Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that prophecy is only about future contingencies. For Cassiodorus says that "prophecy is a Divine inspiration or revelation, announcing the issue of things with unchangeable truth." Now issues pertain to future contingencies. Therefore the prophetic revelation is about future contingencies alone.

Objection 2: Further, according to 1 Cor. 12, the grace of prophecy is differentiated from wisdom and faith, which are about Divine things; and from the discernment of spirits, which is about created spirits; and from knowledge, which is about human things. Now habits and acts are differentiated by their objects, as stated above (1.2, Question 54, Article 2). Therefore it seems that the object of prophecy is not connected with any of the above. Therefore it follows that it is about future contingencies alone.

Objection 3: Further, difference of object causes difference of species, as stated above (1.2, Question 54, Article 2). Therefore, if one prophecy is about future contingencies, and another about other things, it would seem to follow that these are different species of prophecy.

On the contrary, Gregory says (Hom. i super Ezech.) that some prophecies are "about the future, for instance (Is. 7:14), 'Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son'"; some are "about the past, as (Gn. 1:1), 'In the beginning God created heaven and earth'"; some are "about the present," as (1 Cor. 14:24,25), "If all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not . . . the secrets of his heart are made manifest." Therefore prophecy is not about future contingencies alone.

I answer that, A manifestation made by means of a certain light can extend to all those things that are subject to that light: thus the body's sight extends to all colors, and the soul's natural knowledge extends to whatever is subject to the light of the active intellect. Now prophetic knowledge comes through a Divine light, whereby it is possible to know all things both Divine and human, both spiritual and corporeal; and consequently the prophetic revelation extends to them all. Thus by the ministry of spirits a prophetic revelation concerning the perfections of God and the angels was made to Is. 6:1, where it is written, "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and elevated." Moreover his prophecy contains matters referring to natural bodies, according to the words of Is. 40:12, "Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand," etc. It also contains matters relating to human conduct, according to Is. 58:1, "Deal thy bread to the hungry," etc.; and besides this it contains things pertaining to future events, according to Is. 47:9, "Two things shall come upon thee suddenly in one day, barrenness and widowhood."

Since, however, prophecy is about things remote from our knowledge, it must be observed that the more remote things are from our knowledge the more pertinent they are to prophecy. Of such things there are three degrees. One degree comprises things remote from the knowledge, either sensitive or intellective, of some particular man, but not from the knowledge of all men; thus a particular man knows by sense things present to him locally, which another man does not know by human sense, since they are removed from him. Thus Eliseus knew prophetically what his disciple Giezi had done in his absence (4 Kgs. 5:26), and in like manner the secret thoughts of one man are manifested prophetically to another, according to 1 Cor. 14:25; and again in this way what one man knows by demonstration may be revealed to another prophetically.

The second degree comprises those things which surpass the knowledge of all men without exception, not that they are in themselves unknowable, but on account of a defect in human knowledge; such as the mystery of the Trinity, which was revealed by the Seraphim saying: "Holy, Holy, Holy," etc. (Is. 6:3).

The last degree comprises things remote from the knowledge of all men, through being in themselves unknowable; such are future contingencies, the truth of which is indeterminate. And since that which is predicated universally and by its very nature, takes precedence of that which is predicated in a limited and relative sense, it follows that revelation of future events belongs most properly to prophecy, and from this prophecy apparently takes its name. Hence Gregory says (Hom. i super Ezech.): "And since a prophet is so called because he foretells the future, his name loses its significance when he speaks of the past or present."

Reply to Objection 1: Prophecy is there defined according to its proper signification; and it is in this sense that it is differentiated from the other gratuitous graces.

Reply to Objection 2: This is evident from what has just been said. We might also reply that all those things that are the matter of prophecy have the common aspect of being unknowable to man except by Divine revelation; whereas those that are the matter of "wisdom," "knowledge," and the "interpretation of speeches," can be known by man through natural reason, but are manifested in a higher way through the enlightening of the Divine light. As to "faith," although it is about things invisible to man, it is not concerned with the knowledge of the things believed, but with a man's certitude of assent to things known by others.

Reply to Objection 3: The formal element in prophetic knowledge is the Divine light, which being one, gives unity of species to prophecy, although the things prophetically manifested by the Divine light are diverse.

Articulus 3

Argumentum 1

Ad tertium sic proceditur. Videtur quod prophetia sit solum futurorum contingentium.

Dicit enim cassiodorus quod prophetia est inspiratio vel revelatio divina rerum eventus immobili veritate denuntians.

Sed eventus pertinet ad contingentia futura. Ergo de solis contingentibus futuris fit revelatio prophetica.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, gratia prophetiae dividitur contra sapientiam et fidem quae sunt de divinis; et discretionem spirituum, quae est de spiritibus creatis; et scientiam, quae est de rebus humanis; ut patet I ad Cor. XII.

