Thomas Aquinas under discussion about prophecy, which is itself a branch of divine grace, applies the notion of "natural prophecy" and distinguishes it from "divine prophecy", which is beneficent of Holy Spirit. He classifies the explanation of philosophers, among them Avicenna about prophecy, only under domain of natural prophecy.
This article tries to determine the accurate meaning of natural prophecy with semantic analyzing of it according to Aquinas basis. Natural prophecy in Aquinas's view joined with the idea of distinction between sacred doctrine and the light of natural intellect.
But moreover that the notion of natural prophecy in Aquinas is yet obscure, the notion in its relation with his idea is firstly still a sacred doctrine, and secondly, it depends on the way of getting rationales; so there is a profound difference here between Aquinas and Avicenna. The consequence of this differences is that Avicenna's explanation, at least from internal viewpoint, is a complete divine prophecy and not taken from nature; but Aquinas usage of natural prophecy close the way to philosophical explanation.
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