There is a commonality between the earlier non-writing prophets and the later prophets of Israel. If we want to gain a complete understanding of Israelite prophecy, we must study both groups.
The author supports the idea of the continuity of prophecy with considerable evidence. Instead of focusing on prophetic writings, he points to the prophets themselves, speaking of both those who wrote and those who did not. The author says: "A study of these characters is very rewarding, because when we see them as people who lived at a certain time and under specific circumstances, we make great progress in understanding what they wrote."
The book begins with an informative introduction to the prophets of Israel: their unique character within the Near East, their function, the role that the Spirit played in their lives and work, and their relationship to false prophets. In addition to the writing prophets represented in the canon, the author speaks of the non-writing prophets, both from the pre-monarchy era (e.g., Miriam, Deborah, and Samuel) and the monarchical era (e.g., Nathan, Elijah, and Elisha).Â
