Prophetic inspiration: Isaiah's Lips Anointed with Fire, by Benjamin West

In religion, a prophet (or prophetess) is a person who has encountered the supernatural or the divine and serves as an intermediary with humanity. Benjamin West RA ( October 10, 1738 – March 11, 1820) was an Anglo - American painter of historical A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos The term supernatural or supranatural ( Latin: super, supra "above" + natura "nature" pertains to entities events Divinity and divine (sometimes 'the Divinity' or 'the Divine' are broadly applied but loosely defined terms used variously within different faiths and belief systems — ^[1][2]

Claims of prophets have existed in many cultures through history, including Judaism, Zoroaster in Persia, the Sybilline and Delphic Oracles practices in Ancient Greece, Christianity, Islam, the Völuspá in Old Norse, and many others. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Zoroaster ( Latinized from Greek variants) or Zarathushtra (from Avestan Zaraθuštra) also referred to as Zartosht (زرتشت The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia The word sibyl probably comes (via Latin) from the Greek word sibylla, meaning Prophetess (Other schools of thought suggest that the word Delphi ( Greek,) ( pronounce and dialectal forms) is an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Völuspá ( Prophecy of the Völva) is the first and best known poem of the Poetic Edda. Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age Traditionally, prophets are regarded as having a role in society that promotes change due to their messages and actions. The label 'prophet' can be extremely subjective; without exception, a person considered a 'true' prophet by some people is simultaneously considered a false prophet by some others. The meaning of the word truth extends from Honesty, Good faith, and Sincerity in general to agreement with Fact or Reality In Religion, the term false prophet is a label given to a person who is viewed as illegitimately claiming Charismatic authority within a Religious group

In the late 20th century the appellation of a 'prophet' has been used to refer to individuals particularly successful at analysis in the field of economics, such as in the derogatory 'prophet of greed'.

Alternatively, social commentators who suggest escalating crisis in environment and society due to a lack or failure of due care are often referred to as 'prophets of doom. '[1]

Judaism

Main article: Tanakh

In Judaism, a prophet is seen as a person who is selected by, and speaks as a formal representative of God, and the intention of the message is always to effect a social change to conform to God's desired standards initially specified in the Torah dictated to Moses. See also Old testament, Septuagint, Targum, Peshitta The Tanakh (תַּנַ"ךְ (taˈnax or; also Tenakh or Tenak is Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ

In Hebrew, the word traditionally translated as prophet is נְבִיא (navi), which means "spokesperson". ^[3] This forms the second of the three letters of TaNaKh, derived from Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim. The meaning of navi is perhaps described in Deuteronomy 18:18, where God said, "I will put my words in his mouth and he will speak to them all that I command him. Deuteronomy (Greek deuteronomion, Δευτερονόμιον "second law" is the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible and of the Old Testament God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. " Thus, the navi was thought to be the "mouth" of God. The root nun-bet-alef ("navi") is based on the two-letter root nun-bet which denotes hollowness or openness; to receive transcendental wisdom, one must make oneself “open”. Cf. Rashbam's comment to Genesis 20:7. Rashbam (רשב"ם is a Hebrew acronym for רבי שמואל בן מאיר (Rabbi Shmuel son of Meir) (c

Fully a third of the TaNaKh is devoted to books about prophetic experience including a separate book of ‘minor’ prophets known as The Twelve Prophets (Trei-Assar) .

According to I Samuel 9:9, the old name for navi is ro'eh, ראה, which literally means "Seer". The Books of Samuel ( Hebrew: Sefer Sh'muel ספר שמואל are part of the Tanakh (part of Judaism 's Hebrew Bible) and also of That could document an ancient shift, from viewing prophets as seers for hire to viewing them as moral teachers. Allen (1971) comments that in the First Temple Era, there were essentially seer-priests, who formed a guild, divined, performed rituals and sacrifices, and were scribes, and then there were canonical prophets, who did none of these (and were against divination) and had instead a message to deliver. The seer-priests were usually attached to a local shrine or temple, such as Shiloh, and initiated others as priests in that priesthood: it was a mystical craft-guild with apprentices and recruitment. Canonical prophets were not organised this way. The similar term "ben-navi" ("son of the prophet") means "member of a seer-priest guild".

