PROPHETS

and
PROPHECIES

CFE 101: Lesson 2:God the Father

journeys with his people in the
Nevi’im
 Context

Fidelity – faithfulness to a person, cause, or

belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and
support.

Commitment – the state or quality of being

dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.

Redemption – the action of saving or being saved

from sin, error, or evil.
 Church Teaching: Catechism for
Filipino Catholics

– The prophets were men called by God to speak His word to the
people. ( “apilu” - oracular speakers)
– They receive communication from God through inspiration and
transmit it to the people.
– They called people back to the covenant.
– The theme of their messages are that of conversion, hope, and
fidelity to the Lord.
- They were men of courage as they spoke up
against authority and power, pointing out the
problems, the solutions, and the
consequences.
- Three-fold pattern of a prophet’s message: ,
Accusation,Threat, Call to change
 Prophet Isaiah
Is.49:15 – “Can a mother forget her infant, be
without tenderness for the child in her womb?
Even she should forget, I will never forget you.”
– Lived in Jerusalem in the 8th century and
flourished there as a prophet. He was married
to a prophetess and is believed to be of royal
blood
– Is.6:1-13: Isaiah’s Call: He focused on the
Lord(6:1-4), he acknowledged his own
sinfulness and inadequacies(6:5), the Lord
touched his mouth and cleansed him (6:7), and
he responded with availability, “Here I am, send
me”(6:8).
– He was sent to call Judah for repentance and to
warn them about the destruction to come.
– He was a prophet of doom but he also looked
forward to when Judah will become the spiritual
capital of world.
– One of the major themes in this book is comfort
and hope for God’s chosen people who were
exiled in Babylonia.
– He teaches us that no matter what how gloomy
history may be, God is always working out
something far more wonderful to those who
remain faithful to him.
– He challenges us to faithfully proclaim God’s
words regardless of how people will respond to it,
to trust in every promise God has made and that
he will sustain us through the difficult days of
history.
 Prophet
Jeremiah
Jr.31:31-34 – “The Lord said….I will write my laws on their
hearts and minds. I will be their God, and they will be my
people…”
– He came from Anathoth, a son of Hilkiah
– He began to serve as God’s prophet in 626
B.C when he was possibly 20 (or less) years
old (Jr.1:1-19).
– He warned the kings and the priests, and
the people of Judah of their coming doom
because they have turned away from God
and stubbornly pursued their own ways.
– He was known as the “weeping prophet”
– His main message was a strong reminder for
God’s people to remain faithful to the covenant
they made with Yahweh at Mt.Sinai.
– He warned that Judah will be defeated and that
its holy city Jerusalem would be destroyed. But
because God continued to love the people, he
would make a new agreement with them after
the punishment is over.
– He teaches us to be bold in proclaiming the Word
of God under any condition, to bare our hearts
before God without any reservation, and to put
our hopes for the future on the promises of God
without hesitation.
 Prophet Amos

Am. 5:24- “But let justice roll down like waters,

and righteousness like an ever flowing stream”
– He was a dresser of fig trees and a
sheep-breeder from Tekoa in the
Southern kingdom of Judah.
– He was called by God to preach
against the people’s abuse of
privilege and the corruption of
justice committed by the rich and
powerful. (Amos 7:10-17, 8)
– He warned the nation of a coming disaster if
they continue to refuse to return to the Lord.
– Amos reminds us that it is God who is
ultimately in control and that he will hold
accountable those who commit corruption
and oppress the weak the poor and the
powerless.
– He also teaches us that the privilege that we
experience as God’s people has a
corresponding responsibility.
 Prophet Hosea
Ho. 11:8-9 – “Israel, I can’t let you go. I can’t give you up…I won’t
lose my temper and destroy you again. I am the Holy God-not
merely some human, and I won’t stay angry”
– He lived and prophesied during the difficult years of the
Northern kingdom leading to its capture by Assyria in 722
B.C and he showed that the basic problem is rooted in the
people’s abandonment of God (the worship of Baal).
– His central metaphor is his own marriage (Chs.1-3) as the
symbolic representation of the relationship between God
and Israel.
– This book was written as a testimony of God’s love
for Israel despite their ingratitude and infidelity. That
the Lord continues to love them and is taking the initiative
to take them back again.
 Prophet Jonah
Jon 3:10 – “When God saw that the people had stopped
doing evil things, he had pity and did not destroy them as
he planned.”
– Through the character of Jonah, the book
teaches what a prophet should not be
since he bluntly refused to obey.
– His story shows us that all people are
invited to know God and to experience
God’s blessings and deliverance. That the
good news of God’s love is for everybody
and not just for a privileged few.
– As messengers of the good news, we
should not choose to whom we should
share it. We must build bridges with all
peoples.