Chapter 4: The Major Prophets

IN THIS CHAPTER, you will discover:   

Isaiah's prophetic foretelling of the Messiah.   

The "weeping prophet" who lamented over Jerusalem.   

Ezekiel's visions of the glory of God.   

Daniel - the statesman who prophesied about nations.     

AS A RESULT, you will be able to:   

Identify with the man of sorrows, pierced and crushed for you.   

Intercede more effectively for the sins of the nation.   

Breathe newness into the "dry bones" of your life.   

Resist the pressures to compromise your faith.

Reading: Talk Thru the Bible, pp. 185-96.

Key Word: Salvation.

Key Verse: "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way,; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:6).

Key Chapter: Isaiah 53.

The Major Prophets

Major Prophets - the term sounds quite commanding. These must be the great ones! Certainly they are important, but the term "major" in no way denotes rank. The major prophets are so-called because of the greater length of their books (with the exception of Lamentations). The prophets are mighty men of God. (Three prophetesses are also mentioned by name - Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah.) They are messengers, servants, watchmen, seers, and prophets sent to proclaim the word of the Lord. Spiritually attuned, they are able to perceive things in the spiritual realm. Many receive messages from God through dreams, visions, angels, nature, miracles, or an audible voice.
The prophet primarily speaks forth to God's people. He exposes sinful practices; calls people back to moral, civil and ceremonial laws; warns -them of coming judgment; and anticipates the coming Messiah.

Key Concepts:

1. In the Hebrew Bible, the Major Prophets were part of the division called the ___________________ Prophets. [185]
2. ______________________ was the first to create a colony of prophets. [185]
3. One ministry of a prophet was foretelling future events; a more important one was________________. [186]
4. Over three hundred prophecies were precisely fulfilled by ___________________ in his first advent. [186]
5. The prophetic message was one of condemnation and ___________________.[186]
6. The four chronological points highlighted within the prophets are: __________________, ___________________, _________________, and ___________________. [186]

Isaiah
"Saint Paul of the Old Testament" and "Shakespeare of the prophets" are very complimentary names for Isaiah. Yet none depicts his ministry as well as the definition of his own name - "Yahweh is salvation." The word salvation appears twenty-six times in the book of Isaiah, but only seven times in all the other prophets combined.
The book itself is like a miniature Bible. The first thirty-nine chapters of condemnation parallel the Old Testament in its terseness and rationality. The last twenty-seven declare the message of hope as seen in the New Testament. In the first chapter, Isaiah summarizes the message of his entire book. Judah is riddled with moral and spiritual disease, and the people are neglecting God as they bow to ritualism and selfishness. Graciously, the Lord reminds them that they must repent and return to him in order to avoid judgment.

Isaiah's ministry of forty years spans the reign of four kings of Judah. While Isaiah's first prophecies concern Judah, he later begins to prophesy against the eleven surrounding nations. He also looks back to the Assyrian invasion of Judah in which they have escaped captivity. Isaiah assures them, however, that they will not be spared when Babylonia invades the land. His message of condemnation evolves into a message of consolation as he comforts the people with God's promises of hope and restoration.

Isaiah is the prophet quoted most often in the New Testament. His beautiful picture of our Lord (chapter 53) is quoted or alluded to eighty- five times. When Isaiah speaks about Christ, he is clearer and more explicit than any other Old Testament prophet. For that reason, many have said that he sounds remarkably like a New Testament writer. Isaiah describes many aspects of the person and work of Christ in both his first and second advents, often blending the two together. An incredible number of Isaiah's messianic prophecies have already been fulfilled in the New Testament, and several still await fulfillment at Christ's second coming.

What a glorious hope awaits God's people! The New Jerusalem will appear, the Messiah will reign, and God will make all things new. Peace, prosperity, and justice will prevail!

Key Concepts:

1. The first __________ chapters are filled with judgment upon immoral and idolatrous men. [190]
2. The last twenty-seven chapters declare a message of __________________. [190]
3. Isaiah's wife was a (princess, prophetess). [190]
4. Tradition says that King __________________ ordered that Isaiah be sawed in two. [190]
5. Isaiah was a contemporary of Hosea and (Joel, Micah). [191]
6. The theme of Isaiah is the __________________ of the Lord. [191]
7. Psalm 22 and Isaiah __________ list the most remarkable and specific prophecies of the atonement of the Messiah. [192]
8. The historical parenthesis in chapters 36-39 looks back to the _________________ invasion and forward to the ________________ invasion. [193]
9. God granted (Hezekiah, Isaiah) fifteen more years of life. [193]
10. Chapters 58-66 depict the Messiah and Savior as a ___________________ Servant. [194]

Further Study: "Introduction to the Prophetical Books," IBC, pp. 101- 8; "Isaiah," NIDB, pp. 471-74.

Life Application: Have you accepted the Messiah's first coming? If not, you cannot participate in his second coming. Do not wait; ask the Prophesied One to be your personal Savior today.

