Week Thirty-Six: Prophetic Voice. September 3 – Called to See Differently
The original Hebrew word for a prophet meant simply that: one who sees. Philo of Alexandria
Gregg’s Reflection
“You never invite the prophet to dinner twice,” my pastor told me. The prophetic voice is rarely welcome in the church. See how the powers that be treated the Old Testament prophets. “The original Hebrew word for a prophet meant simply that: one who sees…Prophets have seen the future…they have seen where God is leading humanity. They have seen and drawn close to the heart of God and they know God is leading us somewhere good.”—Richard Rohr, Way of the Prophet
The prophetic call in scripture is often linked to sight. Prophets are seers who look beyond surface appearances and glimpse the deeper movement of God in history. Numbers reminds us that God speaks in dreams and visions, pulling back the veil on what is hidden.
To see differently is not simply to predict the future, but to understand the present with God’s perspective. Richard Rohr reminds us that prophets judge the now by the future, living out of God’s dream for creation and exposing the gap between what is and what could be. Their gift is not fortune-telling but a piercing clarity born of intimacy with God.
When we dare to pray for prophetic vision, we invite God to open our eyes in ways that may unsettle us. We may see brokenness in ourselves, our communities, and our culture that others prefer to ignore. Yet this is the beginning of transformation — to see as God sees, and then to walk in that light.
Scripture
When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, will reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams.
Numbers 12:6
Ancient Quotes
The original Hebrew word for a prophet meant simply that: one who sees.
Philo of Alexandria, Questions and Answers on Genesis, I.90
It is necessary for the perfection of human society that there should be men who devote their lives to contemplation.
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica II-II, Q. 188
Modern Quotes
Most of the prophets seem to be ordinary people who find themselves with a gift. Prophecy in the Bible is not a matter of foretelling, but forth-telling — speaking with such a forwardness of truth, direction, and passion that, after the fact, we say the prophet foretold it.
Richard Rohr, Way of the Prophet
The prophet judges the present by the perspective of the future. They are the original futurists.
Richard Rohr, Way of the Prophet
Journaling Prompts
- Where have you seen glimpses of truth others seem blind to?
- How has God invited you to “see beneath the surface” of your own life?
- What resistance do you feel when confronted with prophetic vision?
- Pray for “eyes to see” — what would change in your community if you could see with God’s eyes?
Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 36 Reflection: Prophetic Voice