Posted by: religionthink | December 7, 2006

And there will be no more night: The Role of the P…

And there will be no more night: The Role of the Prophets Part VII

Coming to the end of our group of essays on the role of the prophets, we will now discuss the book of Revelation. In order to bring a book and perspective we must first understand the historical background of the text. It is still somewhat disputed but scholars believe the text of Revelation was written between year 90 and 100 AD. Some believe that the writing of the text was after the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem by the Romans. Although there may be some allusions to this in the text, the debate is still ongoing. The Apostle John’s role was to help new Christian believers withstand the persecution and tyranny of the Roman rulers, and to encourage them to stand fast until the end so they might see the judgments poured out on those who persecuted them because of their Christian beliefs.

Many texts influence the writings of Revelation; Daniel, Jeremiah, Enoch, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Dead Sea Scrolls, and many others. Also included are references to Canaanite, Babylonian, Greek, and Roman mythology. Together we will look at this tapestry of writing and select three topics of interest as examples of John’s role as a prophet and see if they match up with what occurred with other prophets of the Old Testament. We will find that the same roles and techniques and modes of transmissions were used. Although most Christians like to distant themselves from the Old Testament to live in the new, we will at first hand see how much impact the Old Testament had before the implementation of modern day theology took its toll on how we read the text of Revelation.

One of the biggest issues for the new Christians was persecution, emperor cult worship of the Romans, and the prolonged return of the messiah. We read of their distress; they cried out with a loud voice, “Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long will it be before you judge and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?”(Rev 6:10 NRSV). By now the new Christians also took the title of “Jew” and used it for themselves. They have read of other accounts of persecution from the writings of Ezekiel in Babylon, Maccabees, and Daniel. They used these along with the Exodus accounts of the slavery in Egypt and identified it with the issues they were encountering with Roman rule. John, by the standards of Jeremiah, was a true prophet because he witnessed the Divine Council and its proceedings and wrote what he seen. He gave the message to the early churches and fulfilled his obligation to Christ and Yahweh. With this done and the warning given all they had to do was to wait for the glorious holy war to ensue.

Though there are many, the three examples we will use are the plague references through out the book, the beast references, and the mark of the beast. The latter will be used due to its popularity. Many have heard hundreds of interpretations on what this could be; social security numbers, barcodes, computers, the list goes on. It is the goal of the author that those reading this essay will be able to go away with a new perspective of the text of Revelation and a better appreciation for the texts used to help comprise the apocalyptic ideas. The prophets played an important role in keeping the Yahweh religion strong in the face of adversity, and it preserved its traditions and rituals through exiles and displacement. Here we will observe John using the same techniques of his predecessors to preserve the budding Christian community.

The plagues in are found in Revelation chapter 16 we read the full account below:

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.” So the first angel went and poured his bowl on the earth, and a foul and painful sore came on those who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped its image. The second angel poured his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing in the sea died. The third angel poured his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, “You are just, O Holy One, who are and were, for you have judged these things; because they shed the blood of saints and prophets, you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!” And I heard the altar respond, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, your judgments are true and just!” The fourth angel poured his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire; they were scorched by the fierce heat, but they cursed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues, and they did not repent and give him glory. The fifth angel poured his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness; people gnawed their tongues in agony, and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and sores, and they did not repent of their deeds. The sixth angel poured his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up in order to prepare the way for the kings from the east. And I saw three foul spirits like frogs coming from the mouth of the dragon, from the mouth of the beast, and from the mouth of the false prophet. These are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. (“See, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and is clothed, [56] not going about naked and exposed to shame.”) And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Harmagedon. The seventh angel poured his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a violent earthquake, such as had not occurred since people were upon the earth, so violent was that earthquake. (Rev 16:1-18 NRSV)

It is rather easy to make some connections to the stories of the plagues of Egypt when reading this account; boils, water to blood, darkness, reference to frogs, and else where pestilence, all were brought on by the rod of Aaron and Moses. The references to scorching heat, drought, earthquakes, and other nature elements, were used by Yahweh to wage holy war and bring judgment on those who transgressed. One example of this is found in Haggai 1:3-11 around 520 B.C. Here Yahweh causes a drought due the neglect of his temple. The plagues in Revelation are made to be much worse then those of Egypt, and the use of elements as punishment from Yahweh, Christ and the angels would be all the more fierce for we read , such as had not occurred since people were upon the earth, so violent was that earthquake. To a persecuted Christian, all the above mentioned would be most welcome.

Next topic of discussion is the references to the beast of the sea and the beast of the earth. Just as in Daniel, a beast also comes up out of the sea in Revelation. Here we have the imagery of the serpent, the Sea waging war and bringing chaos. We are reminded of the text of the Song of the Sea in Deuteronomy 15. In the text Yahweh defeats the sea and saves the people from destruction. Also in the text of Revelation the Serpent, Sea monster, Leviathan, Dragon, wages holy war against Yahweh, Christ and Heaven until he is bound. After the binding there is no mention of the Beasts or of the Sea. There are speculations about the historical references. The beast of the sea, inspired by Daniel chapter 7, was symbolized here as Rome. The others whom this beast gives power to over all the earth are the rulers and kings who help control the large Roman territory. The account of the wounded beast that was healed may have been inspired by the story that circulated about Nero returning to power after his suicide. The Beast of the earth is mentioned as a false prophet. This symbolizes those officials who went about expanding the emperor cult of Rome. These wealthy people would be employed to protect the cult of Rome. During the rule of the emperor Trajan many who professed Christianity and refused to worship the image of Trajan were killed.

