Old Testament Prophets

Memory Text:

“Jehoshaphat stood and said, ‘Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper’” (2 Chronicles 20:20, NKJV).

---

We are progressing along in our study of the Gift of Prophecy!

Last week, we touched briefly on the idea that the prophet’s role is simple but not always easy. What makes the prophet’s role harder is not only the nature of the calling but also the fact that prophets are like us. They have been called to a prophetic office, but that doesn’t exempt them from the weaknesses of being human.

Let’s look closely at the lives of these prophets. This week, let’s focus on Old Testament prophets—who are they? What does their job look like? And why is it that some pose as prophets and how can we distinguish true prophets from those who are just pretending to be prophets? Exciting study ahead!

Just a Man

Foretelling the future with a mystical ball. Performing signs and wonders. And telling powerful leaders of impending doom. These are some of our mental pictures when we hear the word “prophet.” While these can be true of biblical prophets, some of these pictures come from the media we consume. There are tons of movies and books dedicated to depicting prophets as masters of mystical arts. We get the idea that they are powerful, bold, and don’t fear anything.

But when we look at the Bible, we see a different story. 

Take Elijah, for example. He rained down fire from heaven. Rebuked Ahab and Jezebel. But despite these bold confrontations with powerful apostate leaders, Elijah experienced depression. Even to the point of wanting to die.

1 Kings 19:4 NKJV
But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”

James said this about Elijah:

James 5:17 NLT
Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!

And there are lots of Old Testament examples of prophets who, at some point in their ministries, showed their weaknesses. 

This in no way belittles their calling and the work that they have done under the guidance of the Spirit of God. In fact, this glorifies God even more.

This teaches us that God can accomplish great things even when the messenger isn’t so great. He isn’t asking for greatness. God is asking for faithfulness. That was true of Old Testament prophets. It is still true for us.

Not Just a Man

Prophets are human. But they are not just men. This is because the Spirit of God is working directly through them.

We mentioned Ahab earlier. There’s a fascinating story worth mentioning here.

At a time when Israel was divided into the northern and southern kingdoms, Ahab and Jehoshaphat wanted to reclaim Ramoth-Gilead. They needed to fight Syria to accomplish this. Both kings agreed to unite for this conquest. On one condition. A prophet of the Lord had to give them the go signal.

Ahab gathered about 400 prophets. All gave the same message: go to war; victory is assured. But Jehoshaphat wasn’t convinced. He wanted to hear from a true prophet of the Lord.

1 Kings 22:7 NKJV
And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of Him?”

That’s fascinating. 400 prophets all saying the same thing, but for some reason, they know it’s not the God of Israel. Ahab replied. And he immediately knew whom to call.

1 Kings 22:8 NKJV
So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD;…

But the rest of the verse says:

1 Kings 22:8 NKJV
…but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say such things!”

This tells us that prophets don’t always say what we want to hear, but they give what we need to receive. Their message might touch some of our cherished idols. That’s their job! 

And we shouldn’t treat their words as their own advice but as God’s voice to us. Hence, prophets are human, but they are not just men.

“The testimony is conveyed through the imperfect expression of human language, yet it is the testimony of God.”¹

A Gift Every Man Wants to Covet

That last story was something, wasn’t it? 400 false prophets versus one prophet of God.

The prophetic office is something that men have coveted throughout the centuries. Perhaps for popularity or for influence. Some for riches. We have been warned that false prophets will arise. They did and still do. So how can we know if a prophet is genuine or not? This subject can be a separate article. I might write on this in the coming months; stay posted. But let me share some tests that the Bible gives.

a. Scripture

Does what he teaches align with the Bible or not? If yes, then that’s a good sign. (Isaiah 8:20; Deuteronomy 13:1–5)

b. Fulfilled Predictions

Do his predictions become reality or not? This is one of the tests the Bible asks of a true prophet. (Deuteronomy 18:21–22; Jeremiah 28:9)

c. The Fruits of His Life and Ministry

Does he strive to live what he preaches? That is a must. (Matthew 7:15–20; Jeremiah 23:21–22)

d. Affirms that Jesus is God and points to Him as the source of hope

The deity of Jesus is a core truth of the Bible that all genuine prophets must affirm. One must always point to Jesus as the ultimate source of hope and not to the prophet himself. (1 John 4:1–3; John 1:14)

Hope those tests help. The appearance of false prophets should not make us afraid of accepting genuine prophets from God.

1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 NKJV
Do not despise prophecies. [21] Test all things; hold fast what is good.

Let me tell you about someone I think is a genuine prophet.

Story Time

Let me tell you a fascinating story about Ellen White.²

It was 1894. The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Australia wanted to establish a school. They needed a large property where students could study, work, and learn farming.

After months of searching, they found a piece of land in Cooranbong, Australia. About 1,450 acres!

The price was affordable. But there was one problem.

The soil was terrible!

At least, that’s what some people thought.

Imagine that! How could they establish a school that depended on farming if the soil couldn’t grow anything?

But here’s where the story gets interesting.

Before visiting the property, Ellen White said she had received a dream.

In her dream, she saw a small clearing in the forest. There was a short piece of freshly plowed ground. Two men approached, examined the soil, and declared that it was unsuitable for farming.

Then an angel appeared and explained that the land had been wrongly judged. With proper care, it could produce good crops.

Now, listen to what happened next.

Ellen White and several church leaders traveled by train and then took small boats up Dora Creek to inspect the property.

They walked through the forest, surrounded by tall trees.

Eventually, they came upon a clearing.

And there it was!

A short piece of freshly plowed ground, just as Ellen had described in her dream.

Then two men approached, examined the soil, and complained that the land was unsuitable for farming!

According to Ellen White’s granddaughter, the scene closely matched what Ellen had described before arriving.

But the committee still faced a difficult decision.

The land was considered poor. The church had limited funds. And experienced leaders had serious doubts.

Nevertheless, they eventually agreed to purchase the property.

In 1897, the school officially opened.

And guess what?

The supposedly useless land began producing tomatoes, potatoes, melons, and other crops. Orchards were established, and the school continued to grow.

Today, we know that institution as Avondale University, which traces its beginnings to that school.

What a story!

Of course, one remarkable experience does not automatically establish someone as a genuine prophet. That’s why we have the biblical tests we’ve discussed.

But this story gives us a glimpse into Ellen White’s ministry and why early Adventists believed God was guiding them through her.

The messenger was human. But they believed the guidance came from God.

Conclusion

Prophets are human. They have weaknesses. But this doesn’t diminish their calling and their message. It is ultimately God who sends the message to us through the prophets. So, let us heed them. For by doing so, “you shall prosper” (2 Chronicles 20:20).

Discussion Questions 

1. How can God be glorified not only in your strengths but also through your weaknesses?
2. How can we be more receptive to God’s message even if it touches our cherished idols?
3. What’s one habit you can integrate this week to be more grounded in the Bible?

Notes

1. Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, Introduction, p. vi. ↩︎
2. This story is based on the following sources: Ella M. Robinson, “Who Made the Furrow?,” in Stories of My Grandmother (Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1967), 178–84; Milton Hook, “Avondale College,” in The Ellen G. White Encyclopedia, ed. Denis Fortin and Jerry Moon (Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2013), 629–30; and Herbert E. Douglass, Messenger of the Lord: The Prophetic Ministry of Ellen G. White (Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1998), 355–56. ↩︎