Topical Encyclopedia In the biblical narrative, prophets served as divine messengers and counselors to the kings of Israel and Judah. Their role was pivotal in guiding the monarchs according to God's will, offering counsel, rebuke, and encouragement. The prophets were not merely predictors of future events but were primarily concerned with conveying God's messages, often calling for repentance and adherence to the covenant.Samuel and King Saul One of the earliest examples of a prophet serving as a counselor to a king is Samuel's relationship with King Saul. Samuel, who was both a judge and a prophet, anointed Saul as the first king of Israel (1 Samuel 10:1). He provided guidance and instruction from God, but when Saul disobeyed God's commands, Samuel delivered a message of judgment: "But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler of His people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command" (1 Samuel 13:14). Nathan and King David Nathan the prophet played a crucial role in the life of King David. He was a trusted advisor who confronted David after his sin with Bathsheba. Nathan's boldness in delivering God's message is evident in 2 Samuel 12:7, where he declares, "You are the man!" This confrontation led to David's repentance, demonstrating the prophet's role in holding the king accountable to God's standards. Elijah and King Ahab Elijah's interactions with King Ahab highlight the prophet's role as a fearless advocate for God's truth. Ahab, influenced by his wife Jezebel, led Israel into idolatry. Elijah confronted Ahab, declaring, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there will be neither dew nor rain in these years except at my word" (1 Kings 17:1). Elijah's counsel and miraculous acts were instrumental in challenging the king's apostasy and calling the nation back to worship the true God. Isaiah and King Hezekiah The prophet Isaiah served as a counselor to King Hezekiah during a time of national crisis. When the Assyrian king Sennacherib threatened Jerusalem, Hezekiah sought Isaiah's counsel. Isaiah assured the king of God's deliverance, saying, "Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning the king of Assyria: 'He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with a shield or build up a siege ramp against it'" (2 Kings 19:32). Isaiah's prophetic counsel provided comfort and direction, reinforcing Hezekiah's faith in God's protection. Jeremiah and the Last Kings of Judah Jeremiah's ministry spanned the reigns of several kings, including Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah. Known as the "weeping prophet," Jeremiah delivered messages of impending judgment due to the nation's persistent disobedience. Despite opposition, he remained steadfast in his role, urging the kings to submit to Babylon as God's instrument of discipline. His counsel, often unheeded, highlighted the tension between divine instruction and royal authority. Daniel and the Babylonian Kings Though not a counselor to the kings of Israel or Judah, Daniel's role as a prophet in the Babylonian court exemplifies the influence of God's messengers in foreign realms. Serving under kings Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius, Daniel provided interpretation of dreams and divine insight. His unwavering faith and wisdom earned him a position of respect and authority, as seen in Daniel 6:3: "Then this Daniel distinguished himself among the administrators and satraps, because he was extraordinary in spirit, and the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom" . Throughout the biblical narrative, prophets served as vital conduits of God's will, offering counsel that shaped the course of Israel's history. Their interactions with kings underscore the importance of divine guidance in leadership and the enduring call to align earthly authority with heavenly mandates. Nave's Topical Index Isaiah 37:2,3And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz. Nave's Topical Index Library "The Prophets of God Helping Them" Solomon Manasseh and Josiah Ezra, the Priest and Scribe The Fall of the House of Ahab The Call of Elisha The Fiery Furnace The Rending of the Kingdom True Greatness The Ambassadors from Babylon Resources What does it mean that Saul is also among the prophets? | GotQuestions.orgHow many prophets are in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Are there prophets in the church today? | GotQuestions.org Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Subtopics False Prophets: Called Foolish Prophets False Prophets: Compared to Foxes in the Desert False Prophets: Compared to Wind False Prophets: Immoral and Profane False Prophets: Influenced by Evil Spirits False Prophets: Involved the People in Their own Ruin False Prophets: Judgments Denounced Against False Prophets: Light and Treacherous False Prophets: Made Use of by God to Prove Israel False Prophets: Mode of Trying and Detecting False Prophets: Not Sent or Commissioned by God False Prophets: Often Deceived by God