 
In the Bible a prophetess usually met certain criteria. Let's examine
a few of them...
• And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she
judged Israel at that time. Judges 4:4
• So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan,
and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallm the
son of Tikvah the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe:...2Kings
22:14
• And there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter
of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had
lived with an husband seven years from her virginity: Luke 2:36
••...I have a few things against thee, because thou
sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess,
to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat
things sacrificed unto idols. Revelation 2:20
These Prophetesses appear to have been chaste in their behavior (virgins
up until marriage) and usually the wife of one Holy man, with the
exception of Jezebel ---who calls herself a prophetess!
(Shocking huh?)
The tone of the verse (cited above••) indicates she
is NOT a prophetess of God.
The prophet or prophetess was the mouthpiece of God. He chose special
individuals to tell Kings and ordinary people messages of warning.
Many times they were not well received (as in the case of Jeremiah).
Jezebel tried to kill the prophet Elijah. I guess you could say he
was not well received(!).
Those who claim to be a prophetess (of God) and have increased in
popularity because of this claim, have no clue as to the true role
and responsibility of a true prophetess of God.
Today, these false prophetesses seem to be more preoccupied plugging
their books and tapes with their well coiffed personal appearances
on TV and speaking engagements in Christian mega-churches and conventions,
etc.
Micah 3:11 "...and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet
will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none
evil can come upon us."
The Bible describes the opposite lifestyle of the prophets. At one
point Elijah was hiding in fear for his life. In II Chron.18, Micaiah's
message was contrary to the false prophets of the King and got slapped
in the face for saying what the King didn't wanna hear and thrown
into prison. ---But Micaiah's prophecy rang true (it happened/came
to pass)!
Definition
of a prophet/prophetess:
*The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet
shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD
hath truly sent him. Jeremiah 28:9
And, of course, a prophetess is a female prophet. It is someone
who foretells/interprets.
Let's
return to the lifestyle of the Prophetess Ana...
Luke 2:37-38 describes her daily life of not leaving the Temple
and serving God with fasting and prayer day and night.
Upon seeing Jesus she too gave thanks to God, as Simeon had done,
and spoke to all those who were looking for Messiah (redemption)
in Jerusalem.
I Cor.11:5 ...every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head
uncovered dishonoreth her head: for that is even all one as if she
were shaven.
(Oops! There it is. Your female head better be covered if you're
in the prophesying mode. I'm aware that many will disagree and claim
that their hair is their covering, but somehow the mental image
of Ana prophecying in the Temple uncovered strikes at the core of
every Jewish Believer. We know that since Temple times this is simply
not debate-able. In the words of Apostle Paul, the great Rabbi,
"judge for yourselves...if anyone wants to be contentious about
this, we have no other practice - nor do the congregations of God.")
[See Numbers 5:18]
I Cor. 14:5 I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that
ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh
with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
In Numbers 11:29 Moses also echoes the same attitude toward prophesying
when he said, "...would God that all the LORD's people were
prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!"
Remember
there are also false prophets that the Bible warns of:
I John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, buy try the spirits
whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out
into the world.
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