Prophets of the Old Testament
What is a Prophet?
Prophecy, which began 5760 years ago, was not uncommon in the time of the Old Testament. A prophet was a spokesman for God to the people, or a channel through whom God communicated with the people. The greatest prophet of the Old Testament was Moses. His communication with God was the most direct. God spoke to most prophets in the form of dreams, while they were in a semi-conscious state, while Moses communicated with God while fully awake. Another distinction between Moses and all other prophets was that all other prophets had to wait for God to speak to them; they could not determine when that connection would occur. Moses, however, could initiate the connection such was his level of closeness with God.
How Did a Person Become a Prophet?
How did a person become a prophet in those times? Not just anyone could become a prophet. Prophets were role models of holiness and good deeds. They were close to God by virtue of their determination to learn his will and to do his will on both a social and a theological level. In Jewish life, that meant learning the Torah and fulfilling the many commandments. Prophecy was considered a natural progression of a lifetime of dedication to knowing God. Ultimately prophets achieved such a level, by virtue of the effort they exerted to get that close to God. Similarly, if one lapsed from this high spiritual and ethical level, the divine presence would leave and prophecy would no longer come.
What is the Talmud?
The Jewish Scriptures are accompanied by an oral law called the Talmud. According to the Talmud, there were thousands of prophets. However not all of them are recorded in Scriptures because it was only those who conveyed messages who would continue to hold relevance for future generations who were included in Scriptures. There were 55 prophets who conveyed messages to Israel. Most were men, but seven of them were women.
Who were the Female Prophets in the Old Testament?
The women prophets were Sara, Miriam, Deborah, Hanna, Abigail, Hulda and Esther. Sara’s level of prophecy was considered superior to Abraham’s.
List of Male Prophets in the Old Testament?
First Male Prophets
The first male prophets were Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They are considered the fathers of the Jewish people. Next was Moses and his brother Aaron. They lived three generations after Jacob. Miriam was their sister and also a prophet, although a woman is called a “prophetess.” Joshua and Pinchas were the last prophets of the Torah.
Period of the First Prophets
The next time period is the period of the First Prophets. This is the time when the Jewish people entered the land of Israel. They were Elkana, Eli, Samuel, Gad, Nathan, David and Solomon, David’s son.
Period of the Second Prophets
The period of the Second Prophets begins with Iddo, Michaiah, Obadiah, Ahiya the Shilonite, Jehu son of Hanani, Azariah son of Oded, Jahaziel the Levite, Eliezer son of Dodavahu, Hosea, Amos, Micah the Morashtite, Amoz, Elijah, Elisha, Jonah ben Amittai, Isaiah, Joel, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Uriah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Shemaiah, Barukh, Neriah, Seraiah, Mehseiah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Mordecai Bilshan, Oded, and Hanani.
Who Did God Speak to That Were Not Considered to Be Prophets?
Although God spoke to Adam, the first man, and Cain and Abel and Noah, too, they are not considered prophets. This is because although God spoke to them, it was not for the purpose of conveying messages to the people.
As well, Daniel, of the book of Daniel, is not counted as one of the prophets. This is curious because God spoke to him and his book includes important teachings for future generations. However, it seems that those teachings were not meant to be conveyed at that time to the people of his generation. Rather, they were intended to be written down for future generations. This distinction is what differentiates the book of Prophets from the book of Writings.
Resources about the Prophets in the Old Testament
University of South Carolina Department of Religious Studies
Jim West research about the prophets
Books, Articles, and Audio Lectures about the prophets
The Four Gospels of the Bible’s New Testament: Facts, Scriptures, Resources
PDF The Interpretation of the Old Testament Prophecy
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