The prophets were the people who delivered God's message awl will to the people of Israel, His chosen and special people. God called, anointed and commissioned them as His spokespersons to the people of Israel.

Therefore, the message that the Israelites received from the prophets was that of God. This means that a prophet is a person who speaks on behalf of God after having received His vision. The true prophets in Israel could only speak if God had spoken to them and they were quiet when God was quiet.

The prophets in Israel received their visions or calls from God in dramatic ways that explained the' relationship between God and His chosen people.

The prophetic era in Israel traces its origin to the periods of the exodus events beginning with Moses and Aaron. As promised to their ancestor Abraham, the Israelites found themselves in a foreign land, Egypt. They were eventually enslaved.

However, the desperate situations led to an outcry. In response, God raised Moses and sent him to the Egyptian king to begin the liberation process of His own people (Exodus 3: 10). God even promised to give Moses what to say and that he would be like God himself (Exodus 4:11-16).

The prophets in Israel were concerned with the people's relationship with their God as established during the Sinai Covenant. As the people settled in the Promised Land, they turned against the covenant relationship thus God wanted to see them repent and turn back to the relationship hitherto.

TYPES OF PROPHETS

Court Prophets

These were prophets based and who worked in the palace of the kings of Israel. They acted as advisors to the Kings. For example, Samuel worked during the reign of King Saul, Nathan during David's reign and Elijah during the disastrous reign of Ahab.

Minor Prophets

These were prophets with relatively brief or short messages in terms of chapters or volume. They included Amos, Hosea and Joel among others.

Major Prophets

These were prophets with extensive or broad writing or message in respect to their chapters or volume. In other words, they have more chapters as compared to the Minor Prophets. The examples include Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

Pre-Canonical Prophets

These are also referred to as non-canonical prophets. Their work or messages were recorded down and preserved in the historical books of 1 Kings and 2 Kings without bearing their names. Such prophets include Nathan, Elijah and Micaiah among others.

Canonical Prophets

These were prophets whose messages or words were preserved in writing in the books bearing their names thus they form part of the Old Testament books. They include Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

Pre- exilic Prophets

These were prophets whose prophetic ministries came before Israel was taken into exile in Babylonia. They warned the people about their sinfulness, called them to repentance and prophesied exile as a punishment for their failure to listen to turn back to God. These prophets include Amos, Isaiah and Jeremiah among others.

Exilic Prophets

These were prophets who worked when Israel and Judah were in exile in Babylonia. Some of them were among those living in exile. The Lord sent them to the exiles who were now thinking that they had been forsaken thus they had to comfort the people with messages of hope. For example, Ezekiel received the Lord's vision in the fourth year of Israel's exile in Babylonia. Isaiah was also sent when the desperate exiles lived in a state of hopelessness.

Post Exilic Prophets

These were prophets who worked after Judah and Israel had left exile and returned home to their land. For example, prophets like Ezra and Isaiah. Isaiah's work became more pronounced after exile for the people still needed God's re-assurance that he would fulfill the promises he had made while they were in exile.

True Prophets

These were prophets who received their calls or visions from God. They were anointed and sent to Israel. These prophets delivered on the words they received from God. They included Nathan, Elijah, Amos, Isaiah and Jeremiah.

False Prophets or Professional

These were self styled and self appointed prophets. They invented their own visions thus God did not have a hand in calling and anointing them. For example Zedekiah who worked during the reign of King Ahab and Hananiah during the prophetic ministry of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 28: 1 ff).

CHARACTERISTICS OF TRUE PROPHETS

These prophets received their visions or calls from God who sent them to the people of Israel with His message.

They defended the covenant faith. They were concerned with and called upon Israel to observe her covenant relationship with God.

They were equipped with the power and the will of God thus they could perform miracles like Elijah multiplied a handful of flour and a drop oil and raised a widow's son during his first exile life (1 Kings 17: 12-23).

Their prophesies were fulfilled or came to pass either during their life time or after they had passed on.

They defended the monotheistic faith of Israel as they encouraged the people to worship only God.

Their actions or morality were in line with what they preached. This meant that they maintained high moral standards to which they urged the people of Israel to embrace.

They condemned the sinfulness of the people of Israel without fear or favour. For example, Amos condemned priest Amaziah without fear.

True prophets were usually persecuted because of Gods messages which the people mistook to be against them. For example, prophet Jeremiah was persecuted by Priest Pashhur for his message about the destruction of the Jerusalem temple and the deportation of the people in exile (Jeremiah 20: 1 ff).

They called upon the people of Israel to repent their sins and turn back to God in order for them to be forgiven and spared.

True prophets could only speak after God had spoken to them. This meant that they were quiet when God was quiet.

They pronounced God's judgement and destruction on the people of Israel because of their continuous disobedience and sinfulness.

They had the ability to predict the future. They could tell events ahead of them and indeed they could eventually be fulfilled.

True prophets had the wisdom and ability to identify false prophets thus they guided people against false prophesies (Jeremiah 28: 1 ff and 1 Kings 22: 1 ff).

True prophets worked for free and were thus not interested in any form of payment. For example, Elisha refused a gift from Naaman, a Syrian official who was cured of leprosy.

Their words were not final and decisive. They could predict punishment but with a promise that such a punishment could be withdrawn if the people repented.

They emphasized God's holiness, His majesty, justice and righteousness to which they urged the people to embrace.

True prophets worked peacefully with each other. This was majorly because their messages were from the same source, God.

They worked without fear of favour like Amos who pronounced judgement on priest Amaziah for having interfered with his work in the northern kingdom.

CHARACTERISTIC OF FALSE PROPHETS

The false prophets were self styled and self appointed or imposed prophets among the Israelites.

False prophets contradicted the teachings of true prophets. They could speak the opposite of what the true prophets had spoken.

False prophets could only predict a bright future in order to please the people and their leaders. Zedekiah prophesied victory for King Ahab in the war against Syria but Israel was badly defeated (1 Kings 22: 1 ff).

False prophets were always concerned with their personal gains, favour and popularity. False prophets were immoral. They supported evil practices like temple prostitution and cheating of customers among others.

They passed on the profession from generation to generation. The sons could inherit their father's work.

False prophets had no knowledge of the past, the present and the future. This meant that their prophesies were based on guess work.

They could easily withdraw from the public especially in the events of difficulties like persecution.

False prophets were always invited to speak particularly by kings. For example, King Ahab invited Zedekiah to tell him what was going to happen in the war with Syria.

False prophets contradicted one another. They could disagree and conflict with one another in respect to their predictions.

They were always oppressive and could persecute the true prophets of God. For example, Zedekiah persecuted Prophet Micaiah during the reign of King Ahab.

False prophets were always rebellious against God and were men who never followed the Mosaic tradition.

Revision Question

What evidence is there to show the existence of professional or false prophets in Uganda today?

•              They are always quarrelling among themselves.

•              They tend to contradict each other's teaching.

•              They tend to use magic and witchcraft to back up their teaching

•              They compete for more followers using adverts.

•              They demand for donations including money.

•              Some are immoral as they can rape and steal.

•              They possess luxuries like posh cars.

•              Some tell lies

•              Others pretended to possessed by the Holy Spirit.

•              They tend to copy their preaching from each other.

•              Some use modern electronic gadgets to perform miracles.

•              They tend to put up their own churches after disagreement with the mother church.

•              They are always interested in gaining popularity as they tend to seek public attention.

•              They are cowards in the events of hardship.