Chapter Three:
The Old Testament:
Major Prophets and Related
Literature,
Daniel and the Minor
Prophets
[Page 69]
Major Prophets and Related Literature
The Role and Status of Old Testament
Prophets
Before studying the individual prophets in detail, it would be useful to provide an over-view of the inspiration and authoritativeness of true prophets in general. By doing so we will better understand the full implication designed to be conveyed by the Biblical assertion that an individual writer is a "prophet."
A.
Whatever true prophets wrote and was preserved for the benefit of future
generations is worthy of being counted as "Scripture"
When a prophet wrote, he was writing Scripture—or what was worthy of being such if God deemed it a revelation worthy of being preserved. (Prophets often spoke on the same or similar topics. So every time they spoke on the same subject was not essential to be preserved.) We see this attitude reflected repeatedly in the New Testament in its description of the writers of the Old Testament.
(1) Matthew 26:56: " 'But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets may be fulfilled.' Then all the disciples left Him and fled."
(2) Romans 1:2: "Which He promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures."
(3) Romans 16:26: "But now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith."
[Page 70] Verse 25 refers to how through the preaching of the gospel one has "the revelation of the mystery" which had previously been obscure. In light of this, verse 26 can be read as an indication that the gospel is doubly attested: by the supernaturally guided preaching of its first advocates and by what was earlier recorded in the prophets who wrote those Scriptures.
Alternatively, the "now is manifested" can be read as making the point that New Testament era prophets were “now” writing Scripture as well, just as those in the past had done. If so, we have here (1) an apostolic recognition of authoritative "Scripture" written by non-apostolic prophets; (2) that one or more such writings were already in existence at the time Paul wrote the book of Romans. Although these texts provide substantial evidence that New Testament age prophets were as qualified by their position and function to write Scripture as those in the Old Testament, the direct point seems to be the inspiration of the prophets of the past age of revelation.
B. A
repeated subject of the prophetic writings was the coming of the Messiah
One of the fundamental axioms of the New Testament, in interpreting the Old, is that the Christocentric/prophetic element is scattered throughout. Jesus Himself sanctioned this approach (Luke 24:44-47),
Now He said to them, 'These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.' Then He opened their minds
to understand the Scriptures. And He said to them, 'Thus it is written, that he
Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day.' "
Hence when we interpret the Old Testament prophets in a Christocentric manner, we are doing no more than what Jesus accepted as proper. Not that every passage has a directly prophetic intention, but that scattered throughout there is that predictive message and that we miss its true intent when we ignore it.
1 Peter 1:10-11 brings out the point that the prophets themselves often did not fully grasp the significance of their message, thereby indicating that what was guiding their writing—on a conscious or unconscious level or both--was far above and beyond the mere culture in which they moved and the events through which they lived, "And to this salvation the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful search and inquiry, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to come."
This text is especially significant in reminding us of the limitations imposed when we interpret the prophets solely within the context of their culture,
[Page 71]
As these verses indicate, the prophets themselves did not comprehend the fullness of what their own words implied. Hence they were not merely reflecting the culture in which they lived and work, inspiration instilled in them teachings above and beyond that of their culture. Hence, to reach a sound interpretation of the text, “we must seek to establish not merely the intention of the human author who wrote the words, but also (and more important) the intention of the Divine Author who guided in the composition of those words" (15-26).
In short the prophet might well be writing of his immediate situation and yet recognize that there was something within the message that did not quite fit it—that God was also pointing toward something additional that would be fully recognized only further along in human history. Call this “double fulfillment” if you wish. Or call it writing the words so that there would be an obvious (relatively) short-term application as well as being verbally quite reasonable (or perfect!) as descriptions of events not even imagined.
The writers could sense that there was more moving in their rhetoric than they could grasp. Why should we deny what even the original writers could understand?
The Christocentric interpretation of the Old Testament in general and the prophets in particular was central to the early Christian effort to convince others that Jesus was the predicted Messiah:
(1) Apollos used the
Old Testament this way (Acts
(2) Paul used the Old Testament this way (Acts 17:2-3).
(3) Jesus Himself used the Old Testament this way
(John 5:39; Luke 18:31-34; Luke 22:44-47, quoted above).
C.
The prophets were revealers of God's will
(1) A prophet had the
responsibility of relaying God's message
This was true of Moses: "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'See, I make
you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you, and
your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of
This was also true of Balaam: "Then the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, 'Return to Balak, and you shall speak thus' " (Numbers 23:5). "Then the Lord met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, 'Return to Balak, and thus you shall
speak.' " Balaam claimed to recognize this responsibility
(Numbers
(2) The Holy Spirit was used
by God to reveal His message to the prophets
[Page 72]
(1) Nehemiah 9:30: "However, Thou didst bear with them for many years and admonished them by Your Spirit through Your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore You didst give them into the hand of the peoples of the lands."
(2) Zechariah 7:12: "And they made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the Lord of hosts."
The Holy
Spirit played a similar role in revealing the gospel message of the New
Testament as well (John
(3) The prophet did not have the option of
choosing what to say
1 Kings 22:14: "But Micaiah said, 'As the Lord lives, what the Lord says to me, that I will speak.' "
The same point is made in Numbers 23:5, 16, quoted above.
(4) God's revelation
involved not just the thoughts but also the words they were expressed by
(1) Deuteronomy 18:18: "I will raise up a prophet among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him."
(2) Zechariah 1:6: "But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, 'As the Lord of hosts purposes to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has dealt with us.' "
(3) Zechariah 7:12: "And they made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the Lord of Hosts."
Countless times the prophets themselves refer to receiving the "word of the Lord." The expression places emphasis on both the Divine source of their revelation ("the Lord") and the fact that the verbal formulation chosen ("the word") was Divinely overseen to assure that the result met with God's approval.
Summary
Earlier texts affirming Biblical inspiration and reliability: 362
[Page 73]
Additional texts
Whatever they wrote is worthy of being counted as "Scripture" 3
Prophets repeatedly wrote of the coming of the Messiah 6
The prophets were revealers of God's will
A prophet had the responsibility of relaying God's message 4
The Holy Spirit was used by God to reveal His message to them 3
The prophet did not have the option of choosing what to say 1
The message involved both the thoughts and their expression 2
Total 381
23.
