Thrust Statement: Prophets were forthtellers as well as foretellers.

Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 1:19-21; 1 Peter 1:10-12

            For many Christians, the Old Testament is a book that is obsolete. The prophets are read infrequently. In fact, far too many Christians assign the Old Testament prophets to oblivion through a misunderstanding of the relevancy of the Old Testament to the life of the believer. On the other hand, there are those who constantly read the prophets of the Old Testament in order to find out what is coming down the drainpipe in the future.  It is not uncommon for believers to associate the prophets as prognosticators of future events rather than as social reformers and preachers of ethics. The prophets were concerned about God’s standard of right and wrong as well as the coming of the Messianic age. The prophets had no measure, or standard, of righteousness outside of God Himself. Isaiah expresses it this way: “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn” (Isaiah 8:20).^[1]

One objective of this introduction to the study of the prophets is to reacquaint God’s people with the great truths set forth by the prophets. It is not uncommon for Christians to cite two statements from Paul to uphold the erroneous view that God nailed the Old Testament to the cross. Yet, just a cursory glance reveals that it was not the Law that was nailed to the cross, but rather the curse of the Law. In other words, God nailed the IOU to the cross that man could not pay.  The current belief that the Old Testament is not relevant today is based upon two Scriptures from Paul. For example, the following citations are taken from the Epistle to the Ephesians and from the Epistle to the Colossians:

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility (Ephesians 2:14-16).

 

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, ¹⁴ having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Colossians 2:13-15).

One of the cardinal rules of interpretation is that the obscure Scripture should always be interpreted in the light of the clear. Whatever the interpretation is for these two citations, one cannot pit these Scriptures with other plain statements about the validity of the Law. Surface reading of Ephesians 2:13 tends to uphold the belief that God abolished the Old Testament. Then the reading of Colossians 2:12 seems to enforce the concept that God nailed the Old Testament to the cross. But is this really the case? Listen to Paul as he explains to the Romans the abiding validity of the law:

Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith.  ²⁸ For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.  ²⁹ Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, ³⁰ since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.  ³¹ Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law (Romans 3:27-31).

            In the negative statements above concerning the Law (Ephesians 2:15 and Colossians 2:14), Paul is simply calling attention to the fact that the Law is not the means of justification.  Even though Law cannot justify one in God’s sight, this, in and of itself, does not do away with the Law as the standard by which individuals judge right from wrong. Although one is justified by faith, Paul says that this does not nullify the Law (Romans 3:31). So, whatever interpretation one applies to Ephesians 2:15 and Colossians 2:14, one must not interpret these passages in such a way as to make Paul contradict his statement in Romans 3:31 and Jesus’ statement in His Sermon on the Mount:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  ¹⁸ I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.  ¹⁹ Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  ²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-20).

            Jesus states that he had not come to ‘abolish the Law or the Prophets.” Toward the end of Paul’s life, he wrote to Timothy to remind him of the importance of the Old Testament in his upbringing and its relevance to living a holy life:

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, ¹⁵ and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  ¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:14-17).

For Paul the Old Testament is “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” Does this statement sound as if the Old Testament is perceived as an ancient relic, something to be placed in a museum? No! The Old Testament Scriptures can equip one for every good work. Did Paul delight in the Law of God? One should let Paul speak for himself: “For in my inner being I delight in God’s law” (Romans 7:22). Even though Paul delighted in God’s Law, nevertheless, he made it quite clear that one is not under Law as a means of justification: “Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, ‘The righteous will live by faith’” (Galatians 3:11). Again, Paul expresses his views toward the Law: “I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law” (Romans 7:25).

Before the ascension of Jesus, Luke reports the following conversation between Jesus and His disciples:

 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.  ⁴⁶ He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things.  ⁴⁹ I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:44-49).

One cannot read this farewell statement of Jesus without reflecting upon Isaiah’s prediction of the Messianic age and the going forth of the Law:

² In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. ³ Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:2-3).

Jeremiah, too, forecast the place of the Law in the Messianic age:

“This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God,   and they will be my people. ³⁴ No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Jeremiah 31:33-34).

            Jesus statement about the Law in His Sermon on the Mount reinforces the predictions of Isaiah and Jeremiah concerning the validity of the Law. Believers in Jesus should read the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms to strengthen their faith in Jesus as God’s Anointed One for the salvation of the world. Paul’s statement to Timothy should cause one to reflect upon the relevance of the Old Testament. Thus, this particular study is a study about the prophets and their writings. Before launching into the study of the individual prophets, perhaps one more citation from Paul is in order:

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.  ²⁰ To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law [uJpoV novmon, &upo nomon] I became like one under the law [uJpoV novmon, &upo nomon] (though I myself am not under the law) [uJpoV novmon, &upo nomon], so as to win those under the law [uJpoV novmon, &upo nomon].  ²¹ To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law [e[nnomo" Cristou', ennomos cristou, “subject to law”]), so as to win those not having the law (1 Corinthians 9:19-21).

In verse 20, Paul mentions “under law” four times, but the third time he uses a negative before law—“not under law.” He clearly says that he is “not under law,” but in verse 21, the translators translated another statement of his as being “under Christ’s law.” Why would he say that he was not “under law,” then turn right around and say he was “under Christ’s law”? Is there a contradiction in this periscope (A designated portion or unit of Scripture)? No! The English translations of this periscope are not clear. Paul did not say in verse 21 that he was under Christ’s law. To be under law, any law, brings death.  What is the answer to the seemingly conflict? First of all, Paul did not use the Greek uJpoV novmon, (&upo nomon) in verse 21, but rather e[nnomo" Cristou', ennomos cristou, which means “subject to law.” This phrase “subject to law” would coincide with his statement: “I am not free from God’s law.” No Christian is under law (&upo nomon), but all Christians are still subject (ennomos) to God’s law.

STUDYING FROM THE PROPHETS

And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.  ²⁰ Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation.  ²¹ For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:19-21).