Some examples of prophets in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) include Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Miriam, Isaiah, Samuel, Ezekiel, Malachi, and Job. See also Old testament, Septuagint, Targum, Peshitta The Tanakh (תַּנַ"ךְ (taˈnax or; also Tenakh or Tenak is Abraham ( Ashkenazi   Avrohom or Avruhom; ابراهيم, {{Unicode|Ibrāhīm}}; Ge'ez: Sarah (; Arabic: سارة, Sārah; "a woman of high rank" is the wife of Abraham as described in the Hebrew Bible Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ Miriam ( but it might be derived originally from an Egyptian name myr "beloved" or mr "Love" or even Meryamun "beloved of Amun" Isaiah (; Greek:, Ēsaiās; Arabic: اشعیاء, Ash-ee-yaa; "Salvation of/is YHWH " is Samuel ( Hebrew: שְׁמוּאֵל, Standard Šəmuʼel Tiberian Šəmûʼēl) is an important According to religious texts Ezekiel ((יְחֶזְקֵאל Yehezkel, jəx Malachi or Mal'achi ( was a Prophet in the Bible, the Christian Old Testament and Jewish Tanakh. Jobe (/'dʒoʊb/; Arabic: أَيُّوبٌ,) is a character in the Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible, as well as a prophet In Jewish tradition, Daniel is not counted in the list of prophets. Daniel (; Persian: دانيال, Dâniyal or Danial, also Dani, داني; Arabic: دانيال

A Jewish tradition suggests that there were 600,000 male and 600,000 female prophets. Judaism recognizes the existence of 48 male prophets who bequeathed permanent messages to mankind. [2] According to the Talmud there were also seven women who are counted as prophets whose message bears relevance for all generations: Sarah, Miriam, Devorah, Hannah (mother of the prophet Samuel), Abigail (a wife of King David), Huldah (from the time of Jeremiah), and Esther. The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history Sarah (; Arabic: سارة, Sārah; "a woman of high rank" is the wife of Abraham as described in the Hebrew Bible Miriam ( but it might be derived originally from an Egyptian name myr "beloved" or mr "Love" or even Meryamun "beloved of Amun" See also Biblical judges Book of Judges List of women warriors in folklore literature and popular culture Hannah is a personal name also spelt Hanna or Hana, deriving from the Hebrew language חַנָּה (Channah meaning "He (God has favoured me/favours me (i Samuel ( Hebrew: שְׁמוּאֵל, Standard Šəmuʼel Tiberian Šəmûʼēl) is an important Abigail ( is a female name occurring in Biblical narratives from the Books of Samuel, and reflected in the Books of Chronicles. David, Arabic: داوود or داود dawud, "beloved" was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible Huldah was a Prophetess mentioned briefly in II Kings, Chapter 22 and Books of Chronicles 2 Chapter 34 Jeremiah ( jirmɛ'jahu; Septuagint Greek: Ἰερεμίας was one of the 'greater prophets ' of the Hebrew Bible. Esther ( born Hadassah, is a queen of Persian Empire in the Hebrew Bible, the queen of Ahasuerus (traditionally identified with Artaxerxes

Malachi's full name was Ezra Ha'Sofer (the scribe), and he was the last prophet of Israel if one accepts the opinion that Nechemyah died in Babylon before 9th Tevet 3448 (313 BCE). Babylonian Talmud, vol. San. 11a, Yom. 9a/Yuch. 1. 14/Kuz. 3. 39,65,67/Yuch. 1/Mag. Av. O. C. 580. 6 

See also

• False Prophet for a definition of false prophet in Judaism. In Religion, the term false prophet is a label given to a person who is viewed as illegitimately claiming Charismatic authority within a Religious group
• Shouters, a type of Jewish Prophet

Divine Pathos

In his book The Prophets, Abraham Joshua Heschel describes the unique aspect of the Jewish prophets as compared to other similar figures. Shouters may be the literal translation of the Hebrew term Neb'im (See Abraham Joshua Heschel The Prophets for a critique of this view Abraham Joshua Heschel ( January 11, 1907 – December 23, 1972) was a Warsaw-born American Rabbi and one of the leading Whereas other nations have soothsayers and diviners who attempt to discover the will of their gods, according to Heschel the Hebrew prophets are characterized by their experience of what he calls theotropism — God turning towards humanity. Heschel argues for the view of Hebrew prophets as receivers of the "Divine Pathos," of the wrath and sorrow of God over his nation that has forsaken him. Pathos (ˈpeɪːθɒs ( πάθος) is one of the three Modes of persuasion in Rhetoric (along with Ethos and Logos)

He writes:

Prophecy is the voice that God has lent to the silent agony, a voice to the plundered poor, to the profane riches of the world. It is a form of living, a crossing point of God and man. God is raging in the prophet's words. (The Prophets Ch. 1)

