This is my understanding of prophets and prophecy, as I've come to understand it via my life experience.
*****
Prophecy is not a thing for a select few. There are thousands, if not millions, of prophets at any given time.
Prophets come from any and all religions. Some prophets are atheists, agnostics, freethinkers, humanists, etc.
Prophets can be any age, gender, or race. Prophets come from all walks of life, however, they are more common amongst marginalized folks, due to the social justice enlightenment that often accompanies undergoing oppression.
Some prophets have a single prophetic act to perform or a single prophecy to share. Others, it’s an ongoing thing. Some have both.
Prophecies don’t have to be inherently religious in nature. They do not have to be theistic. They can be more secular or social justice based.
Prophecies are often not time-based. They often do not predict the future, although some do. Those that predict the future, but do not predict specific events, predict the consequences of actions, policy, or ideology.
Most prophets don’t know they’re prophets. Some do, or suspect something. Many may deny they are prophets. They are no less prophets. There are some who claim to be prophets who are false prophets. Or maybe they’re not?
The words of prophets are not just found in holy books. Many secular books have prophecy in them. And there is prophecy in every other medium available for communication. (There’s plenty of prophecy on Tumblr. And Simon & Garfunkle sang “The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls / and tenement halls.”)
PROPHECY IS EVERYWHERE. The key is discernment.