Habitus autem et actus distinguuntur secundum obiecta, ut patet per ea quae supra dicta sunt.

Ergo videtur quod de nullo pertinente ad aliquod horum sit prophetia.

Relinquitur ergo quod sit solum de futuris contingentibus.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, diversitas obiecti causat diversitatem speciei, ut ex supra dictis patet.

Si ergo prophetia quaedam sit de futuris contingentibus, quaedam autem de quibusdam aliis rebus, videtur sequi quod non sit eadem species prophetiae.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod Gregorius dicit, super Ezech., quod prophetia quaedam est de futuro, sicut id quod dicitur Isaiae VII, ecce, virgo concipiet et pariet filium; quaedam de praeterito, sicut id quod dicitur Gen. I, in principio creavit deus caelum et terram; quaedam de praesenti, sicut id quod dicitur I ad Cor. XIV, si omnes prophetent, intret autem quis infidelis, occulta cordis eius manifesta fiunt.

Non ergo est prophetia solum de contingentibus futuris.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod manifestatio quae fit per aliquod lumen, ad omnia illa se extendere potest quae illi lumini subiiciuntur, sicut visio corporalis se extendit ad omnes colores, et cognitio naturalis animae se extendit ad omnia illa quae subduntur lumini intellectus agentis. Cognitio autem prophetica est per lumen divinum, quo possunt omnia cognosci, tam divina quam humana, tam spiritualia quam corporalia. Et ideo revelatio prophetica ad omnia huiusmodi se extendit. Sicut de his quae pertinent ad dei excellentiam et Angelorum, spirituum ministerio revelatio prophetica facta est, ut Isaiae VI, ubi dicitur, vidi dominum sedentem super solium excelsum et elevatum.

Eius etiam prophetia continet ea quae pertinent ad corpora naturalia, secundum illud Isaiae XL, quis mensus est pugillo aquas, etc.? continet etiam ea quae ad mores hominum pertinent, secundum illud Isaiae LVIII, frange esurienti panem tuum, etc..

Continet etiam ea quae pertinent ad futuros eventus, secundum illud Isaiae XLVII, venient tibi subito haec duo in die una, sterilitas et viduitas.

Considerandum tamen quod, quia prophetia est de his quae procul a nostra cognitione sunt, tanto aliqua magis proprie ad prophetiam pertinent, quanto longius a cognitione humana existunt. Horum autem est triplex gradus. Quorum unus est eorum quae sunt procul a cognitione huius hominis, sive secundum sensum sive secundum intellectum, non autem a cognitione omnium hominum. Sicut sensu cognoscit aliquis homo quae sunt sibi praesentia secundum locum, quae tamen alius humano sensu, utpote sibi absentia, non cognoscit, et sic eliseus prophetice cognovit quae Giezi, discipulus eius, in absentia fecerat, ut habetur IV Reg. V.

Et similiter cogitationes cordis unius alteri prophetice manifestantur, ut dicitur I ad Cor. XIV.

Et per hunc modum etiam ea quae unus scit demonstrative, alii possunt prophetice revelari. Secundus autem gradus est eorum quae excedunt universaliter cognitionem omnium hominum, non quia secundum se non sint cognoscibilia, sed propter defectum cognitionis humanae, sicut mysterium trinitatis.

Quod revelatum est per seraphim dicentia, sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, etc., ut habetur Isaiae VI.

Ultimus autem gradus est eorum quae sunt procul ab omnium hominum cognitione quia in seipsis non sunt cognoscibilia, ut contingentia futura, quorum veritas non est determinata. Et quia quod est universaliter et secundum se, potius est eo quod est particulariter et per aliud; ideo ad prophetiam propriissime pertinet revelatio eventuum futurorum, unde et nomen prophetiae sumi videtur.

Unde Gregorius dicit, super Ezech., quod, cum ideo prophetia dicta sit quod futura praedicat, quando de praeterito vel praesenti loquitur, rationem sui nominis amittit.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod prophetia ibi definitur secundum id quod proprie significatur nomine prophetiae. Et per hunc etiam modum prophetia dividitur contra alias gratias gratis datas.

Ad 2

Unde patet responsio ad secundum. Quamvis possit dici quod omnia quae sub prophetia cadunt, conveniunt in hac ratione quod non sunt ab homine cognoscibilia nisi per revelationem divinam.

Ea vero quae pertinent ad sapientiam et scientiam et interpretationem sermonum, possunt naturali ratione ab homine cognosci, sed altiori modo manifestantur per illustrationem divini luminis. Fides autem etsi sit de invisibilibus homini, tamen ad ipsam non pertinet eorum cognitio quae creduntur, sed quod homo per certitudinem assentiat his quae sunt ab aliis cognita.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod formale in cognitione prophetica est lumen divinum, a cuius unitate prophetia habet unitatem speciei, licet sint diversa quae per lumen divinum prophetice manifestantur.