            The prophets of the Old Testament were men whom God called to speak words revealed to them by the Holy Spirit. They not only addressed social issues, but they also foretold the coming of the Messiah. They were not just political thinkers and social reformers of their own initiative, but they were men called by God to address God’s standard of good.  It was to God’s Law and to His Testimony that the prophets relied upon in their call for reform. They focused on God’s standard of justice and morality. For example, Isaiah (739 BCE) issued a call from God to Judah to change her ways:

When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; ¹⁶ wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, ¹⁷ learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow (Isaiah 1:15-17). 

God sends Isaiah to plead with His people to turn from their evil ways.  Many had no concern about the things of the Lord. Are you this way? Are you seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness? What is your life style? Is your way of living like the ones that Isaiah addresses? Listen to Isaiah as he captures the profligate life style of some:

Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine. ¹² They have harps and lyres at their banquets, tambourines and flutes and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD, no respect for the work of his hands (5:11-12).

            The Book of Isaiah is a call to correct one’s behavior. Once more, Isaiah says,

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. ²¹Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.  ²² Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, ²³ who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent (5:20-23).

Does God offer pardon? Again, listen to God as He pleads through Isaiah: 

“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. ¹⁹ If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; ²⁰ but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the LORD has spoken (1:18-20).

 

God’s prophets dealt with the past, present, and future. The prophets were individuals through whom the Holy Spirit spoke. As stated above:  “ For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).

THE PROPHETS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS

            The prophets revealed the genesis of the catastrophes that befell Israel and Judah. The prophets reveal how God is at work in the affairs of nations. God frequently brought about natural and political events to get the attention of His people. For example, Amos, in addressing Israel, calls attention to the natural calamities brought upon Israel for her disregard for God’s Law. His pleas went unnoticed; the people did not change their unethical behavior; men and women refused to listen to God’s warning. Amos writes:

⁶ “I gave you empty stomachs in every city and lack of bread in every town, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the LORD. ⁷ “I also withheld rain from you when the harvest was still three months away. I sent rain on one town, but withheld it from another. One field had rain; another had none and dried up. ⁸ People staggered from town to town for water but did not get enough to drink, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the LORD. ⁹ “Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards, I struck them with blight and mildew. Locusts devoured your fig and olive trees, yet you have not returned to me,”   declares the LORD. ¹⁰ “I sent plagues among you as I did to Egypt. I killed your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses. I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camps, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the LORD. ¹¹ “I overthrew some of you and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick snatched from the fire, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the LORD. ¹² “Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel” (Amos 5:6-12).

One cannot help but wonder if God is not at work in all the storms, earthquakes, floods, famines, and so on. One cannot state as a matter of fact that natural disasters are a direct result of God punishing an ungodly people today. Yet, the prophets were able to say with certainty concerning natural happenings since they spoke as the Holy Spirit moved them. Today one can only conjecture as to the causes concerning the so-called “acts of God,” as it is generally described. God could say to Israel: “I am like a moth to Ephraim, like rot to the people of Judah” (Isaiah 5:12). God was actively at work in bringing about punishment for the nation of Israel and Judah.

Not only were the prophets able to predict the utter destruction of the nation of Israel by the Assyrians in 721 BCE, but also they were able to predict the seventy years of captivity of Judah by the Babylonians in 587 BCE. But, in addition to these prophetic utterances, they were able to predict the coming time when God would restore things through Jesus Christ. Jeremiah, for instance, foretold the day in which God would give a new covenant:

³¹ “The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. ³² It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. ³³ “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. ³⁴ No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

            Christians cannot speak with finality when others ask, Why does God do this? Since Christians cannot function as prophets today, then they can only rely upon what God has spoken through Jesus Christ who is the incarnated Word of God. Elizabeth Achtemeier is correct when she writes: “The prophets of the Old Testament continually received new words from God, but now there is no new Word beyond that spoken in Christ Jesus.”^[2] In Jesus the kingdom of God broke into time and space; thus, eternal life is now a present reality through Jesus Christ. Christians do not received words that are at odds with God’s written revelation. God has spoken to us in His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2).

            In one sense, Christians do act as prophets—not in the sense of Old Testament prophets—in that they can engage in prophetic function of proclaiming the Word of God to a lost and dying world. When one calls attention to the Sermon on the Mount, then he/she is engaging in a prophetic function. For example, Paul defines “to prophesy” this way: “But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort” (1 Corinthians 14:3).  Both men and women are to participate in prophesying—not just men only. The prophet Joel (835 BCE) foretold events that would transpire in the “breaking in” of the kingdom of God into space and time:

I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. ²⁹ Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days (Joel 2:28-29).

Is prophesying and praying limited only to men?  According to the wording of Luke in Acts 1, both men and women prayed in the gathering:

Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.  ¹⁴ They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers (Acts 1:13-14).

Now, to return to the prophecy of Joel. It is significant that on the day of Pentecost, Peter calls attention to the role of men and women in the kingdom. Listen to Peter’s speech:  

These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!  ¹⁶ No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ¹⁷ ”‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,   your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. ¹⁸ Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy (Acts 2:15-18).

Peter says, “your sons and daughters will prophesy.” But, as asked above, what does it mean to prophesy? Listen once more to Paul as he defines this word in First Corinthians 14:

But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort (1 Corinthians 14:3).

To prophesy is to strengthen, to encourage and to comfort. This gift was given to men and women. Where were they going to prophesy? Were they going to prophesy by themselves? Listen to Paul in First Corinthians 11:

Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.  ⁴ Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head.  ⁵ And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is just as though her head were shaved.  ⁶ If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head.  ⁷ A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.  ⁸ For man did not come from woman, but woman from man;  ⁹ neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.  ¹⁰ For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head (1 Corinthians 11:3-10).

