Most broadly, a prophet is any person who tells what will happen. But in a religious context, prophets are people who preach what they believe has been divinely revealed to them. In this way, they are seen as instruments of God and are thought to possess profound spiritual and moral insight. Moses was a Hebrew prophet, as were Isaiah and Jeremiah, among others. Muhammad was an Islamic prophet. And christians regard Jesus as a prophet.

The Bible (Old Testament) also warns of false prophets, in other words, prophets who do not speak the truth. For example, Deuteronomy 13:1–3 says, “Should a prophet or a peddlar of dreams appear among you and offer you a sign or portent, and call on you to go after other gods whom you have not known and to worship them, of not heed the words of that prophet or dreamer.”