The church in this generation has been endowed by God with great privileges and blessings, and He expects corresponding returns. These observations seem to place Zephaniah in the early years of Josiahs reign, perhaps about 630 B.C., as a contemporary of Habakkuk. He dies while in Egypt. Although the Hebrew term naar, youth, or child, by which the prophet designates himself verse (6), does not give an indication of Jeremiahs exact age at the time of his call, the context of the passage in which this word appears seems to favor the interpretation that he was still very young, perhaps less than twenty. God was to be glorified in Israel (Isaiah 49:3) and its people were to be His witnesses (chapters 43:10; 44:8), to reveal to men the principles of His kingdom. Even during the Captivity, and later under foreign tutelage, Israel remained a theocracy in theory if not fully in practice. The sixteen prophetsIsaiah to Malachiwhose writings have come down to us lived during four centuries, from about 800 to 400 B.C. Jeremiah had been chosen by God for his office before birth (chapter 1:5), and was called to be a prophet at a tender age (chapter 1:6, 7). But to go beyond that which is clearly set forth by Inspirationin the immediate context of the passage concerned, in the New Testament, or in the Spirit of prophecyis to substitute personal opinion for a plain Thus saith the Lord. Where Inspiration has not thus clearly spoken it is our privilege to compare scripture with scripture in an endeavor to understand more perfectly the mind of the Spirit. The transition from literal Israel to spiritual Israel, or the Christian church, is the subject of Romans 9-11. Only when its leaders formally rejected the Messiah and declared before Pilate their allegiance to no king but Caesar (John 19:15) did Israel as a nation irrevocably withdraw from the covenant relationship and the theocracy. The completeness and finality of this rejection is evident from chapter 8:19, 20: As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God. The rejection of Jesus by the leaders of Israel (cf. They eagerly sought the power of His kingdom, but were unwilling to be guided by its principles. For two of them (Joel and Obadiah), however, no conclusive evidence as to the time of their work exists, and scholars differ widely in their views concerning this matter. The British-Israel movement teaches that the Anglo-Saxon peoples are the literal descendants of the ten so-called lost tribes of the northern kingdom and that the promises will, in large measure, be fulfilled to their modern posterity. See Exodus 31:2-6; 35:33, 35. WebEmphasize that when God prompted Isaiah to write about the Lord Jesus it was way before Jesus was born. Nevertheless, Isaiah believed that Judah was Gods chosen nation and they would be vindicated by God. Isaiahs whole ministry from Uzziah to Manasseh must therefore have lasted more than half a century. seem to refer to those recorded in 2 Kings 8:20-22 and 2 Chronicles 21:8-10, 16, while nothing points to the troubles caused by Hazael, as narrated in 2 Kings 12:17, 18 and 2 Chronicles 24:23, 24, it has been concluded that Joel gave his messages during the time lying between these two events. Though the prophet looked at events about him, he also could see far beyond his own day. Weblived and were active as prophets during a time of great catastrophe for the people of Israel, the conquest of Judah and the destruction of the First Tem-ple. A Anathoth 51 Q Who became king of Babylon about the same time as Jeremiah was called by God? The house of God in Jerusalem would eventually be called an house of prayer for all people (chapter 56:7), and many people and strong nations would come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before Him in that day and be His people (Zechariah 8:22; 2:11). Webcation of Jeremiah as a true prophet. Yet the book contains no clear indication of the time in which the prophet lived. 2. 3. WebIn Jeremiah, Yahweh is portrayed as one who reveals himself primarily through his word, whereas in Ezekiel, Yahweh is presented in visions of God (pp. There, he spent an unknown number of years before his return to Judea and his discovery of the abuses described in chapter 13. Not only is Malachi last in the sequential order of the prophets; it is also the last prophetic book produced in pre-Christian times. In fact, this procedure is responsible more than anything else for the fanciful interpretations that distinguish the teachings of certain religious groups. 