...What the Prophets Said Micheal Coffin October 15, 2015 Introduction In this essay, we will examine what the prophets had to say about the following: 1. Idolatry 2. Social Injustice 3. Religious Ritualism God’s people had great difficulty between obedience and disobedience to Almighty God. Throughout Old Testament history, we see how they would be faithful for a while and then turn away and go their own way. God brought punishment upon His people several times, yet they never seemed to learn from His actions. God was so full of love and compassion for His people that He kept offering ways to return to Him. Finally, God chose a select group of men to be His prophets and to deliver visions and warnings of things to come if they did not repent. Finally, we will examine how the many prophecies have practical application for living today. 1. Idolatry The worship of false gods or idols was done as far back as Moses. The Ten Commandments (Ex 20:3-5) clearly established God’s law against idol worship. Sadly, the worship of idols and false gods continued through the Old Testament. Much concern of the prophets was towards the practice of idolatry in Judah and Israel. But, God had concern for all nations as well. Isa 44:9 states “They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed”. God further exposes the blindness of idolaters in (Isa...
Words: 1059 - Pages: 5
...Loving God and Loving Others At first glance, it's easy to pass over the prophet books. They aren't “fun” books of the Bible to read, like Esther or Ruth or even Jonah. They're angst filled books. They're about judgement. Frankly, they can be downright depressing. But when one looks deeper within these books, some major themes that are applicable to today become noticeable. The themes of idolatry – who and what we worship, social injustices, and religious ritualism emerge. While we may like to think that these are issues of the past, they are still present and relative in 2013. Another theme emerges too: God's great and deep love for his people and the desire to see them restored. Israel wrestled over worshiping a God they couldn't see. No matter how many times God made himself known to them, they still assimilated into the culture and chose to worship man-made gods over the living God. God used the prophets to call Israel out and to give them fair warning to turn back to himself and to uphold their end of their covenantal responsibility. From the outset of his message on behalf of the Lord, the prophet Zephaniah condemned the people of Judah and their worship of false idols saying, "I will crush Judah and Jerusalem with my fist and destroy every last trace of their Baal worship. I will put an end to all the idolatrous priests, so that even the memory of them will disappear. For they go up to their roofs and bow down to the sun, moon, and stars. They claim to follow...
Words: 912 - Pages: 4
...The prophets are difficult to interpret mainly due to misunderstandings about their function and form (Fee/Stuart p182). Most dictionaries define the word “prophecy”as ‘foretelling or prediction of what is to come. Using the prophets in this way is highly discerning, for less than 2% of OT prophecy is messianic; less than 5% describes the new covenant age and less than 1% concerns future events (Fee/Stuart p182). The prophets usually announced the immediate future of Judah, Israel and the surrounding nations, rather than our future. Those events were forthcoming for them but past for us (Fee/Stuart p182). The primary function of prophets as a spokesperson was to speak for God to their own contemporaries. Of the hundreds of prophets in Israel, we have the writings of only 16. We know a lot about what Elijah and Elisha did, but relatively little of what they said (Fee/Stuart p183). The difficulty of historical distance also complicates our comprehension of the prophets (Fee/Stuart p 183). Four things must be emphasized about the Function of Prophecy: “The prophets were covenant enforcement mediators”. God gave His law and enforces it: positive enforcement takes the form of blessing, negative enforcement that of curse. God announced the enforcement through the prophets so that the ensuing positive or negative events would be understood by the people. The prophets didn’t create the blessings or curses they announced. They may have worded them in narrative ways, but always on the...
Words: 644 - Pages: 3
...The Life of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ِب ۡس ي ٱ ٱلَّر ۡس َم ٰـ ِب ٱلَّر ِب ي ِب ِب ِب In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful All Praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, the [One Who] Sustains the Heavens and Earths, Director of all that is created, who sent the Messengers (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon all of them) to rational beings, to guide them and explain the religious laws to them with clear proofs and undeniable arguments. I praise Him for all of His bounties. I ask Him to increase His Grace and Generosity. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah alone, who has no partner, the One, Who Subdues, the Generous, the Forgiving. I bear witness that our leader Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, His beloved and dear one, the best of all creation. He was honoured with the Glorious Qur’an that has been an enduring miracle throughout the years. He was also sent with his guiding Sunnah that shows the way for those who seek guidance. Our leader Muhammad has been particularised with the characteristic of eloquent and pithy speech, and simplicity and ease in the religion. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, the other Prophets and Messengers, all of their families and the rest of the righteous. NO Copyrights!!! This book can be printed or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented...
