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In the Old Testament, the prophets were God’s early alert system.  They heard of future events before anyone else.

What does that mean?

Here’s an example.  I saw this on the road recently.  In the oncoming left hand turn lane was an EMT vehicle.  The light turned green, and so traffic was to move forward.  Instead of turning left, the EMT vehicle went and did a U turn in front the oncoming traffic, but without the lights on.  Strange.  Then everything proceeded a few more hundred feet.  A door opened.  A fire truck came out with the alarm lights and sirens.  The EMT truck waited and let the fire truck go first.  And they both proceeded to the emergency call.

Evidentally, the EMT vehicle heard first that there was an emergency and did the U turn in traffic rather than turning left as it prepared to do.   There was no apparent reason for a few moments why the EMT vehicle acted as it did.  But then it became apparent.

That’s what the prophets did.  They heard what was happening before everyone else and they let the rest of the world know by writing it on scrolls that since have been translated and become the Bible.

How do we know that they heard accurately?   It is because a number of  prophecies have already come to pass.

For example, Micah heard where Jesus would be born.

Micah 5:2  But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
being small among the clans of Judah,
out of you one will come out to me that is to be ruler in Israel;
whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.

Lyrics

1.	O sing a song of Bethlehem, 
	of shepherds watching there, 
	and of the news that came to them 
	from angels in the air.  
	The light that shone on Bethlehem 
	fills all the world today; 
	of Jesus' birth and peace on earth 
	the angels sing alway.

2.	O sing a song of Nazareth, 
	of sunny days of joy; 
	O sing of fragrant flowers' breath, 
	and of the sinless Boy.  
	For now the flowers of Nazareth 
	in every heart may grow; 
	now spreads the fame of his dear name 
	on all the winds that blow.

3.	O sing a song of Galilee, 
	of lake and woods and hill, 
	of him who walked upon the sea 
	and bade the waves be still. 
	For though like waves on Galilee, 
	dark seas of trouble roll, 
	when faith has heard the Master's work, 
	falls peace upon the soul.

4.	O sing a song of Calvary, 
	its glory and dismay, 
	of him who hung upon the tree, 
	and took our sins away.  
	For he who died on Calvary 
	is risen from the grave, 
	and Christ, our Lord, by heaven adored, 
	is mighty now to save.

Source

The prophet Isaiah heard the purpose of Jesus’s coming and wrote about it.

(DARBY translation)
Isaiah 53:1  Who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of Jehovah been revealed?

2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender sapling, and as a root out of dry ground: he hath no form nor lordliness, and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

3 He is despised and left alone of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, and like one from whom [men] hide their faces;—despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely *he* hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; and we, we did regard him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, but he opened not his mouth; he was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and was as a sheep dumb before her shearers, and he opened not his mouth.

8 He was taken from oppression and from judgment; and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

9 And [men] appointed his grave with the wicked, but he was with the rich in his death, because he had done no violence, neither was there guile in his mouth.

10 Yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise him; he hath subjected [him] to suffering. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see a seed, he shall prolong [his] days, and the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand.

11 He shall see of [the fruit of] the travail of his soul, [and] shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant instruct many in righteousness; and *he* shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore will I assign him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong: because he hath poured out his soul unto death, and was reckoned with the transgressors; and he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and left alone of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, and like one from whom [men] hide their faces;—despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely *he* hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; and we, we did regard him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all.