Isaiah
A.
Internal claims of inspiration within the book
(1) It is labeled the word and instruction
of the Lord
Isaiah
1:10: "Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of
Isaiah 7:10: "Then the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying."
The same basic idea can be found in such additional texts as Isaiah 16:13; 28:14; 38:4; 39:5.
(2) Its contents are called
a Divinely provided "vision"
Isaiah 1:1: "The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem which he saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hedekiah, kings of Judah."
The
concept but not the word "vision" is found in Isaiah 2:1: "The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning
(3) Many chapters (or
sections thereof) present God speaking in the first person
[Page 74]
Among the texts which explicitly refer to "God," "the Lord" or some synonymous term doing the speaking are these thirty-five:
(1)
(2)
(3) 7:3f (15) 30:1 (27) 50:1
(4) 8:1 (16) 30:12f (28) 51:22
(5)
(6)
(7) 18:4 (19) 40:1 (31) 65:8
(8) 20:2 (20) 41:21 (32) 65:13
(9) 21:6 (21) 42:5 (33) 66:1
(10)
(11)
(12) 27:3 (24) 48:17
(4) Isaiah was commanded to
write as well as to speak
Since what God revealed was both inherently authoritative and truth, this carried with it the propriety (if not the absolute obligation) of committing that same, identical teaching to writing. Indeed, some prophetic revelations--such as the Book of Revelation in the New Testament--appear to have been literary from the very beginning rather than ever enjoying a prior oral form. The value of a written version of the prophetic message is alluded to at least twice in the book of Isaiah:
Isaiah 8:1: "Then the Lord said to me, 'Take for yourself a large tablet and write on it in ordinary letters: 'Swift is the booty, speedy is the prey.' "
Isaiah 30:8: "Now go, write it on a tablet and inscribe it on a scroll, that it may serve in the time to come as a witness forever."
(5) Isaiah's message was
intended as authoritative beyond the author's lifespan
Isaiah 30:8: "Now go, write it on a tablet and inscribe it on a scroll, that it may serve in the time to come as a witness forever."
In apparent reference to the survival of the written record of Isaiah's prophecies, the text (34:16-17) has this to say: "Seek from the book of the Lord, and read: Not one of these will be missing; none will lack its mate. For His mouth has commanded, and His Spirit has gathered them. And He has cast the lot for them, and His hand has divided it to them by line. They shall possess it forever; from generation to generation they shall dwell in it." The reference to "of these" points to the immediately preceding prophecy of Isaiah rather than to a different work.
[Page 75]
B.
The New Testament endorses the inspiration of the book
1. The book is quoted as coming from God
Concerning trusting in God
(Hebrews
Concerning help in time of need (2 Corinthians 6:1-2, quoting Isaiah 49:8): "And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain--for He says, 'At the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.' "
Concerning our need to separate
ourselves from evil (1 Corinthians
2. The book is quoted as
having been revealed by the Holy Spirit
Concerning the willingness of people to accept the gospel message (Acts 28:25-27, quoting Isaiah 6:9-10): "And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, saying, 'Go to this people and say, You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; and you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; for the heart of this people has become dull, and with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn again, and I should heal them.' "
3. The book is quoted as
authoritative "Scripture"
Concerning faith in Christ not leading to disappointment (both of the following passages quote Isaiah 28:16):
1 Peter 2:6: "For this is contained in Scripture: 'Behold I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and he who believes in Him shall not be disappointed.' "
[Page 76] Romans 10:11: "For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed." Though this passage quotes Isaiah 28:16 as "Scripture," the same Isaiah text is quoted in Romans 9:33 with the introductory phrase, "It is written." Hence, "it is written" is a term intended to be synonymous with "Scripture," with few if any exceptions.
Concerning Jesus being appointed to teach the gospel (Luke 4:17-21, quoting Isaiah 61:1-2): "And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book, and found the place where it was written, 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He appointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives. And recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.' And He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed upon Him. And He began to say to them, 'Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.' "
4. The author is called a
"prophet"
(a) By John the Baptist
Concerning the mission of John the
Baptist (John
(b) By the martyr Stephen
Concerning God's rebuke of those who wished to build a temple for Him (Acts 7:48-50, quoting Isaiah 66:1-2): "However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says: 'Heaven is My throne, and earth is the footstool of My feet; what kind of house will you build for Me,' says the Lord; 'or what place is there for My repose? Was it not My hand which made all these things?' "
(c) By the apostle Paul
[Page 77]
Although Paul does not use the word "prophet" to describe Isaiah, he clearly regarded him as such: In Romans 9:29 he quotes Isaiah 1:9 as that which Isaiah had "foretold." For other uses of Isaiah by the apostle, see the texts quoted in our later discussion of authorship of the book.
(d) By the writers of the
gospel records
Concerning the virgin birth of Jesus (Matthew 1:22-23, quoting Isaiah 7:14): "Now all this took place that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, 'Behold the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which translated means, 'God with us.' "
Concerning
the Gentiles hearing Jesus' message (Matthew 4:13-16, quoting Isaiah 9:1-2): "And leaving
Concerning the work of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:3-4, quoting Isaiah 40:3-5), "For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet saying, 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.' "
Concerning the nonviolence and
peacefulness of the Messiah (Matthew
Concerning Jesus miraculously curing illness (Matthew 8:16-17, quoting Isaiah 53:4): "And when evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill in order that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, 'He Himself took our infirmities, and carried away our diseases.' "
Concerning the rejection of Jesus'
message (John
spoke, 'Lord, who has believed our report? and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?' "
[Page 78]
(e) By Jesus personally
Concerning the reason He spoke in
parables (Matthew
Concerning the reliance of the enemies of Jesus on tradition rather than truth (Matthew 15:7-9, quoting Isaiah 29:13): "You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, 'This people honors Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.' "
Concerning
the betrayal of the Messiah (Luke
Concerning
receptivity to Jesus' message (John
Concerning Jesus being appointed to teach the gospel (Luke 4:17-21, quoting Isaiah 61:1-2), already quoted above.
C.
