There are two primary meanings for the word prophet in the Bible. One is that a prophet is one who proclaims God’s message. Another meaning is one who sees or announces the future. Both meanings are used and intertwined with one another throughout the Bible.
Here are seven more prophets (in addition to the ones previously mentioned) and a basic synopsis of their message.
Deborah
Deborah roused the nation of Israel out of lethargy. Jabin, king of Hazor, had maintained control and rule over Israel for 20 years. The Israelites came to her seeking direction as she told them how to overthrow the foreign rule and return to God as the Sovereign of Israel.
Interestingly, Samuel was the only other judge in Israel who was also a prophet.
Deborah’s message was that God would deliver Israel by the military leadership of Barak. However, the actual victory would be delivered by the hand of a woman. That is the story of when Jael nailed Sisera’s head to the tent floor by driving a tent spike through his temples (Judges 5:24-27).
Because of Deborah, Israel had peace in the land for 40 years.
Samuel
The other judge and prophet in Israel was Samuel. God used him as the transition between the time of the judges and the rule of the kings. Samuel was an active leader in Israel for almost 60 years.
Because there is so much written about Samuel, it is hard to encapsulate his prophetic messages into a few words. But, if we could, it would be for Israel to turn from their idols and worship God alone.
In 1 Samuel 7, Samuel led Israel into battle and soundly defeated the Philistines. This resulted in Israel never being invaded again by the Philistines during Samuel’s lifetime. Samuel anointed Saul as the first king of Israel in 1 Samuel 9 and then later he anointed David as Saul’s replacement in 1 Samuel 16.
Obadiah
The message of Obadiah is short and harsh (only 21 verses). His prophecy is against the people of Edom. The Edomites were descendants of Esau—the twin brother of Jacob, the father of the Israelites. The Edomites were arrogant and refused to be a help to God’s people. In fact, when Israel was attacked and asked Edom for help, the Edomites joined the armies of the Chaldeans in combat against Israel (Psalm 137:7).
Obadiah’s message is that Edom would be destroyed and the land they cherished would be given to the Israelites (Obadiah 17-20).
Habakkuk
The book of Habakkuk is less about Habakkuk’s prophecy to others and more about his own personal growth in faith. The book is a conversation between the prophet and God. Habakkuk asks God for an explanation of why His people have to suffer the way they do (Habakkuk 1:2-4). The rest of the book is God’s answer.
We see through this book that Habakkuk’s faith in God is restored. Questioning God and His ways are not wrong in and of itself. But we must be careful to listen to God’s answer and allow it to build our faith in Him instead of focusing on our own reasoning and desires.
Malachi
As the Old Testament comes to a close Malachi is preaching the same message seen throughout the message of the books that came before: return to God and trust His Word. God is looking for His people to recognize His leadership and give Him the honor He should have (Malachi 1:5, 6). The book seems to be directed to the religious leaders of the time (Malachi 1:7-10).
Israel had turned from God, yet He still promised to be faithful to them (Malachi 3:1-5), even though Israel may not like the process of purification. God’s great faithfulness is mentioned many times in the book and chapter 4 is a wonderful promise to those who will follow the Lord. As we know, God did send His long awaited deliverer, Jesus Christ.
John the Baptist
John’s message was simple: repent, for the kingdom of heaven was at hand (Matthew 3:2). Christ was coming. John the Baptist had a mission of pointing people to God’s anointed Messiah, Jesus Christ (John 1:19-34).
John is considered the last of the Old Testament prophets, even though his story is told in the gospel accounts in the New Testament. We saw Malachi calling for Israel to return to the practice of worshiping God properly as the Old Testament closed. Now John stands at the front edge of the New Testament preaching the same message.
Jesus Christ
Of course the Lord Jesus Christ was a prophet in both senses: someone who foretold the future and someone who delivered the message of God. Our Lord delivered the Word of God in the things He said and the things He did. Christ was actually the embodiment of God’s Word (John 1:1).
Christ told us about the future as well. He gave many prophecies of what would be coming in the near and distant future. He foretold His own death and resurrection (Matthew 20:17-19; Mark 9:30-32). He told of many other things that would come later than even the times in which we currently live.
One of the greatest prophecies and promises is what He told us would come shortly after His death in John 14. We are told that though Christ would go away, He would come back to whisk us away to a place He would prepare for us (John 14:1-3). In the mean time, He promised a wonderful companion He called a Comforter, which we call the Holy Spirit (John 14:26).
Do you have a favorite prophet in the Bible? Leave a comment about that Bible character and a short summary of the message.
Related article: Prophets in the Bible
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