Prophet

. Original meanings of prophet in the Bible

1. In Old Testament

   1. 5030. nabi

   2. Strong's Concordance

      1. nabi: a spokesman, speaker, prophet

      2. Original Word: נָבִיא

      3. Part of Speech: Noun Masculine

      4. Transliteration: nabi

      5. Phonetic Spelling: (naw-bee')

      6. Definition: a spokesman, speaker, prophet

2. In New Testament

   1. 4396. prophétés

   2. Strong's Concordance

      1. prophétés: a prophet (an interpreter or forth-teller of the divine will)

      2. Original Word: προφήτης, ου, ὁ

      3. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine

      4. Transliteration: prophétés

      5. Phonetic Spelling: (prof-ay'-tace)

      6. Definition: a prophet (an interpreter or forth-teller of the divine will)

      7. Usage: a prophet, poet; a person gifted at expositing divine truth.

   3. HELPS Word-studies

      1. Cognate: 4396 prophḗtēs (from 4253 /pró, "beforehand" and 5346 /phēmí, "elevating/asserting one idea over another, especially through the spoken-word") – properly, one who speaks forth by the inspiration of God; a prophet. See 4394 (prophēteia).

      2. A prophet (4396 /prophḗtēs) declares the mind (message) of God, which sometimes predicts the future (foretelling) – and more commonly, speaks forth His message for a particular situation. 4396 /prophḗtēs ("a prophet") then is someone inspired by God to foretell or tell-forth (forthtell) the Word of God.

Biblical meaning of prophet (with verses)

In Old Testament God raised up key prophets for His will and purpose.

1. Abraham in the age of patriarchs.

   1. Now then, return the mans wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours."(Genesis 20:7 ESV)

2. Moses in the age of the law.

   1. "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—(Deuteronomy 18:15 ESV)

   2. And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face,(Deuteronomy 34:10 ESV)

3. Samuel in the age of transition.

   1. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord .(1 Samuel 3:20 ESV)

4. David in the age of the kingdom.

5. Prophets (authors of the prophets) during the time of the decline, the captivity and the restoration of God’s people

   1. Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, "What did these men say? And from where did they come to you?" Hezekiah said, "They have come to me from a far country, from Babylon."(Isaiah 39:3 ESV)

   2. "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."(Jeremiah 1:5 ESV)

   3. The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.(Habakkuk 1:1 ESV)

   4. Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet,(Haggai 1:3 ESV)

   5. In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying,(Zechariah 1:1 ESV)

In New Testament God desires that all His children to be perfected as His corporate prophethood to fulfill the function of prophesying for building up of His church.

1. Jesus Christ set Himself as a model of a profit by His person, His living and His work.

   1. "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.(Matthew 5:17 ESV)

2. Jesus Christ has entrusted His servants to perfect His believers to be the prophets in the churches through their pursuit in spiritual riches, their growth in life, their experience in human living and their vision and commitment of the church testimony.

   1. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,(Ephesians 2:19-20 ESV)

   2. And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,(Ephesians 4:11-13 ESV)

先知的意义

1. 先知（指作先知的人）是基督赐给教会的恩赐；（弗四11；）同时作先知说话（指作先知的本能），是基督赐给信徒个人的恩赐。（林前十二10，十四1。）基督所赐给教会的，是作先知的人；基督所赐给信徒个人的，是作先知说话的恩赐，就是作先知的本能。基督把作先知的恩赐，赐给信徒个人，叫他们能作先知说话，再把有先知恩赐，能作先知说话的人，当作恩赐，赐给教会，使教会得建造。所以，就他们这些人说，他们是基督所赐给教会的恩赐；就他们所得的本能说，是基督所赐给他们个人的恩赐。

先知的职责

1. 先知乃是神的代言人，替神说话，说出神来，有时也豫言。根据圣经，作先知主要不是豫言将来的事，乃是为神说话。例如出埃及三章与四章，当摩西被神呼召的时候，他对神说，他是拙口笨舌的人。（四10。）神就把亚伦赐给摩西作他的先知。（四14～16，七1，原文。）亚伦不是为摩西说豫言，乃是替摩西说话。在全本圣经中，作先知是重在为神说话，并且说出神来，有时，也说豫言。但说豫言是次要的。这是圣经中，作先知的正确意义。

2. 先知又称先见。撒上九章九节：“从前以色列中，若有人去问神，就说，我们问先见去罢；现在称为先知的，从前称为先见。”

先知的职事

1. 带进神的启示

   1. 先知的职事乃是带进神的启示。他们在教会中不只替神说话，也说出神来，有时也为神说豫言，为要造就教会。有时他们藉着圣灵属灵的能力，平常的替神说话，并说出神来；（罗十二6，“说豫言”更好繙作“作先知说话”；）有时他们是受到圣灵神奇的能力，而灵感的替神说豫言。（林前十二10，“作先知”更好繙作“作先知说豫言”。）这两面都是先知在圣灵的能力里，替神说话。所以都有神的权威，都能使人得着从神来的启示，有时也能使不信的人得到益处。（林前十四24～25。）

2. 造就信徒，并建造教会

   1. 先知是地方教会中最大的恩赐，最能使一个地方教会得到建造的，就是先知。（林前十四4～5。）在地方教会的聚会里，最能使教会得到属灵供应的，乃是作先知替神说话。使徒如何是为着宇宙教会最大的职分，先知也如何是为着地方教会最大的恩赐。因此，圣经才说，教会乃是被建造在使徒和先知的根基上。（弗二20。）

   2. 先知虽然是为着地方教会的，但因着他们有替神说话的恩赐，使他们无论走到那里，都能作先知建造信徒和教会。就像亚迦布、西拉和犹大，他们都在耶路撒冷教会中作先知，当他们到了安提阿或是该撒利亚，也都能作先知替神说话。（徒十一27～28，二一8～11，十五22，30，32。）

由旧约的摩西说出：

1. 『惟愿耶和华的百姓都是先知（为神说话）。』—民十一29

由新约的保罗说出：

1. 『你们都能一个一个的作先知说话。』—林前十四31