Handout 24
I. The Major Prophets – The Big Three, + One:
Isaiah
lived during the Divided Kingdom period; he lives through the destruction of Samaria.
Major themes:
- Chs. 1–39 refer to:
- Chs. 40–66 refer to:
Jeremiah
Jeremiah predicted and lived through the destruction of Jerusalem.
-
He repeatedly calls Judah/Israel …
-
In something of a surprise, he tells Judah to …
-
He explicitly predicts that the exile will last …
He explicitly speaks of the …
Remember: The old covenant ≠ the Old Testament. The old covenant =
Ezekiel
Was taken to Babylon in the 2nd deportation (597 BC; 10 yrs. before Jerusalem fell); so he prophesied from Babylon during the exile.
The book has multiple visions, and has apocalyptic visions of the end-times.
-
It opens with an extended vision of …
Which implies what?
-
It ends with an extended vision of …
Daniel
Daniel was taken to Babylon in the 1st deportation (605 BC); so the book (its narratives & its visions) all take place there. It has dramatic visions of the future. .
II. The Three Clusters of Minor Prophets:
A. During the Divided Kingdom = Before the Fall of Samaria:
Hosea
- Noteworthy fact: God tells Hosea to …
Amos – Amos is often called …
-
The book begins (chs. 1–3) with a cycle of judgment oracles, each of which begins with the expression:
-
The expression is a rhythmic device that signals the beginning of a new oracle, and probably carries the sense, “The more I think about them, the madder I get.”
-
The oracles in chs. 1–3 are pronounced against the nations surrounding Judah and NK Israel, but …
Micah
- Explicitly predicts …
- Micah 5:2 mentions …
Jonah
- You know the “great fish” account; but what city was Jonah sent to? Does the city repent? How does Jonah respond?
Joel
-
Is hard to date. [Your prof favors the divided kingdom period; others favor early post-exilic.]
- Joel has a dramatic vision of …
- He also has a vision of …
B. During ‘Judah Alone’ = Before the Fall of Jerusalem:
Nahum
- Is written concerning the nation of …
- What other minor prophet addresses Nineveh?
- The name “Nahum” means …
Habakkuk
- consists of …
Zephaniah
- Pronounces judgment against Judah and four other nations, in the “great day of the Lord.“ But it ends with …
C-1. A Possibly(??) Early Exilic Minor Prophet: Obadiah.
- Or, Obadiah might date to the Div. Kingdom; if so, probably ±840 BC, when Edom raided Judah.
- A noteworthy feature: the book of Obadiah is …
- The book of Obadiah is about …
- In the prophetic books, Edom / Esau sometimes seems to be used as …
C-2. An Early Exilic Book from the “Writings”: Lamentations.
-
Lamentations is not(!) …
-
But it is mentioned here because it is short, and is related to a prophet; the prophet …
- Q: So what is the book of Lamentations about?
- A: It is …
C-3. Post-Exilic Period; Judah is now under what empire? __ .
- Haggai & Zechariah
- Both date themselves to …
- Both urge …
- Both are mentioned in …
Haggai
-
Haggai re-iterates the general principle that …
-
Haggai poses the
Q:
A:
Zechariah
- __
- __
- The book of Zechariah makes a lot more sense if …
Malachi
- Malachi is definitely …
- Most of the book is a set of disputes between God and Judah.
- Two important closing notes: Malachi 4:4 Malachi 4:5