Prophets
Prophets
In the Old Testament a prophet[1] was a spokesman, someone who was under influence of divine spirit.[2]
The Hebrew word for prophet is nabiy or NunBeitYodAlef, which is derived from an action verb naba, NunBeitAlef.
To be inspired by the spirit of God, a.k.a. Holy Spirit, which was God's desire for all His people[3]
Adam walked with God in the "Garden" and ate of the tree of life but when he ate of the tree of life he hid himself in the trees from God.[4] It says that God walked in the garden in the cool of the day. The term translated cool is ruwach[5] is normally translated "spirit".
This spirit of the creator gives us insight into how the universe works. It gives us understanding on the unknown, light where there is darkness.
While the true prophet may have understanding based on Spiritual insight or revelation when they try to put their understanding down in written form comprehending what they mean may be misinterpreted by the people who read them.
Part of this is due to the manner of of prose and poetry, the metaphor and meme[6] used to explain their insight.
The Roman and Greeks also understood the need for insight into the unknown and sought the leverage of the gods or prophets and prophetesses of their time.
The Sibylline Books[7], were offered for sale to Tarquinius Superbus, the last of the seven kings of Rome, by the Cumaean sibyl[8]. He refused to pay her price, so she burned six of the books before finally selling him the remaining three for the price she demanded.
The price of the truth is the whole truth and those who do not love the light will never see the truth.
But the word we see translated prophet in the New Testament is the Greek word prophetes [12] which would be anyone one who, moved by the Holy Spirit of God and therefore was His spokesman through the wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of that spirit.[13] A prophet was to “speak for another, especially one who speaks for a god.”
The common list includes the Major Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel.
The Twelve Minor Prophets: Hosea[14], Joel[15], Amos[16], Obadiah[17], Jonah[18], Micah[19], Nahum[20], Habakkuk[21], Zephaniah[22], Haggai[23], Zechariah[24], and [[Malachi][25]].
But there should be an accounting of David, Samuel, Gideon, and others.
Footnotes
- ↑ 05030 ^איבנ^ nabiy’ \@naw-bee’\@ NunBeitYodAlef from 05012 נָבָא naba’ v. prophesy; n m; AV-prophet 312, prophecy 1, them that prophesy 1, prophet + 0376 1, variant 1; 316
- 1) spokesman, speaker, prophet
- 1a) prophet
- 1b) false prophet
- 1c) heathen prophet
- 1) spokesman, speaker, prophet
- ↑ 05012 ^אבנ^ naba’ \@naw-baw’\@ a primitive root; v; AV-prophesy 111, prophesying 2, prophet 2; 115
- 1) to prophesy
- 1a) (Niphal)
- 1a1) to prophesy
- 1a1a) under influence of divine spirit
- 1a1b) of false prophets
- 1a1) to prophesy
- 1b) (Hithpael)
- 1b1) to prophesy
- 1b1a) under influence of divine spirit
- 1b1b) of false prophets
- 1b1) to prophesy
- 1a) (Niphal)
- 1) to prophesy
- ↑ Numbers 11:29 "And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’S people were prophets, [and] that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!"
- ↑ Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking <01980> in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
- ↑ 07307 ^חור^ ruwach \@roo’- akh\@ ReishVavChet from smell 07306; n f; AV-Spirit or spirit 232, wind 92, breath 27, side 6, mind 5, blast 4, vain 2, air 1, anger 1, cool 1, courage 1, misc 6; 378
- 1) wind, breath, mind, spirit
- 1a) breath
- 1b) wind
- 1b1) of heaven
- 1b2) quarter (of wind), side
- 1b3) breath of air
- 1b4) air, gas
- 1b5) vain, empty thing
- 1c) spirit (as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation)
- 1c1) spirit, animation, vivacity, vigour
- 1c2) courage
- 1c3) temper, anger
- 1c4) impatience, patience
- 1c5) spirit, disposition (as troubled, bitter, discontented)
- 1c6) disposition (of various kinds), unaccountable or uncontrollable impulse
- 1c7) prophetic spirit
- 1d) spirit (of the living, breathing being in man and animals)
- 1d1) as gift, preserved by God, God’s spirit, departing at death, disembodied being
- 1e) spirit (as seat of emotion)
- 1e1) desire
- 1e2) sorrow, trouble
- 1f) spirit
- 1f1) as seat or organ of mental acts
- 1f2) rarely of the will
- 1f3) as seat especially of moral character
- 1g) Spirit of God, the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son
- 1g1) as inspiring ecstatic state of prophecy
- 1g2) as impelling prophet to utter instruction or warning
- 1g3) imparting warlike energy and executive and administrative power
- 1g4) as endowing men with various gifts
- 1g5) as energy of life
- 1g6) as manifest in the Shekinah glory
- 1g7) never referred to as a depersonalised force
- ר Reish Process of Clarification The "head" or "beginning". Life's revelation. [Head... Person head highest] (Numeric value: 200)
- ו Vav Connection, Connecting realms and worlds or the dividing veil between them. [nail... And, Add, secure, hook] (Numeric value: 6)
- ח Chet The Life Force - Dynamic nature of - cause and effect - give life and live.[fence, thread, hedge, chamber...cycle] (Numeric value: 8)
- 1) wind, breath, mind, spirit
- ↑ A meme is generally a unit of cultural information spread by imitation.
