Religion - Chapter 5, Part 2

24. What did the prophet Ezekiel emphasize in his prophecy?

... he placed great value on the Temple and its worship, with a special focus on the need to keep the Sabbath and follow the law of holiness

28. What did the prophet of Isaiah 40-55 make clear about the actions of King Cyrus of Persia?

... it was the all-powerful Creator God, the source of everything, who truly delivered his Chosen People through whom he wanted to draw all people to himself: "I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth"

21. How did the prophetic message of both Jeremiah and Ezekiel change in the time before and after the Exile?

... their prophecies changed from calls to repentance and warnings of doom before the Exile to words of consolation and hope once doom had struck.

26. True or False? Isaiah prophesied the building of a New Jerusalem Temple and of the nation's return there.

False. Ezekiel prophesied the building of a New Jerusalem Temple and of the nation's return there.

4. What are four important themes preached by the Old Testament prophets?

● Worship the one true God. ● Be just, especially to the poor. ● Know that God will ultimately triumph. ● Accept God's love and mercy.

36. True or False? Ezra was a scribe and religious reformer who helped solidify Jewish identity by encouraging marriages between Jews and non-Jews.

False. Ezra was a priest and religious reformer who helped solidify Jewish identity by forbidding marriages between Jews and non-Jews.

23. True or False? The life of Jeremiah parallels the lives of both Moses and John the Baptist.

False. The life of Jeremiah parallels the lives of both Jesus and John the Baptist

7. True or False? The prophet Elijah succeeded Elisha and performed many miracles just like his predecessor, also siding with the poor.

False. The prophet Elisha succeeded Elijah and performed many miracles just like his predecessor, also siding with the poor

12. According to Hosea, what is the antidote to Israel's infidelity to God?

For it is loyalty that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings

29. What important lesson did the Babylonian Exile teach the Chosen People?

God does not tolerate idolatry and pagan worship

39. Fill in the blanks: Led by the ___________________ family, the Jews revolted against the cruel rule of _____________________. The feast of __________________ commemorates this rebellion when Judas Maccabeus recaptured Jerusalem and __________________ the Temple. The short-lived independent ______________________________ was formed which brought glory and political _______________ to the Jews.

Maccabee, Antiochus IV, Hanukkah, Rededicated, Hasmonean Dynasty, freedom

38. Fill in the blanks: While ruled by the _______________, the Jews were not required to practice ________________________, the official Persian religion. When the Persians were ____________________ by Alexander the Great he established _______________, in his desire that all his conquered people be one nations with classical _______________ culture as its unifying force.

Persians, Zoroastrianism, conquered, Hellenism, Greek

1. Fill in the blanks: The Hebrew word for __________________ is nabi which means "mouthpiece" and the basic message of Israel's prophets was: _____________________________. They appeared during _______________ and Judah's decline and the ______________________ exile. Failure to heed the prophets' words brought _______________.

Prophet, repent and be saved, Israel, Babylonian, doom

33. What did the prophets write about during the postexilic period?

The prophets wrote about issues such as the rebuilding of the Temple, the role of priests, and proper worship

18. How did Micah add to and affirm the hope that Isaiah had given?

● Micah foretold a coming Messiah who would lead Israel to peace and justice. ● This Messiah would come from Bethlehem and would rule by the strength of the Lord. ● He would gather God's remnant, a righteous group who would survive the Babylonian Captivity

16. What sign did Isaiah promise in 7:14?

"the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name him Emmanuel"

6. Why was Elijah considered the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, second only to Moses?

Because he was taken to heaven in a whirlwind, the Jews believed that Elijah would, at the end of time, bring peace to the world. The Jews understood Elijah as the precursor and partner of the Messiah.

11. Fill in the blanks: The prophet _____________ began preaching in the last years of _________________ preaching and continued until the fall of Israel. In his preaching, Hosea drew on his painful ____________ situation to describe God's relationship with __________. Like Amos, he saw Israel's worst crimes as _______________ and oppression of the ________.

Hosea, Amos's, marital, Israel, idolatry, poor

5. Fill in the blanks: King ___________________ violated the First Commandment by placing two ________________________ in the cities of Dan and Bethel for the people to worship. This was motivated by his ___________ that allowing his people of the north to worship in ______________________ might inspire their loyalty to the southern king, and many of his ___________________ followed suit.

Jeroboam, golden calves, fear, Jerusalem, successors

19. Fill in the blanks: Most of the inhabitants of ____________________ were deported to Babylon when King ________________________ destroyed the city in 586 BC. In order to preserve their Jewish identity, the exiles encouraged _______________ only between Jews, studied the Law, observed the ________________, continued to practice ___________________, and met in ______________________ to study and pray together.

Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar, marriage, Sabbath, circumcision, synagogues

30. Fill in the blanks: The Jews returning to ____________ were more faithful to the Law as a ______________ to the nations. They rebuilt Jerusalem and the _______________, reestablished worship of YHWH, and _______________ the covenant. Those Jews who chose not to return were more open to _______________ ideas. However, they looked to ___________________ for leadership, paid the _______________ tax, and made _____________________ to the Holy City.

Judah, witness, Temple, renewed, Gentile, Jerusalem, Temple, pilgrimages

22. Fill in the blanks: The prophet Jeremiah consistently preached a message of _____________________, warning that the People's sins would lead to ________________ and death. Once Jerusalem ___________, he preached a message of ____________. He sometimes taught by enacting living ____________________ like the time he dramatically shattered a ___________________ in front of the elders and priests.

Repentance, sorrow, fell, hope, parables, clay flask

40. Fill in the blanks: Herod the Great was appointed by the _______________ as a puppet king over Judea, and served from 37 to 4 BC and was renowned for his great _______________ projects, including the rebuilding of the Jerusalem _______________. He was a bloodthirsty ruler who called for the execution of ____________________ children. Fortunately, Jesus Christ who was born in ____________________, escaped his wrath.

Romans, building, Temple, male Jewish, Bethlehem

20. What important work was done by the Jewish scribes during the exile?

Scribes gathered Israel's oral traditions and committed them to writing as a permanent record of God's love toward his people. Many of these texts became part of the Jewish Scriptures

14. Fill in the blanks: The end of the ________________ kingdom came in 586 BC at the hands of the ____________________, who would eventually take much of the population into __________. Some of King Solomon's successors tried to keep God's __________________, but eventually the kings ___________________ with the northern kingdom's Ahab-Jezebel family, which led to idolatry, _________________, and religious worship marked by formality without a ___________ spirit.

Southern, Babylonians, exile, covenant, intermarried, injustice, godly

15. Explain how the Prophet Isaiah is unique.

The Book of Isaiah is actually a collection of prophecies spanning 250 years. Of course, the prophet Isaiah did not live that long. Much of the collection of the Book of Isaiah was written by later anonymous prophets. Hence, the Book of Isaiah is divided to reflect the different eras

13. Who were the famous Lost Tribes of Israel?

The king of Assyria deported more than twenty-seven thousand Israelites into exile. These exiles are the famous Lost Tribes of Israel who eventually intermarried with the peoples of their new lands and lost their identity as God's Chosen People.

10. What was the prophet Amos's basic message? What warning did he issue?

The worship of God must show itself in concrete deeds of mercy and justice to the weak and the poor. Amos fearlessly warned that the many sins of the northern kingdom—sins like genocide, dishonesty, greed, sexual excess, robbery, violence, injustice, and pride—would lead to the people's destruction

34. What were the basic tasks of those who helped shape postexilic Judaism?

Their basic tasks were to rebuild the Temple and to renew the covenant in the hearts of the people

17. True or False? Isaiah's reference to Emmanuel is a prophecy about Jesus Christ.

True

2. True or False? Jews who compiled the Bible did not consider the northern kingdom's faith to be authentic to YHWH because they did not worship in Jerusalem.

True

27. True or False? The hopeful message of the author of Isaiah 40-55 came to pass when the Persian Empire conquered the Babylonian Empire and God's remnant returned to Jerusalem.

True

3. True or False? Because the prophets' responsibility was to tell the ruling authorities what they were doing wrong, it was a thankless job which made them very unpopular.

True

31. True or False? The mutual distrust between the Jews and Samaritans came about because the latter were a mixed population of both Israelite and Assyrian descent who worshiped God at Dan and Bethel.

True

32. True or False? In the postexilic period Rabbis and scribes became increasingly important religious figures both inside and outside the Holy Land.

True

37. True or False? All of the prophets of the postexilic period in one way or another referenced and prefigured Jesus Christ.

True

8. True or False? The prophets Amos and Hosea were two prophets of social justice who challenged King Jeroboam II and his successors who permitted the worship of the Baals and exploitation of the poor.

True

9. True or False? The nonwriting group of prophets are those that did not leave behind their own writings like Amos and Hosea.

True

25. Fill in the blanks: Ezekiel _____________________ the exiled Jews to Babylon. Prior to Jerusalem's fall, he ___________________ the Chosen People and the nations for their sinful actions and engaged in symbolic actions to ______________ the people into turning from their sins. Later, he told the exiled Jews of a new king—a _______________________—who would make a covenant of _____________ with his people and of God's ______________________ of the nation.

accompanied, censured, shock, shepherd, peace, restoration

35. Fill in the blanks: During this era the ____________ compiled and ______________ the early texts and oral traditions and the _________ _________________ began to resemble its present form. Both the _____________________ and the historical books were completed and the works of the prophets were ___________________. Further, unique works from the postexilic period were produced including the ____________________, Ezra, and ____________________.

scribes, edited, Old Testament, Pentateuch, organized, Chronicles, Nehemiah