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June 02, 2006

Comments

deborah

Here are some of my thoughts on your points:
1. That passage seems to be one of the ones people use to create a generalization. I find it interesting how a lot of prophesy was not included in the Bible. A person could be called a prophet but no prophesy of theirs is recorded.

2. It isn't just the early Christians who saw the OT as prophetic. I know many people who still see it that way. I have been confused about how people say that all of Song of Solomon is specific prophesy about how Jesus will relate to the church. Sometimes an umbrella is just an umbrella and sometimes it um, isn't.

3. At lot of the events in the NT mirror events in the OT. It seems to me that what is being taught as fullfulment prophesy is a reflection of the past. Israel (Jesus) was called out of Egypt, The firstborn (Jesus) was killed in the 10th plague. Jesus was crucified at passover. Many of the miracles of Jesus happened at holy sites or at holidays from the OT. There is direct prophesy, and there is inferred prophesy - like a mirror. (Is it possible that the entire OT is like that? That would make all of the OT prophesy, which totally messes up my comments on point 2.)

4. In Isaiah, God changes his mind after Hezekiah prays. That almost happens with Lot with Sodom. Some prophesy seems to have a hidden "unless you..." at the end. I can't address the passages from Joel as my bible only has 3 chapters in it.

5. & 6. Just because a lot of the prophesy that was recorded in the Bible seems to deal with morality and short-term prediction doesn't mean that all prophesy does. In Matt 26:56 Jesus says that his arrest has to happen to fulfill prophesy. That would be a long term prophesy not dealing with morality (this quote is also recorded in Mark).

And you haven't even mentioned Revelation.

Bill

Whoops, that should have been Amos! I will make the appropriate changes.

r


On the topic of prophecy, the original Hebrew and Greek words for prophecy are many with many differant meanings, it would perhaps be beneficial to know what each author meant when using that word.
For instance sometimes the OT prophets were not always "foretelling" as they were "forthtelling", there is a differance.
Paul mentions the gift of prophecy, does he mean foretelling or is more of what Pastors do when they give us the word of God?

Bill

I don't think there were necessarily different words for prophecy, but you're right in pointing out that there are different nuances to the term "prophecy."

My Nelson's New Christian Dictionary says that prophecy is a "Message conveyed by a prophet acting on behalf of God in any given situation."

That seems like a good, basic definition to me.

Laura

In his book, Introduction to Old Testament Theology: A Canonical Approach, John Sailhamer talks about Hosea 11:1 and many other OT passages quoted in the NT. It's a good one to check for another perspective on the relationship between OT and NT.

Good series, btw.

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