Prophet

A prophet is a person who is believed to communicate with God, or with a deity. Prophets are thought to speak for God (or the gods), with the purpose of delivering a divinely inspired message. A prophet often operates through some means of divination or channeling. The process of receiving a message is known either as prophecy or as revelation. In popular usage, a prophet is believed to be someone foretelling the future. In fact, the majority of messages from Biblical prophets in the Hebrew Bible were social or religious messages and warnings concerning the consequences of sin.

The concept of a prophet is an old one and is important in numerous religions. The Greek oracles were based on sacred sites that preceded the Greeks' arrival in the Aegean. The word prophet itself derives from the Greek word προφήτης, referring to one who "utters forth". In Greek religion the interpreters of Zeus, Apollo, and other gods were the oracles at various ancient sites, where the god or goddess typically spoke through women.

illustration: The oracle of Apollo at Delphi:http://www.sikyon.com/Delphi/images/pythia_sm.jpg

The bible refers to prophets of Yahweh, Baal, and various regional deities (see Bible prophecy). Well knownChristian prophets include Jesus and John the Baptist. Several other Christian prophets are refered to in the Gospels, the Book of Acts, and the letters of Paul. Muslims accept many of the Hebrew prophets and believe that Muhammad was the last and greatest of the prophets of Allah. Newer religions, such as the Latter Day Saints, Baha'is, the Unification Church, and others view their leaders as prophets as well.

Because of the influence of the bible, the Hebrew concept of prophecy is of great significance. The biblical prophets provided the world with a sense of history as the progressive unfolding of God's will, rather than a never-ending cycle based on the rhythms of nature. They stressed the idea that there is only one true God worthy of worship. Furthermore, they stood up to kings and priests alike to proclaim that without social justice, religion itself is meaningless. Finally, they left us with the eduring hope of a better world to come, a messianic age of peace and good will both in this life and the next.

Prophets in the Bible

Who is a prophet?

In Hebrew, the word traditionally translated as prophet is נְבִיא (navi). In Deuteronomy 18:18, God declares: "I will put my words in his mouth and he will speak to them all that I command him." Thus, the navi was thought to be the mouthpiece of God. According to 1 Samuel 9:9, the old term for navi is ro'eh, ראה, which literally means "seer". Nevertheless, prophets are not infallible, and they are capable of sin. The prophet Aaron sinned by making the golden calf while Moses is receiving the ten commandments. Miriam sinned by challenging the authority of Moses. Jonah ran from away from his calling, and then complained because God ultimately did not fulfill Jonah's prophecy. Both men and women could act as prophets. Biblical prophetesses include Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Abigail, the unnamed prophetess of Isaiah 8:3, Huldah, Noadiah, and Esther. Prophets could also be patriarchs (Abraham), kings (David and Solomon), hersdmen and tree dresses, and court officials. Even gentiles could be prophets(Balaam), and in one case even an animal temporarily became a prophet (Balaam's ass).

Moses, the first great prophet

illustration: Michaelangeolo's Moses http://www.rainfall.com/posters/images/landscape/06612u.jpg

The prototype of the prophet is Moses. He knew God very personally, so much so that he could even argue with God about policy. In God's name, he stod before the king of Egypt and demanded liberation for the people of Israel. Moses tangibly represented God. Jus as a prophet is a mouthpiece of God, so God gave Aaron to Moses as his mouthpiece. Although a prophet does not need to do miracles — and indeed miracles can be done by mere magicians — through Moses God did the greatest miracles of all. More important, the bible says he was the first man to whom God revealed his true name, YHWH, or Yahweh. And it was through Moses that God revealed the Ten Commandments and the rudiments of the Jewish religious law. Even to non-Jews, this revelation through Moses became a foundation principle of both morality and religion. Moses also embodies the archetype of the liberator, inspiring social movements for such diverse causes as nationalism, the abolition of slavery, civil rights, and even Marxism.

The prophetic guilds

Prophetic activity is seen during the period of Judges in the activities of figures such as Deborah, a remarkable woman who in addition to being a prophetess was also a judge, military leader, psalmist, wfie and mother.

illustration: "The Song of Deborah" http://associate.com/photos/The-Bible-and-its-Story—1909/The_Bible_and_Its_Story_3/10.html

The last judge, Samuel, likewise combined the function of prophet, priest, warrior, and political leader. Samuel united the Israelite tribes and prepared them for nationhood. Though personally opposed to the principle of kingship, it was Samuel himself who, under God's inspiration, recognized and anointed both Saul and David as king of Israel.

