The Testimony of Jesus

Long before the Bible was written, God communicated to humanity through prophets (see Luke 1:70). Both the Hebrew and Greek words translated “prophet” mean “spokesperson” (compare also Exodus 4:16 with Exodus 7:1). A prophet is not merely one who foretells the future, but is a spokesperson for God. Though the entrance of sin had brought separation between God and humanity, God in His mercy sent these holy men and women to be His voice and communicate His will (see Isaiah 59:2; 2 Peter 1:21).

During both Old and New Testament times, prophets actively provided warnings, reproof, counsel, and instruction from God. For many of these prophets we have no written record of their messages—prophets such as Ahijah, Iddo, Isaiah’s wife, and Philip’s four daughters (see 2 Chronicles 9:29; 13:22; Isaiah 8:3; Acts 21:8, 9). Still, they provided authoritative and much-needed counsel to God’s people at critical periods in their history. Other prophets did leave behind a record of their messages, which Jesus called the “Scriptures of the prophets” (Matthew 26:56), and Paul referred to as the “prophetic Scriptures” (Romans 16:26). The Bible we have today is simply a collection of prophetic, or inspired, writings from the days of Moses to the time of the early church.