Finally the last and most popular topic is the mark of the beast or six hundred sixty-six. Below we read the following concerning the name and the mark:

Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell who does not have the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let anyone with understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a person. Its number is six hundred sixty-six. (Rev 13:16-18 NRSV)

This simply means that in order to prosper you have to be Roman and use Roman money. Even today, currency is necessary to buy and sell and be able to provide the basic essentials. Merchants from all parts of the world brought riches and goods and became very wealthy. The names and images were printed on the money and therefore in a way deified the emperors. So if you were an early Christian and failed to use the currency due to being found out. Those who become Roman to gain wealth and betrayed their faith because of it according to the text above would face sever punishment for it in the end times. The Imperial cult seemed to be an issue for the new churches. We read of one example of a church that had issues and there were more if one cared to read the whole of Revelation chapter 2.

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the first and the last, who was dead and came to life: “I know your affliction and your poverty, even though you are rich. I know the slander on the part of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death. (Rev 2:8-11 NRSV)

Concerning the number many have come to the conclusion the Greek and Hebrew letters were represented at times with numbers and this gave the name or symbol of the name. There are many interesting studies done on this topic with both positive and negative results. When studying such biblical texts as Revelation it is hard not to implement your own personal theology and views on the text. As we have learned from the past the beast’s name has changed many times over the years from communism to terrorism, barcodes to internet. It even has been profitable topic for many authors who took on the task of predicting, calculating, and searching for some hidden information for an inside view.

Throughout these essays we have explored the roles of the prophets of Israel across time into the New Testament. We have seen that the responsibilities have changed over time from being powerful rulers in government to preserving the teachings of Yahweh in captivity, up to encouraging their believers to hold fast. The role of the prophets still continue today many still use pieces of biblical texts pieced together to reassure their followers that their God is in control of uncontrollable matters. We have seen the context of older prophecies change to fit the context of the issue at hand. This is seen especially in times of uncertainty. For we all have seen or heard these types of techniques. A minister or teacher may have the news paper in one hand and the bible in the other. It is at times important to step back and view all the angles used before we commit to such beliefs.

Brown, E. Raymond., Fitzmyer, Joseph. And Murphy, Ronalde. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice-Hall, Inc, New Jersey, 1990.

Hartman, Louis F and DiLella, Alexander A. “The Book of Daniel,” In The Anchor Bible, vol. 23, eds. William Foxwell Albright and David Noel Freedman. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1978.

Walton, John H, Matthews, Victor H. and Chavalas, Mark W. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. InterVarsity Press. Illinois 2000.

All biblical references were taken from the New Revised Standard Version.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Bible, Old Testament, Prophecy, Religion

Posted by: religionthink | December 7, 2006

Then the Court Shall Sit in Judgment: The Role of …

Then the Court Shall Sit in Judgment: The Role of the Prophets Part VI

In past essays, the discussion has been geared toward the role of the prophets in Israeli history. This was prompted by recent developments in the Middle East and also, the topic of prophecy being in the media in the form of books, TV shows, and radio programs more then ever. It is important at times to reflect on the issue and ask important questions about the topic of prophecy, mainly their function, cultural influence, and political importance in Israeli history. In this particular essay we will look at the role of Daniel and compare it to the events in the texts of Maccabees I and II.

To the lay-person in the evangelical movement, the texts of Maccabees and other Apocryphal books go virtually unread. Unless one takes a course in intertestamental history, their is little knowledge of how these texts play a part in understanding the topic of prophecy, particularly in the book of Daniel. You may hear or see in the media, a good evangelical program, where the symbolism of Daniel is being discussed. Many times is it is humors, in a way, on just how creatively people assign the different themes of Daniel and other texts, change the meaning or context, to support their own modern day agenda or theories of end time prediction. This technique is called pesharim, and as we shall see later in this essay, it was used as a writing form, however today we have taken more liberties on when to use it. In this essay we will discuss Daniel using Maccabees as text reference. By making this comparison we will be able to understand how the prophesies of Daniel were understood by the people it was written for.

First we will discuss the book of Daniel; focusing more on the later chapters of the text, we will spend time sorting out the visions and symbolism that run thick through the texts. Periodically, we will be referring to the texts of Maccabees, when appropriate, to put this symbolism in historical context. It is the goal of the author to correct some of the misconceptions of the prophecies of Daniel and possibly shed some new light on the important contribution the Apocrypha can make in understanding the Old Testament Texts.

