Reference: Prophet
Hastings
1. The spirit of prophecy, as it meets us under the Old Dispensation, runs on into the New, and there are prophets in the NT who are properly to be described as OT prophets. Such as Anna the prophetess (Lu 2:36; cf. Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah in the OT); Zacharias, who is expressly said to have prophesied (Lu 1:67 ff.); Simeon, whose Nunc Dimittis is an utterance of an unmistakably prophetic nature (Lu 2:25 ff.) But above all there is John the Baptist, who was not only recognized by the nation as a great prophet (Mt 14:5; 21:26; Mr 11:32; Lu 20:6), but was declared by Jesus to be the greatest prophet of the former dispensation, while yet less than the least in the Kingdom of heaven (Mt 11:9 ff. = Lu 7:26 ff.)
2. Jesus Himself was a prophet. It was in this character that the Messiah had been promised (De 18:16,18; cf. Ac 3:22; 7:37), and had been looked for by many (Joh 6:14). During His public ministry it was as a prophet that He was known by the people (Mt 21:11; cf. Lu 7:16), and described by His own disciples (Lu 24:19), and even designated by Himself (Mt 13:57; Lu 13:33). And according to the teaching of the NT, the exalted Christ still continues to exercise His prophetic function, guiding His disciples into all the truth by the Spirit whom He sends (Joh 16:7,13), and 'building up the body' by bestowing upon it Apostles, prophets, and teachers (Eph 4:8 ff.).
3. From the prophetic office of her exalted Head there flowed the prophetic endowment of the Church. Joel had foretold a time when the gift of prophecy should be conferred upon all (Joe 2:28 f.), and at Pentecost we see that word fulfilled (Ac 2:16 ff.). Ideally, all the Lord's people should be prophets. For 'the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy' (Re 19:10), and in proportion as Christians are filled with the Pentecostal Spirit they will desire, like the members of the newborn Church, to bear testimony to their Master (cf. Nu 11:29; 1Co 14:5).
4. But even in the Spirit-filled Church diversities of gifts quickly emerged, and a special power of prophetic utterance was bestowed upon certain individuals. A prophetic ministry arose, a ministry of Divine inspiration, which has to be distinguished from the official ministry of human appointment (see art. Ministry). In a more general sense, all those who 'spoke the word of God' (Heb 13:7) were prophets. The ministry of the word (Ac 6:4) was a prophetic ministry, and so we find St. Paul himself described as a prophet long after he had become an Apostle (Ac 13:1).
5. But in a more precise use of the term we find the specific NT prophet distinguished from others who 'speak the word of God,' and in particular from the Apostle and the teacher (1Co 12:28 f., cf. Eph 4:11). The distinction seems to be that while the Apostle was a missionary to the unbelieving (Ga 2:7-8), the prophet was a messenger to the Church (1Co 14:4,22); and while the teacher explained or enforced truth that was already possessed (Heb 5:12), the prophet was recognized by the spiritual discernment of his hearers (1Co 2:15; 14:29; 1Jo 4:1) as the Divine medium of fresh revelations (1Co 14:25,30-31; Eph 3:6; cf. Did. iv. 1).
Three main types of prophesying may be distinguished in the NT
See Verses Found in Dictionary
"Beware of the false prophets, who come to you disguised as sheep but are ravenous wolves underneath.
Whoever welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will have the same reward as a prophet, and whoever welcomes an upright man because he is upright will have the same reward as an upright man.
Then why did you go out there? Was it to see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet!
And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is treated with honor everywhere except in his native place and at his home."
And while he wanted him killed, he was afraid of the people; for they considered him a prophet.
The crowd answered, "It is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth in Galilee!"
But if we say, 'From men,' we have the people to fear, for they all consider John a prophet."
Many false prophets will appear, and many will be misled by them,
for false Christs and false prophets will appear, and they will show great signs and wonders to mislead God's chosen people if they can.
Yet can we say, 'It was from men'?" For they were afraid of the people, because all the people thought John was really a prophet.
And his father Zechariah was filled with the holy Spirit and he uttered a divine message, saying,
Now there was a man in Jerusalem named Symeon, an upright, devout man, who was living in expectation of the comforting of Israel, and under the influence of the holy Spirit.
There was also a prophetess there named Hannah, the daughter of Phanuel, who belonged to the tribe of Asher. She was very old, for after her girlhood she had been married for seven years,
And they were all overcome with awe, and they praised God, and said, "A great prophet has appeared among us!" and "God has not forgotten his people!"
Then what did you go out there to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet!
But I must go on today and tomorrow and the next day, for it is not right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem.'
But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet."
