• 目录

• 一、引言

• 二、早期的君主

• 主要事件

• 统一的王国

• 分裂的王国

• 先知的职事

• 约的模型

• 分裂的王国

• 三、亚述的审判

• 主要事件

• 叙利亚－以色列结盟

• 撒玛利亚的沦陷

• 西拿基立的入侵

• 先知的事工

• 约拿

• 何西阿

• 阿摩司

• 弥迦

• 那鸿

• 以赛亚

• 四、巴比伦的审判

• 主要事件

• 第一次入侵

• 第二次入侵

• 第三次入侵

• 先知的职事

• 耶利米

• 西番雅

• 约珥

• 俄巴底亚

• 哈巴谷

• 以西结

• 但以理

• 五、恢复时期

• 主要事件

• 以色列回归故土

• 重建圣殿

• 背叛纷起

• 先知的事工

• 哈该

• 撒迦利亚

• 玛拉基

• 六、总结

一、引言

最近一位朋友告诉我一段故事。他结婚好几年，有一天，他太太替他收拾抽屉的时候发现了一封信，这封信是我朋友的旧女朋友给他的。起初他太太非常不高兴，因为她以为这封信是最近写的，但是我的朋友能够以信封上的邮戳和信上的日期来证明这封信的确是很久以前写的。我的朋友正眼看著我对我说：「理祺，如果我证明不了那封信是甚么时候写的话，我真的不知道后果会如何了。」不幸地是，很多时候基督徒误解了旧约的先知书，因为他们对于先知甚么时候讲话，又或者先知甚么时候写这些书都漠不关心。如果我们要以负责任的态度去研读旧约先知书，我们就必须要好好的了解这些书卷的写作日期和年代。

我们叫这一课为『先知书的历史性分析』，我们要看看旧约历史是怎样为了解旧约先知书提供适当的基本背景的。我们将要进行的历史性分析会把先知书的历史划分成四个主要时期。第一个时期是早期王国时期、第二个时期是亚述审判时期、第三个时期是巴比伦审判时期、最后，我们要看的是复兴时期。首先让我们看看早期王国时期。

二、早期的君主

我们在前一课中看见了在以色列立王的同时，先知也开始活跃起来。研究以色列最初立王的早期王国时期可以帮助我们开始对先知书作出历史性的分析。从公元前两千年的亚伯拉罕时代直到扫罗的时代，以色列都没有王。可是，大卫王朝大约建立在公元前一千年左右，他的王国存留了好几个世代。当我们探索这个时期的以色列历史的时候，我们要问两个重要的问题：这个时期发生了甚么主要的事件呢？这些事件又是如何塑造先知的事工呢？

主要事件

让我们首先考虑在早期王国时期发生的两件重要事件。

统一的王国

首先我们要谈谈联合王国。大约在公元前一千年左右，大卫在耶路撒冷作王。他联合了所有支派，为王国建立了相当安全的疆界，他又把约柜运到耶路撒冷，为他儿子修建圣殿作准备。所罗门，大卫的儿子跟随他父亲的脚步，扩展了以色列的疆界，又维持各支派的团结。所罗门更修造了宏伟的圣殿，献给耶和华作为敬拜他的地方。撒母耳书、列王纪和历代志都很清楚的谈到大卫和所罗门并不是完美的王。可是，《圣经》中的这些书卷，把这个时期看成为是理想的时期，因为神的子民领受了许多祝福。

分裂的王国

这个早期阶段看起来很美好，可是我们必须记住另一件主要的事件：那就是王国的分裂。很可惜的是，所罗门和他的儿子罗波安没有好好的对待北方的支派，并且不尊重他们。由于这样，在公元前930年前后，北方支派脱离了联合王国而独立了。我们在列王纪上12章和历代志下11章读到了这个事实。当罗波安拒绝公平地对待北方支派的时候，他们就脱离了联合王国，自成一国。耶罗波安成为北国第一个王，以撒玛利亚为首都，并且在但和伯特利成立敬拜中心。耶罗波安与南国敌对到了极点。他在但和伯特利的崇拜中心竖立了偶像，他这个做法使北国变得极为腐败。北国背叛了耶和华，不再对他忠心，又拒绝负起约的责任。犹大国的情况也是有起有落的。可是在很大程度上，比较起以色列北国来说，他们仍然保持对神的忠诚。

