For a verse by verse word study click here Word Study

For notes on the Hebrew Bible click here Notes

For a glossary of Old Testament words click here Glossary Glossary Glossary

To study other biblical resources click here:

Commentaries Concordances Dictionaries

Encyclopedia Encyclopedia Lexicon

All of the above resources

For pictures of Biblical sites click here pictures.

Bible Atlas

Session 9 Division II. Cont'd

For an alternate Outline click here Outline

Four Major or Former Prophets

Handouts needed: The Prophets of Israel and Judah.

Understanding prophecy as literature; it is a very symbolic type of writing. Most of the People and Places referred to are literal, but they are spoken of in symbolic terms. There is a great deal of hyperbole and symbolic language. You must place the prophet within his times and know who the audience is.
Most prophecy is foretelling of future events, but it is also used to admonish or edify its listeners. Sometimes a city or country is referred to reflecting on its past and it is used to describe another cities future (Babylon, Sodom and Gomorrah is likened to Egypt or Israel etc.). When speaking of the “day of the Lord,” it does not necessarily refer to a single event such as the coming or return of Jesus; it is used in speaking of a day of judgment. Most prophecy speaks of a present day event rather than just a future event. The Bible uses prophecy as dual events; the “law of double reference”; which means that it can have a present and future fulfillment. One example of this is Isaiah chapters 7-9 referring to a virgin conceiving.

Each prophet speaks about Israel’s apostasy and predicts a return or repentance to God and God sending a messiah and setting up a “New Covenant.”

Isaiah 740-690 written during the reign of kings of Judah; Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah all kings of Judah (II Kings 15-20). Speaks of the return of Israel through king Cyrus 44:28, 45:1, hundreds of years before he existed.

For other outlines of Isaiah click on the following: Bible.org

Choose a book

hope.edu

Hebrew Bible

Jeremiah / Lamentations 627-586 known as the "weeping prophet" written during the reign of kings of Judah; Josiah, Johoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiakin, and Zedekiah, just prior to and including the beginning of the Babylonian captivity. They were to be in captivity for 70 years, chapters 25, 29, because of their disobedience to have the land rest every 7 years (II Chronicles 36:21). Jeremiah has been compared to Jesus and his prophecy against the Temple and them wanted to kill him too. (Jeremiah 31:31-33) speaks of a New Covenant.

For an outline of Jeremiah and Lamentations click on the following:

Bible.org

Choose a book

hope.edu

hope.edu

Hebrew Bible

Written according to the Hebrew alphabet.

For an outline of Lamentations click on the following: Bible.org

Choose a book

Hebrew Bible

Ezekiel 593 wrote during towards the end of Zedekiah when Jeremiah and Zechariah spoke and during the Babylonian captivity of Israel. Ezekiel records the glory of the Lord departing from the temple chapter 11.
Chapters 36, 37 speak of the return of Israel.

For an outline of Ezekiel click on the following: Bible.org

Choose a book

hope.edu

Hebrew Bible

Daniel 605 wrote during the reign of Jehoiakim and during the 70 year Babylonian captivity and predicts the return of Israel to Jerusalem through Cyrus and Darius in order to rebuild. It also speaks about the future kingdoms that will lead up to the Messiah. Chapters 2, 7, 9 speak of 4 gentile kingdoms (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome) leading up to the coming of the messiah and His Kingdom and the destruction of Jerusalem after 490 years.

Notes on Daniel

6 minor prophets (Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah) wrote during the reign of Israel’s kings prior to Isaiah. Isaiah began preaching from 740-697bc during the reign of the last kings of Judah (Hosea, Amos and Micah were his contemporaries). Jeremiah from 627-586bc (up until Israel’s exile to Babylon). Ezekiel from 597-577bc during the Babylonian exile. Parts of Daniel are not in chronological order. Daniel prophesied from 605-536bc during the Babylonian exile to Cyrus’s decree to return to Israel. Zechariah, Haggai and Malachi, were the only prophets that prophesied after the 70 years of exile and the return to Israel, when other books like Esther, Ezra and Nehemiah were written.

