Prophetical Movement Final
Prophetical Movement Final
Prophetical Movement Final
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The course is designed to give an brief understanding into the books of the prophets. It
deals with the historical background, information about the prophet and the structure,
theme and theology of each of the prophetic books.
OBJECTIVES
1. To gain an insight into the background, structure and the theology of the individual
prophetical books.
EVALUATION
Assignments: 20 marks
2. Assignment Topic____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Prescribed Texts:
Assignments
Prophets and the social crisis of the Eighth Century Israel -_________________
Prophets and the cult (Priests, Temple and religious practices)- ________________
(In North)
Covenant Love Beware the day of the Who can stand the day of
Lord the Lord
(In North)
God’s concern for “Repent for the Day of Judgment of Edom’s Pride
Gentiles (Nineveh) the Lord…”
(In North & Nineveh)
The Law constituted a covenant between God and his people. Obedience to the covenant
would bring blessings or else curse… So the prophets were enforcing the covenant…So
basically this pattern is found- i. an identification of Israel’s sin ii. a prediction of curse or
blessing depending upon the circumstances.
2. Their messages were not their own but God’s. Consider for example Jeremiah’s call to
surrender to the Babylonians- a message of treason. But he begins by reminding that “this
is the word that the Lord said unto me.
3. Prophetic messages involved prediction of the future specially Messianic prophecy and
eschatology.
hermeneutical considerations
@ The need for out side help of dictionaries and help books
@ The messenger speech: thus says the Lord…messengers with a message Jer 7,
Mal 2:2-5
Hermeneutical questions:
@ The message of the prophets has to be interfaced with our times to be a message for
us. The interface hermeneutical principle outline in the previous lecture
-some events are already past…how do we use them today, caution needs to be
exercised! Ez 25-39 can we just outline the basic messages in these portions
-some are relating to the end time events almost in metaphorical sense, caution needs to
be exercised…Ez 37 is it talking about return and rise of Israel after exile…can we go for
a multiple layer of interpretations? The dynamic nature of God’s word!
What God expected from the Israel and Judah is in a general sense the same as what he
wants from us. The prophets can serve constantly as reminders to us of God’s
determination to enforce his covenant.
1. Major Prophets with Exegesis of Selected passages
1.1. Isaiah
1.2 Jeremiah &
1.2.1 Lamentation
The Book of Isaiah
The main message is a message of judgment on the corrupt leaders which will be
executed by the first the Assyrians and then will be followed by the Babylonians. This
message is followed by a message of hope that would be fulfilled by branch of David the
Messiah. Theology of the book is –Sovereignty of God-the throne lifted high.
1-39 (720 BCE) message of judgment but there is also a message of hope and that is
picked up by chapters 40-66(context of 530 BCE)
1-12 Judgment 13-27 40-66 Was this part coming from the
Isaianic school or a straight forward
1 & 2 Purifying fire 13-23: Fall of Babylon prediction? Isaiah 8:16 an extension of
to rise after Assyria… Isaiah’s message.
which will make way for a and neighbors which
new Jerusalem in chapter 40-48 comfort… a call to return.
was 41-47 The God of Israel is powerful than
2. This is repeated again
and again. 24-27 The tale of two the gods of Babylon. And God was
city. The corrupt city purifying his people and they must see
Is 6 is central God’s throne. will be replaced by the God’s hand in the rise of Cyrus.
The fire from God purifies kingdom of God. 40-55 The servant of God-suffering
him. His message will not servant. the mission: to restore Israel
be of any effect. So Israel and to be a light to the nations
will be chopped and only 53 this servant would be a suffering
28-39
the stump will be left. But servant, rejected and killed. his death if
28-35 Accusation: don’t
there will be a holy seed a sacrifice for sin. But he lives again and
go after Egypt for help
that would survive. A sign of he makes the people righteous.
against Assyria. You will
hope but who is this hope? The people called the servants who
be saved by repentance
accept this message are the seed of
7-12 Ahaz- he announces and trust!
Isaiah 6. but the wicked reject this
his downfall. So God will 36-39 rise of Hezekiah-
servant
chop his kingdom down but humbles himself. But
56-66 the new kingdom
his will be followed by the ultimately goes after
60-62 Kingdom announced.
kingdom of Immanuel. Babylon: the new ally:
Surrounding this message is the prayer
Isaiah predicts that
This kingdom will be a for repentance and the contrast
Babylon in 100 years…
shoot…Messiah.. between the wicked and the righteous.
Remember that God is
The covenant promises are fulfilled in a
judging thenation to
grand way in the end.
purify it and bring the
God creates a covenant family through
messianic kingdom-
the suffering servant.
this hope will be picked
up next.
Jeremiah
Jeremiah prophesied during the most disturbing phase of Judean history. Baruch wrote
and compiled the book (30:1)
-to Israel and to the nations Judgment from North (ch 1) Poems about nations
you have not listened therefore being judged by Babylon
-to pluck and uproot (judgment) The cup of fury on Israel and
for their sin of pride
the nations (vs 17 f)
-to plant and build (hope and arrogance
restoration)
50-51
Fall of Babylon
Comprehend the diversity of the prophetic literature by the comparison of the tone and
intent of texts like Amos and Hosea. Students should be able to attend to the diversity of
theological portraits between Hosea and Amos. How is God portrayed in each of these
books, and to what ends?
2.1 Hosea
Exegesis on Divine pathos in Hosea 11:1-9;
Part 1: - Introductory Lecture on the Book of the Twelve, its themes, and unity and diversity
within this corpus. Before attending more closely to Hosea, student presentation on Hosea 11:1-
7. Conduct in-class exegesis on Hosea 1-2, noting sign-acts, importance of names in ancient
Israelite tradition, and the idea of divine pathos as
it appears throughout the book. This is no dispassionate God in the prophetic literature, but a God
deeply involved with humanity (see Heschel on this point).
2.2 Joel
2.3 Amos
Amos 5:18-24
2.4 Obadiah
Perceive God’s special attention to his chosen people Israel, but his abiding interest in the
entire world in texts like the oracles against the nations (e.g., Amos 1-2, Obadiah).
According to the prophets, students should ask, how is it that God interacts with the
nations other than Israel itself?
2.5 Jonah
2.6 Micah
2.7 Nahum
Conduct a critical discussion on the messages of Nahum and Jonah. How do the two
books perceive the Assyrians differently? What are their overall messages? How are
Jonah and Nahum different, and can they coexist side by side in the same canon? Why or
why not? In this session you may wish to intersperse the discussion with brief lectures on
both books.
2.8 Habakkuk
2.9 Zephaniah
2.10 Haggai
2.11 Zechariah
2.12 Malachi
3. Themes in the Prophetical Books