Counsels for the Church - Ellen G. White

people, “the children of light” 1 Thessalonians 5:5, with the people of the
world.
The work of the prophet includes much more than just making
predictions. Moses, a prophet of God who wrote six books of the Bible,
wrote very little about what was to come in the future. His work is described
by Hosea in its broader sense, “By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of
Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.” Hosea 12:13.
A prophet is not one who is appointed by his fellow men, nor is he selfappointed.
The choice of a person to be a prophet is entirely in the hands of
God. Both men and women have from time to time been chosen by God to
speak for him.
These prophets, these men and women chosen of God as channels of
communication, have spoken and written what God has revealed to them in
holy vision. The precious word of God comprises these messages. Through
these prophets members of the human family have been led to an
understanding of the conflict that goes on for the souls of men, the conflict
between Christ and his angels and Satan and his angels. We are led to an
understanding of this conflict in earth’s closing days, and of the means
provided by God to care for his work and to perfect the characters of his
people.
The apostles, the last of the Bible writers, gave us a clear picture of the
events of the last days. Paul wrote of “perilous times,” and Peter warned of
scoffers, walking after their own lusts, asking, “where is the promise of his
coming?” The church at this time will be in conflict, for John saw Satan as
he “went to make war with the remnant.” The apostle John identifies the
members of the last-day church, “the remnant church,” as those “which keep
the commandments of God” Revelation 12:17, thus making them a
commandment-keeping church. This remnant church would also have “the
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