In
religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a
divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the
supernatural
Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
source to other people. The message that the prophet conveys is called a
prophecy.
Claims of prophethood have existed in many cultures and religions throughout history, including
Judaism,
Christianity,
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
,
ancient Greek religion
Religious practices in ancient Greece encompassed a collection of beliefs, rituals, and mythology, in the form of both popular public religion and cult practices. The application of the modern concept of "religion" to ancient cultures has been ...
,
Zoroastrianism,
Manichaeism,
Hinduism , and many others.
Etymology
The English word ''
prophet'' is the
transliteration of a compound
Greek word derived from ''pro'' (before/toward) and ''phesein'' (to tell); thus, a
προφήτης (''prophḗtēs'') is someone who conveys messages from the divine to humans, including occasionally foretelling future events. In a different interpretation, it means
advocate
An advocate is a professional in the field of law. Different countries' legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a barrister or a solicitor. However, ...
or
speaker.
In
Hebrew, the word נָבִיא (''nāvî''), "spokesperson", traditionally translates as "prophet". The second subdivision of the
Tanakh, (
Nevi'im), is devoted to the Hebrew prophets. The meaning of ''Navi'' is perhaps described in
Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy ( grc, Δευτερονόμιον, Deuteronómion, second law) is the fifth and last book of the Torah (in Judaism), where it is called (Hebrew: hbo, , Dəḇārīm, hewords Moses.html"_;"title="f_Moses">f_Moseslabel=none)_and_th ...
18:18, where
God said, "...and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him." Thus, the ''Navi'' was thought to be the "mouth" of God. The root
nun-
bet-
alef
Aleph (or alef or alif, transliterated ʾ) is the first letter of the Semitic abjads, including Phoenician , Hebrew , Aramaic , Syriac , Arabic ʾ and North Arabian 𐪑. It also appears as South Arabian 𐩱 and Ge'ez .
These letter ...
("Navi") is based on the two-letter root nun-bet which denotes hollowness or openness; to receive transcendental wisdom, one must make oneself "open".
Abrahamic religions
Judaism
In addition to writing and speaking messages from God,
Israelite or
Judean ''nevi'im'' ("spokespersons", "prophets") often acted out prophetic parables in their life. For example, in order to contrast the people's disobedience with the obedience of the
Rechabites, God has
Jeremiah invite the Rechabites to drink wine, in disobedience to their ancestor's command. The Rechabites refuse, for which God commends them. Other prophetic parables acted out by Jeremiah include burying a linen belt so that it gets ruined to illustrate how God intends to ruin Judah's pride.
[Commentary on Jeremiah 13, Jeremiah, The Anchor Bible, Doubleday, 1984] Likewise, Jeremiah buys a clay jar and smashes it in the
Valley of Ben Hinnom in front of elders and priests to illustrate that God will smash the
nation of Judah and the city of Judah beyond repair. God instructs Jeremiah to make a yoke from wood and leather straps and to put it on his own neck to demonstrate how God will put the nation under the yoke of
Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar II (Babylonian cuneiform: ''Nabû-kudurri-uṣur'', meaning "Nabu, watch over my heir"; Biblical Hebrew: ''Nəḇūḵaḏneʾṣṣar''), also spelled Nebuchadrezzar II, was the second king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, ruling ...
, king of
Babylon
''Bābili(m)''
* sux, 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠
* arc, 𐡁𐡁𐡋 ''Bāḇel''
* syc, ܒܒܠ ''Bāḇel''
* grc-gre, Βαβυλών ''Babylṓn''
* he, בָּבֶל ''Bāvel''
* peo, 𐎲𐎠𐎲𐎡𐎽𐎢 ''Bābiru''
* elx, 𒀸𒁀𒉿𒇷 ''Babi ...
. In a similar way, the prophet
Isaiah had to walk stripped and barefoot for three years to illustrate the coming captivity, and the prophet
Ezekiel
Ezekiel (; he, יְחֶזְקֵאל ''Yəḥezqēʾl'' ; in the Septuagint written in grc-koi, Ἰεζεκιήλ ) is the central protagonist of the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible.
In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Ezekiel is acknow ...
had to lie on his side for 390 days and eat measured food to illustrate the coming siege.
Prophetic assignment is usually portrayed as rigorous and exacting in the Hebrew Bible,
[Isaiah (Commentary), John Goldingay, Hendrickson, 2001] and prophets were often the target of persecution and opposition.
[’’Jeremiah (Prophet)’’, The Anchor Bible Dictionary Volume 3, Doubleday, 1992] God's personal prediction for Jeremiah, "Attack you they will, overcome you they can't," was performed many times in the
biblical narrative as Jeremiah warned of destruction of those who continued to refuse repentance and accept more moderate consequences.
