Seer vs Prophet: Key Differences

Discover the key differences between seers and prophets in the Old Testament. Both conveyed God’s will through divine revelation, but their methods and roles differed significantly. Explore their distinct purposes in 1 Samuel 9.

Seer vs Prophet

1. The Seer

A seer is one who possesses the insight or ability to perceive things to come through dreams or visions. In Hebrew, the terms used are ḥōzeh and rō’eh, both of which carry the meaning of “to see” or “to gaze,” referring to one who sees — that is, “a person who discerns God’s will through dreams or visions.” Not only did the prophet Samuel refer to himself as a seer, but Gad — who advised David in political and religious matters from the time he was a fugitive through his enthronement and into the later years of his reign — was also called a seer (1 Chr 21:9). The duties of a seer included: 1) proclaiming and teaching God’s will to the people, 2) speaking God’s word directly to the king, 3) appointing and anointing leaders, and 4) recording the acts of kings in genealogical records. Those referred to as seers in Scripture include Samuel, Gad, Iddo, Jehu, Asaph, Heman, Zadok, Hanani, Jeduthun, and Amos, among others. All of them were figures active during the period of the united monarchy.

2. Prophets

The word “prophet” comes from the Hebrew nabi, derived from a root meaning “to proclaim,” and refers to one who delivers the Lord’s message to the people. Prophets received God’s revelation primarily through dreams, visions, or direct communication. Accordingly, the prophets of the Old Testament were not interpreters of God’s will in a secondary sense; rather, they proclaimed the actual words God had given them. Declaring the Word of God without addition or omission was therefore the core of their ministry. Their office had two dimensions — prophecy and vision: some were inspired by God to prophesy directly to the people, while others functioned as seers who conveyed God’s will through visions or oracles. Throughout every era, however, false prophets were numerous, and vigilance was always required ¹See Jer 28:1.

Although Moses is regarded as a preeminent prophet (Deut 18:18), the prophetic office in a formal sense began with Samuel. Among the prophets, those who resided at the royal court and carried out their prophetic activity in close relationship with the ruling king are commonly called “court prophets.” Samuel, Nathan, and Gad all exercised great influence over David. There were also many prophets who left their prophecies in written form; these are typically referred to as the writing prophets. They were active primarily during the 8th through 6th centuries B.C.

3. Prophets in the New Testament Era

In the New Testament as well, there were those who fulfilled the same calling as the Old Testament prophets through the characteristics, forms, and ministry of prophecy. While John the Baptist is generally regarded as the last of the prophets, others also carried out the same function: the New Testament prophet Agabus, who foretold the apostle Paul’s arrest (Acts 21:10), and the apostle John, who recorded the Book of Revelation, along with various other New Testament apostles, all fulfilled a role comparable to that of the Old Testament prophets. Of course, the true Prophet among all prophets is Jesus Christ himself. After the early church, the prophetic office gradually disappeared from the church. That is, as the Scriptures were established as the canon following the early church period and God’s revelation became clearly accessible through the written Word, the office of prophet ceased to exist as a formal position within the church’s structure.

4. Prophets Organized by Era

• Before the Divided Kingdom: Abraham, Moses, Aaron, Miriam, the Seventy Elders, Eldad and Medad, Deborah, Samuel, Saul, David, Gad, Nathan, Ahijah, Iddo
• (Divided Kingdom) Southern Kingdom of Judah: Iddo, Shemaiah, Azariah, Hanani, Jehu, Jahaziel, Eliezer, Zechariah, Joel, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Jeduthun, Huldah, Zephaniah, Jeremiah
• (Divided Kingdom) Northern Kingdom of Israel: Ahijah, Jehu, Elijah, Micaiah, Elisha, Hosea, Amos, Jonah, Oded
• Babylonian Exile: Ezekiel, Obadiah, Jeremiah, Daniel
• Post-Exile Return: Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
• Prophets of the New Testament: Jesus Christ, Anna, John the Baptist, Agabus, Barnabas, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, Paul, Simeon called Niger, Judas, Silas, the four daughters of Philip.

Source: Dictionary of Biblical Cultural Background

seer, prophet, biblical figures, Old Testament era, divine revelation

Originally published in Korean at bible2u.com