Prophets & Prophecy

"Therefore the wisdom of God also said,
'I will send them prophets and apostles,
and some of them they will kill and persecute,'
that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation
of the world may be required of this generation,
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah..."
(Luke 11:49-51)

...When Jesus spoke the words above He was addressing a challenge by a lawyer who had taken offense when Jesus rebuked the "scribes and Pharisees" for being hypocritical. And these same "scribes and Pharisees" took further offense at Jesus' words and "began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say that they might accuse Him" of doctrinal error (Luke 11:53-54). Jesus' masterful response, listed above, was actually a prophecy concerning His forthcoming suffering and crucifixion and the following apostolic era that would launch the Church. Moreover, "the blood of all the prophets" that would be "required of this generation" was His own blood that was to be spilled in the "scribes and Pharisees'" own generation/lifetime.
...As mouthpieces of Almighty God, the prophets collectively pointed to a coming Messiah. Following Christ's Resurrection and Ascension the apostles established the doctrinal foundation for the Church's mission, made possible by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. John, the apostle who penned the book of Revelation, was the last of the Biblical prophets; and once the inspired Canon was closed, such prophets were no longer necessary due to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit lending to a new era of "widespread revelation" (ref: 1 Samuel 3:1).

*For study:

The Prophetic Office of Enoch, Elijah & Elisha

Enoch
Pre-Flood prophet/Taken into heaven; Genesis 5:18-24
Prophesied about Christ's Second Advent; Jude 14-15
His faith an example; Hebrews 11:5

Elijah
(1 Kings 17 - 2 Kings 2)
Confronts prophets of Baal; 1 Kings 18:17-46
Flees Jezebel- from spiritual high to spiritual low; 1 Kings 19:1-14
Condemns Ahaziah; 2 Kings 1:2-17
Taken into heaven; 2 Kings 2:1-15

Elisha
(1 Kings 19:16 - 2 Kings 13)
Requests double portion* of Elijah's spirit; 2 Kings 2:9-14
*the double portion references Old Test. inheritance laws
when the firstborn son receives two shares of the family estate;
this explains Elisha's reason for calling Elijah "Father" (2 Kings 2:12)
though the context is a "spiritual father."

*For further study:

Thus Says The Lord God

...Each prophet in Scripture was called by the Lord into his/her position as "mouthpiece of God," which demanded a direct and tangible relationship with Him. Today, the indwelling Spirit of God makes it possible to maintain a direct and tangible relationship with Him, allowing for a taste of what the prophets of old experienced, or perhaps even surpassing such. Then, as now, when the Lord God called individuals into His service, He put forth the choice to accept or refuse the call. Upon acceptance a commissioning would take place. The following passages offer grand examples of such choices and commissioning; compare with similarities in your own life...

Genesis 12:1-4, 7
Genesis 22:1
Genesis 32:24-30
Exodus 3:2-10
1 Samuel 3
Isaiah 6:8
Jeremiah 1:4-10
Ezekiel 2:3-10
Revelation 1:10-17

*For trivia:

~First prophet? ...Abel (Luke 11:49-51)
~First prophecy? ...could be a trick question...
...Gen. 2:17 (non-Messianic); Gen. 3:15 (Messianic)
~Was King Saul a prophet? ...you decide... 1 Samuel 10:1-12; 19:18-24

The Philosophy of Prophecy

~ History... Current History... Prophecy ~
(past, present, future)

Prophecy can be described as the totality of God's Purpose
encompassed within one grand act of vision.

"No prophecy of Scripture is of any private (personal) interpretation,
for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke
as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."
(2 Peter 1:20-21)

*Three types of prophecy: 1) Divine/perfect; 2) general/indefinite; 3) false/wrong

P4: Prophetic Perspective Promotes Purpose

...As with logic, we utilize general prophecy regularly, for we are future-minded (planning for tomorrow, next week, next year, etc), but not often in a manner that provokes spiritual maturity. Almighty God offers humanity future insight through His perfect Divine prophecy purposing to steady the Church amidst severe persecution and an increasingly corrupt culture. Such Divine prophecy is borne of His love and yields a new perspective that liberates the soul by altering a worldview, and thus a lifestyle (confidence is gained by confidence proven).
...God's omniscience lends to His prophetic nature which could lead one to conclude that God's philosophical perspective concerning Creation is also of a prophetic nature. It follows then that as one experiences greater intimacy with God, then one's own philosophical perspective concerning their place in Creation would trend toward a prophetic nature. This "philosophy of prophecy" is simply a byproduct of the Christian experience as one strives to become ever more Christ-like. "Living prophetically" keeps our lives focused on Christ.
...King Solomon condensed this idea profoundly when he said, "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man..." (Ecclesiastes 12:13). French philosopher Jean Bodin (ca. 1500's) elaborated in agreement with Solomon's words: "We have come into this theater of the world for no other reason than to understand the admirable power, goodness, and wisdom of the most excellent Creator of all things, to the extent that this is possible, by contemplating the appearance of the universe and all His actions and individual works, and thus to be swept away more ardently in praise of Him."
...While some seek to know God by strictly intellectual, religious, or scientific ventures, the true disciple seeks Him in His Word coupled with prayer; this then serves to ground and enhance the intellectual and scientific methods. And since humanity is limited in its ability to "discover" God, humanity must be told Who and What God is, thus His Word was given to us, both written and Living.

General and Special Revelation

God chooses to be known and makes this possible through self-disclosure in both nature and human history. And such revelation through self-disclosure implies more than imparting "mere knowledge of God," but rather "a personal relationship with God." Moreover, this is what God desires.
*Nature (general revelation): All of creation gives theological foundation to the idea of a "natural knowledge of God." If God created the world, it should have His signature; this is what we observe when not blinded by pride.
*Scripture/human history (special revelation): The Bible records God's interaction with and direct influence upon human history from the Beginning, with the specific purpose of revealing Who He is and who we are. Prophecy is the tool used to systematically promote this revelation, i.e. prophetic revelation.