PROPHECY,
PROPHETS
Ingly.
But
it
may
be
noted
that
in
Gn
20'
Abraham
is
called
a
prophet,
and
in
Ps
105"
the
name
is
given
to
the
patriarchs
generally.
In
Ex
7'
Aaron
is
described
as
a
prophet
to
Moses
who
was
'made
a
god
to
Pharaoh.'
In
Nu
112S-29
the
incident
of
Eldad
and
Medad
shows
that
in
the
wilderness
'
the
spirit
rested
'
on
certain
men,
enabling
them
to
'prophesy.'
The
episode
ol
Balaam
in
Nu
22-24
is
very
instructive
in
its
bearing
upon
the
ideas
of
Divine
revelation
outside
Israel.
In
Nu
12'-'
the
Divine
intercourse
vouchsafed
to
Moses
—
'
with
him
I
will
speak
mouth
to
mouth,
even
manifestly'
—
is
dis-tinguished
from
the
lower
kind
of
revelation,
'in
a
vision,
in
a
dream,'
granted
to
the
prophet;
and
in
Dt
18"
Moses
is
described
as
possessing
the
highest
type
of
pro-phetic
endowment.
Later,
Deborah
is
described
(Jg
4*)
as
both
a
prophetess
and
a
judge,
and
an
anonymous
prophet
was
sent
to
Israel
at
the
time
of
the
Midianite
oppression
(Jg
6').
Samson
was
not
a
prophet,
but
upon
him,
as
a
Nazirite
from
infancy,
'
the
spirit
of
Jehovah
began
to
move
'
in
youth,
and
it
'
came
mightily
'
upon
him.
Finally,
before
the
special
revelation
given
to
Samuel,
there
came
a
'man
of
God'
to
Eli,
rebuking
the
evil-doings
of
his
sons
and
announcing
punishment
to
come.
It
must
be
borne
in
mind,
moreover,
that
during
all
this
period
God
was,
according
to
the
OT
narrative,
speaking
to
His
people
in
various
ways,
revealing
Him-self
by
dreams
and
visions,
or
through
special
messengers,
though
the
term
'
prophet
'
but
seldom
occurs.
(2)
It
is
generally
recognized
that
a
new
era
begins
with
Samuel.
Peter
in
Ac
3"
used
a
current
mode
of
speech
when
he
said
'
all
the
prophets
from
Samuel
and
them
that
followed
after,'
and
the
combination
in
him
of
the
prophet
and
the
judge
enabled
him
to
prepare
the
way
for
the
monarchy.
The
statement
in
1
S
3'
that
in
the
time
of
Eli
'the
word
of
Jehovah
was
rare'
and
that
'
vision
'
was
not
widely
diffused
or
frequent,
points
to
the
need
of
clearer
and
fuller
revelation
such
as
began
with
Samuel
and
continued
more
or
less
intermittently
for
some
centuries.
Whether
he
originated
the
prophetic
communities
known
as
'sons
of
the
prophets,'
who
first
appear
in
his
time
and
are
mentioned
occasionally
until
after
the
times
of
Elisha,
we
cannot
be
sure.
But
at
Ramah
(1
S
IQ's),
at
Naioth
(2
K
6),
at
Bethel,
Jericho,
Gilgal,
and
other
places
there
were
settlements
which
may
be
described
as
training-schools
for
religious
pur-poses,
and
these
provided
a
succession
of
men,
who
were
in
theory,
and
to
some
extent
in
practice,
animated
by
the
devoted
and
fervent
spirit
which
was
necessary
for
the
maintenance
of
the
prophetic
fire
in
the
nation.
Music
formed
a
prominent
part
in
their
worship
(1
S
lO'-
'").
These
societies
might
constitute
a
true
and
abiding
witness
for
Jehovah
(1
K
IS's),
or
they
might
be
char-acterized
by
false
patriotism
and
subserviency
to
a
prevailing
policy
(IK
22')
.
Saul
was
at
one
time
brought
undertheir
influence
in
a
remarkable
manner
(1
S
lO'i-'s),
and
Samuel
evidently
exercised
a
commanding
influence
over
them,
as
did
Elisha
in
later
days.
To
these
'
colleges
'
may
probably
be
traced
the
preservation
of
national
traditions
and
the
beginnings
of
historical
literature
in
Israel.
David
is
styled
a
'prophet'
In
Ac
2™,
but
this
is
not
in
accordance
with
OT
usage,
though
the
Spirit
of
Jehovah
is
said
to
have
rested
on
him
as
a
psalmist
(2
S
23^).
In
his
time
began
that
close
association
between
kings
and
prophets
which
continued
in
varying
phases
until
the
Exile.
Nathan
the
prophet
was
his
faith-ful
spiritual
adviser,
and
Gad
is
described
as
'
the
king's
seer'
(2
S
24").
IBoth
these
counsellors
exercised
a
wholesome
influence
upon
the
large-hearted,
but
some-times
erring,
king,
and
according
to
the
Chronicler
they
assisted
David
in
organizing
Divine
worship
(2
Ch
29''').
Nathan,
Ahijah
of
Shiloh,
and
Iddo
the
seer
are
mentioned
in
2
Ch
9"'
as
having
taken
part
in
the
compilation
of
national
records,
history
and
prophecy
having
been
from
the
first
closely
associated
in
Israel.
