Here Paul affirms that the rejection of the Jews did not mean that the promises of God had taken none effect (Romans 9:6), and explains immediately that they are to become effective through spiritual Israel. Strangely, no evidence suggests that any of these knew in person any of the others. 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). It ran from the last year Judah's King Uzziah ruled (740 B.C. Gedaliah is made governor over the small group of Jews that remain in Jerusalem. 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). But the Scriptures record the fact that they disobeyed God and proved disloyal to Him instead. ), those pointing forward to the eternal rest in Canaan (Isaiah 11:6-9; 35; 65:17-25; 66:20-23; Jeremiah 17:25; Ezekiel 37; 40-48; Zechariah 2:6-12; 14:4-11), and those promising deliverance from her enemies (Isaiah 2:10-21; 24-26; Ezekiel 38; 39; Joel 3; Zephaniah 1; 2; Zechariah 9:9-17; 10-14; etc. Jeremiah 32:17 highlights this point by stating, "O Sovereign Lord! At the time of Isaiahs ministry, Judah was a sinful and unjust nation. 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. The modernist school of interpretation denies the predictive element in prophecy altogether, arguing either that the predictions were written down after the events thus foretold took place or that such predictions reflected nothing more than the prophets hopes for the future, or those of his people. 2. In spite of the bold and zealous efforts of such prophets as Elijah, Elisha, Amos, and Hosea, the northern kingdom rapidly deteriorated and was eventually carried into Assyrian captivity. All that had been promised might yet come to pass if they would only love and serve Him (Zechariah 6:15; cf. Practice all cards Practice all cards Practice all cards done loading. The importance of their books cannot be overestimated, as many of these prophecies are yet to be fulfilled. 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). Unfortunately, Nehemiahs second term as governor cannot be dated, which fact makes it also somewhat difficult to date Malachi. Now it is spiritual Israel, in the past not a people but now the people of God, that are to shew forth the praises of the One who has called them out of darkness into his marvellous light (1 Peter 2:9, 10). The modernist school of interpretation bases its position on the a priori assumption that any knowledge of the future is impossible, and ignores all evidence to the contrary. The formal rejection of Jesus by the Jews, as a nation, marked the close of their last opportunity as the special agents of God for the salvation of the world. Gods call to the nations would have been, Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth (Isaiah 45:22). The following simple rules are suggested as a safe approach to the study of each prophetic passage of the Old Testament: 1. Without this, the people of Israel would not qualify to receive the material blessings God designed to bestow upon them. Malachi 3:12), and their God the only true God (Isaiah 45:14). Remember that the record of Gods dealings with His people in ages past has been recorded for the benefit of all later generations to the end of time. Another reason to trust God is there is nothing too complicated for Him. They were doing no positive good; therefore they were doing incalculable harm, and their influence became a savor of death. He probably died in the Nile country. In that year, in the fifth month, there was public conflict between Jeremiah and the prophet Hananiah (Jeremiah 28). Thus it was also with Samuel, Elijah, John the Baptist (see on Matthew 3:4), John the Beloved (see on Mark 3:17), and many others. 2. He played an important role during two momentous periods: (1) under Ahaz, during the war between Syria and Israel (chapters 7-11), and (2) under Hezekiah, during a siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib chapters 36; 37). Jeremiah's Seventy Years This situation fits best the time prior to the rise of the Chaldean Empire under Nabopolassar, who began to reign in 626/25 B.C., and who, with the Medes, was responsible for the destruction of Assyria. 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. answer. Micah was a prophet from Moresheth-gath (chapter 1:1, 14), probably Tell ejJudeideh in southwestern Judah. No chronological data are given, but the prophet speaks of the fall of No (chapter 3:8) as an event of the past. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Lips (no Timeline of the Hebrew prophets He belonged to a family of priests whose home town was Anathoth. He dies while in Egypt. In the 5th year of Jehoiachins captivity, 593/92, Ezekiel had his first vision by the river Chebar, a canal near the famous city of Nippur in lower Babylonia (chapter 1:1-3). 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. 