Our first topic of discussion is the literary genres of Daniel. Without mentioning all the historical criticism the text has received both for and against Daniel being a historical document, we can come to the conclusion that; 1. The book reminds the Jew of their monotheistic heritage and how superior Yahweh was to the pagan gods. 2. The book reminds the Jewish People to stay true to their heritage and Yahweh, and not compromise at any cost be it political, economic, or social. 3. To remind the Jewish people that Yahweh comes to their aid even though there are severe consequences such as death or martyrdom. With these three topics in mind we can see how richly the metaphor and symbolism speaks to the community that is suffering extreme persecution. So whether one believes the text as historical or written after the fact, to those suffering under the Greek hellenization policy under the tyrant Antiochus IV in the years 167to 164 B.C., It was a plea to hold strong to the convent and Jewish values (Hartman pp. 43-54).

The book of Daniel, for the purpose of this essay, 1-6 are a collection of accounts concerning Daniel and 7-12 are the revelations or prophecies. With in these texts we find such symbolism as The Four Beasts, The Ram and the He-Goat, The interpretation of the 70 weeks and the revelation of the Greek wars. Below we will discuss three of these topics. As we slowly progress through the texts explaining each of these symbols, we may be able to come to the conclusion that there may have been more than one writer, and that parts of the texts were written during the Greek period using the guise of the 6th century. This was not done for deceptive practices but possibly to preserve the writing from Greek censorship.

And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. (Dan 7:3 KJVA)

Above the four beasts symbolize the Babylonian, Median, Persian, and Greek empires. The lion, with three fangs, represents Babylon and their three kings as the fangs. These symbolize; Nebuchadnezzar, the less popular Evilmerodach (Jer. 52:31), and finally Belshazzar. The Medes were represented as the bear, that is less dangerous then the lion and attacks only when provoked and stands on its hind legs like a man when attacking. This represents Darius the Mede. The Leopard represents the Persian Empire, and its four head represent Cyrus, Ahasuerus, Artaxerxes, and Darius II. The fourth beast, the most terrifying which there is no animal description to attach it to symbolizes the Greek Kingdom of the Seleucids. The ten kings represented would be Alexander the Great, Alexander Aegus, Seleucus I, Antiochus I Antiochus II, Seleucus II, Seleucus III, Antiochus III, Seleucus IV, and finally Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The writer believed that Antiochus IV Epiphanes would be the last ruler and that Israel would rule the kingdom. However this never materialized (Hartman pp. 213-215).

Moving on to the topic of the Ram and the He goat, the two horned ram here represents the Kingdom of the Medes and Persians. The one horned He- Goat represents the kingdom of Alexander the Great. After his early passing after conquering the Persian Empire his kingdom was spit apart and divided among his four generals. However, the author here may be referring to the four Greek kingdoms that sprang up. In the end in Daniel 8:9 the little horn represents Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Below we read of the account.

And it happened, after that Alexander son of Philip, the Macedonian, who came out of the land of Chettiim, had smitten Darius king of the Persians and Medes, that he reigned in his stead, the first over Greece, And made many wars, and won many strong holds, and slew the kings of the earth, And went through to the ends of the earth, and took spoils of many nations, insomuch that the earth was quiet before him; whereupon he was exalted and his heart was lifted up. And he gathered a mighty strong host and ruled over countries, and nations, and kings, who became tributaries unto him. And after these things he fell sick, and perceived that he should die.

Wherefore he called his servants, such as were honourable, and had been brought up with him from his youth, and parted his kingdom among them, while he was yet alive. So Alexander reigned twelves years, and then died. And his servants bare rule every one in his place. And after his death they all put crowns upon themselves; so did their sons after them many years: and evils were multiplied in the earth. And there came out of them a wicked root Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes, son of Antiochus the king, who had been an hostage at Rome, and he reigned in the hundred and thirty and seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks. (1Ma 1:1-10 KJVA)

The vision of the “Seventy Weeks of Years” to most is very confusing. In Daniel nine there is a interesting technique known as pesharim, which in short, means biblical interpretations. The writer would put new interpretations on a text by combining it with other texts. This process is used today all to well, and it seems rather humorous that the modern day prophets have picked up this technique to the point of perfection. It was used by the biblical writers, and more commonly in the Dead Sea scrolls. The writer of Daniel 9 uses pesharim here to convert the prophecy of Jeremiah 25:11-12, and changes it to propose a prediction to the end of persecution of the Jews by Antiochus IV Epiphanes. So the writer of Daniel 9, to explain the seventy years found in Jeremiah, and to instill confidence, changes the prophesy to “weeks of years” and shows that the 490 years are almost at an end. Also it may be proper here to discuss the “abomination of desolation” . simply put it refers to Antiochus IV Epiphanes defaming the temple by sacrificing pork on the alter and worshiping Zeus in the temple. Below we read of this account:

Not long after this the king sent an old man of Athens to compel the Jews to depart from the laws of their fathers, and not to live after the laws of God: And to pollute also the temple in Jerusalem, and to call it the temple of Jupiter Olympius; and that in Garizim, of Jupiter the Defender of strangers, as they did desire that dwelt in the place. The coming in of this mischief was sore and grievous to the people: For the temple was filled with riot and revelling by the Gentiles, who dallied with harlots, and had to do with women within the circuit of the holy places, and besides that brought in things that were not lawful. The altar also was filled with profane things, which the law forbiddeth. Neither was it lawful for a man to keep sabbath days or ancient fasts, or to profess himself at all to be a Jew. And in the day of the king’s birth every month they were brought by bitter constraint to eat of the sacrifices; and when the fast of Bacchus was kept, the Jews were compelled to go in procession to Bacchus, carrying ivy.

