According to His beneficent purpose, the covenant promises were to have met fulfillment in large measure during the centuries following the return of the Israelites from the lands of their captivity. But the manner in which it is carried out may change because man may change. Hosea. Before the Israelites entered the Promised Land, God warned them not to forget that the blessings they were to enjoy there if they cooperated with Him would come as divine gifts (see Deuteronomy 8:7-14), not primarily as the result of their own wisdom and skill (verses 17-19). Webcation of Jeremiah as a true prophet. Far from becoming the light of the world, the Jews shut themselves away from the world as a safeguard against being seduced into idolatry (see Deuteronomy 11:26, 27; cf. Encouraging Hezekiah and the people through his own trust in God, he was instrumental in saving Jerusalem. Seventh-day Adventists believe that, generally speaking, the promises and predictions given through the Old Testament prophets originally applied to literal Israel and were to have been fulfilled to them on the condition that they obey God and remain loyal to Him. WebIsaiah, Jeremiah, and Lamentations 82 cards. In the endeavor to account for this seeming enigma, Bible expositors have set forth various explanations: 1. ), success must and will comethrough Israel after the spirit. The older generation place him in the 9th century B.C., whereas most commentators are now inclined to assign him either to the time of King Josiah or to the postexilic period. Literal Jews may still find salvation by being grafted into spiritual Israel, in precisely the same way that Gentiles are to be grafted in (verses 23, 24). The prophet was a citizen of Judah, but delivered messages to the kingdom of Israel as well. No, there were three prophets of God who followed Isaiah. It was Gods design that the whole earth be prepared for the first advent of Christ, even as to-day the way is preparing for His second coming. WebEzekiels use of dramatic prophetic signs, his rejection of collective divine punishment and assertion of individual responsibility are discussed. Strangely, no evidence suggests that any of these knew in person any of the others. He saw the destruction of Jerusalem and of the Beth Hamikdosh, after his warnings and prophecies fell on deaf ears. Consideration is given to the role of literal Israel as Gods chosen people, to the way His plan for them was to have been accomplished, to the way in which it actually did work out, and to the eventual transfer of the privileges and responsibilities of literal Israel to spiritual Israel, that is, to the Christian church. As individuals and as a nation God proposed to furnish the people of Israel with every facility for becoming the greatest nation on the earth (see Deuteronomy 4:6-8; 7:6, 14; 28:1; Jeremiah 33:9; Malachi 3:12). Thus it was also with Samuel, Elijah, John the Baptist (see on Matthew 3:4), John the Beloved (see on Mark 3:17), and many others. Daniel 5:25-28; Matthew 21:40-43; 22:3-10; Luke 14:24). Thus it was with Moses, of whom, to the very day of his death, it could be said that his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated (Deuteronomy 34:7). Isaiah would not have known about the events to come without Gods help. He belonged to a family of priests whose home town was Anathoth. Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, however, did. None of Judahs last four kings trusted in the Lord, so Jeremiahs ministry was rejected by all of them. JEREMIAH His word endureth for ever (1 Peter 1:25). Answer Jeremiah was one of the major prophets of ancient Israel and a key figure in the Old Testament. Isaiah and Jeremiahs preaching against false idols and false prophets, mutual oppressions between nations, and against general injustice remains timely. Jeremiah sank into the mud, according to the biblical account. If these rules are consistently followed the resulting interpretation can be accepted with confidence. But they are to be saved as Christians and not as Jews. Micah states that his ministry fell in the time of the kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (chapter 1:1). The people might approach God personally and through the ministry of a mediating priesthood, their representatives before Him; He would direct the nation through the ministry of prophets, His appointed representatives to them. Predictions of national disgrace, rejection, and woe that were to result from apostasy would never have been realized. Since no conclusive evidence for any of these three views exists, all are presented here: 1. After the great final call to the world to acknowledge the true God, those who persisted in refusing allegiance to Him would unite together with the evil thought of laying siege to the city of Jerusalem and taking it by force of arms, in order to appropriate to themselves the material advantages with which God had blessed His people (Ezekiel 38:8-12; Jeremiah 25:32; Joel 3:1, 12; Zechariah 12:2-9; 14:2; cf. In which century B.C. Sinai God entered into covenant relation with Israel as a nation (Exodus 19:1-8; 24:3-8; Deuteronomy 7:6-14) upon the same basic conditions and with the same ultimate objectives as the Abrahamic covenant. The Book of Isaiah claims to be written by him, and scholars believe he at least wrote part of it. Many years later, in writing to the strangers, or Gentiles (1 Peter 1:1: see on Exodus 12:19, 43), as the elect of God (1 Peter 1:2), Peter refers to them as the chosen ones of God, a holy nation, a peculiar people (chapter 2:9), formerly not a people, but now the people of God (verse 