Samuel is acclaimed by the scholars to be the first prophet of the Old Testament, but the scriptures support a minimum of eighty-three (83) and possibly more that lived and walked in intimacy with God prior to Samuel. Below are a few of their names, with scriptural references to their callings: ABEL- Matthew 23:30-37 and Luke 11:50-51 ENOCH - Hebrews 11 and Jude 14-15 NOAH - (Genesis 6:9-22) Noah preached 120 years prophesying the flood. God spoke directly to Noah, and told him how to build the ark and prepare for the animals and the deluge ahead of him. Noah spoke a curse over his grandson Canaan (Gen. 9:24-25) and he prophesied blessings over Shem and Japheth (Gen. 9:26-27). ABRAHAM - Genesis 20:7 ISAAC - Genesis, Chapter 26 JACOB - In Genesis 28:12-15 we read of Jacob’s ladder dream that drew him into a lifetime commitment to walk with the Lord. In Genesis 32:28 Jacob wrestles with the Angel of the Lord. Jacob prophesied many things, particularly in reference to his seed and God’s Covenant promise for the land. Perhaps the most referenced and studied are those spoken over his sons and the two sons of Joseph, while in the land of Goshen, just before he died. JOSEPH - Dreamer of dreams (Genesis Chapter 37) and interpreter of dreams (Genesis 40:8-12). Refer also to Numbers 12:6. MOSES - Deuteronomy 34:10 AARON - (Exodus 4:14-16 and Exodus 7:1) Aaron was the elder brother of Moses (descendants of Levi), commissioned by God to be the High Priest and a prophet unto Moses. MIRIAM - Sister of Moses and Aaron. (Exodus 15:20) JOSHUA- (Joshua 3:7-9 - prophetic sanction). God was with Joshua as he was with Moses (Chapters 1 & 2). Joshua was ordained by Moses with the laying on of hands, and with the impartation of Moses’ anointing upon him (Joshua 10:12). DEBORAH - Judge-Prophetess of Israel. (Judges, Chapter 4). GIDEON - Judge of Israel. (Judges 6:11-23 & Numbers 12:6). SEVENTY ELDERS OF ISRAEL - Numbers 11:16-29 Thirteen prophets plus seventy equals 83 sanctioned prophets prior to Samuel, plus those others we may have missed: i.e. Caleb, Othniel, Barak, etc… NUMBERS 12:6: " Hear now my words. If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known to him in a vision and will speak to him in a dream." After the tribes of Israel were established in their inherited territories, and after the death of Joshua, Israel passed through a three-hundred year rule by the Judges. When God’s perfect time arrived, Samuel was born. Samuel was pre-destined, fore-ordained, called forth from his mother’s womb to be a Priest, a Prophet and the last Judge of Israel (1 Samuel 3:20; 1 Samuel 7:15-17). Perhaps this is why the scholars count him as the first prophet of all Israel. But it seems to me it is a grave injustice to all the prophets that preceded him to fail to acknowledge their intimate walks with God and the prophetic gifts and sanctions of the Holy Spirit who gave them… All the prophets who had gone before Samuel had caught the vision before there was an Israel and had paved the way for the dream to live in the hearts of the people. Later, when Israel had become a dream come true, the prophets paved his early and formative years. The prophets from Samuel to Malachi were God’s voices to Israel during his greatest and even during his most rebellious years. Then John the Baptist became the bridge between the old and new dispensations, the old and new covenants, or as they are known by the masses, the Old and New Testaments. He was the last Old Testament and the first New Testament prophet who paved the way for Messiah, God Incarnate, who ushered in the Kingdom of God with His immeasurable offer of eternal redemption. God Calls a Prophet:
The Prophet Speaks:
*************************************************** THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF PROPHET AND PROPHECY
Most of the Old Testament Prophets operated in both directive and predictive prophecies. The seventy elders of Israel, anointed by the Spirit of Moses, would daily listen to the complaints of the people. The Spirit of Prophecy and the Spirit of Discernment would then give them insight into the problems and enable them to judge rightly. Apparently these elders operated in directive prophecy, leaning on the wisdom and forth-telling of the mind and will of the Spirit of the Lord. Ezekiel was a priest who, with Isaiah, Daniel and Jeremiah, was called and ordained by God to be a predictive prophet. These would declare the oracles of God and record the history of their people in their own time. The lesser prophets (Hosea through Malachi), basically operated in predictive prophecy. Just because they are called, “the lesser prophets” does not mean their callings and ministries were less important or diminished in any way by the five major prophets of Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. Actually, there were great prophets among these five major prophets who also debuted before Israel, and great books were written of them also – I give you the book of Jonah for example, Joshua for example, the Book of Job for example, the entire Pentateuch as an example, and Genesis as the birthing room for all of God’s prophets to come. We have to keep things in perspective, we have to give honor where honor is due and be thankful for all of God’s prophets, large ministries and small, long ministries and short, forth-telling or fore-telling – they were all anointed mightily of God and we have no authority to catalog them by human degrees. That is God’s turf… We have