What's the Difference Between a Prophet and Everyone Else?

Having met prophets, psychics, mediums and the like, I wanted to know the differences between them all, or at least most of them. I narrowed it down to prophets and everyone else not just to shorten the title. I found prophets to have one major difference from all the others. An exclusive difference that set them apart.

I started by using the Complete Jewish Bible for the prophet Daniel because the original Hebrew names and terms are listed. The reference is in the book of Daniel (Dani'el) in chapter 2. In verse 2 of this chapter it states that "the King Nebuchadnezzar (N'vukhadnetzar) ordered the magicians, exorcists, sorcerers and astrologers summoned to interpret the king's dreams to him." He hadn't asked Daniel yet because his court was already set up with its own menagerie of fortune tellers.

King Nebby had had a dream about a towering image made of different materials like gold, silver, iron and clay. It represented the various kingdoms of the earth, including his own, and what was yet to come in the future.

Verse 5 says what the king decided to do about his dream. "Here is what I have decided: if you don't tell me both the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb and your houses reduced to rubble. (v.6) But if you do state the dream and its interpretation, I will give you presents, rewards and great honor. Just tell me the dream and its interpretation."

He played hard ball with them. A little rough, but how did they respond? Verse 7, "A second time they said, 'Let his majesty tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it.'"

I would be frightened, too. But later on Daniel gets wind that nobody could tell what the dream was or give its interpretation. This meant death to them all, even to Daniel who was considered to have heavenly powers as well. Not wanting anyone to die, he decided to do what some of us might do: ask your friends to pray-hard!

Later on we see the results. In verse 27, Daniel approaches the king with a message. "Daniel answered the king, 'No sage, exorcist, magician or astrologer can tell his majesty the secret he has asked about. (v.28) But there is a God in heaven who unlocks mysteries, and he has revealed to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the (acharit-hayamim) last days. Here are your dream and the visions you had in your head when you were in bed."

So Daniel proceeds to tell the dream and its interpretation to the king in full and the king falls down and worships Daniel. He's no longer troubled by his dream and truly grateful to the point of giving Daniel honor and making him a head of his kingdom.

Why couldn't the others do it? What set Daniel apart? In coming up with definitions, I went to the dictionary. A "prophet" is "a person who speaks for God or a deity, or by divine inspiration." (Source: dictionary.com.) According to the above reference in Daniel, it is also a person who unlocks God's mysteries. Today, and even then, Daniel was known as a prophet.

Through the same dictionary source I found a soothsayer and a predictor to be about the same: foretells events, maybe through special knowledge.

A magician is skilled in magic like a sorcerer.

A psychic pertains "to the human soul or mind" and is sensitive to forces around them.

An astrologer very specifically "predicts the future by the positions of the planets and sun and moon." This was strictly prohibited by the Jews because God wanted them to rely on him and not on the stuff in the heavenlies.

A sage is known for wisdom and an exorcist is simply "a person who practices exorcism." In the Bible, Jesus' disciples expelled demons, but it was not referred to as exorcism in the text.

All but prophesying (and maybe exorcism, today known as "deliverance" around Christian Protestants) was prohibited by the Jews. Today we can say the same for just about any form of Christianity as well. Why the prohibition?

It is believed that only prophets have the direct, divine inspiring words from God. In all the others, it can come from different sources (celestial beings, psychic forces, the mind, various forms of knowledge, magic). False prophets fit into the section of "other sources."

How can you know and who do you trust? The only way is to test it with what you already know and with your own instinct. Or you can ask God. (But then you wouldn't need to ask all the others.) If you want to know if a person is a prophet or not, first look at the purpose of prophecy alone. The New Testament in the Bible says it is meant to encourage. Even if it is a negative word, the purpose is still meant to encourage. In other words, change your ways and disaster won't come to you. In this way it is used as a warning. It may also be a confirmation of what you already know or a foretelling of what you will need to know.

It seems complicated, to know the difference between what is being foretold and whether it is correct and accurate or not.

One clue is from Jesus' own mouth. He said that a prophet is not honored in his hometown, in his family, or even in his own country. The reason is because prophets prompt change and they seem to know what is inside of a person. This scares people who don't want to be exposed, much less change. Jesus said he knew what was in man, so he did not entrust himself to man. When a true prophet is around, he or she will not be accepted by the church, at least not in his own religion, or in his own vicinity. It just doesn't work that way. One famous prophet in the United States, Kim Clement, isn't from the United States. That's why he's accepted in the U.S. He often prophecies about this country and then shows in the news how his prophecies came true.

Ever notice how many psychic places are around? Why aren't there "prophet places" for people to go to? Prophets are often in hiding because people don't like them. Could it be that they really do unlock the mysteries of God?