God reveals wondrous works through prophets and their visions. This week’s Bible Lesson, titled “Christian Science,” is full of prophecies, which are fulfilled once or several times in later generations.

Science and Health gives this definition of prophet: “A spiritual seer; disappearance of material sense before the conscious facts of spiritual Truth” (p. 593). And in the Responsive Reading of this Lesson, we hear that “the days are at hand, and the effect of every vision,” from the prophet Ezekiel (12:23). We are promised that we don’t need to wait for some uncertain future time for the fulfillment of prophecy before we can be conscious of the truth that the prophets have shown us.

In Section I this week, the prophet Zechariah (chap. 4, citation 2) has a vision of his day, which is renewed in the book of Revelation (see chap. 11, cit. 5) and fulfilled in Science and Health (see p. 84, cit. 1). The Bible citations mention candlesticks (lamp stands), olive trees, and prophetic anointed witnesses. At that time the lamp wicks were usually dipped in bowls of olive oil, not solid wax. The olive trees, with their yearly production of oil, would provide a perpetual supply of fuel for the lamps.

The two witnesses in Zechariah are Joshua, the priest, and Zerubabel, the king. They had both been anointed with olive oil when they were ordained to their positions. In The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, Mary Baker Eddy mentions the two witnesses as Jesus Christ and Christian Science (p. 347, see also Science and Health, p. 84, cit. 1). Mrs. Eddy prophetically saw Christian Science as the Comforter, parakletos (see John 14:16, 26, cit. 4, and Science and Health, p. 55, cit. 6). This Greek word has also been translated as Counselor, Advocate, and Helper, and is found only five times in the New Testament—four times in John and once in I John.

In Section II, Jesus quotes and reinterprets Psalms 78:2, which reads, “I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old.” For the second portion, Jesus says, “I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world” (Matt. 13:35, cit. 8). Jesus is not only the fulfillment of Scripture; he is also a rabbi, explaining and teaching the Scriptures to others, and a prophet, speaking for the present and future—sometimes plainly, sometimes in parables.

The virtuous woman in Proverbs 31, mentioned in Section V, represents the idealized female human (cit. 16). She is sought after, but may not have been believed to exist in real life. Science and Health provides a more present sense of our perfect manhood and womanhood: “The woman in the Apocalypse symbolizes generic man, the spiritual idea of God; she illustrates the coincidence of God and man as the divine Principle and divine idea” (p. 561, cit. 18).

The amount of time that the witnesses will preach, and that the woman clothed with the sun will be cared for, is given as “a thousand two hundred and threescore” (1, 260) days. This number is listed in the Bible only in the book of Revelation 11:3 and 12:6 (cits. 5, 18). This is 3.5 years, or 42 months, using the Hebrew calendar year of 360 days. The word revelation is a translation of the Greek word apokalupsis (apocalypse), which refers to revealing or taking away a veil. It is also translated as manifestation, appearing, coming, and lightening in its 19 uses in the New Testament.

The author of the book of Revelation, traditionally believed to be John, the beloved disciple, works throughout the book to recount his vision. He clearly feels compelled to proclaim what he has seen, although it was written in code, because this was believed to be written when he was imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos for being a Christian. If John had written his vision plainly, the writings would have been censored. And in Section IV, Habakkuk is told that it is not enough to prophecy orally; he has to write his vision down (see cit. 13). The prophecies were preserved as writings to enable us to see their fulfillment.

The prophecies were preserved as writings to enable us to see their fulfillment.

This week’s Lesson also includes this prophetic promise from the last chapter of Mark: “These signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; . . . they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (cit. 12). Clearly, through understanding our spiritual manhood and womanhood we can continue the works of Jesus and the apostles, renewedly fulfilling Scriptural prophecies, demonstrating our freedom from harm and limitation, and healing the world.