List the specific statements that Isaiah 53 makes about the Messiah. Prophecy Note "P" on page 792 in the NIVTSB will help you begin. Look up the New Testament fulfillments of these prophecies. How do each of these relate to your life today?

Reading: Talk Thru the Bible, pp. 197 -211.

Key Words: Last Hour, Lamentations.

Key Verses: "Because of the LORD'S great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness" (Lam. 3:22-23).

Key Chapters: Jeremiah 31; Lamentations 3.

Jeremiah

Can you imagine preaching a message of doom and gloom for forty years? Would you ever consider quitting? Jeremiah, often called the "weeping prophet," is to be admired for his perseverance in the face of adversity. Day in and day out, he continues to declare his message faithfully. Jeremiah, a "last hour" prophet, assures Judah that the only way to escape the coming calamity is to surrender to God's will.

Chosen from his youth to be a prophet of God, Jeremiah presents Yahweh as the sovereign Creator and Lord of all people and nations-the God who hates idolatry and immorality. Since he is to be an object lesson to Judah, Jeremiah is not allowed to marry or take part in the religious feasts. His lifestyle is to show Judah that judgment is imminent. Much symbolism is used to reveal Judah's spiritual condition and her coming destruction. In sharp contrast to his stiff-necked hearers, Jeremiah's heart is broken over their sins.

Jeremiah's prophetic ministry lasts from the reign of Josiah (the last good king of Judah) through Zedekiah (the last king of Judah). Three other kings reign in the interim. Unfortunately, none of the last four accept Jeremiah's message. At various times, they (or other officials) threaten him, put him in stocks, force him to flee, publicly humiliate him, and throw him into a cistern. King Jehoiakim actually destroys Jeremiah's scroll on which is written all his prophecies from the beginning of his ministry until the fourth year of Jehoiakim.

When his prophecy concerning the Babylonian invasion comes true, Jeremiah ministers to his people, promising restoration under the new Shepherd-the Messiah-the nation\'s future king. Following the destruction of Jerusalem, Jeremiah is forced to accompany the fleeing Jews to Egypt. There he dies in exile.

Key Concepts:

1. The son of a _________________, Jeremiah was born at Anathoth. [198]
2. Jeremiah dictated his prophecies to his secretary _________________. [198]
3. The last king of Judah was _________________. [199]
4. Jeremiah portrays the Messiah as the coming Shepherd and the righteous ______________________. [200]
5. For his faithfulness, Jeremiah was rewarded with opposition, beatings, isolation, and ____________________. [201]
6. Since the people did not keep the ____________________, God would give the land a rest when they went into captivity. [201]
7.  Jeremiah promised that the Captivity would last __________________ years. [201]
8. King __________________ burned the scrolls with the prophetic warnings. [202]

Lamentations
By far, Lamentations is the saddest book of the Old Testament. It describes the once-proud city of Jerusalem now lying in ruins. Jeremiah, who has predicted its destruction for forty years, sees his prophecy realized in 586 B.C. Not only has the city been destroyed, but the people have been deported to Babylon. Jeremiah, identifying with the tragedy, composes five beautiful and emotional poems of lamentation over the death of the city. The same compassion, sympathy and grief expressed in the book of Jeremiah are found in Lamentations.

Christ is typified in the book by Jeremiah, who identifies himself personally with Jerusalem and with the suffering caused by sin. Jeremiah, like Christ, suffers and is despised and taunted by his enemies. Three themes comprise the book: 1) mourning over Jerusalem?s devastation, 2) confession of sin and acknowledgment of God?s righteous and holy judgment, and 3) hope in God's future restoration.

Jeremiah paints a beautiful portrait of the God he worships: God has never failed him in the past and has promised to remain faithful in the future. "Great is your faithfulness" (3:23). Believing this allows Jeremiah to turn tragedy into triumph.

Key Concepts:

1. Lamentations describes the destruction of _________________. [207]
2. Jeremiah was taken captive to ___________________ by his own countrymen. [208]
3. _________________ used the symbol of hens and chicks when he lamented over Jerusalem. [208]
4. In the Hebrew Bible, Lamentations was placed in the ________________ with the books of Song of Solomon, Ruth, Esther, and Ecclesiastes. [209]
5. Lamentations ends with a warning of future punishment to __________________, Judah\'s archenemy, and a glimmer of hope for Jerusalem. [210]

Further Study: "Jeremiah," IBC, pp. 764-66; "Lamentations," IBC, pp.800-801.

Life Application: Jeremiah teaches that God judges nations. What sins did Israel commit that our country is guilty of today? What should be the Christian response to such national sin? How can you get involved in making changes? First Timothy 2:1-4 teaches that we should begin by praying for our government and its leaders. Set aside prayer time this week to intercede for those in authority.

Reading:  Talk Thru the Bible, pp. 212-19.

Key Word:  Restoration.

Key Verses:  "For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back to your own land.  I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.  I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."  (Ezekiel 36:24-26)

Key Chapter:  Ezekiel 37.

