A prophet is an individual who conveys a message on the behalf of God directly to mankind, transporting warning and redemption for all who will hear, prophets are divinely chosen instruments in which God choose to invest his unlimited powers, they were without doubt the most revered persons in the old testament era and to a large degree spiritually accepted in the new dispensation, prepared for selected tasks, prophets are clearly evident from the scriptures that they were gifted with supernatural powers and great ability to foretell future events, A Prophet was Certain of their divine mission to purify Israel's religion, the prophets attacked many aspects of people's lives and came forward as the advocates of the poor and oppressed and as the leaders in social reform. The Hebrew prophets have made tremendous impact on human history, they exercise sheer power of submissive authority to God which creates an even more powerful testimony, and by identifying with the fundamental duty as Gods messengers their power words and deeds have impacted the lives of others, the affect has caused that even the most painful ignorant disbeliever to eventually acknowledge the shekinah presence, therefore it is hardly surprising that Christianity in western civilization have taken a leaf out of Jewish religion. The prophets could change the outcome of many events in history by denting their adversary's victory, demolishing strongholds and rising up dynamic warriors to protect national security. A prophet is not only a Jew, but God has also risen up gentile prophets to proclaim the message of salvation in the gentile dispensation. Some prophets are called into service by God at the earliest age of conceivable innocence, where faith is hardly a focal requirement, but rather the essence is upon obedience and practice. In this category we see Samuel and Jeremiah. We will cover Jeremiah later, but Samuel was a prophet and Judge called while under tuition with Eli, he was strict and dealt severe with Agag king of the Amalekites, Samuel was the one prophet who appointed Saul as first king of Israel in the 9th century BCE. King Saul was a great man who committed one terrible mistake, dooming his reign from the start. With this critical mistake, Saul is finished. He doesn't get a second chance. God doesn't mess around when it comes to the Kings of Israel. Elijah is a heroic figure in Jewish tradition. It is he who stands up to King Ahab, whose Phoenician wife has introduced the worship of the idol Baal into the Jewish Kingdom, Elijah is the most audacious power pack prophet that comes to mind, unafraid of the king, but fears for his life when threaten by Jezebel. Elijah is the legendary prophet who lived in the 8th century BCE, and saved the Jewish faith from been corrupt by pagan worship of Baal, tradition has many remarkable story about the life of Elijah, he never died but with an enviable dashing rapture he was transported up to heaven by a world wind of fire. There were 48 prophets and 7 prophetesses whose prophecies were recorded in the Bible: But there were other prophets, who may not have been in prophetic full-time ministry, but their names and work had some major influences on the lives of individuals seeking illumination to the truth, the prayer activities of prophets has led credence to the outcome of political maneuvers, as was the case with Daniels dedicated devotion, also their presence in community and villages may have been the measuring standards for others to live by, prophets are mention in folk tales, denouncing sin and predicting future events, bringing joy to widows and the scourge and torment to kings, sometimes their prophecies were not recorded, because their prophecies were only intended for themselves or for the generation who lived at that time. According to the prophets, Israel which was the focus of attention, and could along with others be reconciled to God but only by complete repentance and sincere heart purification in religious affairs, and practice theocratic observances in the state, today's mystic are self indulgent, power seeking self opinionated, self seeking greedy deceptive liars who have very little powers in the way of truthfully declaring future events and bring a sense of peace and justices to the under privilege and the less fortunate. We see an illustration of this very clearly portrayed in the book of Daniel, where the wise men of the day were unable to declare the contents of Nebuchadnezzar dream. The Old Testament is made up of major and minor prophets, Major Prophets. And books assigned to their name, Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Daniel Minor Prophets. Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi. Jonah is also a prophet who lived in the 8th century BCE. He is famous for being swallowed by a large fish after refusing to carry out a mission to Nineveh which God gave him. Prophet is a man who has directly encountered God in a personal relationship which develops into an advance ministry witnessing for the divine ruler of the universe and serves as an intermediary with humanity. a prophetess is seen as a person who has touching encounters with the divine nature, experiencing wisdom transforming knowledge in positive energy, they can speaks as a formal representative on the behalf of God and transcends the lower regions of mystical separatism some are understood as founding revitalizing sacrificial religion based on biblical teachings. And rituals and initiation ceremony, both prophet and prophetess has unique powers of heighten perception unmeasured in modern reality, they embrace divine truth in deep spiritual respect to the source which has given intuitive knowledge. Through direct experience, and strong positive sensitivity, good will transform nightmares into pleasant reality, awaken with intuitions surprises, a wide reputation is gain. The book of Isaiah