BSN: PROPHET

  • A prophet is a spokesman for God. Prediction of the future may be an element of prophecy but it is the not the whole. As a spokesman for God, the prophet may speak to the past, present, or future since God can speak about anything He wants. Anything!
    • “prophet” is a noun, and is generally male; “prophetess” is female prophet, such as Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron (Ex 15:20), or Deborah (Judges 4:4), or the four daughters of Philip the evangelist (Acts 21:8-9)
    • “prophesy” is a verb; it’s what the prophet or prophetess does
    • “prophecy” is the noun; it’s the output of the prophet or prophetess – it’s the message from God
  • A prophet can be a true prophet or a false prophet (2 Pet 2:1). False prophets frequently outnumber false prophets (Mt 24:11; 1 Kings 22). It is our responsibility to learn how to discern whether a prophet is true or false (1 Jn 4:1; Deut 18:15-22).
  • Synonyms: prophet and seer were interchangeable terms in ancient times
    • 1 Sam 9:9
    • See also Is 29:10; 30:10
  • See Ex 7:1-2 for an helpful analogy of the prophet’s role
  • Related words:
    • prophets and apostles (see apostle for how these two terms relate to each other)
    • prophet and inspired – 2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:20-21; Hos 9:7
    • prophet and vision (As the law was to a priest, so a vision was to a prophet) – Is 30:10; Ezek 7:26; 13:3; Hos 12:10
    • prophet and servant –
      • [“my servants the prophets”] 9x
      • [“your servants the prophets”] 2x
      • [“your bond-servants the prophets”] Rev 11:18 e
      • [“his servants the prophets”] 7x
  • Synonymous terms:
    • ANOINTED
    • by (THE HOLY) SPIRIT
    • MAN OF GOD
    • MESSENGER – Mt 11 (Lk 7) 2 Chr 36; Is 53; Mal 3:1, 1
    • SEER – 1 Sam 9
    • SENT
    • SERVANT – Dan 9:6, 10; Amos 3:7
    • SPEAK IN THE NAME OF THE LORD – Jas 5:10; Dan 9:6
    • SPOKESMAN
  • There is a difference in a prophet speaking in his own name and speaking in the Lord’s name – Jn 5:43; 1 Cor 7:6-16, 25, 40; 1 Thess 4:15

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