Christianity

Christians share the Jewish belief that a prophet is a person who speaks for God, in the name of God, and who carries God's message to others. Some Christian denominations teach that a person who receives a personal message not intended for the body of believers (where such an event is credited at all) should not be termed a prophet. Church (disambiguation A religious denomination is a subgroup within a Religion that operates under a common name tradition and identity The reception of a message is termed revelation; the delivery of the message is termed prophecy. Revelation is the act of revealing or disclosing (see etymology or in the theological perception making something obvious and clearly understood through active or passive communication Prophecy, generally describes the disclosing of Information that is not known to the Prophet by any ordinary means For Christians the authenticity of a prophet is judged as Jesus said that one should judge a prophet, by his fruits (Gospel of Matthew 7) and by checking whether his predictions come true. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) In the Gospel of St Matthew, the Sermon on the Mount is a compilation of Jesus' sayings epitomizing his moral teaching. Deuteronomy 18:21-22 contains several warnings about false prophets and is very specific about the test of whether a prophet is true or false. Deuteronomy (Greek deuteronomion, Δευτερονόμιον "second law" is the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible and of the Old Testament A false prophet is considered to be someone who is purposely trying to deceive, or is delusional, or is under the influence of Satan (for detail, see main article False prophet). In Religion, the term false prophet is a label given to a person who is viewed as illegitimately claiming Charismatic authority within a Religious group

Christians recognize that anyone they consider prophetic is still human and fallible, and may make wrong decisions, have incorrect personal beliefs or opinions, and sin from time to time; the human characteristics of a prophet are independent of the message God has given him and do not negate the validity of his prophecies.

Nevertheless, some Christians believe the minimum requirements of a true prophet can be summarized as follows: (1) Clear (not vague) prophecies (2) 100% accuracy in prophesying (i. e. one false prophecy is all it takes to disqualify them as a prophet), and (3) Must not contradict the Bible.

Many Christians believe these standards create a conundrum for other Christians who actively support high profile ministers who have large followings who claim to have received prophecies that have later turned out to be mistaken (see Unfulfilled historical predictions by Christians). This page attempts to list time-specific historical predictions (or Prophecy) by claimed Prophets or leaders within various churches whose predictions failed to happen Other Christians claim that these standards would disqualify several Biblical prophets, whose prophecies, though clearly stated, appear to be unfulfilled (Jonah 3:4, 2 Samuel 7:5-17, Judges 13:5). Some sects of Christianity would also use these guidelines to disqualify the heads of other sects as prophets of God.

Some Christians, including many who believe in dispensationalism, believe prophecy ended with the coming of Jesus, who delivered the "fullness of the law. Dispensationalism is a Christian theological view of history and Biblical interpretation that became popular during the 1800s and early 1900s and is Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) " Within this group, many Protestants believe that prophecy ended with the last of the Hebrew prophets of the Torah of the Hebrew Bible, leaving a gap of about 400 years between then and the life of Jesus. term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to The majority, including the Eastern Orthodox, allow an exception for John the Baptist as a prophet contemporary with Jesus. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Saint John the Baptist ( heb. Jochanan ben Sacharja, arab. يحيى Yaḥyā or يوحنا Yūḥanna, aram.

New Testament passages that explicitly discuss prophets existing after the death and resurrection of Christ include Revelation 11:10, Matthew 10:40-41 & 23:34, John 13:20 & 15:20, and Acts 11:25-30, 13:1 & 15:32. Christians believe that the Holy Spirit leads people to faith in Jesus and gives them the ability to lead a Christian life and to give gifts (i. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings e. abilities) to Christians. These may include the charismatic gifts such as prophecy, tongues, healing, and knowledge. Religious meaning A charism (plural charismata. From the Greek charis - grace the divine influence on the receiver's heart and its reflection in his Prophecy, generally describes the disclosing of Information that is not known to the Prophet by any ordinary means Glossolalia is commonly called "speaking in tongues" For other uses of "speaking in tongues" see Speaking in Tongues (disambiguation. Christians holding a view known as cessationism believe these gifts were given only in New Testament times and ceased after the last apostle died. In Christian Theology, cessationism is the view that the Charismatic Gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as tongues, Prophecy Historical records, however, contradict this theory. Christians almost universally agree that "spiritual gifts" such as the gifts of ministry, teaching, giving, leadership, and mercy (see, e. Spiritual gifts (or Charismata, according to some Christian denominations such as Pentecostal, are gifts that are bestowed on Christians each having his or her g. Romans 12:6-8) are still in effect today.

