Please note that this 17m episode provides you with a view of the O.T. Prophets, including their place in Hebrew history and as the men and women servants of the Most High. The Hebrew word for the Prophets is Ro'eh. This Hebrew noun, translated as "seer" in English, indicates a special ability to see into the spiritual realm and foresee future events. The title suggests that the prophet was not deceived by the external appearance of things; rather, he saw issues as they really were from the perspective of God Himself. As a seer, the prophet received dreams, visions, and revelations from God which enabled him to convey spiritual realities to God's people.
Nabi'. This is the main Hebrew word for "prophet," occurring 309 times in the O.T. (nab 'im is its plural form). Although the origin of this word is unclear, the meaning of the Hebrew verb "to prophesy" meant: "to put forth words abundantly from God's mind and by God's Spirit" (Gesenius, Hebrew Lexicon). Thus a nabi' was a spokesperson from which our English word "prophet" is derived, meaning "one who speaks on behalf of another." The prophets spoke for God to the covenant people, based on what they heard, saw, and received from Him. In the O.T., the prophet was also designated by such terms as "man or woman of God", "servant of the LORD" (Is. 20:3; Dan. 6:20), "man or woman of the Spirit" (Is 61:1-3), "watchman" (Ezek. 3:17), and the "the LORD's messenger" (Hag. 1:13). The prophet also interpreted prophetic dreams (see Joseph, and Daniel) and provided an understanding of history both the present and the future from a prophetic perspective.
A few of the O.T. prophets were Samuel (Israel), Elijah (Israel), Elisha (Israel), Jonah (Nineveh), Amos (Israel), Isaiah (Judah), Miriam (Exo. 15:20), Deborah (Judg. 4:4), Huldah (2 Kin. 22:14-20).
I recall during my studies a statement made by one of my professors, "Try the prophet by his word"!
I pray you will enjoy listening to this short series of THE PROPHET IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.
Blessings,
Elder Barbara
FLB:pp1002-1004
