Reference: Prophecy, Prophets
Hastings
Hebrew prophecy represents a religious movement of national and worldwide importance, not paralleled elsewhere in history. Most significant in itself, it has acquired deeper and wider import through its connexion with Christianity and the philosophy of religion generally. The present article will deal in brief outline with (1) the history, (2) the inspiration, and (3) the functions and specific teaching, of the prophets of the OT; also (4) with the special topic of Messianic prophecy and its fulfilment in the NT.
1. History and prophecy.
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Now, therefore, deliver the man his wife again, for he is a prophet. And let him pray for thee that thou mayest live. But and if thou deliver her not again, be sure that thou shalt die the death, with all that thou hast."
Then Moses said, "I will go hence and see this great sight, how it cometh that the bush burneth not."
And the LORD said unto Moses, "Behold, I have made thee Pharaoh's God, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou shalt speak all that I command thee; and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land. read more. But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that I may multiply my miracles and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
The LORD reign ever and always!"
Then Moses besought the LORD his God and said, "O LORD, why should thy wrath wax hot upon thy people which thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
Yet forgive them their sin, I pray thee: If not, wipe me out of thy book which thou hast written."
And the LORD came down in a cloud and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and put it upon the seventy elders. And as the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied and did nought else. But there remained two of the men in the host: the one called Eldad, and the other Medad. And the spirit rested upon them for they were of them that were written, but they went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the host. read more. And there ran a young man and told Moses and said, "Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the host." And Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of Moses which he had chosen out, answered and said, "Master Moses, forbid them." And Moses said unto him, "Enviest thou for my sake? Would God that all the LORD's people could prophesy, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them."
And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle and called Aaron and Miriam. And they went out both of them. And he said, "Hear my words. If there be a prophet of the LORD's among you, I will show myself unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
And he said, "Hear my words. If there be a prophet of the LORD's among you, I will show myself unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. But my servant Moses is not so, which is faithful in all mine house. read more. Unto him I speak mouth to mouth and he seeth the sight and the fashion of the LORD, and not through riddles. Wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?"
If there arise among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and give thee a sign or a wonder -
If there arise among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and give thee a sign or a wonder - and that sign or wonder which he hath said come to pass - and then say, 'Let us go after strange gods which thou hast not known, and let us serve them':
and that sign or wonder which he hath said come to pass - and then say, 'Let us go after strange gods which thou hast not known, and let us serve them':
Let there not be found among you that maketh his son or his daughter go through fire, either a bruterer or a maker of dismal days, or that useth witchcraft, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or that speaketh with a spirit, or a soothsayer, or that asketh the advice of the dead. read more. For all that do such things are abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth cast them out before thee. Be pure therefore with the LORD thy God. For these nations which thou shalt conquer hearken unto makers of dismal days and bruterers. But the LORD thy God permitteth not that to thee. The LORD thy God will stir up a Prophet among you: even of thy brethren, like unto me, and unto him ye shall hearken
And if thou say in thine heart, 'How shall I know that which the LORD hath not spoken?'
And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth judged Israel the same time,
the LORD sent a prophet unto them, and said unto them, "Thus sayeth the LORD God of Israel: I fetched you from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage
the spirit of the LORD entered into Gideon. And he blew a trumpet, and called Abiezer to follow him;
And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days, for there was none open vision.
Before time in Israel, when a man went to seek an answer of God, thus wise he spake: "Come, and let us go to the Seer." For he that is now called a prophet, was in the old time called a Seer.
After that, thou shalt come to the hill of God, where the Philistines keep their watch. And when thou art come thither to the city thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the hill, with a psaltery, a timbrel, a pipe, and a harp before them; and they prophesying. And the spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.
When they came to the hill, behold, the company of prophets met him, and the spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.
When they came to the hill, behold, the company of prophets met him, and the spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.
When they came to the hill, behold, the company of prophets met him, and the spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. And all that knew him before, when they saw that he prophesied among the prophets, they said each to other, "What is happened unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?" read more. And one of the same place answered, and said, "Who is their father?" And thereof sprang a proverb, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the hill.
And so David fled and escaped and went to Samuel to Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.
"The spirit of the LORD spake in me, and his words were on my tongue.
