Bible Blitz IV The Prophets July 2, 2007 Presenter: Fr. Ed Technician: Ray Hosler Honoree: Deacon Norm

The Prophets Isaiah Jeremiah - Lamentations Ezekiel - Daniel Hosea - Joel Amos - Obadiah Jonah - Micah Nahuum - Habakkuk

The Prophets – cont’d Zephaniah - Haggai Zachariah - Malachi John the Baptist Jesus

Lamentations (586 BC – 516 BC) “Witness to the Persecution” “My eyes are red from crying” Author Unnamed – Eyewitness – Jeremiah?

Lamentations Time Line 586 BC – Jerusalem destroyed by Babylon 538 BC –Jewish exiles return to Jerusalem 516 BC – Temple rebuilt

Lamentations Style Five poems in acrostic form, 1-8, each verse begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, which has 22 letters One poem has 66 verses – 3 x 22 – Therefore every third verse begins with a letter of the alphabet. Alphabet letters – a memory help or a sign of completion – “A to Z” - 22

Lamentations Contents 1.Confession of sins 2.Grief 3.Chastisement 4.Yahweh can restore 5.Israel the bride of Yahweh, now a widow

“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks him.” (3:22-26)

Ezekiel (605 BC BC) Dry Bones Four Faces Priest, Prophet, Prisoner

Ezekiel Time Line 605 BC – Suppression of Jerusalem by Babylonians 593 BC – Ezekiel begins 20 years of prophesy 583 BC – Jerusalem destroyed; 10,000 prisoners - Ezekiel

Life Notes At 25, Ezekiel a priest in Jerusalem At 30, called to be a prophet to Jews in exile Called to be a prophet in Babylon First prophet to be called to prophesy outside the Holy Land Deported by Nebuchadnezzar – 587 BC

Life Notes – cont’d Up until 587 BC, he scolded the people Afterward, he encouraged them Doom and hope

Ezekiel Stories The four faces (Ez 1:1-14) Ezekiel eats the scroll (Ez 2:3 – 3:3) Dry bones (Ez 37:1-14)

Daniel (600 BC – 500 BC Fiery Furnace Lion’s Den Handwriting on the Wall

Daniel Teenage dreams Prophet and prisoner in Babylon His book is more apopalyptic than prophetic 167 BC and 164 BC to encourage the Jews

Time Line 605 BC – Babylon invades Judea; Daniel taken captive 586 BC – Babylon destroys Jerusalem 538 BC – Jews return to Jerusalem

Life Notes Daniel from the upper class of Jerusalem Humble and obedient; turned to God and prayer in crises He and three others taken into the court of Nebuchadnezzar Three young men: Shadrach (Hananiah), Meshach (Michael), Abednego( Azanah)

Daniel Stories Fiery Furnace (Dn 3:1-30) Handwriting on the Wall Lions’ Den (Dn 6:1-28) Oh Susanna (Dn 13)