Consulting Professor:Dr. Richard PrattProfessor of New Testament,Reformed Theological Seminary
E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.thirdmill.org
WHAT WAS AN OLD TESTAMENT PROPHET?
God, after He spoke long agoto the fathers in the prophetsin many portions and in manyways, in these last days hasspoken to us in His Son...(Hebrews 1:1-2a).
The Function of the Old Testament Prophet
• They functioned as Preachers
• They functioned as Predictors
Distinctive Roles of Prophet Versus Priest
Priest Prophet
Represented the peopleto God.
Represented God tothe people.
Ministered theceremonies of worship
Ministered theproclamation of the
Word.
WHAT DID THE PROPHETS DO?
• Covenant Dynamics in Ancient Near East and Covenant Diplomats
• Covenant Dynamics in Israel and the Prophets
Covenant Dynamics in Israel and the Prophets
• Received messages from God
• Called by God
• Wrote Scriptures
• Passed Biblical Tests
Pre-Monarchial Patriarchal Prophets
• The Patriarchs
• Prophets of the Exodus and Conquest
• Prophet/Judges
Early Prophets of the Divided Kingdom
• Ahijah
• Shemaiah
• Shemaiah, Gad and Iddo
• Jehu
• Elijah and Elisha
Judah & Israel
J udah Category Israel
Jerusalem Capital Samaria
1 Dynasty Dynasties 5 Dynasties
Judah &Benjamin
Tribes 10 Tribes
By Babylon in586 B.C.
Conquered By Assyrian in721 B.C.
Returned to theLand
Afterward No Return
Literary Prophets of the Divided Kingdom
• Obadiah: Prophesied of Edom
• Joel: Date uncertain
• Jonah: God’s attitude to Gentiles
• Hosea: Israel’s Unfaithfulness
• Amos: Social Injustice
• Isaiah: To Judah
• Micah: To Judah and Israel
Pre-Exilic Prophets of Judah
• Nahum: Judgment against Nineveh
• Zephaniah: Day of the Lord against Judah
• Habakkuk: Prayer
Prophets of the Exile
• Jeremiah: “The Weeping Prophet”
• Daniel: Historical Narrative and Prophetic Visions
• Ezekiel: Common Captivity
RETURN FIRST SECOND THIRD
Reference Ezra 1-6 Ezra 7-10 Nehemiah 1-13
Date 538 B.C. 458 B.C. 444 B.C.
Leaders SheshbazzarZerubbabel
Ezra Nehemiah
PersianKing
Cyrus Artaxerxes Longimanus
ElementsOf theDecree
As many aswished could
return &rebuild
Temple.
As many as wishedcould return &
complete the Temple.Allowed to have own
civil magistrates.
Allowed torebuild the
walls aroundthe city.
RelatedEvents
Work begunbut then
halted until516 B.C.
Problems with inter-marriage
Wall rebuilt in52 days.
Prophets ZechariahHaggai
Joel? Malachi
Post-Exilic Prophets
• Joel? - The Day of the Lord and Ultimate Restoration
• Haggai: Encouragement to rebuild the Temple
• Zechariah: Visions of God’s Working in History
• Malachi: A call to faithfulness
So they tore down the altar, 46 andstored the stones in a convenientplace on the temple hill until a prophetshould come to tell what to do withthem (1 Maccabees 4:45-46).
The Jews and their priests haveresolved that Simon should be theirleader and high priest forever, until atrustworthy prophet should arise (1Maccabees 14:41).
WHAT ARE THE CONTOURS OF PROPHETIC PREDICTIONS?
• Blessings and Cursings
• Greater and Lesser
• High and Low Determination
Deuteronomy 28
If You Obey If You do Not Obey
The LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you will obey the LORD your God.
All these curses shall come upon you and overtake you
Blessed shall you be in the city
Blessed shall you be in the country.
Blessed shall be the offspring of your body...
Cursed shall you be in the city
Cursed shall you be in the country.
Cursed shall be the offspring of your body...
Greater and LesserLeviticus 26
Verses 14-33Promises of Curses
Verses 1-13Promises of Blessing
• Rain for crops• Security in land• Victory over enemies• God with His people
• Disease• Invasion• Defeat• “Seven times more”• Removed from Land
The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD saying, 2 "Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I shall announce My words to you." 3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. 4 But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.
Jeremiah 18:1-4
Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, 6 "Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.
Jeremiah 18:5-6
Jeremiah 18:7-10
At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; 8 if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it.
Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; 10 if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it.
Flow of Thought
Prediction Historical
Contingency Fulfillment
If I speak concerning a nation to destroy it
If they turn from their evil…
I will relent of the calamity
If I speak concerning a nation to plant it
If they do evil and do not obey…
I will think better of the good
High & Low Determination
• Conditional Predictions: “If… then” clauses
• Unqualified Predictions
• Confirmed Predictions
• Sworn Predictions