As we contemplate the role of the Hebrew prophets, we find ourselves deeply inspired by their courage and commitment to speak truth to power. Like them, we live in turbulent times, an age of upheaval and transition. The foundations of our society are being shaken, and the old ways are crumbling before our eyes. We can no longer ignore the harsh realities that confront us – injustice, oppression, environmental devastation, and the perpetuation of systems rooted in violence and exploitation.

Yet in the midst of this darkness, we are called, as the prophets were, to be voices crying out for change. Like Jeremiah, Amos, and Isaiah before us, we must have the spiritual audacity to name the injustices we see, to strip away the façade of normalcy and call things as they truly are. This is no easy task, for to be prophetic is to invite backlash, scorn, and even persecution from the powerful.

But we cannot remain silent. The “word of the Lord,” that still small voice within us, burns like a fire in our hearts, disturbing our comfort and complacency. We find ourselves compelled to argue and wrestle with these messages, even as the prophets did, questioning why we have been chosen as messengers. Yet in the depths of our being, we know the fierce urgency of this calling. We must speak, for the sake of the downtrodden and oppressed crying out for liberation.

Like the Hebrew prophets, we draw strength from the ancient teachings and promises of our traditions. But we must also reimagine and reinterpret these sources of wisdom for our current “apocalyptic” moment of crisis and potential transformation. The path will not be easy, but we have each other, a nascent prophetic community committed to the struggle for justice, compassion and human flourishing.

Sustained by a profound spirituality and mystic attunement to the depths of reality, we seek to embody the role of the prophet in our own lives and contexts. We strive to be the early warning system, sounding the alarm about the unsustainability of our collective course. We yearn to be teachers, instructing the way toward a better future, even as we humbly acknowledge how little we can truly see. Like the Hebrew visionaries, we aim to be poets and artists, evoking through parable and symbol the outlines of an alternative way of being.

In this, we follow in the footsteps of the greatest of prophets, Jesus of Nazareth, who definitively identified his mission with Isaiah’s vision of proclaiming good news to the poor, liberty to the captives, and renewal for all creation. May we be so bold as to see ourselves as his partners in this sacred work of healing, liberation, and rebirth. For in the end, we are all called to be prophets – those who look unflinchingly at the reality of our time, and have the courage to dream, speak, and live a different way into being.

Summary

The Hebrew prophets lived during the Iron Age (around 1200-300 BC), in a world where the sacred and secular were inseparable. They arose as an alternative source of power, sometimes challenging kings, and providing a distinct voice from storytellers, priests, poets, and sages. Rather than being primarily future-tellers, prophets warned of impending societal changes and helped people forecast likely trends based on current realities. When the “word of the Lord” came to them, prophets often argued with these disturbing messages before speaking truth to power, comforting the downtrodden, warning of injustice’s consequences while promising better prospects if ways changed. Many key prophets spoke to the northern kingdom before its 721 BC fall to Assyria and to the southern kingdom before its downfall to Babylon, while others like Ezekiel and Second Isaiah wrote during exile, and more addressed the returned people. Prophets conveyed spiritually-inspired social and political messages through poetic literature and dramatic demonstrations. Jesus identified with this prophetic tradition, aiming to inspire a prophetic movement to continue the work. We can embody that role by warning about current crises, teaching paths forward, reinterpreting traditions, and envisioning a better future.

Key Points

1. The Hebrew prophets lived in the Iron Age (around 1200-300 BC), a very different world from ours where the sacred and secular were unsplit.

2. Prophets arose as a source of power sometimes challenging the power of kings, providing a voice distinct from storytellers, priests, poets, and sages.

3. Prophets were not primarily future-tellers, but rather warned of impending change and helped people forecast likely trends based on current realities.

4. When the “word of the Lord” came to prophets, they often argued with it, showing their messages disturbed them.

5. Prophets spoke truth to power, comforted the downtrodden, and warned of consequences for injustice while promising better outcomes for changing ways.

6. Many key prophets spoke to the northern kingdom of Israel before its fall to Assyria in 721 BC, and to the southern kingdom of Judah before its fall to Babylon.

7. Prophets like Ezekiel and Second Isaiah wrote during the Babylonian exile, while others spoke to the people after their return.

8. Prophets used poetic literature and dramatic demonstrations to convey their spiritually-inspired social and political messages.

9. Jesus identified himself in the prophetic tradition and aimed to inspire a prophetic movement.

10. We can embody the prophetic role by warning of current crises, teaching paths forward, reinterpreting traditions, and envisioning a better future.