Episode 2 - Prophetic Voices: From Hebrew Prophets to Modern Activism

The Hebrew prophets were not just predicting the future — they were speaking truth to power in their present. In this episode, co-hosts Dilys Brooks and Nathan Brown sit down with theologian and professor Dr. Janice DeWhyte to explore what the biblical prophetic tradition really means, why justice is non-negotiable for God, and what Amos, Jeremiah, and Isaiah have to say to our world today.TIMESTAMPS0:00  Host Welcome & Episode Overview0:55  Intro & Theme Music0:59  Guest Introduction — Dr. Janice DeWhyte1:56  What Is a Prophet? A Communicator for and to God4:00  Deborah, Advocacy & the Prophetic Role in Community8:02 What We Get Wrong About Biblical Prophecy11:25  Reading Ancient Texts for Today — Isaiah 1018:58  Why Justice Is the Central Concern of the Prophets24:25  Mishpat & Tzedakah — Defining Justice Biblically31:57  Favourite Prophets — Amos & Jeremiah40:00  How the Prophets Can Shape Us Today47:38 Homework: Read the Prophets Alongside the News52:55  Host Sign-Off & Episode CreditsVoices & Ideas Referenced This Episode““Prophecy is the voice that God has lent to the silent agony, a voice to the plundered poor, to the profaned riches of the world. And it is a form of living, a crossing point of God and man. God is raging in the prophet’s words.” Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel — The Prophets (1962)Isaiah 10:1–4 — Woe to those who make unjust lawsAmos 5:24 — "Let justice roll down like waters"Psalm 89:14 — Righteousness and justice as the foundation of God's throneDr. Martin Luther King Jr. — The prophetic spirit and the Civil Rights MovementRosa Parks — Embodying the prophetic tradition in actionJeremiah 20 — The burden and honesty of the prophetic vocationMatthew 5–7 — The Sermon on the Mount / BeatitudesEpisode-Specific ResourcesResource 1: The Prophets by Abraham Joshua Heschel Resource 2: Our JustLove Book Circle talking about The Prophetic Imagination by Walter BrueggemannCALL TO ACTIONTake Dr. DeWhyte's homework seriously: pick up one of the prophetic books — Amos, Isaiah, or Jeremiah — and read it alongside this week's news. Ask yourself: what might this prophet say about what is happening in my community right now? Share what you discover with someone.Join the Prophetic GuildYou are not alone in this work. Find your community — your guild of fellow justice seekers — and show up for each other. That is the prophetic tradition.Upcoming EventJustLove Summit — La Sierra UniversityDetails: justlovecollective.org/summitLeave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to help more people discover these conversations.Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. Tag us @justlovecollective.Subscribe so you never miss an episode — new episodes every two weeks.EPISODE CREDITS: See WebsiteThe JustCoz Podcast is a podcast of JustLove Collective.