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declaration of that which cannot be known by natural means, Matt. 26:68, it is the forth-
telling of the will of God, whether with reference to the past, the present, or the future,
see Gen. 20:7; Deut. 18:18; Rev. 10:11; 11:3.…
“In such passages as 1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 2:20, the ‘prophets’ are placed after the
‘Apostles,’ since not the prophets of Israel are intended, but the ‘gifts’ of the ascended
Lord, Eph. 4:8, 11; cf. Acts 13:1; … ; the purpose of their ministry was to edify, to
comfort, and to encourage the believers, 1 Cor. 14:3, while its effect upon unbelievers
was to show that the secrets of a man’s heart are known to God, to convict of sin, and to
constrain to worship, vv. 24, 25.
“With the completion of the canon of Scripture prophecy apparently passed away, 1
Cor. 13:8, 9. In his measure the teacher has taken the place of the prophet, cf. the
significant change in 2 Pet. 2:1. The difference is that, whereas the message of the
prophet was a direct revelation of the mind of God for the occasion, the message of the
teacher is gathered from the completed revelation contained in the Scriptures.”*
B. Adjective.
(
$
, 4397), “of or relating to prophecy,” or “proceeding from a
prophet, prophetic,” is used of the OT Scriptures, Rom. 16:26, “of the prophets,” lit.,
“(by) prophetic (Scriptures)”; 2 Pet. 1:19, “the word of prophecy (
more sure),” i.e.,
confirmed by the person and work of Christ (
KJV
, “a more sure, etc.”), lit., “the prophetic
word.Ӧ
C. Verb.
$
(
$
"
, 4395), “to be a prophet, to prophesy,” is used (a) with the
primary meaning of telling forth the divine counsels, e.g., Matt. 7:22; 26:68; 1 Cor. 11:4,
5; 13:9; 14:1, 3-5, 24, 31, 39; Rev. 11:3; (b) of foretelling the future, e.g., Matt. 15:7;
John 11:51; 1 Pet. 1:10; Jude 14.
PROPHET
1.
(
$ )
, 4396), “one who speaks forth or openly” (see
PROPHECY
, A),
“a proclaimer of a divine message,” denoted among the Greeks an interpreter of the
oracles of the gods.
In the Sept. it is the translation of the word
, “a seer”; 1 Sam. 9:9, indicating that
the “prophet” was one who had immediate intercourse with God. It also translates the
word
, meaning “either one in whom the message from God springs forth” or “one
to whom anything is secretly communicated.” Hence, in general, “the prophet” was one
upon whom the Spirit of God rested, Num. 11:17-29, one, to whom and through whom
God speaks, Num. 12:2; Amos 3:7, 8. In the case of the OT prophets their messages were
very largely the proclamation of the divine purposes of salvation and glory to be
accomplished in the future; the “prophesying” of the NT “prophets” was both a preaching
of the divine counsels of grace already accomplished and the foretelling of the purposes
of God in the future.
In the NT the word is used (a) of “the OT prophets,” e.g., Matt. 5:12; Mark 6:15;
Luke 4:27; John 8:52; Rom. 11:3; (b) of “prophets in general,” e.g., Matt. 10:41; 21:46;
Mark 6:4; (c) of “John the Baptist,” Matt. 21:26; Luke 1:76; (d) of “prophets in the
* From
Notes on Thessalonians
by Hogg and Vine. pp. 196, l97.