How many prophets are in the Bible?

The Prophets.

Prophecy and God's government of the earth, having Palestine as the land, Jerusalem, then Babylon, and again Jerusalem as city and centre, Judah or Israel as the people, and the glory of Christ as the object, form the ground-work and basis of the prophetic revelations contained in the books from Isaiah to Malachi. The Prophets are divided into "four greater" and "twelve minor prophets," Lamentations being included in the prophecies of Jeremiah. These books are so divided and termed because of the extent of their writings. Prophetic utterances and prophetic signs were generally communicated by "vision" (Isa. 6) or "word of the Lord" (Jer. 2:1).

During the time of the OT God sent many prophets to His earthly people Israel: for example Samuel, Nathan (2 Sam. 7:2), Shemaiah (1 Kings 12:22), the Man of God out of Judah (1 Kings 13), Ahijah (1 Kings 11:29), Iddo (2 Chron. 12:15), Azariah (2 Chron. 15:1), Hanani (2 Chron. 16:7), Jehu (1 Kings 16:1), Elijah (1 Kings 17:1), Jahaziel (2 Chron. 20:14), Micaiah (1 Kings 22:8), Eliezer (2 Chron. 20:37), Elisha (1 Kings 19:16), Zechariah (2 Chron. 24:20), Zechariah (2 Chron. 26:5) and Oded (2 Chron. 28:9).

The Prophets' (Heb. Nebiim) were divided by the Jews into the 'earlier' and 'latter'; the earlier comprising Joshua, Judges, and the Books of Samuel and Kings, now together generally called the 'Historical Books,' to which, it may be, reference is made in Zech. 7:7, 12 (see the Heb.); and the latter, Isaiah to Malachi, omitting Lamentations and Daniel. Of 'the latter' Prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel were called 'the greater;' and the order observed in our Hebrew Bibles of the Books bearing their names is that of the Spanish Hebrew MSS. The Talmudic or old Rabbinical arrangement places Jeremiah first. The other Prophets are called 'minor.'

Hosea (his name meaning “to save, salvation”) is the first of the so-called Minor Prophets. These twelve prophets are comprised in one single book in the Hebrew Bible and are called “the Twelve”.

The Minor Prophets begin with the book of Hosea. There are twelve of these books which are called by the name "minor prophets" not because their contents are of less authority than the preceding prophetic books, but on account of their size. The Jews considered them one book and the Talmud says of them, "our fathers made them one book, that they might not perish on account of their littleness."

The term "minor prophets" was used by the church in early days. Augustinus states: "The prophet Isaiah is not in the books of the twelve prophets who are therefore called minor, because their discourses are brief in comparison with those who are called 'greater' because they composed considerable volumes." Jewish tradition claims that the present arrangement was made by the great synagogue formed by Ezra.

This arithmetical feat was accomplished by regarding the Pentateuch as five separate books as in the Septuagint and in our English Bibles. The "thirteen books" written by the prophets were, (1) Joshua, (2) Judges with Ruth, (3) Samuel, (4) Kings, (5) Chronicles, (6) Isaiah, (7) Jeremiah with Lamentations, (8) Ezekiel, (9) Daniel, (10) The twelve minor prophets from Hosea to Malachi, (11) Job, (12) Ezra and Nehemiah, (13) Esther. The four remaining books are the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song. It may appear singular to some that the twelve minor prophets should be so grouped, but in most, if not all ancient catalogues, they are regarded as one book, as also in all quotations from them. The reason of this, we suppose, was to facilitate an easy reference to these prophetic books. The modern Jews make up the Old Testament into twenty-four books.

The Talmud and later Jewish writers reckon twenty-four books in the O.T. To make out this number they count the two books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles as one book each; Ezra and Nehemiah as one; and the twelve Minor Prophets as one. The earlier Jews reckoned the books as 22, according to the letters in the alphabet: they united Ruth with Judges, and Lamentations with Jeremiah. But all such arrangements are arbitrary and fanciful.

The evidence of this writer, who was born about 37 A.D., is not at all welcome at the bar of modern rationalism. He reckons, as we have already said (chap. 1 § 2), twenty-two Books, made up of the five Books of the Law, thirteen Prophets, and four Poetical Books. The Prophetical Books in his classification are, according to the received opinion — Joshua. Judges and Ruth. Books of Samuel. Books of Kings. Books of Chronicles. Ezra and Nehemiah. Esther. Isaiah. Jeremiah. Ezekiel. Daniel. The Minor Prophets as one whole. Job.

The scriptural use of the term 'prophecy' is in no way confined to foretelling events, nor is that its primary significance. It included any communication which God saw fit to make either to His own people or to any of the nations. God said to Abimelech concerning Abraham, "He is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee." Gen. 20:7. Aaron was called the prophet of Moses. Ex. 7:1. God's power came at times upon individuals who were not recognised as prophets, and they prophesied, as for instance Saul in 1 Sam. 10:10-11. Prophecy became in Israel the means, through mercy, of God's communication to the people when the priesthood with Urim and Thummim had utterly broken down. It came in by Samuel. Elijah and Elisha prophesied in the midst of apostate Israel. Nathan, John the Baptist, etc., were also prophets. Of some of the prophets no prophecies are recorded, while others are only known to us by what they wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

In the N.T. we read that Philip had four virgin daughters who 'prophesied;' and Agabus foretold that Paul would be bound at Jerusalem and be delivered to the Gentiles. Acts 21:9-11. Prophesying is, however, in the N.T. also used in a different sense. The word is from πρόφημι, 'to speak forth,' and a prophet may therefore be described as a spokesman of God. Prophecy of this kind is a gift in the church for the edifying of the saints, bringing God's word with power upon their consciences and hearts. It is the gift of most importance in the church. 1 Cor. 14:1-5, 24, 31, 39; 1 Thess. 5:20.

Deborah is described as a prophetess. The study of prophetesses is an interesting study in the Old Testament and in the New. We have not time tonight but we will just mention them.

In Exodus 15, when Moses sang his song of exhortation and joy, we find it is said that "Miriam the prophetess..... took a timbrel in her hand" and she praised the Lord too (vv.20-21). Josiah, wanting to know the mind of the Lord, went to Huldah the prophetess and she very definitely gave the mind of the Lord (2 Ki.22:14, 2 Chr.34:22). It was not a particularly encouraging prophecy because it indicated that the Lord was angry with those who were refusing to obey His word, but there was some encouragement for Josiah, that although judgment was coming, he personally would be spared. We also find in Isaiah 8, the prophetess, the wife of the prophet, she bare two sons whose names represented different phases in the history of Israel. Then we have Deborah, the prophetess, and I think these are the four in the Old Testament who indicate the prophetess character. There is another one, Noadiah, in the book of Nehemiah (6:14), she is linked with Tobiah and Sanballat, the enemies of the truth of God, in their opposition to the man of God and his work.