The New Testament affirmation of single authorship for the entire book
1. The multi-authorship
inclination of much of modern scholarship
The modern destructive criticism of Isaiah is now over two centuries old. It began in 1789 with the publication by J. C. Doederlein of an analysis separating chapters 1-39 from 40-66 and attributing only the earlier chapters to the historical Isaiah. Second Isaiah (chapters 40-66) were supposedly penned centuries later during the Babylonian Captivity.
[Page 79] This "Two Isaiah Hypothesis" is so common today that those advocating the unity of the book are probably a statistical minority. On the other hand the effort to spin off chapters 56-66 into a "Third Isaiah" has not enjoyed as great a success even among those rejecting the single person authorship of the book. Furthermore, there are those who deny even parts of First Isaiah to the historical Isaiah and those who argue for multi-authorships far beyond a mere one, two, or even three individual writers.
2. Inherent problems
involved in the multiple authorship approach
(a) The lack of manuscript evidence.
The sum total of all manuscript dividing Isaiah into two separate works can be provided with one digit: 0 (zero). Isn't it odd that the multi-authorship scenarios of those and other Old Testament works--so appealing to so many scholars today--finds no supporting data in the manuscript tradition? Wouldn't one expect that if more than one author penned a prophecy, that each would continue a separate existence? The twelve minor prophets were maintained on one scroll--but as twelve separate shorter works. Why should there be the perceived need to amalgamate the various alleged Isaiahs into one single Isaiahianic prophecy? After all, the test of prophecy was not the name attached to it, but whether or not it was genuine prophecy. Especially is this the case since "Second" is at least on a par with "First"--if not far above it.
(b) The moral issue.
Even if one postulates some "school" of Isaiah prophets, the merger of their later works into the original, core prophecy was certainly not essential. Even if added to the original scroll, separate attribution was still a reasonable course: Proverbs has two sections at the end that are attributed to others besides Solomon and Psalms even more, if one may introduce the attributions above them.
The only case where such would be required would be if the latter writers were intentionally engaged in deception--pretending to write of the events after they had occurred. However one verbally disguises the difficulty, the Two Isaiah requires such to have occurred. It becomes pretended prophecy rather than genuine prophecy. It becomes at least self-delusion to edify one's contemporaries rather than a foretelling of events not yet having occurred.
(c) The philosophical bias
against the book.
[Page 80] Those who define prophecy in purely subjective terms--as coming from within in response to the aspiration toward the Divine--have little or no room for genuine prediction. Hence, by definition, any apparent prophecy must have been written either after the event or is a misunderstanding of the original intent.
This
underlying bias is common (though not universal) among those rejecting the
unity of the book. Others are concerned
with specific issues raised in the book.
For example, they are sometimes embarrassed by the specificity of
certain predictions (in particular, the naming of Cyrus centuries before his
birth, Isaiah 45:1). Yet even this is
presented in the text as having a specific purpose: to increase the faith of
3. The New Testament
attributes all three alleged divisions to the same author
(a) "First Isaiah"
(chapters 1-39)
(1) Discussing Gentiles hearing Jesus, Matthew 4:13-16 so identifies the author of Isaiah 9:1-2.
(2) Concerning the blindness of those who rejected Jesus, John 12:39-41 so identifies the author of Isaiah 6:9-10.
(3) Concerning the reliance of Jesus' enemies on tradition, Matthew 15:7-9 so identifies the author of Isaiah 29:13.
(4) Concerning
God saving a remnant of
(5) Concerning
how close
(b) "Second
Isaiah" (chapter 40-55)
(1) Concerning the mission of John the Baptist, Matthew 3:3-4 identifies him as the author of Isaiah 40:3.
(2) Concerning the mission of John the Baptist, Luke 3:4-6 also identifies him as the author of Isaiah 40:3-5.
(3) Concerning the nonviolence and peacefulness of the Messiah, Matthew 12:14-21 so identifies the author of Isaiah 42:1-4.
[Page 81] (4, 5) Concerning the lack of faith in the preached message, John 12:37 and Romans 10:16 both identify him as the author of Isaiah 53:1.
(6) Concerning Jesus miraculously curing diseases, Matthew 8:16-17 identifies him as the author of Isaiah 53:4.
(c) "Third Isaiah"
(chapters 56-66)
(1) Concerning Jesus being appointed to teach the gospel, in Luke 4:17-21 the writer of Isaiah 61:1-2 is identified as the same individual.
(2) Concerning
God using another nation against
(3) Concerning God being sought by the unexpected, in Romans 10:21 the writer of Isaiah 65:2 is identified as the same individual.
If there were only one or two passing allusions to the Isaiahian authorship of all three sections, one might be tempted by the scenario that it was easier to use the popular one author terminology of the day rather than argue the point. On the other hand, the repeated stress on the single authorship, argues that the embracial of this position conveys a deeply held, root conviction.
Furthermore, the exact wording of certain of these attributions is extremely intriguing. They use such expressions as "spoken through Isaiah." That strongly implies that the writers have in mind the man Isaiah as well as the book Isaiah. It was not merely that it was recorded in a book called "Isaiah" but that an individual named "Isaiah" had been the human intermediary through whom God had spoken.
Luke 3:4 is especially interesting in the current context, "As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet." Hence the book contained not merely the writings of a "prophet" but one specific prophet named Isaiah. (Note the singular "prophet," not the "prophets" plural.) If the author was incorrect as to the words coming from this one "Isaiah", how can we place any greater trust in his claim that the writer was a "prophet"? If one of the assertions of this verse is wrong, why not both?
Sadly, the openly Modernistic advocates of multiple Isaiahs would accept the denial of both, so far have they drifted from Biblical fundamentals. Others, of a more conservative stripe, think they can maintain the true prophetic status of the man falsely claiming to be Isaiah. Perhaps they can, but, personally, I am glad I do not have to try. (Aside: Because of encountering such individuals, this compilation was originally compiled.)
