Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. - Hebrews 1:1-2 (ESV)
Just as we are the recipients of better promises, so too we are hearing from a better messenger – the Son. In the former days, God spoke through prophets: Moses, Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah. But God no longer speaks the same way through prophets; He has spoken through Jesus.
A church in my town has a sign, “God is still speaking.” As we think about the Canon of Scripture, God is done speaking in the sense that there are no more words being added. Mormons say that God has continued to speak through modern day prophets, but this would run contrary to the Lord’s plan as it is stated in Hebrews 1. Even our current Protestant/Catholic debates are over books that were written prior to Christ’s coming. There is little debate about the closed nature of the Bible.
More threatening than extra books being tacked on to the Canon are the many modern day “prophets” to whom we give our listening ear. We want to find satisfaction, we want meaning, but instead of hearing from God’s Son, we buy the latest book or we agree with the newest commercial.
In a world of competing voices, the question becomes: who gets my attention? May it be the one who is the heir of all things, the creator of the world.
