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27. The Prophets

 

Here are most of the prophets within the Tanakh and Bible:

 

Prophets to Israel and Judah

Focus, (Time Period), Hometown, Scriptures, Brief Summary

  • Samuel - to (united) Israel (1060-1020 BC) Ramah - 1 Samuel 1-28 - anoints Saul and David

  • Ahijah - to (united) Israel (~931 BC) Shiloh - 1 Kings 11:29-40; 14:1-18 - about the division of the united kingdom

  • Shemaiah - to Judah (926 BC) 2 Chronicles 12:1-12 - about Egypts plundering of Jerusalem

  • Unnamed Prophet - 1 Kings 13:1-32 - about the destruction of the altar at Bethel

  • Elijah - to Israel (870-845 BC) Tishbe - 1 Kings 17-21; 2 Kings 1-2 - amazing miracles

  • Micaiah - to Israel (853 BC) 1 Kings 22:1-28 - about Ahab’s impending death

  • Jehu, son of Hanani - to Israel & Judah (853 BC) 1 Kings 16:1-7; 2 Chronicles 19:1-3 - to Baasha & rebukes Jehoshaphat

  • Elisha - to Israel and Judah (845-798 BC) Abel Meholah - 1 Kings 19:16-21; 2 Kings 2:1-9:13; 13:14-21 - many miracles

  • Unnamed Prophet - to Judah - 2 Chronicles 25:14-24 - warning to Amaziah about Edomite idols

  • Jonah - to Nineveh (783-753 BC) Gath-hepher - 2 Kings 14:25; book of Jonah - call to Nineveh to repent, to Jeroboam

  • Amos - to Israel (765-754 BC) Tekoa - book of Amos - warning and rebuke to turn back to the Lord

  • Hosea - to Israel (758-725 BC) Israel - book of Hosea - marital example of Israel’s unfaithfulness to God

  • Isaiah - to Judah (740-681 BC) Jerusalem - 2 Kings 19-20; 2 Chronicles 26:22; 32:20; book of Isaiah - judgment and hope

  • Micah - to Judah (738-698 BC) Moresheth-gath - Jeremiah 26:18; book of Micah - about Israel’s impending fall

  • Obed - to Israel (732 BC) 2 Chronicles 28:5-15 - rebuke to return 200,000 prisoners back to Judah

  • Nahum - about Nineveh (663-612 BC) Elkosh - book of Nahum - judgment of Nineveh and Assyria

  • Zephaniah - to Judah (641-628 BC) book of Zephaniah - judgement and hope

  • Jeremiah - to Judah (626-582 BC) Anathoth - 2 Chronicles 35:25; 36:12; book of Jeremiah - judgment of Judah

  • Huldah - to Judah (623 BC) 2 Kings 22:14-20; 2 Chronicles 34:22-28 - prophetess, encourages Josiah’s changes

  • Uriah - to Judah - Jeremiah 26:20-23 - killed by Jehoiakim when calls for repentance

  • Habakkuk - to Judah (609-598 BC) book of Habakkuk - dialogues with God, revealing God’s character

  • Daniel - in Babylon (605-540 BC) Babylon - book of Daniel - in captivity shows faithfulness to God & faithfulness of God

  • Ezekiel - to Israelite exiles in Babylonia (593-571 BC) Babylon - book of Ezekiel - judgment and hope

  • Obadiah - about Edom (590 BC) Judah - book of Obadiah - judgment against Edom

  • Zechariah - to Judah (522-509 BC) Jerusalem - book of Zechariah - encouragement to rebuild the temple

  • Haggai - to Judah (520 BC) Jerusalem - book of Haggai - refocuses exiles on rebuilding the temple

  • Malachi - to Judah (465 BC) Unknown - book of Malachi - call to obedience and promise of the Messiah’s coming

  • Joel - to Judah (450 BC) Jerusalem - book of Joel - poetry about God’s justice

 

·      What are the expectations for prophets? What makes a prophet faithful?

·      How can you distinguish a true prophet from a false prophet? What ways can we test the genuineness of a prophet?

 

 

Prophets: Their Purpose and Proof

(Deuteronomy 13:1-5 & 18:15-22)

·      God's Specific Revelation is Complete in the Bible - Deuteronomy 18:15 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers-it is to him you shall listen”

·      Prophetic Teachings Point to the God of the Tanakh and Bible - Deuteronomy 18:20 “But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.”

·      2 Peter 1:21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 

·      Prophetic Predictions Come True 100% of the Time, But False Prophets Lie - Deuteronomy 18:22 “when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him”

·      The Truly Miraculous Is Always Connected to the God of the Tanakh and Bible - Deuteronomy 13:1-3 “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, 'Let us go after other gods,' which you have not known, 'and let us serve them,' 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul”

·      Galatians 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

 

 

What is a prophet? How can I recognize a true prophet from a false prophet?  A prophet is a messenger of God who carries a message directly and personally related and is held to 100% consistency with Scripture and 100% fulfillment of any predictive statements. (Deuteronomy 13:1-5, 18:15-22)

 

What is the difference between a prophet and a teacher?  Both roles include the element of teaching, but a prophet claims a direct encounter with God (dream, vision, meeting, voice, event, etc.) where God revealed or spoke a particular message to him.

 

How can I recognize a true teacher from a bad teacher? A bad teacher from a false teacher?  A bad teacher may misunderstand issues in Scripture or just do a poor job at instructing and exhorting people.  A false teacher teaches “a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Timothy 6:3) and goes against “sound doctrines” (Titus 1:9) specifically with an understanding towards who God is, what salvation is, and what the Scriptures say.

 

Isn’t it wrong to publicly call out preachers, teachers, Christians, etc.?  The issue of “opinions” between Christian brothers is different from the issue of “false teachings.”  Paul warns “not to quarrel over opinions” (v.1) in Romans 14, pointing out the dangers of “passing judgment” on a brother in Christ and how it can “destroy the work of God” (v.20).  However, God commands us to “judge” those inside the church when their lifestyles (1 Corinthians 5:9-13) do not line up with God’s Word.  God also commands us to watch out for and confront false teachers who “teach a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Timothy 6:3).  Pastors are specifically tasked to 1) "give instruction in sound doctrine" and 2) "rebuke those who contradict it" (Titus 1:9).

 

Should a false teacher be called out by name? If so, when?  When a specific false teaching or teacher is affecting a body of believers (i.e. family, small group, church, denomination, region, nation), that false teaching and teacher must be named and confronted.  Paul does this with both false teachings (1 Timothy 1:3-20 ; 6:2-10, Jude 1, 2 Peter 2, & many more) and with particular names (Alexander, Hymenaeus, & Philetus in 1 Timothy 1:20 and 2 Timothy 2:17)

 

What are some examples of false teachings? What are some characteristics of false teachers? There are many examples of false teachers with common descriptions (Galatians, 2 Peter, 1 & 2 Timothy, 1 & 2 John, Jude) that they may look and sound like Christians but that their teachings and lifestyle are not consistent with Scripture.

 

See also:

·      “The Kings and Prophets of the Old Testament (Tanakh)” www.trustworthyword.com/kings-prophets

·      “What does the Bible say about False Teachers and Prophets?” www.trustworthyword.com/what-does-the-bible-say-about-false-teachers