The Spirit of Prophecy Part II: Types of Prophecies, with Elder Edwin M. Cotto

SERMON NOTES:

SECTION 1: BRIEF RECAP ON INSPIRATION, AUTHORITY AND CANON.

The Bible says that there will be prophets in the last days. Verses that predict this include: Joel 2:23, 28-31, Eph. 4:11-13, though by implication, 1 Thess. 5:19-23, 1 Cor. 1:4-8, cf. Rev. 19:10. Incidentally, evangelicals believe, unwittingly, that there would be at least two non-canonical prophets, in the last days, known in Rev. 11:3 as the two witnesses. There is a difference, however, between canonical and non-canonical prophets, see 1 Chron. 29:29. Since the canon of scripture is closed, it follows that all last day prophecies would be non-canonical. Therefore, Ellen G. White is considered non-canonical and thus would not be at the same level as scripture, contrary to the claims of the critics.

INSPIRATION: There are no degrees of inspiration in scripture. Those who have believed otherwise have dissected the Bible, saying portions are inspired while others are not. This is dangerous, see 2 Tim. 3:16.
AUTHORITY: All prophets have authority. See Judges 4:4-5, where Deborah had authority as judge, yet the commander was Barak, see verses 6-7. Imagine Barak disregarding her command because she was not canonical? Or imagine rejecting all the Judges in the book of Judges just because they were not canonical? Or, imagine David questioning Nathan’s authority because his book was not canonical at that time? See 2 Sam. 7:1-17.
CANONICAL: Yet not all prophets are canonical, see again 1 Chron. 29:29. Here, the author quotes both canonical and non-canonical, yet in God’s providence only Samuel was made canonical.

SECTION 2: OUTLINE OF VARIOUS TYPES OF PROPHECIES

STRAIGHT FORWARD PROPHECIES: Prophecies that are clear. EXAMPLE: Micah 5:2 is a clear and straightforward prophecy regarding the location of the Messiah’s birth, compare with Matt. 2:1-5.

TYPOLOGICAL PROPHECIES: When an event, ceremonial service or act symbolizes something to occur in the future. EXAMPLE: Hosea 11:1 rehearses the history of Israel coming out of Egypt, but Matt. 2:14-15 applies it typologically to Jesus when He returned from spending some time in Egypt as a child. In other words, Israel is a type, or symbol, of the future Messiah. Animal sacrifices also typified Christ.

DUAL PROPHECIES: When a prophecy that was fulfilled at one point in time, is fulfilled a second time at another point in time. EXAMPLE: Joel 2:2:28-29 was fulfilled in Acts 2:16-21. Yet Joel 2 indicates another fulfillment just before Jesus returns in the last days, see verses 23, 30-31. In other words, Peter recognized that Joel 2 has two fulfillments, or dual applications.

CONDITIONAL PROPHECIES: Prophecies whose fulfillment is often dependent on human response. EXAMPLE: In Jonah 3:4, the prophet predicted that Nineveh would be destroyed in 40 days. Literally, a time prophecy was given. Yet the people repented, so the prophecy did not come to pass, see verses 5-10. This is easily mistaken by critics as false prophecies, but God said He operates this way, Jer. 18:7-10.

APOCALYPTIC PROPHECIES: Non-conditional, non-dualistic prophecies highly symbolic with imagery beyond human reality, such as hybrid animals or monsters with horns. These typically follow a Repeat and Expand method. EXAMPLES: Dan. 2’s Image, Dan. 7’s four Beasts, the hybrid and lamb-like beast of Rev. 13, etc. Four schools of apocalyptic prophecies: Preterist, Historicist, Futurist, Idealism. Historicists: A continuous historical flow of prophecy, past, present and yet unfulfilled future. SDAs are Historicists.

OPENING/CLOSING TIME PROPHECIES: Prophetic events containing a specific pattern of Prophet A, Timeline, Prophet B, and Remnant. Note that there may be a slight differences. For example, there might be two or more Prophets A’s or B’s, or it may be the same prophet on both ends. Nevertheless, the pattern is consistent every time. There are other biblical timelines not mentioned here, such as the 1260, 1290, and the 1335. Since God “does nothing except He reveals His secrets to His servants the prophets” according to Amos 3:7, we expect this pattern within those timelines also. EXAMPLES:

ENOCH/METHUSELAH/NOAH -------------------120 year probation-------------------- NOAH, see Genesis 6:3.
ABRAHAM -------------------400 Year captivity-------------------- MOSES, see Genesis 15:13.
JEREMIAH -------------------70 Year captivity------------------ EZRA / NEHEMIAH, see Jeremiah 29:10.
DANIEL --------------490 Year captivity------------- STEPHEN, see Dan. 9:24. Note: “prophecy” = “prophet” in Hebrew.
DANIEL -------------------2300 Day/Year Prophecy-------------------- ELLEN G. WHITE, see Daniel 8:14.