OT Survey Lectura 8a (The Latter) Prophets BtP 11.5.2024
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This ended up being harder than I anticipated.
This ended up being harder than I anticipated.
These books are as diverse as the prophets themselves
These books are as diverse as the prophets themselves
They span hundreds of years yet speak with a uniformity about how God’s people should process their own sin.
They span hundreds of years yet speak with a uniformity about how God’s people should process their own sin.
I realized there needed to be an introduction to the literature as a whole before tackling individual books.
I realized there needed to be an introduction to the literature as a whole before tackling individual books.
Prophets and Prophecy in Israel
Prophets and Prophecy in Israel
Need, Origins, & Explanations
Need, Origins, & Explanations
This has to be a little speculative. We are trying to provide an explanation for what the prophets themselves—whether the writing or non-writing prophets simply take for granted.
This has to be a little speculative. We are trying to provide an explanation for what the prophets themselves—whether the writing or non-writing prophets simply take for granted.
Historical Need
Historical Need
The centralized Cult created “gaps” in spiritual coverage.
The centralized Cult created “gaps” in spiritual coverage.
The partial and patchwork nature of the “conquest”.
The partial and patchwork nature of the “conquest”.
The constant desire to be accepted, imitate, and then conform to their neighbors led Israel into persistent Idolatry with the attendant consequences.
The constant desire to be accepted, imitate, and then conform to their neighbors led Israel into persistent Idolatry with the attendant consequences.
Origins
Origins
Analysis of our OT literature finds affinities with neighboring literature particularly other Semitic language groups.
Analysis of our OT literature finds affinities with neighboring literature particularly other Semitic language groups.
Prophetic work and literature are Circumstantial.
Prophetic work and literature are Circumstantial.
There seems to be some distinction between “functional” and “official” prophets.
There seems to be some distinction between “functional” and “official” prophets.
Priests were born to the task Prophets were called.
Priests were born to the task Prophets were called.
The offices of Priest and Prophet were not mutually exclusive.
The offices of Priest and Prophet were not mutually exclusive.
Social, Political, Economic Justice
Social, Political, Economic Justice
Historic precedent-Elijah and Naboth’s vineyard.
Historic precedent-Elijah and Naboth’s vineyard.
Many of the prophets focus on the poor, the powerless and the oppressive behavior of the “elites.”
Many of the prophets focus on the poor, the powerless and the oppressive behavior of the “elites.”
Prophecy, Wisdom, and Apocalyptic
Prophecy, Wisdom, and Apocalyptic
Ultimately this resonates for us because:
Ultimately this resonates for us because:
Jesus was known as a wiseman
Jesus was known as a wiseman
54 and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?
Jesus was know as a prophet
Jesus was know as a prophet
5 And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet.
Jesus uses Apocalyptic
Jesus uses Apocalyptic
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Jesus Taught the Church hermeneutical principles for understanding the OT
Jesus Taught the Church hermeneutical principles for understanding the OT
16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
17 “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;
18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20 the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
Affinities with Wisdom
Affinities with Wisdom
Universalizing tendency
Universalizing tendency
Aphoristic, comparative, and “practical”
Aphoristic, comparative, and “practical”
Sometimes cryptic
Sometimes cryptic
Cult neutral—even hostile
Cult neutral—even hostile
Ethical or moral rather than performative
Ethical or moral rather than performative
Cradle of Apocalyptic
Cradle of Apocalyptic
Apocalyptic is an emerging form in the OT.
Apocalyptic is an emerging form in the OT.
The form is found in several OT books (Daniel, Isaiah, Zechariah), flourished between the testaments, was used by NT authors and is found as fully developed genre in the book of Revelation and imitators.
The form is found in several OT books (Daniel, Isaiah, Zechariah), flourished between the testaments, was used by NT authors and is found as fully developed genre in the book of Revelation and imitators.
Apocalyptic is visionary.
Apocalyptic is visionary.
Apocalyptic is asynchronous. (Even perhaps atemporal)
Apocalyptic is asynchronous. (Even perhaps atemporal)
Apocalyptic is non-literal using “tensive” (flexible) symbols which are hidden to “outsiders” easily identifiable to “insiders”. (Acts 2.16-21, “This is what Joel was talking about.)
Apocalyptic is non-literal using “tensive” (flexible) symbols which are hidden to “outsiders” easily identifiable to “insiders”. (Acts 2.16-21, “This is what Joel was talking about.)
Apocalyptic is universal(izing).
Apocalyptic is universal(izing).
Apocalyptic is designed to give hope in desperate times.
Apocalyptic is designed to give hope in desperate times.
God is responsible for setting things right in the fallen world.
God is responsible for setting things right in the fallen world.
Apocalyptic is messianic.
Apocalyptic is messianic.
Three faith responses
Three faith responses
Wisdom=do good.
Wisdom=do good.
Prophecy=repent
Prophecy=repent
Apocalyptic=God’s rule will redeem our faith and good behavior.
Apocalyptic=God’s rule will redeem our faith and good behavior.
Distinctive Ideas of OT Prophecy
Distinctive Ideas of OT Prophecy
Forth-tellers and foretellers. (Primarily preaching, secondarily prediction.)
Forth-tellers and foretellers. (Primarily preaching, secondarily prediction.)
Relation before communication.
Relation before communication.
Focus on the Call of the Prophet.
Focus on the Call of the Prophet.
Focus on role as “messenger”
Focus on role as “messenger”
Focus on repentance.
Focus on repentance.
Focus on social, economic, political, “cultural” justice. (Issues of class inequalities)
Titles
Titles
Seer
Seer
Man of GodProphet
Man of GodProphet
“Visionary”
“Visionary”
Parameters of Prophetic candidates
Parameters of Prophetic candidates
1 “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder,
2 and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’
3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
4 You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.
5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
Tests of OT Prophecy
Tests of OT Prophecy
Doctrinally aligned with previously revealed Word of God.
Doctrinally aligned with previously revealed Word of God.
Moral alignment of the prophet and moral vision of the message he proclaimed.
Moral alignment of the prophet and moral vision of the message he proclaimed.
Practical application.
Practical application.
Quick Overview of (Latter) Prophets
Quick Overview of (Latter) Prophets
The Prophets are a hermeneutically challenging group of writings because of the diverse literary forms and genre’s they contain.
The Prophets are a hermeneutically challenging group of writings because of the diverse literary forms and genre’s they contain.
The age of prophecy ends with Malachi, but it begins before our earliest “writing” prophet.
The age of prophecy ends with Malachi, but it begins before our earliest “writing” prophet.
Some of the books require broader understanding of OT history and Chronology (Isaiah and Jeremiah), other books are so self-contained that they communicate most of the needed context.
Some of the books require broader understanding of OT history and Chronology (Isaiah and Jeremiah), other books are so self-contained that they communicate most of the needed context.
