He Gave Us Prophets: A Prophet’s JobSample

Prophets as Servants and Seers: Daniel 9:6, 2 Samuel 24:11

Prophets were frequently designated by the term ‘ebed (עֶבֶד), or servant. Many different kinds of people were called servants in the Old Testament, and the term always indicates some kind of subservience and humility. But this title is important for prophets, because it often bore the connotations of an official or an officer, especially an officer of a royal court. Even Israel’s kings are called servants of God because they were the vassal kings who held official positions in God’s heavenly, royal courts.

Prophets play special roles in God’s royal court. They served as representatives of the heavenly throne. They were official servants who spoke in the name of the Great King. This is why Daniel confessed that it was Israel’s great sin to ignore the prophets. Consider the way he spoke in Daniel 9:6: 

We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name.

The prophets were not ordinary people. They represented the throne of heaven as servants of the royal court of God. 

Beyond this, two closely related Hebrew words point to another special role which prophets played. The Hebrew term rō’eh (רֹאֶה) means “seer” and is closely associated with the term ḥōzeh (חֹזֶה) which means a “seer” or an “observer.” According to 1 Samuel 9:9 prophets were first called seers before the rise of kingship in Israel. Formerly in Israel, the prophet of today used to be called a seer. In a similar way, 2 Samuel 24:11 tells us that Gad, who was a prophet of David's time, was also known as a ḥōzeh, or a seer — 

The word of the Lord [came] to Gad the prophet, David’s seer. 

What do these titles for a prophet suggest about their job? These designations pointed to a very important experience which prophets often had as they received God’s word. The prophets are called seers because they were given the privilege of looking into the heavenly places. In the book of 2 Chronicles, the prophet Micaiah ben-Imla was challenged to explain his prophecy. In response, Micaiah described a vision of heaven that he had received. In 2 Chronicles 18:18-19, we read the prophet’s description of what he saw in heaven: 

I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing on his right and on his left. And the Lord said, “Who will [lure] Ahab, King of Israel, into attacking…?” One suggested this, and another that. 

This is a remarkable passage, showing why prophets were called seers. They looked into the heavenly realms. They heard God speak. They watched actions take place. They interacted with God in the heavenly places. And as we learn about the prophets, it’s important to remember that these kinds of heavenly experiences were central to their ministries.