Prophets are people who speak messages from God. Some prophets (e.g. Ezekiel and Zechariah) have complex visions, while others simply call the people to remember their allegiance to God and His Torah (e.g. Haggai and Malachi).
Although many people make prophetic statements in the Bible, they are not all specifically referred to as prophets. Perhaps the best example is Saul, the first king of Israel. Saul falls under the influence of God’s spirit and begins prophesying, although we are not told what he said,(1 Samuel 10:9-12). Therefore, while Saul speaks prophesy, his role in the story of Israel isn’t really a prophetic one.
Importantly, the Bible also mentions false prophets. These people who claim to speak for God, but don not. Also, while God has his own prophets, there are prophets who speak on behalf of other gods, too. The most famous example of this takes place in the showdown between Elijah and 450 prophets of the Canaanite god Baal (1 Kings 18:16–39). In this instance, Elijah proves that he is the one who speaks on behalf of Israel’s true God.
The Bible names many prophets, ranging from individuals who made occasional prophetic utterances, to others who regularly channeled the thoughts of God, (e.g. Moses and David).
On these pages we present information about the men who are routinely discussed as the "Major" and "Minor" prophets, or those to whom attribution is given for prophetic books in the Old Testament.
A more exhaustive list of prophets with links to outside info can be found here... List of Prophets.
See False Prophets