Why were the prophets so important to the Israelite history?

Answer 1

Answer

The prophets were the people who claimed to be instructed by God to share His words. They were important because they were the ones responsible to teach the Israelites about God's words.

In particular, they were to share God's words about the future. These words were preserved in a section of The Bible called the Prophets (Neviim in Hebrew). Prophets did complain about injustice and disrespect toward God in their day, but it's their statements about the future that are especially important.

In a way, prophecy or statements about the future are like science. In science, one should establish an hypothesis, a null hypothesis or a statement that is opposite to the hypothesis. One should test data for both hypothesis and null hypothesis to keep one honest or to prevent one from cheating. At the same time one should make predictions ("prophecies") about one's hypothesis. If these predictions come true then the hypothesis is regarded as sound. That's why God shared prophecies about the future with His servants the ancient Israelite prophets. In that way God demonstrates that the history and other records in the Bible are also true.

Of much interest today are the passages of prophecy concerning the Israelites' return to the modern land of Israel. Even Mohammad in the Koran, Sura 17, acknowledged the Jewish people might one day return to the Land of Israel. This has been happening since the early 1800s but accelerated in the early 1900s and from 1948 when the United Nations recognised Israel's right to re-enter and control the land of its ancestors. Some people dispute that the Jews are descended from ancient Israelites, but the evidence is much in favor of the Jews, and states that they are indeed the people God said would return to Israel, despite some intermarrying with other ethnic groups as happened in the Biblical account. The Kurds (Chaldeans) are another example of Biblical prophecies coming to fulfillment.

In the New Testament, Jesus, who is also a prophet in addition to His roles as priest and king, said that the last days would be like the "Days of Noah". Quite a lot of very normal things happened in those days such as marrying, eating, drinking, building houses and normal daily life. But some abnormal things also took place such as demons intermarrying (procreating or mating) with women. That's one reason why God destroyed that world by the catastrophe we call "Noah's Flood". The waters of that flood dried up by forming snow storms that led to ice caps at the poles and snow on the mountains (glaciers). As we witness the ice caps melting, a natural event that is the result of the earth's ambient temperature making it too warm for ice to survive (without refrigerators), we are reminded that Jesus said the "Last Days" before His return to Earth ("Second Coming") would be like the "Days of Noah" - i.e., no ice caps.

Answer 2

They were important in that they provided examples (role models) of people who served God completely and uncompromisingly.

The prophets were extremely learned and pious individuals, both men and women, whose superlative level of piety merited them with visions from God. They had to be humble, yet speak with authority. They had to love their people, yet not hesitate to speak caustic words if commanded to by God.

The prophets were called upon by God to guide the people and to guide the king. While the king had authority in national matters of state, and the Sanhedrin (Sages) had say in Torah-rulings and halakha (law), the prophets spoke in matters of ethics, of belief, of loyalty to God, and behavior. They rebuked the people at God's command, they predicted events which God revealed to them, they taught through Divine inspiration, and they provided optimism and hope with the prophecies of eventual Redemption.

Some of the prophetical chapters (or books) detail Israelite history and past events, some exhort the people to improve their spiritual level, some predict events and/or warn (especially concerning the First Destruction), some serve to comfort the nation, some speak of prayer and love of God, and some speak of life, experience and wisdom.

Answer 3

The Israelite prophets were extremely learned and pious individuals, both men and women, whose superlative level of piety merited them with visions from God. They had to be humble, yet speak with authority. They had to love their people, yet not hesitate to rebuke with caustic words if commanded to by God. (See: Why did the Prophets rebuke? And see: Why did some people not listen to them?)
The prophets were called upon by God to guide the people and to guide the king. While the king had authority in national matters of state, and the Sanhedrin (Sages) had say in Torah-rulings and halakha (law), the prophets spoke in matters of ethics, of belief, of loyalty to God, and behavior. They rebuked the people at God's command, they predicted events which God revealed to them, they taught through Divine inspiration, and they provided optimism and hope with the prophecies of eventual Redemption.

Some of the prophetical chapters (or books) detail Israelite history and past events, some exhort the people to improve their spiritual level, some predict events and/or warn (especially concerning the First Destruction), some serve to comfort the nation, some speak of prayer and love of God, and some speak of life, experience and wisdom.

See also:A list of the Israelite prophets

Why did prophecy end?

History of the Hebrew Bible

Some fulfilled prophecies

Answer 4

Both the major and minor prophets were very important to the jews, as God spoke through them , asking them to repent , and to reveal prophesies.

Answer 5

Prophets were important as they were men of God giving Gods word of the future things to come.

Answer 6

Prophets were very important as God spoke through the prophets to the people telling them to repent.

Answer 7

Prophets were the chosen people of Almighty Allah. They preached the message of Almighty Allah to humans. They were very important as they were created to be followed.

Answer 8

It guides us all in the right path individually.