The Hebrew Prophets
I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.
INDEX:
INTRODUCTION:
The purpose of this page is to document how the prophets were treated in the Scriptures. I think this is pertinent today as people like to quote the prophets when it doesn't affect them. When it does they tend to 'shoot the messenger'.
I am also including the Scripture verses that show where the alleged prophets lied to the people and led them astray.
Prophesy - (H5012) - naba'; naw-baw'; a primative root; to prophesy, i.e. speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse); prophesy (111x), prophesying (2x), prophet (2x).
Naba' means "to prophesy" (1) Its first appearance is in 1Samuel 10:6, where Saul is told by Samuel that when he meets a certain bank of estatic prophets, he too will "prophesty with them, and ... he turned into another man." (2) Most frequently naba' is used to describe the function of the true prophets as he speaks God's message to the people, under the influence of the divine spirt (1Kings 22:8; Jeremiah 29:27; Ezekiel 37:10). (2a) "To prophesy" was a task that the prophet cound not avoid: "The Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?" (Amos 3:8, cf. Jeremiah 20:7, where Jeremiah says that he was both attracted to and forced into bing a prophet). (2b) While the formula "The word of the Lord came [to the prophet]" is used literally hundreds of times in the Old Testament, (2b1) there is no real indication as to the manner in which it came--whether it came through the thought process, throught a vision, or in some other way. (2b2) Sometimes, especially in the earlier prophets, it seems that some kind of estatic experience may have been involved, as in 1Samuel 10:6, 11; 19:20. (2b3) Music is sometimes spoken of as a a means of prophesying, as in 1Chronicles 25:1-3.
(3) The false prophets, althought not empowered by the divine spirit, are spoken of as propheying also: "...I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied" (Jeremiah 23:21). (3a) The false prophet is roundly condemned because he speaks a non-authentic word: "...Prophesy against the prophets of Israel that phrophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the Lord;... Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! (Ezekiel 13:2-3). (3b) The false prophet especially is subject to frenzied states of mind which give rise to his prophesying, although the content of such atctivity is not cleary spelled out (1Kings 22:10). (3c) The point is that in the biblical context "to prophesy" can refer to anything from the frenzied exstaticism of a false prophet to the cold sober proclamation of God's judgement by an Amos or an Isaiah. (4) "To prophesy" is much more that the prediction of future events. (4a) indeed, the first concern of the prophet is to speak God's word to the people of his own time, calling them to covenant faithfulness.
(4b) The prophet's message is conditional, dependent upon the response of the people. Thus by their response to the word, the people determine in large part what the future holds, as is well illustrated by the response of the Ninevites to Jonah's preaching. (4c) Of course, prediction does enter the picture at times, such as in Nahum's predictrion of the fall of Nineveh (Nahum 2:13) and in the various messianic passages (Isaiah 9:1-6; Isaiah 11:1-9; Isaiah 52:13-53:12). See: TWOT - 1277; BDB-612a, 1101d.
Scripture References:
How The Prophets Were Abused:
9"And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage." (KJV)
4'For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)'
Jezebel/Izebel cut off the prophets
12'And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the LORD shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the LORD from my youth.'
Obadiah/Obadyahu knew that king Ahab/Ahab would kill him if he said he had spoken to Elijah/Ĕliyahu but failed to deliver Elijah/Ĕliyahu to him.
13'Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid an hundred men of the LORD's prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?'
Jezebel/Izebel cut off the prophets
10And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. (KJV)
"9That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:" (KJV)
"10Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:" (KJV)
"11Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us." (KJV)
21Therefore thus saith the LORD of the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, saying, Prophesy not in the name of the LORD, that thou die not by our hand:(KJV)
It seems they are saying that if he prophesies in the name of YHWH they will kill him.
'14Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart. ' (KJV)
'15Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.' (KJV)
"18Then said they, Come and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words." (KJV)
1'Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.
2'Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.
'8Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.' (KJV)
Kill the messenger.
'11Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.' (KJV)
Kill the messenger.
It does not matter whether the message is the truth.
'23And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.' (KJV)
Kill the messanger at all costs and do anything to discredit them.
'15Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.' (KJV)
'16Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD.' (KJV)
'17So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.' (KJV)
Looks like Hananiah was a false prophet and Jeremiah was a true prophet.
8For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
9For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.
The prophets were lying. Even though they claimed to be sent by YHWH, they were not.
'19Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD.' (KJV)
The people did not listen to the Prophets YHWH sent.
18'Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, What have I offended against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison?'
19'Where are now your prophets which prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land?'
Sounds like today. No one held the news agency accountable for saying there was no economic depression, even when they admitted that there was.
20'Therefore hear now, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.'
4'Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.'
They want to kill the messenger.
This is just like today.
They weren't seeking the welfare of the people but rather to go ahead to wage war.
14'Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.'
15'Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?'
16'So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As the LORD liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.'
1'And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, even all these words,'
2'Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the LORD our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there:'
They didn't believe Jeremiah the prophet.
4'Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.'
5'But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods.'
They didn't listen to YAHUA or the prophets.
15'Then all the men which knew that their wives had burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying,'
16'As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee.'
The people didn't listen to the prophet.
17'But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.'
The people plan to do whatever they want.
18'But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.'
The people blame their misfortune on NOT worshipping false idols.
19'And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?'
The people don't want to accept their punishment.
12But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.
7Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
13But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court.
5'So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.'
6'For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.'
7'And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:'
8'But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.'
The people actually believed the prophet Jonah, fasted and repented and YHWH turned away his wrath.
6Prophesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame.
4Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.(KJV)
20'And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.' (KJV)
21'And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.' (KJV)
'16But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.' (KJV)
11'Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.'
12'Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.'
37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
These verses give a quick summary of the accomplishments, trials, and tribulations of the prophets down through the ages.
THE PROPHETS VS THE WORD OF YHWH:
9Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:" (KJV)
10For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish. (KJV)
43"I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive."(KJV)
When The Prophets Erred:
20But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
21And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?
22When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. (KJV)
18He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.(KJV)
19Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table. (KJV)
40And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. (KJV)
22And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
23Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee. (KJV)
'31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?' (KJV)
These verses detail the apostasy of the prophets and the consequences of their actions.
'13And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.' (KJV)
'16Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.' (KJV)
'21I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. ' (KJV)
False prophets, self-proclaimed prophets.
'25I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. ' (KJV)
9Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:" (KJV)
10For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish. (KJV)
"14Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you." (KJV)
"15For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you." (KJV)
"16Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD's house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you. " (KJV)
Hananiah's false prophesy
See Chapter Notes:
"9For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD." (KJV)
The prophets are lying.
This entire chapter details the wickedness of the prophets.
9And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
10And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him;(KJV)
25There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.(KJV)
26Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.(KJV)
27Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.(KJV)
28And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.(KJV)
9And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness.(KJV)
7The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.(KJV)
5Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him. (KJV)
6Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them. (KJV)
7Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God. (KJV)
8But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin. (KJV)
9Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity. (KJV)
10They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. (KJV)
11The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us. (KJV)
So much for the false doctrine that you cannot say anything bad about Israel or you are being anti-Semitic; obviously, YHWH and the prophets did not have a problem telling the truth to the Israelites.
4Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law. (KJV)
"7For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts." (KJV)
"8But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts." (KJV)
15Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (KJV)
14Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.(KJV)
1But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.(KJV)
1Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.(KJV)