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). During the reign of Zedekiah, Judahs last king, Jeremiah was thrown into prison, being considered a traitor to his country (chapter 37:11-16) because he advised his people to surrender to the Babylonians. According to His beneficent purpose, the covenant promises were to have met fulfillment in large measure during the centuries following the return of the Israelites from the lands of their captivity. did The gates of Jerusalem would be open continually to receive the wealth contributed to Israel for the conversion of still other nations and peoples (Isaiah 60:1-11, RSV; Psalms 72:10; Isaiah 45:14; Haggai 2:7, RSV). The day, before, He had called it my house (chapter 21:13), but henceforth He no longer owned it as His. The accompanying chart enables the reader to study these prophets in their historical setting. During the reign of Jehoiakim he nearly lost his life for his bold messages, and hence went into hiding (chapter 36:26). They voluntarily accepted God as their sovereign, and this constituted the nation a theocracy. Although no chronological data are found in the book, certain statements permit a comparatively exact dating of Habakkuks prophecies. But with regards to how Jeremiah died, the Scriptures leave no record. It was last of all that God sent unto them his son, according to Christs own words (Matthew 21:37), but they caught him and slew him (verse 39). 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. It ignores the plain statements of the Old Testament that Gods promises to Israel were all conditional. Old Testament Study. 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. When the Jews rejected Christ as the Messiah, God in turn rejected them and commissioned the Christian church as His chosen instrument for the salvation of the world (Matthew 28:19, 20; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; 1 Peter 2:9, 10; etc.). But it is only against the background of the original historical context of the message that its meaning and value for us can be established with certainty. WebJer 31:34. 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). 22 quart mirro pressure canner There is no god but He. Higher than the highest human thought can reach is Gods ideal for His children. or during the early years of his reign. Solomon made his great mistake when he failed to realize the secret of Israels prosperity, and with a few noteworthy exceptions, leaders and people sank lower and lower from generation to generation until apostasy was complete (Isaiah 3:12; 9:16; Jeremiah 5:1-5; 8:10; Ezekiel 22:23-31; Micah 3). According to Jewish tradition Isaiah was sawn asunder. 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. Psalms 68:31. They brought forth wild grapes rather than the mature fruit of a Godlike character (Isaiah 5:1-7; cf. By Which king? Isaiah was a prophet of the southern kingdom, living in a critical period of his nation. They looked for Messiah to reign as a temporal prince (cf. It is an undeniable historical fact that, to this day, the majority of these predictions have not been fulfilled. According to tradition, how was Isaiah killed? By divine appointment the sacred writings were preserved, century after century, and Israel became their custodian (Amos 3:7; Romans 3:1, 2). Continuing faithfully under the following three kings, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (chapter 1:1), he seems to have been fiercely hated by Manasseh, Hezekiahs wicked son. Since Jothams sole reign began after the death of his father Uzziah in 740/39, the initial date for Micahs prophetic ministry should probably be placed after that date. The life of Christ is a perfect example of the character of God would have His people develop (see on Luke 2:52). [1] The prophet received his call while still a young man, during the thirteenth year of King Josiahs reign, about 627 or 626 B.C. God placed His people in Palestine, the crossroads of the ancient world, and provided them with every facility for becoming the greatest nation on the face of the earth. Thus it had been with Enoch (Genesis 5:24), Abraham (chapter 26:5), and Joseph (chapter 39:2-6). They interpreted prophecy in accordance with their selfish desires, because their ambitious hopes were fixed on worldly greatness. Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel (This rule does not apply to those portions of the book of Daniel that the prophet was bidden to shut up and seal, or to other passages whose application Inspiration may have limited exclusively to our own time.). Also, Jeremiah (chapter 26:18), quoting Micah (chapter 3:12), testifies that Micah ministered during Hezekiahs time. Then, two months later, the latter died, doubtless unexpectedly; it was the same month when there would have been a septennial reading of the law of Deuteronomy.11 Yet not Several of his messages were against various foreign nations. Spiritual Israel includes both Jews and Gentiles (verse 24). It is true, he says, that national Israel stumbled at the stumblingstone, Jesus Christ (Romans 9:32, 33; 11:11; cf. When the siege of Jerusalem was temporarily lifted at the approach of an Egyptian force, Jeremiah started to leave Jerusalem to go to the land of the tribe of Benjamin. In one way or another each of these attempts at interpreting the messages of the Old Testament prophets neglects significant teachings of Scripture, evades fundamental principles of exegesis, and provides a distorted picture of the predictive sections of prophecy. Accordingly, Abraham became in a special sense the Friend of God (James 2:23) and the father of all them that believe (Romans 4:11). In the lives of Gods people the truths of His word are to reveal their glory and excellence. Since the hostile acts of the heathen peoples committed against Judah (chapter 3:4 ff.) 