Old Testament Prophets Speak Agains Kings

Prophets seem strange to u.s.a., but they also seemed foreign to their contemporaries. Who were they, and what did they practise?

Some Christians believe that the Old Testament (OT) prophets are thought of as men who just predicted a distant futurity revealed to them past God.  Either the coming of Christ or the book of Revelation and the end times (or both) are seen equally the chief message of the Old Testament prophet.  Some disquisitional scholars in the past have seen OT prophecy as unique or even fictitious; their messages brand new without any connection to State of israel's by and with no relevance for the time to come.  In reality however, the principal mission of the prophets was to proclaim God'southward truth to the people of their time and identify, just similar pastors and teachers today are called to do.

Were the prophets primarily 'foretellers' or 'forthtellers' or both?

From the time of Moses (Deuteronomy 18), God told Israel that He would engage prophets to communicate His word to the people.  The prophets in the Old Testament functioned both every bit foretellers, sharing the word of God about the future, and forthtellers, sharing His word virtually the nowadays.  Examples grow, with Isaiah'due south word in affiliate 53 describing the coming Servant, the Messiah, and his words in the Song of the Vineyard (chapter v) pronouncing judgment on the people of Judah for their sins.  Prophets spoke non only virtually spiritual repentance but also about electric current courses of action.  For instance, Jeremiah warns Judah in affiliate 37 not to trust in Pharaoh to evangelize them, and in chapter 42, later the destruction of Jerusalem, not to flee to Arab republic of egypt to escape the Babylonians.  All told, nigh 2/3 of the utterances of the prophets were forthtelling, and 1/iii foretelling.

What boundaries constrained and guided the prophets in their utterances?

The key role for the prophets was every bit a "watchman at the gate".  In artifact, watchmen scanned the horizon around a urban center, watching for news and events, good or bad, which affected the people of the metropolis. Ezekiel 33:1-twenty clearly teaches this responsibility, and 2 Samuel eighteen:24-27 is a good example of the watchman's service.

Deuteronomy 18 spells out the prophet'south boundaries.  First, he must be raised up past God from among the Jewish people.  There is no such thing as a self-proclaimed prophet.  2d, God puts the words in the prophet'south mouth.  The prophet cannot say whatever he wants, and cannot limit God's word in whatsoever manner.  He must speak it all.  Third, whenever the prophet spoke in the proper noun of the Lord, his message had to be consistent with revealed truth (13:one-3), and if he made a prediction, it had to be 100% true.  Imitation prophets were to be executed.

In terms of method, however, prophets had few boundaries.  Hosea married a prostitute, Ezekiel lay on his side for weeks at a time, and Isaiah prophesied naked and barefoot at times.  Jeremiah smashed pots, and Ezekiel shaved his hair and beard; subsequently burning 1/3 with burn, cut upward 1/3 with the sword, and scattering 1/3 to the wind.

In what means did prophetic revelation flow out of previous revelation and go beyond prior revealed truth?

Prophetic revelation e'er grew out of previous revelation and then went beyond.  The first prophecy in the Bible was spoken by God in the Garden of Eden, when He said that the Seed of the Woman, Jesus Christ, would be bruised by the serpent, but this Seed would crush the serpent'due south head (Genesis iii:15).  Much of the rest of the OT is built on this prophecy as history progressed towards Christ.

The covenants are another instance.  Moses was the showtime prophet, and his Mosaic covenant with the people formed the basis for the Davidic covenant, which was communicated by the prophet Nathan in two Samuel 7.  These covenants, still beyond the power of the Israelites to go along, led to the nigh magnificent covenant of all, the New Covenant, in which God volition pour out His spirit (Joel 2:28-29), and write His word on the hearts of His people (Jeremiah 31:27-twoscore).  This covenant will be brought into identify with Christ.

Prophets often called the people back to the covenant of Moses.  Deuteronomy 27 sets out the curses for disobedience on Mt Ebal, and 28 sets out the blessings for obedience on Mt. Gerizim.  Over the ensuing centuries, Israel succeeded occasionally only failed often in keeping the covenant.  The most common areas of failure were idol worship, simulated worship and social injustice.  The prophet's letters followed a similar format, 1) you accept sinned, 2) you lot must repent, 3) you will be judged if yous do not apologize, and 4) you will be restored later judgment.

What was the function of prophetic 'foretelling' in the OT?

The foretelling was mostly most the time to come of God'due south people, such as the prophecies of the destruction of Israel (Amos eight) and Judah (Jeremiah 22) due to their sin.  Many of the prophetic books also comprise oracles confronting surrounding nations, proclaiming judgment on Assyria, Babylon, Edom, Aram, Egypt, and other lands (Ezekiel 25-32, Jeremiah 46-52, Isaiah 13-23).

Of all of the Old Testament prophecies, scholars take estimated that less than 5% are about the New Covenant, less than ii% are direct about the Messiah, and less than 1% about events that are withal in the hereafter for Christians today.  This fact should warn modern Christians to be very conscientious when applying a prophecy to ourselves. It is piece of cake to misapply them.

Conclusion

Each generation has a style of believing that they are the most important to God and that His work with all preceding generations was primarily for the current generation's do good.  This is pride.  Future generations will feel the same manner about usa.

Each generation is equally important in the eyes of our Creator.  God raised upward Biblical prophets to speak to their contemporaries just as He raises up pastors and teachers to speak to people in their generation.  Both groups speak for God.  The difference, however, is that Biblical writers, including the prophets, had the authority to add together to Scripture.  We do not.

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Source: https://mdharrismd.com/2012/06/19/the-old-testament-prophets-what-did-they-do/

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