What was a prophet in the Old Testament?

Response

A prophet in the Old Testament was someone who was used by God to convey His message to the world. Prophets were also known as “seers” because they had the ability to “see,” spiritually speaking, as God granted them insight «(Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he spoke, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.) », (1 Samuel 9:9). The prophets can be categorized into the “writing prophets” such as Isaiah, Daniel, Amos, and Malachi; and the “non-writing prophets” such as Ahijah «And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field: », (1 Kings 11:29), Micaiah «And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. », (2 Chronicles 18:7), and Elisha «and Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. », (1 Kings 19:16). There are also some anonymous prophets in the Old Testament, such as the unnamed prophet in Judges 6:7–10.

The prophets came from various backgrounds, spoke to diverse audiences, had unique styles, and utilized different methods. Most of the Old Testament prophets’ messages concerned the pPeople of Israel; if other nations were mentioned in the oracles, it was usually in connection with those nations’ dealings with Israel. Most prophets of God were men, but the Old Testament also mentions prophetesses such as Miriam «And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. », (Exodus 15:20, ESV), Deborah «And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. », (Judges 4:4, ESV), and Huldah «So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her. », (2 Kings 22:14, ESV). All prophets shared some characteristics that made their ministries “prophetic.”

A prophet was called by God to be a prophet. Isaiah and Ezekiel were given visions of God’s glory (Isaiah 6; Ezekiel 1). God told Jeremiah that he had been chosen even before his birth: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, / before you were born I set you apart; / I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” «Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. », (Jeremiah 1:5). A common description of the source of the message is that “the word of the Lord came” to the prophet (Jeremiah 1:2; Ezekiel 1:3; Hosea 1:1; Joel 1:1; Jonah 1:1; Micah 1:1; Zephaniah 1:1; Haggai 1:1; Zechariah 1:1). Another description is that the prophet received an “oracle,” which is a special revelation from God (Isaiah 13:1; Habakkuk 1:1; Numbers 24:16; ESV).

A prophet was required to deliver God’s message accurately. The prophet Micaiah put it well: “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell [the king] only what the Lord tells me” «And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak. », (1 Kings 22:14). Those who, like Jeremiah, tried to keep silent found they could not «Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. », (Jeremiah 20:9). Those who, like Jonah, tried to avoid their responsibility were corrected (Jonah 1:3-4). Others, like the unnamed prophet from Judah who directly disobeyed the divine command, lost their lives (1 Kings 13:15-24).

A prophet sometimes had a unique appearance. Elijah was known for wearing “a garment of hair and had a leather belt around his waist” «And they answered him, He was a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite. », (2 Kings 1:8). Elijah’s mantle that he left for Elisha was also seen as a symbol of the prophetic office (Ezekiel 5:1). Other prophets were consecrated in different ways: Jeremiah, for instance, was forbidden to marry with the command: «You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place. », (Jeremiah 16:2); Hosea was instructed to marry a prostitute as stated: «The word of the LORD that came to Hosea. The LORD said to Hosea, Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the LORD. », (Hosea 1:2). All prophets were acknowledged as vessels through whom God communicated, even if their message was unwelcome.

A prophet often endured a challenging existence. Isaiah was sent to a people who were “ever hearing, but never understanding” with the words: «And He said, Go, and tell this people: ‘Hear indeed, but do not understand; see indeed, but do not perceive.’ », (Isaiah 6:9), and (according to tradition) he was ultimately killed for his efforts. Ezekiel ministered to “a rebellious house” with the message: «Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; for they are a rebellious house. », (Ezekiel 12:2). The queen of Israel sought to take Elijah’s life by sending a messenger with a threat: «Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.’ », (1 Kings 19:2).

Tomorrow about this time.” (1 Kings 19:2). Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern, where he “sank down into the mud” “Then they took Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.” (Jeremiah 38:6). Jesus spoke of Jerusalem as those “who kill the prophets and stone those sent” to them “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!” (Luke 13:34), and, speaking to the Jewish leaders of his day, Stephen asked this condemning question: “Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute?” “Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers.” (Acts 7:52).

Often, a prophet in the Old Testament predicted the future. Sometimes, the prophecies concerned events that were soon to happen; for example, Joseph predicted seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine in Egypt, events that occurred within the next fourteen years (Genesis 41:25-36). Many other prophets foresaw things in the distant future; for example, many of Daniel’s and Zechariah’s prophecies concern the second coming of Christ and other end-times events (1 Kings 22:6, 23) «Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee. », (1 Kings 22:6, 23). Nehemiah faced opposition from several false prophets and a prophetess «My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear. », (Nehemiah 6:14). The authenticity of a prophet was determined by their accuracy in prophesying «When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.», (Deuteronomy 18:22). If a prophet’s predictions did not materialize, it indicated that the prophet was not speaking on behalf of God, as God is incapable of falsehood «God is not a man, that he should lie; Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? », (Numbers 23:19).

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The role of the Old Testament prophet reached its culmination in the person of John the Baptist, who was foretold in Malachi 4:5 (cf: Luke 7:26-27); and in Jesus Christ, who was the Prophet “like Moses” foretold in Deuteronomy 18:15 cf: Acts 3:22.