[Page 82]
Summary
Earlier texts affirming Biblical inspiration and reliability: 381
Additional texts
Internal claims of inspiration within the book
It is labeled the word and instruction of the Lord 6
Its contents are called a Divinely provided "vision" 2
Many chapters present God speaking in the first person 35
Isaiah was commanded to write as well as to speak 2
Isaiah's message authoritative beyond the author's lifespan 2
New Testament endorses the inspiration of the book
The book is quoted as coming from God 3
The book is quoted as having been revealed by the Holy Spirit 1
The book is quoted as authoritative "Scripture" 3
The author is called a "prophet"
By John the Baptist 1
By the martyr Stephen 1
By the apostle Paul 1
By the writers of the gospel records 6
By Jesus personally 4
The New Testament affirmation of single authorship for the entire book
"First Isaiah" (chapters 1-39) 5
"Second Isaiah" (chapter 40-55) 6
"Third Isaiah" (chapters 56-66) 3
Total 462
24.
Jeremiah
A.
Internal claims of inspiration
1. Many chapters are written
in the first person, as God Himself speaking
[Page 83] There could hardly be a more explicit means of claiming the record to be a Divine revelation! The issue, then, becomes is the claim creditable and will I accept its teachings to the degree it may apply to me?
2. The term "word of
the Lord" (and synonymous expressions) are repeatedly used to describe
what is being recorded
A partial listing of such texts would include these:
Chapters
1-9: (1) 1:1-4; (2)
Chapters 10-19: (1) 10:1; (2) 11:1; (3) 13:8; (4) 14:1; (5) 16:1; (6) 18:1
Chapters 20-29: (1) 21:1; (2) 24:4; (3) 25:1-2; (4) 26:1; (5) 27:1
Chapters 30-39: (1) 30:1; (2) 32:1; (3) 32:26; (4) 33:1; (5) 34:1; (6) 34:8; (7) 34:12; (8) 35:1; (9) 35:12; (10) 36:27; (11) 37:6
Chapters 40-52: (1) 40:1; (2) 42:7; (3) 43:8; (4) 46:1; (5) 47:1; (6) 50:1
B.
Old Testament acceptance of the man and the book as prophetic
1. By
Daniel
Daniel calls him a prophet (Daniel 9:2)
2. By
the writer of Second Chronicles/Ezra
2 Chronicles 36:21-23 and Ezra 1:1-12 (in virtually identical words) refer to the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy concerning Cyrus, thereby showing recognition of Jeremiah as truely prophetic.
C.
Jeremiah was denied the right to alter or edit out anything God had
revealed
Jeremiah 1:17: "Now gird up your loins, and arise, and speak to them all which I command you. Do not be dismayed before them, lest I dismay you before them."
[Page 84] Jeremiah 26:2: "Thus says the Lord, 'Stand in the court of the Lord's house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, who have come to worship in the Lord's house, all the words that I have commanded you to speak to them. Omit not a word!' "
Even when God did not explicitly require such completeness of him, the prophet recognized that he was morally bound by this principle. Jeremiah 42:4: "Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, 'I have heard you. Behold, I am going to pray to the Lord God in accordance with your words; and it will come about that the whole message which the Lord will answer you I will tell you. I will not keep back a word from you.' "
The written record matched the verbal revelation spoken through the prophet. Nothing at all was omitted. Jeremiah 43:31: "But it came about, as soon as Jeremiah whom the Lord their God had sent, had finished telling the people all the words of the Lord their God--that is, all these words."
D.
God considered the written form of the prophecy as so vital that He even
miraculously preserved the text
The entire
incident is narrated in Jeremiah 36:4-30.
In this extreme case, the entirety of what had previously been
revealed was repeated in order to assure its preservation. "Take another scroll and write on it all
the former words that were on the first scroll which Jerhoiakim
the king of
It is taken for granted that the written revelation had faithfully repeated the verbal one. These destroyed prophecies were then duplicated; correction was not required because they were right to begin with. We are dealing here with the stage when only a single copy of the text existed. Such supernatural intervention would not have been required in a case short of such an extreme.
The
written record is called "the words of the Lord" (36:4, 8, 11), emphasizing
that the message in no way lost either its Divine origin or authority by being
committed to writing. The written
revelation was considered an adequate substitute for the personal presence and
oral message of the inspired prophet himself (36:5-7).
E.
The role of Baruch as Jeremiah's scribe
Jeremiah is a case where we have explicit evidence that he used a scribe to pen out his revelation. In the fourth year of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Baruch wrote down for Jeremiah all the revelations found in the first thirty-five chapters (Jeremiah 36:1-4). Since no other scribe is mentioned, it was presumably Baruch to whom Jeremiah dictated again the prophecies that had been destroyed by the king (Jeremiah 36:27-28).
Jeremiah 45:1 again refers to Baruch as Jeremiah's scribe for writing down the revelations. In the light of the repeated references to Baruch and the silence in regard to anyone else, the most natural assumption is that Baruch was the sole pensman for the entire volume.
Hence when a multi-staged composition was involved in the creation of a single book, the prophet had no hesitancy in admitting it. Hence one should regard with great caution claims of multi-stage composition when there is no allusion in the text itself.
[Page 85]
F. New
Testament acceptance of the inspiration of the book
(1) The book is quoted as
having been spoken by God
Concerning God's revelation of a new
covenant (Hebrews 8:8-12, quoting Jeremiah 31:31-34): "For finding fault with them, He
says, 'Behold the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will effect a
new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; not like the
covenant which I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the
hand to lead them out of the
(2) The book is quoted as
having been revealed by the Holy Spirit
Concerning God's revelation of a new covenant (Hebrews 10:15-17, quoting Jeremiah 31:33-34): "And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, 'This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord; I will put My law upon their heart, and upon their mind I will write them,' He then says, 'And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.' "
(3) The book is quoted as
coming from a prophet
Concerning mourning for dead children
(Matthew 2:17-18, quoting Jeremiah 31:15):
"Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was
fulfilled, saying, 'A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children; and she refused to be comforted, because they
were no more.' "
[Page 86]
Summary
Earlier texts affirming Biblical inspiration and reliability: 462
Additional texts
Internal claims of inspiration
"Word of the Lord" (and synonymous expressions) are repeatedly used 33
Old Testament acceptance of the man and the book as prophetic 3
Jeremiah was denied the right to alter or edit out anything God revealed 4
God considered the written form of the prophecy as so vital that He even
miraculously preserved the text when there was only one copy 1
New Testament acceptance of the inspiration of the book
The book is quoted as having been spoken by God 1
The book is quoted as having been revealed by the Holy Spirit 1
The book is quoted as coming from a prophet 1
Total 506
25. Lamenations
Although not categoricalized as a "major prophet," Lamentations is deserving of consideration in this context due to its traditional association with the major prophet, Jeremiah.