In this period also emerges the the phenomenon of prophetic schools or guilds. Samuel himself was a leading figure among the bands of roaming prophets. These "seers" and "sons of the prophets" (ben navim) prophecied in a trance-like state induced as they played varioius musical instruments and engaged in ecstatic dancing. They also attended the sacred altars of the "high places" such as Beth-El, Jericho, Shiloh, and Gibeon. King Saul is described as participating in their prophetic rites (1 Sam 10). King David appeared to act likwise when he stripped and danced "with all his might" during the procession which brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jesusalem for the first time (2 Sam 6:14).

Other indivually named prophets during this period of early Israelite prophecy include Gad, a seer to David prior to his becoming king; Nathan, who famously condemned David's adultery with Bathsheba but later helped Bathesheba's son Solomon gain the throne; and Ahijah, the wandering prophet who predicted that Israel would be divided in two because of Solomon's idolatry.

The phenomenon of prophetic guilds continued until at least the time of the prophet Elisha, who met two separate groups of prophets from Beth-El and Jericho at the time of Elijah's ascension (2 Kings 2). Not every prophetic group was devoted to the same deity, and some may have been sacrificed to several gods as part of their duties attending local shrines. These, along with Israelite prophets who spoke falsely in the name of Yahweh, came to be known as "false prophets."

Northern reforming prophets

Starting with the Elijah, the bible tells of prophets who did battle in the name of Yahweh against the prophets and priests of other gods. These prophets spoke boldly to the kings of Israel and Judah to urge them to worship Yahweh alone. Elijah and his protege, Elisha, operated during the northern dynasty of Omri, urging Israel to turn away from foreign gods. Eljiah and Elisha are portrayed as powerful miracle-workers, and they are not above bloodying their own hands as well. When the Baal-worshipping northern Queen Jezebel put to death hundreds of the prophets of Yahweh, Elijah responded in kind by reportedly slaying four hundred and fifty prophets devoted to Baal (1 Kings 18). Elisha continued the powerful spiritual ministry of his master facilitating in numerous impressive miracles and predicting dire consequences for the Northern Kingdom if it did not repent of its sins. To chastize the North, he commissioned Hazael to seize the kingship of Syria and instructed one of the "sons of the prophets" to anoint the Judean zealot Jehu, son of Jehoshaphat, to ursurp the kingdom of the wicked King Ahab (2 King 9:1).

During this period, the "court prophets", seers who advised the kings, also arose. The best of these, such as Nathan and Isaiah, gave good advice. Others occasionally found themselves in verbal battle against other prophets of God. A classic example is seen in the confrontation between the independant Micaiah son of Imlah and the court prophet Zedekiah son of Kenaanah during a political confernce btween King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah (1 Kings 22).

illustration: Micaiah before Kings Ahab and Jehoshaphat http://oneyearbible.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/micaiah20and20the20false20prophets20befo_1.jpg

Up until this point, the activities of the prophets were preserved in the form of stories with a few sparse quotations from the prophets themselves. Starting with Amos and Hosea, the sayings of some of the prophets were preserved by scribes, and some may have written down their own prophecies.

Early literary prophets

The first of the literary prohets was Amos. He appeared in the mid-eighth century B.C.E. when Israel's power was at its zenith after the power of the Syrian empire centering on Damascus had waned. He appeared seemingly out of nowhere to denounce the royal shrine at Beth-el as idolatrous, declaring:

"I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!" (Amos 5:21-24)

illsutration: The Prophet Amos http://www.gutenberg.org/files/8710/8710-h/images/053th.jpg

Amos' sayings are characteristic of the prophetic emphasis on justice as opposed to formalized religion. His verses are among the most quoted in the bible. They found particular resonance in the American civil rights movement and were put to good use to preachers such as the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.

The last of the northern prophets was Hosea. His ministry is dated to about 735 B.C.E. A man of deep pathos, he reported that God commanded him to marry an adulterous woman to symbolize God's own feelings of having been betrayed by Israel's love affair with foreign gods. Like Amos, he disparaged formal religion without sincere devotion to God and warned of impending disaster for Israel if it did not repent. It was from Hosea 6:6 that Jesus quoted when he said, "Go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice" (Mt. 9:13). Tragically, Hosea's warnings of doom proved true when the Northern Kingdom was invaded by Assyrian forces and its people forced into exile.