我们看见了早期王国时期的两件主要事件。第一件事件是在大卫和所罗门重组的联合王国中，人民领受了至大的祝福，第二件事件，是罗波安在位期间所发生的王国分裂。

现在我们看过了这两件发生在王国时期的主要事件，我们就要问这些事件是怎么塑造先知的事工呢？

先知的职事

在旧约的大先知书和小先知书中，总共有16位不同的先知。撒母耳记、列王纪和历代志都清楚地记载了早期王国时期是充满了先知活动的，但是这些先知书都不是来自这个时期的。我们只能够说早期王国时期为我们的研究提供了先知的背景。我们至少可以用两个角度去看这个背景。

约的模型

第一方面，后期才写作的先知回顾联合王国，把这个时期看成为建立重要王国契约理念的场所。他们认为神子民的所有盼望，都在于神与大卫所立的约之上，后来神又与所罗门重申这一份约。他们期盼有一天以色列会与犹大再次联合起来，就像在大卫和所罗门的时期那样。他们盼望大卫的王位有一天会稳固不移，国家的疆界也再次扩张。从这些方面看来，联合王国时期为旧约先知书提供了写作背景。

分裂的王国

另一方面，王国的分裂为先知书提供写作背景，因为先知们分别在两个不同的国家服侍。这两个国家相对来说有各自的历史。有些在北国事奉耶和华的先知宣告约的审判的来临，同时又向人民保证医治和祝福的日子将要临到。他们的焦点是在北国的首都撒玛利亚。另外的先知在犹大事奉耶和华，他们警告审判的来临，为在南国的神的子民祝福。但是他们把注意力集中在耶路撒冷和犹大支派。

虽然没有一个写作先知来自早期王国时期，可是我们发现这个时期给先知事工提供了基本的背景。早期王国时期奠定了约的理念，也确立了北国和南国的存在事实。

到目前为止我们看过了早期王国时期的背景。现在我们要进入先知历史的第二个阶段，那就是亚述审判时期。

三、亚述的审判

我们在前一课看见了约中的子民有责任对主忠心和忠诚。当他们明目张胆地违犯这份契约的时候，他们就要经历神的审判，这审判以战争的形式出现。神第一次降下严厉的战争审判是在亚述审判时期。战败的审判是神降下的，神的子民第一次尝到这种审判是经由亚述帝国而来的，特别是在公元前734年到701年期间在战争中所经历的失败。在公元前8和7世纪期间，亚述帝国国力强盛，征服了许多国家。在最高峰期，亚述帝国由现代的土耳其扩展到波斯湾，甚至到了南方的埃及。以色列和犹大都逃避不了这庞大和具有侵略性的帝国。要探索这个时期的亚述审判，我们要看两件事：这段期间有什么主要的事件发生呢？这些事件又怎样影响先知在这几个世纪的事工呢？

主要事件

在亚述国势强大的一百年当中，发生了一件主要事件，这件事影响了旧约先知的著作。另外又至少有三件重要历史事件对我们的研究是十分重要的。首先是叙利亚和以色列的联盟。其次是撒玛利亚的被毁，第三是西拿基立的入侵。

叙利亚－以色列结盟

叙利亚和以色列的联盟发生在亚述人管治的时期，是与三个小国之间的冲突有关的，这三个国家就是亚述、北国以色列和犹大。我们在旧约好几个地方都能够读到有关这件事的经文，但是其中一段值得我们注意的段落是以赛亚书7章。大概在734年之间，叙利亚和北国以色列厌倦了向亚述帝国供献，于是在亚述国要处理其他问题的时候，叙利亚和北国以色列决定联盟抵抗亚述。他们除了自己建立联盟之外，以色列和叙利亚更设法强迫犹大加入他们的行列之中。但是犹大王亚哈斯拒绝加入他们，并且向亚述求助。这一件事对神的子民来说带来了许多不同的后果，但是我们至少应该留意到其中一个主要的结果。北国和南国与亚述正处在冲突矛盾之中，北国以色列叛乱反对亚述，结果，亚述王攻打北国以色列，毁灭了以色列全国。犹大有好一段日子站在亚述这一边，由于这样，犹大向亚述帝国不断进贡礼物和纳重税。最后犹大也背叛了亚述，审判也就临到了南国犹大。

撒玛利亚的沦陷

亚述审判期间的第二件主要事件，是撒玛利亚的被毁。撒玛利亚是北国以色列的首都，由于叙利亚和以色列联合叛变，撒玛利亚成为了亚述的报仇对象。我们在列王纪下17章读到这一记载。强大的亚述军队与北国以色列对抗，攻取毁坏了撒玛利亚，又掳去了许多北国的以色列人。这事件为神的子民标记了新的一天，但是约的审判的高潮实际上是在北国以色列被亚述人打败的时候，那时，以色列人第一次大规模地被掳。

