The aim of this book is no less than to provide an account of the unfolding of the mind of God in history, through the successive agents of his special revelation. Vos handles this under three main divisions: the Mosaic epoch of revelation, the prophetic epoch of revelation, and the New Testament. Such an historical approach is not meant to supplant the work of the systematic theologian; nevertheless, the Christian gospel is inextricably bound up with history, and the biblical theologian thus seeks to highlight uniqueness of each biblical document in that succession. The rich variety of Scripture is discovered anew as the progressive development of biblical themes is explicated. To read these pages--the fruit of Vos' 39 years of teaching biblical theology at Princeton - is to appreciate the late John Murray's suggestion that Geerhardus Vos was the most incisive exegete in the English-speaking world of the twentieth century.

Haggai, Zechariah 1–8, Volume 25B in the acclaimed Anchor Bible part of the Scripture known as the Minor Prophets, were written during a critical period in Israel’s history, the momentous return of the Jews from Babylonian exile. Following the conquest of Babylon by the Persian Empire, the Israelites sought to reestablish their ethnic and religious legacy in Judah. This was a time of profound turmoil and uncertainty, and Haggai and Zechariah provided a crucial measure of support and inspiration. They rallied Israel’s energies and exhorted their fellow countrymen to heed the word of God. Under their guidance the Jews restored the Temple at Jerusalem, which had been destroyed by the armies of Nebuchadnezzar. Together the two prophets guided Israel through an important transitional epoch, and reconciled the influences of Persia’s dominion with the sacred traditions of the Hebrew people. In this illuminating new translation and commentary, Carol and Eric Meyers consider the Book of Haggai and the first eight chapters of the Book of Zechariah in a linguistic, social, and historical context. They underscore the literary artistry, the political acumen, and the prophetic authority of these fascinating volumes that proved so vital to the survival of Israel and the preservation of the Jewish faith.

We meet the prophets of Israel in our own time and in one place--Scripture. So it might seem odd to consider that they are not all the same, these voices from "back then." In fact, the prophets inhabited a time span of hundreds of years and faced events that on their own terms were more convulsive than our 9/11. They were not uniform in their language, their concerns, their personalities, their remedies or their visions of the future. In this book, Sam Meier explores some recurring themes and features--such as angels, writing, miracles, the future and kingmaking--all with an eye on their transformation over time. And the defining event in this transformation turns out to be the great convulsive event of the story of Israel, the defeat and exile of the kingdom of Judah. Themes and Transformations in Old Testament Prophecy is a book that goes beyond the standard introductions to the prophets. Yet it does so in a way that will inform and intrigue beginning students and anyone curious about the prophets of Israel.

In this Apollos Old Testament Commentary, Anthony Petterson offers detailed commentary on the prophetic books of Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, setting them in their wider biblical-theological context. He shows the connections between the post-exilic world and our own, and explains how these books contain a vital message for the church today, living in the gap between promise and reality.

La 4e de couverture indique : "Can we consider prophetic conflicts as expressions of a socio-religious phenomenon or should we consider them as post-exilic creations that serve ideological purposes ? In his study, Francesco Arena investigates false prophecy and prophetic conflicts, taking Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Micah as the three books in the Bible most concerned with prophesying falsehood and false prophets"

Clarifying the Bible is a two-hour video presentation and workbook giving viewers the basic framework and storyline of the Bible. The material is presented in a passionate, compelling fashion, delivering on its promise to help people see the Bible with more clarity than ever before.

The Bible is simply a love letter compiled into sixty-six books and written over a period ofsixteen hundred years by more than forty authors living on three continents. Although theauthors came from different backgrounds, there is one message, one theme, one thread that runs throughout the entire Bible from the first book, Genesis, to the last book, Revelation. That message is God's redeeming love for mankind.By the end of Second Kings, both the northern and southern kingdoms had beenconquered.Israel, the northern kingdom, was conquered and scattered by Assyria. Almost 150years later, the Babylonians destroyed Judah, the southern kingdom, and those whosurvived were exiled to Babylonia. The temple lay in ruins, the land was desolate, andit appeared that all hope was lost for the exiled remnant. As they struggled to surviveas aliens in a strange culture and still maintain their Jewish identity, God was workingbehind the scenes in unimaginable ways. He had promised that Judah would be exiledfor seventy years. But He had also promised to bring His people back to the land. Inthe books you are about to study, you will see that God keeps His promises.During the seventy years Judah was in exile, the political world changed dramatically.The Persians defeated Babylonia and became the largest empire in the Near East. Itwas Persia that brought about an end to the Exile and allowed the Jews to return home,restore their temple, and build a wall around their beloved Jerusalem.The Post-Exilic Books were written after the Exile, to and about this group of God'schosen people. First and Second Chronicles were written to the people to encourage them in the land after they returned to Jerusalem, reminding them of their identity and heritage. Ezra and Nehemiah continue the history of the Jews from where it left off in Second Kings. Esther is a beautiful story of the providential hand of God moving to protect His people. Chronologically, the Old Testament Historical Books end with Nehemiah. All the Old Testament books following Nehemiah merely fit into the time period of these historical books.

Professor Brueggemann here examines the literature and experience of an era in which Israel's prophets faced the pastoral responsibility of helping people to enter into exile, to be in exile, and to depart out of exile. He addresses three major prophetic traditions: Jeremiah (the pathos of God), Ezekiel (the holiness of God), and 2 Isaiah (the newness of God). This literature is seen to contain the theological resources for handling both brokenness and surprise with freedom, courage, and imagination. Throughout, Brueggemann demonstrates how these resources offer vitality for ministry today.

The Chronicler distinguishes between "traditional prophets" and "inspired messengers," and thereby highlights a radical transition in the meaning of the "word of God" which takes place in the post-exilic period. The Chronicler summarizes his perspective in 2 Chron. 36.16, saying that Israel rejected "his prophets," "the messengers of God," and "his word" (i.e. Torah). This distinction is reflected in the forms and functions of prophetic speech in the books of Chronicles. Thus, the prophets speak to the king, and the inspired messengers (e.g. priests, levites) speak to the people. The prophets interpret narrative events for the king; they explain how God acts. The inspired messengers exhort the people, admonishing them how they should act. The prophets' speeches usually do not use any kind of inspiration formula, but the inspired messengers' speeches are prefaced with possession formulas. These possession formulas are not typical of classical prophecy and mark the rise of a new kind of prophecy, namely, the inspired interpretation of texts. These inspired messengers are thus forerunners of the inspired interpreters of scripture in Qumran, early Christianity and Judaism.>