Where did they strengthen, encourage, and comfort? According to Paul, this took place—at least one place—in the assembly. Luke also gives another interesting statement about Philip’s daughters: “He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied” (Acts 21:9). One cannot help but wonder where they prophesied. 

            The prophets taught God’s Word in order to help the Israelites in their daily walk with God. For example, Isaiah (739 BCE) addresses everyday life in his message:

¹⁰ Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah! ¹¹ “The multitude of your sacrifices— what are they to me?” says the LORD. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. ¹² When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? ¹³ Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—I cannot bear your evil assemblies. ¹⁴ Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. ¹⁵ When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; ¹⁶ wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, ¹⁷ learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow (Isaiah 1:10-17).

One must never forget that the chief actor in the prophetic message is God. God is dealing with his people through His prophets in order to bring about a change of behavior.

THE GOAL OF THE PROPHETS

            The prophets frequently recall their history of God’s dealing with them. In doing this, the prophets hope to bring about a change in their social and political behavior. God wants His community to live as God’s new community in justice and righteousness. In the writings of the prophets, one discovers ethical, economic, political, and cultic instructions on how God expects His people to act. The prophets deal with the poor, law courts, business dealings, prayer, government, international treaties, family life, divorce, ritual fasting, tithing, sacrifices, and so on. God does not leave anything out. He addresses almost every conceivable area of life.

            At the very heart of God’s covenant, one discovers that the center of it all is devotion of the heart to God. It is in this regard that Jeremiah (629 BCE) calls upon God’s people to “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts, you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem” (Jeremiah 4:4). It is in this same concern that Ezekiel (593 BCE) also issues the similar pleas to the children of Judah in the Babylonian captivity: “Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 18:31). Other prophets too echo this same demand. Listen to Isaiah (739 BCE):

“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. ¹⁴ Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish” (Isaiah 29:13-14).

            God wants the Israelites to respond to His mercy with love and obedience. Yet Israel did not respond in love and obedience. Micah (735 BCE) calls attention to what it is that God really and truly wants:

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).

The Israelites did not “act justly” and they did not “love mercy.” Since Isaiah and Micah were contemporaries, they both addressed the same issues of external religion. Both were calling God’s people back to ethical behavior that pleased God. The Israelites went through their rituals, but they did not care two-cents about other people. It is in this regard that Isaiah records the outcry of the Israelites against God:

³ ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’  “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. ⁴ Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. ⁵ Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed    and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?  (Isaiah 58:3-5).

The Israelites were going through their rituals, but God still was not pleased. If one’s ethical behavior does not coincide with right conduct, the former is null and void. What is God’s response to their bewilderment? Isaiah goes right to the heart of the matter in revealing God’s concern:

⁶ “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? ⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? (58:6-7).

            This kind of behavior, exhibited on the part of the Israelites, is unbelievable, especially when one considers what God had done for them. God was appalled that His people had forgotten Him. Jeremiah reveals God’s astonishment:

“Have I been a desert to Israel or a land of great darkness? Why do my people say, ‘We are free to roam; we will come to you no more’? ³² Does a maiden forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding ornaments? Yet my people have forgotten me, days without number (Jeremiah 2:31-32).

            This rejection of God is inexplicable to the prophet Jeremiah. Knowing what God has done for her, how could Israel rebel against their Creator?  Do you also stand in awe at Israel’s rejection? Yet, on the other hand, knowing what God has done for the church, how can you forget Him? When you reflect upon the history of the church, do you not remember Calvary? Do you not remember that Jesus died for your sins? Just as the prophets recounted Israel’s past in order to reawaken her faith in the Lord, so, too, Christians today tell “the old, old story” so that faith may come by hearing (Romans 10:17).

            Sin darkens the understanding of man. There is a denial of the reality and power of sin on the part of man. Sin blinds one to wrongdoing. Sin prevents one from seeing the evil that one participates in. This was one of the complaints that God had with Israel:

I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Each pursues his own course like a horse charging into battle. ⁷ Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the LORD (Jeremiah 8:6-7).

The objectives of the prophets were to help Israel to see her sins in order for her to repent and turn and walk in the opposite direction. Sin is one slave master that one cannot escape on his/her own terms. Jeremiah describes the power of sin in concrete words: “Judah’s sin is engraved with an iron tool, inscribed with a flint point, on the tablets of their hearts” (Jeremiah 17:1). Are you conscious that God hates sin? Do you think that God can allow sin to go unpunished? Are you aware that an unrepentant person will perish? Jesus warns individuals to repent:

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.  ² Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?  ³ I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.  ⁴ Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?  ⁵ I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish” (Luke 13:1-5).

God will not put up with rebellion against His rule and rejection of His love. God says through Jeremiah:

¹⁶ “So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you.  ¹⁷ Do you not see what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?  ¹⁸ The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes of bread for the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke me to anger.  ¹⁹ But am I the one they are provoking? declares the LORD. Are they not rather harming themselves, to their own shame? ²⁰ ”‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: My anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground, and it will burn and not be quenched (Jeremiah 7:16-20).

Paul, too, says this very thing in his letter to the churches in the province of Galatia:

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.  ⁸ The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life (Galatians 6:7-8).

Have Christians made clear the message that God is not mocked and that without repentance and belief in Jesus one cannot escape the wrath of God?  The newspapers and the various TV networks constantly display a breakdown of communities, strife, warfare, hatred, destruction, and death. Is God giving up on the sins of humanity and returning the consequences upon society. Is modern society reaping what it has sown for several decades? Many do not believe in God. Many do not think the Lord will do anything about one’s unethical behavior. The same mindset existed in Zephaniah’s day (640 BCE):

At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad’ (Zephaniah 1:12).

            Christians are very much like the people in Jeremiah’s day:

But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless. ⁹ ”‘Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, ¹⁰ and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—safe to do all these detestable things?  ¹¹ Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the LORD (Jeremiah 7:8-11).

