Pre-Classical Prophecy and 8th Century

Question 1

31. Historical Context

Answer 1

Pre-Classic prophecy is covered in the periods Joshua, Judges, 1:2 Samuel, and 1:2 Kings.

Written in D, much later than 1150-750 BC of events

Written in the “south”

Question 2

31. Judges

Answer 2

(c.1150 BC) was written during the Iron Age (1200–600).

Social Confusion, Anarchy dispersed tribes.

Enemy=Philistines, around Gaza.

Judges as Charismatic, order bringing figures

Question 3

31. Saul

Answer 3

(1050-1010 BC) initiated Israel’s transition to a monarchy.
Military leader, disastrous end
Tribes uniting

Question 4

31. David

Answer 4

(1010-970 BC) unified N & S Israel, and introduced a period of stability.
Monarchy as stable institution.
Securing southern lands, Philistines

Question 5

31. Solomon

Answer 5

(970-930 BC) organized the kingdom more thoroughly than David.
Golden Age of Israel = peace, happiness, and political and economic success.
Upon his death, the kingdom was divided

Question 6

31. Divided Kingdom

Answer 6

D – Split due to Rehoboam and Northern tax issues

North rebelled and chose Jeroboam, established shines.

North - constant political, though rich, turmoil. South - Davidic dynasty.

Question 7

32. Explain: ecstatic prophets.

Answer 7

Ecstatic prophets are characterized by strange behavior, entering into a trance or ecstasy.

Primitive prophecy, using Signs over Words

Culturally varied: contact with divine through extatic behavior

1Sam 10:5b-7…
“you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying. 6 Then the spirit of the Lord will come mightily upon you, and you shall prophesy with them and be turned into another man. 7 Now when these signs meet you, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.”

Question 8

33. Explain: individual prophets.

Answer 8

“Ordinary” individual prophets communicated messages from God to the people. Their behavior was more normal than the ecstatics. Some of them worked directly in the court of the king (e.g. Nathan at David’s court), while others were itinerant.

Question 9

34. Explain: “sons of prophets”

Answer 9

“Sons of prophets” were groups of disciples who surrounded individual prophets. Elisha’s followers are the most famous example of this phenomenon. They were normally humble, poor and unappreciated people, who were often considered crazy.

Question 10

35. Evolution of pre-classical prophecy?

Answer 10

The most notable characteristic of the preEclassical prophets is their great variety. There are diverse types of prophets, messages, settings, activities. There are some similarities with later prophecy, but also many differences. For example, in this former period there is no concern for eschatology or messianism. Even where there’s a touch of messianism, as when Nathan tells David that his line will reign forever, this is a promise that deals with him. But the biggest difference, perhaps, is that pre:classical prophecy is directed at individuals, not groups of people as with classical prophecy.

Question 11

36. What is the (5) five-fold content of the pre-classical prophecies?

Answer 11

− (1) Prophets who give help in everyday situations
− (2) Prophets who help in time of war and advise the king.
− (3) Prophets who criticize abuses of power on the part of the king.
− (4) Prophets who directly intervene in political action.
− (5) Prophets who defend the exclusive cult of Adonai.

Question 12

36. (1) Prophets who give help in everyday situations

Answer 12

(1) Prophets who give help in everyday situations help with problems that don’t require great insight but are important nonetheless: e.g. help finding a donkey; healing a minor illness. (see 1 Sam 9; 1 Kings 14; 2 Kings 4)

Question 13

36. (2) Prophets who help in time of war and advise the king. For example, Deborah. (see also 1 Sam 22:5; 1 Kings 22; 2 Kings 3, 6:8E7:20)

Answer 13

(2) Prophets who help in time of war and advise the king. For example, Deborah. (see also 1 Sam 22:5; 1 Kings 22; 2 Kings 3, 6:8E7:20)

Question 14

36. (3) Prophets who criticize abuses of power on the part of the king.

Answer 14

(3) Prophets who criticize abuses of power on the part of the king. This function is a foreshadowing of the kind of prophecy we’ll find more often in the classical era. We do not find many cases of this in the preEclassical era since many prophets worked for the king. But some had the courage to criticize (e.g. Nathan and Elijah). (see 2 Sam 12, 24; 1 Kings 14, 21)

Question 15

36. (4) Prophets who directly intervene in political action. For example, choosing a new king. (see 2Kings 9E10; 1Kings 16:1E8)

Answer 15

(4) Prophets who directly intervene in political action. For example, choosing a new king. (see 2Kings 9E10; 1Kings 16:1E8)

Question 16

36. (5) Prophets who defend the exclusive cult of Adonai.

Answer 16

(5) Prophets who defend the exclusive cult of Adonai. These prophets fought against idolatry and religious syncretism. They had to live in a foreign land that had its own gods, where it was reasonable to expect some mixture. Syncretism is not a matter of abandoning one’s God for another, but of adding other gods to one’s cult (see 1Kings 18f; 2Kings 1; 9f).

Question 17

Pre-Classical prophecyMessiah-ism or escatology?

Answer 17

No concern for eschatology or messianism. (Even where there’s a hint of it , as when Nathan tells David that his line will reign forever, this is a promise that deals with him at that time). Also, pre-classical prophecy is directed at individuals, not groups of people like with much classical prophecy.

Question 18

37. Who are the 8th Century Prophets

Answer 18

Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah

Question 19

37. 8th Century Prophets: AMOS

Answer 19

Amos (760-759 BC) is the first of the “latter prophets”.

He was from the South, and was a prophet perhaps only for a year.

He went to the North, not welcomed, as he criticized the wealth gap he found there.Thus his big theme was social justice.

