What Is Prophet?
A prophet in the Bible is a person who speaks on God's behalf; the heart of the task is not predicting the future but delivering God's word to the prophet's own generation. The Hebrew word 'navi' carries the idea of one who is called, a spokesperson. In the Old Testament Moses is the measure of prophecy; Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah and others call the people to covenant faithfulness, justice and repentance. Prophets often voiced uncomfortable truths to those in power and suffered for it; Jeremiah's laments are among the clearest examples of that cost. Their messages also include announcements about the future, some of which fed the hope of a coming Messiah. The New Testament presents John the Baptist as the summit of the old prophetic line, and in the early church prophecy is mentioned as a gift that builds up the community. Scripture also warns against false prophecy: the test of a word is its consistency with God's character and its coming true.