A.
Evidence for Jeremiah's authorship of the book of Lamentations
1. In counting the number of Old Testament books, Jeremiah and Lamentations were often lumped together in determining the total number.
2. The Greek Septuagint explicitly refers to Jeremiah as the author in a prologue before 1:1. This attribution is likewise found in the Old Latin and the Syrian translations, as well as being embraced by the Jewish Talmud. The Hebrew manuscripts, however, lack the attribution.
3. It is clear that Jeremiah was quite capable of writing such a book: He chanted a lamentation at the death of Josiah (2 Chronicles 35:25). That same text also refers to the existence of a book of lamentations containing that of Jeremiah. With no competing work to contest the place, it seems irresistible to take this to be a reference to the Biblical book of Lamentations.
B.
New Testament and the book
[Page 87] There are no explicit quotations from the book to be found in the New Testament. Various alleged allusions have been suggested, however. Typical is Matthew 27:30 as an allusion to Lamentations 3:30. Since Matthew, however, is describing an actual event and no indication of finding a prophetic foretelling is presented, the best one can reasonably come up with is that Jesus was patterning His conduct on the teaching of Lamentations. At the very minimum, that certainly argues for the moral propriety of the teaching of Lamentations.
The best parallel is found between Jesus' endorsement of turning the other cheek and the presentation of that same doctrine in the Greek Septuagint reading of Lamentations 3:30.
Summary
Earlier texts affirming Biblical inspiration and reliability: 506
Additional texts
Evidence for Jeremiah's authorship of the book 2
New Testament usage 2
Total 510
26.
Ezekiel
A.
Internal evidence for the inspiration of the book of Ezekiel
1. Much of the content is attributed
to visions from God
Ezekiel 1:1: "Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the river Chebar among the exiles, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God." Standing by itself, the expression "visions of God" could be [Page 88] interpreted either as a reference to the origin of the visions or to their subject matter. Verse 3 ("the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest"), however, decides the matter in favor of the origin of the visions being under discussion.
Ezekiel
40:2: "In the visions of God,
He brought me into the
2. The revelation of the
visions also involved the work of the Holy Spirit
Ezekiel
8:3: "And He stretched out the form
of a hand and caught me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me
up between earth and heaven and brought me in the visions of God to
Ezekiel
11:24-25: "And the Spirit
lifted me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God to the
exiles in
3. Several times Ezekiel
received a special gift of the Spirit when he was instructed to teach the
people the error of their ways
Hence the prophesying/teaching that Ezekiel did was not only Divine in origin, but the special presence of the Spirit guaranteed that it was presented in precisely the way the Spirit desired. For the connection between having the Spirit and actively prophesying, consider:
Ezekiel 2:1-3 (especially verse 2)
Ezekiel 3:23-27 (especially verse 24)
Ezekiel 11:4-5
Ezekiel 37:1-14 (especially verse 1)
4. Chapter after chapter is
explicitly claimed to be the "word of the Lord" (or its close verbal
equivalent)
[Page 89]
Not only is God presented as if speaking, the words are explicitly attributed to Him. For example:
Chapter 1-9: (1) 1:3; (2) 3:10-11; (3)
Chapters 10-19: (1) 11:14; (2) 12:1; (3) 13:1; (4) 14:2; (5)
15:1; (6) 16:1; (7) 17:1; (8) 18:1
Chapters 20-29: (1) 20:1-2; (2) 21:1; (3) 22:1; (4) 23:1; (5) 24:1; (6) 25:1; (7) 26:1; (8) 27:1; (9) 28:1; (10) 29:1
Chapters 30-39: (1) 30:1; (2) 31:1; (3) 32:1; (4) 33:1; (5) 34:1; (6); 35:1; (7) 36:1; (8) 38:1
Chapters 40-48: Although the expression "word of the Lord" is not used in these chapters, there are repeated assertions of the equivalent idea, "Thus says the Lord God."
"Word
of the Lord" was not a mere title; it refers to the origin of the teaching
so described as well. This can be seen
by the fact that the message Ezekiel delivered is described not just as the
"word" of God but the "words" (plural), indicating
that the entire message originated with God.
For the plural usage see Ezekiel 2:7; 3:4;
The bottom line is that there are only three alternatives when faced with such persistent and recurring phenomena claiming Divine guidance. (These apply to similar assertions in other Biblical books as well.) Either
Isaiah was deluded (for whatever reason) or
Isaiah was a conscious liar and deceiver (out of whatever motive good or bad) or
Isaiah was the recipient of genuine revelation
6. God is quoted as calling
Ezekiel a prophet
Ezekiel 2:4-5: "And I am sending you to them who are stubborn and obstinate children; and you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God.' As for them, whether they listen or not--for they are a rebellious house--they will know that a prophet has been among them."
Ezekiel 33:32-33: "And behold, you are to them like a sensual song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words but do not practice them. So when it comes to pass--as surely it will--then they will know that a prophet has been in their midst."
7. Ezekiel was specifically
commanded to write at least part of his narrative
Ezekiel 43:11: "And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the house, its structure, its exits, its entrances, all its designs, all the statutes, and all its laws. And write it in their sight, so that they may observe its whole design and all its statutes, and do them." Note that the purpose of committing it to writing was to encourage acceptance and obedience. The same rationale explains the need for the remainder of Ezekiel's message to be put in writing as well.
[Page 90]
B.
New Testament usage of the book
The book is nowhere explicitly quoted; hence we find no reference to either its inspiration or the identity of its author. Although there are some apparent conceptual borrowings in the book of Revelation, the evidence for it anywhere else in the New Testament appears, to this author, to be highly speculative and inconclusive.
