Some say, He is a prophet. But what does that mean? Well, the word prophet originated from the Bible and so, in this post, we will look at all the prophets in the Bible in order to understand this saying.

Our Bible Quotation of Focus

Our Bible quotation of focus in this post is as follows. “Nevertheless he [God] left not himself without witness [without a prophet].” Acts 14:17.

Now you may be asking, What does “Acts 14:17” mean? It is an example of Bible notation, in that, it is a way of referencing the Bible which is a collection of books. As it is, each book in the Bible consists of one or more chapters, and each chapter has numbered sections called verses. For example, the Bible notation “Acts 14:17” refers to the book of Acts, the 14^th chapter, and the 17^th verse of Chapter 14.

Who or What is God?

I have mentioned God above, But who or what is the true God? Well, on reading the Bible, you will find that “God” (Genesis 1:1) and “the Godhead” (Acts 17:29) are interchangeable names in the Bible for a divine Family made up of three Persons. So, God is a Person or, rather, Persons, and not a thing or things.

And God describes Himself in the Bible by saying that He is “God, that cannot lie” (Titus 1:2) and “God is love.” 1 John 4:8. That is to say, each of the three members of the Godhead has a character of love that is identical to the character of the others. In fact, this love is the only definition of true love in the universe.

And, No, there are not three Gods! Why? Because the members of the Godhead never contradict each other at any time, that is, we can say that they speak with one voice. For there has never been nor ever will be any disagreement or contention among them. Therefore, we can say, “there is one God.” Mark 12:32.

Furthermore, each Person in the Godhead, the divine Family, is “without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life.” Hebrews 7:3.

And the names of these three Persons in the Godhead are “the Father” (Matthew 11:27), “the Son” (Psalm 2:12) also called Christ (Matthew 1:1), and “the Holy Spirit.” Psalm 51:11.

OK, with this understanding of who God is, a related question is, Who is Jesus? The name Jesus was given to Christ when He was born as a baby boy on earth over 2,000 years ago.

Who is a True Prophet?

Now God defines who is a true prophet by saying, “Hear now my [God’s] words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD [God] will make myself known unto him [or her] in a vision [in supernatural mental imagery from God], and will speak unto him [or her] in a dream…[To some] will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently [even visibly], and not in dark speeches [not in riddles]; and the similitude [form] of the LORD shall…[they] behold.” Numbers 12:6-8.

“And…[the prophet] shall be…[God’s] spokesman unto the people [the human race].” Exodus 4:16. For “I [God] will be with…[the] mouth [of the prophet]…and will teach…[them] what…[they] shall do.” Exodus 4:15.

So, the true prophet will say, “As the LORD [God] liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak.” 2 Chronicles 18:13. And since God cannot lie and, hence, God speaks only truth, the true prophet will never contradict “the word of God” (1 Samuel 9:27) which is “the word of truth” (Psalm 119:43), that is, the Bible.

The Need for True Prophets

You may ask, Why does the human race need true prophets? Well, God created the first human pair, a man named Adam and a woman named Eve, with a character of love just like God’s character.

However, Eve believed the lies of an angel named Satan and, therefore, did evil and wrongdoing, which is sin. Eve caused Adam to sin also. Thus, the character of both Adam and Eve was changed from one of love to one of selfishness.

Who is Satan? He is an angel originally named “Lucifer” (Isaiah 14:12) who rebelled against God in heaven and thereby sinned. Satan caused some of the other angels to join him in the sin of his rebellion against God.

And because Satan and his “evil angels” (Psalm 78:49) became permanently fixed in their evil ways, God cast them all out of heaven pending God’s Judgment Day.

As it is, all the human race, as descendants of Adam and Eve, have inherited their disposition to sin and, so, every human being has sinned. And “the wages of sin is [eternal] death [which is to be annihilated by God]; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23.

This then is the truth that God speaks to humanity to through His prophets in order to counteract the lies that Satan speaks to the human race.

So, why does God not speak to humanity directly Himself instead of through prophets?

There are two main reasons for this. First, if humanity is brought face-to-face with God in their natural condition they would be terrified of God. Second, while Satan spreads unbelief in God on earth, God wants human beings to believe the truth about in Him even though He is invisible and not depend on their physical sight.

Adam and Eve as True Prophets: Adam and Eve Born Approx. 3958 B.C. and Adam Died 2989 B.C.

When Adam and Eve sinned, Christ spoke the following words to Satan in their hearing: “And I [God] will put enmity [hatred] between thee [Satan] and the woman [Eve, and man, Adam, and all their godly descendants], and between thy [Satan’s] seed [Satan’s ungodly followers] and her seed [Christ]; it [Christ] shall bruise thy [Satan’s] head, and thou [Satan] shalt bruise his [Christ’s] heel.” Genesis 3:15.

This was the promise from God that Christ would come to the earth in human flesh as a Deliverer from sin for the human race. And this good news of the true message of hope from God, Adam and Eve, as true prophets, were to pass on to their descendants.

Abel as a True Prophet: Born Approx. 3928 B.C.?

The first two children of Adam and Eve were two sons, Cain and Abel. Cain killed Abel because he was righteous and Cain himself was evil.

Abel was a true prophet for, when Christ was on earth, He said to the Jews, “Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I [God] will send them prophets and apostles [disciples of Christ specially chosen by God], and some of them they shall slay [kill] and persecute: That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily [truly] I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.” Luke 11:49-51.

As a true prophet, Abel demonstrated faith in Christ, the promised Deliverer from sin, to come in the future as an example to others.

Enoch as a True Prophet: 3336 B.C. to 2971 B.C.

Enoch was born when Adam was 622 years old, so Enoch would have heard from Adam, as a true prophet, the good news of Christ, the coming Deliverer from sin.

Further, God communicated with Enoch so that, as a true prophet, “Enoch also, the seventh [generation] from Adam, prophesied…saying, Behold, the Lord [God] cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him [God].” Jude 1:14, 15.

And “by faith [in God’s promises]Enoch was translated [by God] that he should not see [experience] death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” Hebrews 11:5.

Lamech as a True Prophet: 3084 B.C. to 2307 B.C.

Lamech was born when Adam was 874 years old, 56 years before Adam died at age 930 years. Thus, Lamech would have heard from Adam, as a true prophet, the good news of Christ, the coming Deliverer from sin.

And “Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat [was the father of] a son: And he called his name Noah.” Genesis 5:28, 29. So, Lamech, as a true prophet, would have passed on the good news about Christ which he had heard from Adam to his son, Noah.

Noah as a True Prophet: 2902 B.C. to 1952 B.C.

“And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat [was the father of three sons,] Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” Genesis 5:32.

As a true prophet, Noah would have passed on what he had heard of the good news about Christ to his sons and to others.

“And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh [all human beings] is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I [God] will destroy them with the earth.” Genesis 6:13.

So, God sent a worldwide flood on the earth “and Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.” Genesis 7:6.

Only eight people survived the Flood, namely, Noah and his wife and their three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth and their sons’ wives. “And…[by] the three sons of Noah…was the whole earth overspread [repopulated].” Genesis 9:18, 19.

“And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.” Genesis 9:28, 29. Thus for 350 years after the flood, Noah, as a true prophet would have spread the good news about Christ to those people born after the flood.

TO BE CONTINUED…