What Is A Prophet?

This is one of, if not the most important questions of our day. As many people as you can ask this question will reveal the same number of answers. Some will make mention of accuracy in prediction. Others will say they were reformers of culture. Some will say that they only spoke what they heard. Others will make them out to be men who are great bible expositors (?). None of these assesments are pattently false, yet none of them encompass all the truth either.

But, instead of tackling this myself, I’ll simply post what Art Katz wrote on the subject. He did a way better job.
Here it is, enjoy.

What is a Prophet Historically and Presently?

What rises in your own thought and in your own heart when the word ‘prophet’ is evoked? What image, what sense of things comes to your own understanding? We need to remember that the false prophets were those who wore rough garments to deceive, and that the only reason they could succeed was because the people whom they deceived had an anticipation or a stereotyped view of prophet that their false depiction represented.

Abraham: Prophetic Paragidm

I am fond of looking for “firsts” in the bible. They demonstrate something about what is being introduced. “Firsts” set forth for us the quintessential elements of the thing, whatever it is. In these occurences we find lasting and permanent statutes, if you will, that may be added to over many years, but never can be taken away. With that said, let’s look at one of my favorite “firsts”.

Historical Backdrop of False Prophetic Movements; an overview

During this morning’s devotional time in the word with the LORD this phrase went through my mind:
“When the hour of judgment draws near, there is always a sharp increase of false prophets to speak to the contrary.”

Some Thoughts on the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (part 1)

(Don’t forget to go to Part 2 after reading this one!)
I think something fell into place the other day while listening to J. Vernon McGee. He was talking about John chapter 3 and how Nicodemus came to Jesus on behalf of the Pharisees saying, “We know you are sent from God…”, to paraphrase.

It’s interesting that Nicodemus says “we”. This was early on in Jesus’ ministry, before He had a chance to offend all of them and put the smack down on their oral tradition’s replacement of the word of God. So it seems that at first the Pharisees at least knew that Jesus was sent from God. Maybe they didn’t hold Him to be Messiah yet, I don’t know, but at least in the beginning they all together as one man acknowledged where He came from, i.e. “sent from God”. Nicodemus was a leader of the Pharisees, so when he said “we know” he wasn’t speaking of a small minority. He represented the collective thought of those men…at least at that time.

“…in spirit and in truth.”

I think that this will be very rewarding and I even believe that this is going to bring freedom to those who will read this. Not because of me being anything or anyone, but I believe that a certain pressure to perform a certain way is going to be lifted off of many who read the proceeding thoughts.