Hebrews says God ‘hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.’ Doesn’t that close the age of prophets?
They quote this
They read ‘in these last days’ as ‘the prophet shop is closed.’ Hebrews is exalting the Son over angels, not firing the apostolic office.
King James Version
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
NRSVUE
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds.
How we read it
Hebrews exalts the Son over angels and over the old piecemeal word. It does not fire the apostolic office. Two letters later Paul says apostles and prophets last “till we all come in the unity of the faith” (Eph 4:11–13). We are not there. The Son’s supremacy is why living prophets still point to Him — not instead of Him.
The Bible answers
Apostles and prophets last until we all come to the unity of the faith. We are not there.
King James Version
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints… Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man.
NRSVUE
He himself granted that some are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity.
In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit — sons and daughters shall prophesy.
King James Version
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.
NRSVUE
In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.
Also restored
Articles of Faith 1:6, 9
The same organization as the primitive church, and God still speaks.
We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth… We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
Doctrine and Covenants 1:17–18
Joseph was called because the world needed the gospel again — not a rival to the Son.
Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments; And also gave commandments to others, that they should proclaim these things unto the world.
Dead Sea Scrolls and related extra-biblical texts that illuminate the same pattern the Restoration restores.
4Q521 Messianic Apocalypse; Joel at Qumran
4Q521 expects a coming figure at whose time the dead are raised and good news is preached to the poor. Joel’s spirit-on-all-flesh is not treated as a closed file.
‘Last days’ in Hebrews is the age of the Messiah, not a timestamp that expires when the ink dries. Peter quotes Joel on Pentecost as last-days prophecy beginning, not ending. Revelation still has two witnesses prophesying in Jerusalem (Revelation 11). A church with no prophets is the novelty.
FAIR
FAIR Latter-day Saints
Hebrews 1 is Christology, not a union layoff. God has spoken by His Son — and that Son then filled the church with apostles and prophets (Ephesians 4; Acts 13:1; Acts 21:10; 1 Corinthians 12:28). If ‘spoken by his Son’ meant ‘no more human mouths,’ the rest of the New Testament is unauthorized fan fiction, including Hebrews itself. The Restoration takes Hebrews seriously: Jesus is heir of all things. It also takes Ephesians 4 seriously: the offices last until we all come to the unity of the faith. We have not arrived. So the offices remain.
The Son is the last Word. Living prophets are how that Word still governs a living church.
Faithful voices only. Most of these are independent — not official Church productions unless marked as such.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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