Daniel.
Daniel is often known for being thrown into the lion’s den by King Darius of Persia, but Daniel was actually a prophet, too.
His prophetic book is particularly interesting because the first several chapters aren’t really prophetic. Instead, they give us insight into who Daniel was as a person, and what kind of a situation he lived in.
Daniel was probably very young at the beginning of the exile in Babylon. And though he essentially grew up in a culture that didn’t respect God, he remained faithful.
He was faithful as he upheld the dietary guidelines of Israelite culture in the kingdom of Babylon and received praise from Babylonian officials for his strength and wisdom (
Daniel 1).
He also showed his commitment to God when he was given the power to explain the Babylonian king (Nebuchadnezzar)’s dreams, even when the king’s own oracles couldn’t (
Daniel 2, 4).
Even when he was in danger of persecution, Daniel was loyal to his beliefs and open to God’s guidance. Ultimately, he gained the respect of the Babylonian kings and gave them insight into the future.
Unlike the other prophetic books that we have talked about, the book of Daniel doesn’t have a specific moment in which Daniel is called to prophecy.
In fact, Daniel is given a vision that he doesn’t understand, and we get to read about how he goes to God for explanation (
Daniel 8).
In all scenarios and situations—exile, persecution, exaltation, confusion, and clarity—Daniel goes to God for guidance, and his prophecies always point to God’s kingdom as the ultimate goal.
John.
John, or John the Revelator, was a New Testament prophet. He was Jesus’ disciple, and he wrote the Gospel of John as well as the book of Revelation, which is where we can read his prophetic writing.
During the writing of the book of Revelation, John was exiled on the island of Patmos. While there, he received a message from God to write down the visions he was going to receive.
“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,’ and, ‘What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodecia.” (
Revelation 1:10-11).
God called him to be a prophet and to spread a message to these churches, which were literal places, but are also symbolic of different groups of people and different types of group belief and behavior.
- Ephesus (The Loveless Church)
- Smyrna (The Persecuted Church)
- Pergamos (The Compromising Church)
- Thyatira (The Corrupt Church)
- Sardis (The Dead Church)
- Philadelphia (The Faithful Church)
- Laodicea (The Lukewarm Church)
John’s prophesying can come across as a bit confusing because it is so symbolic. But in the end, John’s message to believers is one of hope for the future. It is about God doing away with sin and evil for good, then saving and restoring humanity.
Just like Jeremiah prophesied hope for the children of Israel, John prophesied hope for all believers.
What stands out the most is John’s vision of Heaven and the New Jerusalem. In his final chapters of Revelation, John simultaneously predicts the future, prepares us for the new world to come, and encourages believers of Jesus to remain hopeful:
“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away’ ” (
Revelation 21:1-4).
John’s prophetic message is encouraging even to us today. His message is a great example of how prophetic messages in the Bible are both timely and timeless. Leading us to our last point…