The term “prophet” can refer to someone who receives a direct message from the divine or who taps into divine knowledge to make predictions. Different religions have their own prophets, and some non-religious figures are also considered prophetic. However, some people use the title to exploit others, such as cult leaders like David Koresh and Charles Manson.
The term “prophet” has several definitions and is based on matters of faith and belief. Loosely, it is used to describe a person who experiences one of two things:
He or she receives a direct message from the divine, which must be communicated to others.
He or she is able to somehow tap into divine knowledge and make predictions about the future of the world or about individuals.
This last definition could also be defined as seer or psychic. People who don’t believe in a divine being would probably define a prophet as a person who falsely believes that they communicated with a god or gods. Adherents of particular religions also make the distinction between true and false prophets. This definition will focus primarily on the term as seen by those who believe in some version of a creator or intelligent presence.
In the Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition, people once believed that prophecy was not uncommon. The prophets these religions have in common include Noah, Abraham (called Ibrahim by people of the Islamic faith), and Moses. Both Christians and Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet, having direct contact with the words of God. Furthermore, Muslims believe that Muhammad is the last prophet, who speaks directly to how God should be worshipped, although the Imams in Shia faith are representations of how the Quran should be read and interpreted.
Jesus, in the Islamic faith is considered a prophet, but not, as in the Christian faith, the Son of God. Some Christians also believe that the accounts of Noah are more metaphors than actual stories of a real person, and are more likely to take with greater seriousness the words of Moses and the subsequent Old Testament prophets, such as Isaiah. As the number of Christian sects has increased, other prophets have been influential in the formation of these sects.
Mormons, for example, view Joseph Smith, the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as a prophet. Seventh-day Adventists believe that Ellen White, who co-founded the church, was able to prophesy. Jehovah’s Witnesses view the entire organization of their religion as an organization that is prophetic and intended to guide all people in the right interpretation of Christianity.
These three religions are not the only ones to believe in prophets. In ancient Greece, oracles or seers had to interpret the words of the Greek gods and had the ability to see the future. In modern times, many founders of ancient religions are considered prophetic, even though they may not have claimed the title for themselves.
Even modern people with messages of peace and harmony could earn the title. In general, Confucius, Lao Tzu, the Buddha, Gandhi, the black elk and even more modern figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. are considered by some to be prophets. For many different faiths, these religious leaders or revolutionaries are seen as divinely guided to continue the message of God’s existence and the need to live cooperatively and peacefully in the world.
Non-religious prophetic figures include many of the great psychics, such as Nostradamus and Madame Blavatsky. The term thus falls into a rather sensitive area, however, and some people claim to be prophets to start religions or cults that could ultimately harm or exploit others. In this definition, the word could refer to someone like David Koresh, Reverend Moon, or even Charles Manson. All claim, or claim to have access to the true word of God, and all have been accused or proven to have at least exploited people, and in the worst cases have claimed numerous innocent lives.
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