Words: 35136 - Pages: 141
...and lay a prophetic foundation within the very framework and infrastructure of my people.” (personal prophecy spoken over Dennis Cramer, Oct. 1996) The “Amos” Mandate Amos said, “I do not come from a family of prophets neither am I a professionally trained prophet with a scholarly background... I have no formal prophetic training or education of any kind. Still, the Lord has commanded me to prophesy!” (Amos 7:14,15) The “Equippers” Mandate “And He gave some to be prophets—for the equipping of the saints” (Eph. 4:12). The Greek word for equipping implies: A recovered wholeness, as when a broken limb is set and mends. A discovered function, as when a physical member is properly operating. The task of the gifted leader is to cultivate the individual and corporate ministries of those he leads. As the “equipper” his job is to help each member find his function in God, experience wholeness in his ministry, and to help each member find his place of service to God. The “Communicators” Mandate “Educators take something simple and make it complicated. A good communicator takes something complicated and makes it simple.” The “Jesus” Mandate “Go and teach all nations... teaching them all the things I have taught you” (Matthew 28:19,20). 2 What is the School of Prophecy? Dennis Cramer Ministries presents a three-day mobile prophetic school—a practical, workable, prophetic curriculum for the church of the 21st...
Words: 2960 - Pages: 12
...Prophet Sulaiman AS inherited from his father, Prophet Dawud AS the prophethood and kingdom. He was the third king of Isreal and he ruled the kingdom for 700 years. He asked to Allah for a kingdom that will never occur to nobody else, and Allah SWT granted his dua’. Prophet Sulaiman AS also was granted with a lot of the great miracles such as he had the power to control the wind for a distance of a month and the power to control the devils from the Jinn. In addition, Allah SWT also taught him the language of birds and he could understand what the animals speak. Allah SWT had gathered unto Sulaiman AS with the armies from mankind, the Jinn and the birds. They were all set in battle order and gathered in one place. One day, when he was inspecting his army, he noticed the absence of one bird called Hudhud...
Words: 934 - Pages: 4
...Allah and Prophet Mohamed is a messenger of Allah. The correct acceptance of Mohamed as a messenger is to believe what he brought to us. One of the fundamental article of faith in Islam is believing Messengers. Therefore it is very important to know finality of prophethood and messengership for all muslims. Prophet Mohamed It is clear that the Prophet Mohamed was the Last and the final messenger of Allah from Quran and Sunnah. Glorious Quran mentioned about Prophet Mohamed “Rather he is Allah’s messenger and the last of prophets” (Chapter 33, Verse 40). “There will be no prophet after me, but there will be Caliphs who will increase in number." [al-Bukhari 4.661] Allah's Apostle set out for Tabuk. appointing 'Ali as his deputy (in Medina). 'Ali said, "Do you want to leave me with the children and women?" The Prophet said, "Will you not be pleased that you will be to me like Aaron to Moses? But there will be no prophet after me." [al-Bukhari 5.700] Furthermore, there are many other authentic hadiths providing clear evidences that Prophet Mohamed is the final prophet of Allah. However some deviant sects claim that the above verse only mentioned that he is the final Prophet not the final messenger of Allah by using improper definitions of Prophethood and Messengership. Finality of Prophethood and Messengership In order to precede it, we should know correct definitions of Prophethood and Messengership. People have distinguished between a prophet (nabi) and...