In
Solomon's
time
prophecy
would
seem
to
have
been
in
abeyance.
PROPHECY,
PROPHETS
But
it
appears
again
in
connexion
with
the
description
of
the
Kingdom,
and
from
this
time
forwards
in
Israel
and
Judah
the
relation
between
Church
and
State,
between
king
and
prophet,
was
of
an
intimate
and
very
significant
kind.
The
prophet,
as
a
man
specially
endowed
with
the
spirit
of
God,
did
not
hesitate
to
warn,
rebuke,
oppose,
and
sometimes
remove,
the
king
who
was
'
God's
anointed.'
But
when
the
monarch
was
faithful
to
the
high
position,
the
prophet
was
to
him
as
a
strong
right
hand.
Elijah,
in
the
idolatrous
times
of
Ahab,
is
the
very
type
of
the
uncompromising
and
undaunted
reformer;
and
Elisha,
though
of
a
milder
character
and
with
a
less
exacting
task
to
accomplish,
was
instrumental
in
the
overthrow
of
the
ungodly
house
of
Omri
(2
K
9).
These
two
are
essentially
prophets
of
action;
the
writing
prophets
do
not
appear
till
a
century
later.
(3)
It
is
inevitable
that
for
us
at
least
a
new
era
of
prophecy
should
appear
to
set
in
with
the
earliest
pro-phetical
book
that
has
come
down
to
us.
We
are
dependent
upon
our
records,
and
though
the
continuity
of
prophecy
was
never
quite
broken,
the
history
of
the
prophets
assumes
a
new
character
when
we
read
their
very
words
at
length.
Amos,
the
first
in
chronological
order,
shows
in
2"
that
he
was
only
one
in
a
long
line
of
witnesses,
and
that
he
was
but
recalling
the
people
to
an
allegiance
they
had
forgotten
or
betrayed.
But
he
introduces
the
golden
age
of
prophecy,
in
which
Isaiah
is
the
central
glorious
figure.
Modern
criticism
has
carried
the
analysis
of
the
prophetical
books
as
they
have
come
down
to
us
so
far
that
it
is
not
easy
to
present
the
chronology
of
the
prophetic
writings
in
a
tabular
form.
But
it
may
be
said
roughly
and
generally
that
six
prophets
belong
to
the
Assyrian
period,
Amos
and
Hosea
in
the
Northern
Kingdom,
about
the
middle
of
the
8th
cent.
B.C.,
and
Isaiah
and
Micah
in
the
Southern,
a
little
later,
whilst
Zephaniah
and
Nahum
belong
to
the
early
part
of
the
7th
cent.
b.c.
As
prophets
of
the
Chaldaean
period
we
find
Jeremiah
and
Habakkuk
before
the
Exile
(b.c.
586),
and
Ezekiel
during
the
former
part
of
the
Captivity.
Before
its
close
appears
the
second
Isaiah
(perhaps
about
540),
and
after
the
Return,
Haggai
and
Zechariah
(chs.
1-8),
whilst
Malachi
prophesied
in
the
middle
of
the
5th
cent.
b.c.
The
dates
of
Joel,
Jonah,
Obadiah,
and
Zee
9-14
are
still
debated,
but
in
their
present
form
these
books
are
generally
considered
post-exilic.
Many
chapters
of
Isaiah,
notably
24-27,
are
ascribed
to
a
comparatively
late
date.
It
is
impossible
here
to
trace
the
fluctuations
in
prophetic
power
and
influence,
as
these
waxed
or
waned
with
the
varying
fortunes
of
the
nation
throughout
the
period
of
the
monarchy.
The
Northern
Kingdom
came
to
an
end
in
b.c.
722,
but
for
more
than
150
years
longer
there
appeared
prophets
in
Judah
who
aided
the
repeated
efforts
at
national
reformation
made
by
kings
like
Hezekiah
and
Josiah.
These,
however,
met
with
little
permanent
success,
and
a
change
in
the
characteristic
note
of
prophecy
begins
with
Jeremiah.
Thus
far
the
prophets
had
aided
the
cause
of
religious
and
civil
progress
by
bringing
to
bear
upon
national
policy
the
moral
principles
of
the
religion
of
J",
but
as
time
passed,
the
recuperative
power
of
the
nation
de-clined,
'false'
prophets
gained
predominating
influence,
and
the
true
prophet's
task
grew
more
and
more
hope-less.
All
that
remained
for
Jeremiah
was
to
preach
submission
to
foreign
foes,
and
the
imminence
of
coming
judgment,
and
to
point
the
people
to
a
spiritual
fulfil-ment
of
promises
which
could
no
longer
be
realized
by
means
of
any
earthly
monarch
or
dynasty.
It
was
the
painful
duty
of
Jeremiah
to
oppose
princes,
priests,
and
people
alike,
as
none
of
his
predecessors
had
done,
and
to
stand
alone,
charged
with
lack
of
patriotism,
if.
not
with
actual
treachery.
Though
a
man
of
peaceable
and
kindly
temperament,
he
was
involved
in
perpetual
conflict,
and
whenever
he
was
tempted
to
withdraw
from
a
thankless
and
apparently
useless
office,
the
