We come to the prophets as we read through the Bible to get a sense of the last 6,000 years. Throughout history, there have been many prophets, but it wasn’t until the year 700 BC that we had books written by the prophets themselves.
Before, the prophetic words of the historical books were included in their content.
Even though these prophets were just regular men, each one was given a BURDEN, ORACLE, or WORD, which they then shared with the world through their words and actions.
It was not enough for the prophet to speak on God’s behalf; he had to hear from God first. Before we can give, we must first receive.
Prophets primarily challenged the people of God, but occasionally confronted kings, priests, or false prophets.
They also offered consolation to the people, as predicted in the New Testament.
Doom and gloom have become associated with the prophet Jeremiah, whose prophecies of doom and gloom came to pass.
To be called Jeremiah is a great honour, because it indicates your ability to speak the Word of God, which is something to be proud of.
Jesus was mistaken for Jeremiah by the people! Matthew 16:13-17
GOD is revealed to us through the prophets.
That God is a GOD of power and a GOD who works miracles, that GOD raises up men, that GOD judges people and nations—even His own chosen people—and that GOD is a GOD of forgiveness and mercy—these are the things we learn from the Bible.
Prophecy reveals how intimately involved God is in the lives of His people, and how HE communicates with them directly through them.
According to the testimony of Isaiah, we know exactly when he was alive. I’ve seen a scroll of this book in Jerusalem, and it’s a long one — very long. Dated to around 100 B.C.
“They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks,” Isaiah Chapter 2 verse 4 reads. A view from outside the United Nations building on New York’s Upper East Side. “He shall judge among the nations,” says the whole verse, “but look at the whole verse.” These people don’t know what these words mean, and this song was sung at Donald Dewar’s funeral.
Before the second part of the verse can take place, the first part must take place!
The prophecy of Isaiah chapter 61 was fulfilled in Jesus’ arrival on the world stage – Luke Chapter 4 – when he preached from it.
Amos – Jeremiah and Obadiah – as well as Isaiah and Jonah – all lived before the Exile.
They had the courage and the ability to proclaim and preach what the people needed to hear – and often at a great cost – what God was saying at the time.
Open our hearts and minds to the prophetic Word, which You have revealed to ordinary men, many years ago, Lord God Almighty. We thank You for their courage and boldness, as well as for the truths and truths they spoke out about. Thank you for providing us with these facts about the arrival of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. We pray in Jesus’ name that we never lose sight of the core of our Christian faith during this time of Passover remembrance – O loving Father, we give thanks for Jesus’ death and resurrection and all that it means. Amen”
The Nairn Christian Fellowship pastor Sandy Shaw is a member of the Children’s Panel in Scotland, a chaplaincy officer at Inverness Prison, and a chaplain at Nairn Academy. Shaw has travelled extensively over the past few years to the United States and Canada, as well as South Africa, Australia, and Israel, where he has made 12 pilgrimage visits. Shaw has also served as a pastor at Nairn Christian Fellowship and as a chaplain at Nairn Academy in Inverness.