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