed to a path heading from this earth to the heavenly Jerusalem. On this path were Advent believers traveling to the Holy City. And “if they kept their eyes fixed on Jesus, who was just before them, leading them to the city, they were safe.”—Ellen G. White, Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, p. 31.

This vision was good news. God was beginning to create a new movement out of the confusion of the disappointment. Jesus was still with them. He was still returning. He was still leading them on the path of salvation. They just had to keep their eyes “fixed on” Him. They had great reasons not to give up hope, even amid so much turmoil and disappointment.

Thus, Ellen G. Harmon (White), a 17-year-old teenager, was called to her prophetic ministry. Hers was not an easy path, especially in the beginning.

Although this gift was gradually accepted as genuine, Ellen G. White was fearful to be God’s messenger. Being a prophet of God had never been easy or prestigious. So, how would she submit to God’s call?

Next week we will take a closer look at the special work and challenges faced by Old Testament prophets, some of which are also echoed in the life and ministry of Ellen G. White, as we will learn next Friday.

Further Study – Click Here.

<–Thursday

The Gospel of Mark informs us that the arrival of John the Baptist was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 40:3). John’s development from childhood to manhood was marked by faithfulness to God. Satan feared losing his dominion over humanity after hearing John’s voice in the wilderness (see Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 224). The wickedness of John’s listeners was unmasked in a manner that caused Satan to quake. Satan’s grip over Israel was being threatened. He repeatedly tried and failed to dissuade John the Baptist from his faithful lifestyle and trust in the Messiah.

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Satan was unable to tempt Jesus into sin, and his defeat in the wilderness enraged him. He then changed tactics by having John, Jesus’ cousin, thrown into prison. John’s imprisonment hurt Jesus, even though Satan could not entice Him to sin. This was Satan’s way of breaking John, while emotionally burdening the heart of the Savior. But John received a word of encouragement from Jesus. And despite his terrible conditions, and certainly not understanding why he remained in prison when Jesus was so powerful, John nevertheless stayed faithful, even unto death.

Like the prophets of old, we, too, are called to proclaim a message of repentance and faith and the totality of Christ’s righteousness (Revelation 14:6-12). As he did with John the Baptist, Satan may use uncertainty to make us doubt God’s mission for our lives. We need not become despondent if we remember God’s leading in our lives, especially when things don’t go well for us, as happened with John, who was imprisoned and then killed by the actions of an evil woman and a weak-willed man. Whatever humans may do to us, we can reach out to God in faith, and He will answer us. He has promised us power to do His will (Acts 1:8). In the post-Christian and non-Christian world, it is imperative that we be faithful witnesses for Christ, whatever our circumstances.

<–Wednesday Friday–>