Moreover there went out a decree to the neighbour cities of the heathen, by the suggestion of Ptolemee, against the Jews, that they should observe the same fashions, and be partakers of their sacrifices: And whoso would not conform themselves to the manners of the Gentiles should be put to death. Then might a man have seen the present misery. For there were two women brought, who had circumcised their children; whom when they had openly led round about the city, the babes handing at their breasts, they cast them down headlong from the wall. And others, that had run together into caves near by, to keep the sabbath day secretly, being discovered by Philip, were all burnt together, because they made a conscience to help themselves for the honour of the most sacred day. (2Ma 6:1-11 KJVA)

Above we have covered some of the main themes and where proper have shown the events and importance of the Apocryphal books of Maccabees I &II. The author strongly encourages reading of the Apocryphal books for they are rich and colorful and at times provide insight into some of the questions we may have. The next topic will be concerning the prophecies found in Revelation. We will see some of the same writing techniques, metaphors, and symbolism, used in referring to the Roman persecution of the new Christian church. In closing, the author find it necessary to highlight the most compelling examples of martyrdoms for the sake of the covenant. Two are found in 2 Maccabees chapters 6 and 7. Below one example is given in full to clarify the intensity of the Jewish refusal to be Hellenized.

Eleazar, one of the principal scribes, an aged man, and of a well favoured countenance, was constrained to open his mouth, and to eat swine’s flesh. But he, choosing rather to die gloriously, than to live stained with such an abomination, spit it forth, and came of his own accord to the torment, As it behoved them to come, that are resolute to stand out against such things, as are not lawful for love of life to be tasted. But they that had the charge of that wicked feast, for the old acquaintance they had with the man, taking him aside, besought him to bring flesh of his own provision, such as was lawful for him to use, and make as if he did eat of the flesh taken from the sacrifice commanded by the king; That in so doing he might be delivered from death, and for the old friendship with them find favour. But he began to consider discreetly, and as became his age, and the excellency of his ancient years, and the honour of his gray head, whereon was come, and his most honest education from a child, or rather the holy law made and given by God: therefore he answered accordingly, and willed them straightways to send him to the grave. For it becometh not our age, said he, in any wise to dissemble, whereby many young persons might think that Eleazar, being fourscore years old and ten, were now gone to a strange religion; And so they through mine hypocrisy, and desire to live a little time and a moment longer, should be deceived by me, and I get a stain to mine old age, and make it abominable. For though for the present time I should be delivered from the punishment of men: yet should I not escape the hand of the Almighty, neither alive, nor dead. Wherefore now, manfully changing this life, I will shew myself such an one as mine age requireth, And leave a notable example to such as be young to die willingly and courageously for the honourable and holy laws. And when he had said these words, immediately he went to the torment: They that led him changing the good will they bare him a little before into hatred, because the foresaid speeches proceeded, as they thought, from a desperate mind. But when he was ready to die with stripes, he groaned, and said, It is manifest unto the Lord, that hath the holy knowledge, that whereas I might have been delivered from death, I now endure sore pains in body by being beaten: but in soul am well content to suffer these things, because I fear him. And thus this man died, leaving his death for an example of a noble courage, and a memorial of virtue, not only unto young men, but unto all his nation. (2Ma 6:18-31 KJVA)

Brown, E. Raymond., Fitzmyer, Joseph. And Murphy, Ronalde. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice-Hall, Inc, New Jersey, 1990.

Hartman, Louis F and DiLella, Alexander A. “The Book of Daniel,” In The Anchor Bible, vol. 23, eds. William Foxwell Albright and David Noel Freedman. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1978.

Walton, John H, Matthews, Victor H. and Chavalas, Mark W. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. InterVarsity Press. Illinois 2000.

All biblical references were taken from the 1769 King James Version of the Holy Bible Apocrypha.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Ancient Near East, Bible, Old Testament, Prophecy, Religion

Posted by: religionthink | December 7, 2006

The Sword Rages in Their Cities: The Role of the P…

The Sword Rages in Their Cities: The Role of the Prophet Part V

We come to another complex setting, when viewing the events in which Hosea wrote. Also, worth mentioning here, the prophet Amos and Hosea were counterparts and wrote almost at the same time period. So far we have discussed the different views of the prophets Isaiah and Mica and their roles. As with Amos, Hosea also will rail against corruption and the influence that the cult of Baal had of the worshipers of Yahweh; and both believe that the coming destruction is due to the broken convent. In the text of Hosea, Yahweh is the holy warrior, but this time is comes to make war with his chosen people. We find one text that also shows the responsibility of the real prophet. At times like Amos, Jonah, Moses, Isaiah, and others found the task daunting and under the stress they felt inadequate to present the message given. Especially, if it is unwelcome chastisement of a nation, but as Amos puts it: The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy? (Amo 3:8 NRSV) Below, we will discuss the role of Hosea and the political and religious background under which he wrote his oracles.

