Prophecy in General

Hawzah News Agency ­– God, the All-Wise, has chosen certain exalted persons to guide mankind, entrusting them with His messages for all peoples. These are the Messengers and the Prophets, through whose mediation the current of grace and guidance flows down to earth from the divine empyrean. This grace has been flowing from His presence since the dawn of humanity, right up to the age of the Holy Prophet. It is necessary to understand that each of the particular
religious dispensations brought by the Prophets was the most complete form of religion for the time and the people concerned. Were this flow of divine grace not perpetual, mankind would never be able to attain perfection.

Reference:

Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani, Doctrines of Shii Islam, A Compendium of Imami Beliefs and Practices, Translated and Edited by Reza Shah-Kazemi, published by I.B.Tauris Publishers,  London • New York  2003