It is ever the privilege of those who witness the fulfillment of prophecy to remember and believe (John 13:19; 14:29; John 16:4). These promises of prosperity and a successful mission were to have met fulfillment in large measure during the centuries following the return of the Israelites from the lands of their captivity. To the very last, Christ would have averted the doom of the Jewish nation if the people had received Him. 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. For a graphic picture of how one nation would have responded to the irresistible appeal radiating from an Israel faithful to God, see Isaiah 19:18-22; cf. 3. Without this, the many advantages would only result in harm to themselves and to others. One needs to keep these in mind to better understand the heart of Isaiah's message. In the lives of Gods people the truths of His word are to reveal their glory and excellence. Jeremiah had been chosen by God for his office before birth (chapter 1:5), and was called to be a prophet at a tender age (chapter 1:6, 7). The Hebrew people were to acquire wisdom and skill in all cunning work, that is, a high degree of inventive genius and ability as artisans, for the manufacture of all kinds of utensils and mechanical devices. 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). The glorious promises originally made to literal Israel are meeting their fulfillment today in the proclamation of the gospel to all men (Revelation 14:6, 7). 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). Web1 God calls Jeremiah to be prophet in Judah. Promises not already fulfilled to literal Israel either would never be fulfilled at all or would be fulfilled to the Christian church as spiritual Israel. The house of God in Jerusalem would eventually be called an house of prayer for all people (chapter 56:7), and many people and strong nations would come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before Him in that day and be His people (Zechariah 8:22; 2:11). He would be king over all the earth verses (3, 8, 9), and His dominion from sea even to sea, even to the ends of the earth (chapter 9:9, 10). 3. He should not be confused with Micaiah, the son of Imlah, a prophet of Israel in Ahabs time (9th century B.C.). 34:23) 622 Jeremiah 11 and 12 are given. With Him there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning (James 1:17). A. According to Jewish tradition Isaiah was sawn asunder. There are 12 minor prophets: the last 12 books in the Old Testament. Jeremiah sank into the mud, according to the biblical account. did Isaiah primarily live? A less-well-defined school of interpretation bases its approach to the prophetic portions of the Old Testament on the theory that the prophet, while bearing messages to the people of his day, also took occasional excursions into the distant future, with the result that many of his forecasts did not apply to literal Israel at all, but were intended exclusively for Israel after the spirit, that is, for the church today. For instance, the prophecy of the battle of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38, 39 was never fulfilled to literal Israel; but John the revelator assures us that in principle, though not necessarily in all details (such as those of Ezekiel 39:9-15), this battle will occur at the close of the millennium (Revelation 20:7-9). The consecutive order of the book of Haggai would indicate that his whole recorded ministry lasted not longer than 31/2 months, beginning (chapter 1:1) on August 29, 520 B.C., and extending, in his last two recorded speeches (chapter 2:10, 20), to December 18, 520. 2. See on Zechariah 1:8. They devised different theologies to respond to the destruction of the Temple. 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 This division, though tragic, served to insulate, for a time, the southern kingdom, Judah, from the tide of idolatry that soon engulfed the northern kingdom, Israel (see Hosea 4:17). In other words, they prophesied and ministered about the same time. Accordingly, Abraham became in a special sense the Friend of God (James 2:23) and the father of all them that believe (Romans 4:11). In these tragic events the words of Moses met their final and complete fulfillment: As the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goes to possess it. In that year, in the fifth month, there was public conflict between Jeremiah and the prophet Hananiah (Jeremiah 28). Remember that the record of Gods dealings with His people in ages past has been recorded for the benefit of all later generations to the end of time. Predictions of national disgrace, rejection, and woe that were to result from apostasy would never have been realized. 7. He was sawed in half, Menessah killed him. He would have come, He would have died, and would have risen again. 2 Kings 20:1-5; and of promised blessing, see Exodus 6:2-8; cf. Several of the prophets messages are dated exactly, and the last of these dated prophetic messages was received in the 27th year of Ezekiels captivity (chapter 29:17), 571/70. Acts 1:6), to appear as a liberator and conqueror, and to exalt Israel to dominion over all nations (see on Luke 4:19). Their own characters were to be progressively ennobled and elevated, and to reflect more and more perfectly the attributes of the perfect character of God (Deuteronomy 4:9; 28:1, 13, 14; 30:9, 10). Nothing is known concerning the prophet Habakkuk beyond his name. The prophetess Huldah was a relative and contemporary of It is possible that Hebrews 11:37 refers to this event. Eventually Gods purposes will prevail and the plan of salvation will succeed, irrespective of the failure of any person or group. Again and again God warned Israel that blessing goes hand in hand with obedience and that a curse accompanies disobedience (see Deuteronomy 4:9; 8:19; 28:1, 2, 13, 14; Jeremiah 18:6-10; 26:2-6; Zechariah 6:15; etc.). The kingdom was divided following Solomons death (see 1 Kings 11:33-38). But, said the angel, Messiah would be rejected and cut off, because of the abominations of Israel, and Jerusalem and the Temple would once more life waste (verses 26, 27). 