ירמיהו, פרק כ״ג, פסוק י״ח

False prophets often present themselves as messengers of divine truth, yet they completely lack any real connection to God. The true prophet challenges these imposters, stripping away their credibility and exposing their unworthiness to receive actual divine communication. True prophecy originates from a deeply hidden and intimate space, understood as God's secret council or inner circle [רד"ק, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The primary approach among commentators is that gaining entry into this private divine council to hear God's decrees requires a person to be completely righteous. Only someone who faithfully obeys God and follows His commandments, much like Jeremiah himself, can reach this spiritual height. Those who act wickedly are fundamentally disqualified from attaining such a profound prophetic state [רש"י, מצודת דוד]. Taking a different path, [מלבי"ם] suggests that the discussion of entering God's inner circle actually mirrors the arguments of those who deny prophecy altogether. According to this view, skeptics claim that a mere physical human being could never stand in God's presence, witness a vision, or hear His voice, arguing that purely spiritual realms cannot be grasped by physical human senses.

The prophetic experience itself involves profound layers of visual and auditory perception. The visual aspect relates directly to witnessing a clear prophetic vision [רד"ק]. The auditory experience, however, unfolds in distinct stages. The initial phase involves the actual physical perception of God's voice, while the subsequent phase represents a deeper internalization, acceptance, and total obedience to what God has spoken [רש"י]. Closely paying attention to the message likewise implies a willing acceptance of the divine decree [מצודת ציון]. Offering another perspective on how a prophet receives these messages, [מלבי"ם] contrasts different types of perception. He explains that some prophetic experiences involve directly seeing and hearing the divine speaker from a close, intimate proximity. In contrast, other forms of divine communication involve listening from afar, much like catching the faint echo of a spiritual voice traveling across a great distance.