Classical Prophets

By the time of the later kings of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, priests and prophets had become clearly separated offices. Jerusalem emerged as the center of the priesthood, with only priests of the Levite tribe considered as authorized to offer sacrifice. Thus, priesthood was inherited, but prophecy was conferred directly by God. Eventually sacrifices outside of the Jerusalem Temple were banned. Prophets who did not conform do this principle were considered false prophets. On the other hand, prophets often crticized the practices of corrupt priests, even in Jerusalem. The prophets whose words are preserved in the bible are particularly harsh in condemning the local shrines or "high places" where unauthorized priests serve not only Yahweh but tribal and local deities as well. They warn that unless such practices cease, Israel and Judah will face dire consequences, including invasion and exile. In this context they also begin to prophesy about the eventual restoration of the Davidic monarchy, centering on one of David's anointed descendants. Thus the concept of the Messiah was born. Among these, three prophets are particularly outstanding for their literary works as well as their political, religioius, and spiritual influence: Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

Isaiah

Isaiah's dates are controversial. The Book of Kings records him as beginning his activities at the end of the reign of King Uzziah, with his most important prophecies coming during the reign of Hezekiah. However, most scholars now believe that only some of the prophecies and hymns recorded in the Book of Isaiah are authentic sayings of the historical prophet. These are referred to as "first Isaiah." This historical Isaiah counseled King Hezekiah to keep faith during the seige of Jerusalem by the Assyrian forces that had already captured all of the other walled cities of Judah as well as previously conquering the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Like his predecessors, he stressed the importance of worshipping Yahweh only, urges repentance from idolatry, and warns of dire consquences otherwise. The idea of a "remnant" returning from exile under the leadership of a messianic king begins to take form in Isaiah's writings, although whether these belong to "first" or "second" Isaiah is debated.

"The Lion Shall Lie Down with the Lamb" http://www.ordination.org/Isaiah-11-6.jpg

Second Isaiah, or Duetero-Isaiah, is the title given to the writings that comprise a major part of the Book of Isaiah. Deutero-Isaiah, either as an individual or a collective body of prophetic writings later collected into a single volume, is thought to have been written during the period of exile in Babylon. It includes the famous messianic prophecy of Isaiah 60 as well as the Servant Songs concerning Israel's suffering and redemption. These hymns, especially Isaiah 52, were later interpreted by Christians to refer to Jesus rather than to the Jews as a people. A "Third Isaiah" is also posited, refering to writings incorporated into the Book of Isaiah from post-exilic times.

Regardless of the actual date of Isaiah's writings, they represent the most sublime expression of the messianic ideal. In his prophecies are expressed not only the hope of Israel's redemption, but also for a universal salvation in which gentiles as well as Jews are included. Isaiah's words have inspired religiouis figures, poets, artists, and composers throughout the centuries. It was from Isaiah that Jesus is portrayed as reading in his first public declaration of his ministry (Luke 4:17); it is Isaiah who inspired several of the most powerful lines of Handel's Messiah; and it is Isaiah's vision of the kingdom of the "Prince and Peace" that inspires Jews and Christians alike when they pray for the coming — or the return — of the Messiah.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah's minstry spanned the reigns of several kings. The book that bears his name seems to be largely the work of his personal secretary, Baruch. It records not only a large number of oracles and prophetic hymns, but also a good deal of historical material and even a letter from Jeremiah to the exiles in Babylon. Lamentations, traditionally attributed to Jeremiah, is probably by another writer although it refers to Jeremiah's time.

Jeremiah began his ministry during the reign of King Josiah and apparently supported the young king's Yahwhistic reforms (Jer 11:1-10). Like all true prophets of the period he harshly condemned idolatry. However, he was just as strong in criticizing the Temple itself for corruption. He warned rulers and priests alike that they must do justice and care for widows and orphans, not simply offer up the required sacrifices and trust that the city of God's temple would be protected (Jer. 7:5-8). His career at court was a stormy one, and he was flogged and later imprisoned for his outspoken views.

illustraiton: Rembrandt's Jeremiah http://choo.fis.utoronto.ca/Rembrandt/Jeremiah.sm.JPG

After Josiah's death in battle against Egypt and Judah's vassalage to Babylon, Jeremiah urged accomodation with the Babylonian Empire, which he saw as God's instrument to punish Judah for her sins. He was opposed by a leading court prophet, Hannaniah, who predicted that the Babylonian yolk will be broken within two years. Jeremiah countered with a prophecy of his own predicting Hananiah's own impending death (Jer 28). After this, there is preserved a copy of a letter from Jeremiah to those Judeans already in exile in Babylon, urging them to ignore what other prophets tell them. He advises them to settle down, buy houses, and pray for the Babylonian king, for it is God's will that they remain there for seventy years.

