We read in Hebrews 1:1-2, “God, who are various times and IN VARIOUS WAYS SPOKE in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son…” We learn here that God spoke to them “in various ways.” Sometimes He did speak to them DIRECTLY (as in the case of Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 and 17:1-2 or Moses in Exodus Chapter 3). And many of the prophets also had a DIRECT WORD from God (Hosea 1:1; Joel 1:1; Jonah 1:1-2; Micah 1:1; Zephaniah 1:1; Haggai 1:1-2; Zechariah 1:1-6; and Malachi chapters 1-4). But at other times He spoke to them in DREAMS and VISIONS as we see in the case of Jacob (Genesis 28:10-17), Joseph (Genesis 37:5-11), Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:1-3), Daniel (Daniel 7:1-15). Obadiah (Obadiah 1:1-21), Nahum (Nahum 1:1); and Habakkuk (Habakkuk 1:1). In some cases, a prophet would read God’s Word and then prophesy to the people (as in the case of Daniel in Daniel 9:1-2).

I purposely quoted Hebrews 1:1-2 to show us that in verse 2 God is now speaking to us (in this “Day of Grace”) through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. One has said, “Jesus Christ was the pinnacle of God’s revelation; He is the Final Word to us. In the Bible Jesus’ words are recorded for us.” This refers especially to the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John who were inspired of God to record the words and deeds of Jesus Christ when He walked on earth. And then there were others who were inspired of God to speak God’s Word to us from the book of Acts through the book of Revelation, yet in all these books these men were given words to the Church of God to glorify Christ by teaching us all we need to know about our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Who He is, what His finished work on the cross has accomplished for us, what He is presently doing for us as our Great High Priest and Advocate at the right hand of God, how He is one day coming for us to take us to our eternal home in heaven, and how He will then judge this world in righteousness and establish His kingdom here on earth).

I will add that after the Church of God is raptured to heaven God will once again speak to men directly and through dreams and visions. Peter quoted the words of the prophet Joel which speaks of this time in his message to his fellow-Jews on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:17-18, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and daughters shall PROPHESY, Your young men shall SEE VISIONS, Your old men shall DREAM DREAMS. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and THEY SHALL PROPHESY.” The “last days” in this passage refer to God’s raising up men to speak for Him during the Tribulation Period which will end by Christ coming to judge the world and then establish His 1,000-year kingdom on earth (which is spoken of throughout the prophets as the “day of the LORD”). This is made clear by verses 19-21, “I will show wonders in heaven above and sings in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, BEFORE THE COMING OF THE GREAT AND AWESOME DAY OF THE LORD. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”  (DO)  (649.1)