Rabbis and the Spirit of Prophecy
Since the Holy Spirit was so closely related to prophetic speech in the Old Testament, some of the rabbis in the intertestamental period began to make reference to the “Spirit of Prophecy.” Theologian Archie Hui elaborates on this, noting that in Rabbinic literature:
“‘prophecy’ is one of the ten names given to ‘the Holy Spirit.’ … other rabbinic lists of ten names sometimes replaced ‘the Holy Spirit’ with ‘prophecy.’ … Thus, for instance, Midrash Haggadol on Genesis equates ‘prophecy’ with seeing, watching, proverb, interpretation, the Holy Spirit, prophecy, vision, oracle, sermon, riddle.“[1]
In many of the rabbinic sermons, or “targums,” we encounter references to the “Spirit of Prophecy.” Reflecting on this, Hui writes:
