There is a verse in the Bible that reads: "And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it." Hab. 2:2. The passage is from a prophetic book, the book of Habakkuk. The prophet's role was extremely important. He was not, as the term has become more commonly understood, simply a predictor of the future. While the prophet could see the consequences of decisions and actions and thus foresee their results, the prophet brought to people not tantalizing predictions but the immediate and timeless message of God.
The New English Bible renders the words of Habakkuk, "Write down the vision, inscribe it on tablets, ready for a herald to carry it with speed." In a footnote regarding being ready to carry the message with speed, is this translation of the Hebrew: "or so that a man may read it easily."
At least three elements are essential if the message of God is to reach the people in terms that can be understood. First is the message or spiritual vision itself. Next is finding a way to get the message to the people. Finally, don't our own lives need to witness to the promise and the content of the message? These elements were native to Bible prophecy, and they are needed just as much today. They are essential, in fact, in this magazine and in its sister publications, the Christian Science Sentinel and The Herald of Christian Science, which is published in several languages. The same, of course, is equally true for the message of Christian Science that reaches people's homes through The Mother Church's television and radio activities.
