The idea of a “prophet” is very closely tied to the idea of the Bible itself, since the Bible was largely written by prophets. At a lower level, Swedenborg says prophets represent people who teach from the Bible. At a higher level, they represent the Lord as revealed through the Bible. Viewed in a abstract way, prophets represent the holy parts of the Bible themselves, and also represent doctrine drawn from the Bible.
The reason we say “largely written by prophets” and “the holy parts of the Bible” is that, according to Swedenborg, not all of the books currently included in the Bible have a complete and continuous internal sense. Some – like Job, Ruth, and Song of Solomon – are wonderful literary pieces that got included, but which lack the systematic meanings for words and phrases. Others – the Acts and Epistles, primarily – are really doctrinal works, the first attempt by others to extract meaning from Jesus’ life and words.
Passages from Swedenborg
Apocalypse Explained 624
[4] To prophesy signifies to teach the Word, because a prophet, in the highest sense, means the Lord as to the Word, and in the respective sense one who teaches the Word, but in the abstract sense the Word itself, and also doctrine from the Word are signified. These things are signified by a prophet, therefore by prophesying is signified to teach the Word, and also doctrine from the Word.
AE 624
[6] Again:
“He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a just man in the name of a just man, shall receive a just man’s reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones [a cup] of cold [water] only in the name of a disciple, verily, I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward” (Matt. x. 41, 42).
No one can understand these words unless the signification of aprophet, a just man, a disciple, and the little ones be known, and also the meaning of receiving them in their own name. A prophet, in the abstract sense, signifies the truth of doctrine, a disciple, the good of doctrine, a just man, the good of life, while by receiving them in their own name is signified to receive those things from the love of them. Then by receiving a prophet in the name of aprophet, is signified, to love the truth of doctrine because it is truth, or to receive truth for its own sake; by receiving a just man in the name of a just man, is signified to love good, and to do it because it is good, that is, to receive it from the Lord out of love or affection of the heart. For he who loves truth and good for their own sakes, loves them from themselves, thus, from the Lord, from whom they proceed; and as he does not love them for the sake of himself and the world, he loves them spiritually, and all spiritual love remains with man after death, and gives eternal life.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 2534
2534. ‘For he is a prophet’ means that thus it was to be taught. This is clear from the meaning of ‘a prophet’. One reads the word ‘prophet’ many times in the Word, and in the sense of the letter it means those to whom revelation is given, and also – abstractedly from persons – revelation itself. But in the internal sense that word means one who teaches, and also – abstractedly – doctrine itself. And because, as has been stated, the Lord is doctrine itself, or the Word which teaches, He is called ‘a Prophet’, as also in Moses,
Jehovah your God will raise up a Prophet like me from the midst of you, from your brothers; Him shall you obey. Deut. 18:15, 18.
The words ‘like me’ are used because the Lord was represented by Moses, as He also was by Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and many more. And because people awaited Him it is therefore said in John,
When the people saw the sign which Jesus had done, they said, This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world. John 6:14.
[2] Since the Lord in the highest sense is ‘the Prophet’ and ‘the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy’, Rev. 19:10, ‘a prophet’ therefore means in the internal sense of the Word a person who teaches, and also – abstractedly – doctrine, as becomes quite clear from the following places: In Luke,
You, child, will be called prophet of the Most High. Luke 1:76.
Zechariah said this in reference to his son, John the Baptist, who was not the prophet but one preparing the way by teaching and preaching the good news about the Lord’s Coming, as he himself says,
They asked him, What are you? Are you Elijah? But he said, I am not. Are you the prophet? He answered, No. Therefore they said to him. Who are you? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord. John 1:21-23.
[3] In Matthew,
Many will say on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name? Matt. 7:22.
Here it is evident that ‘prophesying’ means teaching. In John,
You must again prophesy over many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. Rev. 10:11.
‘Prophesying’ stands for teaching. What ‘peoples’, ‘nations’, ‘tongues’, and ‘kings’ mean has been stated and shown in various places. In the same book,
The nations will trample the holy city for forty-two months, but I will grant My two witnesses to prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. Rev. 11:2, 3.
Here also ‘prophesying’ stands for teaching. In Moses,
Jehovah said to Moses, See, I have made you a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother will be your prophet. Exod. 7:1.
Here ‘prophet’ stands for one teaching or saying what Moses would have to say. In Joel,
I will pour out My spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Joel 2:28.
‘They will prophesy’ stands for they will teach.
[4] In Isaiah,
Jehovah has poured out over you a spirit of sleep, and has closed your eyes; the prophets and your heads, the seers, He has covered; and the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a sealed book which men give to one who is able to read, saying, Read this, now; and he will say, I cannot, for it is sealed. Isa. 29:10, 11.
Here ‘the prophets’ is used to mean those who teach truth, and ‘the seers’ those who see truth. Their heads are said to be ‘covered’ when they know no truth at all and see none at all. Because in ancient times those who taught were called prophets, they were also called ‘seers’, for ‘seeing’ meant understanding, 2150, 2325. The fact that they were called ‘seers’, see 1 Sam. 9:9; 2 Sam. 24:11. They were also called ‘men (vir) of God’ because of the meaning ‘man’ carried, dealt with in 158, 265, 749, 915, 1007, 2517. The fact that they were called ‘men of God’, see 2 Kings 1:9-16; 4:7, 9, 16, 21, 22, 25, 27, 40, 42; 5:8, 14, 20; 13:19; 23:16, 17.
[5] That ‘prophets’ means in the internal sense those who teach is clear in the whole of Jeremiah 23 and the whole of Ezekiel 13, where prophets are referred to specifically, and also in many other places where they are mentioned. This also explains why ‘pseudoprophets’ means those who teach falsities, as in Matthew,
At the close of the age many pseudoprophets will arise and lead many astray. False Christs and false prophets* will arise and will show great signs, and will lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Matt. 24:11, 24; Mark 13:22.
