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In [[religion]], a '''prophet''' (or ''' prophetess''') is a person who has directly encountered the [[numinous]] or the [[Divinity|divine]] and serves as an intermediary with humanity. Prophets existed in many ancient cultures, including each [[Abrahamic religion]], the [[Sibyl|Sybilline]] and [[Oracle of Delphi#Oracle|Delphic Oracles]] in [[Ancient Greece]], the [[Völuspá]] in [[Old Norse]], [[Zoroaster]] in [[Persia]], and many others. Traditionally, both prophets and [[false prophets]] are regarded as having a founding or galvanizing role in society due to their teachings and actions. The label 'prophet' can be extremely [[subjective]]: Without exception, someone who is considered a '[[Truth|true]]' prophet by some people, is simultaneously considered a 'false' prophet by some others.

In [[religion]], a '''prophet''' (or ''' prophetess''') is a person who has directly encountered the [[numinous]] or the [[Divinity|divine]] and serves as an intermediary with humanity. Prophets existed in many ancient cultures, including each [[Abrahamic religion]], the [[Sibyl|Sybilline]] and [[Oracle of Delphi#Oracle|Delphic Oracles]] in [[Ancient Greece]], the [[Völuspá]] in [[Old Norse]], [[Zoroaster]] in [[Persia]], and many others. Traditionally, both prophets and [[false prophets]] are regarded as having a founding or galvanizing role in society due to their teachings and actions. The label 'prophet' can be extremely [[subjective]]: Without exception, someone who is considered a '[[Truth|true]]' prophet by some people, is simultaneously considered a 'false' prophet by some others.

Alternatively, social commentators who suggest escalating crisis in environment and society due to a lack or failure of due care are often referred to as 'prophets of doom.'  

Alternatively, social commentators who suggest escalating crisis in environment and society due to a lack or failure of due care are often referred to as 'prophets of doom.'  

 

==Judaism==

==Judaism==

===Jehovah's Witnesses===

===Jehovah's Witnesses===

[[Jehovah's Witnesses]] do not consider any single person in their modern-day organization to be [http://www.bibletopics.com/biblestudy/images/88f.gif a prophet]. Their literature has referred to their organization collectively as  God's "prophet" on earth; this is understood however in the sense of declaring their interpretation of God's judgments from the Bible along with God's guidance of His Holy Spirit.  One issue of [[The Watchtower]] their magazine, said: "Ever since 'The Watchtower' began to be published in July of 1879 it has looked ahead into the future... No, 'The Watchtower' is no inspired prophet, but it follows and explains a Book of prophecy the predictions in which have proved to be unerring and unfailing till now. 'The Watchtower' is therefore under safe guidance. It may be read with confidence, for its statements may be checked against that prophetic Book."<ref>''The Watchtower 1 Jan 1969'' </ref> They also claim that they are God's one and only true channel to mankind on earth, and used by God for this purpose. They have made [[Jehovah's Witnesses#Jehovah.27s Witnesses and eschatology|many eschatological predictions]] and as a result have acknowledged they "have made mistakes in their understanding of what would occur".<ref>''Reasoning From the Scriptures'' p.136 </ref>

[[Jehovah's Witnesses]] do not consider any single person in their modern-day organization to be [http://www.bibletopics.com/biblestudy/images/88f.gif a prophet]. Their literature has referred to their organization collectively as  God's "prophet" on earth; this is understood however in the sense of declaring their interpretation of God's judgments from the Bible along with God's guidance of His Holy Spirit.  One issue of [[The Watchtower]] their magazine, said: "Ever since 'The Watchtower' began to be published in July of 1879 it has looked ahead into the future... No, 'The Watchtower' is no inspired prophet, but it follows and explains a Book of prophecy the predictions in which have proved to be unerring and unfailing till now. 'The Watchtower' is therefore under safe guidance. It may be read with confidence, for its statements may be checked against that prophetic Book." 'The Watchtower 1 Jan 1969'' They also claim that they are God's one and only true channel to mankind on earth, and used by God for this purpose. They have made [[Jehovah's Witnesses#Jehovah.27s Witnesses and eschatology|many eschatological predictions]] and as a result have acknowledged they "have made mistakes in their understanding of what would occur".''Reasoning From the Scriptures'' p.136

===Seventh-day Adventist===

===Seventh-day Adventist===

* [[Propheteering]]

* [[Propheteering]]

*[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=prophet Etymology of the English word "prophet"]

*[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=prophet Etymology of the English word "prophet"]

*[http://www.propheticmidrash.com Prophetic Midrash]: Stories of Biblical Prophets and Prophetesses

*[http://www.propheticmidrash.com Prophetic Midrash]: Stories of Biblical Prophets and Prophetesses

*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12477a.htm Entry for prophecy, prophet, and prophetess at the Catholic Encyclopedia on-line edition]

*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12477a.htm Entry for prophecy, prophet, and prophetess at the Catholic Encyclopedia on-line edition]

*[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=554&letter=P Entry for prophecy and prophets at the Jewish Encyclopedia]

*[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=554&letter=P Entry for prophecy and prophets at the Jewish Encyclopedia]

*The Family | work=The Religious Movements Homepage Project @ The University of Virginia | url=http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/Family.html | accessdate=August 5 | accessyear=2005}}

*[http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/Family.html The Family, The Religious Movements Homepage Project, The University of Virginia]

* Prophets, a Mormon Perspective | work=Mormon.org | url=http://www.mormon.org/learn/0,8672,805-1,00.html

* [http://www.mormon.org/learn/0,8672,805-1,00.htmlProphets, a Mormon Perspective]

== Further reading ==

== Further reading ==

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I admonish you to give up the practice of always quoting the prophets of old and praising the heroes of Israel, and instead aspire to become living prophets of the Most High and spiritual heroes of the coming kingdom. To honor the God-knowing leaders of the past may indeed be worth while, but why, in so doing, should you sacrifice the supreme experience of human existence: finding God for yourselves and knowing him in your own souls?[http://www.urantia.org/cgi-bin/webglimpse/mfs/usr/local/www/data/papers?link=http://mercy.urantia.org/papers/paper155.html&file=/usr/local/www/data/papers/paper155.html&line=111#mfs]

 

"I admonish you to give up the practice of always quoting the prophets of old and praising the heroes of [[Israel]], and instead aspire to become living prophets of the [[Most Highs|Most High]] and [[spiritual]] heroes of the coming kingdom. To honor the God-knowing leaders of the past may indeed be worth while, but why, in so doing, should you sacrifice the supreme [[experience]] of human existence: finding God for yourselves and knowing him in your own [[soul]]s?"[http://www.urantia.org/cgi-bin/webglimpse/mfs/usr/local/www/data/papers?link=http://mercy.urantia.org/papers/paper155.html&file=/usr/local/www/data/papers/paper155.html&line=111#mfs]

[[Category: General Reference]]

[[Category: General Reference]]

[[Category: Religion]]

[[Category: Religion]]