The Names of Jesus - Elmer Towns

There are no fewer than five designations which identify the prophet in the Old
Testament. First, he was called “the man of God” (Deuteronomy 33: 1; I Samuel 2:27; 9:6; I
Kings 13: 1; Psalm 90:title). This expression related particularly to his unique relationship to
God and the uniqueness of his message. Most probably it also assumed that the prophet had a
godly character.
The second title of the prophet was the “servant of God” (II Kings 17:13,23; 21:10; 24:2;
Ezra 9:11; Jeremiah 7:25). Although no prophet ever called himself the servant of God, God
often referred to His prophets as His servants. Some commentators think this might be part of the
reason the writers of the New Testament so often began their epistles with such expressions as
“servant of God” or “the servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Also, inasmuch as it was customary
for a Jew to begin his prayer to God by identifying himself as the servant of God, we may
assume that this title, when applied to the prophets, referred to them as men of prayer. The
predominant feature of this designation is that of the Master/slave relationship that existed
between God and His servants the prophets.
A third and by far most common designation of the prophet in the Old Testament was the
Hebrew word nabi'. Although there is some debate as to the origin of this word, scholars
generally agree that it derives from an Akkadian root, meaning “to call.” The word could be
identifying the prophet as one who is called by God, one who calls to men in the name of God, or
one who calls to God on behalf of men. In the Old Testament, each of the above descriptions was
characteristic of the prophet, and it might be best to think of the term as implying all three
aspects.
The final two terms applied to Old Testament prophets derive from Hebrew roots for
“sight.” Ro'eh is an active participle of the verb “to see” and is always translated “seer” in Scripture.
The second term, hozeh, is an active participle of another verb for “seeing” which has no
English equivalent. It is sometimes translated “seer” (I Chronicles 29:29) and sometimes
“prophet” (Isaiah 30:10). It is, with one exception, always mentioned in the context of a king,
leading some to conclude that this kind of prophet was a resident court historian with prophetic
ability (cf. II Chronicles 29:30). First Chronicles 29:29 seems to prove that these three Hebrew
terms distinguish three varieties within the prophetic office, for the verse uses each term of
different persons who were prophets. That there are similarities in these three kinds of prophets
is evidenced in passages such as Amos 7:12ff., where Amaziah addresses Amos as a hozel,
asking him to prophesy (nabi') in Judah. Amos on that occasion refused, claiming he was not a
nabi'.
In the New Testament, two Greek verbs identify prophesying. The word prophaino means
“to reveal” and includes the idea of predicting the future and revealing the message of God.
The other term, prothemi, conveys the meaning “to tell forth,” to speak to others on
behalf of God though not necessarily with a predictive message. The noun prophetes was used
by the Greeks as early as the fourth century B.C. to identify those who could interpret the oracles
of the gods. The word literally refers to one who speaks forth or openly, and was loosely applied
to anyone who proclaimed a divine message. The word prophetes was used in the Old Testament
Greek version (the Septuagint or LXX) to translate both nabi' and ro'eh. It, therefore, came to be