THE true prophets of Bible times were seers. They foresaw and foretold spiritual events. Sometimes they described these events in poetic language or by allegorical figures. At other times they spoke directly to the people in admonition and exhortation. They were interpreters of the things of the Spirit and repeated faithfully the message that God gave. Thus they became the spiritual advisers of the people and were freely consulted with regard to the welfare of the nation. It was not miraculous for them to foresee the future, for their vision reached beyond the bounds of the time world. Communing with the eternal verities of Spirit, they were able to warn the people of the inevitable result of disobedience to the laws of God and the suffering it entails.
The recorded history of the Old Testament prophets indicates that they were drawn from all types and conditions of society. The gift of spiritual vision was not confined to any particular section or class. Isaiah, for instance, was said to be a man of royal descent. Amos was a shepherd; Ezekiel, a priest. It is noticeable, moreover, that a prophet, or spiritual seer, usually appeared at a crucial moment in the history of Israel to rally the spiritual forces of the people and lead them, or even compel them, to return to God. His exhortation was inspiring; but his denunciation of sin was often terrible. However, the prophets' stern words against sin were often tempered with a comforting assurance when sin had been forsaken. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God," writes Isaiah. "Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins" (Isa. 40:1, 2).
The prophet was not only a seer; he was a hearer, for he listened with devotion to the voice of God and was answered in terms of spiritual intuitions. Sometimes the voice of God came as distinctly as sound and is described in terms of sound in the Scriptures. Mary Baker Eddy writes in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 308), "The Soul-inspired patriarchs heard the voice of Truth, and talked with God as consciously as man talks with man."
