Many people are drawn to the prophets because they seem mysterious — men and women who spoke with divine authority, calling Israel back to faithfulness. Yet the prophets of the Old Testament were not distant figures; they were real people chosen by God to speak His word in difficult times. Their voices still echo through the Bible, reminding us of justice, mercy, and hope.
When we open the Old Testament, we meet prophets from every generation. Some, like Moses, led the people out of slavery and received the Law on Mount Sinai. Others, like Elijah and Elisha, confronted kings and false gods with courage and faith. Then come the great writing prophets — Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel — whose words form entire books of Scripture. Alongside them stand the twelve minor prophets, from Hosea to Malachi, whose shorter writings still carry the fire of God’s truth.
The role of a prophet was not simply to predict the future, but to speak for God — to call people back to covenant love and to reveal His heart for the poor, the oppressed, and the lost. Often, prophets suffered for their message. Jeremiah was imprisoned, Elijah fled for his life, and Isaiah spoke of a “suffering servant” who would bear the sins of many — a prophecy fulfilled in Christ. In their faithfulness, we see the shadow of Jesus Himself, the perfect Prophet who not only proclaimed God’s Word but was the Word made flesh.
For us today, the prophets invite a deeper listening. They remind us that God’s voice still speaks — sometimes in fire, sometimes in a whisper — always calling us to conversion and hope. When we read their words, we are not just studying history; we are hearing the living God, who still reaches out to guide His people toward light and truth.
May we listen, as they once did, to the gentle voice of the Lord who still speaks in every age.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