In return for his adherence to God's discipline and speaking God's words, Jeremiah was attacked by his own brothers, beaten and put into the stocks by a priest and
false prophet, imprisoned by the king, threatened with death, thrown into a cistern by Judah's officials, and opposed by a false prophet. Likewise, Isaiah was told by his hearers who rejected his message, "Leave the way! Get off the path! Let us hear no more about the
Holy One of Israel!"
The life of
Moses
Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu (Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pro ...
being threatened by
Pharaoh is another example.
According to I
Samuel
Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the bibl ...
9:9, the old name for navi is ''ro'eh'', רֹאֶה, which literally means "Seer". That could document an ancient shift, from viewing prophets as seers for hire to viewing them as moral teachers. L.C. Allen (1971) comments that in the
First Temple Era, there were essentially seer-priests belonging to a guild, who performed
divination
Divination (from Latin ''divinare'', 'to foresee, to foretell, to predict, to prophesy') is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic, standardized process or ritual. Used in various forms throughout histor ...
, rituals, and sacrifices, and were scribes; and beside these were canonical prophets, who did none of these things (and condemned divination), but came to deliver a message. The seer-priests were usually attached to a local shrine or temple, such as
Shiloh, and initiated others into that priesthood, acting as a mystical
craft-guild with apprentices and recruitment. Canonical prophets were not organised this way.
Some examples of prophets in the Tanakh include
Abraham, Moses,
Miriam
Miriam ( he, מִרְיָם ''Mīryām'', lit. 'Rebellion') is described in the Hebrew Bible as the daughter of Amram and Jochebed, and the older sister of Moses and Aaron. She was a prophetess and first appears in the Book of Exodus.
The Tor ...
, Isaiah,
Samuel
Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the bibl ...
, Ezekiel,
Malachi, and
Job. In Jewish tradition
Daniel
Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength" ...
is not counted in the list of prophets.
A Jewish tradition suggests that there were twice as many prophets as the number which left Egypt, which would make 1,200,000 prophets.
The
Talmud recognizes
48 male prophets who bequeathed permanent messages to mankind.
According to the Talmud, there were also seven women counted as prophetesses whose message bears relevance for all generations:
Sarah
Sarah (born Sarai) is a biblical matriarch and prophetess, a major figure in Abrahamic religions. While different Abrahamic faiths portray her differently, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all depict her character similarly, as that of a piou ...
,
Miriam
Miriam ( he, מִרְיָם ''Mīryām'', lit. 'Rebellion') is described in the Hebrew Bible as the daughter of Amram and Jochebed, and the older sister of Moses and Aaron. She was a prophetess and first appears in the Book of Exodus.
The Tor ...
,
Devorah
According to the Book of Judges, Deborah ( he, דְּבוֹרָה, ''Dəḇōrā'', "bee") was a prophetess of the God of the Israelites, the fourth Judge of pre-monarchic Israel and the only female judge mentioned in the Bible. Many scholars ...
,
Hannah
Hannah or Hanna may refer to:
People, biblical figures, and fictional characters
* Hannah (name), a female given name of Hebrew origin
* Hanna (Arabic name), a family and a male given name of Christian Arab origin
* Hanna (Irish surname), a famil ...
(mother of the prophet Samuel),
Abigail (a wife of
King David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
),
Huldah (from the time of Jeremiah), and
Esther.
The Talmudic and Biblical commentator
Rashi points out that
Rebecca
Rebecca, ; Syriac: , ) from the Hebrew (lit., 'connection'), from Semitic root , 'to tie, couple or join', 'to secure', or 'to snare') () appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. According to biblical ...
,
Rachel, and
Leah were also prophets.
Isaiah 8:3-4 refers his wife "the prophetess", who bore his son
Maher-shalal-hash-baz; she is not referred to elsewhere.
Prophets in Tanakh are not always Jews,
for example the non-Jewish prophet
Balaam in
Numbers 22. According to the Talmud,
Obadiah is said to have been a convert to Judaism.
The last ''nevi'im'' mentioned in the
Jewish Bible are
Haggai,
Zechariah
Zechariah most often refers to:
* Zechariah (Hebrew prophet), author of the Book of Zechariah
* Zechariah (New Testament figure), father of John the Baptist
Zechariah or its many variant forms and spellings may also refer to:
People
*Zechariah ...
, and
Malachi, all of whom lived at the end of the 70-year Babylonian exile. The
Talmud (
Sanhedrin 11a) states that Haggai, Zachariah, and Malachi were the last prophets, and later times have known only the "
Bath Kol
In the Abrahamic religions, the voice of God is a communication from God to human beings, heard by humans as a sound with no apparent physical source.
