scribes, rabbis, and teachers. The prophet is one who speaks because he or she has been given his or her message directly from God. The prophet speaks on the basis of revelation. The message thus received may or may not contain predictions; it is prophecy because it comes as a revelation from God. It was a common belief in first-century Judaism that prophecy had ended with the biblical prophets and that God no longer communicated with his people directly. It was believed that God’s will is now made
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