involves the ministry of one of God's great prophets who lived in the latter half of the 8th century before Christ. He prophesied for a period lasting forty to sixty years during the reigns of four rulers of the southern kingdom of Judah: Uzziah, Jot ham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. The kingdom of Judah was in a state of spiritual decline. Religious superficiality and rampant immorality saturated the countryside. The nation had ceased to trust in Jehovah and was inclined to form protective alliances with certain pagan powers (e.g., Assyria in the east and Egypt to the south). Isaiah's task was to proclaim to them the Lord's word, affirming that security is grounded in the one, true God, not in powers of heathenism. Isaiah's name means "Jehovah is salvation." The book easily divides into two major sections: First, the prophet foretells a coming judgment upon the Hebrew people if they do not return to the Lord (1-39). That judgment finds its immediate fulfillment in the impending Babylonian Captivity. Second, in spite of that temporal judgment, deliverance ultimately can be theirs (40-66). There will be a return from the Captivity; and, finally, ultimate salvation will be provided by the coming Messiah. There are many numerous prophetic glimpses of Christ in Isaiah, so much so that he is called "the messianic prophet" (cf. 7:14; 8:13; 9:6-7; 11:1-10; 28:16; 40:3-5; 42:1-4; 44:6; 50:6; 53:1-12). Modern critics have denied the unity of Isaiah, claiming that several authors composed the material. The inspired writers of the New Testament did not sanction this groundless notion. The prophet is alluding more than 300 times in the New Testament Isaiah: God's Prophet of Doom and Deliverance. Jeremiah, known as "the weeping prophet," was the most persecuted character of the Old Testament era. His own Jewish kinsmen cursed him, beat him, threw him in prison, etc. (see 15:10; 20:1ff; 32:2-3; 37:15). The prophet labored on behalf of God's people during the administrations of five of Judah's kings: Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. His total preaching career could have spanned more than 60 years; obviously he was a young man when called of God to assume his sober responsibility. The good king Josiah had attempted to reform the idol-prone Hebrews, but his efforts were a matter of too-little, too-late. The southern kingdom was in a downward spiral. Jeremiah commenced his ministry in the 13th year of Josiah's administration. The thrust of the prophet's message was two-fold: 1. He initially sought to bring his people to a state of genuine repentance (cf. 7:2-7). No less than thirteen times the prophet characterizes the Israelites as a "backsliding" people. If Judah would only turn back, she could avoid the danger that lurked like a dark cloud on her horizon, i.e., the Babylonian invasion. 2. It became apparent ultimately that the Jews had no intention of reforming their lives; Jeremiah's sad chore then was to warn his people of the punishment that mighty Babylon, God's instrument of wrath, would inflict. The prophet spoke for God himself in uttering this doom. More than 150 times Jeremiah buttressed his warnings with: The word of the Lord came him to urged the Hebrews to surrender to God's avenging force this message mightily provoked the people, and their wrath was vented with full force against Jeremiah. Perhaps the saddest day in Old Testament history was when Jerusalem was breached by the Babylonian army, and the Hebrew temple was burned to the ground (586 B.C.) The prophet Jeremiah had foretold these gruesome days, and in his follow-up document, Lamentations, he further pursued the matter. Lamentations is a sort of funeral song, a deep soul searching dirge written in poetic fashion to commemorating the tragic destruction of Jerusalem. Because of Judah's sin, God had left his dwelling place in the Temple and had allowed his beloved sanctuary to be destroyed. The laments are over Judah's sin which had escalated to the point of bitter destruction; it is not about the Lord's righteousness. The book is a serious realistic solemn funeral mourns, with real tears, real pain, crying out for the people of God to repent. Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old. Lamentations 5:21 Lamentations chapter 3 gives a ray of hope and salvation in the midst of tears. 'It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassion's fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.' (Lamentations 3:22-23) God's grace shines through the clouds of gloom. In the Greek version of the Old Testament, the book begins like this: And it came to pass, after Israel was taken captive, and Jerusalem made desolate, that Jeremiah sat weeping, and lamented with this lamentation over Jerusalem. The theme of the book is this: Zion is desolate interestingly, chapters 1, 2, and 4 are arranged in an acrostic format, i.e., each has 22 verses, the first word of which corresponds to the consecutive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Chapter 3 has 66 verses, each third of which is similarly arranged. Some suggest this was to facilitate memorization; or perhaps it was to stress Israel's sins. Ezekiel The book of Ezekiel represents the message of the prophet by that name who was taken captive in the second deportation of the Jews to Babylon; this occurred around 598-7 B.C. (2 Kings 24:14-15). Ezekiel began his ministry in the fifth year of his captivity (about seven or eight years before the final destruction of the temple). He continued his work for some 22 years (cf. Ezek. 1:2; 29:17). Ezekiel, like Jeremiah, is said to have been a descendant of Joshua by his marriage with the proselyte Rahab, Some scholars claim that (Ezekiel) was Jeremiah or the son of Jeremiah, who was (also) called "Buzi" because he was despised by the Jews. He was already active as a prophet while in Israel, and he retained