Prophets generally shared several key experiences and characteristics.
- A call from God. Attempting to prophesy without such a commission was false prophecy.
- A Word from God. This came through many means; direct declarations, visions, dreams, or an appearance of God.
- Prophets were primarily spokesperson who called His people to obedience by appealing to Israel's past and future.
- Symbolic acts. These served as dramatic, living parables.
- Miracles confirmed their message.
- Writing God's Word (Is. 8:1, Ezek. 43:11).
- ministry to their people. Prophets were to test God's peoples' lives (Jer. 6:27) and be Watchmen for moral compromise (Ezek. 3:17). They interceded in prayer, sometimes even for the prophets enemy (1 Kings 13:6, 2 Kings 4:18-37, Amos 7:2, Jer. 14:17-21, and Isaiah 59:16).
- Ecstatic experiences. These confirmed God's presence and empowered the prophet.
With regards to a prophet and their prophecies of the future, their predictions could be understood in several ways.
- Some prophecies seem to have a direct, literal fulfillment: the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:5-6; Mic. 5:2).
- Not all predictions were fulfilled literally. Elijah's return was fulfilled by John the Baptist and not a literal Elijah (Matt. 11:13-15; Mal. 3:1-4). Paul applied prophecies about literal, national Israel to the church (Rom. 9:25-26; Hos. 1:9-10, 2:23). This distinctive Christian reading was thought to be legitimate because of Christ's fulfillment and interpretation of the Old Testament (Luke 4:17-21).
- Typological interpretation shows how OT events, person, or things foreshadowed the later Christian story. Christ can be compared to Adam (1 Cor. 15:2-23).
The prophets played a foundation role in the early church (1 Cor. 12:28-31). The angels visitation and prediction (Luke 1:11,26-27) provoked Mary and Zecharias to prophecy. John the Baptist predicted that Jesus would baptize in the Spirit (Matthew 3:11).