Islam

Main article: Prophet of Islam

The Qur'an identifies a number of men as Prophets of Islam (Arabic: nabee نبي ; pl. Muslims regard as Prophets of Islam ( Arabic: نبي) those non-divine humans chosen by Allah as Prophets The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language anbiyaa أنبياء ). Muslims believe such individuals were assigned a special mission by God (Arabic: Allah) to guide humanity. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Allah ( Arabic: الله, ʔalˤːɑːh) is the standard Arabic word for ' Besides Muhammad, this includes Tanakh prophets such as Moses and David, and Jesus from the Christian religion. IMPORTANT PLEASE READ ##### For all questions relating to the addition of (pbuh peace be upon him or other honorifics See also Old testament, Septuagint, Targum, Peshitta The Tanakh (תַּנַ"ךְ (taˈnax or; also Tenakh or Tenak is Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ David, Arabic: داوود or داود dawud, "beloved" was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE)

According to the Islamic creed, the essence of all the prophets’ messages is what Islam calls for: worshipping God alone and rejecting false deities. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. The message of Islam resembles the messages of all previous prophets of God. The Qur'an states: "Abraham was not a Jew nor a Christian, but he was (an) upright (man), a Muslim (submission to God's will), and he was not one of the polytheists" (^{[Qur'an 3:67]}). The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran There were at least 4 Sharia which were revealed to Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Noah (or Noe, Noach;; Nūḥ; Arabic: نوح; "Rest") was according to the Bible, the tenth and last of Abraham ( Ashkenazi   Avrohom or Avruhom; ابراهيم, {{Unicode|Ibrāhīm}}; Ge'ez: Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Each of the prophets is believed to have been assigned a special mission by God (Arabic: Allah) to guide the whole or a group of the mankind, depending on the mission assigned to each. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Allah ( Arabic: الله, ʔalˤːɑːh) is the standard Arabic word for '

God is believed to have instructed each of these prophets to warn his community against evil and urge his people to obey God. Although only 25 prophets are mentioned by name in the Qur'an, a Hadith (no. Hadith ( ar الحديث, pl aḥadīth; lit. "narrative" are oral Traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Islamic 21257 in Musnad Ibn Hanbal) mentions that there were 124,000 of them in total throughout history, and the Qur'an says that God has sent a prophet to every group of people throughout time, and that Muhammad is the last of the Prophets. Ahmed ibn Hanbal ( Arabic: ‏‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎أحمد بن حنبل‏‎‎‎‏‎‎‎ ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ Ahmad bin Hanbal) (780 - The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran (^{[Qur'an 16:36]}) In general, Muslims regard the stories of the Qur'an as historical. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran History is the study of the past particularly the written record Those who study history as a Profession are called Historians Etymology The message of all the prophets is believed to be the same. Many of these prophets are also found in the texts of Judaism (The Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings; collectively known as the Old Testament to Christians) and Christianity. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings ^[4]

While Islam shares the Jewish tradition that the first prophet is Adam, it differs in that the last prophet is Muhammad, who in Islam is called Seal of the Prophets. See also Adam and Eve Adam ( Hebrew: אָדָם was according to a literal interpretation of Genesis, the first man created by IMPORTANT PLEASE READ ##### For all questions relating to the addition of (pbuh peace be upon him or other honorifics Seal of the Prophets ( ar خاتم اﻟﻨﺒﻴﻴﻦ Khatim-an-Nabiyyin) is a title given to Muhammad by a verse in the Qur'an. Jesus is the result of a virgin birth in Islam as in Christianity, and is regarded as a prophet like the others. Etymology The Anglicized name of Jesus is derived from the Latin Iēsus, which in turn comes from the Greek (Iēsoûs The virgin birth of Jesus is a religious Tenet of Christianity and Islam which holds that Mary miraculously conceived Jesus while ^[5] Traditionally, five prophets are regarded as especially important in Islam with distinctive title were given to each of them for example: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. Noah (or Noe, Noach;; Nūḥ; Arabic: نوح; "Rest") was according to the Bible, the tenth and last of Abraham ( Ashkenazi   Avrohom or Avruhom; ابراهيم, {{Unicode|Ibrāhīm}}; Ge'ez: Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) IMPORTANT PLEASE READ ##### For all questions relating to the addition of (pbuh peace be upon him or other honorifics Also, only a tiny minority of prophets are believed to have been sent holy books (such as the Tawrat, Zabur, Injil and the Qur'an), and those prophets are considered "messengers" or rasul. The Islamic holy books are the records believed from Muslims that were dictated by God to prophets Tawrat ( Tawrah or Taurat, Arabic: توراة is the Arabic transliteration of the Hebrew word Torah (also known as the Five Zabur ( زبور) is the holy book of the Sebo'un ( Arabic:صابؤون Greek:Σεβομενοι and according to Islam, one of the The Injil ( Arabic إنجيل (or Injeel) is one of the five Islamic Holy Books the Qur'an records as revealed by God, the others The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran In Islam, a rasul ( Arabic: رسول, "messenger" plural rusul) is a Prophet sent by God with a However, other main Prophets are considered a Messenger or a Rasul even if they didn't receive a Book from God. An example can be the Messenger-Prophet Aaron "Haroon", the Messenger-Prophet Ishamel "Isma'eel" or the Messenger-Prophet Joseph "Yousuf". Muhammad is regarded in Islamic belief as having undertaken a prophetic mission addressed to all of humanity rather than a specific populace. IMPORTANT PLEASE READ ##### For all questions relating to the addition of (pbuh peace be upon him or other honorifics For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Prophets were required to call all people to God; The-Lord of the Worlds. However, the laws they brought may have been limited to a certain community at some Era.

