Who Dares To Be A Prophet?

As promised, we're taking a look at prophecy in the Bible. It's a huge topic, one that remains quite controversial and one that is often muddled and confused by assumptions and presumptions. Let's start with a few definitions.

What is a prophet? And who dares to lay claim to the title?

The most common Hebrew term for prophet in the Bible is Nabi'. A prophet was moved by God's Spirit both to proclaim God's Word and to predict future events. Speaking about the task, the LORD said, "If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD make myself known to him in a vision (Mar'ah); I speak with him in a dream (Chalowm) (Numbers 12:6).

There were, as now, false prophets. Moses warned about them, saying, "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 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,' you shall not listen to that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you to, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul (Deut. 13:1-5 and Deut. 18:20-22).

Some critics dispute the term Nabi'. They say it refers to babbling and nonsense, crazy, ecstatic ravings. The prophet Jeremiah, for instance, was accused of being a "madman who prophecies" and who ought to be put in the stocks and neck irons (Jeremiah 29:26). False prophets did indeed rave and the verb that describes such ravings is indeed Naba. However, that verb is also used to describe true prophesying. It all depends on the context.

There is an interesting story in 1 Samuel about Israel's first king, Saul. At one point a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul and he raved around in his house while David was playing the lyre for him. This raving is described by the verb Naba. In his raving he tried to pin David to the wall with a spear (1 Samuel 18:10-11; 19:9-10). Then in the very same chapter we read that the Spirit of God came upon Saul. He stripped off his clothes and in some kind of apparent ecstasy prophesied (Naba again). Because of this the question was raised, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

Over 100 times in the OT, mostly in the books of the Prophets, prophetic revelations are described as a Word that God gave them to be delivered to the people. So Ezekiel wrote about his visions as "the word of the LORD" (Ezekiel 1:3). Note especially in Ezekiel that this "word of the LORD" came through some very strange visions (Mar'ah), a noun that may also refer to a bronze mirrors (Exodus 38:8). In the Bible we read about Jacob-Israel's visions at both Bethel (Genesis 28:11-17) and Beersheba (Genesis 46:1-4).

We also read of the LORD revealing Himself through dreams (Chalowm). Notable are the dreams that Joseph had about himself and his brothers (Genesis 37:5-11) and later the dreams of Pharaoh that he was empowered by the Spirit of God to interpret (Genesis 41:1-38). Interesting enough, the verb for dreaming in Hebrew is Chalam, a word that refers to being fat, strong and robust (Job 39:4) and seems to imply that a robust person is better able to dream.

The prophet Samuel is called a Seer, an older term for prophet (1 Samuel 9:9-19). Isaiah, one of the Latter Prophets, mocks drunken prophets who have visions (Ro'eh) brought on by strong drink (Isaiah 28:7).

There are 17 books in the Old Testament that fit into the category of prophecy. That's a major part of the Bible. The Lord Jesus, like the Jews of His day, acknowledged them, dividing the OT as we have come to know it, into the Law (Torah) and the Prophets (Matthew 5:12). The Prophets' writings were divided into the Former and the Latter Prophets. The Former prophetic books (Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings) were written as chronological history. The Latter Prophets (Isaiah through Malachi) feel more like sermons than history. Many times the messages have hidden meanings, written as they are, in poetry. Early Christians viewed all of these writings as God's Word, most especially since they foretold the coming of Christ, His life, ministry, manner of death and resurrection.

All through the Bible, from beginning to end, our knowledge of God—His creative acts and deeds in the history and life of His chosen people and promises of what yet is to come—comes by revelation. Without God revealing Himself to His prophets, we would have no knowledge of God, no theology. Everything depends upon God's revealed Word.

Today we are generally well advised to be very cautious about men or women who claim they have had visions and dreams in which the LORD spoke to them. We cannot deny that God has—and can—reveal Himself directly to His people. The New Testament speaks about men and women, prophets, receiving prophecies (Acts 11:27-30; 13:1; 15:32; 21:4-9).  The Church has a long history of men and women who received visions and dreams from God. The warning of Moses above (Deuteronomy 13:1-5) must, however, be taken to heart. We are best advised to wait for God to reveal Himself and His will through His written and recorded Word.

We'll take that matter up another time.