This question is just part of a long list of queries from my Adventist friend. It took me quite a while to unpack everything, and I thought it would be best to gradually post these questions to keep readers from being overwhelmed by the sheer length of the discussions. My Adventist friend's questions are genuinely interesting and challenging, exactly the kind of theological dialogue I’ve been waiting for. Because of that, I want to make sure my answers are detailed, well-documented, and thoroughly researched for the benefit of Adventist thinkers and those who have a deep passion for the truth.
Let’s begin by addressing his question regarding the gift of prophecy in the Christian church.
THE QUERY
"And in addition, Acts 2:17 says, 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.' So if this is the case, then how can Jesus be the last prophet if a prophet is being the spokesperson of God? Are you saying that NOBODY after Jesus will become the spokesperson of God? Are you limiting God’s power to use people after Jesus' time to become His spokesperson?"
THE RESPONSE:
To properly answer this, we need to look closely at Acts 2:17, which Peter quotes directly from Joel 2:28-29. When we examine the text in its proper context, it actually dismantles the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) interpretation rather than supporting it.
Here in the Philippines, we deeply value the concept of bayanihan, the idea of a community coming together, where everyone has a part to play, and no single person carries the entire load. The New Testament picture of the church is very much a spiritual bayanihan. Yet, the SDA church claims that Ellen G. White served as their sole prophet with a virtual monopoly on God's voice for over 160 years.
This directly contradicts the very verse in question. Notice that God promised to pour out His Spirit on "all flesh," not just a single, exclusively selected individual. The text specifically highlights a collective outpouring: "sons" (plural), "daughters" (plural), "young men" (plural), and "old men" (plural). Furthermore, according to the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, the fulfillment of this Joel prophecy explicitly includes the manifestation of speaking in tongues:
“This special pouring out of the Spirit results in the display of supernatural gifts, such as prophesying. On the day of Pentecost, when the apostles ‘were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues’ (Acts 2:4), Peter asserted that ‘this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel’ (v. 16).” [i]
Here lies a massive contradiction. The SDA church cannot logically claim the fulfillment of this prophecy while simultaneously maintaining a cessationist stance, believing that the gift of speaking in tongues ceased functioning after the New Testament canon was closed. You cannot claim the prophecy of Acts 2 for your movement while denying the very spiritual gifts that accompanied it. It is a classic example of selectively reading the Scriptures to fit a denominational narrative.
The New Covenant Outpouring
The true fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy began in Acts chapter 2 during the Feast of Pentecost, which marked a massive theological shift. When Peter stood up and declared that this was happening in the "last days," he was speaking about the last days of the Old Covenant era. The old system of temple sacrifices and exclusive national boundaries was ending, soon to be finalized by the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. In its place, God was inaugurating the New Covenant age.
Under this New Covenant, the Holy Spirit is no longer limited to a select few kings, priests, or isolated prophets. The Spirit is poured out abundantly on the entire body of believers. Acts 2:3-4 (NIV) makes this beautifully clear: “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”
Interestingly, the SDA Fundamental Beliefs actually agree on paper that the New Testament gift of prophecy should be desired by the church today, referencing 1 Corinthians 14:1, 39 [ii].
"Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy... Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues." 1 Corinthians 14:1, 39(NIV)
However, their history tells a different story. In 1894, A.T. Jones enthusiastically suggested that if the church held the right relationship with God, everyone could have the gift of prophecy to benefit themselves, properly fulfilling Joel's prophecy. Ellen White firmly opposed this, writing a letter of rebuke:
“A sister, in a letter to her friends, speaks with much enthusiasm of a statement by Brother Jones that Sister White has seen that the time has come when, if we hold the right relation to God, all can have the gift of prophecy... Where is the authority for this statement? I must believe that the sister failed to understand Brother Jones...” [iii]
This leaves the SDA church with a glaring problem. How can they restrict the fulfillment of Acts 2:17 to Ellen White alone? After she died in 1915, several individuals claimed to be her successor, but none were recognized. The franchise on prophecy was essentially closed.
Did Prophecy Cease With Jesus?
To directly answer the Adventist’s question: Am I saying nobody after Jesus can be a spokesperson for God?
No, I am absolutely not saying that. I firmly believe that the spiritual gifts, including prophecy, are alive, active, and continually functioning in the church today. God is not limited. However, we do not need another prophet to write additional Scripture. The canon is closed. Jesus, as the God-Man, is our ultimate Prophet, Priest, and King. He is the "last prophet" in the sense that He delivered the final, authoritative, and complete message necessary for our salvation (Hebrews 1:1-2).
"In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe." Hebrews 1:1-2(NIV)
We have to understand that the meaning and function of the word "prophet" shifted between the Old and New Covenants. In contemporary theological scholarship, particularly in the works of Dr. Wayne Grudem, we see a clear distinction. In the New Testament Greek-speaking world, the word prophetes did not automatically mean "one who speaks with absolute divine authority" on par with Scripture. It often simply meant a spokesperson or someone speaking under a spiritual influence [iv].
We can see this shift through several biblical factors:
- Apostolic Authority: Jesus specifically chose the term "apostle" (not prophet) to designate those who carried the absolute authority to write the New Testament Scriptures.
- Widespread Distribution: As seen at Pentecost, the New Covenant gift of prophecy was widely distributed to ordinary Christians in the local congregation, not restricted to an elite few.
- Congregational Testing: New Testament prophecy does not carry the unquestionable, infallible quality of Scripture. It consists of spontaneous revelations or words of encouragement that the church is commanded to carefully weigh and test (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21; 1 Corinthians 14:29) [vi].
"Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good." 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21(NIV)
"Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said." 1 Corinthians 14:29(NIV)
Even Ellen White herself acknowledged this broader, less authoritative definition of the word prophet, admitting that the title was also given to those “who, though not so directly inspired, were divinely called to instruct the people in the works and ways of God.” [vii]
"In the highest sense the prophet was one who spoke by direct inspiration, communicating to the people the messages he had received from God. But the name was given also to those who, though not so directly inspired, were divinely called to instruct the people in the works and ways of God. For the training of such a class of teachers, Samuel, by the Lord's direction, established the schools of the prophets." (Ellen G. White, Education, p. 46)
When we put all the pieces together, the SDA theory that the gift of prophecy was restored exclusively through Ellen G. White finds no solid biblical footing. In the Old Covenant, prophets were a select few tasked with writing the very words of God. In the New Covenant era we live in today, the gift of prophecy is a dynamic, spontaneous, and widespread blessing meant to edify the local church, but it never supersedes or adds to the finished, authoritative revelation we have in Jesus Christ and the New Testament Scriptures.
Notes:
[i] Nichol, F. D. (Ed.). (1977). The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (Vol. 4, p. 946). Review and Herald Publishing Association.
[ii] Ministerial Association of Seventh-Day Adventists. (1988). Seventh-day Adventists believe: a Biblical exposition of 27 fundamental doctrines. Potomac Adventist Book Center, 218.
[iii] White, Ellen Gould Harmon. Letters and Manuscripts Vol. 9 (1894) par. 6-7.
[iv] Excerpt from Wayne Grudem. The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today. Apple Books.
[v] Ibid.
[vi] Ibid.
[vii] White, Ellen Gould Harmon. (1903). Education. Pacific Press Publishing Company, 46.
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