Smiddy: Why has this GOD been so silent these past 2000 years, when there have been atrocities above the scale of anything that has ever been seen these past 6000 years of human existence.
... The fact remains we have never heard from GOD, any GOD, or even “a” GOD, with either his/her approval or disapproval of events good or bad these past 2000 years.
What about Muhammad, circa 600 A.D.? What about the so-called “letters from God” that were said to float down from heaven from time to time in the Roman and Orthodox churches? And more significantly (to me), what about Joseph Smith and the Restoration declared by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints beginning in 1830? (It claims to hold the keys of the kingdom of God, through the instrumentality of holy beings who have systematically restored it, prophecy and all of the ancient spiritual gifts; it has a quorum of twelve apostles, quorum of seventy and believes in the restoration of revelation via angelic ministration and the Spirit of God.) Following the Latter-day Saints, Ellen G. White, several decades later, instituted the Adventist movement based on her personal revelations. Many of her doctrines found their way into the beliefs of the Jehovah's Witnesses.
Although the Governing Body of the Jehovah's Witnesses claims not to have revelation—the kind enjoyed by the ancient church—it does claim both “light” and “new light.” But the way I see it, anytime God communicates with man, either through the Spirit of God or inspired impressions or through visions, prophecy and angelic ministrations—it’s all revelation. The Governing Body can’t have it both ways. It either has a line to God or it doesn’t.
Are the days of prophets over? The apostle John didn’t think so. Speaking of the battle of Armageddon, he wrote:
And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth [referenced by Zechariah, 4:3, 11]. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. And the same hour was there a great earthquake....
This is the same earthquake that splits the Mount of Olives and is where Jesus returns and meets the Jews.
John specifically calls the two witnesses “prophets” and clearly says their ministry will be in Jerusalem, a prophecy the Society denies. One assumes these prophets will have the same powers and authority that ancient prophets held, so will they be beholden to the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society? Some religious sects believe that the two will be ancient prophets, such as Moses and Elijah, or Enoch and Elijah; however, there’s no evidence to support that.
In fact, there’s nothing to prevent the Lord from calling and speaking to prophets in our day and in our dispensation. So to say that the day of prophets is over is a gross mistatement and one that is roundly contradicted by the scriptures.