Nom, if mekubalim have experienced nevuah, they would he obligated in halacha to reveal it, as kovesh nevuaso is totally assur. And since the Arizal never said ko amar Hashem or the like, it’s clear that he was not a Navi.
I have no idea what the eitz chaim says, but it’s probably academic; these are the steps a Navi would take, and I’m sure there are spiritual benefits to such things, snd madregos which are nogaya for holy jews, but like i keep saying – no one has ever said “i received a nevuah” or anything remotely similar to the way a navi expresses himself.