Prophets

It was Ahijah who Prophesied Against Jeroboam.

At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became ill, and Jeroboam said to his wife, "Go, disguise yourself, so you won't be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam. Then go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there-the one who told me I would be king over this people.

-1 Kings 14:1-2-

God changed Abraham's name from Abram to Abraham (in Genesis 17:5), to show that Abraham was to be the "father of many nations". The Hebrew for this name is a direct translation of that phrase. In addition, he was the first of the forefathers for the Jewish religion, as the father of Isaac and the grandfather of Jacob. Each of them is entitled to the title Father. At Passover, there is a Jewish song that calls these men the 3 Fathers. Their wives are known as the 4 Mothers.

The "prophets' reward" is in keeping with the parables of Jesus and the prophecies that speak of Jesus "rewarding" each of His servants with "positions of rulership in His Kingdom" upon His return.

"...We give thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy Great Power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that THOU SHOULDEST GIVE REWARD UNTO THY SERVANTS THE PROPHETS, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth." (Rev.11:18)

In the "parable of the pounds" [Luke 19:12-27), Jesus is pictured as the "Nobleman" [verse 12] who went to a "far country" [heaven] to receive for Himself a Kingdom, and to return.

Ten servants are each given a sum of money [a pound] with which each is expected to increase during the Nobleman's absence.

"And it came to pass, that when He was returned, having received the Kingdom [the returned Christ to earth], then He commanded these servants to be called to Him, to whom He had given the money, that He might know how much every man had gained by trading." [verse 15].

In other words... when Jesus returns to earth from heaven... He will "judge" each of His servants: saints, prophets -- all who attain to the "first resurrection from the dead" [see Rev.20:4-6] who "fear and respect His name"; and He will give each of them their REWARD that is commensurate with what they have done with what they have been given.

In the parable... the worthy servants who yielded gain during their allotted time were appointed Kingdom rulership over cities and their populations.

The Kingdom of God is going to be established on earth TO RULE IT!

And all of God's people [including the prophets] will each be given a "reward" of some position of rulership within the organization of God's Kingdom.

A "reward" is "earned" [the reward is not a matter of "grace"]-- and each of God's servants will receive a reward in keeping with what they have "earned."

"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt." (Rom.4:4)

"...The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building... I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the One already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day [of the Lord; the time of Jesus' return] will bring it to Light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. IF WHAT HE BUILT SURVIVES, HE WILL RECEIVE HIS REWARD. If it is burned up, HE WILL SUFFER LOSS; HE HIMSELF WILL BE SAVED, BUT ONLY AS ONE ESCAPING THROUGH THE FLAMES." (I Cor.3:8-15 NIV)

Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of God has "many mansions." Many jobs, offices, positions of authority to be filled by God's servants.

"...I am going there to prepare a place for you." (John 14:2 NIV)

The place He's preparing will be in keeping with what each of us learns from Him, while He is there, interceding for our sins to His Father on our behalf, and teaching us His ways... how to love others, how to grow in Him as God's Children in Godly strength and character.

All will be tested by the coming fire ["...for our 'God is a consuming fire.'" - Heb.12:29 NIV] and receive the reward... the job we will have in the Kingdom of God for Eternity.

There are "many jobs" in the Kingdom that God has to fill. For instance, we are told that Jesus' disciples will be "kings" over the tribes of Israel in the Kingdom [Matt.19:28].

There are many types of "rewards." The saints have rewards... and Revelation 11:18 tells us that the prophets have another kind of reward [different responsibilities in the Kingdom from others]... and there are other rewards for all, great and small, who "fear God's name." But all of them will be in the service of the King, Jesus Christ, who will be about the global task of saving the world... to rule the nations of the earth with a rod of iron.

"To him who overcomes and does My will to the end, I will GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS -- he will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like potter -- just as I have received authority from My Father." (Rev.2:26-27 NIV)

The exact reward the prophets will receive is to be determined by Jesus Christ. Just as the rewards of all the others who seek the Kingdom of God is yet to be revealed upon Jesus' return.

"Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy. Behold, I AM coming soon! MY REWARD IS WITH ME, and I will GIVE TO EVERYONE ACCORDING TO WHAT HE HAS DONE." (Rev.22:11-12 NIV)

And the prophets, like everyone else, will be rewarded by Jesus Christ "according to what they have done."

M. Weber (Sociology of Religion) defines a prophet as an individual bearer of charisma, who by virtue of his mission proclaims a religious doctrine or divine commandment. Weber sees two types of prophet: the first is the exemplary man who sets a personal example, represented by Buddha, and the second is one who claims to be the instrument for the proclamation of a god and his will, as represented by Muhammad and the Hebrew prophets.

Pope Benedict may not appreciate the comparison, but he fulfils Weber's definition as the second type of prophet.

If we look on prophets as someone able to predict the future with some degree of certainty, then we have weather forecasters, economists and statisticians, among others.

A:

People can use scientific methods to predict probable events and outcomes, and can extrapolate past events to estimate likely future events, but no one has ever been able simply to prophecy future events. Anyone who claims otherwise is a fake, including Nostradamus. The writings of Nostradamus are couched in such obscure and ambiguous terms that someone can always read into them prophecies of events in our our time, but the same passage can be read by another person as an infallible prophecy of a different event that occurred or will occur at another time or place.