This is something I'm a bit confused over, and would like some clarification, but, in Judaism, what is a Prophet?, before, being raised in essentially a secular home (my Mum's from a Jewish background, but, is more Atheist than anything), I always assumed a Prophet was someone who had a vision(s) of the future, but, from some things I've read online (like this forum), and, from reading parts of Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's 'Meditation and the Bible', it seems to be more than just have visions of the future like a clairvoyant or psychic might. Is there more to a Prophet than having visions?, would it be comparable to a Buddhist achieving Nirvana or would they be took different things?.
It's a good question, David, as this is a hard concept for Anglophones, who have a very different set of associations with the word "prophet."
As I am sure you know, "prophet" is used to translate the Hebrew
navi. But the two terms are really not at all equivalent. A prophet is indeed someone who has visions of the future, or someone who speaks with God.
A
navi is not merely someone with a vision of the future-- many
nevi'im never had visions of the future-- nor is it merely someone who speaks with God-- we hold that God can and may speak with anyone, and doing so does not make them a
navi.
A
navi is someone, first and foremost, who has been given a message by God to disseminate publicly, usually of overarching social and religious importance, and sometimes other specific tasks. A
navi is also usually gifted with
ruach hakodesh (which literally translates as "holy spirit," but these days we try not to translate it, as that phrase in English has a very different, very Christian, set of associations that of course are lacking in the Hebrew): they have been given a greater connection to the outpouring of
shefa (Divine energy: it constantly flows from God's center to all parts of creation. Some of us get more, some less, and one can draw more to oneself by self-purification, righteousness, focus and devotion, etc. But God can also spontaneously give a great outpouring of it to someone), and along with it, the authority from God to work wonders, call forth miracles, and be an agent of Heaven to do things like anoint kings, priests, and other prophets, and to seek out the will of God in certain matters. This high level of
ruach hakodesh, combined with the messages and tasks given by God, describes the state of having
nevu'ah: what we cumbersomely translate as "prophecy."
Prophets were, generally speaking, not diviners and fortune-tellers, but rather, social agitators, and voices of religious reform. The wonders they worked were in service of those causes-- the miracles being, in essence, side effects of their real jobs.
I say were, because we believe that there are no more
nevi'im. The last of them were Ezra and Nehemiah, and there will be no more, at least until mashiach comes, and some say perhaps not even then (though I personally think mashiach will bring a new age of
nevu'ah). People still are capable of speaking with God, but God does not send public messages anymore. Likewise, holy men with great focus and devotion can indeed accrue enough
shefa to have a kind of
ruach hakodesh, but it is not at all to the level of
nevu'ah.
.