5. It is possible that he was a Temple singer, since his third chapter is dedicated to the chief singer on my stringed instruments (chapter 3:19). National greatness. WebThe great prophet Jeremiah lived during one of the most critical periods in Jewish history. WebThere are four major prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. Feebleness and disease were to disappear entirely from Israel as the result of strict adherence to healthful principles (see Exodus 15:26; Deuteronomy 7:13, 15; etc.). One column provides a list of certain special events of this periodsome of a political nature, concerning the nations surrounding Israel and Judah, others of a domestic nature. No, there were three prophets of God who followed Isaiah. A Jewish legend claims that he was stoned to death by his people. 1-39 40-55 56-66. See on Zechariah 1:8. This period spanned the reigns of five kings of Judah: Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. The various abuses rebuked by Malachi are mostly the same as those Nehemiah found when he returned to Jerusalem for his second term of governorship (Malachi 3:8, 9; cf. Without this, the people of Israel would not qualify to receive the material blessings God designed to bestow upon them. Human traditions came to be honored in place of the revealed will of God (see on Mark 7:6-9). Cooperation with the natural laws of body and mind would result in ever-increasing mental strength, and the people of Israel would be blessed with vigor of intellect, keen discrimination, and sound judgment. However, there is no valid reason why Malachi should not be considered a proper name. Daniel 2:35). What archaeological evidence implies Isaiah was a unified book? This division, though tragic, served to insulate, for a time, the southern kingdom, Judah, from the tide of idolatry that soon engulfed the northern kingdom, Israel (see Hosea 4:17). But Judah failed to learn the lesson, and a little more than a century later her apostasy, also, was complete (see Jeremiah 22:6, 8, 9; Ezekiel 16:37; 7:2-15; 12:3-28; 36:18-23). Encouraging Hezekiah and the people through his own trust in God, he was instrumental in saving Jerusalem. One of the main objectives of the Bible commentator is to reconstruct the historical setting in which the declarations of the prophets were originally made. They were to be far in advance of other nations in wisdom and understanding. Nothing is known of the prophet Joel beyond the fact that he was the son of Pethuel (chapter 1:1). In other words, they prophesied and ministered about the same time. Many years later, in writing to the strangers, or Gentiles (1 Peter 1:1: see on Exodus 12:19, 43), as the elect of God (1 Peter 1:2), Peter refers to them as the chosen ones of God, a holy nation, a peculiar people (chapter 2:9), formerly not a people, but now the people of God (verse 10). Eventually Gods purposes will prevail and the plan of salvation will succeed, irrespective of the failure of any person or group. According to this view, Jeremiah said, in effect, that Jerusalem would be deserted for about 70 years, about the length of a persons life. Micah states that his ministry fell in the time of the kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (chapter 1:1). With the call of Abraham, God set in operation a definite plan for bringing the Messiah into the world and for presenting the gospel invitation to all men (Genesis 12:1-3). WebIsaiah, Jeremiah, and Lamentations 82 cards. Several of the prophets messages are dated exactly, and the last of these dated prophetic messages was received in the 27th year of Ezekiels captivity (chapter 29:17), 571/70. The short book of Obadiah, consisting of only 21 verses, is not dated and its chronological setting is uncertain. The Book of Isaiah claims to be written by him, and scholars believe he at least wrote part of it. In their meticulous attention to the letter of the law they lost sight of its spirit. A Nebuchadnezzar 59 Q 6. When Manasseh came to the throne as sole ruler upon his fathers death, approximately in 686, he lost little time in removing the faithful seer. Several of his messages were against various foreign nations. He had told them that He would progressively diminish their strength and honor as a nation until they should all be carried away into captivity (Deuteronomy 28:15-68; 2 Chronicles 36:16, 17). From generation to generation these holy men of God (2 Peter 1:21) called Israel to repentance and righteousness and kept alive the Messianic hope. In the lives of Gods people the truths of His word are to reveal their glory and excellence. It was therefore not alone unto themselves and to their contemporaries that the prophets ministered, but also to all sincere men and women of later generations (1 Peter 1:12). Ezekiel blames the people for ritual misbehavior. The remaining messages and prophecies, found in chapters 9-14, are not dated, a fact that prevents us from fixing the duration of the prophets activity. So early a date for Jonah1s ministryabout 790 B.C.fits well into Assyrian history. Through Israel of old, God planned to provide the nations of earth with a living revelation of His own holy character and an exhibit of the glorious heights to which man can attain by cooperating with His infinite purposes. 