Who Were the Prophets in the Bible?

Bibliaon Team

Created and reviewed by our editors

In the Bible, prophets were people chosen to deliver messages from God. The prophet would receive a message from God and was responsible for conveying it to the intended audience. This was a very serious role, in which the prophet became a spokesperson for the Lord to the people. Therefore, the prophet needed to be truly faithful to God and to His Word. Many inspired prophetic messages were recorded in the books of the Bible.

Throughout the Old Testament, various prophets were called to teach the people of Israel to obey God, warn them of the consequences of sin, call them to repentance, and sometimes predict the future. Prophecies were often accompanied by signs to demonstrate that they truly came from God.

Some biblical prophets are known as major prophets, while others are called minor prophets. This distinction comes from the fact that some wrote longer books, while others wrote shorter ones.

The major prophets in the Bible are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. The minor prophets are Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

Other well-known biblical prophets do not have books named after them, such as Moses, Elijah, and Elisha in the Old Testament, and John the Baptist in the New Testament.

An illlustrative representation of a Prophet in the Bible

Most Well-Known Biblical Prophets

Moses

Although Moses is not traditionally called a “prophet,” he is a central figure in the Old Testament. He received and conveyed the Ten Commandments and led the Israelites out of Egypt, guiding them through the wilderness during the Exodus to the Promised Land.

His role included not only political and spiritual leadership but also direct communication of God’s will to the people, highlighting his importance as a mediator and guide in biblical history (Deuteronomy 34:10; Exodus). Learn more about Moses.

Isaiah

He is recognized as the greatest of the Hebrew prophets and orators. Some scholars call him the “Prince of the Prophets of the Old Testament” because of his messianic visions and messages of hope and redemption. He foretold the coming of Christ, especially concerning the future Messiah. Learn more about the prophet Isaiah.

Jeremiah

Known as the “weeping prophet” because of the deep sorrow he felt witnessing the rebellion and wickedness of his people. Jeremiah suffered because Judah rejected God’s message and knew that divine punishment was imminent with the upcoming Babylonian exile.

He was one of the most rejected and lonely prophets of Israel, facing constant opposition, scorn, and persecution. As a result, his words express great lamentation, grief, and anguish over the suffering and destiny of his people. Learn more about Jeremiah.

Ezekiel

Ezekiel’s messages emphasize the sovereignty and glory of the Lord, along with comfort for God’s people. His striking visions, such as the vision of the dry bones, illustrate Israel’s spiritual restoration and God’s glory. Ezekiel’s prophecies brought encouragement and hope to the Jewish exiles. Learn more about Ezekiel.

Daniel

This prophet is known for his apocalyptic visions and interpretation of dreams, including prophecies about future kingdoms and end-time events. He received detailed divine visions concerning the world empires and the coming of the Messiah.

Daniel also demonstrated remarkable faithfulness with his friends in the Babylonian court and experienced extraordinary deliverance from the lion’s den. Learn more about Daniel.

Elijah

Elijah is known for his zeal for the Lord and his strong opposition to idolatry. He confronted leaders such as King Ahab and 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Elijah did not experience death but was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire (1 Kings 17:1-2; 2 Kings 2:11). Learn more about the prophet Elijah.

Elisha

Elisha was a disciple and successor of Elijah. He served as a prophet for 55 years, continuing his ministry by performing many miracles and prophesying significant events (1 Kings 19; 2 Kings 2–6). Read more on Elisha.

Jonah

Jonah is known for his reluctance to obey God. He was sent to preach in Nineveh during the time of Jeroboam II, making him the first Hebrew prophet sent to a pagan nation. His book recounts part of his story, including his journey inside a great fish and his message of repentance to the city of Nineveh. Learn more about the prophet Jonah.

John the Baptist

John the Baptist was the first prophet in the New Testament. The son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, he prepared the way for the coming of the Messiah. John the Baptist is often considered the “last of the prophets of the Old Testament” and the forerunner of the Messiah. He is mentioned in all four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

He announced the arrival of the Kingdom of God and proclaimed the need for genuine faith and repentance. John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. He was later beheaded by Herod. Learn more about John the Baptist.

How Many Prophets Are in the Bible

The number of prophets in the Bible varies according to different interpretations and traditions. If we consider only the prophets who wrote canonical books, there are 17 prophetic authors in the Old Testament.

However, the Bible contains many passages that include stories and messages from other prophets. Using this broader classification, we can consider around 88 prophets throughout biblical history.

Prophetic Books of the Bible

The biblical books considered prophetic are predominantly composed of prophecies, written by prophets. They are divided into the “Major Prophets,” which are longer books, and the “Minor Prophets,” which are shorter books.

Major Prophets:

Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations (by Jeremiah)
Ezekiel
Daniel

Minor Prophets:

Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi

The Catholic Bible adds the Book of Baruch to the prophetic books. This is a deuterocanonical book, meaning it is not included in the canonical books of the Hebrew Bible or the Protestant Old Testament.

Verses About Prophets and Prophecies

The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
- Jeremiah 1:4-5

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
- 1 Corinthians 13:2

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
- Isaiah 61:1-3

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
- 1 Peter 2:9

But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.
- 1 Corinthians 14:3

You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.
- Deuteronomy 18:21-22

If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.
- Deuteronomy 13:1-3

Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good,reject every kind of evil.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:20-22

Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.
- Matthew 10:41

The prophet, along with my God, is the watchman over Ephraim,yet snares await him on all his paths, and hostility in the house of his God.
- Hosea 9:8

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.”
- Mark 6:4

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
- 1 John 4:1

Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.
- Acts 3:24-26

From early times the prophets who preceded you and me have prophesied war, disaster and plague against many countries and great kingdoms. But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord only if his prediction comes true.
- Jeremiah 28:8-9

The Lord used a prophet to bring Israel up from Egypt, by a prophet he cared for him.
- Hosea 12:13

Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land.
- Deuteronomy 34:10-11

Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the Lord. “Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?
- Jeremiah 23:28-29

he said, “Listen to my words: “When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams.
- Numbers 12:6

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