THE WATCHMAN
THE GIFT OF PROPHECY
S it a strange thing that there should
be in the Christian church the gift of
prophecy? Must we look with in-
credulity upon the claim that such a
gift does exist in the Christian church to-day,
as though to set up any such claim were an
evidence of foolishness or fanaticism? Judg-
ing from the practice of religious people at
the present day, we should be obliged to an-
swer such questions in the affirmative. It
seems to be taken for granted that we are
past the age when God’s presence in his church
is to be manifested by the gift of prophecy.
None of the large Christian bodies, so far as
we know, make any claim to the possession
of this gift.
When we examine Bible testimony on the
subject, however, we find nothing to warrant
the popular attitude of Christian bodies toward
this subject. We find, on the contrary, evi-
dence that the absence of the gift of proph-
ecy in a church is an indication that there is
something wrong with that church. The word
of God has set no time when this gift is to
cease in the Christian church, and disappear,
short of the final day when we shall no longer
see “through a glass darkly” (1 Cor. 13:12),
and faith shall give place to sight. No valid
reason can be given why the manifestation of
this gift should not have continued in the
Christian church down to the present time.
The gift of prophecy has been in all ages
a characteristic manifestation of the presence
of the Holy Spirit. Many illustrations of this
are given in the Old Testament. What these
men prophesied is in many instances not re-
corded; but it is stated that when the Spirit
of God rested” upon them, they prophesied.
Their prophecies were not for the benefit of
future generations, but were simply a charac-
teristic manifestation of the presence of the
Spirit. Why should not the presence of the
Spirit be manifested in the like manner to-day?
1 Sam. 19:20-24 is one of many texts that
might be cited in evidence on this subject.
The gift of prophecy in the church did not
end with the days of the Old Testament proph-
ets. The disciples prophesied when the Spirit
came upon them on the day of Pentecost. See
Acts 2:17, 18. The apostle Paul, who was
himself one of the greatest prophets, exhorts
the church to ““ desire spiritual gifts, but rather
that ye may prophesy.” 1 Cor. 14:1. The
gift of prophecy has been set in the Christian
church (1 Cor. 12:10), and there is no record
that the gift has ever been withdrawn. Nor
can any reason be given why it should not con-
tinue to be seen.
It is recorded in the cleventh chapter of
Numbers that when seventy elders were chosen
from the Israelites to bear the burden of gov-
ernment with Moses, the Spirit of God came
upon the seventy and they prophesied. They
were outside the camp, but there were two
men in the camp upon whom the Spirit of
God came, and they prophesied in the camp.
“And there ran a young man and told Moses,
and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in
the camp. And Joshua the son of Nun, the
minister of Moses, one of his chosen men, an-
swered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.”
Moses replied: “Art thou jealous for my sake?
Would that all Jehovah's people were proph-
ets, that Jehovah would put his Spirit upon
them.” It is evident from this that the only
thing that hinders the manifestation of the
gift of prophecy in the church is the unspiritual
condition of the people. It is desirable that
the gift of prophecy should abound in the
church. “Would that all Jehovah's people
were prophets.” And when it is a fact that
none of the professed people of Jehovah are
prophets, and the gift of prophecy is not in
the church at all, that fact, so far from being
an indication that the church is rightly related
to God, is positive evidence to the contrary.
This is certainly true if Bible testimony is to
be given any weight in the matter.
Reader, do you know of any Christian church
which has in it the gift of prophecy? — Not
a church which pretends to have it, or which
has some spurious manifestations that deny
the plain teachings of God's word; but the
gift of prophecy which confirms faith in the
Bible and exalts Christ as the Saviour of sin-
ners. If none of the popular churches in the
land to-day possess this gift, what does the
fact signify as regards the condition of those
churches? And if there is a church which
does possess this gift, what does this fact
signify as regards the relation of that church
to God? L. A. S.
SS
ANOTHER OLD VETERAN FALLEN IN DEATH
ErpEr T. M. StEwArp died at his home in
Graysville, T'enn., April 23, 1907, in his eight-
ieth year. He was born in Glenburn, Me, in
1827. In 1846 his father and mother went to
Wisconsin. In the fall of 1852 he commenced
to keep the Sabbath. He was married in 1855.
Elder Steward preached this message for more
than half a century, laboring in connection
with Elders J. H. Waggoner, J. N. Loughbor-
ough, R. F. Andrews, and other ministers.
His earlier labors were in Wisconsin and Illi-
nois. ‘These two states at an early date were
organized into one conference, but afterward
were organized separately. He acted as sec-
retary of the conference for some five years.
In 1874 Elder Steward and his family moved
to Battle Creek, Mich, and they remained
there until 1902, when they moved to Grays-
ville, Tenn., where they lived until his recent
death.
Elder Steward’s health has been failing for
some years, though until quite recently he
has been able to be around working on his
little farm, and to preach when from time to
time he has been called upon to do so. His
health and strength recently have gone down
quite rapidly under a complication of diseases
He went to his rest peacefully, like a shock
of corn fully ripe.
297
Elder Steward was an able preacher, and
thoroughly understood all the doctrines of our
faith. He was not one of the kind who wav-
ered, doubted, or was easily turned aside. He
was one of the staunchest believers all through
the half century and more that he worked in
connection with this glorious truth. Hundreds
embraced the truth under his labors, and he
had the reputation of thoroughly instructing
all the new converts in every principle of our
faith, so that they were intelligent in regard
to every point of our doctrine. He had the
respect of our people who knew him, and his
life was an honor to the cause of God.
He has fallen in death with a bright hope
in his blessed Lord. He will come forth in
glorious immortality when the last trump shall
sound. The precious doctrine of Christ's soon
coming was a most cheering theme to him.
Nothing would interest him like that. It
was the writer's privilege to meet him often
when stopping for a brief time in Graysville.
He was always the same cheerful, earnest
Christian man. May the dear Lord bless the
dear ones who are left behind. May he pour
into their hearts the blessed consolations of
the precious hope. G. I. B.
EJ
WHY THE SANCTUARY WAS BUILT
HY must Israel build a sanctuary in
order that God could dwell among
them? It was not because he had not
espoused them as his people; neither
was it because they had not designed him to
be their God. For two hundred and fifteen
years they had been in Egypt, where the sun
was worshiped as the source of all good, the
author of all blessings. They were to build
a dwelling-place for God, and God promised
to walk in their midst, to destroy their enemies,
and magnify his power in their behalf; but
he desired a special dwelling-place, where they
could see the visible manifestations of his
glory.
All of this was to teach them of the person-
ality of God. God had dwelt with Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob without a building. It was
not therefore the building that was so neces-
sary, but the erection of the building, and the
services connected therewith were designed to
destroy the last vestige of pantheism that had
lingered among them, the existence of which
excluded the personality of God; for “he that
cometh to God must believe that he is, and
that he is a rewarder of them that diligently
seek him.”
Then from this we learn that there was a
dwelling-place for God in heaven after the
pattern of the building which Moses made
upon the earth, and in this dwelling place the
character of God was known. “Thy way, O
God, is in the sanctuary.” “Thou art a God
that doest wonders.” “The Lord has pre-
pared his throne in the heavens, and his king-
dom ruleth over all.” “ He hath looked down
from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven
did the Lord behold the earth.” “A glorious
high throne from the beginning is the place of
our sanctuary.”
Such is God's testimony concerning the sanc-
tuary built upon the earth, and his own dwell-
ing-place in heaven. S. N. H.