In a world where there were many false prophets, it was very important for Israelites to be able to distinguish true prophets of God from false prophets. For this reason, the Old Testament laid out several qualifications for true prophets of God.

First, true prophets had to be called by God. Second, they had to be given God’s word to speak. Third, they had to be loyal to God by speaking only according to his command. And fourth, their ministry had to be authenticated by the fulfillment of their message. We’ll look at each of these, beginning with the fact that true prophets were called by God.

Consider the call of the prophet Ezekiel:

He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you." As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. (Ezekiel 2:1-2)

Here, we see that when God commanded Ezekiel to stand and hear the commission, he also sent his Spirit to ensure that Ezekiel complied. The calling of a prophet was an exercise of God’s authoritative choice as the heavenly king of his people.

At other times, God commissioned prophets indirectly, by instructing one prophet to call another. For instance, God commanded the prophet Elijah to commission his successor, Elisha. But whether the call came directly to the prophet from God, or through an authorized servant of God, the prophet’s call ultimately came at the initiative of the Lord. Without this supernatural call, no one could become a prophet, regardless of his or her good intentions, devotion to God, or knowledge of God’s word. Old Testament prophets also had to be given God’s word to speak.

The Holy Spirit inspired prophets to speak whatever God commanded them. But we can see that divine inspiration did not mean that prophets had no control over their words. On the contrary, the Holy Spirit utilized the prophets’ personalities and perspectives as he infallibly presented his prophetic message through them. Listen to the way Peter spoke of the Holy Spirit’s inspiration of prophets:

No prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:20-21)

The third qualification of Old Testament prophets was that they had to be loyal to God by conforming their prophecies to his Law. Not only did they have to convey what God commanded them to speak, but they also had to ensure that their prophecies agreed with God’s existing revelation, especially as it was recorded in Scripture. Moses spoke these words to Israel:

If a prophet … announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods ... and let us worship them," you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer... It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. (Deuteronomy 13:1-4)

Even if a prophet could work miracles and foretell the future, he was to be rejected if his instructions violated God’s commandments.

The fourth qualification of Old Testament prophets was that their prophecies had to be authenticated by fulfillment. Listen to Moses’ words to Israel:

If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:22)

Moses described the qualifications of the prophetic office as a way for God’s people to recognize which prophets truly spoke for God. He did this because he wanted them to discern and obey the messages of true prophets, and to live in fidelity to God’s covenant. And it’s important for us to keep these qualifications in mind, too, because they were the same qualifications that Jesus met when he served as God’s prophet in the New Testament age.