•    For exaggerated moral perversion

    •    For mistreating Israel

    •    For distracting Israel from loyalty to Yahweh

NOT FOR ACTING LIKE PAGANS!

GOD NEVER EXPECTS PAGANS TO ACT LIKE CHRISTIANS!

 

Pre-Exilic	Exilic	Post-Exilic
Concerning Niniveh       Jonah To Edom       Obadiah To Israel       Amos       Hosea To Judah       Joel       Isaiah (1-39)       Micah FALL OF ISRAEL 722 B.C. To Nineveh       Nahum To Judah       Habakkuk       Zephaniah       Jeremiah       Ezekiel (1-33:21)	Jeremiah       (40-45; 52:31-34) Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel [ Isaiah (40-66) ]	Haggai Zechariah Malachi

1050   United Kingdom established

931     Kingdom divided

722     Destruction of Israel

                (Northern Kingdom)--Assyrian Captivity

            612    Fall of Assyria

            609    Battle of Megiddo (Death of Josiah)

            605    Battle of Carchemish1st deportation

                     70 YEAR CAPTIVITY from 605-536 B.C.

            598    2nd deportation

                            Daniel, Ezekiel and others taken captive

586     Destruction of Jerusalem--3rd deportation

539             Fall of Babylonian Empire

539-331      Persian Empire

            536    1st return--Zerubbabel

            457    2nd return--Ezra

            444    3rd return--Nehemiah

331-143      Greek Empire and its descendants

            331-323     Alexander the Great

            323-198     Ptolemies (Egypt) control Palestine

            198-143     Seleucids (Syria) control Palestine

                                Dec. 16, 167     Desecration of the temple

                                Dec. 14, 164     Rededication of the temple

                                163                    Religious liberty attained

                                143-142             Political liberty attained

142-63        Maccabean Period

63 and after Roman Empire

USE OF THE WORD

    English--"A person who foretells or predicts future events"

         This is the most common idea, especially if you speak of "prophecy"

         But the word isn't English; it's Greek.

    What is the biblical idea of a prophet?

        Old Testament--(verb--naba'; substantive--nabi')

              "Announce" "Inform"

              The prophet was a messenger

                   Deut. 18:18--What would the prophet do?

                   Ex. 7:1-2      --Who is it?

                                              --What would he do?

                   Moses and the other prophets announced God's will to the people.

                   They were His messengers.

        New Testament--(prophetes; propheteuo)

              This was a well known and commonly used word among the Greeks.

                   It referred to those who interpreted the will of the gods to the people or who spoke

                        for one or more of the gods.

                   Literally, the root meant "to announce publicly"

              The prophet was someone who announced God's message to the people.

    Some English dictionaries show this idea as the primary meaning:

         "One who speaks for God"

BASIC FUNCTION OF THE PROPHET

    The main idea of his message was related to his own day.

    He used predictions to warn or to comfort, but the focus was related to current events.

    He was to reveal God's will to His people.

    How did it get the modern idea?

PROOF OF A TRUE PROPHET

    Deut. 18:21-22--Why is this proof important?

         Apologetic value--demonstrated the truth and inspiration of the word.

         Revelatory value

              Man's uncertainty concerning the truth--the way in which he should go.

              Gave them security that God had spoken.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF A PROPHET

    1.    Explain and interpret the Law--emphasis on the present.

    2.    Watch out for the spiritual condition of Israel

    3.    Motivate them to trust Yahweh alone

                   --not to trust other gods

                   --not to depend on the other nations around them

    4.    Call them to live a holy life

                   They were to remind Israel that the blessings of the Mosaic Covenant depended on

                        their response to these conditions:

                             Doctrine--serve only Yahweh and His Word

                             Submission and obedience to the Lord

                             Faith (trust)--true faith produces works.

    5.    Serve as a go-between, between the king and God

                   Reveal God's will to the king

                   Serve as his counselor.

                   Take the king's questions and requests before the Lord.

    6.    Encourage them with promises concerning the future.

                   Generally these were already given in the Law.

                   The promises were intended to produce purity (1 Jn. 3)

                   They were to encourage the faithful remnant to hang in there and stay faithful.

    7.    Verify their message with specific fulfilled prophecies regarding immediate future

                events.

                        Deut. 18

                        Those who are shown to be false were to be killed because of presumption.

                             Compare Ezekiel: "They will know that I am Yahweh"