Course XXXIII - Teaching 16: Supernatural Oratory of Biblical Prophets

“Seemingly, people of Florence are not ignorant or rude; but Fray Girolamo Savonarola has persuaded them that he would talk to God. And I do not want to judge if this was true or not, because one has to speak about such a man with reverence; but I dare say that many persons believed him and did not see anything extraordinary to make them believe it: because his life and the doctrine and matter that he would posed were sufficient to trust him”, Nicolò di Bernardo Macchiavelli says in his “Discorsi” in relation to the man who prophesized the death of Lorenzo de Medici, the Magnificent, and of the Pope Innocent, and also the arrival of a new Cyrus to Italy. Although the audience of the Prior of Saint Mark did not notice in those days if the prediction about the death of Lorenzo the Magnificent might be witnessed by that generation, the attitude of Fray Hieronymus was that of a prophet even though not openly manifested. His biographer properly says, figure, gesture and tone were those of an inspired man; and when he would speak about a future punishment, his voice, gestures and over all his intimate conviction, would penetrate powerfully into the spirit of his audience.
Here one has to emphasize rather the presence of a “prophetic voice” than the prophecy itself. Prophecy is out of the reach of this part of the course about supernatural oratory, after considering the ordinary one.
Perhaps neighbors of Florence were interested in the historical proof of the prophecy of Fray Hyeronimus –this occurred one century later– but the message, transformation and Savonarola’s divine vibration touched the most intimate and most fundamental zone of this people and one can easily determine that, at such moment, because of its character, the historical proof is beyond ordinary restrictions and becomes supernatural oratory.
According to the New Testament, the Apostles would speak all languages. The strength of their oral prayers, that had been uttered for four forty consecutive days, had formed so strong vibration that they were in a position to understand a word through a simple vibratory movement. Naturally those forty consecutive days of permanent prayer are flowing from the inspired heart of God, and the Word has to take the same Fohatic characteristic of that of the prophets, of the old as well as of the new alliance; and it is exactly in this “people of God”, in Israel, where the supernatural oratory, the prophetic oratory emerges in abundance through their four highest Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel.
In those times when the Israelites were expecting his Messiah, they had entirely in mind Moses’ words and predictions of the Deuteronomy: “the Lord shall bring a prophet among your people and among your brothers, who shall be like me, and you shall hear him”. And perhaps Israel, more than any other nation on earth, deserves to be called the people of prophetic oratory par excellence.
Wonderful people, indeed, where fathers, like Zacharias, announce to their children that in their tongues the venturous and terrible fire of great announcements will burn, like those of Saint John the Baptist! These beings –who convey to men revelations received from God– have the highest hierarchical oratory and, although Paul of Tarsus places the Apostles in first place, there are good reasons to assume that the Good News was conveyed in an apostolic, prophetic and indissoluble way.
Certainly, according to the Holy Book, a prophet is not only he who foresees and foretells future things, but also he who speaks in the name of God or instead of God, and as an interpreter of God: “See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou shall speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land”. (Exodus VII: 1-2). “And thou shall speak unto him [Aaron] and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do” (Exodus IV:15).
There are three notable institutions in the people of Israel: kings, priests and prophets. The royal power was connected with the tribe of Judah, family of David; the priesthood to the tribe of Levi, family of Aaron. But the prophetic mission was dependent only upon the choice of God.
So, Jeremiah and Ezekiel were priests; Isaiah was not a priest, but probably belonged to the tribe of Judah. There were rich and noble prophets, as Isaiah seemingly was; there were poor prophets, as Amos, who was a shepherd and cowherd; there were prophets among men and women (women were not excluded from this ministry); and also there were prophetesses as Hannah, mother of Samuel; Deborah, Holdah and others.
So, no natural inclination, or science, or instruction, or preparation is required for the prophetic charge or ministry; for example, Eliseus (Elishah), who was a peasant or plowman, and Amos, who was a cowherd, because God –who is the cause of prophecy– can give this inclination at will.
Even an especial inclination or willingness is not required for prophecy. So Isaiah offers himself to the Lord for a prophetic mission; Moses and Jeremiah excuse and refuse it; and Jonah escapes. Even charity and good habits are not required. So Balaam was a bad person, but seemingly a good prophet of God; and, according to John, Caiphas prophesized. Naturally, charity perfects and knowledge extends the prophecy, and additions embellish prophecies.
As many think, this magnificent oratory is not characterized by prophesized facts that come to be true by the inner enlightenment of the understanding, which God makes to his disciples through the prophet, since men are only able to describe things to his devotees through outer words and signs, but not through an intimate revelation. And the prophet knows when it is he and when it is the breath of God that his mouth conveys.
As for credentials given by God to the prophets as His authentic ambassadors, there are three: their life and preaching, their miracles, and their prophecies.
Of course, prophets of Israel could not be depraved, perverse and discredited men before their people. They were selected among men of holy life; pure and irreproachable habits; strong and brave spirit; clear, daring and determined preaching for the sake of the truth; and free of adulation, servileness, covetousness and self-interest. Besides these especial gifts of life and preaching, there were other extraordinary signals, such as miracles made by Elias (Elijah) and Eliseus (Elishah), and that of Isaiah healing Ezechias and anticipating his cure. A third signal: sometimes their prophecies came actually true and caused them great disgusts and troubles.
Of the prophets of the Old Testament, Samuel is the great seer of Israel; David is the king-prophet (according to his last expressed words; see this in his Psalms); Solomon is a quite learned king who obtained his wisdom from God. And Elias (Elijah) and Eliseus (Elishah) were two great notable servants of God by virtue of their predictions and miracles.
According to the nature of this course, we do include here prophet-writers that left their oracles and prophecies by writing, for example, those who composed prophetic psalms: Moses, David, Solomon, Aseph. Eman, Etam, and Korah’ sons.
According to the learned, in synagogues, Moses is over and above the great prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezechiel and Daniel, and the Talmud says that Moses was the only who beheld the pure truth, while le rest just glimpsed it, as it were, reflected on a tarnished mirror. According to the fathers of the Talmud, the Moses’ revelation includes entirely any later prophecies.
Also we can observe an explanation of the prophetic act, through certain inner process, in Maimonides and his theology.
Oracles are of different nature, because they do not keep a relationship, as the prophetic voice, with the supernatural oratory, even though oracles have set up true political, juridical and religious communities. This took place in the Greek-Roman oratory through pythians and pythonesses, or through the oracle in the temple of Amon, which was the most famous in and out of Egypt: true armies of devotees went to this temple and heard the answer of the divinity.
But… which is the characteristic of the new word, of the luminous logos of the announced Sakib’s day? Which will be the form of the eternal Word for the transmission of the Good News? Son, go to the profound cell of your silence, absorb yourself into the innermost absoluteness of your heart, where time and space are non-existent, and talk to Him who knows the number and measure of the Universe. Then you will hear the voice of the new Initiates that will teach you exact words of mercy, justice, love and beauty so that you pour them humbly on the sorrowful hearts that are in search for the New Dawn in a world of shadows.