A Re-examination of the Origin and Cycle of Prophetic Movement in Israel

The upsurge of interest in the prophetic ministry in the 20th and 21st centuries is one that cannot be ignored. Its ever increasing significance presents an imperative for the critical Bible reader to evaluate modern claims to the prophetic ministry/gift in the light of the scriptures. Thus, questions regarding the origin, essence, characteristics and form of the prophetic ministry in the Bible abound, as scholars seek to give clarification, interpretation and/or credence to what is practiced today. The questions that comes to the fore, however, are (1) is prophecy to be understood as a novel means through which Yahweh communicated with His people in the Judeo-Christian tradition, or as an adoption of a religious medium of communication that was already prevalent in the Ancient Near East? (2) Can it be said that the model of prophecy that is prevalent in the 21st century conforms to that of the Judeo-Christian tradition? This essay adopts the historical and phenomenological methods of research, and the research findings agree with modern study of psychology and history of religions which has shown that prophecy is not a phenomenon limited to Israel alone, thus, the origins of prophetism can be traced together with the origin of the Israelite nation; and that prophecy was a phenomenon that shed light on the history and philosophy of Israel as a nation, seeking to align Yahweh’s people with His sovereign will at all times, not a one-sided venture seeking to please the people by saying what they wished to hear as is practiced by many acclaimed prophets today. The conclusion drawn is that, more than any other time in history, the prophetic ministry of the Church needs to be revived, revamped, and redirected in the 21st century, especially in the post-Covid-19 Nigeria in which corruption, nepotism, and bad leadership are being heightened by the day. Only then would the renewed interest in the prophetic ministry be justified and salubrious to the nation, as long as it conforms to the rubrics and ethics of the prophetic ministry as revealed in the holy writ.