1 Peter 2:6-8; 1 Corinthians 1:23) but this need not mean that they are to fallGod forbid, he exclaims (Romans 11:1, 22). All rights reserved. from the ends of the earth (Jeremiah 16:19), to the light of truth shining forth from the mountain of the Lord (Isaiah 2:3; 60:3; 56:7; cf. While it is thus known that he began his work in 520 and continued until 518 B.C., the end of his prophetic ministry must be left open. (chapter 5:14), after which he was recalled to Persia. This page and its content is copyright 2012. Obedience to the law of God would make them marvels of prosperity before the nations of the world, living witnesses to the greatness and majesty of God (Deuteronomy 8:17, 18; 28:11-13). All the visions of Daniel recorded in chapters 7-12 were received during the last years of his life, the first one (chapter 7) in Belshazzars 1st year (552 or possibly later), and the last one (chapters 10-12) in the 3rd year of Cyrus, 536/35 B.C. Tools. Nick Baumgardner, a senior writer from the same publication, predicts Notre Dames all-time sack leader will fall to the early third round in his latest mock draft.. Daniel Jeremiah, a draft analyst for the NFL Network, concurs. The prophets thus provided a firm foundation for the faith of the apostolic church and made a direct and vital contribution to the Christian faith. The prophetess Huldah was a relative and contemporary of King James Bible At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. But, said the angel, Messiah would be rejected and cut off, because of the abominations of Israel, and Jerusalem and the Temple would once more life waste (verses 26, 27). Paul emphasizes the fact that the rejection of literal Israel as Gods chosen instrument for the salvation of the world does not mean that individual Jews can no longer be saved (chapters 9:6; 11:1, 2, 11, 15), for he is a Jew himself (chapters 9:3; 10:1; 11:1, 2). It was their unwillingness to submit to the restrictions and requirements of God that prevented them, to a great extent, from reaching the high standard which He desired them to attain, and from receiving the blessings which He was ready to bestow upon them. Hosea. Jeremiah 1:7 But the LORD told me: "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' For illustrations of the reversal of threatened judgment, see Jonah 3:3-10; cf. If Jeremiah had been writing a novel, he would have been the hero of his own story. However, when we read his ), through the reigns of Jotham and Ahaz, to the end of King Hezekiah's rule in 686 (Isa. Most of them are mentioned in the Bible, in either the prophetic or the historical books. The work of no other prophet can be dated so definitely as that of Haggai. Who became king of Babylon about the same time that Jeremiah was called by God. Any idea that the return of the Jews to their ancestral home, that is, to the new state of Israel, may in any way be related to Bible prophecy is without valid scriptural foundation. Unfortunately, Nehemiahs second term as governor cannot be dated, which fact makes it also somewhat difficult to date Malachi. Upon His final departure from the sacred precincts of the Temple, Jesus said, Your house is left unto you desolate (Matthew 23:38). In an age when every wind of doctrine is blowing it is well to make certain that our understanding of Bible prophecy rests upon a positive Thus saith the Lord (see Deuteronomy 29:29; Isaiah 50:11; Jeremiah 2:13; Matthew 7:24-28; 1 Corinthians 2:4, 5, 12, 13; Eph. All this leads to the conclusion that Micah prophesied from about 740 to about 700 B.C. 1 Kings 8:41-43). Isaiah was a prophet of the southern kingdom, living in a critical period of his nation. WebIsaiah 65:12 I will destine you for the sword, and you will all kneel down to be slaughtered, because I called and you did not answer, I spoke and you did not listen; you did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight." However, all his