Northern prophets Hosea 8th C and Amos 8th C coming fall of northern kingdom variously called Israel, Ephraim, Samaria
Early prophets 8th C Isaiah, Amos, Hosea and Micah
Pre-exilic prophets who prophesied before and during the fall of Jerusalem Jeremiah, Baruch, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Nahum, Habbakuk and Zephaniah
Exilic prophets Daniel, Jeremiah though he didn't go to Babylon, Deutero-Isaiah
Post exilic prophets Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Obadiah, Trito-Isaiah Re-read Ezra and Nehemiah as additional context for these prophets and re-read 2 Kings for a refresher on Elijah
Prophets who prophesied about the fall of Assyria (Nineveh) in 612 B.C. Jonah
Obadiah might be considered post-exilic and Joel lacks sufficient information to be placed
Assyrian power 800s B.C.
Fall of Samaria at hands of the Assyrians 722 B.C.
Assyria falls, Nineveh 612 B.C.
Babylonions 700s B.C.
Rise of Babylonians 600s B.C.
Fall of Jerusalem 597 B.C.
Final Sacking of Jerusalem 587 B.C.
Showing posts with label Prophet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prophet. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Malachi
Book Written: About 450 B.C. after the temple is restored but before the return of Ezra
Time Period/Setting: post-exilic Jerusalem
Author: The name Malachi means 'my messenger'
The theme is the spiritual desolation of Jerusalem and Malachi's attempt to revive the faith life, especially of the religious leaders
Time Period/Setting: post-exilic Jerusalem
Author: The name Malachi means 'my messenger'
The theme is the spiritual desolation of Jerusalem and Malachi's attempt to revive the faith life, especially of the religious leaders
Zechariah
Book Written: ?
Time Period/Setting: Post-exilic Jerusalem about the years 520 B.C. to 518 B.C.
Author: A contemporary of Haggai
The theme is the rebuilding of the temple and the coming of a Messiah. Zechariah is killed for his efforts. There are touches of the apocalyptic in this book.
Time Period/Setting: Post-exilic Jerusalem about the years 520 B.C. to 518 B.C.
Author: A contemporary of Haggai
The theme is the rebuilding of the temple and the coming of a Messiah. Zechariah is killed for his efforts. There are touches of the apocalyptic in this book.
Haggai
Book Written: mid-August to mid-December of 520 B.C.
Time Period/Setting: The reign of Darius I, 520 B.C. in post-exilic Jerusalem. Zerubbabel, a grandson of former king Jehoiachin, is the governor of Judah
Author: The name is from the Hebrew root "hgg" meaning to make a pilgrimmage. Haggai is a contemporary of Zechariah
The theme is the rebuilding of the temple
Time Period/Setting: The reign of Darius I, 520 B.C. in post-exilic Jerusalem. Zerubbabel, a grandson of former king Jehoiachin, is the governor of Judah
Author: The name is from the Hebrew root "hgg" meaning to make a pilgrimmage. Haggai is a contemporary of Zechariah
The theme is the rebuilding of the temple
Zephaniah
Book Written: ?
Time Period/Setting: Reign of King Josiah, 640-609 B.C.
Author: A contemporary of Jeremiah and Nahum so a "southern" prophet. Baker says Zephaniah is the most important prophet in Judah after Isaiah
Zephaniah repeats or borrows two themes from Amos and Isaiah, the concept of the day of the Lord and concept of the survival of the remnant.
Time Period/Setting: Reign of King Josiah, 640-609 B.C.
Author: A contemporary of Jeremiah and Nahum so a "southern" prophet. Baker says Zephaniah is the most important prophet in Judah after Isaiah
Zephaniah repeats or borrows two themes from Amos and Isaiah, the concept of the day of the Lord and concept of the survival of the remnant.
Habbakuk
Book Written: Around 597 B.C., the time of Jerusalem's destruction by the Babylonians
Time Period/Setting: The impending fall of Judah, so the southern kingdom in 597 B.C. and the rise of Babylon
Author: Little known about Habbakuk
Habbakuk is spoken of as the prophet who questions God and enters into dialogue with him.
