Wait… There Were How Many Herods?! Some examples of prophets in the Tanakh include Abraham, Moses, Miriam, Isaiah, Samuel, Ezekiel, Malachi, and Job. The word salvationis used 26 times in the book. Parts of this prophecy are fulfilled in David’s literal immediate heir, Solomon. In much the same way, modern-day prophets teach us by their daily example. In addition the Bible mentions several groups of unnamed prophets (70 elders of Israel, 100+ prophets saved from slaughter by Obediah, 50+ sons of the prophets at Jericho, 100 sons of the prophets at Gilgal, 288 “sons” of Aseph, Heman & Jeduthun) as well as 9 other groups of unnamed and unnumbered “prophets.” The Tanakh was arranged differently from the modern Old Testament (you can see how here)—with the section called Nevi’im (Hebrew for “Prophets”) in the middle. But “the Prophets” (with a capital P) refer to a group of books in the Old Testament. Isaiah predicted that Jesus would be born to a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), and Zechariah predicted that Jewish people from around the world would return to Israel after its restoration as a nation (Zechariah 8:7-8). If the people don’t turn from their ways, then prophets often warn them of what lies ahead …. At other times, however, God called prophets to confront the Israelites about idolatry and other forms of sin. Many of God’s prophets penned Old Testament books, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Habakkuk. But while the prophets see God putting an end to violent empires, they also look forward to a time when the nations of the world are at peace with one another under the guidance of Israel’s Messiah. In this guide, we’re going to cover a few important points: When the Bible mentions prophets, it’s usually referencing the following: If we understand both of these uses of “prophet,” then we’ll be much better prepared to understand the Bible—both the cryptic prophetic passages and the Scriptures as a whole. The prophets were the people who spoke on God’s behalf. A prophet in the Bible was someone who spoke the words of God to people who needed to hear them. The prophets often contrast God’s past kindness and provision for Israel to the nation’s disloyalty to him and unkindness to each other in the present. The book of Daniel is sometimes included with the Major Prophets too—given Daniel’s intense visions about the interplay between Israel’s God and the empires of the world. Throughout Israel's growth and regression as a nation, prophets arose at different times and spoke to the people in specific locations. Furthermore, while a prophecy might be uttered all at once, prophecy isn’t always fulfilled all at once. These messages come in many forms: dreams, poetry, sermons, and even dramatic physical stunts—like when the prophet Isaiah went nude for three years to signify how the Assyrians would strip and shame the Egyptians (Isaiah 20:3). He is a former editor for Christianity Today and LifeWay Christian Resources. Miriam was also a prophet. Logos Bible Software 9 review: Do you REALLY need it? These prophets often ministered during times of decline and defeat for Israel, which made them singularly unpopular, even persecuted. (Read in your Bible, for example, Exodus 2:5-10; Acts 7:21-22.) They believe that a prophet is someone who makes (or made, in the case of the Bible) a lot of predictions about what's going to happen. The future scenarios that the prophets see are presented in long poems, dramatic displays, and vivid dreams. Most Relevant Verses. The most common acts of God that the prophets bring up occurred during the exodus from Egypt to Canaan, specifically: These come up again and again in the Bible’s works of prophecy. The Bible says. O'Neal, Sam. They envision God ruling the restored nation of Israel from the holy city, sometimes through a Messianic descendant of King David. Who Was Herod? Similarly, prophets like Isaiah and Daniel were largely respected in their day. Prophets are sometimes referred to as "seers" because of this capability (1 Samuel 9:9). The prophets often envision five types of future scenarios. The great prophet Isaiah foretold of the sin-bearing servant: the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Women were clearly prophets. But they also see God as the supreme divine being in the cosmos: he’s at the top of the universe’s org chart, and the rest of the gods (not to mention the humans) ultimately answer to him. Deborah during the time of Judges was both a Judge (Head of the Jewish state/War leader) and a prophet. Example of The Gift of Prophecy from the Prophetic Office in the Old Testamen t Isaiah 53 is one of the greatest prophecies in the Bible. Ezekiel and Jeremiah were priests as well as prophets. Perhaps the best example is Saul, who would become the king of Israel. [Note: Learn more about the Major Prophets and the Minor Prophets including why we use those terms today.]. Throughout the Old Testament, the prophets anticipate this restoration—particularly a restoration of Jerusalem. “I have also spoken by the prophets, and have multiplied visions; I have given symbols through the witness of the prophets.” God has revealed His plans to the prophets. While Jeremiah isn’t considered more inspired than the other prophets, his is the longest book of the Bible—that’s a major contribution compared to, say, Obadiah’s single-page work. The Beginner’s Guide, The books of prophecy in the Old Testament, Abraham, whom God himself calls a prophet (Genesis 20:7), Samuel, who anointed two kings of Israel on God’s behalf (1 Samuel 3:19–20), Elijah and Elisha, who worked miracles and anointed (and denounced) national leaders on God’s behalf (1 Kings 19:15–16), Jeremiah, who warned Jerusalem’s leaders that Nebuchadnezzar would take the city (Jeremiah 1:5), John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:9–14), Jesus Christ, who was called a prophet before he was resurrected (John 7:40), God freeing Israel from slavery and giving them the Torah, God judging the Egyptians with ten plagues, God parting the Red Sea for Israel, and consuming Pharaoh’s armies with the same sea, Israel claiming the territories of two kings (Sihon and Og) before they even entered Canaan, Israel worshiping the gods of other nations, Israel showing more confidence in other nations’ militaries than in their God, Israel’s rich citizens oppressing the poor, World nations violently taking attacking other nations. And to further complicate things, while God has his own prophets, there are prophets who speak on behalf of other gods, too. The simple but powerful message is “Come, follow me.” These books were valuable to the ancient Hebrews, and for people who want to follow God today, they’re valuable still. There are several examples of prophets working in the church in the New Testament Bible in the Book of Acts, men and women: Philip's 4 daughters, Agabus, Silas who traveled with Paul, Judas surnamed Barsabas. Christians divide the books of prophecy into two large groups: the Major Prophets and the Minor Prophets. Other prophets helped lead the Israelites during military campaigns, including Elijah (see 2 Kings 6:8-23). And Jeremiah were priests as well if they kept his laws as significant as the Major examples of prophets in the bible. In the book., prophets arose at different times and spoke to the in!, often times the prophets served as God 's word, and Ezekiel of... 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