What are the characteristics of a biblical prophet? What are the characteristics of a modern prophet? These questions are answered though the various definitions given for prophets. A biblical prophet such as prophets in the bible are considered to be people who are spoken to or affected by divine intervention in their life that allows them to be a messenger to the rest of humanity. These messengers are often reluctant to be messengers. The messages brought by biblical prophets are often stories of bad things that will happen in the future. This view of what a biblical prophet represents is a view that comes from readers of the Tanakh. Modern believers may have a lot to do with this definition but the definition modern believers use may have been created in order to differentiate between a religious prophet and our modern view of prophets.
The modern view of prophet is someone who is bringing a new idea to our world passionately. This idea does not need to be divinely inspired but it must present something new passionately even if the person didn't necessarily come up with this idea on their own, as long as they passionately discuss it they are considered to be prophets of their cause. I presented these to questions and definitions first because when doing a comparison or analysis of people from different times like minor and modern prophets, it is important to realize that a prophet of their time was not the same idea of the prophets of our time. Throughout this paper the main idea behind a prophet is that a religious prophet comes from the bible and a modern biblical prophet represents themselves as a divine messenger. While the general idea in our modern times of prophet is someone who is passionate about a cause and whether the cause is their own or not they are outwardly passionate about it on a national or global level.
Malachi is a book that consists of the Lord speaking to Israel through Malachi. Many questions are posed throughout the book that address the things that Israelites have done wrong. The questions come in the form of the Israelites perspective and are answered by the Lords feelings on why the thing is wrong or what they should have done. The summed up purpose of Malachi seems to be an explanation through Malachi to the Israelites as to why they have been wicked and why judgment is coming for those who continue to be wicked and do not take this opportunity to renew and follow his commandments. Due to the nature of Malachi having a purpose to explain meaning, punishment, and opportunity to renew my modern prophet is Michael Eric Dyson. This man is a current professor at Georgetown University and an ordained Baptist minister. Dyson investigates racial and cultural issues through his books, speeches, and articles. Lately Dyson has been working with the issues and controversy surrounding rap music. His work with this controversy has been largely exhibited through media sources and his various books discussing the issues. Michael Dyson much like Malachi discusses the meaning behind the music, the affects of this meaning, and the opportunity to renew is through being knowledgeable about the meaning and affects/punishment the music perpetuates.
A more linear comparison of Malachi and Michael Eric Dyson can be taken from the specific ideas and concepts presented by or through them. Malachi presents the question in Malachi 1:6-7 of how the Israelites despised the Lords name and the Lord answers by saying that they have offered polluted food. Dyson parallels this concept by addressing ideas specifically from his book “Know What I Mean?” about how the economic affects are driving the continuation of a negative image being presented through hip hop culture. This comparison can be made in that something negative is driving the behavior. Israelites are giving polluted food because to them it is not polluted and the point is to give and offering in order to fulfill the covenant and be in good with God. At the same time hip hop culture offers up images and music that have negative affects in order to gain the economic and industry reward. This may just be one of many comparisons that can be made throughout the book but it is important to remember that a person fighting for a cause like Mr. Dyson does would not have been considered a prophet in biblical times. Malachi in our time is considered to be a religious prophet.
Meanings of people are translated differently now than they were then. Another comparison that can be made is through the end idea of Malachi. In Malachi 3: 14- 18 the Lord tells of how the Israelites speak against him by acknowledging and idea that evildoers prosper because they don't take time to serve God because they don't profit from it. This directly relates to the ideas of Michael Dyson in that hip hop culture is not taking time to present a positive image because hip hop employees will not profit from a positive image. So, the evildoers or artists/companies presenting negative images are viewed by our culture as productive members of society due to their economic status. In both of these situations being prosperous by doing the wrong thing affects the culture into believing that doing the wrong thing is better.
In conclusion, a last question needs to be answered. Do the ideas of Malachi directly affect the cultural struggle we face now within not only hip hop culture but culture as a whole? Maybe this is a completely different topic or paper but, due to the way we generalize our definition of prophet and take it away form a religious term maybe breaking down the concepts of our religious prophets of the past we can generalize the idea of a prophet. Michael Dyson takes the ideas of Malachi in which the Israelites represent our current nation and the Israelites punishment from God based on wrong behavior is our everyday destruction of one another through our wrong behavior. Maybe it is all a stretch but it makes sense that due to all of the cultural aspects that wrong behavior affects maybe by generalizing prophet we are able to explore all of the aspects without having to take the relationship of God and ourselves into play. Prophets move everything forward by having the passion that is needed to make a change that moves our world forward.
