Prophecy in Judaism

What is the difference between a prophet and a messenger according to the Torah?

Shalom!

Thank you for your question.

For the most part, a “prophet” and “messenger” are synonymous in Jewish scriptures. Though in some cases, angels are referred to as “messengers,” as well. We will focus here on the Jewish view of prophecy.

According to Judaism, a prophet is a person to whom God has given a message to be transmitted to the Jewish people. The belief in prophecy is one of the 13 most fundamental principles of Jewish faith.

The messages that God would give to prophets were usually words of warning against transgressing God’s laws and messages of the importance of self-improvement. Sometimes a prophet would give a warning about what the future would bring if the Jewish people do not improve their ways, such as the prophecies of what was the future destruction of Jerusalem and exile of the Jewish people.

Some prophets were one-time messengers and other were “career” prophets spending most of their life in such service of God and the Jewish people. Occasionally a prophet would tell the Jewish people to perform a certain act or ritual that was not found in the Torah. These were usually “one-off” commandments and they were observed even if they were contrary to the Torah. That being said, a prophet would never enact a new mitzva of the Torah or abolish an already existing one.

Some examples of what I have mentioned above would include the prophecy of Isaiah who foretells the Messianic era, Jeremiah and the destruction of Jerusalem, Jonah and his message of repentance, Elijah and the sacrifices on Mount Carmel, and more. According to the Talmud (Megilla 14a), there were 48 male prophets and 7 female prophets whose prophecies were recorded because their prophecies were relevant for all time. There were, however, many more prophets whose prophecies and messages were not recorded as they were only relevant for that current time or place.