to remember that God declared Moses was the greatest prophet of the old dispensation (Deuteronomy 34:10). Jesus told His disciples that there was none yet risen that was greater than John the Baptist (who had come in the Spirit of Elijah), yet he that is least in the Kingdom is greater than even John (Matthew 11: 9-11). That doesn’t go down so easily, does it? It’s the choking of humble pie, knowing without a doubt we could be the least of the least… I am afraid I do not understand where the scholars are coming from. I do not understand their cataloging of the prophets. In my humble grasp of God’s infallible Word, a prophet is a prophet. When God calls a man or woman to be a prophet, he or she is presented as a prophet – period. He or she is not, and never can be, a by-product of the analysis and judgment of men, but of the wisdom and sovereignty of God alone. In other words, in God’s eyes, there is no such thing as a big prophet and a little prophet. The Holy Spirit does not have big gifts and little gifts. If gifts are to be received and applied as holy unto the Lord then they should be equally received and applied as holy among men… An assignment is an assignment, all of them are crucial to the Kingdom, and the greatest saint among us was never the issue. The issue is whether or not we did our best with what we were held accountable to do, and whether or not we did it in love, joy, peace, and with great affection for our Lord. Was there jealousy, greed, covetousness, selfish ambition, envy or pride? Was there obedience in all things, immediately, without thinking about it? Was there thankfulness – true thankfulness – for the deliverance that came out of the darkest night? The prophet belongs to God who requires such allegiance that He forbid Jeremiah to marry so he could devote his entire life to his call. His call was that important, and it was that holy. God commanded Hosea to marry a harlot – a sign of God’s undying love for the adulterous Israel. He often commanded his prophets to “act out” the prophecies they had to deliver, appearing as the naked shame of sin about to be judged by the righteous Almighty... PROPHETIC GIFTS OR ANOINTINGS Prophetic gifts and anointings differ from the call to the office of the Prophet. The one who walks in the office of Prophet is God’s voice to the people. He is responsible for his obedience to relay God’s Word to the people exactly as God gives it, not adding to or taking from it. He answers only to God concerning his call, but submits to hosting pastors and to their authority (out of respect) when they are a guest in their churches. This however in no way interferes with his absolute submission to the Holy Spirit. The one who operates in the prophetic gift also answers to God for the word that is given, and, as in the prophet of the Lord, submits to the authority of the pastor or host when in a fellowship setting. However, this person may have other ministries or duties that constitute his or her primary call. For example, a pastor with a prophetic gift is able to edify his congregation as he submits to the authority of the Holy Spirit. A teacher with a prophetic gift may bless his or her students with encouragement as the Spirit reveals special insight in the lives and needs of certain ones. Yet, pasturing or teaching is the primary call. Prophets are not self-made. They are summoned without warning and are commanded to “Speak to the people and say…” A prophet is not a prophet because he desired it, but because God manifested Himself to him (or her) and conferred upon him (or her) a special anointing for that office. God demands total allegiance and submission from his prophets. Therefore, the anointing of the prophet is not given lightly by an all-powerful God who wants the prophet to trust Him. In old Israel no one wanted to be a prophet, for the general masses did not like the prophets. In fact, they sometimes stoned them to death, or killed them in some other horrifying way. People naturally hate being exposed or feeling like, “he knows everything I ever did.” And they hate bad news! The stiff-necked folks of old Israel took the warnings personally and not too well, and more times than we can count, they chased the prophets out of town. Yet today everyone wants to be a prophet. It is true that in the latter days our sons and our daughters will prophesy (Joel announced). Young men shall see visions and old men shall dream dreams and we shall witness the outpouring of God’s Spirit upon ALL flesh. Nevertheless, the office of the prophet is still God’s private harbor. He will choose His own fog horns and that will never change. SPECIAL CALLS HAVE SPECIAL ANOINTINGS John the Baptist stood alone in his call. He had received the Word and now Israel would see and hear again the Spirit of Elijah in John’s strange apparel, wild appearance and thunderous voice. For a long while nothing happened to support his big announcement, and only a handful of faithful disciples believed him, but a faithful John preached it anyway, waiting, and ever watching… He was a prophet born and raised under the law, but he had a clarion call to prepare the way for the promised Messiah. He was the bridge between the law and the cross, between the letter and the Spirit, he was the fore-teller and the forth-teller of all time. He had one foot on earth and one foot in Heaven, and he preached and waited…ever watching… He was beheaded for his outspoken warnings but losing his head did not shut his mouth. John