As a Judgment False Prophets: Often Practised Divination and Witchcraft False Prophets: Often Pretended to Dreams False Prophets: Predicted to Arise in the Latter Times False Prophets: Predicted to Arise: Before Destruction of Jerusalem False Prophets: Pretended to be Sent by God False Prophets: Prophesied in the Name of False Gods False Prophets: Prophesied: Falsely False Prophets: Prophesied: Lies in the Name of the Lord False Prophets: Prophesied: out of Their own Heart False Prophets: Prophesied: Peace, when There Was No Peace False Prophets: The People: Deprived of God's Word By False Prophets: The People: Encouraged and Praised False Prophets: The People: Led Into Error False Prophets: The People: Made to Forget God's Name By False Prophets: The People: Oppressed and Defrauded By False Prophets: The People: Taught Profaneness and Sin By False Prophets: The People: Warned not to Listen To False Prophets: Women Sometimes Acted As Prophets were Called: Holy Men of God Prophets were Called: Holy Prophets Prophets were Called: Men of God Prophets were Called: Prophets of God Prophets were Consulted in all Difficulties Prophets were Esteemed As Holy Men Prophets were Mighty Through Faith Prophets were Required: Not to Speak Anything But What They Received from God Prophets were Required: To be Bold and Undaunted Prophets were Required: To be Vigilant and Faithful Prophets were Required: To Declare Everything That the Lord Commanded Prophets were Required: To Receive With Attention all God's Communications Prophets were Sent to Denounce the Wickedness of Kings Prophets were Sent to Exhort to Faithfulness and Constancy in God's Service Prophets were Sent to Predict the Coming of Christ Prophets were Sent to Predict the Downfall of Nations Prophets were Sent to Reprove the Wicked and Exhort to Repentance Prophets were Under the Influence of the Holy Spirit While Prophesying Prophets: Assisted the Jews in Their Great National Undertakings Prophets: Azariah the Son of Oded Prophets: Benefits of Presents Prophets: Benefits of Presents Refused By Prophets: Christ Exercised the office of Prophets: Christ Predicted to Exercise the office of Prophets: Extraordinary: Often Endued With Miraculous Power Prophets: Extraordinary: Specially Raised up on Occasions of Emergency Prophets: False: 400 in Samaria Prophets: False: Denunciations Against Prophets: False: Punishment of Prophets: Felt Deeply on Account of the Calamities Which They Predicted Prophets: Frequently in Their Actions Were Made Signs to the People Prophets: Frequently Left Without Divine Communication on Account of Prophets: Frequently Married Men Prophets: Frequently Spoke in Parables and Riddles Prophets: God Avenged all Injuries Done To Prophets: God Communicated to At Various Time and in Different Ways Prophets: God Communicated To by an Audible Voice Prophets: God Communicated To by Angels Prophets: God Communicated To by Dreams and Visions Prophets: God Communicated to His Secret Things Prophets: Great Patience of, Under Suffering Prophets: Jehu the Son of Hanani Prophets: Micaiah the Son of Imlah Prophets: Not Honored in Their own Country Prophets: Often Accompanied by Music While Predicting Prophets: Often Committed Their Predictions to Writing Prophets: Often Led a Wandering and Unsettled Life Prophets: One Generally Attached to the King's Household Prophets: Ordinary: Numerous in Israel Prophets: Ordinary: The Sacred Bards of the Jews Prophets: Ordinary: Trained up and Instructed in Schools Prophets: Predictions of Frequently Proclaimed at the Gate of the Lord's House Prophets: Predictions of Proclaimed in the Cities and Streets Prophets: Predictions of Were all Fulfilled Prophets: Predictions of Written on Rolls and Read to the People Prophets: Predictions of Written on Tables and Fixed up in some Public Place Prophets: Presented With Gifts by Those Who Consulted Them Prophets: Prophet Set to Israel Prophets: Simple in Their Manner of Life Prophets: Sometimes Received Divine Communications and Uttered Prophets: Sometimes Thought It Right to Reject Presents Prophets: Sometimes Uttered Their Predictions in Verse Prophets: Spoke in the Name of the Lord Prophets: The Historiographers of the Jewish Nation Prophets: The Interpreters of Dreams Prophets: The Jews: Often Imprisoned Them Prophets: The Jews: Often Left Without, on Account of Sin Prophets: The Jews: Often Put Them to Death Prophets: The Jews: Often Tried to Make Them Speak Smooth Things Prophets: The Jews: Persecuted Them Prophets: The Jews: Require to Hear and Believe Prophets: The Messengers of God Prophets: The Watchmen of Israel Prophets: Women Sometimes Endowed As Prophets: Wore a Coarse Dress of Hair-Cloth Prophets: Writings of, Read in the Synagogues Every Sabbath Prophets: Zacharias the Father of John Prophets: Zechariah Son of Iddo Related Terms Brother-servant (2 Occurrences) Almondiblathaim (2 Occurrences) Almon-diblathaim (2 Occurrences) Sycamore-trees (6 Occurrences) |
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