The prophetic books of the Bible are often puzzling even to convinced Christians and many ask to what extent the prophets were inspired by God. This book examines the prophetic texts, clarifies what prophecy is and explains its place in God's revelation to mankind. The first part examines the different Hebrew terms for prophet, the different kinds of prophets and the essential function of the prophet-which is to bear witness to the presence of God. A study of the psychological aspects of the prophetic ministry includes an analysis of the imagery and symbolic actions that characterize the prophetic books and a discussion of the threefold nature of prophetic activity: judgement upon the present, a call to conversion and the threat of punishment. The third part of the book consists of a theoogical investigation of the later prophets against their political and historical backgrounds in Israel and Juda from the twelfth to the ninth centuries before Christ and an examination of the Messianic prophecies together with the differing emphases of Elias, Ezechiel, Jeremias and the first, second and third Isaias.