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“Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). Who were the prophets of the Bible, and what do their messages mean for us? And how does God work through His chosen representatives?

Home \ Prophecy \ Prophets Article URL: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/prophets/prophets-of-the-bible/ Prophets of the Bible by Chris Moen Share “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). Who were the prophets of the Bible, and what do their messages mean for us? And how does God work through His chosen representatives? We must respect the message of the prophets of the Bible. From the beginning of mankind’s history, God revealed Himself as the Creator of all things. Noting this point, Paul wrote: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead” (Romans 1:20). The marvelous miracle of life is all around us, as well as the fascinating array of planets, moons, stars and galaxies in the universe that reveal God’s handiwork. In addition to this physical evidence of God’s existence, He has through the ages appointed prophets to reveal His character, His will and His wonderful purpose for humanity. How God reveals Himself There are several ways God reveals His will to humans: Through messages He gives to His prophets by direct communication, visions or dreams or as delivered by angels. Through direct signs and miracles. Through His written Word, the Holy Scriptures, the Bible. Through the influence of the Holy Spirit on the individual Christian’s mind and heart. The reason God communicates with humans is because He has a plan that continues to be carried out. He explains, “For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure’” (Isaiah 46:9-10). In the New Testament, Paul explained that God reveals His mysteries to His prophets by revelation through the Holy Spirit and that the Holy Spirit speaks “expressly” or clearly regarding this information from God (John 16:13; Acts 28:25; 1 Timothy 4:1). God announced to the Israelites how He would speak through prophets saying, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream” (Numbers 12:6). The prophet Jeremiah stated, “Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: ‘Behold, I have put My words in your mouth’” (Jeremiah 1:9). This principle of God providing the message and the prophet or prophetess then delivering it as God’s messenger is the standard process throughout the Bible. What were the prophets to do with the messages? When a prophet received a revelation from God, he was obligated to share the message with the intended audience, which could be for contemporaries of the prophet or for people hundreds or even thousands of years into the future. Many of the prophets recorded the words they were given, and some of these writings God preserved as Holy Scripture. The prophets of God often faced opposition when they were instructed to deliver messages of warning, but they were not permitted to shy away. The prophet Jeremiah expressed how it felt to deliver messages from God warning the sinful leaders of Judah to repent of their sins. He was not allowed to keep God’s words to himself, saying, “But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not” (Jeremiah 20:9). God told the prophet Amos to record: “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken! Who can but prophesy?” (Amos 3:7-8). In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Paul wrote, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (emphasis added throughout). The phrase “by inspiration of God” comes from the Greek word theopneustos, meaning “God-breathed.” Put another way, no human being put his own ideas into the Bible. Everything came directly from God. The phrase “by inspiration of God” comes from the Greek word theopneustos, meaning “God-breathed.” Put another way, no human being put his own ideas into the Bible. Everything came directly from God. God’s inspired writings give spiritual light and guidance to mankind. The book of Proverbs describes this vital knowledge as revelation, saying, “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint” (Proverbs 29:18). Another Bible translation of this verse adds additional emphasis: “Where there is no vision [spiritual guidance], the people perish” (King James Version). What about Christ and the apostles? The book of Hebrews explains that while God had spoken through the prophets in the Old Testament, He had more recently, “in these last days,” spoken through His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2...