to perform powerful works and to discern matters in a way beyond the ordinary caused others to recognize him as a prophet. (Luke 7:14-16; John 4:16-19; compare 2 Kings 6:12.) More than all others he was one in God’s “intimate group.” (Jer. 23:18; John 1:18; 5:36; 8:42) He regularly quoted earlier prophets as testifying to his divine commission and office. (Matt. 12:39, 40; 21:42; Luke 4:18-21; 7:27; 24:25-27, 44; John 15:25) He foretold the manner of his own betrayal and death, that as a prophet he would die at Jerusalem, the “killer of the prophets,” that his disciples would abandon him, that Peter would deny him three times, that he would be resurrected on the third day, many of these prophecies being based on earlier prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures. (Luke 13:33, 34; Matt. 20:17-19; 26:20-25, 31-34) Beyond this, he foretold the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple. (Luke 19:41-44; 21:5-24) The precise fulfillment of all these things within the life of those hearing him gave solid basis for faith and conviction as to the fulfillment of his prophecies relating to his second presence.—Compare Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21.

Pentecost, 33 C.E., saw the foretold outpouring of God’s spirit on the disciples at Jerusalem, causing them to ‘prophesy and see visions.’ They did this by declaring the “magnificent things of God,” and by inspired revelation of knowledge about God’s Son and what this meant for their listeners. (Acts 2:11-40) Again it should be remembered that prophesying does not mean solely or necessarily predicting the future. The apostle Paul stated that “he that prophesies up-builds and encourages and consoles men by his speech,” and he held prophesying forth as a proper and particularly desirable goal for all Christians to strive after. Whereas speaking foreign tongues was a sign for unbelievers, prophesying was for believers. Yet even the unbeliever attending a Christian meeting would benefit by prophesying, being reproved and closely examined by it so that the “secrets of his heart become manifest.” (1 Cor. 14:1-6, 22-25) This, too, indicates that Christian prophesying did not consist mainly of prediction but instead often dealt with things relating to the present, though clearly proceeding from a source beyond the ordinary, being inspired by God. Paul counseled on the need for good order and self-control in congregational prophesying, so that all could learn and be encouraged.—1 Cor. 14:29-33.

There were, of course, certain ones particularly selected or gifted to serve as prophets. (1 Cor. 12:4-11, 27-29) Paul himself had the gift of prophesying, yet he is primarily known as an apostle. (Compare Acts 20:22-25; 27:21-26, 31, 34; 1 Corinthians 13:2; 14:6.) Those especially designated as prophets, such as Agabus, Judas and Silas, appear to have been outstanding spokesmen for the Christian congregation, second only to the apostles. (1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11) Like the apostles, they not only served locally but also traveled to different points, gave discourses and also foretold certain future events. (Acts 11:27, 28; 13:1; 15:22, 30-33; 21:10, 11) As earlier, some Christian women received the gift of prophesying, though always subject to the headship of the male members of the congregation.—Acts 21:9; 1 Cor. 11:3-5.

PROPHETESS

A woman who prophesies or carries on the work of a prophet. As shown under the headings PROPHET and PROPHECY, prophesying basically means the inspired telling forth of messages from God, the revealing of the divine will. Prediction of future events might or might not be involved. Even as there were both true and false prophets, so some prophetesses were used by Jehovah and were moved by his spirit while others were false prophetesses, disapproved by Him.

Miriam is the first woman designated a prophetess in the Bible. God evidently conveyed some message or messages through her, perhaps in inspired singing. (Ex. 15:20, 21) Thus, she and Aaron are recorded as saying to Moses: “Is it not by us also that [Jehovah] has spoken?” (Num. 12:2) Jehovah himself, through the prophet Micah, spoke of having sent “Moses, Aaron and Miriam” before the Israelites when bringing them up out of Egypt. (Mic. 6:4) Though Miriam was privileged to be used as an instrument of divine communication, her relationship as such toward God was inferior to that of her brother Moses. When she failed to keep her proper place she suffered severe chastisement from God.—Num. 12:1-15.

In the period of the Judges, Deborah served as a source of information from Jehovah, making known his judgments on certain matters and conveying his instruction, as in his commands to Barak. (Judg. 4:4-7, 14-16) Thus, during a period of national weakness and apostasy, she served figuratively as “a mother in Israel.” (Judg. 5:6-8) Huldah the prophetess served in a similar manner, in King Josiah’s day, making known God’s judgment toward the nation and its king.—2 Ki. 22:14-20; 2 Chron. 34:22-28.

Isaiah refers to his wife as “the prophetess.” (Isa. 8:3) Though some commentators suggest that she was such only in the sense of being married to a prophet, this conjecture has no Scriptural evidence to back it up. It appears more likely that she had received a prophetic assignment of some sort from Jehovah, as had earlier prophetesses.

Nehemiah speaks unfavorably of the prophetess Noadiah, who, along with “the rest of the prophets,” tried to instill fear in Nehemiah and so obstruct the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls. (Neh. 6:14) Though she acted in opposition to God’s will, this does not necessarily mean that she had not held a valid standing as a prophetess prior thereto.

Jehovah spoke to Ezekiel of Israelite women who were “acting as prophetesses out of their own heart.” This implies that these prophetesses had no divine commission from God, were merely imitations, self-made prophetesses. (Ezek. 13:17-19) By their ensnaring and hoodwinking practices and propaganda they were ‘hunting souls,’ condemning the righteous and condoning the wicked, but Jehovah would deliver his people out of their hand.—Ezek. 13:20-23.

In the first century C.E., while the Jews were still Jehovah’s covenant people, the aged Anna served as a prophetess. She “was never missing from the temple, rendering sacred service night and day with fastings and supplications.” By “speaking about the child [Jesus] to all those waiting for Jerusalem’s deliverance,” she acted as a prophetess in the basic sense of ‘telling forth’ a revelation of God’s purpose.—Luke 2:36-38.

Prophesying was among the miraculous gifts of the spirit that were granted to the newly formed Christian congregation. Certain Christian women, such as Philip’s four virgin daughters, prophesied under the impulse of God’s holy spirit. (Acts 21:9; 1 Cor. 12:4, 10) This was in fulfillment of Joel 2:28, 29, which foretold that “your sons and your daughters will certainly prophesy.” (Acts 2:14-18) Such gift, however, did not remove a woman from subjection to the headship of her husband or to that of men within the Christian congregation; in symbol of her subjection she was to wear a head covering when prophesying (1 Cor. 11:3-6) and was not to act as a teacher within the congregation.—1 Tim. 2:11-15; 1 Cor. 14:31-35.

A Jezebel-like woman in the congregation of Thyatira claimed to have prophetic powers but followed the course of ancient false prophetesses and received the condemnation of Christ Jesus in his message to John at Revelation 2:20-23. She improperly acted as a teacher and misled members of the congregation into wrong practices.

PROPITIATORY COVER

[Heb., kap·poʹreth, from a root verb meaning “to cover,” “to cover over (sin),” hence, “propitiatory”].

Bible translations render the term variously as “mercy seat” (AV, RS, Yg), “propitiatory” (AT, Dy), “cover” (Le), “ark-cover” (JP), or “cover”, “propitiatory cover” (NW).

As Jehovah instructed Moses, the craftsman Bezalel