Time Period/Setting: The impending fall of Judah, so the southern kingdom in 597 B.C. and the rise of Babylon
Author: Little known about Habbakuk
Habbakuk is spoken of as the prophet who questions God and enters into dialogue with him.
Nahum
Book Written: Around 612 B.C.
Time Period/Setting: The fall of Nineveh in 612 B.C.
Author: Nahum hails from a town called Elkosh, geographic location unknown.
The tone of this book is considered to be a bit haughty and hateful though the book is also regarded as poetic and among the best written in the OT (Baker). Nahum speaks of the fact that Assyrians will now get their comeuppance (at the hands of the Babylonians) and will suffer as they have made the Israelites suffer for so many years.
Time Period/Setting: The fall of Nineveh in 612 B.C.
Author: Nahum hails from a town called Elkosh, geographic location unknown.
The tone of this book is considered to be a bit haughty and hateful though the book is also regarded as poetic and among the best written in the OT (Baker). Nahum speaks of the fact that Assyrians will now get their comeuppance (at the hands of the Babylonians) and will suffer as they have made the Israelites suffer for so many years.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Micah
Book Written: ?
Time Period/Setting: The reigns of three kings of Judah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, roughly the years 742 BC to 687 BC. At this time, Assyria was the enemy of the southern kingdom.
Author: Micah means 'who is like the Lord.' One of the four 8th century BC prophets along with Isaiah, Amos and Hosea. Micah is a contemporary of Isaiah.
Time Period/Setting: The reigns of three kings of Judah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, roughly the years 742 BC to 687 BC. At this time, Assyria was the enemy of the southern kingdom.
Author: Micah means 'who is like the Lord.' One of the four 8th century BC prophets along with Isaiah, Amos and Hosea. Micah is a contemporary of Isaiah.
Jonah
Book Written: After the Babylonian exile according to HC and during the 5th century according to BakerTime Period/Setting: The city of Nineveh in Assyria
Author: The author's name
Jonah is a cantankerous and unwilling prophet, rebellious and a bit of a grump. After running away, spending three days in a whale's belly (or whatever dark place he descended into, separated from God) and finally being vomited onto shore, Jonah is still rambunctious enough to dispense his opinions of God's actions directly to the Lord. He explains to God that this is why he ran away in the first place, because he knew the Lord would be too forgiving of the sinful city of Nineveh.
That sounds strangely familiar, no? As when we condemn to hellfire and damnation all those people we really can't stand, the ones we've decided are unforgivable liars and cheats? Like the Catholic politicians who support abortion and same sex marraige and for whose excommunication and public humiliation we clamor. It really is profoundly difficult to accept that God loves Andrew Cuomo or Nancy Pelosi as much as he loves me, not to mention Hitler or the Taliban. And yet it's so obvious how wrong the prophet is when God extends his merciful care to Jonah with a lovely bush as protection from the elements and Jonah seems to think he deserves this conveniently protective bush sprung out of nowhere.
Jonah's direct approach with the Lord calls to mind the manner in which Moses spoke to God. Jonah's questioning of God's ways calls to mind Job or even Qoheleth/ Ecclesiastes, as they seek to understand why life is so seemingly unjust and inscrutable at times.
For the wonderful story of Jonah in song go here for Louis Armstrong's version and here for the Nightingales telling of it.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Obadiah
Book Written: Unknown according to HC; about 450 BC according to Baker.
Time Period/Setting: The fall of Jerusalem in 587 BC and after.
Title: The prophet's name which means 'servant of the Lord.'
The single-chapter book begins in the genre of 'oracles against the nations' with an oracle against Edom. The reason Edom would be the subject of an oracle is because the Edomites helped Babylonians in the sacking of Jerusalem.
Time Period/Setting: The fall of Jerusalem in 587 BC and after.
Title: The prophet's name which means 'servant of the Lord.'
The single-chapter book begins in the genre of 'oracles against the nations' with an oracle against Edom. The reason Edom would be the subject of an oracle is because the Edomites helped Babylonians in the sacking of Jerusalem.
Amos
Book Written: Both Baker and HC say that Amos is the oldest of the books of the prophets though they give no exact dates. Baker adds that Amos is the first prophet to have a book named after him.
