INTRODUCTION TO PROPHETIC LITERATURE

The Hebrew Bible is divided into three main sections: the Law, the Prophets and the Writings. The section known as the Prophets consists of the Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings) and the Latter Prophets (the books that carry the names of particular prophets).

The Former Prophets are sometimes known as the historical books because they deal with the history of the settlement of Canaan, the monarchy and the exile. They contain accounts of the activities of prophets like Elijah, Elisha, Samuel and Nathan.

The books known as the Latter Prophets deal with the closing centuries of the northern and southern kingdoms and with the nation of Judah after the exile. Their focus is not on events but on each prophet’s message. The books in this group can be subdivided into those of the four Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel) and the Book of the Twelve (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi).

Who Were the Prophets?

The prophets became particularly important after 930 BC, when the nation split into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. Elijah, Elisha, Amos and Hosea preached in the northern kingdom before it was destroyed by the Assyrians in 722 BC. Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Jeremiah and Ezekiel focused their preaching on the southern kingdom before it fell to the Babylonians in 587 BC. Daniel ministered during the Babylonian exile, and Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi after the exile. Obadiah was addressed to Edom, and Nahum and Jonah deal with Nineveh.

Of the three different Hebrew words translated “prophet”, two come from roots that mean “see” and are sometimes translated as “seer”. The prophet is thus someone who sees the things of God – things as God wants them to be. The third word translated “prophet” probably comes from the Akkadian root for “call” and refers to someone who is called by God to speak for him and to interpret his will.

The prophets came from different backgrounds. Amos tended flocks and cared for sycamore trees (Amos 7:14). Isaiah was close to the royal house of Judah, and may even have been a relative of King Uzziah (Isa 7:1-9; 37:6-7, 21-35; 38:1-8; 39:3-8). Jeremiah and Ezekiel were from priestly backgrounds (Jer 1:1; Ezek 1:3). In each case, God used their prior experiences to prepare them for their prophetic ministry.

Despite their varied backgrounds, the prophets had much in common. All were devoted to God and ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the message he had given them to proclaim. All had a clear sense of calling. They did not take up this ministry as a profession. Indeed, some were reluctant to accept it, like Jonah and Jeremiah, who complained, “Alas, Sovereign LORD, I do not know how to speak; I am too young” (Jer 1:6). But their deep awareness that God had called and commissioned them kept them going despite intense suffering and serious opposition.

The prophets were primarily messengers who spoke for and on behalf of the Lord. The phrase, “This is what the LORD says” occurs over 350 times in the prophetic literature. The prophets did not give their own messages but delivered messages that God had given to them. Sometimes, the people of Judah and Israel tried to silence them because they failed to understand that the prophets spoke the very words of God.

The Prophets’ Message

Prophets were both forthtellers and foretellers. As forthtellers they presented God’s truth as they received it, to the people, without fear or favour. They pointed out the evils of their day and called on people to repent. They held people accountable to the covenant Israel had made with the Lord. The covenant community was to reflect the character of the God of the covenant, and so they were to practise justice, righteousness, truth and holiness. The prophets called the people back to covenant faithfulness. The prophets were also foretellers. God revealed the near and distant future to them and they revealed it to the people. They spoke of judgement and restoration, of good news and bad news.

The prophets used various means to communicate the message they were given. Many challenged the people through speeches at cultic sites or near the temple (e.g. Jer 7:1-26). Some used parables (e.g. Ezek 24:3); others sang songs (e.g. Isa 5:1). They used sarcasm (e.g. Isa 44:12-17) and asked rhetorical questions (e.g. Amos 3:3-6).

Some acted out their message: Isaiah went naked to show how th Assyrians would lead their captives (Isa 20:2); Jeremiah put on a yoke to indicate servitude (Jer 27:2); Ezekiel lay on one side for many days to indicate the duration of God’s punishment (Ezek 4:4); and Hosea married an adulterous wife to indicate how Israel had been unfaithful to the Lord (Hos 1:2).

The primary theme of most prophets is a call to covenant faithfulness. They constantly reminded the people that the Lord’s delivering them from Egypt and the covenant he had made with them at Mount Sinai were both a privilege and a responsibility. As the Lord’s chosen people they should demonstrate his character in their community living so that the surrounding nations would know him.

They were to live in peace with one another and maintain shalom – the total well-being or wholeness of the other.

A second theme of the prophets is the new exodus. Israel’s identity was derived from the first exodus from Egypt, but the prophets continuously transformed this tradition by adding a forwardlooking dimension. In Deuteronomy the people were warned that unfaithfulness to the covenant would lead to exile, but they were also reassured that they would return (Deut 30:4-6). There would be a new exodus where the people would be brought back to the land. The new exodus would be accompanied by a circumcision of the heart, as well as by the inclusion of others (Isa 42:10-12; 45:22; 51:4-5). The new exodus hope is one of deliverance, journey and arrival at the Lord’s dwelling, whether Jerusalem or Zion. These hopes run into the NT as well, as people from the international arena become part of the new covenant community.

A third common theme is the day of the Lord, which sometimes refers to God’s immediate judgement and at other times to his judgement at the end of time. It includes God’s judgement on unbelievers, the cleansing and purging of God’s people, and the salvation of God’s people. The prophets warned that God would judge all sin wherever he found it, in the lives of the wicked and in the lives of believers. But he would not forget those who followed him faithfully. The day of the Lord would bring terror to the wicked but blessing to the faithful.

A fourth important theme relates to the Messiah, a word that comes from the Hebrew word meaning “anointed one”. Anointing someone with oil symbolised setting that person apart for special service for God and the blessing of the Holy Spirit that would enable them to perform that service. Kings, priests and prophets were anointed. In the OT the phrase “the LORD’s anointed” refers to kings (1 Sam 24:6; 2 Sam 1:14). In the NT the phrase is applied to th Messiah who comes to establish God’s kingdom in power and glory.

None of those the Lord had anointed to be his servants would surpass the Messiah (or Christ, the Greek word for the anointed one). We have seen his coming in the person of Jesus Christ and will see him again in power and glory.

What We Can Learn from the Prophets

Christians are the new covenant people of God, and just as the prophets called people to faithfulness, so we are to call each other to covenant faithfulness (1 Thess 5:11-14). We are to call people back to God and his word both individually and as the church. As God’s people, we must also listen with discernment to those who claim to have the gift of prophesy (1 Cor 12:28; 1 Thess 5:19-22). Those whose prophecies neither match Scripture nor come true are false prophets, who preach their own message and not God’s.

It is tremendously encouraging for the people of God in South Asia to know that God calls his people to prophetic ministry and equips them for that task. But this calling comes with a stern warning that we are to present only the message of God and not our own messages (Jer 23:16-22). We have to sit in the presence of God and hear his message before we can proclaim it to others.

The prophets’ primary audience was usually the people of God, and we should address our message to the church of God. We are among the people of the new exodus, and we are to live accordingly.

We should also share the prophets’ concern for justice, righteousness, truth and holiness in the community and engage with society as a prophetic voice. There are many who are oppressed in South Asia, including dalits, adivasis and women. We need to speak out on their behalf. We are to call all people to live in the light of the day of the Lord, which the prophets show can come many times before the final day of judgement. God is sovereign over all nations and he will call each of us to account.

Finally, the prophets challenge all of us in South Asia not to get caught up in ritualistic practices while failing to obey God or practise justice and righteousness (Isa 1:11-17; Amos 5:21-24). As one commentator put it, God is not interested in rites but in rights!

Paul Swarup