Daniel chapters 1, and 3-6 deals with kings Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar and Darius passing.

Chapter 2
Verses 32-45 compare chapters 7, 8 and 11. History of conquering kingdoms.
1. Head of Gold = Babylon vs.38. 2. Breast and arms silver = Medo–Persia. 3. Belly and thighs of Brass = Greece. 4. Legs of Iron, Feet and 10 toes of iron and clay = kings of chapter 11 up to Antiochus Epiphanes. Stone = Kingdom with no end = Jesus. The Stone that the builders rejected.

Chapter 7 – occurred before chapter 5 of Daniel before 539bc, first year of Belshazzar.
The prophecy of chapter 7 is related to chapter 2 and precedes Daniel chapter (5:30). It is a further explanation of the kingdoms that will rise up spoken of in (2:32-45) to the King of Babylon.
Daniel saw Babylon replaced by Persia in his lifetime. This beast differs from Rev.13.
Verses 1-8 describe the 4 beasts. Vs.17-24 explanation. The 4 beasts are 4 kings, the 4th beast had 10 horns or kings Vs.7, 19-28. Vs. 5, and 11:2 - 3 ribs. Vs 25 3 ½ years similar to (Rev. 13:5).

Chapter 8 – occurred before chapter 5 of Daniel before 539bc, third year of Belshazzar.
Who does the Ram and the Goat represent? Verse 20-. About Medo-Persia, Greece and Antiochus.
Verse 3 is similar to Rev.13:11. Verse 9 “little horn” same as 7:8.

Chapter 9 - The first year of Darius 538bc, 67 years after chapter 1.
70 years of captivity spoken of verse 2 (Jer.25:22, Zech.7:5).
Vs.13 (Deut.28:15-). Curses of the Law for idolatry.
Vs. 24 is now 70 weeks or 490 years, (70 x 7) not only 70 years.
Vs. 25 From the decree from Cyrus to restore Jerusalem to messiah is 70 weeks or 490 years from (586bc, 538bc, 457bc, 445bc, 420bc). Antiochus Epiphanes desecrated the 2nd temple,
Vs.26, 27 after 70 weeks or 490 yrs the Temple will be desolated. The term the “abomination that cause desolation” mentioned in verses 17, 26, 27, 11:31, 12:11, refer to the desecration of the temple in Jerusalem.

Chapter 10 - Third year of Cyrus 536bc.
The struggle between Persia and Greece.

Chapter 11 - First year of Darius, the same year as chapter 9:1, 539bc.
Who do the beasts represent? Compare chapters 2, 7, 8, 11.
History of conquests and government transitions from Persia, to Greece, Alexander the Great, Egypt (Ptolemy) South and Syria (Seleucid) North empires, to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, 539bc-164bc.

Chapter 12 – a continuation of chapter 11.
Michael and a struggle in heaven corresponds to Rev.12:7. The previous prophecy’s were to happen “at the time of the end” (8:17, 10:14, 11:35, 40, 12:4, 9,12).
Jesus spoke of the end of the age or generation (Mat.24:3, 6, 13, 14). 12:1 “time of (Jacob’s) trouble” is quoted by Jesus in (Mat.24:21) a time of great tribulation Jer.30:7. Verse 4, 9 said to seal the book until the time of the end, also said in 8:26, 10:14, 11:35, 40. Rev.22:10, John was told to “not seal the book, for the time is at hand.” Vs. 11 is 1,290 days and Vs. 12 is 1,335 days 45 more days. Speaks of the Temple sacrifices ceasing.

For other outlines of Daniel click on the following: Bible.org

Choose a book

hope.edu

Hebrew Bible

Session 10 Division II. Minor or Later Prophets Cont'd on Page 5

More >>