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Explore the Prophets

The Old Testament books that we call historical also fall under the title of prophecy. This is because, as we shall see, these books (Joshua to Kings) don’t just record any history. They record the special history of God’s people, Israel. This history was shaped and determined by the Word of the Lord. The most important people in this history were not Israel’s kings, but the prophets, in whose mouth ‘the word of the Lord is the truth’ (1 Kings 17:24).

We hope that you will enjoy and learn from our journey through the books of the Prophets and that by the end of the module, a doorway for further study of these key Old Testament books will have opened.

Explore the Prophets- Contents Page

Introduction

Unit 1: Introducing the Prophets

  • Two brief reminders
  • Who were the prophets?
  • The titles by which the prophets were known
  • The role the prophets played within Israel
  • Were there prophets outside of Israel?
  • How true prophets were recognised
  • The main features of the prophetic message

Unit 2: A Question of History

  • The Old Testament (OT) as history
  • An overview of Israel’s story
  • The shape of the former prophets’ story

Unit 3: Into the Good Land

  • Israel’s attitude to the Promised Land
  • Israel’s conquest of the land through Holy War
  • God’s purpose for Israel, expressed in the Promised Land

Unit 4: God’s presence, God’s rule

  • Samuel’s role in Israel
  • Why was the Ark of the Covenant taken in battle?
  • Why did Israel ask for a King?
  • Saul’s kingship
  • David’s kingship
  • The symbol of God’s presence in Israel

Unit 5: Dominion, division and decline

  • The kingdom of Solomon
  • After Solomon: Division in the Kingdom of Israel
  • The story of Israel and Judah
  • The significance of Elijah and Elisha

Unit 6: The Lord is King

  • The location and timeframe of Isaiah’s prophecy
  • Subdividing the book of Isaiah
  • The key themes in Isaiah

Unit 7: A Question of History

  • Who was Jeremiah?
  • Jeremiah’s message
  • The major themes of the book of Jeremiah

Unit 8: Hope for the Hopeless

  • The location and timeframe of Ezekiel’s prophecy
  • Ezekiel’s role and message
  • Subdividing the book of Ezekiel
  • Why was Jerusalem overthrown?
  • The significance of Ezekiel’s oracles against the nations
  • What will become of God’s great purpose?

Unit 9: The Twelve Minor Prophets

  • The location and timeframe of Hosea’s prophecy
  • The structure of the book of Hosea
  • More about the marriage metaphor in Hosea
  • The message of Hosea
  • The genre of the book of Jonah
  • The missiological dimension of Jonah
  • Key lesson taught in the book of Jonah
  • Israel’s return and fulfilment of the promise of restoration

Unit 10: All that the Prophets have Spoken

  • The goal of Israelite history
  • Jesus brings restoration
  • Jesus fulfils all that the prophets have spoken
  • In what way was Jesus a prophet?
  • The relationship between the gospel and prophecy
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