When studying the twelve books of the prophets, the information covers a significant span of time, the duration of several centuries (Wilcox, 2014). Whereas each book tells its own story from a varied perspective, the majority specifically connects to the three-main crisis the Jews faced. The books of Hosea, Joel, and Amos serves as an introduction to the narrative, while Obadiah through Nahum references the Assyrian crisis (Tullock, & McEntire, 2012). Meanwhile, Habakkuk and Zephaniah tells the story of the Babylonian crisis they Jews faced. Finally, the books Haggai through Malachi display Jerusalem and the Temples restoration. Moreover, the Book of the Twelve tends to mirror the narratives of the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel in
The Book of Daniel is the only full-blown apocalyptic book in the Protestant recognized version of the Canon. A literary device divides the book into two halves. Chapters 1-6 are a collection of stories that introduces the reader to Daniel and three other Israelites as unwilling guests of the Babylonia Empire ruled by Nebuchadnezzar. The second half, Chapters 7-12 consists of apocalyptic imagery of deformed beasts and the heavenly court. The focus of this paper will be on chapter 7, which serves as a bridge of the two halves. Chapter 7 is the earliest of the visions as it identifies with the genre of 8-12 while through language and content it reverts to Daniel chapter 2. The linguistic break down is not as neat as the literary divide in that Dan. 2:4b-7:28 was written in Aramaic while other portions of the book is written in Hebrew.
Correspondingly, other canonical prophetic books interpret Yahweh’s will during periods of social or political crisis.4 Many minor prophets wrote during one of the three critical periods: the Assyrian Crisis, the Babylonian threat, or the postexilic readjustment.5 During the Babylonian threat of the late-seventh century, Habakkuk served as a link between God and humanity. The Assyrian kingdom, led by Shalmanasar V, forced the people of Judah into harsh conditions through a heartless deportation. In time, political drama spread throughout the region. After 612 B.C.E. when Assyria fell to Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Habakkuk wrote his prophetic book, focusing on the agony of humankind’s struggle to progress in such a wicked world. His message of faith and morality transcended the evil within society, ultimately revealing to the Israelites that justice would prevail.
Chapter 7 focuses on the mercy ad justice of God and the Symbolism of fasting. The concern of fasting was important during this time of repentance but God tells the people that they were never truly fasting for him so there is no point (Zech &:4-5). Chapter 8 is the message of Zechariah regarding the restoration of Jerusalem. The message to Jerusalem is that God is now going to help them rebuild their city despite the disobedience of their ancestors (Zech 8:4-23). The main message that is taken from the book of Zachariah is that during times when the future is uncertain turning to God and asking for forgiveness is the most honest way to regain blessings. Also Zechariah’s message is that people of God must be well towards him in order to receive well from him. For example in Zechariah 7:8-14, Zechariah explains to Israel that God will only help their cities if they become right with the covenant (Ryken
Before Jerusalem Fell: Dating the Book of Revelation. Tyler, TX: Institute for Christian Economics, 1989. Mounce, Robert H. The Book of Revelation. Revised.
For The Old Testament Book. Kings I 1. What is the difference between Elijah the prophet lived during a time of misconceptions of what God is, and what He really is. Elijah lived during the time of King Ahab, who happens to be the one that abandoned the true God, obeying his wife. The king’s wife, Jezebel, ordered all God’s prophets to be murdered.
Zechariah Zechariah is one of the Minor Prophets of the Old Testament. His book is located between the books of Haggai and Malachi. Zechariah is thought to have preached from about 520-518 B.C. The book of Zechariah deals with the restoration of Jerusalem, the Temple, and God‘s people. Chapter 11 verses 4-17, which is a story of two shepherds, is one of the most difficult passages in the Old Testament to understand.
The book of Hebrews is a unique portion of the Bible because it is written as though it were a letter, directed at people the writer may have known. However, the book targets a seemingly broad audience of those without faith and also those that could be described as believers that have experienced persecution. A salient message within Hebrews is that people must persevere when they feel persecuted because Jesus Christ is their salvation, regardless of anything else that is happening in the people’s lives. An emphasis on the greatness of Jesus and his role as a mediator between God and those on Earth is dominant throughout the chapters and verses.
