Acts 13:22). Hosea was from the Northern Kingdom, Micah and Jeremiah were from the Southern kingdom. WebISAIAH, DANIEL, AND ZECHARIAH We need to make a comparison between the three prophets, Isaiah, Daniel, and Zechariah, in two matters: in Gods economy toward His chosen people and in Christ for the people of His concern. from the ends of the earth (Jeremiah 16:19), to the light of truth shining forth from the mountain of the Lord (Isaiah 2:3; 60:3; 56:7; cf. 5. Whatever the Jews, as a nation, may do, now or in time to come, is in no way related to the former promises made to them. 6. One needs to keep these in mind to better understand the heart of Isaiah's message. The blessings of health. It is important to note that all the Old Testament promises looking forward to a time of restoration for the Jews were given in anticipation of their return from captivity (see Isaiah 10:24-34; 14:1-7; 27:12, 13; 40:2; 61:4-10; Jeremiah 16:14-16; 23:3-8; 25:11; 29:10-13; 30:3-12; 32:7-27, 37-44; Ezekiel 34:11-15; 37; Amos 9:10-15; Micah 2:12, 13; etc.). answer. It was Gods design that the whole earth be prepared for the first advent of Christ, even as to-day the way is preparing for His second coming. King James Bible At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. Not only is Malachi last in the sequential order of the prophets; it is also the last prophetic book produced in pre-Christian times. However, he is again found playing a role on the night of Babylons fall, as interpreter of the mysterious handwriting on the wall (chapter 5). See Deuteronomy 7:13; 28:2-8; Malachi 3:8-11. Since only these two kings are mentioned, Amos seems to have prophesied during the time when both kings were sole rulers in their respective kingdoms. Four eminent Hebrew prophets addressed themselves to the people of Israel and Judah in the latter half of the 8th pre-Christian century: Amos, Hosea, Micah, and Isaiah. When they brought forth wild grapes instead of the mature fruit of character, He inquired, What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? (Isaiah 5:1-7). They are called minor prophets because their books are less in size (these books are all very small and contain few 1. However, these messages pertaining to the then-distant future were intended, not only to inspire patience, comfort, and hope in the day they were first given, but also to provide men of Christs day with confirming evidence of His Messiahship. the ideal selection is option C. Learn more about the Book of Micah here: What archaeological evidence implies Isaiah was a unified book? Godlinessgodlikenessis the goal to be reached. Between the first invasion of Nebuchadnezzar in 605 B.C. (chapter 5:14), after which he was recalled to Persia. It is true, he says, that national Israel stumbled at the stumblingstone, Jesus Christ (Romans 9:32, 33; 11:11; cf. For these reasons his ministry can be dated from about 755 (or earlier) to about 725 B.C. A less-well-defined school of interpretation bases its approach to the prophetic portions of the Old Testament on the theory that the prophet, while bearing messages to the people of his day, also took occasional excursions into the distant future, with the result that many of his forecasts did not apply to literal Israel at all, but were intended exclusively for Israel after the spirit, that is, for the church today. It is thought, furthermore, that his ministry fell in the years when the high priest Jehoiada acted as regent for the child king Joash (2 Kings 11:17 to 12:2), which fact would explain why the king is not mentioned anywhere in the book, while at the same time the Temple service flourished. He probably died in the Nile country. At the time of the Babylonian captivity God had specifically announced that that experience was not to mark a full end of Israel as Gods people (Jeremiah 4:27; 5:18; 46:28). What Is the Significance of the Interjection Aha? The completeness and finality of this rejection is evident from chapter 8:19, 20: As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God. The rejection of Jesus by the leaders of Israel (cf. Hosea 2:6-13). Prophecies that fall into the latter classification are to be fulfilled in principle but not necessarily in every detail, owing to the fact that many details of prophecy were concerned with Israel as a literal nation situated in the land of Palestine. The fourth school of interpretation may, at times, arrive at a valid application of the predictive portions of Old Testament prophecy to the church today and to its future experience, but neglects the primary application of these messages to their historical setting, and proceeds, quite arbitrarily, to determine that certain selected passages were written more or less exclusively for the church today. If chapter 52, a historical appendix, was