Summary
Earlier texts affirming Biblical inspiration and reliability: 510
Additional texts
Much of the content is attributed to visions from God 2
The visions involved the work of the Holy Spirit 2
Several times Ezekiel received a special gift of the Spirit 4
Chapter after chapter is explicitly claimed to be the "word of the Lord" 34
God is quoted as calling Ezekiel a prophet 2
Ezekiel
was specifically commanded to write at least part of narrative 1
Total 555
Daniel and the Minor Prophets
27.
Daniel
A.
Internal evidence for the inspiration of the book
[Page 91]
1. Visions in the book are
attributed to Divine origin
God revealed to Daniel the strange dream of Nebuchadnezzar and what it meant (Daniel 2:16-19, 23): "Then Daniel went in and requested of the king that he would give him time in order that he might declare the interpretation to the king. Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, Hanniah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter, in order that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven: . . . 'To Thee, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for Thou hast given me wisdom and power; even now Thou hast made known to me what we requested of Thee, for Thou hast made known to us the king's matter.' "
The vision concerning Persia is described as one "revealed" to Daniel (Daniel 10:1): "In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar; and the message was true and one of great conflict, but he understood the message and had an understanding of the vision."
The Divine origin of these visions is also indicated by the fact that God is one of the speakers in the visions.
2. The visions claim to
reveal the "truth"
Daniel
10:21: "However, I will tell you
what is inscribed in the writing of
truth. . . ."
Daniel 11:2: "And now I will tell you the truth. . . ."
3. Daniel did not always understand
the meaning of the visions
See Daniel 8:27; 12:5-9. Such uncertainty--at least on some points--is quite natural in a true prophet. It is far less likely when the products are those of a fanatic conjuring up visions to satisfy his nationalistic pride or self-delusion.
B.
New Testament witness to the inspiration of Daniel
Jesus called Daniel a
"prophet" (Matthew 24:15, alluding to Daniel
[Page 92]
C.
New Testament claims as to the authorship of the book
Jesus
referred to the book being by Daniel (Matthew 24:15, quoted above).
D.
Possible New Testament allusions verifying the historicity of events
recorded in the book
1. Possible allusion to Daniel surviving in the
lion's den (Hebrews
2. Possible allusion to the survival of the three Hebrews thrown into the fiery furnace (Hebrews 11:34; compare Daniel 3:27-28): "Quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight."
Summary
Earlier texts affirming Biblical inspiration and reliability: 555
Additional texts
Internal evidence for the inspiration of the book
Visions in the book are attributed to Divine origin 2
The visions claim to reveal the "truth" 2
Daniel did not always understand the meaning of the visions 2
New Testament witness to the inspiration of Daniel 1
Possible New Testament allusions verifying the historicity of events 2
Total 564
[Page 93]
28. Hosea
A.
Internal claims of inspiration
1. The book claims to
contain the "word of the Lord"
Hosea 11:1: "The word of the Lord which came to Hosea the son of Beeri, during the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel." Since "the word of the Lord" came to him during the reign of several different kings, it follows that the verse is not referring to one particular revelation but to the entirety of the revelations he received.
Hosea
4:1: "Listen to the word of the
Lord, O sons of
2. The Lord is presented as
the speaker in much of the work
Although
Hosea 1:2, 1:4, 1:9, and
B.
New Testament treatment of the book
1. The author is called a
prophet
Concerning God's Son being called from
2. Words attributed to God
in Hosea are accepted as truely having been spoken by
Him
Concerning the enemies of God becoming
His people (Romans
[Page 94]
3. Authorship of the book is
attributed to Hosea
See Romans 9:25, quoted above.
Summary
Earlier texts affirming Biblical inspiration and reliability: 564
Additional texts
Internal claims of inspiration
The book claims to contain the "word of the Lord" 2
The Lord is presented as the speaker in much of the work 4
New Testament treatment of the book
The author is called a prophet 1
Words attributed to God were truely spoken by Him 2
Total 573
29.
Joel
A.
Internal evidence of Divine revelation
1. The book is called "the
word of the Lord"
Joel 1:1: "The word of the Lord that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel."
2. Much of the book has God
personally addressing the readers of the work
Joel
[Page 95]
B.
New Testament usage of the book
1. Testimony as to the
inspiration of the book
Concerning the coming of the Holy Spirit, the author is called a prophet and the words attributed to God in Joel are confirmed as truely having been spoken by Him (Acts 2:15-21, quoting Joel 2:28-32): "For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel, 'And it shall be in the last days, God says, That I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all mankind. . . .' "
2. Testimony to Joel as the
author
Joel is cited by name in Acts 2:15-21, quoted in part above.
Summary
Earlier texts affirming Biblical inspiration and reliability: 573
Additional texts
Internal evidence of Divine revelation
The book is called "the word of the Lord" 1
In much of the book God is personally addressing the readers 2
New Testament testimony as to the inspiration of the book 1
Total 577
[Page 96]
30.
Amos
A.
Internal assertions of inspiration
In addition to the fact that most of the book clearly infers God as being the Speaker, the text explicitly attributes the contents to the Lord in at least four different ways:
The contents of the book are presented as a "thus says the Lord": (1) Amos 1:3; (2) 1:9; (3) 1:11; (4) 1:13; (5) 2:1; (6) 2:6; (7) 3:11; (8) 3:12; (9) 5:4; (10) 5:16; (11) 7:17; (12) 9:15.
The contents are described as the
"word the Lord has spoken":
(1) Amos 3:1; (2) 5:1; (3)
The contents are that which
"declares the Lord": (1)
Amos 8:11; (2)
God "showed" Amos the visions in the work: (1) Amos 7:1; (2) 7:4; (3) 8:1.
B.
New Testament confirmation of supernatural guidance over the contents of
the work
Discussing how Israel acted in the
wilderness, the author is identified as a prophet (Acts 7:42-43,
quoting Amos 5:25-27): "But God
turned away and delivered them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written
in the book of the prophets, 'It was not to Me that you offered
victims and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, was it, O house of
Israel? You also took along the
tabernacle of Moloch and the star of the God Rompha,
the images which you made to worship them.
