25. Who are the prophets?

The Bible contains the writings and stories of many prophets and prophetesses. The great prophets of the Old Testament are Elisha, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. Towards the end of the Old Testament are books of prophecy called the ‘minor prophets.’ They are Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. Miriam the sister of Aaron was deemed a prophetess in Exodus 15 verse 20: Deborah a prophetess and wife of Lapidoth is recorded in Judges 4 verse 4; Huldah was the prophetess and wife of Shallum in 2 Chronicles 34 verse 22; Noadiah was a prophetess recorded in Nehemiah 6 verse 14.

In the New Testament we read of prophets in the early Church. Agabus was a prophet from Jerusalem who went to Paul at Antioch and foretold of a great famine (Acts 11: 28). Agabus also went from Judea to Ptolemais to prophesy that Paul would be imprisoned (Acts 21: 10). In the New Testament Anna is a prophetess referred to in Luke 2 verse 36. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She confirmed that Jesus the son of Mary was the long awaited Messiah.

Islâm recognises many prophets and some are listed in question 27 on this website.