Explaining Prophets And Their Duties Religion Essay

Explaining illusionists And Their Duties Religion EssayFrom a Biblical perspective, a prophet is a spokesperson on reason who reveals divinitys word, revealing things that would run into in the afterlife. This utterance is called prediction beca wont its churchmanly inspired, and involves, revelation or interpretation. This break leave behinding illustrate a study on soothsaying in the Old testament (OT), sundry(a) slew who met the criteria of being true prophets and get word those who were last to be traitorously prophets. Further, an insight on different kinds of foretelling and there fulfilment volition also be demonstrated.Prophets through and through various scriptures in the bible were referred to as men of immortal or servants of perfection to implicate the seriousness of their status. After the fall of man, paragon had a churchman plan to restore His love descent with humans and this was portrayed end-to-end the OT. Tholuck titled the prophets as t he ancient preachers of the Church, he state, The prophets were the living depositaries of the idea of the theocracy or kingdom of deity. In separate words prophecy erected from the foundation of divinity fudges legal philosophy and it was the prophets who imposed it. accord to the prophetic criteria, bible theologians state that Enoch (Gen. 5 24) and Noah (Gen. 6 9) qualified as prophets, because God spoke through them, entirely it was Abraham whom God first spoke of as a prophet when He warned queen Abimelech against marrying Sarah (Gen. 20 6-7).According to Bible theology, God chose the Israelites to be His representatives on earth to whom He could reveal Himself, by speaking through His chosen advocates known as the prophets so that all other nations could be blessed and know the true Living God. He wanted humans to know that He was their creator and He had divine plans and a purpose for them to live gibe to His will. He gave them His virtues to which they were to live by , and He was to be their God. It was those laws that caused conflict between God and His mountain.Chris Wright believed that it was the Holy eye who inspired the prophets. He said, He is the Spirit who spoke through the prophets, inspiring their commitment to speak the truth and to stand for justice. This was sustain by Peter in The New Testament when he contest the origin of the OT prophecies (2 Pet. 1 20-21), and was evident when Saul got anointed as king and the Spirit of God took control of Him and he prophesied (1Sam. 10 10). Since prophets were the mediators of God, they alone spoke in the name of God, lived by faith and demonstrated the holiness of God, as Zechariah military chaplain of John the Baptist said in his prophecy that, As He said through His holy prophets of long ago (Luke 1 70).The prophets had to be full obedient to what God required of them hoping in Gods Spirit that strengthened and worked through them. Fulfilment was a key issue in the prophetic ride. f inished Isaiah, God said, As the rain and the snow settle down from heaven, and do non return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields delayd for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I commit and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isa. 55 10-11). Such prophecy took away any doubt about Gods will especially to the prophets themselves, who prophesied to a doubtful nation. One writer said, The criterion of true prophecy is what it should be-truth, the concord between the prophetic word and the realities of tarradiddle. Any prophet who spoke oracles of other gods other than the God of Israel would be known as a sham prophet. So the prophets main role was to communicate Gods message in its fullness. Since it was Gods divine plan to use prophets to convey His messages, He illustrated that He purposely app atomic number 18l them apart, H e said, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart I prescribed you as a prophet to the nations. (Jer. 28 5).Prophets were from diverse stand grounds, for congresswoman Amos was a shepherd (Amos 11), Elijah was a priest and Elisha was a herder (1915-21). Although men were popularly used, women like Miriam sister to Moses (Micah 6 4) Deborah who served as an Israelite assay (Judges 4 4) Huldah (2 Kings 2214) and Noadiah (Neh. 6 14) also served as prophets. God revealed Himself and communicated to His prophets through imagings and dreams or spoke audibly to them as in the subject area of Moses. He said, Listen to my words When there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams (Num. 12 6). So this is why prophets had mutual characteristics that identified them as Gods messengers. Their messages exposed the nature and attributes of God to men (Deut. 54-10) made known to men the laws of God (Ex 20 1-17) to call the wad back in obedience to Gods laws (2Chr 2419) exhorted the mickle to sincerity in worship (Jer. 71-11) warned the Israelites of Divine judgment upon sin, both personal and subject area and foretold future events which God had willed especially the coming of the Messiah (Isaiah 96).According to the O.T, there are three sections of books which are refered to as prophetic books and they are known as (Joshua to Kings) the former prophets, major prophetic books (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel), and finally the baby bird Prophets (Hosea to Malachi). The prophetic ministry in the O.T intensified at the beginning of the Exodus when God appointed Moses and Aaron as His prophets with a mission to rescue