I also will remove you beyond
Discussing the appropriateness of the
first century spread of the gospel among the Gentiles, the author is numbered
among the prophets (Acts 15:14-18, quoting Amos 9:11-12): "Simeon has related how God first
concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His
name. And with this the words of the Prophets
agree, just as it is written, 'After these things I will return, and I will
rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, in order that the rest of mankind may
seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord,
who makes these things known from of old.' "
[Page 97]
Summary
Earlier texts affirming Biblical inspiration and reliability: 577
Additional texts
Internal assertions of inspiration
The contents of the book are presented as a "thus says the Lord" 12
The contents are called the "word the Lord has spoken" 3
The contents are that which "declares the Lord" 3
God "showed" Amos the visions in the work 3
New Testament confirmation of supernatural guidance over the contents 2
Total 600
31.
Obadiah
Lacking any New Testament usage of the book, no evidence exists to introduce from this source. As to internal evidence of an extra-human source, three times in the short 21 verses of Obadiah we find the direct assertion that God is speaking ("thus says the Lord"): Verses 1, 8, 18.
Summary
Earlier texts affirming Biblical inspiration and reliability: 600
Additional texts 3
Total 603
[Page 98]
32.
Jonah
A. Internal evidence of inspiration
1. The command to go preach
was given by God
Jonah
1:1-2: "The word of the Lord came
to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, 'Arise, go to
2. The contents of the
preaching was commanded by God
Jonah
3:1-2: "Now the word of the Lord
came to Jonah the second time, saying, 'Arise, go to
3. Chapter four contains a
conversation between Jonah and God
Either this is fictitious (with all that implies of self-deception, fraud, or both) or else it actually occurred in the real world. And if the last be true, then it is worthy of being regarded as containing a message from God.
B.
New Testament confirmation of the inspiration of the work
The
central character (and presumably author of the narrative) is called a
"prophet" (Matthew
C.
New Testament citation of the events recorded as if genuine history
Concerning Jonah being in the belly of the giant fish (Matthew 12:39-40, referring to Jonah 1:17; Cf. Matthew 16:3-4): "But He answered and said to them, 'An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.' "
[Page 99] Concerning
Jonah preaching in
Summary
Earlier texts affirming Biblical inspiration and reliability: 603
Additional texts
Internal evidence of inspiration
The command to go preach was given by God 1
The contents of the preaching was commanded by God 1
Chapter four contains a conversation between Jonah and God 1
New Testament references to inspiration and historicity 2
Total 608
33.
Micah
A.
Internal evidence of inspiration
1. Micah claimed that the
book contained the revelation of the Lord
Micah
1:1-2: "The word of the Lord
came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings
of
2. The warning of the book
against false prophets came from God
[Page 100]
Micah 3:5: "Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray; when they have something to bite with their teeth, they cry, 'Peace,' but against him who puts nothing in their mouths, they declare holy war."
3. The book's indictment of
Micah 6:1-2: "Hear now what the Lord is saying, 'Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Listen, you mountains, to the indictment of the Lord, and you enduring foundations of the earth, because the Lord has a case against His people; even with Israel He will dispute."
4. God speaks in the first
person throughout much of the narrative
Even where there is no explicit "thus says the Lord," the wording makes plain that God is intended as the speaker.
B.
Old Testament endorsement of the inspiration of the book of Micah
In the days of Jeremiah the book was quoted as coming from Micah and as being by a prophet (Jeremiah 26:17-18, quoting Micah 3:12): "Then some of the elders of the land rose up and smoke to all the assembly of the people, saying, 'Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, "Thus the Lord of hosts has said, Zion will be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem will become ruins, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest." ' "
C.
New Testament endorsement of the inspiration of the book of Micah
Discussing Bethlehem as birthplace of the Messiah, the writer is described as a prophet (Matthew 2:5-6, quoting Micah 5:2): "And they said to him, 'In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet, "And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come forth a Ruler, who will shepherd My people Israel." ' "
[Page 101]
Summary
Earlier texts affirming Biblical inspiration and reliability: 608
Additional texts
Internal evidence of inspiration
Micah claimed that the book contained the revelation of the Lord 1
The warning of the book against false prophets came from God 1
The book's
indictment of
Old Testament endorsement of the inspiration of the book of Micah 1
New Testament endorsement of the inspiration of the book of Micah 1
Total 613
34.
Nahum
Several times in the three chapters of Nahum, God is explicitly referred to as doing the speaking. (This does not include additional verses continuing the thought, indicating that He is still doing the speaking in latter verses.)
Nahum 1:12-14: "Thus says the Lord, 'Though they are at full strength and likewise many, even so, they will be cut off and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no longer. So now, I will break his yoke bar from you, and I will tear off your shackles.' The Lord has issued a command concerning you: 'Your name will no longer be perpetuated. I will cut off your idol and image from the house of your gods. I will prepare your grave, for you are contemptible.' "
Nahum 2:13: " 'Behold I am against you,' declares the Lord of hosts. 'I will burn up her chariots in smoke, a sword will devour your young lions, I will cut off your prey from the land, and no longer will the voice of your messengers be heard.' "
Nahum 3:5: " 'Behold, I am against you,' declares the Lord of hosts; 'And I will lift up your skirts over your face, and show to the nations your nakedness and to the kingdoms your disgrace.' "
[Page 102]
Summary
Earlier texts affirming Biblical inspiration and reliability: 613
Additional internal texts 3
Total 616
35.
Habakkuk
A.
Internal assertions of inspiration
1. The book claims to be by a
prophet
Habbakuk 1:1: "The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw."
Habakkuk
3:1: "A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet,
according to Shigionoth."
2. He was specifically
instructed to write down at least part of the revelation God gave him
Habakkuk 2:2-3: "Then the Lord answered me and said, 'Record the division and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal, and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay.' " The record was to be both read and was understandable to that person since he was to act upon it (to "run," verse 2).
3. Much of the book has God
as the speaker
Even when
a verse does not use a phrase like "God says," that He is the
intended Speaker is clear from the wording of many verses.
[Page 103]
B.