this gift when he was exiled with Jehoiachin and the other nobles of the country to Babylon. Just as there had been false prophets among the Hebrew people in Palestine (cf. Jer. 28:3), so also evil deceivers were among the Jews in Babylon. These corrupt prophets were suggesting that the captivity would not last a full 70 years, as Jeremiah had declared (Jer. 25:12; 29:10); rather, within a couple of years or so (cf. Jer. 28:3), this Babylonian unpleasantness would be over, and Israel would be restored to its homeland. Ezekiel, like all the other prophets, has beheld only a blurred reflection of the divine majesty, just as a poor mirror reflects objects of imperfection. Ezekiel 1. Renounce this false hope of an early return, and to prophesy the fall of Jerusalem (in 586 B.C.), the early portion of the book (1-24) being written before that event 2. Show that Jehovah would visit judgment upon the pagan nations as well (25-32) 3. Preview the return of the Hebrews from captivity (33-48) Ezekiel Reveal the ultimate blessings that would flow to those who follow the leadership of that "Branch of righteousness" (the Messiah), who would come out of David's lineage. Ezekiel devotes a significant amount of time foretelling the restoration of Israel as a nation and to their God, Yahweh (Ezekiel 36-39). While Ezekiel wrote, the Jews were in captivity and their nation, Judah, had been destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Thus, Ezekiel's prophecies gave assurance to the Jews that although they were for the time being in exile and under humiliation, they would eventually return to their land permanently. Chapter 36 talks about the return to the land and the prosperity of the new country. Chapter 37 contains the "Valley of Dry Bones" vision, in which God promises to restore life to Israel. Finally, a promise is given in the chapter that Israel would be united as one nation and be established permanently. Chapters 38 and 39 predict an invasion that will occur after the Jews return to their land, called the Battle of Gog and Magog, in which God directly intervenes to protect Israel from its enemes. The book of Daniel, because of its prophetic precision, has been subject to the attacks of critics for many centuries. Rationalists simply do not believe in the possibility of predictive prophecy, hence they allege that the material of this document was penned by some unknown scribe during the inter-biblical period (c. 168-65 B.C.). Many strong arguments expose the fallacy of this theory. For those who have respect for Jesus Christ, however, the issue is settled. The Lord himself credits the prophetic material to Daniel (cf. Mt. 24:15). Jerome once noted that the critical attacks are, in fact, strong evidence of the validity of the sacred prophecies; they are so accurate that they read like actual history, rather than data written before the fact! Daniel had been among the early captives taken into Babylon (c. 606-5 B.C.), and his divine declarations continued into the administration of the Persian king Cyrus (cf. Dan. 10:1). His ministry thus spanned more than 70 years. Generally, the book of Daniel can be divided into two sections: a. Chapters 1-6 mostly deal with historical matters pertaining to Daniel's ministry. What Bible student has not thrilled to the deliverance of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace (3) and that of Daniel from the lions' den (6)? b. Chapters 7-12 take on a decidedly prophetic thrust (though there is predictive prophecy in chapter 2 as well). The main reason the book of Daniel emphasizes Jehovah's rule over the nations (2:21; 4:17) is in view of the coming Messiah. The purpose and time of Christ's first advent, together with the consequences of rejecting him, are vividly set forth in Daniel, chapter 9. "Daniel's Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks", November 9, 1998.) The establishment of the Lord's kingdom, during the days of the Roman regime, is prophetically portrayed in chapter 2. That this prophecy focuses upon the church, and not some alleged personal vendetta or cop out with the future millennial" kingdom, is apparent from the fact that Christ's kingdom is to stand "forever" (2:44), whereas, according to the millennialists, the earthly reign of Jesus will last only 1,000 years. The Major Prophets eloquently testify in concert. And they speak boldly for the entire world to hear 1. The need to live a godly life without conformity and revealed will of almighty God. 2. The certainty of judgment for those who ignore this admonition. 3. The ultimate deliverance that can be affected only in the mission of the Son of God. Their 4. Voices are as powerful today as they were in the world of Hebrew history. Prophets pronounce double curse on those who preach falsehood the message is to be given in truth, anything which contradicts it was a lie. There was a definable standard of truth about God and His purpose and those who departed from it were in danger. A List of the prophets. 1) Abraham 2) Isaac 3) Jacob 4) Moses 5) Aaron 6) Joshua 7) Pinchas the High Priest 8) Elkanah 9) Eli the High Priest 10) Samuel 11) Gad 12) Nathan 13) David 14) Solomon 15) Eido 16) Michiyahu ben Yimlah 17) Obadiah 18) Achiyah of Shiloh 19) Yahu ben Chanani 20) Azariah ben Oded 21) Chaziel son of Metaniah 22) Eliezer of Morisha 23) Hosea 24) Amos 25) Micah 26) Amotz 27) Elijah 28) Elisha 29) Jonah 30) Isaiah 31) Joel 32) Nahum 33) Habakkuk 34) Zephaniah 35) Uriah from Kiryat Yearim 36) Jeremiah 37) Ezekiel 38) Shmaya 39) Baruch 40) Neriah 41) Seriah 42) Mechasiah 43) Haggai 44) Zechariah 45) Malachi 46) Mordechai 47) Chanani 48) Oded Prophetess 1) Sarah 2) Miriam (sister to Moses) 3) Deborah (the only female among the Judges) 4) Chana (mother of Samuel) 5) Abigail 6) Chuldah 7) Esther Learn more about this author, Gerry Legister. Below are the top articles rated and ranked by Helium