In rabbinic Judaism, such a voice was known as a ''bat kol'' ( he, בַּת קוֹל ''ba ...
" (בת קול, lit. ''daughter of a voice'', "voice of God").
Christianity
Traditional definitions
In
Christianity, a prophet (or seer) is one inspired by God through the
Holy Spirit
In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...
to deliver a message. This includes the prophets of ancient Israel as well as those who function(ed) as prophets in the Church. Concerning the latter concept, some
Christian denominations
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
limit a prophet's message to words intended only for the entire church congregation, excluding personal messages not intended for the body of believers; but in the
Bible on a number of occasions prophets were called to deliver personal messages. The reception of a message is termed
revelation and the delivery of the message is termed prophecy.
The term "prophet" applies to those who receive public or
private revelation. Public revelation, in Catholicism, is part of the
Deposit of faith
The deposit of faith ( or ''fidei depositum'') is the body of revealed truth in the scriptures and sacred tradition proposed by the Roman Catholic Church for the belief of the faithful. The phrase has a similar use in the US Episcopal Church.
Cath ...
, the revelation of which was completed by Jesus; whereas private revelation does not add to the Deposit. The term "deposit of faith" refers to the entirety of Jesus Christ's revelation, and is passed to successive generations in two different forms, sacred scripture (the Bible) and sacred tradition.
The Bible applies the appellation '
false prophet' to anyone who preaches a Gospel contrary to that delivered to the apostles and recorded in Sacred Scripture.
One
Old Testament
The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...
text in
Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy ( grc, Δευτερονόμιον, Deuteronómion, second law) is the fifth and last book of the Torah (in Judaism), where it is called (Hebrew: hbo, , Dəḇārīm, hewords Moses.html"_;"title="f_Moses">f_Moseslabel=none)_and_th ...
contains a warning against those who prophesy events which do not come to pass and says they should be put to death. Elsewhere a false prophet may be someone who is purposely trying to deceive, is delusional, under the influence of
Satan
Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...
or is speaking from his own spirit.
Ongoing prophecy
Christians who believe that the
Holy Spirit
In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...
continues to give
spiritual gifts to Christians are known as
continuationists.
These charismata may include prophecy,
tongues
The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for mastication and swallowing as part of the digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper surface (dorsum) is covered by tast ...
,
miraculous healing ability, and discernment (Matthew 12:32 KJV "Whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.").
Cessationists believe that these gifts were given only in New Testament times and that they ceased after the last
apostle died.
The
last prophet of the
Old Covenant
The Mosaic covenant (named after Moses), also known as the Sinaitic covenant (after the biblical Mount Sinai), refers to a covenant between God and the Israelites, including their proselytes, not limited to the ten commandments, nor the event wh ...
before the arrival of Jesus is
John the Baptist (cf. ).
New Testament passages that explicitly discuss prophets existing after the death and resurrection of
Christ include
Revelation 11:10,
Matthew 10:40–41 and 23:34,
John 13:20 and 15:20 and
Acts
The Acts of the Apostles ( grc-koi, Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων, ''Práxeis Apostólōn''; la, Actūs Apostolōrum) is the fifth book of the New Testament; it tells of the founding of the Christian Church and the spread of its message ...
11:25–30, 13:1 and 15:32.
The ''
Didache
The ''Didache'' (; ), also known as The Lord's Teaching Through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations (Διδαχὴ Κυρίου διὰ τῶν δώδεκα ἀποστόλων τοῖς ἔθνεσιν), is a brief anonymous early Christian tr ...
'' gives extensive instruction in how to distinguish between true and false prophets, as well as commands regarding tithes to prophets in the church.
Irenaeus, wrote of 2nd-century believers with the gift of prophecy, while
Justin Martyr argued in his ''Dialogue with Trypho'' that prophets were not found among the Jews in his time, but that the church had prophets. ''
The Shepherd of Hermas'' describes revelation in a vision regarding the proper operation of prophecy in the church.
Eusebius mentions that
Quadratus and Ammia of
Philadelphia were both prominent prophets following the age of the Twelve Apostles.
Tertullian, writing of the church meetings of the
Montanists
Montanism (), known by its adherents as the New Prophecy, was an History of Christianity#Early Christianity (c. 31/33–324), early Christian movement of the Christianity in the 2nd century, late 2nd century, later referred to by the name of it ...
(to whom he belonged), described in detail the practice of prophecy in the 2nd-century church.
A number of later Christian saints were claimed to have powers of prophecy, such as
Columba of Iona (521–597),
Saint Malachy (1094–1148) or
Padre Pio (1887–1968).