Hosea’s writing come to us at a time when there was great turmoil in the political landscape of the Israeli government structure. It is believed that the oracles of Hosea were written between 750-732 B.C. After the successful reign and death of Jeroboam II (786-746 B.C.), Israel started to deteriorate and its influence politically started to waver. Jeroboam II was able to have prosperity because at this time Assyria had its own problems at home, with weak rulers and enemies. However, in the next 20 years after the death of Jeroboam II, the ambitious king Tiglathpileser III came to power and pressure mounted. In Israel, the nation fell to assassinations, revolutions, and social upheaval. Within 20 years after Jeroboam II’s death, as many as six kings would rule Israel. These accounts can be read in the text of II Kings 14-17.

In the end, King Hosea, who was appointed by Assyria as a vassal, joined a coalition against Assyria and was taken captive after a siege and the capital of Samaria was destroyed and Israel was led into exile. It is in this climate that Hosea gets the calling:

The word of the Lord that came to Hosea son of Beeri, in the days of Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah, and in the days of King Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel. When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take for yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.” (Hos 1:1-2 NRSV)

Hosea is from the northern kingdom of Israel and he shares his theology with Jeremiah and the texts of Deuteronomy. Due to this possibility, it is believed by some, the Hosea may be the most edited book, because the writings in the north were filtered and rewritten by the southern scribes after the fall. The texts start out as chapters 1-3 being an allegoric marriage to a harlot. There is debate on whether the marriage that Hosea is commanded to make with a harlot was actually played out or if it was written as a metaphor. Regardless if the actual marriage happened or not, the allegory message of Yahweh to Israel as a form of prophetic technique is seen in other texts. Yahweh tells the prophet to act out a certain scenario as an allegory to the message given. We see this happen in Ezekiel, as one eaxmple.

In the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. And utter an allegory to the rebellious house and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Set on the pot, set it on, pour in water also; put in it the pieces, all the good pieces, the thigh and the shoulder; fill it with choice bones. Take the choicest one of the flock, pile the logs under it; boil its pieces, seethe also its bones in it. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city, the pot whose rust is in it, whose rust has not gone out of it! Empty it piece by piece, making no choice at all. (Eze 24:1-6 NRSV)

The next section of writings, chapters 4:1 -9:9 are oracles against the people, priests, and kings. It is within this time that Yahweh expands from being a tribal god to a universal god. In the past, the admission of other gods were present however in these such oracles, as with Isaiah, Yahweh, now a universal god, distains the practices what have been integrated into his ceremonial, and temple rites. The Asherahs, Anats, Astartes and Baals of the people and house of Yahweh would have to be cleansed. It is in these texts that Yahweh becomes so offended at the practice that he devalues the temple and sacrifices because they have become saturated with the rites and elements of the Baal cults. As mentioned in Isaiah, in Hosea we read of this also:

Though they offer choice sacrifices, though they eat flesh, the Lord does not accept them. Now he will remember their iniquity, and punish their sins; they shall return to Egypt. (Hos 8:13 NRSV)

Lastly we come to the poems accounting Israel’s history of sinfulness in chapters 9:10-14:10. Here it seems that the case for judgment and exile is laid out, and the offences are brought to light. Yahweh, the holy warrior of Israel is now set to wage war against Israel and Baal once again. Due to the violation of the covenant Israel will be scattered and strangers will occupy her land. Many modern day “prophets” try to fulfill the same role. Today many things may be metaphorically attributed to Baal. And any time there is turmoil, war political unrest prophets come out by the droves. It seems that more and more they are there to cash in or the misery of the people. They preach it everyday, and not just when doom and gloom are in the air. They may not write books or novels, rent convention halls, and prey on the emotions of the masses for their own agenda. We may take a lesson from Hosea’s writings about the saturation of idolatry in the rituals, rites, and worship of our own time.

We need to ask ourselves are the sacrifices more important then justice or the covenant? Also, is prophesy for the sake of prophesying doing our society good? And how many “prophets” experience a catharsis, and are overcome by the great commission? How many can say as Isaiah, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”, before we start writing books and talking? In our next essay we will discuss the book of Daniel and highlight some misconceptions about the revelations, using the texts of the intertestamental period. In the texts of Maccabees I and II we will see how the writings correspond to the time of Greek occupation of the Jews.

Armstrong Karen, A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, NY: Ballantine Books, 1993.

Brown, E. Raymond., Fitzmyer, Joseph. And Murphy, Ronalde. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice-Hall, Inc, New Jersey, 1990.

Oden Robert, The Old Testament: An Introduction [sixteen lectures on eight audiocassettes] (Springfield, VA 22150: SuperStar Teachers/The Teaching Company, second edition, 1995), Lecture 12: “Amos and Hosea.”

Walton, John H, Matthews, Victor H. and Chavalas, Mark W. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. InterVarsity Press. Illinois 2000.

