In the interpretation of the book of Daniel, how should the stories of Daniel and his three friends be viewed? Are they "traditional tales" originating in the eastern Jewish Diaspora during the Hellenistic period, like it is sometimes assumed? This article discusses the issues of interpretation of Daniel 1–Daniel 6 in relation to authentic history.
The prophets who prophesied after exile pointed to the promises of God that were fulfilled in Christ. This article gives the promises of three of the prophets: Zechariah's prophecy of a new King, Joel's prophecy about the coming of the Spirit, and Malachi's prophecy about the remnant.
In Chapter 1 the author wants to encourage Christians to read the Old Testament as part of their heritage. To facilitate the reading and understanding of the Elijah and Elisha narratives, he encourage his readers to take note of at least three different historical horizons that intersect in these narratives. The first horizon is the historical background of the incidents. The next horizon is the historical background of the author. A third horizon is later biblical interpretation (e.g., Matthew 11:14.
Chapter 1 is a popular and general introduction to the biblical prophets. The author focuses on the problems we must overcome to understand the prophets and the message of the prophets we must hear. Finally, Guthrie guides the reader to the person in the prophetical literature that the reader must see.
Robertson surveys the origin of prophecy in ancient Israel. He first notes the prophets’ self-testimony regarding their origin. The nature of the prophecy is characterized according to the understanding of their origins.
This is an entry in a theological dictionary on the significance of a prophet, prophetess, and prophesy.
What were the factors that caused the emergence of the writing prophets in Israel? The author considers two possible factors and their impact on the form of the prophets' message.
This paper deals with the history of Israel in the books of Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, and 2 Kings. The purpose is to reflect on aspects of the historiography of these texts. The author views these writings as prophetic revelation.
This is a Bible dictionary entry on the significance of a false prophet.
In this article, the author sets out to provide some basic ideas about prophecy in the Bible that are not well understood today. In the process, the author expresses disappointment with popular prophecy today. The author also mentions what is here called the "five periods of prophecy," which are the early monarchy in Israel, the Assyrian judgment, the Babylonian judgment, the restoration period, and the intertestamental period.
This article addresses five common objections to biblical prophecy, which include that many of them were written after the events they predict, many were intentionally fulfilled by Jesus, and many were invented by his followers.
One way of seeking communication from the gods of the Canaanites was by ecstatic frenzy. Some scholars believe that Israel learned it from the Canaanites and made it a part of their service. They believe that Israel's former prophets were ecstatics. Evidence is sought in the Old Testament especially from three passages: Numbers 11:25-29, 1 Samuel 10:1-13, and 1 Samuel 19:18-24.
Sailhamer wants to describe what he sees as a possible approach to understanding the Messiah in the Hebrew Bible. He considers the nature of Old Testament messianic prophecy and surveys different evangelical views of the Messiah and the Hebrew Bible.
The sociology of knowledge is helpful when the message of a prophet is to be understood in its historical setting. New information from the prophets brought new understanding of how God is ruling the world and the destiny of his people.
This article concerns itself with the interpretation of prophecy in the Qumran commentaries. Interpretation of older Scriptures was a major factor in the intertestamental period. For the first time, systematic commentaries on Old Testament books are produced. The commentaries of Philo originate from this period. The interpretation of the prophecy of Daniel marks a shift in Hebrew interpretation of prophecy.
In Chapter 1 the author wants to ascertain what an Old Testament prophet was not. Scripture informs us of prohibitions on the function of a prophet. The author explores these prohibitions first in Deuteronomy. He considers Deuteronomy 13:1-5 and Deuteronomy 18:9-13.
