It was the will of God that each church, each assembly of the saints, should have one or more who had the gift of prophecy, as in the Corinthian assembly. GoPH 194.6
“Now there were in the church that was at Antioch, certain prophets and teachers.” Acts 13:1. GoPH 194.7
There were at least twelve men in the church at Ephesus who prophesied, and at least four women in the church at Caesarea who prophesied. Acts 19:1-7 and 21:8, 9. GoPH 194.8
Is the work to begin under the early rain with all the gifts including many prophets scattered throughout the various assemblies, and close with but one exercising but one of the nine gifts among all the thousands of the remnant in all the earth? GoPH 194.9
And would the Lord take pains to announce to the world this poverty of Spirit, and would the dragon be so enraged with a people whose only remarkable feature was their lack of Spiritual gifts? GoPH 194.10
And thus it is seen that a people have thought themselves rich and increased in goods and in need of nothing, because they had one among their thousands who had one of the nine gifts of the Spirit, the gift to prophesy! GoPH 194.11
What would you think of this description of the apostolic church under its early rain, in the exercise of all the gifts; with the scores of prophets, and with its multitude of miracles of healing and power—what would you think of the following description? And the dragon was wroth with the apostolic church, and made war on it because they kept the commandments of God and had one among their thousands throughout the world who had one of the nine gifts of the Spirit, the gift to prophesy. GoPH 194.12
Oh reader, let us never again narrow down “the testimony of Jesus” which is His whole testimony which He has testified concerning “the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should fol-low,” and which is found to be written in both the Old and New Testament—let us never again interpret it to mean one of the nine gifts of the Spirit. GoPH 195.1
Who Are The Prophets GoPH 195.2
All who prophesy or testify the prophecy or testimony of Jesus, are called prophets in the Bible. And their testifying the testimony of Jesus is called “prophesying.” GoPH 195.3
But there are two classes of prophets, and two classes of prophesying brought to view in the Scriptures. One class includes those prophets through whom God has given the original prophecy, the original testimony of Jesus which is found in the Bible. This class of prophesying is complete. There will be no more of that class of prophesying. There will be no additions to the Bible. GoPH 195.4
“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.” Revelation 22:18. GoPH 195.5
But there is another class of prophets, and another class of prophesying that will continue to the end. These are they who prophesy, or testify the original prophecies of Jesus that are written in the book, as “meat in due season” to the world. GoPH 195.6