Seeler
Well-Known Member
For much of my lifetime I understood prophet to mean someone who could see into the future and foretell what was going to happen, and the Old Testament was full of prophecy pointed to the coming of the Messiah. I also understood that this prophecy was fulfilled with the coming of Jesus. In fact, during my study to become a lay worship leader, I remember one fellow student giving a long presentation on this very subject. You famously have done a lot of research and preparation for he pulled many examples from various parts of the Hebrew Scripture and showed how the pointing to Jesus.
However, recently (and at my age anything within the last two decades is recent) I've learned another definition for a prophet. A prophet is someone who interprets the times and predicts what will happen in the near future if we continue the way we are going. I was reminded of this during the Advent season when I reread and meditated on various passages from the Hebrew Scriptures. I especially was drawn to the prophets. They noticed the many times that their nation was failing to lifted up to its parts of the covenant they understood they had with God. They boldly challenged the kings and the religious leaders to mend their ways, to practice charity, hospitality, justice, and love. And they predicted that this didn't happen, the nation would be defeated.
When the prophecies came true, they remained with the people to give encouragement and hope. God was still with them, God would bring them back home.
These were the Scriptures that Jesus studied as a boy and was able to discuss with the elders and the age of 12. Many times during his ministry he quoted from them or refered to them. He seemed especially attracted to writings in the scroll of Isaiah. The Gospel writers seem to indicate that Jesus saw himself as fulfilling these prophecies.
How do you understand prophecy? Who are the prophets in the world today?
However, recently (and at my age anything within the last two decades is recent) I've learned another definition for a prophet. A prophet is someone who interprets the times and predicts what will happen in the near future if we continue the way we are going. I was reminded of this during the Advent season when I reread and meditated on various passages from the Hebrew Scriptures. I especially was drawn to the prophets. They noticed the many times that their nation was failing to lifted up to its parts of the covenant they understood they had with God. They boldly challenged the kings and the religious leaders to mend their ways, to practice charity, hospitality, justice, and love. And they predicted that this didn't happen, the nation would be defeated.
When the prophecies came true, they remained with the people to give encouragement and hope. God was still with them, God would bring them back home.
These were the Scriptures that Jesus studied as a boy and was able to discuss with the elders and the age of 12. Many times during his ministry he quoted from them or refered to them. He seemed especially attracted to writings in the scroll of Isaiah. The Gospel writers seem to indicate that Jesus saw himself as fulfilling these prophecies.
How do you understand prophecy? Who are the prophets in the world today?