For centuries now Christians have claimed to possess the special revelation of an omnipotent, loving Deity who is sovereign over all of His creation. This special revelation is in written form and is what has come to be known as The Bible which consists of two books. The first book is the Hebrew Scriptures, written by prophets in a time that was before Christ, and the second book is the New Testament, which was written by Apostles and disciples of the risen Lord after His ascension. It is well documented that Christians in the context of the early first century were used to viewing a set of writings as being not only authoritative, but divinely inspired. The fact that there were certain books out in the public that were written by followers of Jesus and recognized as being just as authoritative as the Hebrew Scriptures was never under debate. The disagreement between some groups of Christians and Gnostics centered on which exact group of books were divinely inspired and which were not. The debate also took place over the way we can know for sure what God would have us include in a book of divinely inspired writings. This ultimately led to the formation of the Biblical canon in the next centuries. Some may ask, “Isn’t Jesus really the only thing that we can and should call God’s Word?” and “Isn’t the Bible just a man made collection of writings all centered on the same thing, Jesus Christ?” This paper summarizes some of the evidences for the Old and New Testament canon’s accuracy in choosing God breathed, authoritative writings and then reflects on the wide ranging
The book of Lamentations is a book about the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C, Jeremiah the weeping prophet is the person that has written this book in the bible as an eyewitness of Jerusalem's fall. Jeremiah was a Prophet that was instructed by the lord to go and tell the people of Jerusalem that it will fall to the Babylonians, due to there sinful ways and the worshiping of false gods. He was to tell them to leave and go start over as there was nothing there for them anymore, and if they stayed they would be killed. Jeremiah became a prophet for this reason because of what he saw and how he saw things in the site of the lord. When he had a vision from the lord to go to the temple and here his message. Lamentations is a very important book that shows the power of good and the message that comes out of it.
LaSor, W., Hubbard, D., Bush, F., & Allen, L. (1996). Old Testament survey: The message, form, and background of the Old Testament (2nd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans
The Old Testament is divided into six major sections. During each of these sections, elements of Old Testament history foreshadow various New Testament themes and events. Some of these various accounts recorded in the Old Testament are prophetical in nature and foretell specific details about various events that will be fulfilled in New Testament times. Each of the six major sections carries its own unique overarching theme that will in some way tie into New Testament history and theology. The six major sections of Old Testament are: creation (Genesis 1-11), covenant (Genesis 12-50), congr...
It is thought that Jonah, the fifth of the Minor Prophets, lived during the reign of Jeroboam II, when the kingdom was divided. (Lockyer, 198) Although the Book of Jonah is quite short, just two and one-half pages, it is not short on themes. Because there are so many themes it is hard to classify or to determine its primary message. (Anchor 936 and New Interpreter's 490) These themes range from running away, praying, second chances, anger, and God's compassion and mercy, to name a few. The following will provide a brief explanation of each theme, previously mention, as it relates to the Book of Jonah.
In the book of Daniel, many important events take place. The rise and fall of empires, the miracles that took place, the prophecies that were proclaimed, and the delivery out of captivity—these are just some of the events that occur within Daniel’s pages. The book of Daniel is a great source of both Jewish and world history, and it contains some of the most relevant prophetical and historical information to date. Needless to say, with so many important events that occurred in this book, getting a structured timeline is essential in understanding the context of these events.
The Prophet is a book of short essays by Kahlil Gibran on a variety of themes ranging from love and marriage to pain and death presented by a character named Almustafa. By using a variety of rhetorical devices such as metaphors, similes, and imagery, he enhances the ideas presented in each section and makes them easier for the reader to comprehend and put into practice. Although written in 1923, all of the themes are still very relevant in today’s world, perhaps even more so.
Judgment, wrath, anger, gloom, and doom, all are just a few of the words that come to mind when one thinks about the Old Testament. The last 12 books entitled the Minor Prophets are pages usually skipped over. Idolatry, social injustice, and religious ritualism seem to be a theme throughout the last twelve books of the Old Testament. Can these books still be relevant today? Hindson and Yates suggest they are. “The message of the minor prophets still speaks to us today. They remind us that God holds the people responsible for their behavior. Especially those who claim to belong to him.” (P. 367)