A Concise Guide to Reading the Prophetic Books The Prophetic Books of the Bible are full of symbolic speeches, dramatic metaphors, and lengthy allegories—a unique blend of literary styles that can make them hard to comprehend. How can we know if we are reading them the way God intended them to be read? In this accessible guide, leading Old Testament scholar Peter Gentry identifies seven common characteristics of prophetic literature in the Bible that help us understand each book's message. With illustrations and clear examples, Gentry offers guidance for reading these challenging texts—teaching us practical strategies for deeper engagement with the biblical text as we seek to apply God's Word to our lives today.
This survey textbook is grounded in the view that the prophetic books of the Old Testament should be read as Christian Scripture. Although it covers critical issues such as authorship, background, and history, its primary focus is on the message and theology of the prophetic books and the contribution they make to the Christian canon. Particular attention is given to literary issues, such as the structure of each prophetic book. Full-color illustrations, diagrams, and artwork bring the text to life. Additional resources for instructors and students are available through Textbook eSources.
A carefully organized, step-by-step introduction to the books of the biblical prophets, the men behind them, their message, and their relevance for today. +
The latest installment in Christopher R. Smith's innovative Understanding the Books of the Bible series brings you and your group into a direct encounter with the words of the poets and outcasts who were entrusted with the message of divine reproof for a community falling headlong into a exile.
In this quick and vibrant little book, Kelly Kapic presents the nature, method and manners of theological study for newcomers to the field. He emphasizes that theology is more than a school of thought about God, but an endeavor that affects who we are. "Theology is about life," writes Kapic. "It is not a conversation our souls can afford to avoid."
Aaron Chalmers equips the reader with the knowledge and skills they need to interpret the Prophets in a faithful and accurate fashion. Providing the basic contextual and background information needed for sound exegesis and sensitive interpretation, he also gives guidelines for practical application and preaching and teaching the Prophets today.
The Old Testament prophets spoke to Israel in times of historical and moral crisis. They saw themselves as being a part of a story that God was weaving throughout history--a story of repentance, encouragement, and a coming Messiah. In this updated introductory book, each major and minor prophet and his writing are clustered with the major historical events of their time. Our generational distance from the age of the prophets might seem to be a measureless chasm. Yet we dare not make the mistake of assuming that passing years have rendered irrelevant not only the Old Testament prophets, but also the God who comprehends, spans, and transcends all time. In these pages, C. Hassell Bullock presents a clear picture of some of history's most profound spokesmen--the Old Testament prophets--and the God who shaped them.
It is often said that prophecy came to an end in the early Second Temple period. This volume investigates how the Dead Sea Scrolls help to better understand Israelite Jewish prophecy and Israelite-Jewish prophetic texts. However, it not only contributes to the study of prophecy and the prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible by analyzing the textual history and interpretative history of prophetic books - the former being concerned with the manuscripts of prophetic books found in Qumran and elsewhere, the latter being focused on para-prophetic texts and commentaries - it also investigates the phenomenon of active prophecy, i.e. ongoing prophetic activities, after the early Second Temple period, long after prophecy came to its so-called end. In the first part of this volume, Matthias Henze deals with the paraprophetical literature from Qumran. Martti Nissinen addresses the relation between Qumran Pesher hermeneutics and Ancient Near Eastern omen divination. Timothy H. Lim asks if, why, and in what sense the psalms were considered to be prophecies or prophetic. In the second part of the volume, George J. Brooke asks the question, "Was the Teacher of Righteousness Considered To Be a Prophet?" and Katell Berthelot shows in her study of 4QTestimonia (4Q175) that the Teacher of Righteousness was not the only active "prophet" in the 2nd cent. BCE. The third part of the volume looks at a wider definition of prophecy. Esther Eshel shows how the tree imagery of the Genesis Apocryphon's symbolic dreams participates in a Jewish tradition that is attested in both earlier and later texts. Leo G. Perdue demonstrates that apocalyptic developed out of both prophecy and mantic wisdom. Perdue also provides a survey of mythical mantic sages in the Ancient Near Eeast and mantic sages and mantic wisdom in biblical, and ancient Jewish literature. Finally, in the fourth part of the volume, Armin Lange offers an example of how the Dead Sea Scrolls help to solve cruces interpretum in the prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible. For this purpose he studies "The Genre of the Book of Jonah" in light of the paratextual literature from Qumran.
Reading the Bible doesn't need to be a difficult journey through strange and bewildering territory. How to Read the Bible Book by Book walks you through the Scriptures like an experienced tour guide, helping you understand each of its sixty-six books. For each book of the Bible, the authors start with a quick snapshot, then expand the view to help you better understand its message and how it fits into the grand narrative of the Bible. Written by two top evangelical scholars, this survey is designed to get you actually reading the Bible knowledgeably and understanding it accurately. In an engaging, conversational style, Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart take you through every book of the Bible using their unique approach: Orienting Data—Concise info bytes that form a thumbnail of the book. Overview—A brief panorama that introduces key concepts and themes and important landmarks in the book Specific Advice for Reading—Pointers for accurately understanding the details and message of the book in context with the circumstances surrounding its writing. A Walk Through—The actual section-by-section tour that helps you see both the larger landscape of the book and how its various parts work together to form the whole. How to Read the Bible Book by Book can be used as a companion to How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. It also stands on its own as a reliable guide to reading and understanding the Bible for yourself.
