Overview Survey of the Old Testament: The Prophets Fall 2005

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Overview of the Nevi'im

What is a Prophet?

Prophet Defined

The Old Testament prophets were messengers of God, calling on the nation of Israel (and Judah) to remember and keep their covenant with God. They were the enforcers of God's covenant, serving as God's direct representative and messenger to the people. The prophets were addressing specific situation in the history of Israel as they brought forth the word of God to the people.

Forth-telling vs. Fore-telling

The primary purpose of the prophet was to proclaim God's word to the people. In conjunction with the “forth-telling” message, the prophets often also were “fore-telling” the future. Usually this foretelling was a prediction of future events should the nation continue in their sinful behaviors. However, the foretelling spoke not just of judgment, but also a time of restoration and peace for Israel and the entire world.

Law of Double-Fulfillment

However, foretelling in the prophets presents significant interpretative difficulties for the modern reader. Often the prophet sees two or more future events as one. This is called the Law of Double-Fulfillment, the Law of Transparency, or “Foreshortening.”

Double fulfillment means that often a prophecy will have a near term and a later, greater fulfillment. The diagram on the right illustrates this [1]. The prophets look down on the future and don't see the depth between the two concentric circles. However, later we can see that these two circles are some distance apart. The concept is also likened to seeing a large mountain in the distance which looks like it is just beyond the nearest hill. However, the distance to the mountain can be miles away.

An example of this principle is found in Isaiah 9:6. The prophet foretells the coming of the Messiah, saying, “unto us a child shall be born.” This is clearly understood as the being fulfilled with the birth of Jesus. However, the prophet goes on to say, “and the government shall rest upon His shoulders.” This aspect of Isaiah's prophecy has yet to be fulfilled. We anticipate the second advent of our Messiah who will bring peace as he takes his place as King.

Who were the Prophets?

The biblical prophets of Yahweh were all based out of Judah and Israel, and prophesied during the ninth through fifth centuries before Christ. The prophets were from all walks of life and class. They were not pawns of the monarchy, nor were they the agents of the priesthood. The prophets did include some priests. But they were just as likely to be farmers or common people. Some prophets were wealthy and part of the kingly court, while others were peasants. What they all did have in common was a calling from God, and a willingness to pursue this calling.

How did the Prophets Communicate God's Word?

During the golden age of the prophets, the message was almost always directed at the monarchy. But these messages were never written down for later generations. These early prophets also performed miracles, as seen with Elijah and Elisha.

Later prophets recorded their messages in books bearing their names. We have 16 of these books today, and they are the final books of the Old Testament. Their writing included poetry, historical prose, and descriptions of visions and direct revelations of God's word (oracles).

Footnotes

1. Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stewart. How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth . (Grand Rapids MI: Zondervan, 1993), 182.

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