Although it offers many incidents from the lives of many prophets, the Qur'an focuses with special narrative and rhetorical emphasis on the careers of the first four of these five major prophets. Of all the figures before Muhammad, Moses is referred to most frequently in the Qur'an. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran As for the fifth, the Qur'an is frequently addressed directly to Muhammad, and it often discusses situations encountered by him. Direct use of his name in the text, however, is rare. Rarer still is the mention of Muhammad's contemporaries. Besides the four Holy Books sent by God to the four messengers, Muslims believe that God also had granted Scrolls Suhuf (contains basic Divine Laws to guide the people) to Abraham and Moses. Abraham ( Ashkenazi   Avrohom or Avruhom; ابراهيم, {{Unicode|Ibrāhīm}}; Ge'ez: Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ

Muslims believe that evidence for the prophethood of Muhammad is as good as the evidence for previous prophets. A common argument is to ask why the Jew or Christian believe in Moses or Jesus, and to use the same answer to prove Muhammad's prophethood. They also maintain that all accusations levied on their prophet can be used against persons such as Abraham, Israel, Moses and Jesus. Thus they hold that the Jews or Christians are not consistent. If they believe in Moses or Jesus for their miracles, the same should apply to Muhammad. If Muhammad is accused of fighting, is it not the same said about Abraham, Moses and David? They also argue that prophecies about Muhammad are still in the Old and New Testaments.

Bahá'í

Main article: Manifestation of God

The Bahá'í Faith refers to what are commonly called prophets as Manifestations of God who are directly linked with the concept of Progressive revelation. The Manifestation of God is a concept in the Bahá'í Faith that refers to what are commonly called Prophets The Manifestations of God are a series of personages The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind Progressive revelation is a core teaching in the Bahá'í Faith that suggests that religious truth is revealed by God progressively and cyclically over time through a series Bahá'ís believe that God expresses this will at all times and in many ways, including through a series of divine messengers referred to as Manifestations of God or sometimes divine educators. ^[6] In expressing God's intent, these Manifestations are seen to establish religion in the world. Thus they are seen as an intermediary between God and humanity. ^[7]

The Manifestations of God are not seen as an incarnation of God, but they are also not seen as an ordinary mortals. Instead, the Bahá'í concept of the Manifestation of God emphasizes simultaneously the humanity of that intermediary and the divinity in the way they show forth the will, knowledge and attributes of God; thus they have both human and divine stations. ^[7]

In addition to the Manifestations of God, in the Bahá'í view, there are also minor prophets. While the Manifestations of Gods, or major Prophets, are compared to the sun, which produces its own heat and light, minor prophets are compared to the moon which receives its light from the sun. Moses, for example, is taught as having been a Manifestation of God and his brother Aaron a minor prophet. Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ This article is about Aaron the Levite in the Hebrew Bible, the Qu'ran, and other sources Moses spoke on behalf of God, and Aaron spoke on behalf of Moses (Exodus 4:14-17). Exodus ( Greek: έξοδος eksodos = "departure" is the second book of the Jewish Torah and of the Christian Old Testament. Other Jewish prophets are considered minor prophets, in the Bahá'í view, as they are considered to have come in the shadow of the dispensation of Moses to develop and consolidate the process he set in motion.

Other prophets

Claims of prophecy continued through history and have occurred in many regions around the World. One of particular renown is Nostradamus, who was born in France at the beginning of the 16th century. Michel de Nostredame (14 December 1503 or 21 December 1503 &ndash 2 July 1566 usually Latinized to Nostradamus, was a French Apothecary

Another man of special significance is the Islamic figure Mirza Ghulam Ahmad who claimed a certain kind of prophethood (claimed to be the promised Messiah and Mahdi, the spiritual second coming of Jesus) and founded the Ahmadiyya. Mirza Ghulām Ahmad of Qadian ( ميرزا غلام احمد) ( February 13, 1835 – May 26, 1908 CE Shawal 14 1250 – This article is about the concept of a Messiah in religion notably in the Christian Islamic and Jewish traditions In Islamic eschatology the Mahdi ( ar مهدي, also Mehdi; "Guided One" is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on earth Ahmadiyya ( احمدیہ Ahmadiyya) is a movement that arose out of mainstream Islam towards the end of the 19th century He has since become a subject of much controversy especially within mainstream Islam.

