Setting and Message of the Old Testament Prophets

“His kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth.” (Dan. 6: 26b – 27a)

Daniel is part of the prophetic tradition, but his central focus does not follow the three-part message followed by the other prophetic books we have studied. Even though the latter half of Daniel is difficult to interpret with certainty, the central message of Daniel is unmistakable: God is sovereign and rules over all people and kingdoms even though it does not always look that way. Although the Babylonians (and then the Persians) seem to control the world, Daniel proclaims that Yahweh is still very much in control and is moving to bring history itself to his divinely directed culmination. Thus there is much more to history than is often apparent on the surface. In the meantime, the true and faithful followers of God can expect to suffer, but they can endure the suffering in the knowledge that God will ultimately bring history to a climax centered on the establishment of his kingdom.

Structurally, Daniel is traditionally broken down into two parts. Daniel 1 – 6 is made up of stories about the life of Daniel and his Jewish compatriots in the royal courts of Babylon. Daniel 7 – 12, on the other hand, is made up of Daniel’s prophecies about world empires. The genre of the first half (1 – 6) is narrative, and the stories are fairly easy to follow. However, the genre of the second half (7 – 12) is primarily apocalyptic (see the discussion of this genre in chapter 3), and therefore not as straightforward or easy to interpret. Yet, although the genre shifts dramatically between Daniel 6 and 7, numerous aspects unite the book and/ or suggest other possible ways of viewing the structure. If one reads the text in the original languages, one is struck by the fact that part of the book of Daniel is written in Hebrew and part in Aramaic (the official court language of the Babylonians). Linguistically, the breakdown is as follows: Daniel 1: 1 – 2: 4a Hebrew Daniel 2: 4b – 7: 28 Aramaic Daniel 8: 1 – 12: 13 Hebrew Within the Aramaic section, Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of four world empires in Daniel 2 is paralleled by Daniel’s vision of four world empires in Daniel 7, suggesting a structural connection between the two chapters. Joyce Baldwin suggests that the Aramaic section (Daniel 2 – 7) is structured in a chiastic fashion, as follows: A1 Four empires and God’s coming kingdom (ch. 2) B1 Trial by fire and God’s deliverance (ch. 3) C1 A king warned, chastised and delivered (ch. 4) C2 A king warned, defiant and deposed (ch. 5)

B2 Trial in the lions’ den and God’s deliverance (ch. 6) A2 Four empires and God’s everlasting kingdom (ch. 7) 5 Although there have been attempts to organize the entire book as a chiastic structure with the major break between Daniel 5 and 6,6 this proposal has not found wide acceptance. Rather, most scholars continue to see the major break between Daniel 6 and 7, acknowledging at the same time that there are parallel themes and numerous connections across the break. The central theme of Daniel 1 – 6 is God demonstrating that he is more powerful than the monarchs of Babylon and Persia. Daniel 7 – 12 focuses on God’s plan for the future in regard to world kingdoms and especially in regard to his kingdom. Across the entire book each chapter forms a coherent unit, with the three final chapters (10 – 12) combining to form the concluding unit. [1]

[1] Longman III, Tremper; Hays, J. Daniel (2010-09-21). The Message of the Prophets: A Survey of the Prophetic and Apocalyptic Books of the Old Testament (Kindle Locations 3334-3388). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

"Part of Ezekiel’s ministry takes place between the two exiles; that is, he preaches some of his messages after the first exile of 597 BC but before the terrible destruction of Jerusalem in 587/ 586 BC. The fall of Jerusalem and the terrible destruction that followed is perhaps the central historical event in the book of Ezekiel. Remember, however, that he is in Babylon when it happens." [1]

[1] Longman III, Tremper; Hays, J. Daniel (2010-09-21). The Message of the Prophets: A Survey of the Prophetic and Apocalyptic Books of the Old Testament (Kindle Locations 2841-2843). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Ezekiel was a young priest at this time.

Jehoiachin taken into captivity with 10,000 Judahites.