His advice regarding accommodation was not heeded. The vassal king Zedekiah rebelled against Babylon, provoking a brutal reprisal. The city was sacked, burned to the ground, and the king himself was blinded and exiled to Babylon. Jeremiah, from his own exile in Egypt, continued his prophetic activity until his death.

Jeremiah's passionate tone earned him the title "the weeping prophet" as well as "the prophet of doom". His verses are among the most poignant in the bible, demonstrating such themese as God's love and wrath, the dire consequences of sin, the concept of a "new covenant" between man and God, the promise of redemption, and the hope that repentance will bring salvation.

Ezekiel

Exekiel is the great prophet of the Jewish exile in Babylon. A priest with no temple in which to offer sacrifice, he bemoaned the fate of Israel and Judah and called for a revived faith centered on the hope of a rebuilt temple and a messianic king. Althouh his book show much concern with priestly issue, it deals to a great extent with the moral principles of what later become known as "ethical monotheism."

Ezekiel was apparently a younger contemporary of Jeremiah and may have heard the older prophet preach in Jerusalem. Much of Ezekiel's prophecies take the form of poetry. He partipated viscerally in his prophetic pronouncements through fasts and other mortifications of the flesh. The death of his own wife was, to Ezekiel, associated with God's feelings of mourning for Jerusalem at the moment of its destruction. His expressions of God's pain and anger are particularly striking, even disturbing to modern readers in the violent sexual imagery the prophet uses to rage against Israel and Judah's idolatrous "fornication."

More than any other prophet, Ezekiel was a visionary. His several visions of aneglic beings and vehicles are particularly vivid. Moreover his revelation of the Valley of Dry Bones, although originally refering to the revival of Israel as a people, became an important basis for the belief in the resurrection of the dead.

IllustrationL Ezekiel's vision http://home.halden.net/rolf/merian/m125.jpg

The exiled elders consulted Ezekiel, and it is possbile that his prophecies, together with Jeremiah's, had great impact on the consciousness of exile community. His writings certainly very important in later Jewish life. They have also had great significance in kabbalistic thought and Christian apocaylticism.

Other literary prophets

The other prohetic books in the bible are the following:

Joel — Probably a post-exilic prophet, Joel presents a powerful vision of ravaging locuts as a sign that the day of the Lord is near at hand. Deliverance from doom is possible if Israel turns wholeheartedly to God, in which case an outpouring of His spirit on "on flesh" will occur. This prophecy became influential in Christian times as prediction of the Pentacost event of Acts 2, and in modern times because of its implications of the significance of the Pentacostal movement.

Obadiah — His short book, probably written shortly after the Assyrian invasion of Israel, consists primarily of a denuncation of the sin of Edom. Although highly nationalistic in tone, it does not spare either Isael or Judah from a wrathful justice in the soon approaching day of the Lord.

Jonah — Probably written after the peiod of Babylonian exile, this book tells the ironic stoy of a prophet who runs from his mission, gets swallowed by a huge fish, and finally goes to a great gentile city of to deliver God's word: "yet forty days and Nineveh will be destoryed". When the city repents, God changes his mind and Jonah ends up pouting. The book serves as a counterbalance to Jewish exclusivism, showing that God wants to bring redemption to gentiles as well as Jews.

Micah — A southern prophet, probably a contemporary of Isaiah, his message shows an affinity with the themes of his northern counterparts, Amos and Hosea, as well as with the Isaiah himself. When Jeremiah was threatened with execution for his prophecies against King Jehoiakim, his defenders appealed to Micah's example to exonerate Jeremiah (Jer. 26: 17-19).

Nahum — This prophet was a master of poetic imagery with strong nationalistic overtones and fierce devotion to Yahweh. Nothing is known of his personal life, but his oracles seem to refer to the impending defeat of the Assyrian empire as the Babylonian power was on the rise.

Habakkuk — One of many prophets active during the short reign of Jehoiakim, the second son of Josiah, just prior to the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon. He initially shared Jereimiah's optimism toward the Babylonian power as God's instrument, but later portrayed King Nebuchadrezzer as a cruel tyrant who will ultimately by judged by God.

Zephaniah — Possibly a man of royal lineage descended from King Hezekiah, this prophet lived the reign of King Josiah. He seems to have had strong connections to the Temple in Jerusalem and some scholars believe he could have been instrumental in effecting the reform program of Joisah.

