All the evils threatened upon Israel will come, but not without the Lord’s first warning the people through the prophets (see John 13:19; 14:29). The mercy of God is shown by the fact that He does not bring His judgments upon men until He first warns them through His prophets. He predicts the evil to come in the hope that He may not be forced to inflict it. Before the Lord brought the plagues upon Egypt He warned Pharaoh through Moses. Before the Romans destroyed Jerusalem, Jesus foretold the city’s destruction. So in our day, before the destruction of the world at the second coming of Christ, God has abundantly instructed us through the prophecies of His Word (see GC 594, 598; 7T 14).
In spite of the fact that Israel had “commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not” (Amos 2:12), God proclaims that He will continue to reveal His will to His chosen messengers.
His servants.
The high honor God bestows upon the prophets is shown by the fact that they are not only “his servants,” but His confidants, entrusted with His own counsel.