Modern prophetic claims

In modern times the term "prophet" can be somewhat controversial. Many Christians with pentecostal or charismatic beliefs believe in the continuation of the gift of prophecy and the continuation of the role of prophet as taught in Ephesians 4. In many churches throughout the world, certain members of the congregation will give prophecies during the church meeting. Prophecies like this are often directed toward the congregation. Prophecies can also be directed toward individuals, known as a personal prophecy. The content of prophecies can vary widely. Prophecies are often spoken as quotes from God. They may contain quotes from scripture, statements about the past or current situation, or predictions of the future. Prophecies can also 'make manifest the secrets' of the hearts of other people, telling about the details of their lives. Sometimes, more than one person in a congregation will receive the same message in prophecy, with one giving it before another.

Other movements claim to have prophets. Joseph Smith, Jr. and Ellen G. White, the respective founders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and The Seventh Day Adventist Church, are considered prophets by members of those churches, but are vilified in some other branches of Christianity. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Additionally, the Latter-day Saints believe in a succession of living prophets (accepted by Mormons as "prophets, seers, and revelators") since the time of Smith. Prophet seer and revelator is an ecclesiastical title used in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that is currently applied to the members of the First Presidency They also regard the members of their Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators. In the Latter Day Saint movement, the quorum of the Twelve (also known as the council of the Twelve, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Council

In France, Michel Potay says he received a revelation, called The Revelation of Arès, dictated by Jesus in 1974, then by God in 1977. Michel Potay, a French citizen (b 1929 is the author of The Revelation of Arès and The Pilgrim to Arès (Le Pèlerin d'Arès. The Revelation of Arès is a book about a supernatural Revelation experienced by Michel Potay in Arès France, during the 1970s He is considered, by his followers, a prophet.

Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses do not consider any single person in their modern-day organization to be a prophet. Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination Their literature has referred to their organization collectively as God's "prophet" on earth; this is understood, however, in the sense of declaring their interpretation of God's judgments from the Bible along with God's guidance of His Holy Spirit. The Jehovah's Witnesses publish an official reader, The Watchtower, which has asserted: "Ever since 'The Watchtower' began to be published in July of 1879 it has looked ahead into the future. The Watchtower ( is a monthly illustrated religious Magazine, printed and published by Jehovah's Witnesses via the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society . . No, 'The Watchtower' is no inspired prophet, but it follows and explains a Book of prophecy the predictions in which have proved to be unerring and unfailing till now. 'The Watchtower' is therefore under safe guidance. It may be read with confidence, for its statements may be checked against that prophetic Book. "^[8] They also claim that they are God's one and only true channel to mankind on earth, and used by God for this purpose.
They have made many eschatological forecasts, some of which have led people (including followers) to incorrect assumptions. Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination One example is their original belief of the end of the world in 1914. Their Biblical studies showed that the enthronement of Jesus would be in the year 1914 (Daniel 4:10-16; Revelation [Apocalipsis] 12:6,14; Ezequiel 4:6), however they incorrectly assumed that the world would also be destroyed. As a result the editors of the Watchtower have acknowledged that Jehovah's Witnesses "have made mistakes in their understanding of what would occur at the end of certain time periods. "^[9]

Seventh-day Adventist

Main article: prophetic gift of Ellen White

The Seventh-day Adventist Church believes Ellen White, a cofounder of the church, possessed the gift of prophecy. Seventh-day Adventists believe church co-founder Ellen G White was inspired by God as a " Prophet " understood today as a manifestation of the The Seventh-day Adventist (abbreviated " Adventist " Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance

Tenrikyo

Tenrikyo's prophet, Nakayama Miki or Oyasama [3], is believed by Tenrikyoans to have been a kind of microphone of God, as God spoke through Oyasama, directly, to whomever was in the vicinity. Tenrikyo ( 天[[wiktionary 理|理]] 教; Tenrikyō, lit Teaching of Divine Reason) is a panentheist Japanese New Religion Nakayama Miki (中山みき Nakayama Miki) born Maegawa Miki (前川みき Maegawa Miki) (1798-1887 is a Japanese woman noted for founding Nakayama Miki (中山みき Nakayama Miki) born Maegawa Miki (前川みき Maegawa Miki) (1798-1887 is a Japanese woman noted for founding She had three aspects: the Shrine of Tsukihi (the body of the woman was occupied by the mind of God), The Parent of the Divine Model (Oyasama taught the people by instructions and examples), and The Truth of the Everliving Oyasama (she continues to watch humanity develop, even after shedding her body).