messages were addressed to the northern nation. They interpreted prophecy in accordance with their selfish desires, because their ambitious hopes were fixed on worldly greatness. The prophets did not always clearly understand messages they themselves had borne pointing forward to the distant future, to the coming of the Messiah (1 Peter 1:10, 11). Jer 2 - 6 2, 3 God sends Jeremiah to Jerusalem to give a series of messages to the people of Judah. WebIn Isaiah, we read about God's unbroken relationship with His people both the promise and its fulfillment in an ongoing pattern that's visible throughout history. It is thought, furthermore, that his ministry fell in the years when the high priest Jehoiada acted as regent for the child king Joash (2 Kings 11:17 to 12:2), which fact would explain why the king is not mentioned anywhere in the book, while at the same time the Temple service flourished. Gedaliah is made governor over the small group of Jews that remain in Jerusalem. 4. But with regards to how Jeremiah died, the Scriptures leave no record. 9:129) This verse first WebThese chapters in Ezekiel are similar to those in Isaiah and Jeremiah where prophetic burdens are pronounced on certain foreign nations (see Isaiah 1323; Jeremiah 4651). Obadiahs prophecy, directed against Edom, presupposes that a looting of Jerusalem and a carrying away of many Jews into captivity had recently taken place. During the reign of Jehoiakim he nearly lost his life for his bold messages, and hence went into hiding (chapter 36:26). You may not distribute or commercially use the content on any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system. Send them from My presence, and let them go. Thus, for more than 1,500 years, a great experiment designed to test the relative merits of good and evil was conducted before the world. God designed that Israels experience should prove to be a warning to Judah (see Hosea 1:7; 4:15-17; 11:12; Jeremiah 3:3-12; etc.). However, he is again found playing a role on the night of Babylons fall, as interpreter of the mysterious handwriting on the wall (chapter 5). He was therefore a somewhat younger contemporary of Isaiah, to whose vocabulary and terminology his prophecies show great similarity (Micah 4:1-4; cf. WebIt is the same message as Jeremiah's. Hence, Jonah was probably the earliest of the prophets under discussion. The following simple rules are suggested as a safe approach to the study of each prophetic passage of the Old Testament: 1. Answer Isaiah's opening statement in the Book of Isaiah, that he lived during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, means that he actually lived in the eighth century BCE. Foskey, however, is far from a lock to be selected with one of the 31 first-round selections. This fact is recognized by the various New Testament writers, who quoted Isaiah more than 90 times. Promises not already fulfilled to literal Israel either would never be fulfilled at all or would be fulfilled to the Christian church as spiritual Israel. WebThis tables shows the reigns of each of the Kings of Judah and Israel, together with the dates and lengths of the reigns, and the prophets who were active at that time. Nabopolassar 626 B.C. No chronological data are given, but the prophet speaks of the fall of No (chapter 3:8) as an event of the past. The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings He went to Bethel, a sanctuary city of the northern kingdom, to deliver prophecies of warning, reproof, and doom to Israel. WebFrom the time of King Josiah, Jeremiah was the Lords prophet in Jerusalem. Any interpretation that fails to give these matters due consideration does violence to the Scriptures. Jeremiah 12:14-16). From the visible their minds were to be directed to the invisible, from the seen to the unseen, from the material to the spiritual, from the temporal to the eternal. 5. One needs to keep these in mind to better understand the heart of Isaiah's message. After the murder of Gedaliah, the new governor of Judea, the Jews of Mizpah, fearing the revenge of Nebuchadnezzar, went to Egypt and took with them Jeremiah as well as his secretary Baruch (chapter 43:6). Isaiah would not have known about the events to come without Gods help. His call came to him sometime in October/November, 520 B.C., in the same year as Haggais first appearance (chapter 1:1). At the time of the Babylonian captivity God had specifically announced that that experience was not to mark a full end of Israel as Gods people (Jeremiah 4:27; 5:18; 46:28). The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. The