From the beginning until now God has used many ways of communicating His will to man. So full and complete have been His revelations that mankind is indeed left without excuse.GoPH 9.1

When God first made man, He spoke to him face to face without restraint. Man was then pure and holy, and because of his sinlessness could endure thus to see and talk with Deity without being consumed.GoPH 9.2

In Eden man dwelt with God, and enjoyed with Him immediate, and not merely mediate, communication. If man had not fallen, he would have continued to enjoy this immediate intercourse. This open communication between God and man was broken off when man became a sinner.GoPH 9.3

Had man not fallen, paradise would have continued to lie about him through all coming centuries, as it lay about his infancy. Every man would have enjoyed direct vision of God and held immediate speech with Him. Man having fallen, the cherubim and the flame of a sword turning every way keep the path. And God has had to break His way in a roundabout fashion into the darkened hearts and minds of His creatures in order to reveal to them His redeeming grace and love.GoPH 9.4

It is sin that has made the breach between God and man. Sin broke off this audible communication between the Creator and His creatures. It is because of sin that a Mediator was made necessary in the maintenance of any relation whatever between them.GoPH 10.1

“Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you.” Isaiah 59:2.GoPH 10.2

No human being has ever seen the Father, or ever communicated with Him openly.GoPH 10.3

“The blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lords of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see.” 1 Timothy 6:15, 10. .GoPH 10.4

This does not conflict with the statements in Exodus 24:9-11 that “Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel . . . saw the God of Israel,” for “the God of Israel” whom they saw was the Jehovah of the Old Testament, who is the Christ of the New Testament.GoPH 10.5

It is Jesus who has made God known to man. It is Jesus who is the “one Mediator between God and men.” (1 Timothy 2:5.)GoPH 10.6

It is Jesus, ” who is the image of the invisible God,” who shadowed the Father forth to the world. It is Jesus who is Creator, ” for by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him.” (Colossians 1:16.)GoPH 11.1

It was this Mediator, Jesus Christ, who spoke the words of the ten-commandment law on Mount Sinai. The “law . . . was ordained by angels in the hand of a Mediator.” Galatians 3:19. It was therefore the Lord Jesus who was seen on the mount by the leaders of Israel.GoPH 11.2

Through Christ, the channel of communication by which Heaven speaks to earth, by which God reveals Himself to men, by which Divinity discloses its will to humanity, has been reopened. It was closed by sin. Jesus, the Redeemer, restores to man the privilege of communication with God.GoPH 11.3

He spoke as a Messenger of heaven.GoPH 11.4

“For I have not spoken of Myself; but the Father which sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.” John 12:49.GoPH 11.5

Only three times, so far as the record goes, has the Father’s voice been heard in this world. The first of these occasions was at the baptism of our Lord.GoPH 12.1

“Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased.” Luke 3:21, 22.GoPH 12.2

The second occasion was at the transfiguration. There upon the mountain top, as the Lord stood with Peter, James, and John, “a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud which said, This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him.” (Matthew 17:5.)GoPH 12.3

The third occasion was during the crucifixion week, after the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when the Greeks came to the temple and asked to see Jesus. At that time Jesus prayed, saying, “Father, glorify Thy Name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” John 12:28GoPH 12.4

Aside from these three occasions, God the Father has not spoken audibly in this world.GoPH 12.5

But He has communicated His will to men. And in doing this He has used many agencies and means. “At sundry times and in divers manners,” He has communicated His revelations to men. (Hebrews 1:1.)GoPH 13.1

The Father has spoken through His Son, the Lord Jesus. On many occasions His messages were brought to earth by heavenly angels, and communicated by these glorious beings directly to the persons for whom they were sent.GoPH 13.2

Thus an angel brought a message from God to Hagar (Genesis 16:7-12); to Lot (Genesis 19:1, 12, 13, 15); to Abraham (Genesis 22:11, 12); to Moses (Exodus 3:2); to Balaam (Numbers 22:32); to all the children of Israel (Judges 2:1-4); to Gideon (Judges 6:11-18); to the mother of Samson (Judges 13:3-5); to Elijah (1 Kings 19:5-7); to Daniel (Daniel 6:22); to Zechariah (Zechariah 1:9, 11-14); to Joseph, husband of Mary (Matthew 1:20, 21; 2:13, 19); to Zacharias, father of John the Baptist (Luke 1:11-20); to Mary (Luke 1:26-38); to the shepherds (Luke 2:8-14); to the women at the tomb (Luke 24:23); to the apostles in jail (Acts 5:19, 20); to Cornelius (Acts 10:3-6); to Peter in prison (Acts 12:7-9); and to Paul (Acts 27:23, 24).GoPH 13.3

Another method that God used in ancient times to communicate His will was by the Urim and Thummim. This is described in the Scripture in this way:GoPH 13.4

“And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the Lord.” Exodus 28:30.GoPH 14.1

In some manner not clearly revealed in the Bible, God revealed His will to the high priest by means of these precious stones. We conclude from the meager evidence that a light resting on the right stone meant a positive answer, and a cloud or shadow over the left one meant a negative answer to the question asked by the high priest.GoPH 14.2

Another method that God used to make known His will was by the light between the cherubim on the mercy seat of the ark. This light the Jews called the Shekinah. Sometimes a voice from this light answered the high priest. A light here seemed to show approval and a shadow disapproval.GoPH 14.3

Still another method employed by God to disclose His will to men was that of dreams. He spoke to Abimelech “in a dream” (Genesis 20:3); to Laban (Genesis 31:24); to Joseph (Genesis 37:5); to Pharaoh (Genesis 41:7); to Solomon (1 Kings 3:5); and to Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2:1), as well as to many others.GoPH 14.4

These were all recognized as means by which God spoke to men. Indeed, when Saul, the king of Israel, “inquired of the Lord,” and “the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets,” Saul was convinced, as he states it himself, that “God is departed from me.” (1 Samuel 28:6, 15.)GoPH 15.1

During the centuries, however, God has used one particular method more than any other by which to communicate His will to man. This has been prophecy. By the gift of prophecy, through the ages of the past, He has made known His commands and guided His people, and revealed His truth. Of this method of revealing His will He has said:GoPH 15.2

“Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7.GoPH 15.3

It is this method in particular that will be discussed in the studies that follow in this book.GoPH 15.4

Chapter Two—The Prophetic Gift`