In the biblical narrative, prophets serve as God's messengers, delivering His word to the people of Israel. However, there are instances where the Jewish people found themselves without prophetic guidance due to their persistent sin and rebellion against God. This absence of prophetic voice is both a consequence and a divine judgment, highlighting the seriousness of turning away from God's commandments.

Divine Silence as Judgment

The absence of prophets is often depicted as a form of divine silence, a withdrawal of God's direct communication due to the people's disobedience. In the book of Amos, God warns of a "famine of hearing the words of the LORD" (Amos 8:11). This famine is not of bread or water but of the spiritual nourishment that comes from God's word, indicating a period where prophetic revelation would be withheld.

Historical Instances

Throughout Israel's history, there are notable periods where prophetic voices were scarce. During the time of the Judges, "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). This era was marked by moral and spiritual decline, and the lack of prophetic leadership contributed to the chaos and idolatry prevalent among the people.

Similarly, during the reign of King Saul, there was a notable absence of prophetic guidance. Saul's disobedience led to God's rejection of him as king, and the Spirit of the Lord departed from him (1 Samuel 16:14). The absence of a prophetic word during this time underscored the spiritual void and the consequences of Saul's rebellion.

Prophetic Absence and Exile

The Babylonian exile is another significant period where the Jewish people experienced a dearth of prophetic voices. The exile was a direct result of persistent sin, idolatry, and failure to heed the warnings of earlier prophets like Jeremiah and Isaiah. Lamentations reflects on this period of judgment, where the people lament the loss of prophetic vision: "The law is no more, and her prophets find no vision from the LORD" (Lamentations 2:9).

The Role of Repentance

Despite these periods of silence, the biblical narrative consistently emphasizes the possibility of restoration through repentance. The return of prophetic voices often coincides with a turning back to God. For instance, after the exile, prophets like Haggai and Zechariah emerged to encourage the rebuilding of the temple and the spiritual renewal of the people.

Conclusion

The absence of prophets in Israel's history serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of sin and the importance of obedience to God's commandments. It underscores the critical role of prophets in guiding and correcting the people, and the profound impact of their absence when the people choose to turn away from God.1 Samuel 3:1
And the child Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 74:9
We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knows how long.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Amos 8:11,12
Behold, the days come, said the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

On the Article, and in one Holy Ghost, the Comforter, which Spake ...
... in his days, thou hast heard often: This Spirit ... and again in his charge against the
Jews, But they ... Similar blasphemies against the holy Prophets are imputed to ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/lecture xvi on the article.htm

Human Responsibility
... plainly described in the books of the prophets, and they ... Jew be acknowledged the
King of the Jews, for whom ... I have often been rebuked by certain men who have ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/human responsibility.htm

Sin in the Heart the Source of Error in the Head
... the Christian; and such an one will often be led ... old religion of the patriarchs,
and the prophets, and the ... the Founder of Christianity said to the Jews, so he ...
/.../shedd/sermons to the natural man/sin in the heart the.htm

Miracles no Remedy for Unbelief.
... not:""If they hear not Moses and the Prophets," He says ... really touch the heart, though
we so often resist their ... we do not love God more than the Jews did, if ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol viii/sermon vi miracles no remedy.htm

Typology
... is only figurative and that the prophets understood by ... the things sometimes clearly,
but very often in figures ... The Jews have so much loved the shadows and have ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pascal/pensees/section x typology.htm

Paul and Silas in Thessalonica and Berea.
... with a partial eye; and too often, we allow ... and had given attention to the instructions
of the Prophets. The Jews who examined their ancient Scriptures with ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xix paul and silas.htm

John Smith, Platonist --"An Interpreter of the Spirit"
... as legal as ever the religion of the Jews was." The ... ideas and ideals that had already
been often proclaimed to ... fashions";[46] that is to say, prophets speak in ...
/.../chapter xvi john smith platonistan.htm

Human Characters Determined Only by Divine Decision.
... it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the ... in him for the salvation
of both Jews and Gentiles ... and biassed to error, it is often difficult to ...
/.../sermons on various important subjects/sermon xv human characters determined.htm

Faustus is Willing to Admit that Christ May have Said that He came ...
... apostles, and stubbornly insisted on the Gentiles becoming Jews. ... of the law and the
prophets, that Christ ... Again, you often swear by the Paraclete,"not the ...
/.../faustus is willing to admit.htm

Faustus Willing to Believe not Only that the Jewish but that all ...
... in Christ, by your own interpretation those prophets must have ... as it was possible
for the Jews to remain ... one laurel and another, there is often a resemblance ...
/.../faustus willing to believe not.htm

What does it mean that Saul is also among the prophets? | GotQuestions.org

How many prophets are in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Are there prophets in the church today? | GotQuestions.org

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