How Was Prophecy Passed Down to Us? The prophets first communicated their messages orally, not in written form. Isaiah and Jeremiah, for example, sometimes spoke directly with the kings of Judah (Is 7:1–14; Jer 37:17–20). At other times, prophets spoke to the general population (Jon 3:4; Jer 7:1–15). These facts raise an important question. What is the relationship between the spoken word and the written word? In other words, who wrote down the prophets’ words, and when? Three answers are possible,