Prophets, role of

As agents of God, prophets acted in various capacities, as was required of them, in order to carry out his will and fulfil his purpose.

Prophets as God's spokesmen

They heralded impending judgment

Jonah 3:4 See also 1 Kings 16:7; 2 Kings 22:15–17 parallel 2 Chronicles 34:23–25; Jeremiah 1:14–16, Jeremiah 5:14–17; Ezekiel 5:8–12, Ezekiel 38:17

On the first day of his journey, Jonah set out into the city and proclaimed, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned!”

They advocated repentance

2 Kings 17:13 See also 2 Chronicles 24:19; Jeremiah 3:12–13, Jeremiah 35:15, Jeremiah 44:4; Zechariah 1:3–6

Yet through all His prophets and seers, the LORD warned Israel and Judah, saying, “Turn from your wicked ways and keep My commandments and statutes, according to the entire Law that I commanded your fathers and delivered to you through My servants the prophets.”

They conveyed messages from God to the nations

Ezekiel 25:8–11 See also Jeremiah 46:13, Jeremiah 47:1, Jeremiah 49:34, Jeremiah 50:1; Ezekiel 25:2, Ezekiel 25:12–14, Ezekiel 26:3; Amos 1:9; Ezekiel 29:2; Amos 1:3, Amos 1:6, Amos 1:13, Amos 2:1

This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because Moab and Seir said, “Look, the house of Judah is like all the other nations,” therefore I will indeed expose the flank of Moab beginning with its frontier cities — Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim — the glory of the land. I will give it along with the Ammonites as a possession to the people of the East, so that the Ammonites will no longer be remembered among the nations. So I will execute judgments on Moab, and they will know that I am the LORD.’

The supernatural activities of prophets

They revealed future events

Ezekiel 17:16–21 See also 1 Kings 11:29–31, 1 Kings 20:13; Isaiah 7:13–14 the birth of Immanuel; Jeremiah 29:10; Daniel 2:38–44, Daniel 9:2; Matthew 2:15; Hosea 11:1MAT Hosea 2:17–18; Jeremiah 31:15 Matthew 8:17; Isaiah 53:4; Acts 3:18, Acts 11:27–29, Acts 21:10–11

‘As surely as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘he will die in Babylon, in the land of the king who enthroned him, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke. Pharaoh with his mighty army and vast horde will not help him in battle, when ramps are built and siege walls constructed to destroy many lives. He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Seeing that he gave his hand in pledge yet did all these things, he will not escape!’ Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘As surely as I live, I will bring down upon his head My oath that he despised and My covenant that he broke. I will spread My net over him and catch him in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment upon him there for the treason he committed against Me. All his choice troops will fall by the sword, and those who survive will be scattered to every wind. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken.’

They received dreams and visions

Numbers 12:6 See also Ezekiel 7:26; Daniel 7:1, Daniel 8:1; Hosea 12:10

He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will reveal Myself to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream.

They worked miracles

2 Kings 5:3 See also 1 Kings 17:13–24; 2 Kings 4:3–6, 2 Kings 4:15–17, 2 Kings 4:32–35, 2 Kings 4:40–44, 2 Kings 6:5–6

She said to her mistress, “If only my master would go to the prophet who is in Samaria, he would cure him of his leprosy.”

Prophets as intermediaries

Between God and the people

Deuteronomy 18:16–18 See also Exodus 6:30–7:1; 2 Samuel 7:4–7, 2 Samuel 12:7–14, 2 Samuel 12:24–25, 2 Samuel 24:11–12; 1 Kings 20:42; 2 Kings 20:1 parallel Isaiah 38:1; 2 Chronicles 12:5, 2 Chronicles 28:9–11

This is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God or see this great fire anymore, so that we will not die!” Then the LORD said to me, “They have spoken well. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.

Between the people and God

1 Samuel 7:9 See also Genesis 20:7; 2 Kings 20:11; 2 Chronicles 32:20; Jeremiah 11:14, Jeremiah 27:18; Ezekiel 14:7

Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on behalf of Israel, and the LORD answered him.

Their responsibility as watchmen

Ezekiel 3:17–21 The intermediary role of the prophet is highlighted by the image of a watchman who receives messages from God and conveys them to the people. See also Ezekiel 33:1–7; Hosea 9:8

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me. If I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him or speak out to warn him from his wicked way to save his life, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, and I will hold you responsible for his blood. But if you warn a wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness and his wicked way, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved yourself. Now if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. If you did not warn him, he will die in his sin, and the righteous acts he did will not be remembered. And I will hold you responsible for his blood. But if you warn the righteous man not to sin, and he does not sin, he will indeed live because he heeded your warning, and you will have saved yourself.”

Prophets as leaders in the community

They gave advice

Zechariah 7:2–3 See also 1 Samuel 9:6; 1 Kings 22:6; 2 Kings 3:11, 2 Kings 6:8–10, 2 Kings 22:14 parallel 2 Chronicles 34:22; 2 Chronicles 29:25; Isaiah 37:2

Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech, along with their men, to plead before the LORD by asking the priests of the house of the LORD of Hosts, as well as the prophets, “Should I weep and fast in the fifth month, as I have done these many years?”

They gave encouragement

Acts 15:32 See also Ezra 5:1–2; Jeremiah 29:4–7; Ezekiel 11:17–21; Haggai 1:13, Haggai 2:4

Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.

They led the people

Hosea 12:13 See also Deuteronomy 18:15; 1 Samuel 7:6; 1 Kings 18:40

But by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was preserved.

They appointed kings and leaders

1 Samuel 10:1 See also 1 Samuel 16:13; 1 Kings 1:34, 1 Kings 1:38, 1 Kings 19:15–16; 2 Kings 9:6

Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over His inheritance?

Prophets as writers

1 Chronicles 29:29 See also 2 Chronicles 9:29, 2 Chronicles 13:22, 2 Chronicles 26:22, 2 Chronicles 32:32; Isaiah 30:8; Jeremiah 30:2, Jeremiah 36:4, Jeremiah 51:60; Ezekiel 43:11; Habakkuk 2:2

Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are indeed written in the Chronicles of Samuel the Seer, the Chronicles of Nathan the Prophet, and the Chronicles of Gad the Seer,