The people of Jeremiah’s day thought that they could hide their sins from God. Remember, a part of the work of the prophets was to announce God’s judgment. Today, it is also a part of God’s people to announce judgment upon those who reject Jesus as God’s atonement for sins. God wants people to repent. Does God have pleasure in the death of the wicked? Ezekiel says “no.” Listen to him as he explains God’s attitude toward the wicked: “I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!” (Ezekiel 18:32).  

FORETOLD THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH

The prophets do not stop with judgmental preaching; they also proclaim salvation through God’s Anointed One. God is not defeated by man’s sins. God provides a way of redemption out of man’s dilemma.  In the beginning of man’s history, God foretold of the coming of the Messiah (Genesis 3:15). Later God called Abraham out of Ur of Chaldea in order to create a nation of priests to reveal Himself in all His holiness. Moses gives an account of this encounter with Abraham:

The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. ² “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” ⁴ So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.  ⁵ He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. ⁶ Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.  ⁷ The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him (Genesis 12:1-7).

            Almost two thousand years later, Paul in writing to the Christians in the province of Galatia addresses this promise that God made to Abraham. In Paul’s discussion of Abraham’s encounter with God, he writes:

¹⁵ Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case.  ¹⁶ The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed (spevrmati, spermati). The Scripture does not say “and to seeds (toi'" spevrmasin, tois spermasin),” meaning many people, but “and to your seed (tw'/ spevrmati sou, tw spermati sou),” meaning one person, who is Christ.  ¹⁷ What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.  ¹⁸ For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise (Galatians 3:15-18).

            Even though the prophets wrote about the coming of salvation through the Messiah, nevertheless, they did not understand nor know when this would take place. They spoke of this grace, but they had no idea as to how God would bless all nations through the seed of Abraham. It is in this regard that Peter writes to the Christians “scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia” concerning this salvation through faith, not human merit (1 Peter 1:1).

¹⁰ Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, ¹¹ trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.  ¹² It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things (1:10-12).

Not only was this age of grace a mystery to the prophets but also to the angels. The angels had no perception of how God could be just and, at the same time, the justifier of sinful man. The enigma for prophets and angels centered around the mystery of God’s design to justify sinful man and woman apart from His holy Law.  This feat of redemption could only be accomplished through the Son. Thus, Paul, in the Roman letter, spells out God’s wisdom to bring about the supposedly impossible task. Listen to Paul as he zeros in on the infinite wisdom of God:

²¹ But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  ²² This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,  ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  ²⁴ and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  ²⁵ God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—²⁶ he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus (Romans 3:21-26).

God brought about redemption through the atonement of His Son Jesus. Why did God send Jesus to die? Paul says why: “He did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (3:26).  Paul says that both the Law and the prophets gave testimony to this great event. In the Law, as mentioned above, God preached the Gospel to Abraham over 2000 years before the event actually happened. Several thousand years before the birth of the Messiah, God foretold this great outcome to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden:

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15).

Also, in the Law, God told Abraham that through his seed all nations of the earth would be blessed. Paul speaks of this in the Galatian letter:

Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” ⁷ Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham.  ⁸ The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”  ⁹ So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith (Galatians 3:6-9).

As Moses concludes the Book of Genesis, he gives a prophecy concerning the Messiah:

¹⁰ The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his (Genesis 49:10).

Not only did the Law give testimony concerning the coming of the Messiah, but, as Paul states, the prophets too foretold the coming of the Messiah and His suffering for the sins of the world. The fifty-third chapter of Isaiah is one of the best-known messianic prophecies in the Old Testament.

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? ² He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. ³ He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  ⁴ Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. ⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,   each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  ⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. ⁸ By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. ⁹ He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.  ¹⁰ Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. ¹¹ After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. ¹² Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors (Isaiah 53).

Luke, in his early history of God’s ekklesia, reveals how the Spirit told Philip to approach the chariot of an important official of Candace, Queen of the Ethiopians, and stay near it (Acts 8: 26-29). As Philip came close to the chariot, he heard the Ethiopian eunuch reading Isaiah 53. Philip then probed him as to the meaning of the passage he was reading. Whereupon the eunuch questioned Philip as to whom the prophet had reference: The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” (Acts 8:34). How did Philip respond? Luke informs his readers: “Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus” (8:35).

As one reflects upon this prophecy of Isaiah, one cannot help but recall the words of Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). Following the resurrection of Jesus, He spoke to his disciples concerning the things written about Him in the prophets. Luke says: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). Again, Luke reveals still further insights concerning Jesus’ unlocking the meaning of the Old Testament for His followers: He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms” (24:44). In spite of the twelve’s intimate fellowship with Jesus, still they did not understand. Thus, Luke records the personal instructions that the Lord gave before His ascension:

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.  ⁴⁶ He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,  ⁴⁷ and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things.  ⁴⁹ I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (24:45-49).

During the earthly ministry of Jesus, the Jews, on more than one occasion, sought to kill Him. But Jesus calls attention to the Scriptures that they revered so highly: “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, ⁴⁰ yet you refuse to come to me to have life” (John 5:39-40). Again, Jesus says to these same unbelievers: “If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.  ⁴⁷ But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?” (5:46-47). On another occasion, Jesus stands up in the synagogue and reads from the Book of Isaiah:

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, ¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19; Isaiah 61:1-2).

Following this reading by Jesus, Luke informs his readers: “Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, ²¹ and he began by saying to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing’” (Luke 4:20-21).

From the day of Pentecost on, the followers of Jesus continuously call attention to Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy. After Pentecost, Peter addresses a group of onlookers, following his healing of a crippled beggar: “But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer” (Acts 3:18). Later, Peter delivered a message to Cornelius and his household: “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (10:43).

Following his conversion, Paul, too, speaks to a group of Jews in Pisidian Antioch concerning Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy. In the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch, Paul addresses the prophecy concerning Jesus and His crucifixion:  “When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb” (Acts 13:29). During Paul’s second missionary journey, he speaks to Jews in a Jewish Synagogue in Thessalonica. During his speech, he discusses the role of prophecy in establishing that Jesus is the One that the prophets wrote about:

When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.  ² As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,  ³ explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he said.  ⁴ Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women (17:1-4).  