Quoted biblical texts are taken from the New Revised Standard Version.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Baal, Bible, Judaism, Old Testament, Prophecy, Religion

Posted by: religionthink | December 7, 2006

Zion Shall Be Redeemed By Justice: The Role of the…

Zion Shall Be Redeemed By Justice: The Role of the Prophets Part IV

Concerning Isaiah and his role as a prophet, we come upon an interesting dilemma that Israel was in politically at the time the oracles from Isaiah were given. At this time in history so much was happening that at times it is hard to keep track of what was occurring. We find Isaiah at a time when Syria and Israel invaded Judah to force it into forming a coalition to attack Assyria. This ended with the result of Assyria conquering both Israel and Syria in 733-732 B.C.

Then again, Isaiah would speak out against Egypt’s attempt to persuade Judah to revolt against Assyria in 714 B.C. under King Hezekiah. The revolt was put down in 701 B.C. with Hezekiah surrendering and paying a large debt; which is found in the biblical texts in II Kings 18:13-16. An ancient Near Eastern text exists of the Assyrian king boasting about the surrender. In this essay we will be dealing with strictly chapters 1-39 due to the fact that none of the later texts can be dated with confidence after 701 B.C.

When reading the oracles of Isaiah we find that certain themes run through the texts. A few of them being that Yahweh controls all nations and their destinies, Yahweh’s master plan and policies are carries out on the historical platform, and any human who has plans to the contrary are doomed to fail. Also, themes against pride, the need for judgment, and justice run thick through out the text as it did with Micah. Isaiah also leaves room for hope as Micah. Being from the Zion tradition and the covenant we read in Isaiah 2:2-4:

In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isa 2:2-4 NRSV)

In the view of Isaiah it was wrong for one, person or nation, to peruse their own destines. Failure to faithfully trust in Yahweh, in his mind, displayed a lack of faith. Therefore judgment was needed to chastise and to bring about reform and compliance. It was these themes that shaped his chastisement of Judah, and the devastation that was happening around him. Isaiah felt it was his responsibility to chastise the people because he felt he was commissioned to by Yahweh.

In no way am I trying to minimize the writings and oracles of Isaiah; but the topic of destiny and the role God plays on the political table are still alive and well today. Themes used by the biblical figures can be applied to almost any tragedy or platform where they are needed. Failure to faithfully trust in Yahweh, still displays a lack of faith, and at times patriotism or citizenship no matter who the God or gods. The themes mentioned above seem to be well used by some in television ministry, radio, and internet.

So are these people who hold such views prophets? Are we still huddled in our corners worried about Jerry Falwell’s “New World Order”? Or, are they the people who hold the biblical world view that when one strays from God’s covenant, social, political, and religious plan that destruction is at hand. But can this be applied to tragedies that happen as a part of being human on this earth? If the last argument is answered with a “yes” then we must ask ourselves why those who follow God and his covenant suffer also. What about the Job complex? Next we will discuss what role Hosea played as a prophet and the issues that he had to confront in his day.

Brown, E. Raymond., Fitzmyer, Joseph. And Murphy, Ronalde. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice-Hall, Inc, New Jersey, 1990.

Walton, John H, Matthews, Victor H. and Chavalas, Mark W. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. InterVarsity Press. Illinois 2000.

Quoted biblical texts are taken from the New Revised Standard Version.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Ancient Near East, Bible, Old Testament, Prophecy, Religion

Posted by: religionthink | September 9, 2006

For this I will Lament and Wail: Role of the Proph…

For this I will Lament and Wail: Role of the Prophets Part III.

One of the pressing issues that so many seem to be confused with is the issue of prophesy. In the last essays on the topic, we covered the roles of a few prophets when Israel was a nation. However, this all changed when they were conquered. As mentioned, in the last essay “The Role of the Early Prophets”, we will examine the role of some of the later prophets particularly; Micah, Isaiah, and Hosea. We will see how the role of this office changed when Israel was no longer independent. We need to understand what time period each prophet was from and the set of circumstances, both politically and religiously, that each prophet was facing.

Looking first to Micah, it is thought that his first writings were just before the Tiglathpileser III’s Assyrian invasion of Israel’s Northern capital of Samaria in 722 B.C. The text of Micah consists of seven chapters. The composition consists of oracles of destruction followed by oracles of promise. It is a patchwork of editing. Some believe that 2:12-13 and parts of chapters 4 and 5 are later additions. Mainly, Micah seen the coming threat and started warning the people.

Micah saw the advancing Assyrian army as the arm of Yahweh moving against Samaria as a form of punishment to the people. We see this happening today also. After the devastating attacks on the twin towers many said it was brought on by an angry god because of homosexuality, Hollywood, and a host of other perceived sinful acts and conditions in our society. Micah complained also about a false sense of security that prevailed.

Micah was the accuser in the name of Yahweh. So just like some of the other prophets he was concerned with social and political justice and rails on the corruption that in his view, had become a part of the reason for the fall of Samaria. A ray of hope is put in the middle of the writings, where the temple will be restored, people from all nations will come to worship, and a new ruler will be in place who will promote peace and sin will be eliminated.