Ezekiel 1:2

"Ezekiel’s primary audience is the Hebrew exiles in Babylon, who are struggling to make sense of their exile and the world events that have shattered their lives." [2]

[2] Longman III, Tremper; Hays, J. Daniel (2010-09-21). The Message of the Prophets: A Survey of the Prophetic and Apocalyptic Books of the Old Testament (Kindle Locations 2839-2841). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

The city's ultimate and horrific annihilation took place during the summer, on 9 Av, 586 BC. It is significant that Jerusalem "The City of Shalom" (peace) was again laid waste on 9 Av, AD 70 by the Romans during the reign of Caesar Titus.

I. Three-Part Standard Pre-Exilic Prophetic Message [3]

1. You (Judah) must repent!
2. If you do not repent, you will face judgment! Judgment will also come upon the (other) nations.
3. Yet there is still hope for a glorious future restoration for Israel/Judah and the other nations.

*During Ezekiel's prophetic ministry, Jerusalem is destroyed (the primary demonstration of God's judgment on Israel/Judah) and the prophet's message shifts from one of impending doom to one of an explanation of contemporary circumstances. [4]

II. Related Themes within the Three-Part Message.

1. The Sovereignty and Glory of Yahweh
a. The Israelites are in exile, but Yahweh is in control of all

history.
2. The phrases, "I am YHWH" and "...that you may know that I am

YHWH." are repeated throughout the book.

2. The Presence of Yahweh.

[3] Longman III, Tremper; Hays, J. Daniel (2010-09-21). The Message of the Prophets: A Survey of the Prophetic and Apocalyptic Books of the Old Testament (Kindle Location 2844). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

[4] Ibid., (Kindle Locations 2845-2848).

If the earthquake of 760 BC, the date of which has been approximated by come scholars, is in fact, the cataclysm mentioned by Amos, then his prophecy can be dated to 762 BC.

Dates are approximate based upon archaeological evidence of a major earthquake that has been dated to this period. [1]

"Amos dates his prophecy to “two years before the earthquake,” apparently referring to a severe earthquake that everyone in his time remembered. Also, note that this reference to “two years before the earthquake” implies that Amos’s message did not stretch out over a long period of time, as did Jeremiah’s and Hosea’s, but covered a very short period, perhaps only a few months." [2]

"[He] dates his prophecy generally to the kings who ruled in the first half of the eighth century BC and specifically to “two years before the earthquake.” Geologically, Israel and Judah lie over the Jordan Rift, and therefore earthquakes are fairly common in this region. However, Amos seems to refer to a particularly severe earthquake that happened during the first half of the eighth century BC. In fact, more than two hundred years later, Zechariah refers back to this earthquake, calling it the earthquake that happened during Uzziah’s reign (Zech. 14: 5). Excavations at Hazor indicate that a sizable earthquake occurred around 760 BC. This may be the earthquake Amos refers to, but additional archaeological corroboration is probably needed before we can be certain." [3]

[1] John H. Walton, Victor H. Matthews, and Mark W. Chavalas. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 764.

[2] Longman III, Tremper; Hays, J. Daniel (2010-09-21). The Message of the Prophets: A Survey of the Prophetic and Apocalyptic Books of the Old Testament (Kindle Locations 4056-4058). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

[3] Longman III, Tremper; Hays, J. Daniel (2010-09-21). The Message of the Prophets: A Survey of the Prophetic and Apocalyptic Books of the Old Testament (Kindle Locations 4068-4073). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

“Let justice roll on like a river…” (Amos 5: 24)

"Amos delivers the same basic message as do the rest of the standard preexilic prophets: You (Israel/ Judah) have broken the covenant; you had better repent! No repentance? Then judgment! Judgment will also come on the nations. Yet there is hope beyond the judgment for a glorious future restoration, both for Israel/ Judah and for the nations." [1]

[1] Longman III, Tremper; Hays, J. Daniel (2010-09-21). The Message of the Prophets: A Survey of the Prophetic and Apocalyptic Books of the Old Testament (Kindle Locations 4062-4065). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Obadiah contains no historical superscription and can therefore not be dated with certainty.