The remnant of the gospel church will have the gifts. War will be waged against them because they keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:17.) In Revelation 19:10, the testimony of Jesus is defined to be the spirit of prophecy. Said the angel, “I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus.” In Revelation 22:9, he repeats the same in substance, as follows: “I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets.” From the comparison we see the force of the expression, “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” But the testimony of Jesus includes all the gifts of that one Spirit.
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It was Christ that spoke to His people through the prophets. The apostle Peter, writing to the Christian church, says that the prophets “prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow.” 1 Peter 1:10, 11. It is the voice of Christ that speaks to us through the Old Testament. “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10.
In His teachings while personally among men Jesus directed the minds of the people to the Old Testament. He said to the Jews, “Ye search the Scriptures, because ye think that in them ye have eternal life; and these are they which bear witness of Me.” John 5:39, R.V. At this time the books of the Old Testament were the only part of the Bible in existence. Again the Son of God declared, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.” And He added, “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” Luke 16:29, 31
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It is God’s purpose that his people shall be informed and enlightened, knowing and understanding not only the times in which they live but also what is yet to come. “Surely the Lord will do nothing, but he revealeth his secrets unto his servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7. This contrasts God’s people, “the children of light,” 1 Thessalonians 5:5, with the people of the world.
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The work of the prophet includes much more than just making predictions. Moses, a prophet of God who wrote six books of the Bible, wrote very little about what was to come in the future. His work is described by Hosea in its broader sense, “By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.” Hosea 12:13
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” The apostle John identifies the members of the last-day church, “the remnant church,” as those “which keep the commandments of God,” Revelation 12:17, thus making them a commandment-keeping church. This remnant church would also have “the testimony of Jesus,” which is “the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10. Paul states that the church that is expectantly waiting for the coming of Christ would come behind in no gift. 1 Corinthians 1:7, 8. It would be blessed with the gift of the testimony of Christ.
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Perilous times are before us. Everyone who has a knowledge of the truth should awake and place himself, body, soul, and spirit, under the discipline of God. The enemy is on our track. We must be wide awake, on our guard against him. We must put on the whole armor of God. We must follow the directions given through the spirit of prophecy. We must love and obey the truth for this time. This will save us from accepting strong delusions. God has spoken to us through His word. He has spoken to us through the testimonies to the church and through the books that have helped to make plain our present duty and the position that we should now occupy. The warnings that have been given, line upon line, precept upon precept, should be heeded. If we disregard them, what excuse can we offer? {CCh 326.6}
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This earth has almost reached the place where God will permit the destroyer to work his will upon it. The substitution of the laws of men for the law of God, the exaltation, by merely human authority, of Sunday in place of the Bible Sabbath, is the last act in the drama. When this substitution becomes universal, God will reveal Himself. He will arise in His majesty to shake terribly the earth. He will come out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the world for their iniquity, and the earth shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.—Testimonies for the Church 7:141.
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