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. Hosea. Four eminent Hebrew prophets addressed themselves to the people of Israel and Judah in the latter half of the 8th pre-Christian century: Amos, Hosea, Micah, and Isaiah. WebWhat are the common divisions of Isaiah made by contemporary scholars? The kingdom was divided following Solomons death (see 1 Kings 11:33-38). The ministry of Amos may therefore have fallen in the years 767-753 B.C. Its messages show that it was written after the time of the kingdom of Judah, when a governor ruled over the country (chapter 1:8), a fact that points to the Persian period. Timeline: Prophets in the Reigns of Kings of Judah and Israel Far from becoming the light of the world, the Jews shut themselves away from the world as a safeguard against being seduced into idolatry (see Deuteronomy 11:26, 27; cf. 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). There, he spent an unknown number of years before his return to Judea and his discovery of the abuses described in chapter 13. Desiring the same blessings for themselves, they would make inquiry as to how they too might acquire these obvious material advantages. Discover what application later inspired writers make of the prophecy, and on this basis determine its possible significance for Gods people in this time. Paul makes it clear beyond argument that when he speaks of Israel as the chosen people of God he means it in this sense. As individuals and as a nation God proposed to furnish the people of Israel with every facility for becoming the greatest nation on the earth (see Deuteronomy 4:6-8; 7:6, 14; 28:1; Jeremiah 33:9; Malachi 3:12). However, there is also no reference made to Persia, which would be expected if the book was of so late a date. Nations that had known nothing of the true God would run to Jerusalem because of the manifest evidence of divine blessing that attended Israel (chapter 55:5). He purposed to make them an honor to His name and a blessing to the nations about them. WebIt is the same message as Jeremiah's. 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). 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. 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. Israels unwillingness to submit to the restrictions and requirements of God, prevented them, to a great extent, from reaching the high standard He desired them to attain, and from receiving the blessings He was ready to bestow upon them. 7. olt final 4:3 with Amos 8:8; Hosea 4:15 with Amos 5:5; and Hosea 8:14 with Amos 2:5). ), through the reigns of Jotham and Ahaz, to the end of King Hezekiah's rule in 686 (Isa. A Nebuchadnezzar 59 Q In that day every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts (Zechariah 14:16; cf. Through His people Christ is to manifest His character and the principles of His kingdom. Accordingly, the covenant promises and privileges were all permanently transferred from literal to spiritual Israel (Romans 9:4; cf. 1 Kings 22:28). JEREMIAH did Isaiah primarily live? His work is characterized by skill in the use of language, a well-balanced syntax, and a lively and impressive poetry. Holiness of character (Levites 19:2; see on Matthew 5:48). Obadiahs prophecy, directed against Edom, presupposes that a looting of Jerusalem and a carrying away of many Jews into captivity had recently taken place. WebAnd Isaiah did so, walking around naked and barefoot. Aha was used as an expression of malicious joy. He was therefore a somewhat younger contemporary of Isaiah, to whose vocabulary and terminology his prophecies show great similarity (Micah 4:1-4; cf. Seventh-day Adventists believe that, generally speaking, the promises and predictions given through the Old Testament prophets originally applied to literal Israel and were to have been fulfilled to them on the condition that they obey God and remain loyal to Him. Isaiah 6566). Isaiah was the great forerunner of the writers. Gods promises are made conditional upon mans cooperation and obedience. Eventually Gods purposes will prevail and the plan of salvation will succeed, irrespective of the failure of any person or group. WebJeremiah 15:1 Then the LORD said to me: "Even if Moses and Samuel should stand before Me, My heart would not go out to this people. They forfeited Gods blessing because of failure to fulfill His purpose in making them His chosen people, and thus brought ruin upon themselves. 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. Isaiah was a prophet for the kingdom of Judah, ca. A Anathoth 51 Q Who became king of Babylon about the same time as Jeremiah was called by God? WebFrom the time of King Josiah, Jeremiah was the Lords prophet in Jerusalem. The Christian church is a spiritual nation scattered all over the world, and such details obviously could not apply to it in a literal sense. The prophet was a citizen of Judah, but delivered messages to the kingdom of Israel as well. 