New Testament treatment of the book
1. It is cited as being from
a prophet
Concerning the danger of scoffing at
what God says (Acts 13:40-41, quoting Habakkuk 1:5): "Take heed, so that the thing spoken of in
the Prophets may not come upon you:
'Behold, you scoffers, and marvel, and perish; for I am accomplishing a
work in your days, a work which you will never believe, though someone should
describe it to you.' "
2. Its doctrine of faith
(Habakkuk 2:4) is a pivotal Old/New Testament teaching
It is quoted in Galatians 3:11 to prove that the Mosaical Law alone could not "justify" an individual in God's sight.
It is quoted in Hebrews 10:36-38 to prove that Christians must remain faithful even in a time of persecution.
It is quoted in Romans 1:16-17 to prove that stressing the centrality of faith is not without precedent in the Old Testament. Here it is introduced with the phrase "it is written," which functions as a verbal equivalent of "Scripture says" and implies the authoritativeness and inspiration of the text so quoted.
Summary
Earlier texts affirming Biblical inspiration and reliability: 616
Additional texts
Internal assertions of inspiration
The book claims to be by a prophet 2
He was specifically instructed to write down at least part of it 1
New Testament treatment of the book
It is cited as being from a prophet 1
Its doctrine of faith is a pivotal Old/New Testament teaching 3
Total 623
[Page 104]
36.
Zephaniah
1. The book claims to
contain the "word of the Lord"
Zephanaih 1:1:
"The word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah . . . in the
days of Josiah son of Amon, king of
2. Much of the book has God
personally speaking
In
addition to those verses whose wording compels us to conclude that God is the
intended speaker, there are at least four explicit references to Him
doing the speaking: Zephaniah 1:2; 2:9;
3:8;
Summary
Earlier texts affirming Biblical inspiration and reliability: 623
Additional texts
The book claims to contain the "word of the Lord" 1
Much of the book has God personally speaking 4
Total 628
[Page 105]
37.
Haggai
A.
Internal implicit and explicit claims of inspiration
1. The book claims to record
the revelations received by a prophet
See Haggai 1:1; 1:3; 2:1.
2. God's "word"
was spoken by the prophet whose message is recorded in the book
Haggai 1:1: "In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of God came by the prophet Haggai. . . ."
Haggai 2:20: "Then the word of the Lord came a second time to Haggi on the twenty-fourth day of the month saying."
Haggai 1:12: "Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people showed reverence for the Lord."
This text conveys several important facts relevant to our study. It shows that the people "obeyed the voice of the Lord" by heeding the "words of Haggai," thereby showing that the Lord decisively controlled and shaped the content of the "words" used by Haggai. In addition the text explicitly refers to Haggai as a "prophet." Finally, it also refers to his authority to speak by describing him as one "the Lord their God had sent."
3. Being the "messenger
of God," implies that the message he delivered was that of God
Haggai
1:13: "Then Haggai, the messenger
of the Lord, spoke by the commission of the word to the people saying, 'I
am with you,' declares the Lord."
4. The message is described
as that which the Lord "declares" and "says"
The
expression "thus says the Lord" is used in (1) Haggai 1:5; (2) 1:7;
(3) 2:6; (4)
The
synonymous idea that a statement represents that which "declares the
Lord" is found in (1) Haggai 1:13; (2) 2:4; (3) 2:8; (4) 2:9; (5)
[Page 106]
B.
New Testament usage of the book:
Words attributed to God in Haggai are described as truely
having been spoken by Him
Concerning the passing away of the world (Hebrews 12:26, quoting Haggai 2:6): "And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, 'Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.' "
Summary
Earlier texts affirming Biblical inspiration and reliability: 628
Additional texts
Internal implicit and explicit claims of inspiration
The book claims to record the revelations received by a prophet 3
God's "word" was spoken by the prophet whose message is recorded 3
Being the "messenger of God" implies that the message was God's 1
The message is described as that which the Lord "declares" and "says" 9
B. New Testament usage of the book:
Words attributed to God were truely spoken by Him 1
Total 645
38.
Zechariah
A.
Internal assertions of inspiration
1 At least four different expressions are used to describe the Divine
origin of the book
(a)
The message is labeled as "thus says the Lord": (1) Zechariah 1:16; (2) 8:7; (3) 8:9; (4)
[Page 107] (b) The message is called the "word of the Lord": (1) Zechariah 4:6; (2) 4:8; (3) 6:9; (4) 7:1; (5) 7:8-9; (6) 8:1-4; (7) 9:1; (8) 12:1.
(c) The message is described as that which the "Lord said to me": (1) Zechariah 11;13; (2) 11:15.
(d) "Declares the Lord" is a description attached to the message: Zechariah 12:4.
2. An angel was involved in
revealing at least part of the book
Zechariah 2:3: "And behold, the angel who was speaking with me was going out, and another angel was coming out to meet him."
Zechariah 4:1: "Then the angels who were speaking with me returned, and roused me as a man who is awakened from his sleep."
Zechariah 5:5: "Then the angel who was speaking with me went out, and said to me, 'Lift up now your eyes and see what this is, going forth.' "
B.
New Testament acceptance of the inspiration of the book
Discussing the people seeing the Messiah
murdered, the book is quoted as "scripture" (John
Summary
Earlier texts affirming Biblical inspiration and reliability: 645
Additional texts
Internal assertions of inspiration
The message is labeled as "thus says the Lord" 7
The message is called the "word of the Lord" 8
The message is described as that which the "Lord said to me" 2
"Declares the Lord" is a description attached to the message 1
An angel was involved in revealing at least part of the book 3
B. New Testament acceptance of the inspiration of the book 1
Total 667
[Page 108]
39.
Malachi
A.
Internal evidence of inspiration
1. The message is called the
"word of God"
Malachi
1:1: "The oracle of the word of the
Lord to
2. The recorded message is that which the Lord "says"
See Malachi
3. God is clearly presented
as the speaker in virtually the entire book
Even where the word "God" is not used, the wording of the text usually makes plain that He is the intended speaker.
B.
New Testament acceptance of the inspiration of the book
Discussing the mission of John the
Baptist, Malachi is introduced as prophetic (Matthew
[Page 109]
Summary
Earlier texts affirming Biblical inspiration and reliability: 667
Additional texts
Internal evidence of inspiration
The message is called the "word of God" 1
The recorded message is that which the Lord "says" 3
New Testament acceptance of the inspiration of the book 1
Total 672