Many of the critics of the time are struck by the correspondence between the libretto of Le prophète and the post-revolutionary period of the years 1848 to 1849 in France. T. Gautier notes that "the Anabaptists and the peasants have dialogue that might be taken from the pages of the Communist newspapers". As Meyerbeer himself acknowledged, the general tone of the work is "sombre and fanatical".
Several critics from the time are captivated by the parallels between Le prophète's libretto and the post-revolutionary period in France from 1848 to 1849. T. Gautier points out that "the Anabaptists and peasants converse as if taken from Communist newspapers". Meyerbeer himself acknowledged that the work's tone is "melancholic and fervent".