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. In contrast to Isaiah and others, Jeremiah provided more detail about himself in his book than any of the other prophets. Unparalleled prosperity, both temporal and spiritual, was promised them as the reward for putting into practice the righteous and wise principles of heaven (Deuteronomy 4:6-9; 7:12-15; 28:1-14). Answer Jeremiah was one of the major prophets of ancient Israel and a key figure in the Old Testament. But when the Jews rejected Christ there was no such assurance of reinstatement. One royal visitor to Jerusalem exclaimed, The half was not told me! (1 Kings 10:1-9). God did not forsake His people, even during the Captivity. 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). Jeremiahs prayer occurs in a context and we would be remiss to consider the prayer apart from that context, which is, Jeremiahs obedience to some very difficult commands from God. This prophecy must have been pronounced either before Jeroboam came to the throne (approximately 793 B.C.) In his early prophecies, he spoke of an unidentified peril which was to come upon Jerusalem and 1-39 40-55 56-66. 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. COMPARISON BETWEEN THE PROPHETS ISAIAH, DANIEL, AND ZECHARIAH Formal worship took the place of sincere religion (cf. Nevertheless, Isaiah believed that Judah was Gods chosen nation and they would be vindicated by God. At times they had an import, not only for the age in which the prophet lived, but also for a day far future; in other words, they had a dual application. The state was still to be administered in the name, and by the authority, of God. Rabbinic tradition has it that Isaiah's father, Amoz (not the same as Amos the prophet), was a brother of King Amaziah. The fundamental principle by which we can tell unerringly when any particular promise or prediction of the Old Testament made originally to literal Israel is to meet its fulfillment with respect to spiritual Israel iswhen a later inspired writer makes such an application of it. In Him I have placed my trust, and He is the Lord of the Great Throne. (Q. For these reasons the 7th-century date for Joel has been adopted in this commentary, although there is no conclusive proof that this choice is correct. (chapter 5:14), after which he was recalled to Persia. The late date is taken here, without prejudice toward an early one. Not only is Malachi last in the sequential order of the prophets; it is also the last prophetic book produced in pre-Christian times. They are called minor prophets because their books are less in size (these books are all very small and contain few 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. What archaeological evidence implies Isaiah was a unified book? Had Ezekiel Known Jeremiah Personally Nahum is called the Elkoshite (chapter 1:1), but Elkosh is unknown as a place name, although commentators have tried to identify it with Elkesi in northern Galilee, Alkush near Mosul, and a town near Eleutheropolis in Judah. Living in a crisis period of his nation, Jeremiah was called to proclaim many messages of reproof and solemn predictions of doom over his people for their disobedience. Isaiah and Jeremiah During the siege, reprobate Israelites would be slain by their foes (Zechariah 13:8; 14:2). This article surveys the fundamental problem of the interpretation of the prophetic portions of the Old Testament in terms of their message to Israel of old and to the church today. 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). Who became king of Babylon about the same time that Jeremiah was called by God. It would become an object lesson of the results of acting in harmony with moral, as with natural, law. However, 2 Kings 14:25 states that Jonah also pronounced a prophecy concerning the expansion of Israel that was fulfilled by Jeroboam II. 3. Isaiah The establishment of the Hebrew monarchy did not affect the basic principles of the theocracy (Deuteronomy 17:14-20; 1 Samuel 8:7). 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). The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings WebIsaiah, the first of the prophets considered "major," had an active ministry that centered in Jerusalem. They were to be far in advance of other nations in wisdom and understanding. Scholars differ widely in their views concerning the time of Joels ministry. A comparison between some of his prophecies and those of Amos indicates that Hosea was a younger contemporary of Amos (cf. 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. In the prophetic picture God is represented as gathering the nations to Jerusalem (Joel 3:1, 2; Zephaniah 3:6-8; cf. 740-680 BC (8th Century) question. The blessings of health. Hosea 2:6-13). Quiz #6 Flashcards These observations seem to place Zephaniah in the early years of Josiahs reign, perhaps about 630 B.C., as a contemporary of Habakkuk. Unparalleled prosperity. 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. Pride obscured their vision [see Luke 19:42]. 2. Matthew 19:16, 17; 22:36-40). Zechariah probably belonged to a priestly family (chapter 1:1; cf. Long before Norman Podhoretz became one of the intellectual leaders of American neoconservatism, he was a student of Hebrew literature and a passionate reader of the