Marian apparitions like those at
Fatima
Fāṭima bint Muḥammad ( ar, فَاطِمَة ٱبْنَت مُحَمَّد}, 605/15–632 CE), commonly known as Fāṭima al-Zahrāʾ (), was the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his wife Khadija. Fatima's husband was Ali, th ...
in 1917 or at
Kibeho in Rwanda in the 1980s often included prophetic predictions regarding the future of the world as well as of the local areas they occurred in.
Prophetic movements in particular can be traced throughout the Christian Church's history, expressing themselves in (for example)
Montanism,
Novatianism,
Donatism,
Franciscanism,
Anabaptism,
Camisard
Camisards were Huguenots (French Protestants) of the rugged and isolated Cévennes region and the neighbouring Vaunage in southern France. In the early 1700s, they raised a resistance against the persecutions which followed Louis XIV's Revocation ...
enthusiasm,
Puritanism,
Quakerism,
Quietism,
Lutheranism and
Radical Pietism. Modern Pentecostals and Charismatics, members of movements which together comprised approximately 584 million people , believe in the contemporary function of the gift of prophecy, and some in these movements, especially those within the
Apostolic-Prophetic Movement
The Apostolic-Prophetic Movement (AP movement) is a Christian movement that believes that they are restoring elements of what they call the Five-Fold Ministry. This movement is rooted in the Charismatic movement, and is seen in Charismatic, Penteco ...
, allow for idea that God may continue to gift the church with some individuals who are prophets.
Some Christian sects recognize the existence of "modern-day" prophets. One such denomination is
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which teaches that God still communicates with mankind through prophecy.
Islam
The
Quran identifies a number of men as "
Prophets of Islam
Prophets in Islam ( ar, الأنبياء في الإسلام, translit=al-ʾAnbiyāʾ fī al-ʾIslām) are individuals in Islam who are believed to spread God's message on Earth and to serve as models of ideal human behaviour. Some prophets ar ...
" ( ar, نبي ''nabī''; pl. ''anbiyāʾ'').
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
s believe such individuals were assigned a special mission by
God to guide humanity. Besides
Muhammad, this includes prophets such as
Abraham (''Ibrāhīm''),
Moses (''Mūsā'') and
Jesus (''ʿĪsā'').
Although only twenty-five prophets are
mentioned by name in the Quran, a
hadith (no. 21257 in ''
Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal'') mentions that there were (more or less) 124,000 prophets in total throughout history. Other traditions place the number of prophets at 224,000. Some scholars hold that there are an even greater number in the history of mankind, and only God knows. The Quran says that God has sent a prophet to every group of people throughout time and that Muhammad is the last of the prophets, sent for the whole of humankind. The message of all the prophets is believed to be the same. In Islam, all prophetic messengers are prophets (such as
Adam
Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...
,
Noah
Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5– ...
,
Abraham,
Moses
Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu (Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pro ...
,
Jesus, and
Muhammad) though not all prophets are prophetic messengers. The primary distinction is that a prophet is required to demonstrate God's law through his actions, character, and behavior without necessarily calling people to follow him, while a prophetic messenger is required to pronounce God's law (i.e. revelation) and call his people to submit and follow him. Muhammad is distinguished from the rest of the prophetic messengers and prophets in that God commissioned him to be the prophetic messenger to all of mankind. Many of these prophets are also found in the texts of Judaism (The Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings) and Christianity.
Muslims often refer to Muhammad as "the Prophet", in the form of a noun. Jesus is the result of a
virgin birth in Islam as in Christianity, and is regarded as a prophet.
Traditionally, four prophets are believed to have been sent
holy books
Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual prac ...
: the
Torah (''Tawrat'') to Moses, the
Psalms (''Zābūr'') to David, the
Gospel(''Injil'') to Jesus, and the Quran to Muhammad; those prophets are considered "Messengers" or ''rasūl''. Other main prophets are considered messengers or ''nabī'', even if they didn't receive a Book from God. Examples include the messenger-prophet
Aaron (''Hārūn''), the messenger-prophet
Ishmael (''Ismāʿīl'') and the messenger-prophet
Joseph (''Yūsuf'').
Although it offers many incidents from the lives of many prophets, the Quran focuses with special narrative and rhetorical emphasis on the careers of the first four of these five major prophets. Of all the figures before Muhammad, the significance of Jesus in Islam is reflected in his being mentioned in the
Quran in 93
verses with various titles attached such as "Son of
Mary" and other relational terms, mentioned directly and indirectly, over 187 times. He is thus
the most mentioned person in the Quran by reference; 25 times by the name Isa, third-person 48 times, first-person 35 times, and the rest as titles and attributes. Moses (''Musa'') and Abraham (''Ibrahim'') are also referred to frequently in the Quran. As for the fifth, the
Quran is frequently addressed directly to Muhammad, and it often discusses situations encountered by him. Direct use of his name in the text, however, is rare. Rarer still is the mention of Muhammad's contemporaries.
