The interpreters view
Today’s modern day Christian’s are not taught how to read prophecy in the Bible
properly; they are being taught it is all about God blessing, and what he is going to do for
them, and how they can receive from God. This thread will analyze how to read prophecy
1. Write a reflection of what your reading of the first 2 chapters of
Plowshares and Pruning Hooks have contributed to your understanding of how we are
to read prophecy
After reading the text, I come to realized that prophecy is a rebuke, when some call
themselves prophesying it comes across as a fortune teller, the way this reads is as if God is
angry with the children of Israel for their disobedience. Sandy D. Brent writes: “ We not
only read the prophets, we feel the impact of their bombardment. The prophet’s word is a
scream in the night. While the world is at ease and asleep, the prophet feels the blast from
heaven.”1 The author goes on to say that prophecy is an experience, reading through the
prophets what this writer has noticed is a great discontent with them the prophet Ezekiel
chapter 3:3 the Lord tell him to eat the scroll, where it was a sweet taste, and made his
stomach feel bitter. Jeremiah was called the weeping prophet; God had put something in
heart to cry for the people.
How this information can keep us from reading prophetic passages in the wrong ways.
Focus more on the implications of this reading for how we should read prophetic
passages.
1 Sandy D. Brent, Plowshares, and Pruning Hooks: Rethinking the Language of Biblical Prophecy and
Apocalyptic. (Downers Grove, IL: InerVarsitsty Press, 2002), 19-58.
What makes prophecy problematic? Brent gives several reasons why
1. Predictive or Poetic.2
2. Literal or Figurative.3
3. Exact or Emotive4
4. Conditional or Unconditional5
5. Real or Surreal6
6. Oral or Written7
7. Fulfilled or Unfulfilled
She goes on to say that there are risks and one risk is disobedience a willfulness of
ignoring the call, and warning of God. Prophecy is not the problem the will of man is the
problem. Most not all Westerns read scripture from a feeling perspective, there are not to
many who will do the research from the perspective of the original writer to the original
reader, and apply the situation in their present life. Brent talks about the usage of language,
and that people are confused with the narrative of the prophecy. What could be said is that
we need to find acceptance with what the prophets are saying, they gave a word from God,
and I am pretty sure that the original readers totally understood what was being said.
Just like today God used what was going on to give them direction, he used what he
knew they would understand to help them change their ways, and conform to a place of
worship for who he is.
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid.
4 Ibid.
5 Ibid.
6 Ibid.
7 Ibid.
New insight in which this material has provided for you, passages that it has helped you
to read in a different way, and/or areas of disagreement you may have with the
readings.
At this point it is to early to point out any new insights, there is one thing that I can say in the
text’s favor, this would be that I have lost focused, and I need to study more in-depth then
what I have been doing. It is so easy to get swayed away from the word, and putting our own
spin on it, which in turn makes what we teach false. The text has begun to stir up in my mind
that God used his prophets for correction, and reconciliation of his people. Because at the
end of the prophets degree God always displayed forgiveness to those who were willing to
repent for their disobedience towards God
2. Isaiah 1:1–19
What genres, themes, and literary features of prophetic passages, in general, do you see
in these specific texts? Try to focus not just on what the prophet is saying, but how he
communicates his message in a way to get the attention of his audience and his later
readers.
Isaiah is a major prophet who peers were Ezekiel, and Jeremiah. God used them
during a time of the divided kingdom. The message was directed towards the southern
kingdom of Judah, “Isaiah condemned the empty ritualism of his day (Isaiah 1:10-15)
along with the Idolatry into which so many had fallen. (Isaiah 40:18-20)”8 The theme of
the passage is found in verse 19 where Isaiah informs Israel if they are willing and
obedient they will eat the good of the land. Just like with a child when they are doing
what is right in their parent’s sight, they reap rewards for good behavior.
8 John MacArthur, the MacArthur Bible Commentary (Nashville Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, 2005), 756.
God does not reward poor behavior, as some men might do. He disciplines his
children when they are acting in ways that will bring dishonor to his name, and
behavior that will harm them in this case it was eternal death. The prophet
communicates his message with such displeasure, to the point that he uses animals as a
comparison in how much power of reason than God’s people. Isaiah calls God the Holy
one of Israel he mentions his “special name for him twenty-fives times in the entire
book.”9 Because of their disobedience Isaiah tells them the whole head is sick, and the
body is stricken, their country is desolate, and the city are burned with fire, and
strangers have taken over it. Vs. 5-7
Isaiah uses the word “Zion” the daughter of Zion the daughter of praise and
worship for God. He tells them that there is a remnant, when we read this word it really
means a residue, basically the left overs the author states if it there was not a “remnant”
they would have been completely destroyed like Gomorrah.
The way this writer has interpreted the literary feature of this scripture is from a
scene of a courtroom the visual is as follows.
You (Israel) the accused have been summoned for an appearance before the
Judge, who is the creator of the Universe. You have been found guilty of breaking the
law that was set before you during the time of Moses. The judge has intended for you to
be successful, and to have plenty of wealth with only one condition, and that is to honor,
and love the Judge, the Lord your God with all of your heart mind and strength.
Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30, you have refused and have chosen to
serve false gods. You have brought gifts and they are useless, you have tried to change
9 Ibid.
his mind about your behavior by acting one way in front of him, but when you leave and
go home you still worship those detestable false gods who do not hold any power.
You may think the Judge does not know your thoughts, or your deeds but he see
all, and knows all. There is still time to change your ways, he has not passed a sentence
on you yet, but for now you will suffer because of the wrong you are doing. If you
change your ways, and repent the Judge will remove your enemies from before you.
The choice is yours.
Bibliography:
Brent, Sandy D. Plowshares, and Pruning Hooks: Rethinking the Language of Biblical
Prophecy and Apocalyptic. Downers Grove, IL: InerVarsitsty Press, 2002.
MacArthur, John. The MacArthur Bible Commentary. Nashville Tennessee: Thomas Nelson,
2005.
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