Ezekiel  Ezekiel  -  truly a man of vision - dramatizes God's message to the exiles.  Carried into Babylon in 597 B.C., Ezekiel is a contemporary of Jeremiah and Daniel.  The other Jews living in Babylon are expecting a quick release from their exile, but Ezekiel warns them that there is no hope for immediate deliverance.  When Jerusalem falls, he comforts his grieving countrymen, assuring them of God's covenant promise.  Future blessing will come along with complete restoration.  Ezekiel's writing reveals the sovereign purpose of God:  He uses both judgment and blessing to teach his people that he alone is Lord.

In a stunning revelation of his glory, God commissions Ezekiel as a prophet.  This is only a foretaste of the dramatic ways the Lord communicates with him.  Ezekiel is an exciting book, filled with imagery, fantastic visions, allegories, parables, signs, and symbols.  An incredible vision concerning the temple is experienced by Ezekiel.  In chapters 40-48 he is given detailed specifications for the reconstruction of the temple and regulations for worship.  Then as he watches, the awesome glory of the Lord returns to reside in the temple! 

What a burden is lifted from the Jews when Ezekiel tells them that children will no longer be responsible for their father's sins.  This is a foretelling of the New Testament when every man must choose Jesus for himself.  

Key Concepts:   

1. Matching: 

Reanimation of the nation                      A. Shekinah [213] 

Will swoop down like an eagle               B. Messiah [215] 

The glory of God                                   C. Babylon [216] 

King of Tyre                                          D. Satan [216] 

King with right to rule                             E. Valley of dry bones [216]

2. Ezekiel was a contemporary of (Isaiah, Jeremiah). [214] 

3. Ezekiel prophesied from his home in ________________. [214] 

4. The book's apocalyptic imagery resembles that in the New Testament book of _________________. [215] 

5. Although (Egypt, Tyre) existed following its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar, it never regained its former glory. [216]

Further Study: "Ezekiel," IBC, pp. 807-9. 

Life Application: Are there any "dry bones" in your life that you would like God to breathe upon? Perhaps it is a relationship or a job situation. He can resurrect even situations that seem hopeless. Stop and tell God that you desire the dryness to be gone. The Holy Spirit is God's divine breath. Take a deep breath and allow the Holy Spirit to bring restoration and healing to you.

Reading: Talk Thru the Bible, pp. 220-26.

Key Word: Apocalypse.

Key Verse: "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever" (Dan. 2:44).

Key Chapter: Daniel 9.

Daniel
Plucked out of his homeland at the age of sixteen, young Daniel is handpicked for government service in Babylon. He and three of his friends determine to remain true to the God of Israel in the midst of the luxury and decadence of the Babylonian court. Certainly Daniel succeeds, for he is one of the few well-known Bible characters about whom nothing negative is ever written. He lives an uncompromising life of faith, prayer, courage, and consistency.

Because of his intense desire to serve his Lord, Daniel is given great wisdom and the ability to prophesy and interpret dreams and visions. Daniel finds favor with Nebuchadnezzar and is given a prominent position in his court. By the time of his death, Daniel has served under three other foreign kings who have also esteemed him very highly.

When Daniel is around, things happen! His three friends are bound and pitched into a fiery furnace only to be spectacularly saved from the flames. Daniel himself is thrown into a den of hungry lions whose mouths are supernaturally closed. Even more incredible are Daniel's visions in which he is given the prophetic plan for Israel, including the Messiah's atoning death.

The book of Daniel has been called the "Apocalypse of the Old Testament" because of its detailed and comprehensive sweep of prophetic history. In both his personal adventures and prophetic visions, Daniel shows God's guidance, intervention, and power in human affairs.

Key Concepts:

1. Daniel was God's prophet to both the Jewish and _________________ world.[221]
2. (Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar) took Daniel into Babylonia. [221]
3. As Daniel had predicted, the ________________Empire continued until it was conquered by Alexander the Great. [221]
4. Many Bible scholars believe that Daniel was written later during the time of the _________________ in the second century B.C. [222]
5. The ____________________ argument claims that Daniel is not authentic because it was written in more than one language. [222]
6. The prophecy of the (seventy, forty) weeks provides the time frame of the Messiah's establishment of the kingdom. [223]
7. Because of its imagery and symbolism, Daniel is compared with the book of _________________ in the New Testament. [223]
8. Name the four Gentile empires Daniel predicted would come and go: ________________, ________________, ________________, _________________. [224]
9. Daniel's ___________________ and diet were changed to make him lose his Jewish identification. [224]
10. The ________________________ kingdom will end the "Times of the Gentiles." [224]
11. In chapter 8, Alexander the Great was the big horn while ____________________ was the little horn. [224]

Further Study: "Daniel," IBC, pp. 847-51.

Life Application: Daniel and his three Hebrew friends would not promise their faith and thus were persecuted. Are you currently out your Christian convictions? If not, in what areas are you cor mising, and are you doing this to avoid persecution? God doe always rescue his children as in the book of Daniel. What wou your reaction to God if you were fired from your job for tak Christian stand?