missionary prophet

religion

Also known as: apostolic prophet

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 30, 2026

Quick Summary

The term "prophecy" in religion refers to a divinely inspired revelation or interpretation. A prophet is an inspired individual who believes they are a messenger of a god, acting as the god's mouthpiece.1

Missionary prophets, also known as apostolic prophets, believe their religious truths are unique. They gather followers who accept their teachings as the true religion, potentially leading to the foundation of new religions, as seen with figures like Jesus and Muhammad. These prophets are distinct from divinatory prophets who predict the future or cult prophets who pronounce divine oracular words within a liturgy.2

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

prophecy
Types of prophecy
Missionary (or apostolic) prophets are those who maintain that the religious truth revealed to them is unique to themselves alone. Such prophets acquire a following of disciples who accept that their teachings reveal the true religion. The result of that kind of prophetic action may…
Read More
Missionary (or apostolic) prophets are those who maintain that the religious truth revealed to them is unique to themselves alone. Such prophets acquire a following of disciples who accept that their teachings reveal the true religion. The result of that kind of prophetic action may…
Read More