Putting all this into modern day perspective we have seen this type of scenario run its course many times. The Assyrians were sweeping across the landscape in that region conquering the surrounding nations and it was only a matter of time. Sin or no sin the same would come to Israel. When a nation is facing an unknown adversary or an unknown fear, the prophets start their work. This, in my opinion, serves a three fold purpose. First, it causes self reflection on ones place in the world and life’s meaning. Next, it unites a nation or group behind a common cause. And lastly it gives a people, group, or nation the ability to act or prepare. In the end we see an address to the enemy:

But as for me, I will look to the Lord, I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. I must bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he takes my side and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall see his vindication. Then my enemy will see, and shame will cover her who said to me, “Where is the Lord your God?” My eyes will see her downfall; now she will be trodden down like the mire of the streets. (Mic 7:7-10)

So the question should be asked, Is this a prediction of the future, or is this a religious elder who took it upon himself to express his views of why the coming destruction was about to come? So do people like Dr. Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, Jerry Falwell, and other serve a purpose in our society? Many questions can arise on such a hot topic issue, especially in the United States where fervent religious convictions can lead to such views of the world. As it was in Micah’s time, such perceptions of the world offer us the chance to reflect of our lives if we believe or not. Next we will take a look at Isaiah and his views of the pending destruction and examine his political and religious role in Israel’s society.


Brown, E. Raymond., Fitzmyer, Joseph. And Murphy, Ronalde. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice-Hall, Inc, New Jersey, 1990.


Walton, John H, Matthews, Victor H. and Chavalas, Mark W. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. InterVarsity Press. Illinois 2000.


Quoted biblical texts are taken from the New Revised Standard Version.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Bible, Old Testament, Prophecy, Religion

Posted by: religionthink | August 14, 2006

The Role of the Prophets The traditional definiti…

The Role of the Prophets


The traditional definition of a prophet, as we know it, is one who has the ability to predict the future. This modern belief distorts our view in what the prophet’s role was and the meaning of his job in the Old Testament. The prophets of the Old Testament, although there was a apocalyptic strain that appeared after Israel lost her independence, prophets only told which was predictable based on events that were taking place. We should not always look for unknown predictions of Christ in the text, for when we do this we tend to miss some very important truths buried within these writings. Many, because of their failure to study early Israeli history fail to see the definition and role of the prophet. Below we will discuss the biblical definition of a prophet and we shall look at some examples on how it was established and how the office changed over time.

The biblical answer is one who is called by Yahweh to deliver a message, a person who has heard the proceedings of the Divine Council and is told to tell the people. Three example of this occurring is in I Kings 22:18-24. Below we read the following:

The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy anything favorable about me, but only disaster?” Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, with all the host of heaven standing beside him to the right and to the left of him. And the Lord said, “Who will entice Ahab, so that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ Then one said one thing, and another said another, until a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, “I will entice him.’ “How?’ the Lord asked him. He replied, “I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then the Lord said, “You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do it.’ So you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the Lord has decreed disaster for you.” Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah came up to Micaiah, slapped him on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?”

A fine example of the Divine Council is found in Psalms 82. Here Yahweh is chastising the gods, or as better known the “Sons of Men”, for taking advantage of the people. He threatens the gods with mortality if they don’t change their pattern of behavior. Below we read:

God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? (Selah) Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk around in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. I say, “You are gods, children of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, you shall die like mortals, and fall like any prince.” Rise up, O God, judge the earth; for all the nations belong to you!

And lastly, we find an example within the text of Jeremiah 23:13-19:

In the prophets of Samaria I saw a disgusting thing: they prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray. But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a more shocking thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from wickedness; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah. Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets: “I am going to make them eat wormwood, and give them poisoned water to drink; for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land.” Thus says the Lord of hosts: Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you; they are deluding you. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They keep saying to those who despise the word of the Lord, “It shall be well with you”; and to all who stubbornly follow their own stubborn hearts, they say, “No calamity shall come upon you.” For who has stood in the council of the Lord so as to see and to hear his word? Who has given heed to his word so as to proclaim it? Look, the storm of the Lord! Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked.

During the early Israeli period the prophets or the “pre classical” oracles did different jobs as time past and the jobs accumulated to that office. None of these prophets we will mention ever forgot, but added to the functions of their predecessors. The three examples that we will look at are the roles of Deborah, Samuel, and Elijah. Elijah will accumulate the roles of his predecessors along with the new.

Deborah comes to us in Judges, chapters 4 and 5. Here we have a holy war poem, possibly one of the oldest, that tell us of her role. From the text we learn that Deborah’s role was declaring holy war.

The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died. So the Lord sold them into the hand of King Jabin of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-ha-goiim. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and had oppressed the Israelites cruelly twenty years. At that time Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgment. She sent and summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you, “Go, take position at Mount Tabor, bringing ten thousand from the tribe of Naphtali and the tribe of Zebulun. I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the Wadi Kishon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him into your hand.’ ” Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” And she said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh. (Jdg 4:1-9 NRSV)

Samuel’s role was not only to declare Holy War but to anoint Kings and act as a balance to the new office of kingship. Samuel engages in free criticism of the king, which resulted in a power struggle between the two offices. In Samuel 10:1-9, we find Samuel anointing Saul as king.

