Sometimes church members ask the question, “Is the spirit of prophecy relevant today?” Now by the term ‘spirit of prophecy’ they mean the writings of Ellen G. White. Seventh-day Adventists believe that the biblical gift of prophecy was manifested in the life and ministry of Mrs. Ellen G. White. They compare her with what the Scriptures say about prophets in both the Old and New Testaments.

The late Dr. Frank B. Holbrook, former associate director of the Biblical Research Institute of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, highlighted that the “post canonical function of the prophetic gift whenever it shall appear will be similar to its function in the time of the apostles and will carry with it the authority of the Spirit who speaks to the church through it.” Thus, this makes the “Spirit of Prophecy” very relevant today because the Holy Spirit is relevant in every age.

Halbrook indicates that the post canonical (written after the writings of the Scriptures, also known as the canon) manifestation of the prophetic gift —
1. Will point back to Holy Scripture as the basis of faith and practice.
2. Will illumine and clarify teachings already present in Scripture.
3. Will apply the principles of Scripture to the daily life.
4. May be a catalyst to direct the church to carry out its commission as charged in the Scriptures.
5. May assist in establishing the church.
6. May reprove, warn, instruct, encourage, build up, and unify the church in the truths of Scripture.
7. May function to protect the church from false doctrine and to establish believers in the true [doctrine].

The further relevancy of the writings of Ellen G. White are taken from an article by James Nix, the former director of the Ellen G. White Estate, and condensed by me:
1. They constantly uplift Christ and point people to Him who is the only Source of our eternal salvation.
2. They teach the great controversy theme which makes sense out of our troubled world. When bad things happen even to God’s people, our understanding of the great controversy between Christ and Satan can help us keep the proper perspective.
3. Adhering to the counsels God has given through these writings result in positive lifestyle blessings for us.
4. Besides the spiritual benefits found in these writings, we also derive health advantages.
5. These authoritative messages give us no new Bible but lead us to the Bible.
6. Their counsels still impact the church’s institutions, both in establishing them and in administering them.
7. Within the writings we can hear the voice of God speaking to us--the writings are self-authenticating.

Our gracious God has provided us with His Holy Scriptures and the “Spirit of Prophecy” to illuminate and enlighten us as we deal with the many issues and challenges in these turbulent  times of earth’s history. We have the benefit of the Spirit of Prophecy so that as God’s apocalyptic remnant church in these last days, we can traverse the choppy waters of skepticism, misinformation, “fake news”, theological errors, scientific conflicts, and mission obstructions. We can successfully navigate the many hazardous reefs of life that have the potential to shipwreck our faith.

Let’s hold fast to the Christ of the Scriptures and the spirit of prophecy writings that He has made available to help land us safely into the Heavenly Harbour.

--Article written by Pastor Michael A. Smith, Spirit of Prophecy Coordinator, Atlantic Caribbean Union of Seventh-day Adventists (ATCU).