marched into the Paradise of Abraham’s Bosom still preaching the good news that the Messiah was coming. “Prepare ye the way…get ready my brothers and sisters, He is coming, and when he comes he is going to take us all into Heaven.” John was still preaching and prophesying, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with the saints, who included the Old Testament prophets who had written of Him. “Soon”, John told them, “you will see God’s prophesied Messiah face to face.” (Once a prophet always a prophet…) I can just hear Abraham, “Oh, yeah, I remember Him. He sat under my oak tree and ate at my table…” And Shadrach: “Is He the one that stood with us in the furnace at Babylon?” And of course, Jacob: “Is He the one I wrestled with at Jabbock?” Isaiah too would prophesy: “He is wounded for our transgressions, He is bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace is upon Him and with His stripes we are healed.” To all of them John would respond enthusiastically, “Yes, Yes, Yes. He’s your friend Abraham, your deliverer Shadrach, and the breaker who subdued you, Jacob. And David, He is the descendant of your loins that will sit on your throne forever.” “Adam, He is the Seed of the woman, promised in the Garden, the one who will crush Satan’s head. Isaiah, He is the Lamb of God who will bear our sins. Then, He will come.” Where does John fit? Does he number with the saints of the Old Testament, or does he wait in the bridal chamber of the New Testament? You might be surprised… Born of aged parents, filled with the Spirit in his mother’s womb, he would spend most of his young life set apart with God in the wilderness. Here they would grow to trust one another and here John would ultimately and totally surrender self, receiving his assignment and his credentials at just the right hour. And here he would find revelation courage to proclaim to all Israel the coming of the Messiah. John knew by the Spirit who Jesus really was when He came to the Jordan. John was flabbergasted, all but brought to his knees, “ I NEED,” he said to Jesus, “I NEED TO BE BAPTIZED OF YOU AND YOU COME TO ME?” He was acknowledging and confessing his need of a savior in the desperate words, “I NEED…” (“Who am I that I should baptize my Lord who needs no baptism?) John saw, he believed, he received the revelation and confessed his need. He was filled with the Holy Ghost, was a prophet of the Almighty God, the Ambassador of Heaven itself with a message to all who would hear, “The Messiah is coming, the Messiah is coming, prepare ye the way…” Still, he had need of a savior!” You see, the law could only convict and condemn. It could not save. But now John would be numbered with others who had seen, believed, and knew Him as the Son of God, Savior, Messiah, King of the Jews, before Jesus was baptized or began His ministry. The first to believe and receive Him was Mary, his mother. The second was Joseph, His earthly father. Then there were the shepherds, the wise kings of the East, Simeon and Anna in the temple at Jerusalem, and now John. Approximately twelve believers not yet covered by His blood, but their eyes had beheld Him, their hearts opened to receive Him and there were others, many others, who believed, followed and shared His passion at the Cross. Like the thief on the cross, I believe they were saved by God’s Grace through their believing. I believe they were taken from the Paradise in Hades into the Great Bridal Hall of Heaven to welcome and comfort the multiplied thousands of martyrs that would pour into Heaven during those first four centuries of the Church Age and during the tyrannical slaughters by the Roman Catholic Church during the Dark Ages. By all means, we are to covet to prophesy. We are to be the ambassadors we have been ordained to be since the moment we first believed. There is much Word to share and we need to be about the sharing. But we can’t all be prophets. Some – most – of us are called to other ministries with the gift of prophecy operating within us from time to time, as the Holy Spirit wills. God is the owner of the vineyard, He chooses his workers and assigns them their job for the day. We can only be grateful we have labors in the vineyard… One can pray for the gift of prophecy or to be called as a prophet. But I believe Jeremiah was right on when he shared how God had called and ordained him while he was still in his mother’s womb – and how God had known him before he was conceived. I believe prophets are called before they are conceived, then ordained before they are born. I believe that…even if they are born and spend the first 20-30 years of their lives in secular roaming. But that first moment they believe is an eye-opener – that’s when a Jesus encounter rises up to meet them – anointing them with the call to prophesy, filling them with the Spirit of their calling. If you have received that call, don’t smother it with denial or abandon it with fear. Surrender it to the Lord and tell Him you need help understanding it and developing it. The Holy Spirit is your teacher and He will teach you all things you need to know. Just lean on Him and do what He says. Wait for Him for He will never let you down. Most of all, give Glory to the Lord for all word and for all blessings through His Word. Take no Glory or credit for yourself. It is not your Glory, and He deserves the credit – ALL of it. Remember He is the King that wears the crown of crowns… Joan Krempel
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