6. The ministry of Amos may therefore have fallen in the years 767-753 B.C. 740-680 BC (8th Century) question. 4. They were doing no positive good; therefore they were doing incalculable harm, and their influence became a savor of death. 1 Kings 8:41-43). But because of apostasy it was the predictions of national honor and glory that could not be fulfilled. Matthew 19:16, 17; 22:36-40). Micah states that his ministry fell in the time of the kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (chapter 1:1). 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. He purposed to make them an honor to His name and a blessing to the nations about them. Yet in mercy, God still bore with His people, and in due time Messiah came (Malachi 3:1-3). In his early prophecies, he spoke of an unidentified peril which was to come upon Jerusalem and 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. They interpreted prophecy in accordance with their selfish desires, because their ambitious hopes were fixed on worldly greatness. In the introduction to his book he declares that he worked under the kings Uzziah of Judah and Jeroboam II of Israel. Examine the prophecy in its entirety. All rights reserved. The prophets did not always clearly understand messages they themselves had borne pointing forward to the distant future, to the coming of the Messiah (1 Peter 1:10, 11). As the numbers of Israel increased, they were to enlarge their borders, until their kingdom should embrace the world (cf. At the time of Isaiahs ministry, Judah was a sinful and unjust nation. In this case, he was an octogenarian. One of the main objectives of the Bible commentator is to reconstruct the historical setting in which the declarations of the prophets were originally made. That which God purposed to do for the world through Israel, the chosen nation, He will finally accomplish through His church on earth to-day. So early a date for Jonah1s ministryabout 790 B.C.fits well into Assyrian history. chapter 11:18). By divine appointment the sacred writings were preserved, century after century, and Israel became their custodian (Amos 3:7; Romans 3:1, 2). Nothing is impossible with God. In which century B.C. 4. To pray by faith for God to fulfill His promises, we must be obedient to Gods difficult commands. Nehemiah 13:23-27). 740-700 B.C. Hosea. Unfortunately, Nehemiahs second term as governor cannot be dated, which fact makes it also somewhat difficult to date Malachi. 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. 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. This situation fits best the time prior to the rise of the Chaldean Empire under Nabopolassar, who began to reign in 626/25 B.C., and who, with the Medes, was responsible for the destruction of Assyria. 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. Many others, including Lehi and Jeremiah, lived at the same time. The earth would thus be rid of those who opposed God (Zechariah 14:12, 13). 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). Owing to the failure of the Jews as Gods chosen people, many of the prophecies of the Old Testament, such as those affirming the worldwide mission of Israel and the ingathering of the Gentiles (see Genesis 12:3; Deuteronomy 4:6-8; Isaiah 2:2-5; 42:6; 49:6; 52:10; 56:6, 7; 60:1-3; 61:9; 62:2; Zechariah 2:11; 8:22, 23; etc. It is thought that Isaiah and Micah lived at the same time and addressed different audiences. Seventy weeks490 years of literal timewere determined upon the Jews, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness (Daniel 9:24). Jeremiah 32:17 highlights this point by stating, "O Sovereign Lord! There is no surer protection against the speculative vagaries of religious visionaries than a clear knowledge of the historical context of Scripture. All nations of earth were to share in the blessings so generously bestowed upon Israel. Several prophecies followed a few months later (Zechariah 1:7 to 6:15). For some time he held a high position in Nebuchadnezzars government (chapter 2:48), and became a trusted counselor of the great king. See Exodus 31:2-6; 35:33, 35. by means of a broken line. In Gods Economy toward His Chosen People 1. When Gedaliah is assassinated, the Jews flee to Egypt and force Jeremiah to go with them. They would gather themselves together and come from far (Isaiah 49:18, 12, 6, 8, 9, 22; Psalms 102:22). The fourth school of interpretation may, at times, arrive at a valid application of the predictive portions of Old Testament prophecy to the church today and to its future experience, but neglects the primary application of these messages to their historical setting, and proceeds, quite arbitrarily, to determine that certain selected passages were written more or less exclusively for the church today.
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