Words: 1561 - Pages: 7
...Sincerity The Prophet (pbuh) was sincere and honest in all his matters, as God had ordered him. Allah, the Exalted, says: "Say, Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for God, Lord of the worlds. No partner has He. And this I have been commanded and I am the first (among you) of the Muslims." [6:162-163] Good Morals, Ethics and Companionship The Prophet (pbuh) was a living example for all humans to follow. His wife A’ishah was asked about his manners, and she said, "His manners were the Qur’an." Allah, the Exalted, described the Prophet (pbuh) saying: "And indeed, you are of a great moral character" [68:4] Anas b. Malik served the Prophet (pbuh) for ten years; He was with him day in and day out, both when the Prophet (pbuh) traveled and when he was a resident in Madeenah. He was knowledgeable of the Prophet’s manners. He said: "The Prophet (pbuh) did not swear at anyone, nor was he rude, nor did he curse anyone. If he desired to reprimand someone, he would say: ‘What is wrong with him, may dust be cast in his face!" (Bukhari #5684) Politeness and Good Manners The Prophet (pbuh) showed good manners and was courteous to all, even to children. Once when the Prophet was in a gathering, a drink was brought to the Prophet (pbuh) and he drank from it. On his right side there was a young boy and on his left side were elderly men. Feeling obliged by the respect of elders, and not wanting to hurt the feelings of the child, he asked the young boy: ...
Words: 800 - Pages: 4
...Steve Jobs and Jesus’ Prophets lived thousands of years apart yet in their particular lives they accomplished many outstanding feats. Even though the Prophets and Steve Jobs had very different occupations, we can pull out qualities and ethics that they both shared. Steve Jobs began his love for technology at a very young age, working with his father on appliances and things that needed fixing around the house. He would work in his garage with his father learning about the mechanical world. It was from a young age that Steve Jobs had been instilled with a unique passion for technology. Just like the Prophets, Steve Jobs would face trials and tribulations that would put anyone on the edge of sanity. The difficulties these men faced in their...
Words: 1217 - Pages: 5
...Mohammed a true Prophet. محمــد نبي حق. 1-Vocabulary: |claim |ادعاء |yield |يرضخ/يستسلم | |revealed |موصى به |endured |تحمل | |launched |يشن |blaspheme |يسب | |conduct |سلوك |proofs |براهين | |Denounce |يهين |staunch |قوى / مخلص | |renounce |يقبل - يذعن لـ |mocked |يسخر من | |integrity |أمانة وصدق |riff raff |أوباش/ رعاع | |infancy |طفولة |temptations |إغراء | |boycott |مقاطعة |apostle |رسول/حواري | |pagan |عابد الأصنام/ وثنى |acknowledge |اعترف -أقر بـ | |tribal | قبلي |humiliate |يهين | |bigotry | تعصب |besiege |يحاصر | |allegation |ادعاء |flat refusal |رفض تام | |unspotted ...
Words: 7277 - Pages: 30
...University Prophet, Priest & King: Jesus and His fulfillment of each office A research paper submitted to Professor xxxxx xxxxxxx in partial fulfillment of the requirements for BIBL 000 xxxxxxxx by xxxxxxx xxxxxxx 123456789 I. Introduction II. Prophet A. General role of prophet B. Jesus as prophet III. Priest A. General role of priest B. Jesus as priest IV. King A. General role of king B. Jesus as king V. Conclusion Prophet, Priest & King: Jesus and His fulfillment of...
Words: 2380 - Pages: 10
...Timeline Essay of the Prophets Grand Canyon University BIB 351 12/11/2011 After having done a great deal of studying of Old Testament passages about the prophets I will explain what a prophet is, how God worked with them and who they were. God stopped talking openly to people after Adam and Eve were driven from the Garden, He then chose specific individuals through whom He would communicate. The prophet must be able to hear the voice of God and bring God’s words to the world. All prophecy will be “as the Spirit gives utterance” (Acts 2:4). In the ministry of a prophet, a called prophet speaks the message the Lord gives him. The first time the word “prophet” is used in the Bible is in the days of Abraham (Gen. 20:7). Each prophet had a specific message for the people of Israel from God. Some messages were warnings to Israel's about punishment if they continued to sin, others were about God's efforts to reconcile himself with Israel after a period of punishment, and prophecies about Israel and the nations it interacted with. Major Prophets of the Old Testament Isaiah’s period of prophecy was from 740 to 680 B.C. Isaiah is most often thought of as the greatest of the Old Testament prophets of the Bible. Isaiah prophesied about Israel's judgment and reconciliation with God, the coming savior Christ, and judgment of nations, and the end times. Jeremiah's ministry was from 630 - 585 B.C. In his writing he prophesized of the Israelites’ exile to Babylon, the fall of Jerusalem...
