4. Concerning prophecy.

D. What is prophecy? M. The manifestation--from divine inspiration--of hidden events, past, or present, or future.

[2] D. Give a prophecy in the case of past events. M. "By the word of the Lord the heavens were established" (Ps 32[33]:6), and "because he commanded, and they were made" (Ps 148:5), and "In the beginning God made heaven and earth" (Gn 1:1). D. Give one in the case of present events. M. The prophet saw in the present the knowledge of the theft done by Gehazi (2 Kgs 5:26); and for Ananias and Sapphira, Peter the apostle saw in the present (Acts 5:3). D. Give one in the case of future events. M. "Behold! a virgin will conceive and bear a son, and his name will be called Emanuel" (Is 7:14), etc.

[3] D. Why has "hidden" been put in the definition? M. Because if anyone says things already known, although they are future things, nevertheless he is not a prophet, just as we, when we preach the resurrection, are not prophets. But if he makes known the hidden things of whatever time, then he is a prophet, just as already we have shown. D. Prove this by the evidence of divine Scripture. M. Paul the Apostle, in the first Letter to the Corinthians, says, "If the whole church is assembled together, and all speak in tongues, but uninitiated persons come in, will they not say that you are insane? But if all prophesy, and there enters an unbeliever or an uninitiated person, he is refuted by all, examined by all; the secrets even of his heart are made manifest, and then, falling on his face, he will worship God, declaring that clearly God is among you" (1 Cor 14:23-25). See, the Apostle pointed out the power of prophecy in the manifestation of things secret. But even following in the same Letter and in his others there are many such things.

[4] D. Why have we added, "from divine inspiration"? M. Because those who either by the instigation of evil spirits or other means say hidden things, although they could be called prophets, nevertheless are not numbered among the authors of divine Scriptures.

[5] D. In which books is prophecy taken up? M. In seventeen: the book of 150 Psalms, Hosea, Isaiah, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. But there is still doubt among the Easterners about John's Revelation.

[6] D. Is no other kind found in these books? M. The other kinds occur, but not principally, except for a proof of a prophecy, as in Isaiah (cc. 7, 36, 37) a certain history, for example, of the kings Ahaz and Hezekiah is reported; but the intention of the prophecy is not to compile exploits, but to prove the outcome of things predicted. And in Jeremiah, when it is said, "O land, land, hear the Word of the Lord" (Jer 22:29), he calls the people living in it, proverbially, the "land." And when Isaiah says, "Not such is the fasting I have chosen, says the Lord, but untie the whole knot of wickedness" (Is 58:6), etc., he is for example plainly teaching, but he proclaims these things as if bidden by prophetic inspiration.

[7] D. What does prophecy share with the others? M. It has in common with proverbs the fact that both are difficult on the surface, but very often are not difficult to understand.