Samuel took a vial of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him; he said, “The Lord has anointed you ruler over his people Israel. You shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their enemies all around. Now this shall be the sign to you that the Lord has anointed you ruler over his heritage: When you depart from me today you will meet two men by Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah; they will say to you, “The donkeys that you went to seek are found, and now your father has stopped worrying about them and is worrying about you, saying: What shall I do about my son?’ Then you shall go on from there further and come to the oak of Tabor; three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three kids, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine. They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall accept from them. After that you shall come to Gibeath-elohim, at the place where the Philistine garrison is; there, as you come to the town, you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the shrine with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre playing in front of them; they will be in a prophetic frenzy. Then the spirit of the Lord will possess you, and you will be in a prophetic frenzy along with them and be turned into a different person. Now when these signs meet you, do whatever you see fit to do, for God is with you. And you shall go down to Gilgal ahead of me; then I will come down to you to present burnt offerings and offer sacrifices of well-being. Seven days you shall wait, until I come to you and show you what you shall do.” As he turned away to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all these signs were fulfilled that day. (1Sa 10:1-9 NRSV)

Later in Samuel 15:14-18, we read of Samuel openly criticizing King Saul:

But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears, and the lowing of cattle that I hear?” Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the cattle, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed.” Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” He replied, “Speak.” Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And the Lord sent you on a mission, and said, “Go, utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ (1Sa 15:14-18 NRSV)

Lastly, we will see that Elijah combines all the prophetic functions. In 1 Kings 18:40 he declares holy war, 1 Kings 19:15-16 he anoints a king, and in 1 Kings 18:17-18 he criticizes the King.

When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” He answered, “I have not troubled Israel; but you have, and your father’s house, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals. (1Ki 18:17-18 NRSV)

Now that we have discussed the role of the early prophets, in the next essay, we will look at the forms of prophetic speech that is used to help us better understand the material. Some examples of this will be from later prophets, like Micah, Isaiah, and Hosea. We will also see how the role of the prophet changed after Israel was no longer a free nation.

Robert Oden, The Old Testament: An Introduction [sixteen lectures on eight audiocassettes] (Springfield, VA 22150: SuperStar Teachers/The Teaching Company, second edition, 1995), Lecture 11: “Prophesy In Israel and the Ancient Near East”

Leave a Comment

Posted in Ancient Near East, Baal, Bible, Judaism, Old Testament, Prophecy, Religion

Posted by: religionthink | August 14, 2006

For Who Hath Stood in the Counsel of the LORD?: A …

For Who Hath Stood in the Counsel of the LORD?: A Look at Modern Prophesy.

With all the tension occurring in the Middle East many are happy to jump on the prophesy bandwagon. We all run and buy the “Left Behind” books and movies, huddle in the corner with our bibles open to the texts of Daniel and Revelation in one hand and our newspapers in the other. We need to stop and ask ourselves how relevant is prophesy and why do so many cling to that particular gift rather then to something more practical like healing the sick, or raising the dead. Perhaps prophesy is easier, because if one is wrong about a prediction, it is easier to rework the math rather then calling forth a loved one from the grave and still have them stay in their eternal slumber. Less embarrassment I surmise.

In the next few essays I would like to delve into what it required to be a prophet in the Old Testament. Yahweh hated the false prophet as we will see in a future essay. A few questions we will look at are; how many times could you be wrong and still be considered to be a mouth piece of Yahweh? What were the requirements of a prophet? Are the biblical texts road maps on what will occur in the future? and lastly, Why did Pat Robinson need to write “Planet Earth 2000.” if he wrote the widely popular “Late Great Planet Earth.” previously?

To start off we will explore what Yahweh said the Jeremiah concerning such people. Below we read:

Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it? Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked. (Jer 23:15-19 KJV)

So we can see one of the very first requirements of a prophet with is this text is a simple one. Yahweh asks Jeremiah : For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it? In this text most think well if I am in tune with God, I will be able to be his mouth piece. This assumption is wrong. This verse asks the question who has stood in the heavenly court and witnessed the proceedings of heaven and who has been told what to say, and who wrote it down. As we know, many have, Ezekiel, Daniel, John, Jeremiah, and the list goes on. So that puts the question to us, For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it? Not many.

And how many times can a prophet be wrong? In the Old Testament Yahweh did not give one to many tries as some are given today. Being wrong one time clearly was an indication that you were in fact not a prophet. We read this in the text below:

The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him. (Jer 28:9 KJV)

So the result comes in Ezekiel 13:8-9:

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord GOD. And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

As we see those who are wrong are cut off from God, the temple, family and nation. In the next few essays we will try to iron out a few issues concerning prophesy and possibly by doing so we may be less gullible to ride every prophesy theory that lumbers by. Also, possibly we might gain more respect for the writings of the prophets if we understand them in a different context then we are use to.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Old Testament, Prophecy, Religion

« Newer Posts

Categories