and lead His people out of slavery from the land of Egypt after 430 years. God gave a circumstantial oracle to Moses that His chosen people were being called to worship him. The prophetic movement appeared throughout The Exodus 1446 BCE and the period of the Israelite s captivity by the Assyrians and Babylonians, to the times of Zechariah who was associated with the renovation of the temple in 521-515 BCE.There is a mention of many false prophets in the O.T. God clearly warned the Israelites never to approve of such prophets, and he would test them to see if they would remain faithfully (Deut. 13 1-5). It was a exemplification that was repeatedly issued with an example of Hananiah a false prophet in Judah in the reign of King Zedekiah. (Jer. 28 1-17). God even approved of the expiry of such prophets when He said, But if any prophet presumes to speak anything in my name that I have not authorised him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die (Deut. 18 20). Prophet Elijah also challenged Jezebels prophets of Baal to show that he was serving A Living God, strange all other gods that were worshiped in the land. He killed 450 false prophets from that confrontation (1 Kg. 18 19-40).Prophets could also be manipulated or bri bed to defy God, as in the case of King Balak of Moab who asked Balaam to scourge the Israelites. Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too mogulful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the country. For I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed (Num. 226). Balaams response indicated that he communicated with God (Num. 22 9-41). God revealed that He could use anything to prophecy as was in the case of Balaams donkey (Num. 22 28). other aspect of prophetic experience, involved the prophet himself who performed portents to support the prophecy e.g. Isaiah walked unsanded for 3 years in the land (Isa. 202) Hosea expressed the prophecy by being obedient to what God told him. Go and marry a prostitute so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the gentle and worshiping other gods. (Hos. 1 2).Though G ods prophets differed on how they prophesied, the emphasis of their messages was common. It was about sin, judgement, impatience of God, repentance, love, mercy and forgiveness of a compassionate God. For example Moses was a law giver and urged the Israelites repeatedly never to take on the pagan practices of the people of the Promised Land because God Himself would raise another prophet like him to come to a prophets great role. (Deut. 18 14-17). The Prophet Elijah was a spiritual revivalist, and Isaiahs prophecies were upon the munificent house of Judah. Prophets suffered persecution, and they were often disregarded, despised and rejected especially by uncontrollable kings and people who had hardened hearts and continually disobeyed Gods law, But the people would not listen and continued to follow their former practices. (2 Kg. 17 40).Ungers Bible dictionary quotes, The genius of Old Testament prophecy was rather, a prediction of the future arising from the conditions of the present and was inseparably connected with the profoundly religious and spiritual message the prophet was called to proclaim to his own generation. Some prophecies of the OT were Forth telling prophecies that called back people unto their God in terms of repentance and change, as in the case of Jonah when God relented and withdrew plans of disaster upon Nineveh (Jonah 2).Fore telling prophecies, gave the people time to obey, seek and pray honestly to God, a significantly all important(predicate) feature of Biblical prophecy. Such prophecies promised restoration and events that would be fulfilled in the future declaring buyback, especially those that announced the coming of a Messiah who would come at Gods appointed time, as the final perfect sacrifice to God who would redeem mankind and fulfil the reconciliation of God and man (Hos. 14 Amos 9 11-15).Overall, the Nazarene was the completion of the prophetic scriptures in the OT. Jesus testified in His time that He was the referenc e point of the OT prophecies. I will proclaim the LORDs decree He said to me, You are my son today I have become your father. (Psalm 27). Bible Scholars, G and R Konig said, Jesus is unique among all people in history in that he is the fulfilment of centuries of Messianic prophecies, which are found in the Old Testament that foretold his place of birth, details of his life, his mission, his nature, his death, and his resurrection.From a theological perspective, God affirms both His power and right to judge, and His steadfastness in the end to save. Jeremiah prophesied of the new covenant, whereas Ezekiel had a vision of a new temple centre stage (Ezek. 40, 48). Isaiah is also memorable for its Messianic promises (Isa 92-7, 111-9), and ideas of new creation and Exodus.If Judgement and salvation are the fabric of the OT history, it explains why so much of it was the work of the prophets, because God expressed His heart through the prophets in order to restore His relationship with man . Prophecy is one of the major ways in which God communicates His will to mankind even up to this age as written indeed he turned to his disciples and said privately, Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. (Luke 10 23-24). The prophetic movement was a significant phenomenon in history of Divine revelation. Therefore, without the prophecies in the Old Testament, humans wouldnt know of Gods intentions. This can only be summarised as Gods Divine love for mankind.