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SDAH 413
God has spoken by His prophets,
Spoken His unchanging Word,
Each from age to age proclaiming
God, the one, the righteous Lord.
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For Worship Leaders
Make each hymn more meaningful with these helpful tools: Short, ready-to-use hymn introductions for church bulletins, multiple ways to introduce a hymn based on your worship theme and in-depth history and insights to enrich your song service.
Hymn Spotlight: God Has Spoken by His Prophets
Written by George W. Briggs in 1953, this hymn affirms God’s unchanging truth revealed through His messengers—first the prophets, then His Son, and today through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Set to the majestic Welsh tune EBENEZER, its strong AABA melody invites confident singing. For Seventh-day Adventists, it is a reminder to value God’s Word and the prophetic gift He has given His remnant church, calling us to listen and obey.
📖 Reference: Feel free to share but please cite hymnsforworship.org when reproducing.
Introductions for Sabbath School Song Service (based on specific lesson quarterlies):
This hymn by George Wallace Briggs (1875-1959; see SDAH 261) was accepted by the Hymn Society of America and published in their Ten New Bible Hymns, 1953. A number of changes have been made, mostly to modernize archaic language.
The tune TON-Y-BOTEL, more correctly called EBENEZER, was composed in 1890 by Thomas John Williams (1869-1944). The tune name “tune-in-a-bottle,” from a mythical story of its discovery. It was actually a portion of an anthem titled “Light in the Valley.” The form of the melody is AABA, making it very easy to learn and sing. (See SDAH 606, where the closer printing of this tune makes this form more obvious.) Williams was born at Ynysmeudwy, Wales; he studied music at Cardiff, and became organist-choirmaster of Zion Church, Llanelly, 1903-1913. He wrote many hymn tunes and some anthems. He died at Llanelly, Carmarthenshire, on April 24, 1944.
📖 Reference: Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal by Wayne Hooper and Edward E. White. Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1988.
Text
1
God has spoken by His prophets,
Spoken His unchanging Word,
Each from age to age proclaiming
God, the one, the righteous Lord.
Mid the world’s despair and turmoil,
One firm anchor holding fast;
God is King, His throne eternal,
God the first, and God the last.
2
God has spoken by Christ Jesus,
Christ, the everlasting Son,
Brightness of the Father’s glory,
With the Father ever one;
Spoken by the Word incarnate,
God of God, ere time began,
Light of light, to earth descending,
Man, revealing God to man.
3
God yet speaks by His own Spirit
Speaking to the hearts of men,
In the age-long Word expounding
God’s own message, now as then;
Through the rise and fall of nations
One sure faith yet standing fast,
God is King, His Word unchanging,
God the first, and God the last.
Hymn Info
Biblical Reference
(a) Heb 1:1; Rev 2:8 (b) Heb 1:1, 2; John 10:30 (c) 1 Cor 2:10
Author
George Wallace Briggs (1875-1959) alt. 1972
Year Published
1952
Copyright
Words copyright 1953. Renewal 1981 by The Hymn Society of America, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129. Used by permission. Music used by permission of Eluned Jones and Dilys Evans, representatives of the late Gwenlyn Evans.
Hymn Tune
TON-Y-BOTEL
Metrical Number
8.7.8.7.D.
Composer
Thomas John Williams (1869-1944)
Year Composed
1890