written by the prophet, he must have lived until 561, when Jehoiachin was released from prison by King Evil-Merodach of Babylon (see chapter 52:31). In the endeavor to account for this seeming enigma, Bible expositors have set forth various explanations: 1. Jeremiah 32:17 highlights this point by stating, "O Sovereign Lord! Several of the prophets messages are dated exactly, and the last of these dated prophetic messages was received in the 27th year of Ezekiels captivity (chapter 29:17), 571/70. He saw the destruction of Jerusalem and of the Beth Hamikdosh, after his warnings and prophecies fell on deaf ears. They cherished the idea that they were favorites of Heaven, and were ungrateful for the opportunities so graciously afforded them. Foskey, however, is far from a lock to be selected with one of the 31 first-round selections. Far from becoming the light of the world, the Jews shut themselves away from the world as a safeguard against being seduced into idolatry (see Deuteronomy 11:26, 27; cf. The close of his ministry is tentatively set by some scholars at 510. The Assyrian capital city of Nineveh was captured and destroyed by the combined forces of Media and Babylonia in 612 B.C., which is, accordingly, the latest possible date for Nahum. Even the heathen would recognize the superiority of those who served and worshiped the living God. He played an important role during two momentous periods: (1) under Ahaz, during the war between Syria and Israel (chapters 7-11), and (2) under Hezekiah, during a siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib chapters 36; 37). Isaiah is reminded who the real king is. In Him I have placed my trust, and He is the Lord of the Great Throne. (Q. It was ordained of God to meet the needs of His people at the time it was given and to remind them of the glorious destiny that awaited them as a nation, of the coming of the Messiah, and of the establishment of His eternal kingdom. It was therefore not alone unto themselves and to their contemporaries that the prophets ministered, but also to all sincere men and women of later generations (1 Peter 1:12). Galatians 3:27-29; see on Deuteronomy 18:15). ), through the reigns of Jotham and Ahaz, to the end of King Hezekiah's rule in 686 (Isa. are longer and contain more pages and more chapters than the minor prophets). 4. If these rules are consistently followed the resulting interpretation can be accepted with confidence. In so doing we shall be secure against the fanciful explanations sometimes given certain Old Testament prophecies. That which God purposed to do for the world through Israel, the chosen nation, He will finally accomplish through His church on earth to-day. 740-700 B.C. Nehemiahs first term lasted from 444 to 432 B.C. Eventually, however, it became apparent that the Jews would never measure up to the standard God required of them, as Malachi makes evident (chapters 1:6, 12; 2:2, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 17; 3:7, 13, 14). The importance of their books cannot be overestimated, as many of these prophecies are yet to be fulfilled. By divine appointment the sacred writings were preserved, century after century, and Israel became their custodian (Amos 3:7; Romans 3:1, 2). A study of the Old Testament prophets that consists primarily of lifting selected passages here and there out of their historical context and arbitrarily applying them to our dayas if the prophet spoke exclusively for our benefitis fraught with grave danger. Superior craftsmanship. Nehemiah 13:10-12; Malachi 2:11-16; cf. Any interpretation that fails to give these matters due consideration does violence to the Scriptures. Isaiah was best known as the Hebrew prophet who predicted the coming of Jesus Christ to salvage mankind from sin. Baruch, son of Neriah. 1-39, 40-55, 55-66. Practice all cards Practice all cards Practice all cards done loading. Spiritual prosperity was to prepare the way for material prosperity. God designed that Israels experience should prove to be a warning to Judah (see Hosea 1:7; 4:15-17; 11:12; Jeremiah 3:3-12; etc.). Thus it was with Moses, of whom, to the very day of his death, it could be said that his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated (Deuteronomy 34:7). The Book of Isaiah claims to be written by him, and scholars believe he at least wrote part of it. Who served as Jeremiah's scribe? All men would recognize that Israel stood in a special relationship to the God of heaven (Deuteronomy 7:6-14; 28:10; Jeremiah 16:20, 21). For these reasons the 7th-century date for Joel has been adopted in this commentary, although there is no conclusive proof that this choice is correct. It is an undeniable historical fact that, to this day, the majority of these predictions have not been fulfilled. Nick Baumgardner, a senior