attention to revolution

Greta Thunberg, Global Warming, and the Legacy of Prophecy by Rabbi Jill Hammer

… the most primary function of a prophet or prophetess is to correct the moral failings of the people, and particularly of the powerful. The prophet Nathan criticizes King David for having a man killed so that David may safely marry his wife (II Samuel 12), and the prophet Elijah accuses King Ahab and Queen Jezebel of having a man named Naboth killed so that they can possess his vineyard (I Kings 21). The prophet Isaiah accuses the people of fasting and praying while oppressing their workers (Isaiah 58). The prophetess Huldah critiques the religious practices of her day and expects humility from the king who has sent men to see her (II Chronicles 34). So it is not only those who see the future who are given the title prophet, but those who truly see the present. In this sense, all workers for justice and societal change are prophets and prophetesses.