- ↑ The Sibylline Books were cryptically written in hexameter verse and in Greek and required not only translation but interpretation by the decemviri.
- ↑ Sibyl a woman in ancient times supposed to utter the oracles and prophecies of a god.
- ↑ Genesis 5:24 And Enoch walked with God: and he [was] not; for God took him.
- ↑ [John 6]]:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
- ↑ 4394 ~προφητεία~ propheteia \@prof-ay-ti’-ah\@ from 4396 ("prophecy"); TDNT-6:781,952; {See TDNT 673} n f AV-prophecy 16, prophesying 3; 19
- 1) prophecy
- 1a) a discourse emanating from divine inspiration and declaring the purposes of God, whether by reproving and admonishing the wicked, or comforting the afflicted, or revealing things hidden; esp. by foretelling future events
- 1b) Used in the NT of the utterance of OT prophets
- 1b1) of the prediction of events relating to Christ’s kingdom and its speedy triumph, together with the consolations and admonitions pertaining to it, the spirit of prophecy, the divine mind, to which the prophetic faculty is due
- 1b2) of the endowment and speech of the Christian teachers called prophets
- 1b3) the gifts and utterances of these prophets, esp. of the predictions of the works of which, set apart to teach the gospel, will accomplish for the kingdom of Christ
- 1) prophecy
- ↑ 4396 ~προφήτης~ prophetes \@prof-ay’-tace\@ from a compound of 4253 and 5346; n m AV-prophet 149; 149
- 1) in Greek writings, an interpreter of oracles or of other hidden things
- 2) one who, moved by the Spirit of God and hence his organ or spokesman, solemnly declares to men what he has received by inspiration, especially concerning future events, and in particular such as relate to the cause and kingdom of God and to human salvation
- 2a) the OT prophets, having foretold the kingdom, deeds and death, of Jesus the Messiah.
- 2b) of John the Baptist, the herald of Jesus the Messiah
- 2c) of the illustrious prophet, the Jews expected before the advent of the Messiah
- 2d) the Messiah
- 2e) of men filled with the Spirit of God, who by God’s authority and command in words of weight pleads the cause of God and urges salvation of men
- 2f) of prophets that appeared in the apostolic age among Christians
- 2f1) they are associated with the apostles
- 2f2) they discerned and did what is best for the Christian cause, foretelling certain future events. (#Acts 11:27)
- 2f3) in the religious assemblies of the Christians, they were moved by the Holy Spirit to speak, having power to instruct, comfort, encourage, rebuke, convict, and stimulate, their hearers
- 3) a poet (because poets were believed to sing under divine inspiration)
- 3a) of Epimenides (#Tit 1:12)
- ↑ Ephesians 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
- ↑ The theme of Hosea is God's loyal love for His covenant people, Israel, in spite of the idolatry but that love may be like hot coals...
- ↑ The theme of Joel is that salvation will come to Judah and Jerusalem only when the people return to Yahweh and His way. Then only will His divine will bring and the fertility of righteousness favor to them and the land itself.
- ↑ The theme of Amos is God expects purity and even may become an Israel as an enemy of God, if it is guilty of injustice toward the innocent, poor, and young women.
- ↑ The theme of Obadiah the God of Nature will bring a judgment on those who oppose Israel and the way promising deliverance and restoration for the faithful.
- ↑ The theme of Jonah
- ↑ The theme of Micah like Isaiah, is a book of vision with the punishment of Israel and creation of a "remnant", followed by world peace centered on Zion under the leadership of a new monarch but the people must be doers of justice, turn to Yahweh and His way , and wait upon the LORD.
- ↑ The theme of Nahum is that even though God is slow to anger, He not abdicate judgment and consequences are coming if you go against the law of life. But also speaks of actionable repentance taking effect.
- ↑ Wikipedia says Habakkuk theme is, "is trying to grow from a faith of perplexity and doubt to the height of absolute trust in God. Habakkuk addresses his concerns over the fact that God will use the Babylonian empire to execute judgment on Judah for their sins." The best summary is the "just shall live by faith."
- ↑ The theme of Zephaniah
- ↑ The theme of Haggai is that those who have just returned from exile need remain faithful, obedient, and hopeful for God's way of Jerusalem.
- ↑ The theme of Zechariah
- ↑ The theme of Malachi is to reinforce his people's faith in a return to Yahweh and His way reminding them of their responsibilities as the covenant community with Yahweh.