Topical Bible: Persecution of Prophets

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The persecution of prophets is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, reflecting the tension between God's messengers and those who resist divine truth. Prophets, as God's chosen spokespeople, often faced hostility, rejection, and violence from those to whom they were sent. This entry explores the biblical accounts and theological implications of the persecution of prophets.

Old Testament Instances

1. Moses: Although not persecuted in the traditional sense, Moses faced significant opposition from the Israelites during the Exodus. His leadership was frequently challenged, and the people often grumbled against him (Exodus 17:3; Numbers 14:2).

2. Elijah: Elijah's ministry was marked by conflict with King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, who promoted Baal worship in Israel. Jezebel sought to kill Elijah after he defeated the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 19:1-2).

3. Micaiah: The prophet Micaiah was imprisoned by King Ahab for prophesying defeat in battle, contrary to the favorable predictions of Ahab's false prophets (1 Kings 22:26-27).

4. Jeremiah: Known as the "weeping prophet," Jeremiah endured severe persecution. He was beaten, put in stocks (Jeremiah 20:2), and later thrown into a cistern (Jeremiah 38:6) for his prophecies of Jerusalem's destruction.

5. Zechariah: The son of Jehoiada the priest, Zechariah was stoned to death by order of King Joash for rebuking the people's disobedience (2 Chronicles 24:20-21).

New Testament Context

1. John the Baptist: As the forerunner of Christ, John the Baptist was imprisoned and eventually beheaded by Herod Antipas for condemning Herod's unlawful marriage (Matthew 14:3-10).

2. Jesus Christ: Jesus Himself acknowledged the persecution of prophets, lamenting over Jerusalem's history of violence against God's messengers: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her!" (Matthew 23:37). Jesus faced rejection and crucifixion, fulfilling the pattern of prophetic persecution.

3. Stephen: The first Christian martyr, Stephen, was stoned to death after delivering a powerful sermon that accused the Jewish leaders of resisting the Holy Spirit and persecuting the prophets (Acts 7:52-60).

4. Apostles and Early Christians: The apostles, as witnesses to Christ's resurrection, continued the prophetic tradition and faced persecution. Paul, in particular, recounted his sufferings for the Gospel, including beatings, imprisonments, and stonings (2 Corinthians 11:23-25).

Theological Implications

The persecution of prophets underscores the persistent human resistance to divine truth and the cost of discipleship. Prophets were often called to deliver unpopular messages that challenged the status quo, leading to their rejection. Jesus highlighted this pattern, teaching that true prophets would be known by their persecution (Matthew 5:11-12).

The suffering of prophets also prefigures the ultimate sacrifice of Christ, who, as the final and greatest prophet, endured the cross for the redemption of humanity. Believers are called to follow in this prophetic tradition, bearing witness to the truth despite opposition, as Jesus promised, "If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also" (John 15:20).

In summary, the persecution of prophets is a testament to the enduring conflict between God's revelation and human rebellion, a theme that resonates throughout Scripture and continues to challenge believers to stand firm in their faith.

Nave's Topical Index

Matthew 21:35,36
And the farmers took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Two Prophets of the Inward Word: Bunderlin and Entfelder
... CHAPTER III TWO PROPHETS OF THE INWARD WORD: BUNDERLIN AND ENTFELDER. ... never lost
sight, in the hurly-burly of contention and in the storm of persecution, of the ...
/.../chapter iii two prophets of.htm

Demonstration xxi. --Of Persecution.
... of the kingdom; and when Jesus fulfilled the visions and the Prophets, His Father ...
in the days of Diocletian there came great affliction and persecution to the ...
/.../aphrahat/aphrahat select demonstrations/demonstration xxi of persecution.htm

Concerning Persecution
... 1 A persecution of the hand. Which of the prophets have not your fathers
persecuted?' (Acts 7:52). For thy sake we are killed all ...
/.../the beatitudes an exposition of matthew 51-12/21 concerning persecution.htm

Petilianus Said: "In the Third Place, Also...
... Or if your conduct is not a persecution of the prophets, because your instrument
is not the sword but the tongue, what was the reason of its being said under ...
/.../chapter 14 31 petilianus.htm

The Roman Conflagration and the Neronian Persecution.
... be connected with this persecution. It mentions imprisonments in Smyrna, the martyrdom
of Antipas in Pergamus, and speaks of the murder of prophets and saints ...
/.../history of the christian church volume i/section 37 the roman conflagration.htm

Prophets in their Country.
... Christ, who showed that when men believed Moses and the prophets, belief in ... all that
will to live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." [5282] And ...
/.../origens commentary on the gospel of matthew/18 prophets in their country.htm

The Holy Spirit is one and the Same who Spake in the Prophets and ...
... to Matthew He said that we ought not to take thought in persecution what we ... Both
apostles and prophets received that one Spirit, as the vessel of election, the ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter iv the holy spirit.htm

The Sermon on the Mount.
... Anticipations of the glorious future are a great tonic. For instances of
persecution of the prophets, see I. Kings xix.10; II. Chron. ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xlii the sermon on the 2.htm

Chapter v.
... has well encouraged them by an example, because they who speak true things are wont
to suffer persecution: nevertheless did not the ancient prophets on this ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/our lords sermon on the mount/chapter v.htm

It is not Enough that God Know us to be Chaste: we must Seem So ...
... Especially in These Times of Persecution We Must Inure Our Bodies to the ... to meet
them) already arrayed in the cosmetics and ornaments of prophets and apostles ...
/.../tertullian/on the apparel of women/chapter xiii it is not enough.htm