Haggai — A post-exilic Jew who helped Ezra the Scribe rebuild the Temple, his few surviving verses look with excitement to the reestablishment of the sacred sanctuary. Unlike Amos, Hosea, and Micah before him, he stresses that God's blessing will be given primarily on the basis of properly performed religious rites.

illlustration -------http://www.thebiblestudypage.com/images/zphoto.gif Zecahriah 8:22 — 'Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat him'

Zechariah — A contemporary of Haggai who, like him, emphasized the rebuilding of the Temple, Zechariah seemed to pin his messianianic hope on Jerusalem's governor, Zerubbabel, who supervised the rebuilding of the Temple: "What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of 'God bless it!'" (Zechariah 4:7)

Malachi — Writing after the Temple had been completed but the hopes of earlier prophets had given way to corruption and despair, Malachi's message is that true relgion bears fruit in true morality. His promise of the return of Elijah before the coming day of the Lord is a fitting close to the collection of prophetic books.

It should be noted that The Book of Daniel is not considered on the prophetic books, but one of the "writings", in the Jewish Bible. Whether he was a prophet belonging to history or a literary figure of a later era is a subject of much debate.

Critical View

Biblical critics point out that the bible is biased toward the view of the "Yahweh only" party that became normative from the period of the Babylonian exile onward. The bible contains a few words of from the many "false prophets" of Yahweh and none of the words of the prophets of Baal or other deities. Because the biblical prophets were often political partisans, this situation is analogous to having access to the arguments of only one side in a civil war.

The prophets were an intolerant lot, cursing and sometimes plotting the ovethrow of those kings who would not violently purge society of the prophets' religious rivals. Feminist theologians point out that the prophets enthusiastically supported the male-only priesthood in its campaign to stamp out female depictions of God, such as the goddesses Astarte and Ashera, who may have originally been conceived of as feminine counterparts to the Israelite deities El or Yahweh. While the prophetic emphasis on social justice is to be commended, the fact of the prophets' support for religious repression, warfare against other tribes and races, and male dominance must not be ignored.

Christian Prophets

Like Jews, Christians believe a prophet is a person who speaks for God. The reception of a message is termed revelation; the delivery of the message is termed prophecy. For Christians, the authenticity of a prophet is judged by their fruits as Jesus said that one should judge a prophet by his fruits, (Gospel of Matthew 7) and by checking whether his predictions come true. A false prophet is considered to be someone who is purposely trying to deceive, or is delusional, or is under the influence of Satan (for detail, see main article False prophet).

Catholic, Orthodox and most Protestant Christians hold that prophecy ended at the close of the Apostolic Age, that is around the end of the fist century CE. New Testament Age prophets include: Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph, Anna, Simeon, John the Baptist, Jesus, and other. The Book of Acts tells of several itinerant Christian prophets who operated in apostolic times, naming Judas, Silas, Agabus and others. Paul refers to prophets as on of the three important charismatic offices of the church, together with apostles and teachers (1 Cor. 12:28). The Didache, also called the Teaching of Twelve, represents a transition to a more settled time, recommending that prophets be elected to serve as local bishops. The Shepherd of Hermas is a Christian prophetic work that, while not accepted into the New Testament canon, represents a late example of Christian prophecy. The Montanist movement of the second century brought the era of Christian prophecy to a close when it was condemned as heretical.

Heretical prophetic movements arose sporadically throughout the Christian era but were repressed by church authorities and the state. After the Protestant Reformation, a few protestant sects have affirmed their leaders or members to be prophets. [see below: "Other Prophets"]

Islamic Prophets

The Qur'an specifically mentions the names of twenty-five prophets and indicates that there have been many others sent to humanity throughout time. These include Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus and Muhammad. Muhammad is held to be the last and greatest prophet. While Muslims deny the divinity of Jesus, they accept the biblical teaching that Isa (Jesus) will return on the Last Day.

The primary characteristic of a prophet in Islam is his absolute submission to Allah. Once a person attains prophetic status, he does not deviate from God's will. Therefore Muslims reject the idea that prophets such as King David sinned, believing instead that stories such as David's adultery with Bathsheba represent tampering with the authentic text of the scripture. Muslims also hold that a prophet will be protected by God and cannot be executed unjustly. They therefore reject the idea that Prophet Jesus in fact died on the cross.

The sect of the Ahmadiyya consider Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian to be a prophet. However, as he comes after the prophet Muhammad, their teachings are considered heretical and un-Islamic by most Muslims. The same may be said of Baha'u'lah, the prophet of the Baha'is, which began as a unveralizing reform movment within Islam.

Most Muslims distinguish between prophets per se (نبي nabi) and messengers (رسول rasul), the latter being those prophets who have brought a holy book rasila (such as the Qur'an or Bible).