When Paul writes to the Corinthians, he reminds them of the things he delivered to them concerning the prophets and Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy:

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.  ² By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. ³ For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

Paul never ceases, so it seems, to draw attention to Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy. In his letter to Rome, he writes:

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—² the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures ³ regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, ⁴ and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.  ⁵ Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.  ⁶ And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ (Romans 1:1-6). 

Peter, too, calls notice to Jesus as the fulfillment of prophesy:

⁴ As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  ⁶ For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:4-6; Isaiah 28:16).

Matthew, too, appeals to prophesy to prove that Jesus is the Christ of God:

When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.  ⁵ “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: ⁶ ”‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel’”  (Matthew 2:4-6; Micah 5:2).

PROPHECIES CONCERNING HIS BIRTH

Born of the Seed of Woman

            The following prophecies are just a sampling to illustrate the nature of prophecy recorded in the Old Testament.

PROPHECY	FULFILLMENT
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15).	But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons (Galatians 4:4-5).

 Born of a Virgin

PROPHECY

FULFILLMENT

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (Isaiah 7:15).

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18).   But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what  the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.  25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus (1:20-25).

Son of God

PROPHECY	FULFILLMENT
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father (Psalm 2:7).	And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased (Matthew 3:17).

Seed of Abraham

PROPHECY	FULFILLMENT
and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me (Genesis 22:18).	A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1).   The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ (Galatians 3:16).

Son of Isaac

PROPHECY

FULFILLMENT

But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned (Genesis 21:12).

Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli (Luke 3:23). . . . the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham (3:34).   A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:  2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers (Matthew 1:1-2).

Son of Judah

PROPHECY	FULFILLMENT
The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his (Genesis 49:10).	The son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah (Luke 3:33).

Infants Will Be Slaughtered

PROPHECY

FULFILLMENT

This is what the LORD says: A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great keeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more (Jeremiah 31:15).

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.  17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18 “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more (Matthew 2:16-18).

Will Escape into Egypt as a Child

PROPHECY	FULFILLMENT
“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son (Hosea 11:1).	So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son (Matthew 2:14-15).

He Will Be Crucified with Sinners

PROPHECY	FULFILLMENT
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12).	Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left (Matthew 27:38).

He Will Be Pierced with a Spear

PROPHECY	FULFILLMENT
And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son (Zechariah 12:10).	Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water (John 19:34).

Soldiers Will Cast Lots for His Clothing

PROPHECY	FULFILLMENT
They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing (Psalm 22:18).	And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get (Mark 15:24).

             The above prophecies are listed in order to enable an individual to see the predictive element in the Old Testament concerning the coming of the Messiah. The following chart will set forth the dates for the prophets according to their time span. If one understands that certain prophets are referred to as pre-exilic, exilic, and post-exilic prophets, this knowledge should assist one in understanding more clearly the prophetic books.

PRE-EXILIC, EXILIC, AND POST-EXILIC PROPHETS

            Pre-exilic prophets lived prior to the Babylonian captivity (605—536 BCE). The exilic prophets are those who lived during the Babylonian captivity. The post-exilic prophets are the prophets who lived following the Babylonian captivity. The following charts of the prophets and their dates are given to assist individuals in seeking to understand the time frames within which the prophets lived:

PRE-EXILIC PROPHETS	ASSYRIAN EMPIRE
Obadiah	845 BCE
Joel	835 BCE
Jonah	782 BCE
Hosea	760 BCE
Amos	760 BCE
Isaiah	739 BCE
Micah	735 BCE
Nahum	650 BCE

 

EXILIC PROPHETS	BABYLONIAN EMPIRE
Zephaniah	640 BCE
Jeremiah	627 BCE
Habakkuk	609 BCE
Daniel	605 BCE
Ezekiel	595 BCE

 

POST-EXILIC	PERSIAN EMPIRE
Haggai	520 BCE
Zechariah	520 BCE
Malachi	433 BCE

The following chart is taken from Holman Bible Handbook.^[3]

THE PROPHETS IN HISTORY (9th-5th century B.C.)
Prophet	Approx. Dates	Location/ Home	Basic Bible Passage	Central Teaching	Key Verse
Elijah	875-850	Tishbe	1 Kgs 17:1- 2 Kgs 2:18	Yahweh, not Baal, is God	1 Kgs 18:21
Micaiah	856	Samaria	1 Kgs 22; 2 Chr 18	Proof of prophesy	1 Kgs 22:28
Elisha	855-800	Abel Meholah	1 Kgs 19:15-21; 2 Kgs 2-9; 13	God’s miraculous power	2 Kgs 5:15
Jonah	775 762 (RDB)	Gath Hepher	2 Kgs 14:25; Jonah	God’s universal concern	Jonah 4:11
Amos	765 760 (RDB)	Tekoa	Amos	God’s call for justice & righteousness	Amos 5:24
Hosea	750 760 (RDB)	Israel	Hosea	God’s unquenchable love	Hos 11:8-9
Isaiah	740-698	Jerusalem	2 Kgs 19-20; Isaiah	Hope through repentance & suffering	Isa 1:18;    53:4-6
Micah	735-710	Moresheth, Gath, Jerusalem	Jer 26:18; Micah	Call for humble mercy & justice	Mic 6:8
Oded	733	Samaria	2 Chr 28:9-11	Do not go beyond God’s command	2 Chr 28:9
Zephaniah	630 640 (RDB)	?	Zephaniah	Hope for the humble righteous	Zeph 2:3
Nahum	625 650 (RDB)	Elkosh	Nahum	God’s jealousy protects His people	Nah 1:2-3
Habakkuk	625 609 (RDB)	?	Habakkuk	God’s call for faithfulness	Hab 2:4
Jeremiah	626-584 627 (RDB)	Anathoth/ Jerusalem	2 Chr 36:12; Jeremiah	Faithful prophet points to new covenant	Jer 31:33-34
Huldah (the prophetess)	621	Jerusalem	2 Kgs 22; 2 Chr 34	God’s Book is accurate	2 Kgs 22:16
Ezekiel	593-571	Babylon	Ezekiel	Future hope for new community of worship	Ezek 37:12-13
Joel	588 (?) 835 (RDB)	Jerusalem	Joel	Call to repent & experience God’s Spirit	Joel 2:28-29
Obadiah	580 (?) 845 (RDB)	Jerusalem	Obadiah	Doom on Edom to bring God’s kingdom	Obad 21
Haggai	520	Jerusalem	Ezra 5:1; 6:14; Haggai	The priority of God’s house	Hag 2:8-9
Zechariah	520-514	Jerusalem	Ezra 5:1; 6:14; Zechariah	Faithfulness leads to God’s universal rule	Zech 14:9
Malachi	433	Jerusalem	Malachi	Honor God & wait for His righteousness	Mal 4:2

