The Major Prophets. Isaiah Isaiah Jeremiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Ezekiel Daniel Daniel.

The Major ProphetsThe Major Prophets

The Major ProphetsThe Major Prophets

• IsaiahIsaiah

• JeremiahJeremiah

• EzekielEzekiel

• DanielDaniel

The Major ProphetsThe Major Prophets

• Unlike prophets of other cultures Unlike prophets of other cultures they were not employed by they were not employed by government and religious leaders to government and religious leaders to make them look goodmake them look good

• Jewish prophets often denounced Jewish prophets often denounced these leaders and told the people to these leaders and told the people to change their wayschange their ways

Pattern of Prophet BooksPattern of Prophet Books

1. Demand for reform1. Demand for reform

2. Refusal of the demands2. Refusal of the demands

3. Predictions of God’s punishments if 3. Predictions of God’s punishments if the people do not changethe people do not change

4.The punishments comes to the people4.The punishments comes to the people

5. Reminder that God will help them if 5. Reminder that God will help them if they listen to him they listen to him

Isaiah Isaiah • Messianic ProphetMessianic Prophet

• In the future God In the future God would look at the would look at the heart as well as heart as well as actionsactions

• God’s blessing God’s blessing would be for would be for everyone not just everyone not just the Jewsthe Jews

IsaiahIsaiah

• Isaiah 2:4 can be found on a wall at the United Isaiah 2:4 can be found on a wall at the United Nations in New York and a statue outside of Nations in New York and a statue outside of the building also references the versethe building also references the verse

Jewish and Christian Views of Jewish and Christian Views of IsaiahIsaiah

• Jews are still waiting for many of his Jews are still waiting for many of his prophecies to come trueprophecies to come true

• Christians believe that Jesus fulfilled Christians believe that Jesus fulfilled the propheciesthe prophecies

Views on the Authorship of Views on the Authorship of IsaiahIsaiah

• Two views on the authorship of IsaiahTwo views on the authorship of Isaiah

• Conservative view- One author who was Conservative view- One author who was the prophet Isaiah (Orthodox Jews, the prophet Isaiah (Orthodox Jews, Evangelicals, and Christian Evangelicals, and Christian Fundamentalists)Fundamentalists)

• Liberal view- Three authors wrote the book Liberal view- Three authors wrote the book over a period of 200 years (Reformed over a period of 200 years (Reformed Jews, Roman Catholics, Mainstream Jews, Roman Catholics, Mainstream Protestants)Protestants)

JeremiahJeremiah

• Prophesied right before Judah’s downfallProphesied right before Judah’s downfall

• Judah was booming at the time and many Judah was booming at the time and many citizens were doing well financially and citizens were doing well financially and enjoying lifeenjoying life

• Jeremiah told the people that despite the Jeremiah told the people that despite the fact there was no hope for their generation fact there was no hope for their generation God would eventually return the Jews to God would eventually return the Jews to the promise land and eventually give the the promise land and eventually give the world the messiahworld the messiah

Response to JeremiahResponse to Jeremiah• The people would The people would

not listen to not listen to Jeremiah’s call for Jeremiah’s call for repentancerepentance

• Made fun of him Made fun of him and jeered him and jeered him

• Threw him in into Threw him in into the castle dungeon the castle dungeon where he was waist where he was waist deep in muddeep in mud

EzekielEzekiel• Prophesied from Prophesied from

Babylon during the Babylon during the captivitycaptivity

• A priest and prophet A priest and prophet who saw himself as who saw himself as a watchman for the a watchman for the exiled Jews exiled Jews

• Tried to keep their Tried to keep their hopes up and hopes up and reminded them to reminded them to remain faithful to remain faithful to GodGod

Ezekiel's StyleEzekiel's Style

• Ezekiel would act out some of his Ezekiel would act out some of his prophecies and used symbolic prophecies and used symbolic images to represent all of his images to represent all of his prophecies prophecies

• Once set his hair on fire to illustrate Once set his hair on fire to illustrate one of his propheciesone of his prophecies

Daniel (Belteshazzar)Daniel (Belteshazzar)

• Taken into Taken into Babylonian Babylonian CaptivityCaptivity

• Three Friends Three Friends taken with himtaken with him

• ShadrachShadrach

• Meshach Meshach

• Abednego Abednego

Daniel and His FriendsDaniel and His Friends

• Faced challenges in their attempts to Faced challenges in their attempts to obey Godobey God

• Refusal to eat Babylonian FoodRefusal to eat Babylonian Food

• The Fiery FurnaceThe Fiery Furnace

• Daniel and the Lions DenDaniel and the Lions Den

Key Prophecies of DanielKey Prophecies of Daniel

• Apocalyptic literature Apocalyptic literature

• The dream of NebuchadnezzarThe dream of Nebuchadnezzar

• The writing on the wallThe writing on the wall

• Visions of the end of timeVisions of the end of time

• The archangel MichaelThe archangel Michael

Nebuchadnezzar's DreamNebuchadnezzar's Dream

• Statue made of several metalsStatue made of several metals

• Head of goldHead of gold

• Arms and chest of silverArms and chest of silver

• Belly of bronzeBelly of bronze

• Legs of ironLegs of iron

• Feet of iron and clayFeet of iron and clay

• Huge stone destroyed statueHuge stone destroyed statue

Interpretation of DreamInterpretation of Dream

• Metal represent world powersMetal represent world powers

• Gold=BabylonGold=Babylon

• Silver=PersiaSilver=Persia

• Bronze=GreeceBronze=Greece

• Iron=RomeIron=Rome

• Stone=Kingdom of GodStone=Kingdom of God