18 -19. Overview of the Literary Prophets: Five Main Themes

cult

"That with which we do to make the gods happy."

Five Main Themes in Literary Prophets

1. divine exclusivity, monolatry, monotheism 2. ritual and ethics, social justice 3. Israel and the nations 4. Reward and punishment 5. The future, wonderful & dreadful

721 BCE

Assyrians conquer Israel (Northern Kingdom)

Samaria

Capital of Northern Kingdom. Region in Israel between Galilee and Judah, Jordan River and Plain of Sharon.

Third Isaiah (III Isaiah)

Collection of oracles by group of disciple of Isaiah. Years after return from Babylon. Calls for true fasting.

Day of the Lord

Day when God comes in judgement on his enemies.

Amos

Doom of the two kingdoms. Social justice, God's omnipotence, and divine justice.

Valley of dry bones

Ezekiel sees the dead rise again. Symbol of restoration of purified Israel.

Marriage metaphor

Hosea and his adulterous wife. Israel worshiping multiple gods.

12 Minor Prophets

Hosea to Malachi. Sent to warn humanity of sinful ways and God's punishment.

"staff of my anger"

Isaiah 10:5; Assyria used to punish Israel. God uses other nations to punish Israel.

"Shoot from the stump of Jesse"

Isaiah 11:1; Beginning of a renewed prophecy about the coming of the messiah. Alludes to the resiliency of the Israelites.

First Isaiah (or Isaiah of Jerusalem)

Literary prophet. Preached during collapse of Northern Kingdom and moral breakdown of Southern Kingdom.

end of days

Messianic Age. Exiled diaspora, the coming of the messiah, and resurrection of the dead.

YHWH-alone theology

Monotheistic theme of literary prophets.

Cyrus the Great

Persian king. Conquered Babylonia. Allows Judeans to return Jerusalem and rebuild their temple.

"anointed one"

Possible reference to Messiah. II Isaiah refers to Cyrus of Persia.

Second Isaiah (II Isaiah)

Prophet of the exile. Disciple of Isaiah. Prophesies return home and a "suffering servant" that will save the people.

Jeremiah

Prophet. Predicted God would make new covenant with Israel. Laments the abandoning of God by worshiping Baal and seeking political alliances.

Suffering servant

Servant of God who will lead nations, sacrifice himself for others and is rewarded. Prediction of Jesus for Christians. Metaphor for Jewish people for Jewish interpreters.

Immanuel

Symbolic name applied to the coming messiah by Isaiah. Prophecy of God's protection against enemy kings. Divine status of Jesus.

Hosea

Takes adulterous wife. Metaphor for God's marriage with Israel when Israel worships other gods.

Pre-exilic period

What term is given to describe Israelite history from the 13th century to 587 BC when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians and the inhabitants of Judah exile to Babylon?

Nebuchadnezzar / Nebuchadrezzar

Babylonian King. Destroyed Jerusalem and Temple of Solomon.

587 BCE

Beginning of Exilic Period. Temple destroyed. Judah taken over by Babylonia. Siege of Jerusalem.

Seventy years

Jeremiah prophesied the destruction of Babylonia after 70 years.

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts"

Isaiah 6:3 ; Isaiah's vision of God. How angels/seraphs praised God. Instructing how to best address and worship God.

Literary prophets

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel. Stories and prophecies, not history.

"And seek the welfare of the city to which I have exiled you and pray to the LORD in its behalf; for in its prosperity you shall prosper."

Jeremiah 29:7; Jeremiah tells Israel to not struggle against Babylonia because it's against God's will. Welfare of the people tied to welfare of the city.

New Covenant

Jeremiah 31. The new covenant will be different from the old covenant. In new covenant the Israelites will have a covenant that is inscribed in their hearts so that they automatically and naturally observe it. The content of the new covenant is not the issue it is the obedience of the covenanters. - The old covenant that God had established with His people required obedience to the Old Testament Mosaic law.

"The parents have eaten sour grapes and the children's teeth are blunted/set on edge."

Jeremiah 31:29; Diachronic punishment. Jeremiah says in future, individual punishment will happen instead. Echoed in Ezekiel 18 - Ezekiel has individualized punishment