10). Web1 God calls Jeremiah to be prophet in Judah. Though, on the whole, literal Israel failed to realize her exalted destiny, the chosen race did make a worth-while, though imperfect, contribution to the preparation of the world for the first advent of the Messiah (see on Matthew 2:1). Although the Hebrew term naar, youth, or child, by which the prophet designates himself verse (6), does not give an indication of Jeremiahs exact age at the time of his call, the context of the passage in which this word appears seems to favor the interpretation that he was still very young, perhaps less than twenty. Thereafter, God let out his vineyard [see Isaiah 5:1-7] unto other husbandmen who would render him the fruits in their seasons (see on Matthew 21:41). It is true, he says, that national Israel stumbled at the stumblingstone, Jesus Christ (Romans 9:32, 33; 11:11; cf. The kings of Assyria, Babylonia, and Persia, whose dates for this period are well established, are shown in a separate column. By divine appointment the sacred writings were preserved, century after century, and Israel became their custodian (Amos 3:7; Romans 3:1, 2). After Jerusalems fall in 586, Nebuchadnezzar allowed Jeremiah to stay with the remnant of his people who were left in the country (chapter 40:1-6). Nevertheless, Isaiah believed that Judah was Gods chosen nation and they would be vindicated by God. In the lives of Gods people the truths of His word are to reveal their glory and excellence. [1] The prophet received his call while still a young man, during the thirteenth year of King Josiahs reign, about 627 or 626 B.C. The following discussion sets forth the principles of interpretation described under 5, and followed by this commentary, together with the scriptural basis on which these principles rest. Living in a crisis period of his nation, Jeremiah was called to proclaim many messages of reproof and solemn predictions of doom over his people for their disobedience. Rabbinic tradition has it that Isaiah's father, Amoz (not the same as Amos the prophet), was a brother of King Amaziah. They were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come (1 Corinthians 10:11). When Manasseh came to the throne as sole ruler upon his fathers death, approximately in 686, he lost little time in removing the faithful seer. Jeremiah 49:14, 16), and Joel (Obadiah 15, 17; cf. I will call them my people, which were not my people (Romans 9:25, 26). Hearing of all the advantages with which the God of Israel had blessed His people and all the prosperity He had procured for them (Jeremiah 33:9), the pagan nations would admit that their own fathers had inherited lies (chapter 16:19). 4. Then Gabriel came to reassure him of the restoration of his people and the eventual coming of the Messiah (verses 24, 25). 3:5). When the siege of Jerusalem was temporarily lifted at the approach of an Egyptian force, Jeremiah started to leave Jerusalem to go to the land of the tribe of Benjamin. Obadiahs prophecy, directed against Edom, presupposes that a looting of Jerusalem and a carrying away of many Jews into captivity had recently taken place. A Nebuchadnezzar 59 Q But the Scriptures record the fact that they disobeyed God and proved disloyal to Him instead. Inasmuch as it is possible to date the kings of Judah and Israel, especially the later ones, with comparatively high accuracy, the various reigns during which these sixteen prophets ministered have been entered in this chart according to the tentative chronology used in this commentary. In Isaiah The profound conviction that the messages of the prophets had been fulfilled led many to believe in Christ as the Son of God. Having begun his ministry in the time of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam II, king of Israel (chapter 1:1), Hosea continued until the time of Hezekiah, king of Judah (chapter 1:1). It is an undeniable historical fact that, to this day, the majority of these predictions have not been fulfilled. Micah, Hosea, and Jeremiah. Yet the book contains no clear indication of the time in which the prophet lived. 22 quart mirro pressure canner There is no god but He. It is important to note that all the Old Testament promises looking forward to a time of restoration for the Jews were given in anticipation of their return from captivity (see Isaiah 10:24-34; 14:1-7; 27:12, 13; 40:2; 61:4-10; Jeremiah 16:14-16; 23:3-8; 25:11; 29:10-13; 30:3-12; 32:7-27, 37-44; Ezekiel 34:11-15; 37; Amos 9:10-15; Micah 2:12, 13; etc.). Since Josiah came to the throne as a child, he must have lived under a regent, which explains why no king is mentioned by Joel. Haggais courageous ministry was responsible for the resumption of the rebuilding of the Temple in the time of Darius I, after the work had ceased for some time (Ezra 4:24; 5:1). answer. WebThe major prophets are Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, and the other twelve (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi) are minor. Theoretically, the word minor signifies not lesser moral or religious or literary stature but only lesser length. Godlinessgodlikenessis the goal to be reached. chapter 9:7; Isaiah 66:23). Yet, since Gods purposes are immutable (Psalms 33:11; Prov. At times they had an import, not only for the age in which the prophet lived, but also for a day far future; in other words, they had a dual application. While it is thus known that he began his work in 520 and continued until 518 B.C., the end of his prophetic ministry must be left open. Nabopolassar 626 B.C. It is thought, furthermore, that his ministry fell in the years when the high priest Jehoiada