Several prominent exponents of the
Fatimid Ismaili
Isma'ilism ( ar, الإسماعيلية, al-ʾIsmāʿīlīyah) is a branch or sub-sect of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor (imām) to Ja'far al-Sa ...
Imams explained that throughout history there have been six enunciators () who brought the exoteric () revelation to humans, namely:
Adam
Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...
,
Noah
Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5– ...
,
Abraham,
Moses
Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu (Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pro ...
,
Jesus and
Muhammad. They speak of a seventh enunciator (), the Resurrector (Qa’im), who will unveil the esoteric () meaning of all the previous revelations. He is believed to be the pinnacle and purpose of creation. The enunciators (sing. ) who are the Prophets and the
Imams in their respective times, are the highest hierarch (). The enunciators () signal the beginning of a new age () in humankind, whereas the
Imams unveil and present the esoteric () meaning of the revelation to the people. These individuals are both known as the ‘Lord of the Age’ () or the ‘Lord of the Time’ (). Through them, one can know God, and their invitation to humans to recognize God is called the invitation ().
According to
Shia Islam, all Prophets and
Imams are
infallible and the belief in their abstinence from intentional and unintentional sins is a part of the creed. Thus, it is accordingly believed that they are the examples to be followed and that they act as they preach. This belief includes some
ʾAwliyāʾ such as
Lady Fatima and
Lady Mary.
Ifá and other African traditional religions
Divination
Divination (from Latin ''divinare'', 'to foresee, to foretell, to predict, to prophesy') is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic, standardized process or ritual. Used in various forms throughout histor ...
remains an important aspect of the lives of the people of contemporary
Africa, especially amongst the usually rural, socially traditionalistic segments of its population. In arguably its most influential manifestation, the system of prophecy practiced by the
Babalawos and
Iyanifas of the historically
Yoruba
The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba consti ...
regions of
West Africa have bequeathed to the world a corpus of
fortune-telling poetic methodologies so intricate that they have been added by
UNESCO to its official ''
intangible cultural heritage of the World list''.
Native Americans
The
Great Peacemaker
The Great Peacemaker (''Skén:nen rahá:wi'' kʌ̃.nːʌ̃.ɾahaːwiin Mohawk), sometimes referred to as Deganawida or Tekanawí:ta (as a mark of respect, some Iroquois avoid using his personal name except in special circumstances) was by tradit ...
(sometimes referred to as ''Deganawida'' or ''Dekanawida'') co-founded the
Haudenosaunee league in
pre-Columbian times. In retrospect, his
prophecy of the boy seer could appear to refer to the conflict between natives and Europeans (white serpent).
From 1805 until the
Battle of Tippecanoe that falsified his predictions in 1811, the "
Shawnee prophet"
Tenskwatawa led an Indian alliance to stop Europeans from taking more and more land going west. He reported
visions he had. He is said to have accurately predicted a
solar eclipse
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of the Earth, totally or partially. Such an alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six month ...
. His brother
Tecumseh
Tecumseh ( ; October 5, 1813) was a Shawnee chief and warrior who promoted resistance to the expansion of the United States onto Native American lands. A persuasive orator, Tecumseh traveled widely, forming a Native American confederacy and ...
re-established the alliance for
Tecumseh's War, that ended with the latter's death in 1813. Tecumseh fought together with British forces that, in the area of the
Great Lakes, occupied essentially today's territory of
Canada.
Francis the Prophet
Josiah Francis, also called Francis the Prophet, native name Hillis Hadjo ("crazy-brave medicine") (c. 1770–1818), was "a charismatic religious leader" of the Red Stick Creek Indians. According to the historian Frank Owsley, he became "the most a ...
, influenced by Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa, was a leader of the
Red Stick faction of the
Creek
A creek in North America and elsewhere, such as Australia, is a stream that is usually smaller than a river. In the British Isles it is a small tidal inlet.
Creek may also refer to:
People
* Creek people, also known as Muscogee, Native Americans
...
Indians. He traveled to England in 1815 as a representative of the "four Indian nations" in an unsuccessful attempt to get Great Britain to help them resist the expansionism of the white settlers.
20 years later (1832),
Wabokieshiek
Wabokieshiek (translated White Cloud, The Light or White Sky Light in English) (c. 1794 – c. 1841) was a Native American army commander of the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) and Sauk tribes in 19th century Illinois, playing a key role in the Black Ha ...
, the "
Winnebago Winnebago can refer to:
* The exonym of the Ho-Chunk tribe of Native North Americans with reservations in Nebraska, Iowa, and Wisconsin
** Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, a federally recognized tribe group in the state
** The Winnebago language of the ...
Prophet", after whom
Prophetstown has been named, (also called "White Cloud") claimed that British forces would support the Indians in the
Black Hawk War against the United States as 20 years earlier (based on "visions"). They did not, and he was no longer considered a "prophet".
In 1869, the
Paiute Wodziwob founded the
Ghost Dance
The Ghost Dance ( Caddo: Nanissáanah, also called the Ghost Dance of 1890) was a ceremony incorporated into numerous Native American belief systems. According to the teachings of the Northern Paiute spiritual leader Wovoka (renamed Jack Wilso ...
movement. The dance rituals were an occasion to announce his visions of an earthquake that would swallow the whites. He seems to have died in 1872.
The
Northern Paiute
Northern may refer to the following:
Geography
* North, a point in direction
* Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe
* Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States
* Northern Province, Sri Lanka
* Northern Range, a r ...
Wovoka claimed he had a vision during the
solar eclipse
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of the Earth, totally or partially. Such an alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six month ...
of January 1, 1889, that the Paiute dead would come back and the whites would vanish from America, provided the natives performed
Ghost Dance
The Ghost Dance ( Caddo: Nanissáanah, also called the Ghost Dance of 1890) was a ceremony incorporated into numerous Native American belief systems. According to the teachings of the Northern Paiute spiritual leader Wovoka (renamed Jack Wilso ...
s. This idea spread among other Native American peoples. The government were worried about a rebellion and sent troops, which lead to the death of
Sitting Bull
Sitting Bull ( lkt, Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake ; December 15, 1890) was a Hunkpapa Lakota leader who led his people during years of resistance against United States government policies. He was killed by Indian agency police on the Standing Rock I ...
and to the
Wounded Knee massacre in 1890.
Clifford Trafzer Clifford may refer to:
People
*Clifford (name), an English given name and surname, includes a list of people with that name
*William Kingdon Clifford
*Baron Clifford
*Baron Clifford of Chudleigh
*Baron de Clifford
*Clifford baronets
*Clifford fami ...
compiled an anthology of essays on the topic: American Indian Prophets.
Prophetic claims in religious traditions
In modern times the term "prophet" can be somewhat controversial. Many Christians with
Pentecostal or
charismatic beliefs believe in the continuation of the gift of prophecy and the continuation of the role of prophet as taught in
Ephesians 4. The content of prophecies can vary widely. Prophecies are often spoken as quotes from God. They may contain quotes from scripture, statements about the past or current situation, or predictions of the future. Prophecies can also 'make manifest the secrets' of the hearts of other people, telling about the details of their lives. Sometimes, more than one person in a congregation will receive the same message in prophecy, with one giving it before another.
Other movements claim to have prophets. In France, Michel Potay says he received a revelation, called ''The Revelation of Arès'', dictated by Jesus in 1974, then by God in 1977. He is considered a prophet by his followers, the
Pilgrims of Arès.
Claims in Abrahamic religions
Baháʼí Faith
The
Baháʼí Faith refers to what are commonly called prophets as "Manifestations of God" who are directly linked with the concept of
progressive revelation. Baháʼís believe that the will of God is expressed at all times and in many ways, including through a series of divine messengers referred to as "Manifestations of God" or "divine educators".
In expressing God's intent, these Manifestations are seen to establish religion in the world. Thus they are seen as an intermediary between God and humanity.
The Manifestations of God are not seen as incarnations of God, and are also not seen as ordinary mortals. Instead, the Baháʼí concept of the Manifestation of God emphasizes simultaneously the humanity of that intermediary and the divinity in the way they show forth the will, knowledge and attributes of God; thus they have both human and divine stations.
In addition to the Manifestations of God, there are also minor prophets. While the Manifestations of God, or major prophets, are compared to the Sun (which produces its own heat and light), minor prophets are compared to the Moon (which receives its light from the sun). Moses, for example, is taught as having been a Manifestation of God and his brother Aaron a minor prophet. Moses spoke on behalf of God, and Aaron spoke on behalf of Moses (
Exodus
Exodus or the Exodus may refer to:
Religion
* Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible
* The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan
Historical events
* Exo ...
4:14–17). Other Jewish prophets are considered minor prophets, as they are considered to have come in the shadow of the dispensation of Moses to develop and consolidate the process he set in motion.
Christianity
= Catholicism
=
A number of modern catholic saints have been claimed to have powers of prophecy, such as
Padre Pio and
Alexandrina Maria da Costa.
In addition to this many modern
Marian apparitions included prophecies in them about the world and about the local areas. The
Fátima apparition in 1917 included a prophecy given by Mary to three children, that on October 13, 1917, there would be a great miracle for all to see at
Fátima, Portugal, and on that day tens of thousands of people headed to Fátima to see what would happen including newspaper journalists. Many witnesses, including journalists, claimed to see the sun "dance" in the sky in the afternoon of that day, exactly as the visionaries had predicted several months before. The
Kibeho apparition in
Rwanda
Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...
in the 1980s included many prophecies about great violence and destruction that was coming, and the
Rwandan genocide only ten years later was interpreted by the visionaries as the fulfilment of these prophecies
Several miracles and a vision of the
identity of the last 112 Popes were attributed to
Saint Malachy, the
Archbishop of Armagh
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdio ...
(1095–1148).
= Jehovah's Witnesses
=
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...
do not consider any single person in their modern-day organization to be a prophet. Their literature has referred to their organization collectively as God's "prophet" on earth, in the sense of declaring their interpretation of God's judgments from the Bible along with the guidance of God's holy spirit. Their publishing company, the
Watch Tower Society has asserted: "Ever since ''The Watchtower'' began to be published in July 1879 it has looked ahead into the future... No, ''The Watchtower'' is no inspired prophet, but it follows and explains a Book of prophecy the predictions in which have proved to be unerring and unfailing till now. ''The Watchtower'' is therefore under safe guidance. It may be read with confidence, for its statements may be checked against that prophetic Book." They also claim they are God's only true channel to mankind on earth, and used by God for this purpose.
They have made various
false predictions, and ''The Watchtower'' has acknowledged that Jehovah's Witnesses "have made mistakes in their understanding of what would occur at the end of certain time periods."
= Latter Day Saint movement
=
Joseph Smith, who established the
Church of Christ Church of Christ may refer to:
Church groups
* When used in the plural, a New Testament designation for local groups of people following the teachings of Jesus Christ: "...all the churches of Christ greet you", Romans 16:16.
* The entire body of Ch ...
in 1830, is considered a prophet by members of the
Latter Day Saint movement, of which
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) is the largest denomination. Additionally, many churches within the movement believe in a succession of modern prophets (accepted by Latter Day Saints as "
prophets, seers, and revelators") since the time of Joseph Smith.
Russell M. Nelson is the current Prophet and President of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
= Adventism
=
Baptist preacher
William Miller is credited with beginning the mid-19th century North American religious movement now known as
Adventism. He announced a
Second Coming, resulting in the
Great Disappointment.
Seventh-day Adventist
The
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, and ...
, which was established in 1863, believes that
Ellen G. White, one of the church's founders, was given the
spiritual gift of prophecy.
Branch Davidians
The
Branch Davidians are a religious cult which was founded in 1959 by
Benjamin Roden as an offshoot of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
David Koresh, who died in the well-known
Waco Siege in 1993, claimed to be their final prophet and
"the Son of God, the Lamb" in 1983.
= Other Christian movements
=
* Montanus, founder of
Montanism, an early Christian movement of the 2nd century.
*
Bernhard Müller, also known as Count de Leon, was a German Christian mystic.
*
Emanuel Swedenborg, founder of
Swedenborgianism
The New Church (or Swedenborgianism) is any of several historically related Christian denominations that developed as a new religious group, influenced by the writings of scientist and mystic Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772).
Swedenborgian or ...
, an 18th-century Swedish scientist, philosopher, theologian, revelator, and mystic movement.
*
Hong Xiuquan, established the
heterodox Christian sect which was named the
"Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace" (; ).
*
John Alexander Dowie, a faith healer who founded the city of Zion, Illinois, and the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church.
*
Nona L. Brooks
Nona Lovell Brooks (March 22, 1861 – March 14, 1945), described as a "prophet of modern mystical Christianity", was a leader in the New Thought movement and a founder of the Church of Divine Science.
Biography
Brooks was born on March 22, 1861 ...
, described as a "prophet of modern mystical Christianity", was a founder of the Church of Divine Science.
*
William M. Branham
William Marrion Branham (April 6, 1909 – December 24, 1965) was an American Christian minister and faith healer who initiated the post-World War II healing revival, and claimed to be a prophet with the anointing of Elijah, who had come ...
, Christian minister, usually credited with founding the post-World War II
faith healing movement.
*
Gerald Flurry, founder and head of the
Philadelphia Church of God, who claimed he is 'that prophet' mentioned in
John 1:21–22.
Islam
= Ahmadiyya
=
The
Ahmadiyya movement in Islam believes that
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was a non law-bearing Prophet, who claimed to be a fulfillment of the various Islamic prophecies regarding the spiritual second advent of Jesus of Nazareth near the
end times.