No others are meant here by ‘pseudoprophets’ and ‘false prophets’, nor likewise by the pseudoprophet in Rev. 16:13; 19:20; 20:10.
[6] How much the internal sense of the Word is obscured by ideas that have been conceived from the representatives of the Jewish Church becomes clear from the fact that every time a prophet is mentioned in the Word the idea of prophets like those who lived in those times immediately springs to mind, an idea which impedes greatly any discernment of what is meant by them. But the wiser anyone is, the more easily is an idea conceived from such representatives banished. For example, when the temple is mentioned, people who are more wise in their thinking do not envisage the temple in Jerusalem but the temple of the Lord; when Mount Zion, or simply Zion, is mentioned, they do not envisage a location in Jerusalem but the Lord’s kingdom; and when Jerusalem is mentioned, they do not envisage the Jerusalem situated in the tribe of Benjamin and Judah but the holy and heavenly Jerusalem.
* Here, apparently following Schmidius’ Latin version of the Scriptures, Sw. has two similar but not identical expressions – pseudoprophetae and falsi prophetae. But in the original Greek the same word occurs in both places.
Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 999
999. And out of the mouth of the false prophet. That this signifies the doctrine of faith separated from life, and of justification by it, confirmed from the Word falsified, is evident from the signification of the false prophet, as denoting the doctrine of falsity from the falsified truth of the Word. This is signified by the falseprophet, because by a prophet is meant the doctrine of truth from the Word, and, in the highest sense, the Word, as may be seen above (n. 624). Hence the contrary is meant by a false prophet.
AR 8
[2] A prophet symbolizes the doctrine of the church drawn from the Word, and the same is meant by a prophecy, because the Word was written by prophets, and in heaven a person is regarded in relation to something pertaining to his occupation or function. So, too, every person, spirit and angel mentioned in the Word. Because it was a prophet’s function to write and teach the Word, therefore when a prophet is mentioned, the Word in relation to doctrine is meant, or doctrine drawn from the Word.
It is for this reason that the Lord, being the embodiment of the Word, was called a prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-20,* Matthew 13:57,** 21:11,*** Luke 13:33****).
To show that a prophet means the doctrine of the church drawn from the Word, we will cite several passages from which this may be concluded. In Matthew:
(At the end of the age) many false prophets will rise up and lead many astray…. …false christs and false prophets will rise…and lead astray, if possible, …the elect. (Matthew 24:11, 24)
The end of the age is the final period of the church, which is the one that exists now, when there are not false prophets but doctrinal falsities.
[3] In the same gospel:
Whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And whoever receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. (Matthew 10:41)
To receive a prophet in the name of a prophet is to accept doctrinal truth because it is true; to receive a righteous man in the name of a righteous man is to accept goodness because of its goodness; and to receive a reward is to be saved in accordance with that acceptance. Obviously no one receives a reward or is saved because he received a prophet or righteous man in the name of such.
Without a concept of what a prophet and righteous man mean, no one could understand these words, or those that follow:
Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple…, shall by no means lose his reward. (Matthew 10:42)
A disciple means charity and at the same time faith from the Lord.
[4] In Joel:
…I will pour out My spirit on all flesh, so that your sons and your daughters prophesy… (Joel 2:28)
This is said of the church about to be established by the Lord, in which they did not prophesy but received doctrine, which is “to prophesy.”
In Matthew:
(Jesus said,) “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name…?’ But then I will confess to them, ‘I have not known you; depart from Me, you workers of iniquity!'” (Matthew 7:22, 23)
Who does not see that they are not going to say they have prophesied, but that they have known the doctrine of the church and taught it?
In Revelation:
…the time has come to judge the dead and give the reward to…theprophets…. (Revelation 11:18)
In another place:
Rejoice…, O heaven, …you holy apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you…. (Revelation 18:20)
It is plain that a reward is not to be given solely to prophets when the Last Judgment is about to take place, or that only apostles andprophets are going to rejoice, but that all will be rewarded and rejoice who have accepted doctrinal truths and lived according to them. These, therefore, are meant by apostles and prophets.
[5] In Exodus:
Jehovah said to Moses: “…I have made you a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet.” (Exodus 7:1)
“A god” means Divine truth in its reception from the Lord, and in this sense angels, too, are called gods; and a prophet means one who teaches and gives voice to that truth. It is because of this that Aaron is there termed a prophet.
A prophet has the same symbolic meaning elsewhere, as in the following:
…the law shall not perish from the priest…, nor the Word from theprophet. (Jeremiah 18:18)
…from the prophets of Jerusalem hypocrisy has gone out into all the land. (Jeremiah 23:15, 16)
…the prophets will become wind, and the Word will not be in them. (Jeremiah 5:13)
The priest and the prophet err through intoxicating drink, they are swallowed up by wine…, they stumble in judgment. (Isaiah 28:7)
The sun is going down on the prophets, and the day is becoming dark upon them. (Micah 3:6)
From the prophet even to the priest, everyone works a falsehood. (Jeremiah 8:10)
[6] In these passages prophets and priests mean, in the spiritual sense, not prophets and priests but the entire church-prophetsthe church in respect to doctrinal truth, and priests the church in respect to goodness of life, both of which had been lost. These statements are so understood by angels in heaven when people read them in the world according to their literal sense.
To be shown that prophets represented the state of the church in respect to doctrine, and that the Lord represented it in respect to the Word itself, see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord, nos. 1517.
*The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me
from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, according to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, “Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.” And the LORD said to me: “What they have spoken is good. I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.”
**So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “Aprophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.”
***So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”
**** Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.