response of the prophets is contrasted: Jeremiah is spontaneous and candid, while Ezekiel makes no spoken reply in the call narrative (pp. Hence, 640 B.C., about midway between the two limits, marked by the destruction of Thebes and the fall of Nineveh, would seem to be a reasonable conjectural date for Nahums prophetic ministry. Henceforth, he says, there is no difference between Jew and Greek (chapter 10:12, 13). Partial compliance on their part with the will of God made possible a partial fulfillment of the covenant promises on Gods part. Matthew 19:16, 17; 22:36-40). Furthermore, the rise of the Chaldeans and their invasion of the West is predicted, but this seemed at that time completely incredible (chapter 1:5-7). All that had been promised might yet come to pass if they would only love and serve Him (Zechariah 6:15; cf. 7. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the L ORD , for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the L ORD. He belonged to a family of priests whose home town was Anathoth. For example, the judgment that came upon Sodom and Gomorrah, literal cities of the ancient past, is used by Bible writers as descriptive of the judgment God will eventually bring upon all the world. The day, before, He had called it my house (chapter 21:13), but henceforth He no longer owned it as His. Scholars differ widely in their views concerning the time of Joels ministry. The prophet was a citizen of Judah, but delivered messages to the kingdom of Israel as well. If chapter 52, a historical appendix, was written by the prophet, he must have lived until 561, when Jehoiachin was released from prison by King Evil-Merodach of Babylon (see chapter 52:31). The life of Christ is a perfect example of the character of God would have His people develop (see on Luke 2:52). In so doing we shall be secure against the fanciful explanations sometimes given certain Old Testament prophecies. 3. Deported to Babylon, they were to learn in adversity the lessons they had failed to learn during times of prosperity (Jeremiah 25:5-7; 29:18, 19; 30:11-14; 46:28; Ezekiel 20:25-38; Micah 4:10-12), and to impart to the heathen Babylonians a knowledge of the true God. It is an undeniable historical fact that, to this day, the majority of these predictions have not been fulfilled. However, that earthquake must have been very severe, for the memory of it was still fresh in the minds of people who lived 250 years later, as Zechariah 14:5 shows. Discover what application later inspired writers make of the prophecy, and on this basis determine its possible significance for Gods people in this time. Peter concurs, saying, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, for in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him (Acts 10:34, 35; cf. But he will listen also for the further import the prophets words may have for later times, particularly, our time. Even the heathen would recognize the superiority of those who served and worshiped the living God. WebWhat are the common divisions of Isaiah made by contemporary scholars? WebLast time you checked the cover of your family Bible, it probably didnt say The Bible, by God. since nearly all are named and credit given to a specific writer: the book of Isaiah to Isaiah, the books of Jeremiah and Lamentations to Jeremiah, the book of Ezekiel to Ezekiel, and so on. Technical know-how would render products made in Israel superior to all others. However, there is also no reference made to Persia, which would be expected if the book was of so late a date. Skill in agriculture and animal husbandry. Thus it was with Moses, of whom, to the very day of his death, it could be said that his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated (Deuteronomy 34:7). WebIsaiah was a prophet of the southern kingdom, living in a critical period of his nation. It is possible that Hebrews 11:37 refers to this event. Yet in mercy, God still bore with His people, and in due time Messiah came (Malachi 3:1-3). A clear understanding of these aspects of the problem is essential to the formulation of a valid procedure for interpreting the messages of the Old Testament prophets. But maybe it wasnt at that spot. Ambassadors from one foreign country after another would come to discover, if they might, the great secret of Israels success as a nation, and its leaders would have the opportunity of directing the minds of their visitors to the Source of all good things. By divine appointment the sacred writings were preserved, century after century, and Israel became their custodian (Amos 3:7; Romans 3:1, 2). Our study of messages originally proclaimed by holy men of old to the people of their day is not to become an end in itself, but a means of discovering the will of God for all who would render Him truehearted service now, at the climax of the ages. That some of the words he uses are also found in Jeremiah (Obadiah 1, 3, 4; cf. It is impossible to date the devastating plague of locusts that the prophet so vividly describes and compares with the terrors of the coming day of judgment. This prophecy must have been pronounced either before Jeroboam came to the throne (approximately 793 B.C.) They were doing no positive good; therefore they were doing incalculable harm, and their influence became a savor of death. WebA radical reinterpretation of the biblical prophets by one of America's most provocative critics reveals the eternal beauty of their language and the enduring resonance of their message. Even to the time of the fall of Jerusalem, Jeremiahs message remained the same: submit to the yoke of Babylonia. It was His purpose to set them on high above all nations of the earth (Deuteronomy 28:1), with the result that all people of the earth would recognize their superiority and call them blessed (Malachi 3:10, 12). They cherished the idea that they were favorites of Heaven, and were ungrateful for the opportunities so graciously afforded them. Having declined, thus, to surrender themselves to God as His agents for the salvation of the human race, the Jews, as a nation, became agents of Satan for the destruction of the race. All Israel consists of both Jews and Gentiles, thus all Israel shall be saved (Romans 11:25, 26). But it was not until his 3rd year in captivity, the 2nd year of Nebuchadnezzar, that young Daniel gave the first proofs of his prophetic calling (chapters 1:5, 17; 2:1, 19). Josiah was also still a young king, having reached the age of but 21 years at that time. These are followed by chapters 7, 8, 9, 10. Many messages and prophecies can be understood correctly only if seen against the background of the time in which the prophets ministered and in the light of the events that happened during their lives. He would renew His covenant with them (Jeremiah 31:10-38; Ezekiel 36:21-38; Zechariah 1:12, 17; 2:12), including its accompanying blessings (Jeremiah 33:3, 6-26; Ezekiel 36:8-15). For these reasons his ministry can be dated from about 755 (or earlier) to about 725 B.C. 1-39 40-55 56-66. Then came a pause in his activity of almost two years, at the end of which Zechariah received another divine message, on December 6, 518 (chapter 7:1), recorded in chapters 7 and 8. When Gedaliah is assassinated, the Jews flee to Egypt and force Jeremiah to go with them. Had Judah remained loyal to God its captivity would not have been necessary. If the nation had been faithful to its trust and had appreciated the high destiny reserved for it by God, the whole earth would have awaited the coming of the Messiah with eager expectancy. Discover what the message meant to the people of that time. The plan itself never changes because God never changes. The kingdom was overturned (Ezekiel 21:25-32) and the people removed from the land, which had been theirs only by virtue of the covenant relationship (Hosea 9:3, 15, Micah 2:10; cf. In Israel, there was sometimes more than one prophet, and sometimes there were many prophets. Galatians 3:27-29; see on Deuteronomy 18:15). These were remedied by the vigorous actions of the governor. Thus it was with Daniel, a bright example of what man may become, even in this life, if he will make God his strength and wisely improve the opportunities and privileges within his reach (see Daniel 1:8-20). Both of these extreme methods wrest the obvious intent of the Scriptures and render a sound understanding of the messages of the prophets for the church today unattainable. In Abraham God found a man ready to yield unqualified obedience to the divine will (Genesis 26:5; Hebrews 11:8) and to cultivate a similar spirit in his posterity (Genesis 18:19). Since only these two kings are mentioned, Amos seems to have prophesied during the time when both kings were sole rulers in their respective kingdoms. Haggais courageous ministry was responsible for the resumption of the rebuilding of the Temple in the time of Darius I, after the work had ceased for some time (Ezra 4:24; 5:1). Having begun his ministry in the time of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam II, king of Israel (chapter 1:1), Hosea continued until the time of Hezekiah, king of Judah (chapter 1:1).