Being responsive to God is at the heart of prophecy. But readers of ancient prophecies and apocalyptic literature—including those in the Old Testament—can come away thoroughly perplexed. Are the prophets speaking about their own times, about our present, or about some still-unrealized future?
It's common to study prophecy with a focus on the sole question of prediction and fulfillment, either for the sake of apologetics or for understanding the end times, but such an approach can fail to track with the original intent of the authors. We need to shake loose both from a paradigm of reading prophecy as an offer of mysterious divination as well as from the habit of constructing eschatological timelines of any sort. How do these books work as meaningful Scripture for Christians today?
John Walton applies his signature method to help us recover the lost world of the prophets. To read these biblical books well, we must understand:
– the role of the prophet
– the nature of prophetic literature
– the theological significance of prophecy
– how apocalyptic differs from prophecy A fresh reading of the Old Testament text in light of the ancient Near Eastern context can open new avenues of awareness. Walton provides a clear, helpful guide to the nature of biblical prophecy and apocalyptic literature that will help readers avoid potential misuse and reclaim the message of the prophets for their lives.
The books in the Lost World Series follow the pattern set by Bible scholar John H. Walton, bringing a fresh, close reading of the Hebrew text and knowledge of ancient Near Eastern literature to an accessible discussion of the biblical topic at hand using a series of logic-based propositions.
Table des matières
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part 1: Ancient Near East
Proposition 1: Prophecy Is a Subset of Divination
Proposition 2: Prophets and Prophecy in the ANE Manifest Similarities and Differences When Compared to Israel
Part 2: Institution
Proposition 3: A Prophet Is a Spokesperson for God, Not a Predictor of the Future
Proposition 4: Prophecy in the OT Is Not Monolithic but Developing
Proposition 5: The Classical Prophets Are Champions of the Covenant in Times of Crisis
Proposition 6: Prophecy Takes a Variety of Different Shapes After the Old Testament
Part 3: Literature
Proposition 7: Recognition of the Categories of Prophetic Message Help Us Be More Informed Readers
proposition 8: Prophets Were Typically Not Authors
Proposition 9: The Implied Audience of the Prophetic Books Is Not Necessarily the Audience of the Prophet
Part 4: Methodological and Interpretive Issues
Proposition 10: Distinction Between Message and Fulfillment Provides Clear Understanding of Prophetic Literature
Proposition 11: Fulfillment Follows Oblique Trajectories
Proposition 12: The NT Use of OT Prophecy Focuses on Fulfillment, Not Message
Proposition 13: Prophecy Carries Important Implications for Understanding God and the Future, but Our Ability to Forge a Detailed Eschatology with Confidence Is Limited
Part 5: Apocalyptic
Proposition 13: Apocalyptic Prophecy Should Be Differentiated from Classical Prophecy
Proposition 15: In Apocalyptic Literature, Visions Are Not the Message but the Occasion for the Message
Proposition 16: New Testament Apocalyptic Operates by the Same Principles as Old Testament Apocalyptic
Concluding Thoughts
For Further Reading
General Index
Scripture Index
A propos de l’auteur
John H. Walton is professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College. He has written many books on the Old Testament and its ancient Near Eastern background, including a commentary on Genesis, Ancient Israelite Literature in Its Cultural Context and (as coauthor) The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament.