Apologetics
Characteristics of Prophets
1. Prophetic calling was essential for a prophet to claim his/her ministry. This concept involves a divine call from God to the prophet, coupled with his/her awareness of that call into the prophetic ministry. This awareness was always initiated by God and was consciously secured by the prophet.
2. The prophet's primary function was to serve as God's mouthpiece. The Bible's prophets were distinctively gifted to hear and communicate God's message to others. The Old Testament applied the title "seer" to the prophets, which indicated their ability to perceive hidden things, whether present or future. But while receiving messages from God was important, prophets were divinely obligated to communicate their messages to others (JER 1:7, 17; EZE 3:4). At times the welfare of others, even a nation, was directly associated with the prophet's warning them with God's message (EZE 3:17-18).
3. Prophets maintained a close relationship with God. This relationship is best described by the prophetic title, "man of God," and is repeated seventy-six times in the Old Testament. The true prophet was literally bound up with God. Genesis 20:7 speaks of this unique relationship when God says of Abraham: "he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live" (GEN 20:7, NASU). The Lord emphasized the need for a close relationship when He rebuked Israel's prophets for not "standing in His council" (JER 23:18-23), thus rendering them incapable of accurately prophesying. This relationship is further attested to in contrast to the manner that Old Testament priests assumed their position, that is, by descent; and in contrast to the manner that New Testament elders could be appointed to govern churches (Titus 1:5). God alone appointed and ordained prophets into their prophetic ministry.
4. The prophet's ministry was directly related to the Holy Spirit. The revelation and power of prophetic ministry came directly from the Holy Spirit's presence upon the prophet and nothing was more important because without the Spirit the prophet's ministry was powerless. Moses expressed the interconnection between the Spirit and prophet when he said: "I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets and that He would put his Spirit on them" (NUM 11:29). The prophet's divinely inspired Old Testament utterances were so connected to the Spirit that Peter said "no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God" (2PE 1:21, NASU). The prophetic phrase "come upon" or "came upon" is used frequently to describe the Spirit's pronounced presence upon the prophets.
5. God often temporarily sequestered Biblical prophets from the masses. Moses, Elijah, and John the Baptist spent time in desert places and it helped form their character and shape their message. The desert isolated them from the masses and stood them only in God's presence where they heard His voice without distraction. Their isolation from others also forced dependence upon God to meet their needs.
Conclusion. An examination of the prophets of Scripture reveals that God required them to understand their calling. They were God's mouthpiece; His close associate; men of the Spirit; and separated unto God.
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