acted as regent for the child king Joash (2 Kings 11:17 to 12:2), which fact would explain why the king is not mentioned anywhere in the book, while at the same time the Temple service flourished. The ministry of Amos may therefore have fallen in the years 767-753 B.C. Not only is Malachi last in the sequential order of the prophets; it is also the last prophetic book produced in pre-Christian times. The kingdom was overturned (Ezekiel 21:25-32) and the people removed from the land, which had been theirs only by virtue of the covenant relationship (Hosea 9:3, 15, Micah 2:10; cf. He had told them that He would progressively diminish their strength and honor as a nation until they should all be carried away into captivity (Deuteronomy 28:15-68; 2 Chronicles 36:16, 17). Had Jerusalem known what it was her privilege to know, and heeded the light that Heaven sent her, she would have stood forth in magnificent prosperity, the queen of kingdoms, the mighty metropolis of the earth, and would, like a noble vine, have filled the face of the world with fruit (Isaiah 27:6). He would renew His covenant with them (Jeremiah 31:10-38; Ezekiel 36:21-38; Zechariah 1:12, 17; 2:12), including its accompanying blessings (Jeremiah 33:3, 6-26; Ezekiel 36:8-15). 740-700 B.C. Ch 2: Israel Forsakes God Ch 3:6 Unfaithful Israel Ch 4:5 Disaster From the North Ch 5: Not One Is Upright Ch 6: Jerusalem Under Siege Jer 11 - 12 2, 4 Ch 11: The Covenant Is Broken; Plot Against He states that he ministered under King Josiah (chapter 1:1), who reigned from 640 to 609 B.C. Following this line of interpretation, some have gone to the extreme of proposing a Christian migration to Palestine. It was their unwillingness to submit to the restrictions and requirements of God that prevented them, to a great extent, from reaching the high standard which He desired them to attain, and from receiving the blessings which He was ready to bestow upon them. 7. Ambassadors from one foreign country after another would come to discover, if they might, the great secret of Israels success as a nation, and its leaders would have the opportunity of directing the minds of their visitors to the Source of all good things. A. Paul emphasizes the fact that the rejection of literal Israel as Gods chosen instrument for the salvation of the world does not mean that individual Jews can no longer be saved (chapters 9:6; 11:1, 2, 11, 15), for he is a Jew himself (chapters 9:3; 10:1; 11:1, 2). Zechariah probably belonged to a priestly family (chapter 1:1; cf. This page and its content is copyright 2012. It was probably at this time, when Daniel was nearly 90 years of age, that he was commanded to conclude his book and seal it up (chapter 12:4, 13). The fickle, human will is the weak, unstable factor in conditional prophecy. See Deuteronomy 7:13; 28:2-8; Malachi 3:8-11. WebIsaiah, the first of the prophets considered "major," had an active ministry that centered in Jerusalem. Several of his messages were against various foreign nations. Nehemiah 13:23-27). You may not distribute or commercially use the content on any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system. God placed His people in Palestine, the crossroads of the ancient world, and provided them with every facility for becoming the greatest nation on the face of the earth. WebIt is the same message as Jeremiah's. Nothing is known of the prophet Joel beyond the fact that he was the son of Pethuel (chapter 1:1). In view of the light they had received from God, they were even worse than the heathen, to whom they felt so much superior. Eventually Gods purposes will prevail and the plan of salvation will succeed, irrespective of the failure of any person or group. They cherished the idea that they were favorites of Heaven, and were ungrateful for the opportunities so graciously afforded them. They were to be far in advance of other nations in wisdom and understanding. It was Gods design that the whole earth be prepared for the first advent of Christ, even as to-day the way is preparing for His second coming. 1 Peter 2:9, 10). They were to become a nation of intellectual geniuses, and feebleness of mind would eventually have been unknown among them. We shall be protected against the grossly literal explanation of some expositors concerning the return of literal Israel to literal Palestine to rule the world for a thousand years prior to the close of human probation, and also against other equally unscriptural interpretations that propose to apply allegorically to the church all the details of the promises originally made to literal Israel. Its people were given no promise of complete restoration to their former power in Palestine. God was to be glorified in Israel (Isaiah 49:3) and its people were to be His witnesses (chapters 43:10; 44:8), to reveal to men the principles of His kingdom. Then, two months later, the latter died, doubtless unexpectedly; it was the same month when there would have been a septennial reading of the law of Deuteronomy.11 Any idea that the return of the Jews to their ancestral home, that is, to the new state of Israel, may in any way be related to Bible prophecy is without valid scriptural foundation. Accordingly, the covenant promises and privileges were all permanently transferred from literal to spiritual Israel (Romans 9:4; cf. ), those pointing forward to the eternal rest in Canaan (Isaiah 11:6-9; 35; 65:17-25; 66:20-23; Jeremiah 17:25; Ezekiel 37; 40-48; Zechariah 2:6-12; 14:4-11), and those promising deliverance from her enemies (Isaiah 2:10-21; 24-26; Ezekiel 38; 39; Joel 3; Zephaniah 1; 2; Zechariah 9:9-17; 10-14; etc.