And he said, "What is it?" They said to him, "About Jesus of Nazareth, who in the eyes of God and of all the people was a prophet mighty in deed and word,
When the people saw the signs that he showed, they said, "This is really the Prophet who was to come into the world!"
Yet it is only the truth when I tell you that it is better for you that I should go away. For if I do not go, the Helper will not come to you, but if I go I will send him to you.
but when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into the full truth, for he will not speak for himself but will tell what he hears, and will announce to you the things that are to come.
Moses said, 'The Lord God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, as he raised me up. You must listen to everything that he tells you.
while we devote ourselves to prayer and to delivering the message."
This was the Moses who said to the descendants of Israel, 'God will make a prophet rise from among your brothers to teach you, just as he made me rise.'
About that time some prophets from Jerusalem came down to Antioch,
About that time some prophets from Jerusalem came down to Antioch, and one of them named Agabus got up and under the influence of the Spirit revealed the fact that there was going to be a great famine all over the world. This was the famine that occurred in the reign of Claudius.
There were at Antioch in the church there a number of prophets and teachers??arnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the governor, and Saul.
There were at Antioch in the church there a number of prophets and teachers??arnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the governor, and Saul.
There were at Antioch in the church there a number of prophets and teachers??arnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the governor, and Saul.
Judas and Silas were themselves prophets, and gave the brothers much encouragement and strength by their words.
So the churches became stronger and stronger in the faith, and their numbers increased from day to day.
So we looked up the disciples there and stayed a week with them. Instructed by the Spirit, they warned Paul not to set foot in Jerusalem.
He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy. We spent a number of days there, and in the course of them a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
We spent a number of days there, and in the course of them a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
We spent a number of days there, and in the course of them a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
But he said to me, 'Go! I will send you far away to the heathen.' "
But the spiritual man is alive to all true values, but his own true value no unspiritual man can see.
And God has placed people in the church, first as apostles, second as inspired preachers, third as teachers, then wonder-workers; then come ability to cure the sick, helpfulness, administration, ecstatic speaking.
And God has placed people in the church, first as apostles, second as inspired preachers, third as teachers, then wonder-workers; then come ability to cure the sick, helpfulness, administration, ecstatic speaking.
But the inspired preacher does his fellow-men good and encourages and comforts them. Anyone who speaks ecstatically does himself good, but the inspired preacher does a congregation good.
So this ecstatic speaking is meant as a sign not to those who believe but to unbelievers, but inspired preaching is a sign not to unbelievers but to those who believe.
the secrets of his heart are exposed, and he will fall down on his face and worship God, and declare that God is really among you.
And let two or three who are inspired to preach speak, while the rest weigh what is said;
And let two or three who are inspired to preach speak, while the rest weigh what is said; and if anything is revealed to another who is seated, the one who is speaking must stop. read more. For in this way you can all preach one after another, as you are inspired to, so that everyone may be instructed and stimulated,
On the contrary, when they saw that I had been intrusted with the good news for the heathen, just as Peter had been intrusted with it for the Jews??8 for he who actuated Peter to be an apostle to the Jews also actuated me to be one to the heathen??9 and when they recognized the favor God had shown me, James, Cephas, and John, who were regarded as pillars of the church, pledged Barnabas and me their co-operation, with the understanding that we should work among the heathen and they among the Jews.
You are built upon the apostles and prophets as your foundation, and Christ Jesus himself is the cornerstone.
(which in past ages was not disclosed to mankind as fully as it has now been revealed through the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets) that through union with Christ Jesus the heathen are fellow-heirs with the Jews, belong to the same body and share the promise with them, through the good news
So it says, "When he went up on high, he led a host of captives, And gave gifts to mankind."
And he has given us some men as apostles, some as prophets, some as missionaries, some as pastors and teachers,
And he has given us some men as apostles, some as prophets, some as missionaries, some as pastors and teachers,
For although from the length of your Christian experience you ought to be teaching others, you actually need someone to teach you over again the very elements of Christian truth, and you have come to need milk instead of solid food.
Do not forget your former leaders, the men who brought you God's message. Remember how they ended their lives and imitate their faith.
Blessed be the man who reads this prophecy and those who hear it read and heed what is written in it, for the time is near.
I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "You must not do that. I am only a fellow-slave of yours and of your brothers who have accepted the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is what inspires prophecy."
See! I am coming very soon! Blessed is he who heeds the words of prophecy that are in this book."
But he said to me, "You must not do that. I am only a fellow-slave of yours and of your brothers the prophets and the men who heed the words of this book. Worship God! "Do not seal up the words of prophecy that are in this book," he said to me, "for the time of their fulfilment is very near.
and if anyone removes from this book any of the prophetic messages it contains, God will remove from him his share in the tree of life and the holy city which are described in this book.