He announced the impending fall of the Northern kingdom and was sent away to the South.

Question 20

37. 8th Century Prophets HOSEA

Answer 20

Hosea (750E725 BC) was from and worked the North.

He focused on the problems of worshiping other gods, religious syncretism, infidelity, etc.

During Syro-Efraimite war he denounced allying with Syria, insisting that the only alliance should be with the Lord.

His big contribution was the spousal image of the relationship between God and his people. Influenced D.

Question 21

37. 8th Century Prophets ISAIAH

Answer 21

Isaiah (c. 740sE700 BC) was a contemporary of Hosea, originally from Jerusalem, worked there

Cultured man from a good family, he received his call a little before the Syro-Ephraimite War.

Concerned with political questions between Kings Ahaz and Hezekiah.

He reiterated Hosea’s admonition that the king and the people should not look to political allies for salvation, but only to the Lord.

Question 22

37. 8th Century Prophets MICHAH

Answer 22

Micah (725?E701 BC) was from the South and of humble origins.
He also engaged in social criticism (like Amos), especially in the first three chapters of his book, which are considered to be its “nucleus”. Scholars think his disciples wrote the rest of the book.

Question 23

38. What is the historical situation of the 8th century?

Answer 23

In the previous century (9th) no threats.

But now, in the 8th c., the situation is radically different: the Assyrian king Tiglat-Pileser III, or “Pulu” (745-727 BC) wanted to expand for sea access.

Expansive, ambitious, aggressive expansive program, ruthless cruelty.

Ends with complete destruction of the Northern Kingdom.

This was the golden age of prophecy in Israel. The prophetic books of this era (Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah) all begin with a historic introduction, including the name of the king or kings. This shows how history and prophecy are intimately connected.

Prophets cannot be understood apart from their historical context.

Question 24

39. What is the international situation of the 8th century?

Answer 24

The Assyrian king Tiglat-Pileser III, or “Pulu” (745E727 BC) wanted to expand into the Mediterranean for access to the sea.

His empire not only conquered nations, but also deported the conquered people and forced assimilation into their lands, thus preventing future uprisings and destroying the cultural identity of the deported.

Question 25

40. Explain: the crisis of Northern Israel (8th cent.).

Answer 25

First Assyrian invasion: Siro-Ephramite War (734-733 BC).

Before the war, the North [Israel/Ephraim] and King Tiglath-Pileser III made a treaty, and Israel paid tribute, until a certain king of Israel, Menahim (745-738), refused to pay. Instead, he made an alliance with the Syrians to fight Tiglath-Pileser III. He called on King Ahaz in the south (Judah) to join the alliance, but Ahaz (744-727) refused. So Syria and Israel attacked Judah. Judah called for help from Tiglath-Pileser, and so Assyria invaded Israel and Syria (734-733 BC). This drama is the context for Isaiah 6, who counseled against the alliance.

Second Assyrian invasion (722-21). Another king, King Hoshea of Israel (732-722), was also tired of paying tribute to Assyria. In 724 he decided to stop paying. By now the king of Assyria was not Tiglat-Pileser III but Shalmaneser V. Israel had hoped that Egypt would aid them, but the prophets advised against looking toward Egypt. Rather, they should trust in the Lord, and look to Him for help! Sure enough, no help from Egypt came. Samaria fell under Salmanassar V and Sargon II (his successor) in 722-721 BC.

Thousands of Israelites were deported to Assyria, and the Assyrians imported a bunch of other people to take their place. Deportation and colonization was a typical strategy of Assyrian imperialism. These mixed and intermarried with the remaining Israelites, and thus the Samaritans were created. Thus we can understand how the people of the South in Jesus time did not get along with the Samaritans. It comes from this time. They were an idolatrous group of half-breeds, in the southerners’ eyes. There were also lots of refugees from the North who went south. The mixture of Northern and Southern traditions in Jerusalem was vital for the formation of the sacred books.

These happenings are the central theme of the prophet Amos (the deportation).

Question 26

41. What is the Syro-Ephreamite war (8th cent.)?

Answer 26

Siro-Ephramite War (734-733 BC). Before the war, the North [Israel/Ephraim] and King Tiglath-Pileser III made a treaty, and Israel paid tribute, until a certain king of Israel, Menahim (745-738), refused to pay. Instead, he made an alliance with the Syrians to fight Tiglath-Pileser III. He called on King Ahaz in the south (Judah) to join the alliance, but Ahaz (744-727) refused. So Syria and Israel attacked Judah. Judah called for help from Tiglath-Pileser, and so Assyria invaded Israel and Syria (734-733 BC). Israel became a vassal kingdom of Assyria.
This is the context for Isaiah 6, who counseled against the alliance.

Question 27

42. Explain: the crisis in Judah (8th cent.).

Answer 27

During the reign of Ahaz, Judah was happily allied with Tiglath-Pileser III. But later under King Hezekiah, a good king like Josiah (according to D), left things in ruin. He rebelled against the Assyrians, hoping for the assistance of Egypt. In 701, Sennacherib took 46 cities of Judah and surrounded Jerusalem, which was reinforced but not invulnerable. Jerusalem was not taken, nor damaged, nor occupied (2Kings 18-19), but only because of an agreement with Hezekiah: he paid a large tribute and they spared the city. Hezekiah remained on the throne, although Judah was still a vassal state of Assyria. This was seen as a blessing of YHWH, protector of Jerusalem. In the end, however, most of the countryside of Judah was completely destroyed, and Hezekiah wound up in the exact same situation he was in the first place. It was very surprising that Sennacherib did not follow his usual practice of destroying the city and spilling blood.