writer from the same publication, predicts Notre Dames all-time sack leader will fall to the early third round in his latest mock draft.. Daniel Jeremiah, a draft analyst for the NFL Network, concurs. But it is only against the background of the original historical context of the message that its meaning and value for us can be established with certainty. Along with his contemporary, the prophet Micah, Isaiah served the southern kingdom of Judah under the reigns of four kings. In the lives of Gods people the truths of His word are to reveal their glory and excellence. Foskey, however, is far from a lock to be selected with one of the 31 first-round selections. The Hebrew people were to acquire wisdom and skill in all cunning work, that is, a high degree of inventive genius and ability as artisans, for the manufacture of all kinds of utensils and mechanical devices. The accompanying chart enables the reader to study these prophets in their historical setting. However, there is no valid reason why Malachi should not be considered a proper name. 19:21; Isaiah 46:10; Acts 5:39; Hebrews 6:17; etc. Cooperation with the natural laws of body and mind would result in ever-increasing mental strength, and the people of Israel would be blessed with vigor of intellect, keen discrimination, and sound judgment. These observations seem to place Zephaniah in the early years of Josiahs reign, perhaps about 630 B.C., as a contemporary of Habakkuk. Note by whom it was spoken, to whom it was addressed, and the circumstances that called it forth. All the visions of Daniel recorded in chapters 7-12 were received during the last years of his life, the first one (chapter 7) in Belshazzars 1st year (552 or possibly later), and the last one (chapters 10-12) in the 3rd year of Cyrus, 536/35 B.C. The response of the prophets is contrasted: Jeremiah is spontaneous and candid, while Ezekiel makes no spoken reply in the call narrative (pp. Hence, the year 603 can be considered as the beginning of Daniels ministry as a prophet. (2 Chron. However, it is possible that some of his undated prophecies were given at a later time. Israel would reply, Accept our God as your God, love and serve Him as we do, and He will do the same for you. The blessings thus assured Israel were, on the same conditions and in the same degree, assured to every nation and to every individual under the broad heavens see Acts 10:34, 35; 15:7-9; Romans 10:12, 13; etc.). Seventh-day Adventists believe that, generally speaking, the promises and predictions given through the Old Testament prophets originally applied to literal Israel and were to have been fulfilled to them on the condition that they obey God and remain loyal to Him. Ambassadors from one foreign country after another would come to discover, if they might, the great secret of Israels success as a nation, and its leaders would have the opportunity of directing the minds of their visitors to the Source of all good things. Amos presents himself to his readers as a herdsman and a gatherer of sycomore fruit (chapters 1:1; 7:14). Eventually Gods purposes will prevail and the plan of salvation will succeed, irrespective of the failure of any person or group. On the other hand, the destruction of Nineveh is described as an event still future (chapter 3:7). did Isaiah primarily live? In the prophetic picture God is represented as gathering the nations to Jerusalem (Joel 3:1, 2; Zephaniah 3:6-8; cf. WebIt is the same message as Jeremiah's. The success of Israel was to be based on and to include: 1. WebWhat are the common divisions of Isaiah made by contemporary scholars? Peter concurs, saying, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, for in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him (Acts 10:34, 35; cf. Nevertheless, Isaiah believed that Judah was Gods chosen nation and they would be vindicated by God. answer. Obedience to the law of God would make them marvels of prosperity before the nations of the world, living witnesses to the greatness and majesty of God (Deuteronomy 8:17, 18; 28:11-13). JEREMIAH Furthermore, the rise of the Chaldeans and their invasion of the West is predicted, but this seemed at that time completely incredible (chapter 1:5-7). Continuing faithfully under the following three kings, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (chapter 1:1), he seems to have been fiercely hated by Manasseh, Hezekiahs wicked son. This article surveys the fundamental problem of the interpretation of the prophetic portions of the Old Testament in terms of their message to Israel of old and to the church today. His early ministry seems to have coincided with the last years of King Uzziahs reign (see Introduction to Isaiah), but his official call to the office of a prophet came in 740/39, the last year of King Uzziah (chapter 6:1).