ANALYSIS OF PROPHETIC TITLES

            The writers of the Old Testament employ four terms to describe those whom God called into His ministry. This study begins with an analysis of the Hebrew word prophet (ayb!n`, n`b!a); next, this study includes two additional Hebrew words translated as “seer” (ha#r) , r)a#h and  hz#j), j)z#h); and “man of God” (myh!!!l)a#h* vya!, a!c h*a#l)h!m).

The Principle Word for Prophet: ayb!n`, n`b!a

            The principle word for prophet in the Old Testament is ayb!n`, (n`b!a). This word is used over three hundred times, and it is related closely to the verb ab^n` (n*b^a), which is also used approximately three hundred times. Many suggestions have been made as to the etymology of n*b^a, which means to “bubble up.”^[4] Gesenius sees this concept in keeping with ecstatic behavior on the part of the prophets in which their emotional fervor bubbled up within them. Professor H. B. Hackett sates the matter well when he writes:

The verb ab^n` is found only in the niphal and hithpael, a peculiarity which it shares with many other words expresses of speech. . . .  Davidson (Intr. Old Test. Ii. 430) suppose n*b^a to signify the man to whom announcements are made by God, i.e. inspired. But it is more in accordance with the etymology and usage of the word to regard it as signifying (actively) one who announces or pours forth the declarations of God.^[5]

            Other scholars stress the passive voice rather than the active voice in defining the word ayb!n`, (n`b!a). For example, H. H. Rowley writes: “there are others who associate the Hebrew word with an Accadian word nabu, which means call, and think it has reference to the call, or vocation, of the prophet.^[6] William F. Albright also favors an Akkadian root but says that since nabu is commonly used in the passive voice, then this is the since that should be taken for the etymology of ayb!n`, (n`b!a).^[7] It is apparent that etymology alone is not conclusive. Milton S. Terry’s point is well taken:

Gesenius derives the word from the root ab*n`, equivalent to ub^n` to boil forth; to gush out; to flow, as a fountain. Hence the idea of one upon whom the vision—seeing ecstasy falls; or of one who is borne along and carried aloft by a supernatural inspiration (uJpoV pneuvmato" aJgivou ferovmenoi; 2 Pet. 1:21).  “Hebrew prophecy, like the Hebrew people, stands without parallel in the history of the world. Other nations have had oracles, diviners, augurs, soothsayers, necromancers. The Hebrews alone have possessed prophets and a prophetic literature. It is useless, therefore, to go to the manticism of the heathen to get light as to the nature of Hebrew prophecy. To follow the rabbis of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries is just as vain. The only reliable sources of information on the subject are the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament.”—M’Call, in Aids to Faith, p. 97. On the distinction between the prophet (ayb!n`) and the seer (ja#r)) and  hz#j)) see Smith, Prophecy a Preparation for Christ (Bampton Lectures), pp. 68-86. Boston, 1870.^[8]

            A prophet is someone who speaks on behalf of someone else. In other words, a prophet is usually a spokesman or mouthpiece. Prophesying, according to the Scriptures, is not primarily a prediction of future events, though Hebrew prophets foretell future events. Terry further says, “The Hebrew word for prophet, ayb!n`, (n`b!a) signifies one who speaks under the pressure of a divine fervor, and the prophet is especially to be regarded as one who bears a divine message, and acts as the spokesman of the Almighty.”^[9] One is not at a total loss in trying to define this word. Fortunately, the Old Testament usage does provide knowledge of the precise meaning of the term prophet. For example, God, in the appointment of Aaron to assist Moses, calls him a prophet:

But Moses said, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.” ¹⁴ Then the LORD’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you.  ¹⁵ You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do.  ¹⁶ He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. . . . Then the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet (ayb!n`).  ² You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country (Exodus 4:13-16; 7:1-2).

Just a perusal of God’s conversation with Moses reveals that a prophet is a mouthpiece or a spokesman for the one he represents. The Septuagint (LXX) understood ayb!n` to have this meaning since they translated the Hebrew word with the Greek word profhvth" (profhths). Profhvth" is a noun derived from the preposition prov (pro, “for, on behalf of”) and the verb fhmiv (fhmi, “to speak”). Thus, profhths means to speak for another.^[10]

Several other passages in the Old Testament also support this function. For instance, in the call of Jeremiah to the prophetic office, God says, “I appointed you as a prophet (ayb!n) to the nations. . . . You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you” (Jeremiah 1:5b, 7b). Again, God tells Jeremiah that if he will repent of his outburst of anger against Him, then  “you will be my spokesman” (15:19). The false prophets are described as those that “They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:16). Amos also cries out: “The Sovereign LORD has spoken—who can but prophesy?” (Amos 3:8). Zechariah, too, states that all the former prophets^[11] spoke God’s word to Israel and Judah, but to no avail: “They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the LORD Almighty was very angry” (Zechariah 7:12).

The above citations clearly indicate that the primary function of the prophet was to prophesy, that is to say, to speak the message that God had revealed unto him.  Andrew Hill and John Walton state: “The prophets are the mouthpiece of God, conveying God’s opinions, reactions, intentions, and very words. In short, God’s agenda, or program, is announced through the words of the prophets.”^[12]

Other Words to Characterize God’s Prophets:

 ha#r) and  hz#j)

            The Old Testament also employs other words to characterize those called of God. These words are ha#r) (r)a#h) and hz#j (j)z#h). These two words are translated as “seer.” It is appropriate now to make a comparison between the Hebrew word for prophet (ayb!n`) and the Hebrew words for seer (ha#r) and hz#j). Leon Wood is particularly instructive in drawing attention to the Hebrew words for seer:

In terms of basic idea, a distinction does exist. Since both words, r)a#h and j)z#h, mean “to see,” the fundamental thought signified by them concerns insight regarding God’s will. In other words, these terms refer to the revelational aspect of the prophets’ work, when they heard from God and discerned His will. On the other hand, n`b!a, as just indicated, refers to the speaking of the prophets, when they would give forth the information that God had previously given at the time of revelation. The terms r)a#h-j)z#h, then, refer to the reception of the message, and the term n`b!a to the giving forth of  the message.^[13]

            These designations simply refer to the same person from two different points of view. In other words, the prophet was called a seer, meaning “one who sees in a vision.” The two Hebrew words r)a#h and j)z#h are completely interchangeable. For example, First Samuel indicates that the term seer was earlier and came to be replaced by prophet. The author says, “Formerly in Israel, if a man went to inquire of God, he would say, “Come, let us go to the seer (ha,roh;),” because the prophet of today used to be called a seer” (1 Samuel 9:9). Hobart Freeman comments are very helpful:

The word n`b!a, prophet, stressed the objective or active work of the messenger of the Lord in speaking forth God’s word. The terms r)a#h and j)z#h, translated “seer,” on the other hand emphasized the subjective element, namely, the mode of receiving divine revelation, by “seeing.” In Isaiah 30:10 the rebellious Israelites “say to the seers, See not.” The term “prophet” emphasized the prophet’s utterances, r)a#h and j)z#h indicated his method of receiving the divine communication. The terms for “seer” speak of the receptive aspect, whereas the term for “prophet” points up the communicative function.^[14]

            A word of caution is necessary in respect to this change in terminology. The name n`b!a did not begin to be used until Samuel’s day. Samuel himself is called a n`b!a: “And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD” (1 Samuel 3:20). This term n`b!a is also employed in speaking of Saul:

After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, tambourines, flutes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying.  ⁶ The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person (10:5-6).

Moses also uses the term in reference to himself: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him” (Deuteronomy 18:15).  The though of First Samuel is that the terms—r)a#h and j)z#h —in popular usage changed to n`b!a.

            Further evidence that no discrimination need be made as to function between the r)a#h and j)z#h person and the n`b!a person is found in Isaiah:

These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the LORD’s instruction. ¹⁰ They say to the seers,  “See no more visions!” and to the prophets, “Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. ¹¹ Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!” (Isaiah 30:9-11).

The NIV translates the Hebrew word j)z#h as “prophet” and r)a#h as “seer.” Thus the translators of the NIV employs the Hebrew words interchangeably as one who spoke for God as well as one who received messages from God. In other words the “seer” (r)a#h and j)z#h) could be thought of as doing the same thing as the n`b!a. Yet, even though these three terms are ascribed to the same individual, there still appears to be a different nuance attached to their use. Geerhardus Vos calls attention to the nuances associated with the “seer” and “prophet”:

The word ‘seer’ refers to an extraordinary influence brought to bear on the seeing-faculty of the prophet,  by which he was made to see things, instead of hearing them, with the same result that through this seeing a message of divine provenience was introduced into his consciousness. The two terms differ from n`b!a in that the latter describes the active function of speaking for transmission of the message, whereas ‘seer’ describes the passive experience of being made acquainted with the message ocularly.  To this, of course, would correspond the hearing which receives the speech of God.^[15] 

            Hackett shows strikingly the use of the terms r)a#h and j)z#h in the Old Testament:

Two other Hebrew words are used to designate a prophet, ha#r) (r)a#h) and hz#j (j)z#h), both signifying one who sees. They are rendered in the A.V. by “seer”; in the LXX, usually by blevpwn (blepwn) or ojrw'n (orwn), sometimes by profhvth" (profhths) [1 Chr. Xxvi. 28; 2 Chr. Xvi. 7, 10). The three words seem to be contrasted with each other in 1 Chr xxix. 29. “The Acts of David the king, first and last, behold they are written in the book of Samuel the seer (r)a#h), and in the book of Nathan the prophet (n`b!a), and in the book of Gad the seer (j)z#h).” r)a#h is a title almost appropriated to Samuel. It is only used ten times, and in seven of these it is applied to Samuel (1 Sam. Ix. 9, 11, 18, 19; 1 Chr. Ix. 22; xxvi. 28; xxix. 29). On two other occasions it is applied to Hanani (2 Chr. xvi. 7, 10). Once it is used by Isaiah (Is. Xxx. 10) with no reference to any particular person. It was superseded in general use by the word n`b!a, which Sanuel (himself entitled n`b!a as well as r)a#h, (1 Sam. iii. 20; 2 Chr. xxxv. 18) appears to have revived after a period of desuetude (1 Sam. ix. 9), and to have applied to the prophets organized by him. The verb  ha*r` (r*a*h), from which it is derived, is the common prose word signifying “to see;”  hz*j* (j*z*h)—whence the substantive hz#j (j)z#h) is derived—is more poetical. j)z#h is rarely found except in the books of Chronicles, but  /ozj* (j)zon) is the word constantly used for the prophetical vision.^[16]

