Christians forget that there was a time in the past, a time from creation to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel), that men worshipped and served God. When we look to scripture to see who these men were we see Melchizedek (a contemporary to Abraham), Noah and Enoch just to name a few. Melchizedek was a priest of God and Noah and Enoch prophets of God, but not the first.
When we are taught about prophets in our churches, in most instances, we are only ever taught about the Major and Minor prophets, John the Baptist, etc. Its only those prophets that appear after Abraham that we study as if the rest of the Old Testament scriptures do not exist. We done even teach that Daniel was a prophet of God even though Jesus clearly tells us that this was the case.
This is because our churches hold to their denominational “traditions of men” rather than the whole council of God. The New Testament is emphasized and the Old Testament is diminished. There may be some exceptions to this but this is the general rule.
So what is the correct answer? Who was the First Prophet in the Bible?
Was it God? God is God (YEHOVAH) and not a prophet so that rules him out.
Was it Jesus? Yes, Jesus was considered a prophet but only after his incarnation. Jesus said concerning himself; “Before Abraham was I AM”. He equated himself with God but not a prophet. Yet he was The Prophet to come as prophesied by Moses. So he was not the first prophet.
Was is Adam? Was he a prophet? The answer would also be No. Scripture doesn’t call him a prophet and Jesus didn’t even recognize Adam as a prophet.
However, the Islamic religion does teach that Adam was a prophet of god. Unfortunately this false doctrine has crept into some corners of Christianity. Mainly through the reformed traditions.
The answer is ABEL. Why Abel? Jesus tells us so.
Jesus, when pronouncing WOEs on the Scribes and Pharisees said:
Mathew 23:29-36 (CLBV)
29“Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the Prophets (Nevi’im) and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30and say, ‘If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets (Nevi’im)’.
31“Therefore, you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the Prophets (Nevi’im). 32Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers! 33You serpents, you offspring of vipers! How can you escape the judgement of Gehenna? 34Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and Scribes: and some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your Synagogues and persecute them from city to city, 35that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the Earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the Temple and the altar. 36Amen, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation
Luke 11: 49-52 (CLBV)
49Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and Apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute’, 50that the blood of all the Prophets (Nevi’im) which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, 51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias who perished between the altar and the Temple: Truly, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.
And the writer of Hebrews said:
Hebrews 12: 22-24 (CLBV)
22But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23to the assembly and congregation of the 1st born, who are written in Heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24to Jesus (Yeshua) the mediator of the New Covenant (B’rit Chadashah), and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.
Scripture clearly tells us that Abel was a prophet of God and Abel being
the son of Adam, would make him the first.
Knowing this now go back and study and consider why Cain might have killed able.