Other religions

• Cargo Cults of Melanesia have several prophets
• Lou de Palingboer, founder and figurehead of a new religious movement in the Netherlands. A cargo cult may appear in tribal societies in the wake of interaction with technologically advanced non-native Cultures The cult is focused on obtaining the material wealth Melanesia (from Greek: μέλας black, νῆσος island) means "islands of the black-skinned people" Lou de Palingboer ( February 19, 1898 - March 23, 1968) was the founder and figurehead of a New religious movement in the Netherlands
• David Koresh, leader of the Branch Davidians religious sect
• Rashad Khalifa, founded the religious group United Submitters International (USI)
• Bobby Henderson, founder and prophet of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
• Hong Xiuquan, established the heterodox Christian sect "Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace" (traditional Chinese: 太平天國; simplified Chinese: 太平天国). David Koresh ( August 17, 1959 &ndash April 19, 1993) was the leader of a Branch Davidian religious sect, believing himself The Branch Davidians are a Sect that originated from a schism in 1955 from the Davidian Seventh Day Adventists, themselves former members of the Rashad Khalifa ( Arabic: رشاد خليفة; November 19, 1935 &ndash January 31, 1990) was an Egyptian-American The United Submitters International is a minor Islamic group founded by Rashad Khalifa. Bobby Henderson is the name of Bobby Henderson (musician, American jazz musician Bobby Henderson prophet of the Flying Spaghetti Monster The Flying Spaghetti Monster (also known as the FSM) is the Deity of a Hóng Xiùquán ( January 1 1814 &ndash June 1 1864 born Hong Renkun (洪仁坤 Courtesy name Huoxiu (火秀 was a Hakka Chinese who Heterodoxy includes "any opinions or doctrines at variance with an official or orthodox position" Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The Taiping Rebellion or Rebellion of Great Peace was a large-scale Revolt against the authority and forces of the Qing Government in China

Other individuals

Other people throughout history have been described as prophets in the sense of foretelling the future (as opposed to forthtelling the message of the Deity). Examples of such prophets include:

• Deganawidah
• Jeane Dixon
• Hal Lindsey
• St Malachy - see Prophecy of the Popes
• William Miller
• Nathan of Gaza
• Nostradamus
• Mother Shipton
• John Titor
• Baba Vanga

Science-fiction and fantasy

• The seers and Druids of Shannara
• The "Veheer" in the Watership Down canon, most notably Fiver and Hyzenthlay. The Great Peacemaker, sometimes referred to as Deganawida or "Dekanawida" (although as a mark of respect some Iroquois avoid referring to him by this name Jeane L Dixon ( January 5, 1904 – January 25, 1997) was one of the best-known American Astrologers and psychics Harold Lee "Hal" Lindsey (born November 23 1929) is an American evangelist and Christian writer St Malachy or Máel Máedóc Ua Morgair ( Modern Irish: Maelmhaedhoc Ó Morgair; 1094 - November 2, 1148) was the The Prophecy of the Popes, attributed to Saint Malachy, is a list of 112 short phrases in Latin. William Miller (1782–1849 was an American Baptist Preacher, whose followers have been termed Millerites. Nathan Benjamin ben Elisha ha-Levi Ghazzati or Nathan of Gaza (1643–1680 ( Hebrew: נתן עזתי was a theologian born in Jerusalem, who became Michel de Nostredame (14 December 1503 or 21 December 1503 &ndash 2 July 1566 usually Latinized to Nostradamus, was a French Apothecary Ursula Southeil (c 1488 - 1561 (possibly Ursula Sonthiel better known as Mother Shipton, was an English Soothsayer and prophetess who John Titor is the name used on several bulletin boards during 2000 and 2001 by a poster claiming to be a Time traveler from the year 2036 Vanga (Ванга ( 3 October 1911 &ndash 11 August 1996) born Vangelia Pandeva Dimitrova (bg Вангелия Пандева The Druids are an order of historians philosophers magic-users teachers and researchers in the Shannara series of epic fantasy novels by Terry Brooks Shannara is an epic fantasy series of novels written by Terry Brooks, beginning with The Sword of Shannara in 1977 Watership Down is the first and most successful Novel by British author Richard Adams. Technically seers as they have visions rather that clear prophetic messages.
• The Istari, wizards of Middle-earth
• The prophets of Kirthanin
• The Bajoran Prophets from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
• The Prophecies of the Dragon in Robert Jordan's "The Wheel of Time" book series
• Centaurs in the Chronicles of Narnia
• Paul Atreides (Muad'Dib) of Dune
• Valentine Michael Smith of Stranger in a Strange Land
• Sybill Trelawney of Harry Potter
• Ichabod Greyface of the Principia Discordia
• High Prophets of Halo
• Yoda from Star Wars
• Prophets of the Dark Side from Star Wars
• Jay and Silent Bob from Dogma
• Laura Roslin of Battlestar Galactica
• Medivh from the Warcraft Universe
• The Prophet Skeram from the Warcraft Universe
• The title character of the television series Eli Stone

