An Introduction to the Prophet ____by the late Richard Rogers, edited by Lane Rogers

For the Class on Isaiah__________

1. The men of the Bible often seem like fairy tale characters but were not.

a. They were men of high character.

b. They were saintly men.

2. In their humanity they were preachers____________

a. Their primary function is to stand for God and to preach the Word of God.

b. These were men of like passion with us as James said of the prophet Elijah. (James 5:17)

c. These were men that ate and drank and they lived with their wives and took care of their children. But still managed to preach the Word of God.

1. They stood for the word of God and the will of God in their lives against all adversaries.

a. Amos and Amaziah in Israel (Amos 7:7-17).

b. Micah talked about all the wickedness of the false prophets, of the false preachers and false priests of that day who prophesied for hire, who prophesied of wine and strong drink. But___in 8:3 He said, "As for me, I am full of power (the empowering of the Spirit), even the Spirit of YHWY, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin."

2. He could not be bound by convention or by public opinion or be restrained by caution diplomats.

1. They did not volunteer to be prophets.

2. God called them to be His mouthpieces, and for that reason they had great spiritual insight given them by God and they great spiritual commitment because of that call. Amos declares, "I was no prophet, Neither was I one of the sons of the prophets" (Amos 7:14-15). Amos said that he was no professional but was answering the call of God.

1. They were hard men in body and character.

a. Their stance commanded attention in any gathering.

b. Their ruggedness caused them to stand alone on many occasions.

2. Micaiah and Abhad (1st Kings 22). Ahab gave the greatest compliment even given to a prophet. He said, There is yet one man, but my soul hates him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil"(1 Kings 22:8).

1. They knew God was with them.

2. They knew they had the support of YHWH in all they said and done.

His often lonely solitary life gave him time to spend with the Lord.

1. Their message was constantly being challenged by evil false teachers and preachers of the day.

2. There is not one single breath of criticism of their personal life. Each one of them lived a separated life. They were holy men. The were dedicated men.

They realized they carried God's message to man.

1. They did not deal in abstraction.

2. They did not cultivate the art of oblique. Consider the words and manner of Amos and Malachi to the people of their day.

1. God gave to them the message of what is going to happen, not only to the nation of Israel but also the nations around Israel.

2. Their number on characteristic was they were to pass on the word of God to the people without addition or subtraction.

A. God's Spokesman for Judgment on the Wicked.

B. God's Spokesman for Salvation (Hope) for the Righteous (Amos 9:11-14).

C. It all culminates in the Kingdom of God (Hebrews 12:22-28).

Six things that are included in the Kingdom of God:

1. Angels

2. Spirits of just men made perfect

3. Jesus

4. God.

5. The Spirit.

6. The Church (assembly)

A. The Prophet I a Man who was moved by the Holy Spirit (2nd Peter 1:20-21)

The word "moved" here means to be picked up and transported by:

1. The prophet of God was NOT one who gave you his judgment about what was happening.

2. He was given by God a revelation he could not have found any other way.

a. It was not his private interpretation of history.

b. It was a vision given him by God. (See Jeremiah chapter one).

B. The Prophet Cannot introduce Strange things (Deuteronomy 13:1-5). His function was to call men back to the law.

C. The prophet's Oracles Come to Pass (Deuteronomy 18:20-22).

D. Sometimes Prophecy Is Conditional (Jeremiah 18:5-11; Johan and Ninevah) (A threat may be postponed because of Repentance.)

1. A prophecy of judgment is conditioned upon their continuing in evil. In Jeremiah 18:5-11, God says to Jeremiah, "If I speak a word against a people to destroy it or pluck it up, and that people repent, then I will turn from what I said I would do and I will not destroy them" (vs. 7-8).

A prophecy of blessing is conditioned on continuing to do good. He said "If I speak concerning a nation or people to bless them because they are dong my will, and they turn from doing my will, then I will turn from blessing them, and I will curse them' (vs. 9-10).

E. Sometimes the threat may be delayed by Repentance.

1. You will see this principle illustrated in 1st Kings 21:9 where Elijah is preaching to Ahab about what is going to happen to him because of his killing of Naboth and stealing Naboth's vineyard.

2. Ahab was to be destroyed because of his evil.

3. But Ahab repented. And God said to Elijah, "See how he humbles himself before me? Therefore I will not bring this judgment in his day but in the days of his son."(1st King 21:29). And so this judgment still had to come, because God is a just God yet it was delayed.

F. The Prophets Lived Before and Immediately after the Assyrian and Babylonian Exiles.

1. Their threats were fulfilled in the exiles (cf. Zechariah 1:5-6).

2. Their promises of return were fulfilled in the return from Babylon. (cf. 2 Chronicles 36:2-23).

G. Christ's First Coming and Beginning of the Church are Important Subjects of OT prophecy (Romans 1:2; Acts 3:24-26; 1st Peter 1:10-1-2).

1. Christ

a. The ideal King (Isaiah 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:5-6).

b. The suffering Servant (Isaiah 53).

2. The Church (Assembly)

The Kingdom, God's House, God's Mountain, The Temple, The Sheepfold.

H. God's Final Revelation Is Made in His Son __Hebrews 1:1,2

Read Matthew 21:37ff_________________