PROPHECY AND APOCALYPTIC: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
Jonathan Numada, PhD
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The Office of Prophet
Nabi prophet (naba)
Hozeh seer (12x)
Roeh diviner (1 Sam 9:9)
Political Consultant
Religious Consultant
Priests could be prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel)
Not all Prophets were priests or Levites (Micah, Amos)
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The Office of Prophet
Role of Predicting the FutureDeuteronomy
Role of Legitimating SignsDeuteronomy
Offer Guidance
Intercession
Enforce the Covenant
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Paradigmatic Prophets
Jonah as a Bad Prophet? 2 Kings 14:23-27
Nathan as a Good Prophet
Elijah and Elisha
Prophetic Media
Prophetic Schools
THE LATTER PROPHETS
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Ezekiel
Book of the Twelve
Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah
Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk
Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi
UNDERSTANDING APOCALYPTIC AND PROPHECY
Prophetic Groups and/or Schools
Note:• Large Numbers Group
activity• Ecstatic utterances• Male & Female Occupation• Use of Music & Poetry
Prediction IS involved, but more restricted to exhortation
you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and a lyre before them, and they will be prophesying. (1 Sam. 10:5) … behold, a group of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him mightily, so that he prophesied among them. … the people said to one another, "What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?"
(1 Sam. 10:10-11)
when Jezebel destroyed the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water.
(1 Kings 18:4)
**Interesting Examples: Read 1 Samuel 19:20-23; 1 Kings 22:6; 2 Kings 22:14
THE LATTER PROPHETS
Message PERSONAL PURITY AND
RIGHTEOUSNESS
SOCIAL JUSTICE The Marginalized
Poor (e.g., Isa 3:14-15)
Widows and Orphans (Isa 10:1-2)
Foreigners (Isa 56; Ezek 22:29; Zech 14:16)
JUSTICE Addressed at least 65 times in the Prophets
Sin
IDOLATRY (91x)
For the sons of Israel will remain for many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or household idols.
Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king; and they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days.
Hosea 3:4-5
THE LATTER PROPHETS
Message
• FAITHFULNESS TO YHWH
• Other Gods (49x)
OTHER GODS BY NAME
Chemosh (Jer 48) Baal
Molech (Jer 32:35) Asherah (Micah 5:14), “sacred poles” (Isa 17:8)
“High Places” (Amos 7:9; Ezek 6:3)• YHWH, Baal, Asherah, etc.
WHO WOULD GOD HAVE US DIRECT OUR PROPHECY TO TODAY?
DOES PROPHECY HAVE A PLACE IN EVANGELISM? OR, IS THERE A DIFFERENCE?
HOW DID PROPHECY BECOME APOCALYPTIC?
UNDERSTANDING PROPHECY AND APOCALYPTIC
Apocalypticism
Influence of Persia & GreecePersian Religions Proto Zoroastrianism Proto Manichaeism
Contribution Satan Strengthened Dualism Apocalyptic Motifs
Dualism (Greece)
UNDERSTANDING APOCALYPTIC AND PROPHECY
ApocalypticThe Influence of “Wisdom”
• Universal Scope• Imagery from Nature
Mantic Wisdom • Dream interpretation (Joseph, Daniel)• Signs/symbols interpretation
Revelatory Wisdom • Divination (of what God wants)• Urim and thummin (Num 27:21)• Casting Lots
Prophecy & Apocalyptic Genre Overlap
• Isaiah • Zechariah
• Ezekiel • Daniel
• John’s Revelation
UNDERSTANDING APOCALYPTIC IN PROPHECY
Prophecy and Apocalyptic are not the Same!
Prophetic vs. Apocalyptic Eschatology
KEY DIFFERENCES
Prophecy Apocalyptic
• An activity • A genre of literature
• Exhort to worship • Console and comfort
• Criticism of In-group • Criticism of Out-group
• Public consumption • Private consumption
• “Prophetic Eschatology” • “Apocalyptic Eschatology”
UNDERSTANDING APOCALYPTIC IN PROPHECY
Apocalyptic as a Genre
SYMBOLISM AND IMAGERY TEMPORAL FRAMEWORK
• Visions and Epiphanies • Creation
• Discourse and Dialogue • Primordial Events
• Otherworldly Journey • Interpretation of History
• A Written document/book • Present salvation through knowledge
• Angelic Mediator • Judgment
• Human recipient • Eschatological Salvation
UNDERSTANDING APOCALYPTIC IN PROPHECY
The Selection of Symbols
Assumption: Cyclical History (Deut 30:1-3, 30:17 – 18)
Deuteronomic Cycle:
Judgment repentance faithfulness
Polysemy and Multivalence
Typology and Metaphor
Metonymy Eg., “Babylon”
UNDERSTANDING APOCALYPTIC IN PROPHECY
Example 1: Gog and Magog
Gog and Magog (Ezek 38:2, 14; 39:1, 17; Rev 20:7-8)
• Gog Lydian king Gyges (or, Gugu) ruled a country in S.E. Turkey
•Magog Assyria (Mat-Gugu)• deported Northern kingdom
•Usually Israel and Judah allied with Egypt• military threats came from the north.
• Egypt seldom bothered protect its “allies.”
UNDERSTANDING APOCALYPTIC IN PROPHECY
Example 2: The Beast from the Sea
Daniel 7:2-12; Rev 13
Creation God making order from chaos
Sea/Yam Symbol of Chaos
Beast an empire symbolizing chaos
RECAP