Words: 1227 - Pages: 5
...(The Night Journey) In the name of Allah, the beneficent the merciful. الإسراء والمعراج On 27th Rajab, all the Muslim believers celebrate this as a grand day of Mi'raj as "Grand Eid" and all the Muslims should be proud to have such a prophet like Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessing be upon him and his progeny (Ahlul Bayt), to whom Almighty Allah (swt) was also proud and had invited him to visit and talked with very nearer distance as mentioned in the Glorious Qur'an 53:9. Also note that, the Mi'raj of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessing be upon him and his progeny has taken place more than once. However, it should be mentioned that Mi'raj in which the daily Salat was made incumbent, without doubt, occurred before the death of Hazrat Abu Talib, who passed away in the 10th year of Besat. Unmistakably, from the Ahadith and books of history, it is mentioned that on the night of Mi'raj, Allah (swt) gave the order of the five daily Salat as being mandatory upon the Islamic Nation. The darkness of the night had spread across the horizon and silence reigned over the face of nature. The time had arrived when the living creatures take rest and sleep so that they might recuperate from their activities of the previous day. Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw), was also not an exception to this law of nature and he wished to take rest after offering his prayers (Salat) in the house of "Umm-e-Hani", the daughter of his uncle and sister of Amir al-Mominin Ali (pbuh) in the blessed...
Words: 2962 - Pages: 12
...SIRAH PROPHET MUHAMMAD IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP Trade is the most sourceful type of income that Allah gives to His ummah . Complying this , Islam has condemned all unclean and unlawful means of making money as wicked and sinful. It also has condemned all profits derived from such means as filthy and unlawful . On the country , it has proclaimed great virtues in seeking one’s livelihood honestly and in engaging oneself cleanly in trade or any profession (Nuradli 2013) . The Prophet Muhammad has said: “ The trader who plies his trade cleanly and honestly will rise in the Hereafter ( in the company of) the Prophets , saints and martrys “ As we know Prophet Muhammad is the last messenger of Allah that bring new era in the development of world civilization and also the success nation leader that bring the glorious Islamic civilization during the next 1000 years and beside the fact above he also known as a successful businessman. Born as an orphan and did not inherit anything, that was the life of the Prophet Muhammad S.A.W. When other kids at his...
Words: 1703 - Pages: 7
...Lessons in Leadership from the Life of the Prophet Muhammad: Arabic Knowledge@Wharton ( http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/arabic/article.cfm?articleid=2540) Lessons in Leadership from the Life of the Prophet Muhammad Published October 05, 2010 in Arabic Knowledge@Wharton The Leadership of Muhammad is a new book by British management scholar John Adair that mines the life of the Prophet Muhammad to highlight his extraordinary qualities as a leader. According to Adair, success is a function of leadership, and his short work provides anyone interested in learning how to lead and motivate with a wealth of insight, according to this review by Muqtedar Khan, an associate professor of political science and international relations at the University of Delaware. Over the years, Muslim and non-Muslim historians have written many books about Prophet Muhammad as a leader, highlighting the divinely guided qualities of his personality as the final messenger of God, according to Islamic beliefs. But in the past century or so, a modernist, rationalist school of Islamic thought has emerged, which focuses on examining Prophet Muhammad as a charismatic leader as well as being the messenger of God. Developed by thinkers like Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Shibli Nomani in India and Sheikh Muhammad Abduh and Rashid Rida in the Arab world, this school seeks to minimize the miraculous nature of the Prophet's biography to explore the rationalist and humanist dimensions of his personality. Their interpretations...
Words: 1293 - Pages: 6