= Other Islamic movements
=
*
Noble Drew Ali, Prophet and founder of the
Moorish Science Temple of America, founder of the Moorish Divine and National Movement, 1913 AD, Newark N.J.
*
Rashad Khalifa, founder of the religious group
United Submitters International (USI).
Judaic Messianism
Nathan of Gaza was a theologian and author who became famous as a prophet for the alleged messiah,
Sabbatai Zevi.
Claims in other religious traditions
*
Aleister Crowley, founder of
Thelema.
*
Lou de Palingboer, founder and figurehead of a
new religious movement in the Netherlands.
*
Mani, founder of
Manichaeism, a quasi-Gnostic movement of late antiquity.
*
Marshall Vian Summers, founder of the New Message from God religious movement.
*
Tenrikyo's prophet,
Nakayama Miki, is believed by Tenrikyoans to have been a messenger of God.
*
Zoroaster, founder of
Zoroastrianism.
Secular usage
In the late 20th century the appellation of ''prophet'' has been used to refer to individuals particularly successful at analysis in the field of economics, such as in the derogatory ''prophet of greed''. Alternatively, social commentators who suggest escalating crisis are often called ''prophets of doom.''
See also
*
Oracle
An oracle is a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. As such, it is a form of divination.
Description
The word '' ...
*
Major prophet
*
Mediumship
Mediumship is the practice of purportedly mediating communication between familiar spirits or ghost, spirits of the dead and living human beings. Practitioners are known as "mediums" or "spirit mediums". There are different types of mediumship o ...
*
Prophethood (Ahmadiyya)
The view on the Prophets of God () in Ahmadiyya theology differs significantly from Mainstream Islam. The main difference centres on the Quranic term '' Khatam an-Nabiyyin'' () with reference to Muhammad which is understood by Ahmadis in terms ...
*
Table of prophets of Abrahamic religions
References
Further reading
* Ashe, Geoffrey. 2001. ''Encyclopedia of Prophecy'', Santa Barbara, ABC-Clio.
*
* Jürgen Beyer. 2002. 'Prophezeiungen', ''Enzyklopädie des Märchens: Handwörterbuch zur historischen und vergleichenden Erzählforschung''
'N.B''.: In English renders as "Encyclopedia of the fairy tale: Handy dictionary for historical and comparative tale research" Berlin & New York: Walter de Gruyter. In vol. 10, on col. 1419–1432.
* Stacey Campbell. 2008. ''Ecstatic Prophecy''. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Chosen Books/Baker Publishing Group. .
*
Marcus Tullius Cicero. 1997. ''De divinatione.'' Trans. Arthur Stanley Pease. Darmstadt: Wissenschaflliche Buchgesellschaft.
*
* Elst, Koenraad (1993). ''Psychology of prophetism: A secular look at the Bible''. New Delhi: Voice of India.
*
Leon Festinger
Leon Festinger (8 May 1919 – 11 February 1989) was an American social psychologist who originated the theory of cognitive dissonance and social comparison theory. The rejection of the previously dominant behaviorist view of social psychol ...
,
Henry W. Riecken,
Stanley Schachter
Stanley Schachter (April 15, 1922 – June 7, 1997) was an American social psychologist, who is perhaps best known for his development of the two factor theory of emotion in 1962 along with Jerome E. Singer. In his theory he states that emotions ...
. (1956). ''When Prophecy Fails: A Social and Psychological Study of a Modern Group that Predicted the Destruction of the World''. University of Minnesota Press.
* Christopher Forbes. 1997. ''Prophecy and Inspired Speech: in Early Christianity and Its Hellenistic Environment''. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson. .
* Clifford S. Hill. 1991. ''Prophecy, Past and Present: an Exploration of the Prophetic Ministry in the Bible and the Church today''. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Vine. .
*June Helm. (1994)
''Prophecy and Power among the Dogrib Indians'' University of Nebraska Press.
*
Clifford A. Pickover
Clifford Alan Pickover (born August 15, 1957) is an American author, editor, and columnist in the fields of science, mathematics, science fiction, innovation, and creativity. For many years, he was employed at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research ...
. (2001). ''Dreaming the Future: The Fantastic Story of Prediction''. Prometheus Books.
*
James Randi. (1993). ''
The Mask of Nostradamus: Prophecies of the World's Famous Seer''. Prometheus Books.
*
H. H. Rowley. 1956. ''Prophecy and Religion in Ancient China and Israel''. New York: Harper & Brothers. vi, 154 p.
External links
Etymology of the English word "prophet"*
ttp://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=554&letter=P Entry for prophecy and prophets at the Jewish EncyclopediaProphetic Midrash: An interdenominational, multilingual list of prophets, broadly defined*
*
{{Authority control
Religious belief and doctrine