What images come to mind when thinking of the word prophecy? The numerous fantasy movies featuring bearded, pointy-hat wearing wizards peering through a crystal ball and warning of impending doom? Or documentaries about Nostradamus? Or the now debunked predictions about the world ending in 2012, according to the ancient Mayan clock?
Regardless of how prophecy is portrayed, its influence on literature and social evolution, throughout history, is undeniable. The ancient Near East alone produced an abundance of stories about prophets and related seers offering special knowledge about their culture’s future and well-being (Jacobs and Person 103).
And as with the Near Eastern influence on how the Israelites understood and incorporated covenants, prophecy must be added to the list of influences. In fact, prophecy is a key component when looking at Scripture through the Deuteronomist lens: In 2 Kings 8:1-3, Elisha predicts a famine that would last seven years. Nathan informs David in 2 Samuel 12:14-18 that the child conceived from David’s union with Bathsheba would not survive birth. Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel predict Nebuchadnezzar would conquer Jerusalem. And in Isaiah 38:1-6, King Hezekiah learns from Isaiah that he is close to death, though when Hezekiah prays to God for mercy, Isaiah then relays to Hezekiah that has life has been spared for 15 more years (Otto 223).
Those are just a few of the numerous examples where prophecy is detailed in Scripture. But what does that reveal about the prophets themselves and the messages they conveyed? In which ways were the prophets distinct from one another? Did they have other roles, along with proclaiming prophecy?
The answer begins with separating the prophets into two categories: older prophecy, which is mostly prevalent when starting with Samuel and continuing through to Elisha (all of whom are referred to as “Former Prophets” in Judaism); and the Latter Prophets – also known as “writing prophets” — beginning with Amos, continuing through Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and several other prophets, and then ending with Malachi (Boadt et al. 265, 267).
The main difference between the Former Prophets and the Latter Prophets is in the information known about them: Just about all of the prophecy revealed by the Former Prophets is embedded in stories about them, and without any indication they authored the stories. On the flip side, the Latter Prophets are considered the authors of their prophecies (or at least a good portion of them), hence the term, “writing prophets.” (Boadt et al. 265).
Along with this distinction, the Former Prophets and Latter Prophets differ some in how their lives are portrayed. Former Prophets, such as Elijah and Elisha, are featured in hero type stories, filled with extraordinary, fable-like adventures, and with both prophets performing a wide variety of miracles, including controlling the forces of nature and raising the dead (Boadt et al. 262). In addition, Elijah and Elisha appear to have priestly roles: Both performed rituals involving altar preparation and sacrifice, and the transfer of power from Elijah to Elisha has a priestly significance to it as well (Jacobs and Person 35. 38).
The books of the Latter Prophets, on the other hand, do not contain fantastical, hero-like stories, nor is the focus on miracles and other extraordinary deeds. Instead, prophets such as Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah share a message of both doom and hope, while the neighboring Assyrians work on wielding their might, first against the Northern Kingdom. Further, the Hebrew word for prophet, nabi, more aptly fits the Latter Prophets, as their prophecies are more specific in nature, and there is a more exact connection between the prophecies and how they were fulfilled, making them historically reliable to an extent (Otto 224).
Overall, all prophets, Former and Latter, are deeply concerned about their covenant relationship with God and the consequences for rebelling against Him. All have to contend with rival pagan religions and being dominated by foreign powers: Elijah is constantly at odds with believers in Baal and Asherah (Jacobs and Person 122, 125); Amos and Hosea, dealing with the increasing rise in Assyrian power, witnessed their respective kingdoms implode and open the door for their destruction (Boadt et al. 273); and Isaiah, in Chapters 1 through 39, splits time between Israel and Judah, pleading to all peoples to repent and trust God, or otherwise face the massacre they would eventually endure (Boadt et al. 281, 282).
Above all, prophets such as Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah preached about social and economic justice, punishments for disobeying God, and a consistent hope that Israel and God would one day be reconciled (Ben Zvi 765, 1132, 1165).
Works Cited
Mignon R. Jacobs, and Raymond F. Person Jr. Israelite Prophecy and the Deuteronomistic History : Portrait, Reality, and the Formation of a History. Society of Biblical Literature, 2013.
Boadt, Lawrence, et al. Reading the Old Testament : An Introduction. New York, Paulist Press, 2012.
Otto, Randall E. “The Prophets and Their Perspective.” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, vol. 63, no. 2, Apr. 2001, pp. 219–40.
Berlin, Adele., and Brettler Marc Zvi, editors ; Ben Zvi, Ehud, consulting editor. The Jewish Study Bible : Jewish Publication Society Tanakh Translation. Oxford ; New York :Oxford University Press, 2014.