See also

• Table of prophets of Abrahamic religions
• Elijah List
• Seer
  • Rishi
  • Vates
• Fortune teller
• "Les Nabis" (the "prophets") an avant-garde group of late 19th century French artists. In the fiction of J R R Tolkien, the Wizards of Middle-earth are a group of five beings outwardly resembling Men but possessing much greater physical Middle-earth refers to the fictional lands where most of the stories of author J The Binding of the Blade is an Epic fantasy series by L B Graham, set upon the imaginary continent of Kirthanin In the fictional Star Trek universe the Prophets, also known as Wormhole Aliens, are non-corporeal beings who inhabit the artificially constructed Bajoran wormhole Robert Jordan was the Pen name of James Oliver Rigney Jr ( October 17, 1948 &ndash September 16, 2007) under which he The Wheel of Time (abbreviated by fans to WoT) is a series of epic fantasy novels written by the late American author James Oliver In Greek mythology, the centaurs (from Ancient Greek: Κένταυροι - Kéntauroi are a race of creatures composed of part Human Paul Orestes Atreides (10175-10217 AG is a Fictional character in the ''Dune'' universe created by Frank Herbert; he later takes the Fremen Muad'Dib is a term with multiple applications within Frank Herbert 's ''Dune'' universe. Arrakis is also an alternative name for the star Mu Draconis. Stranger in a Strange Land is a best-selling 1961 Hugo Award -winning Science fiction Novel by Robert A The following Fictional characters are staff members and denizens of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter books written by J Harry Potter is a series of seven Fantasy novels written by British author J Discordianism is a modern Religion centered on the idea that Chaos is as important as order. Principia Discordia is a Discordian Religious text written by Greg Hill ( Malaclypse The Younger) and Kerry Thornley The Halo franchise's central story revolves around an interstellar war between future humanity and an alien theocratic alliance known as the Covenant, as well as the Halo is a Science fiction Video game franchise created by Bungie and owned and published by Microsoft Game Studios. Yoda is a Fictional character from the Star Wars universe, who appears in all of the franchise 's films except for Star Wars Star Wars is an epic Space opera franchise initially conceived by George Lucas during the 1970s and significantly expanded Star Wars is an epic Space opera franchise initially conceived by George Lucas during the 1970s and significantly expanded Origins As depicted in an early scene of the film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Jay and Silent Bob were born in Leonardo New Jersey, in Dogma is a 1999 Comedy film, written and directed by Kevin Smith, who stars in the film along with Ben Affleck, Matt Damon Laura Roslin is a Fictional character in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica series portrayed by Mary McDonnell. Battlestar Galactica is a franchise of Science fiction Films and television series, the first of which was produced in 1978 The Warcraft universe is a Fictional universe in which a series of games and books published by Blizzard Entertainment are set The Warcraft universe is a Fictional universe in which a series of games and books published by Blizzard Entertainment are set Eli Stone is an American Television Comedy-drama created by Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim, who also serve as This is a table containing prophets of the modern Abrahamic religions NOTE In Judaism the classification of some people as prophets includes those who are not explicitly The Elijah List is a non-denominational Christian prophetic Website created by Steve Shultz in 1997 with around 131000 subscribers to their mailing list A rishi (ṛṣi denotes a Vedic poet by whom Vedic hymns were composed or according to post-Vedic tradition a "sage" to whom they were "originally revealed" (Ṛṣis The earliest Latin writers used vates to denote "prophets" and soothsayers in general the word fell into disuse in Latin until it was revived by Virgil Fortune-telling is the practice of predicting the future usually of an individual through mystical or supernatural means and often for commercial gain Les Nabis were a group of Post-Impressionist Avant-garde artists who set the pace for Fine arts and Graphic arts in France in
• Portent
• Propheteering

Notes

References

Further reading