Another Word to Characterize God’s Prophets:

<yh!Oa#h* vya! (a!v h*a#Oh!m)

<yh!Oa#h* vya (“man of God”) was a title of veneration used in reference to only a few prophets who had an especially close relationship to God and exercised a particularly strong prophetic gift. Moses refers to himself as a “man of God” in pronouncing a blessing on Israel before his death (Deuteronomy 33:1). The men of Judah referred to Moses as a “man of God” (Joshua 14:6). The title is found primarily in First Samuel and Second Kings. The phrase was applied to the prophet who announced God’s message of judgment upon Eli and his sons (1 Samuel 2:27). Samuel was identified as a “seer” (9:11, 18, 19), a “prophet” (9:8-9), and a “man of God” (9:6-10) who inquired of God and predicted what would happen.

The widow whose son was restored to life called Elijah a “man of God”: “I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth” (1 Kings 17:24). Elisha was called a “man of God” about thirty-five times because of his miraculous deeds as well as his delivery of God’s message (2 Kings 4:7-27; 5:8-20; 6 :16-25; 7:17-18; 11; 23:16f). This expression was a common and general term for the prophet of Israel, which emphasized his holy calling, moral character, and his divine ministry. Moses, Samuel, Elijah, and Elisha were called “man of God.” Leon Woods states the matter well when he writes:

A third designation is simply “man of God” (!v h*a#Oh!m). It is used, for instance, of the man who came to denounce the false altar of Bethel, and was later detained by the old prophet of Bethel (I Kings 13). Its significance is merely to point the man out as one who knew God and was sent by God on a particular mission. The term is also used of prophets who are otherwise well known by name (for instance, Moses, Deut. 33:1; Samuel, I Sam. 9:6; Elisha, II Kings 4:9).^[17]

            Robert Wilson, in describing the title “man of God,” writes:

The phrase “man of God,” should probably be understood to mean “servant of God,” and there is some indication that the designation was an honorific title applied to certain members of prophetic groups. However, in the biblical traditions that have been preserved, the man of God is synonymous with the prophet (n`b!a), and in fact both titles are sometimes applied to the same individual (1 Sam 3:20; 9:6, 7, 8).^[18]

To this affirmation could be added the words of Rolf Rendtorff:

IV. Other Terms for the Prophet:1. µyhil¿aÔ–h;„ vyai . This is commonly used in contexts in which it has the same meaning as aybin:  particularly when an µyhil¿aÔ vyai  comes with a specific word from Yahweh, 1 S. 2:27 ff.; 1 K. 12:22; 13:1 ff.; 20:28, cf. ® n. 137.In the Elisha stories the terms alternate in the different strata. Here Elisha is often differentiated as µyhil¿aÔ vyai  from the circle of the µyaiybiNÒh' ynEB] , 2 K. 4:38 ff., 42 ff.; 6:1 ff. etc. The title thus seems to be regarded as a mark of special honour. Samuel and Elijah are also called this by others (1 S. 9:6–10; 1 K. 17:18, 24; 2 K. 1:9–13), but never by the narrator. A title again seems to be in view, and this explanation is supported by the use of the term for the (as yet unidentified) Ja;l]m'  in Ju. 13:6, 8 and for Moses in Dt. 33:1; Jos. 14:6; Ps. 90:1. Only in 1 K. 13 (cf. 2 K. 23:16–18) is there any discernible distinction between the two terms: the µyhil¿aÔ vyai  of Judah who utters a threat against the altar at Bethel (vv. 1ff.) is contrasted with the aybin:  of Bethel. The latter says: ò/mK; aybin: ynIa}AµG¾ . “I am also a prophet as thou art,” and thus equates the terms. One might be inclined to regard µyhil¿aÔ vyai  as the title in Judah and aybin:  as that in Northern Israel, but 1 K. 13 and 2 K. 23:16–18 are undoubtedly late and the other instances do not support this distinction. It is not clear who is the µyhil¿aÔ vyai  whose sons have a special chamber in the temple acc. to Jer. 35:4. The Chronicler not only borrows from 1 K. 12:22 (2 Ch. 11:2), but also uses the title for Moses (1 Ch. 23:14; Ezr. 3:2) and for David (2 Ch. 8:14; Neh. 12:24, 36) and introduces an anonymous µyhil¿aÔ vyai  after the manner of a aybin:  (2 Ch. 25:7, 9).^[19] 

            The above prophetic titles seem to convey different aspects concerning the role of those called by God. For example, the ayb!n`, “prophet” conveys the concept of someone who speaks on behalf of someone else. But the terms ja#r) and hz#h), “seer” carry the idea of one who sees in a vision. Then,  <yh!!Oa#h* vya!, “man of God” denotes one that is a servant of God. All of these titles are applied to one individual in his relationship to the people as one called of God.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Brenton, Lancelot. The Septuagint with Apocrypha: Greek and English. Peabody, MA:    Hendrickson, 1990.

Freeman, Hobart E. An Introduction to the Old Testament Prophets. Chicago: Moody, 1969.

Gesenius. Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1986.

Hackett, H. B. and Ezra Abott, eds. Smith’s Dictionary of the Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1971.

Hill, Andrew E. and John H. Walton. A Survey of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991.

Kittle Gerhard and Geoffrey Bromiley W., eds. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1968.

Rowley, H. H. Prophecy and Religion in Ancient China and Israel. London: Althlone Press, 1956.

Terry, Milton S. Biblical Hermeneutics: A Treatise on the Interpretation of the Old and New Testament. Grand Rapids: Academie, n.d.

Vos, Geerhardus. Biblical Theology: Old and New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975.

Wilson, Robert R. Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1984.

Wood, Leon J. The Prophets of Israel. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1986.

Young, Edward J. My Servants the Prophets. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971.