Time Period/Setting: The reign of Jeroboam II, 786 BC - 746 BC, the northern kingdom at Bethel. Amos and Hosea are contemporaries.
Author: Amos is a shepherd, not prophet by trade. He hails from the southern kingdom but prophesies in the northern. Along with Isaiah, Hosea and Micah, Amos is one of the four 8th century BC prophets.
Amos is the social justice prophet, speaking as much from his own experience as a laborer as opposed to any formal training in the matter of prophesy. Per Baker, Amos is the first to introduce the "day of the Lord" although the notion more the theme of Joel than Amos
Time Period/Setting: The reign of Jeroboam II, 786 BC - 746 BC, the northern kingdom at Bethel. Amos and Hosea are contemporaries.
Author: Amos is a shepherd, not prophet by trade. He hails from the southern kingdom but prophesies in the northern. Along with Isaiah, Hosea and Micah, Amos is one of the four 8th century BC prophets.
Amos is the social justice prophet, speaking as much from his own experience as a laborer as opposed to any formal training in the matter of prophesy. Per Baker, Amos is the first to introduce the "day of the Lord" although the notion more the theme of Joel than Amos
Joel
Book Written: Unclear though Baker says around 400 BC.Time Period/Setting: Unclear though the book refers to an invasion but doesn't mention by what nation
Title: The prophet's name which is a common one and means the same as the name Elijah--'My God is the Lord' - but in reverse order.
The book begins with a colorful description of an enormous invading plague of locusts which I initially took to be a description of an enormous, invading army. Joel introduces the theme of the day of the Lord or the coming of the Lord's Day.
Hosea
Book Written:
Time Period/Setting: The northern Kingdom of Israel, called Ephraim in this book, during the reign of Jeroboam II, 786 BC-746 BC. Hosea was active toward the end of Jeroboam's reign and, according to HC, continued to prophesy until the reign of King Hoshea right before the fall of the northern kingdom to Assyria in 722 BC.
Title: The prophet's name, a shortened form of Hoshaiah meaning 'Yahweh has saved' in Hebrew. Hosea is one of the four 8th century BC prophets along with Isaiah, Amos and Micah.
Hosea marries (is told by the Lord to marry) Gomer who turns out to be an adulteress or a "whoring bride." He rejects her, but then takes her back. Baker sees the marriage motif as key to understanding this book. He explains it this way: .." under the influence of the Holy Spirit, he [Hosea] sees that his experience with Gomer is a symbol or replica of the relationship between Israel (Gomer) and the Lord God (Hosea)." Using marriage to explain Israel's/bride's relation to the Lord/bridegroom is introduced by Hosea and then employed by other prophets (Ezekiel) and also by St. Paul in the NT.
During Hosea's time, Israel has two main sinful flaws. One is turning to foreign powers for help in fending off the ravages of Assyria and the other is worshipping foreign gods, Baal most notably.
Hosea and Amos are contemporaries, both prophets of doom.
Time Period/Setting: The northern Kingdom of Israel, called Ephraim in this book, during the reign of Jeroboam II, 786 BC-746 BC. Hosea was active toward the end of Jeroboam's reign and, according to HC, continued to prophesy until the reign of King Hoshea right before the fall of the northern kingdom to Assyria in 722 BC.
Title: The prophet's name, a shortened form of Hoshaiah meaning 'Yahweh has saved' in Hebrew. Hosea is one of the four 8th century BC prophets along with Isaiah, Amos and Micah.
Hosea marries (is told by the Lord to marry) Gomer who turns out to be an adulteress or a "whoring bride." He rejects her, but then takes her back. Baker sees the marriage motif as key to understanding this book. He explains it this way: .." under the influence of the Holy Spirit, he [Hosea] sees that his experience with Gomer is a symbol or replica of the relationship between Israel (Gomer) and the Lord God (Hosea)." Using marriage to explain Israel's/bride's relation to the Lord/bridegroom is introduced by Hosea and then employed by other prophets (Ezekiel) and also by St. Paul in the NT.
During Hosea's time, Israel has two main sinful flaws. One is turning to foreign powers for help in fending off the ravages of Assyria and the other is worshipping foreign gods, Baal most notably.
Hosea and Amos are contemporaries, both prophets of doom.
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