And when David was up in a morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,
Was it not told my lord what I did, when Jezebel slew the Prophets of the LORD? How I hid a hundred of the LORD's Prophets, fifty in one cave and as many in another, and provided them of bread and water?
And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and ran before Ahab, till they came to Jezreel.
And then the king of Israel gathered of the Prophets together, upon a four hundred men, and said unto them, "Shall I go to Ramoth in Gilead to battle, or be still?" And they said, "Go: for the Lord shall deliver it into the hands of the king."
And he said, 'I will go out and be a false spirit in the mouths of all Prophets.' And the LORD said, 'Thou shalt deceive him and also prevail, go forth and do even so.'
The acts of David the king, both first and last, are written in the books of Samuel the seer and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer of visions,
And he made the house most holy, whose length was twenty cubits like to the breadth of the house, and the breadth thereof was also twenty cubits. And he overlaid it with the best gold, that drew to the sum of six hundred talents.
And the rest of the acts of king Solomon, both first and last, are written in the book of Nathan the Prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer of visions against Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
But they put not the hill altars out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was pure all his life.
'When evil cometh upon us, as the sword of judgment, pestilence or hunger: then if we stand before this house and before thee - for thy name is in this house - and shall cry unto thee in our tribulation, thou shalt hear and help.'
And they set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, psalteries and harps according to the commandments of David and of Gad the king's seer of visions and of Nathan the prophet. For so was the commandment of the LORD through the hand, of his prophets.
{An Instruction of Asaph} O God, wherefore doest thou cast us so clean away? Why is thy wrath so hot against the sheep of thy pasture?
We see not our tokens. There is not one prophet more; no, not one is there among us, that understandeth any more.
"Touch not mine anointed, do my prophets no harm."
Then said they, "Come, let us imagine something against this Jeremiah." Yea, this did even the priests, to whom the law was committed: the Senators, that were the wisest: and the prophets, which wanted not the word of God. "Come," said they, "let us cut out his tongue, and let us not regard his words."
"Behold, the time cometh, sayeth the LORD, that I will raise up the righteous Branch of David, which shall bear rule, and discuss matters with wisdom, and shall set up equity and righteousness again in the earth.
And therefore the LORD of Hosts giveth you this warning, "Hear not the words of the prophets, that preach unto you, and deceive you: for they speak the meaning of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.
Peradventure they will pray meekly before the face of LORD, and turn, every one from his wicked way. For great is the wrath and displeasure, that the LORD hath taken against this people."
At the same time came the word of the LORD unto Ezekiel the son of Buzi the priest, in the land of the Chaldeans by the water of Chebar, where the hand of the LORD came upon him.
As for the wall that ye have daubed with untempered mortar, I will break it down: make it even with the ground, so the foundation thereof shall remove, and it shall fall. Yea, and ye yourselves shall perish in the midst thereof: to learn you for to know, that I am the LORD.
Now when I, Daniel, had seen this vision, and sought for the understanding of it: behold, there stood before me a thing like unto a man.
Be ye sure, O Israel: the time of visitation is come, the days of recompensing are at hand. As for the prophet, ye hold him for a fool; and him that is rich in the spirit, for a mad man: so great is your wickedness and malice.
I raised up prophets among your children, and abstainers among your young men. Is it not so, O ye children of Israel?' sayeth the LORD.
Now doth the LORD God no manner of thing, but he telleth his secret before unto his servants the prophets.
And as concerning the prophets that deceive my people, thus the LORD sayeth against them: When they have any thing to bite upon, then they preach that all shall be well. But if a man put not some thing in to their mouths, they preach of war against him.
Her prophets are light persons and unfaithful men: her priests unhallow the Sanctuary, and do wrong under the pretence of the law.
And then shall those prophets be confounded, everyone of his vision when he prophesieth: neither shall they wear sackcloth anymore, to deceive men withal.
Therefore seeing he was a prophet, and knew that God had sworn with an oath to him, that the fruit of his loins should sit on his seat - in that Christ should rise again in the flesh -
Also all the prophets from Samuel, and thenceforth, as many as have spoken, have in likewise told of these days.
Of which salvation have the prophets enquired, and searched, which prophesied of the grace that should come unto you;