Theological Term of the Week: The Prophets

the Prophets 

Seventeen books of the Old Testament containing written collections of oracles of sixteen prophets. These can be divided into two groups: Major Prophets—Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentation, Ezekiel, and Daniel—and Minor Prophets—Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi; also called the phrophetic books.

• From scripture, the introduction to Isaiah:

The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah (Isaiah 1:1 ESV).

• From scripture, the introduction to Jeremiah: 

The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month (Jeremiah 1:1-3 ESV).

• From Introduction to the Prophetic Books in the ESV Study Bible, a list of unifying themes in the Prophetic Books:: 

First the prophets assert that God has spoken through them. They clearly considered themselves God’s messengers and heralds, for they repeatedly preface their messages with the phrase, “Thus says Yahweh.” In this way the prophets are claiming that their books are the written word of God … .

Second, the prophets affirm that God chose Israel for covenant relationship. The Pentateuch (the first five books of the OT) teaches that God chose Abraham and his family to bless all nations (Gen. 12:1–9), that he revealed salvation by grace to Abraham (Gen. 15:6), and that he assigned Moses to write a record of this revelation (Ex. 24:4). Furthermore, through Moses in Exodus–Deuteronomy he revealed the lifestyle that reflects that relationship. With these truths in mind, the prophets addressed Israel as a people with special responsibilities based on this special relationship (Jeremiah 2–6; Hosea 1–3; Amos 2:6–3:8; etc.)… .

Second, sadly, the prophets most often report that the majority of Israel has sinned against their God and his standards for their relationship. They have failed to trust God(Isa.7:1–14). Thus, they have broken the Ten Commandments (cf. Ex. 20:1–17 and Jer. 7:1–15; Hos. 4:2). They have worshiped other gods (Ezek. 8:1–18). They have mistreated one an- other and failed to preserve justice among God’s people (Isa. 1:21–31). They have refused to repent (Amos 4:6–11). Of course, in these times there was always a faithful minority, called the “remnant” (see Isa. 4:3; 10:20–22; etc.), as the prophets’ ministries themselves demonstrate (see Hebrews 11).

Fourth, the prophets warn that judgment will eradicate sin.  … The prophets recorded these warnings in writ- ing so readers can do what the prophets’ original audience usually failed to do—turn from sin to God.

Fifth, the prophets promise that renewal lies beyond the day of punishment that has occurred already in history and beyond the coming day that will bring history as we know it to a close. The coming of the Savior lies beyond the destruction of Israel and other such events. He will rule Israel and the nations, and he will bring peace and righteousness to the world (Isa. 9:2–7; 11:1–16)… .

Learn more: 

1. Got Questions: What are the Major Prophets and Minor Prophets?
2. The Bible Project: How to Read the 15 Prophetic Books in the Bible (video)
3. Bryan Estelle: How to Read the Prophets
4. Mike Leake: Which Books of the Bible Are Considered Prophetic?
5. John MacArthur Study Bible: Introduction to the Prophets

Related terms:

• biblical hermeneutics
• literary genres of the Bible
• Pentateuch

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Sunday Hymn: Creation Sings the Father's Song

Creation sings the Father’s song;
He calls the sun to wake the dawn
And run the course of day,
Till evening comes in crimson rays.
His fingerprints in flakes of snow,
His breath upon this spinning globe,
He charts the eagle’s flight,
Commands the newborn baby’s cry.

Refrain

Hallelujah!
Let all creation stand and sing:
“Hallelujah!”
Fill the earth with songs of worship,
Tell the wonders of creation’s King.

Creation gazed upon His face;
The ageless One in time’s embrace,
Unveiled the Father’s plan
Of reconciling God and man.
A second Adam walked the earth,
Whose blameless life would break the curse,
Whose death would set us free
To live with Him eternally.

Creation longs for His return,
When Christ shall reign upon the earth;
The bitter wars that rage
Are birth pains of a coming age.
When He renews the land and sky,
All heaven will sing and earth reply
With one resplendent theme:
The glory of our God and King.

—Stuart Townend, Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty 

Theological Term of the Week: Pentateuch

Pentateuch

The first five books of the Old Testament, i.e., Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy; also called the Torah, the Law, or the Books of Moses.

• From scripture, the theme of the Pentateuch:1

Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3 ESV)

• From the Introduction to the Pentateuch in the ESV Study Bible::

The Pentateuch is not simply the beginning of the Bible; it is also the foundation of the Bible. It serves to orient the reader for reading the rest of the biblical story line. It introduces the key promises that show God’s purposes in history and that lay the groundwork for the coming of Christ. Its theological ideas and ethical principles inform the rest of the Bible so that the subsequent books assume its authority and appeal to it as they evaluate people’s deeds and character. These points are illustrated briefly here:

1. Orientation. The beginning of a book sets its tone and gives clues to the author’s perspective. Genesis did this for the ancient world of polytheism by explaining that the world is created and controlled by only one God, not by a crowd of competing gods and goddesses. Similarly it speaks to today’s readers, who often are essentially atheists (whether consciously or unconsciously): it shows them what it means to believe that behind all the phenomena of nature and the laws of science there is an all-powerful, loving God who controls all that happens.

2. Divine purposes. The Pentateuch shows God’s intentions for his creation by describing what the world was like when he first created man and woman in the garden of Eden. Their sin sets back the divine program but does not defeat it, for God later calls Abraham and promises him descendants, land, and most important of all, blessing through his descendants to all the nations. These promises are more fully developed in the later books of the Pentateuch.

3. Theoiogy and ethics. The Pentateuch gives insight into God’s character and his ethical standards. It illustrates both his benevolence and his righteousness. He cares for mankind, creating man in his own image, providing him with food, and protecting human life from violent assault. Yet at the same time he demands moral behavior, from keeping the Sabbath to refusing adultery or theft. Tales of punishment, from the flood (Genesis 6–9) to the golden calf (Exodus 32), demonstrate the danger of disregarding divine standards.

Learn more: 

1. Got Questions: What is the Pentateuch? 
2. Easton Bible Dictionary: Pentateuch 
3. ESV Bible: Introduction to the Pentateuch
4. Crossway: 10 Things You Should Know About the Pentateuch
5. The Gospel Coalition: The Pentateuch

Related terms:

• creation ex nihilo
• exodus, the
• fall (of man)
• flood, the
• tabernacle

 1 According to the introductory notes on the Pentateuch in the ESV Study Bible.

Filed under Scripture

Do you have a a theological term you’d like to see featured as a Theological Term of the Week? Email your suggestion using the contact button in the navigation bar above. 

Clicking on the Theological Terms button above the header will take you to an alphabetical list of all the theological terms.