Significance of Prophets.

In the Old Testament times the priests, in principle, only made sacrifices prescribed by the law.

They did not take care of the public morality. They were priests, not pastors. The Jewish people

sojourned in spiritual ignorance and easily adopted heathen superstitions. That is why teaching

the Jews to believe and live correctly was the main goal of the prophets. In view of the violations

of God's law, the prophets sternly denounced those who sinned, whoever  they  were:  ordinary

people  or  princes,  priests  or  judges,  slaves or kings. Their inspired words had great power to

wake the repentant feeling and the desire to serve God. The prophets were the conscience of the

people, and 'elders' for those seeking spiritual counsel and instruction. It is only owing  to  the

prophets that the Jewish people retained the true faith until the nativity of Christ. The first fol-

lowers of Christ had been the followers of the last of the Old Testament prophets, John the Bap-

tist.

  While among the Jews the priesthood was inheritable, God called people for prophetic min-

istry individually. Prophets were coming from various social strata: peasants and shepherds, like

Hosea and Amos; upper class, like Isaiah, Zephaniah and Daniel; there were also prophets de-

scending from priests, like Ezekiel and Habakkuk. The Lord did not choose the prophets by their

social ancestry, but by their spiritual qualities.

  As centuries passed, an image of a true prophet of God developed among the Jews: a man

fully unselfish, infinitely devoted to God, fearless before the powerful people but, at  the same

time, deeply humble, demanding to himself, compassionate and fatherly. God's prophets became

advocates and protectors of many weak and abused people.