西拿基立的入侵

亚述审判时期的第三件主要事件是西拿基立入侵犹大。由于犹大降服于亚述之下，他们有好一阵子逃脱了亚述的怒气。他们降服亚述以换取亚述给他们的保护，免他们遭受北国的攻打。但是后来就连犹大也背叛了亚述，叫这个强大帝国对他们积存了怒气。犹大遭受到好几次的攻击，但是最坏的一次大约发生在公元前701年，那就是西拿基立的入侵。我们在列王纪下18至19章中读到这段记载。亚述毁坏了许多犹大城市，甚至入侵至耶路撒冷。实际上，看起来一切都被摧毁了，直到犹大王希西家转向耶和华，求他帮助，神才奇妙地拯救了他们。犹大国仍然是亚述的附庸国，但是在希西家统治的期间，犹大避免了全面被毁的命运，也逃避了西拿基立的入侵。

我们看见了在亚述审判时期里的三件主要事件。第一件事件是叙利亚和色列在734年的联盟。第二件事件是撒玛利亚在公元前722年被毁坏，最后一件事就是西拿基立在701年的入侵。

我们既然看过了发生在亚述审判时期的几件主要事件，我们现在就要查看一下这三件事件是怎么影响先知的事工的。

先知的事工

亚述的审判对先知的事工有重大的影响。在旧约的16卷书之中，其中6卷书报告了耶和华的使者在这段期间的事工：这6卷书就是约拿书、何西阿书、阿摩司书、弥迦书、那鸿书和以赛亚书。这些先知都是在亚述审判时期作先知的。让我们简要地总结这些先知对亚述的审判所说的话。

约拿

我们首先要谈谈先知约拿。根据列王纪下14章25节，神呼召约拿在耶罗波安二世在北国以色列作王的时候作先知的。那时大约是公元前793年至753年左右。约拿的事工十分独特，与别的先知的事工都不一样，因为神告诉他到亚述的首都尼尼微城去。他于是去了亚述的首都，并宣讲耶和华的话，他的主要讯息十分简单，我们读约拿书3章4节就会读到他的讯息：

再等四十日，尼尼微必倾覆了！（约拿书第3章4节）

尼尼微城的人听见耶和华的话之后就悔改了，神因此没有降下他将要降下的灾，这是约拿的遗憾。约拿的事工彰显了神对亚述帝国的慈爱，这慈爱竟然延伸到象亚述这样邪恶的帝国。

何西阿

在亚述审判时期作先知的第二个先知是何西阿。何西阿书1章1节告诉我们何西阿是在乌西雅、约坦、亚哈斯和希西家作犹大王的时候作先知的。乌西雅最后作王的时间大约是在公元前740年，希西家第一年作王的时候大约是在公元前716年。在这段长时期当中就是先知何西阿事奉的时间。他主要是在公元前750左右在北国以色列作先知的，他至少一直事奉到撒玛利亚在公元前722年被毁的时候。那时何西阿大概已经移居到南方，这样我们能够看到何西阿是在繁荣兴盛的日子，也就是在亚述人与以色列人结盟之前作先知的，一直到了撒玛利亚被毁之前，何西阿都在说预言。

何西阿预言的焦点显明了他是服侍北国以色列的。他的预言大部份是有关对北国的腐败和罪恶的警告。何西阿的中心讯息是这样的：北国的罪恶极深，神叫亚述毁灭以色列和撒玛利亚，作为对北国的审判。这个预言在撒玛利亚被毁的时候实现了。可是，何西阿的预言中还是满有希望的。他说有一天约的祝福要临到，就是在被掳以后，以色列要复兴。

阿摩司

第三个先知是阿摩司也是集中谈论亚述的审判。阿摩司书1章1节中告诉我们阿摩司是在何西阿作犹大王、耶罗波安作以色列王的时候作先知的。这节经文为我们限定了阿摩司作先知的时间范围，这范围大约是在公元前760年到750年左右。阿摩司是在734年，亚述以色列结盟以前，在耶罗波安二世统治北国以色列的繁荣安定时期作先知的。阿摩司就象何西阿那样，也是在北国以色列作先知的，他的主要讯息是这样的：他警告当时的世代说亚述带来的审判将要来临，撒玛利亚将要被毁，以色列人也要被掳。阿摩司在阿摩司书5章27节对以色列人这样说：

「所以我要把你们掳到大马士革之外。这是耶和华名为万军之神说的。」（阿摩司书第5章27节）

在这卷书最后一章里面，阿摩司重申以色列是有盼望，被掳不是以色列的尽头。将来他们要复兴，被掳之后的复兴是约的祝福，这是摩西亲自应许的，阿摩司在这里再次肯定了这一点。

弥迦

第四个处理亚述审判的先知就是弥迦。弥迦书1章1节记载弥迦是在约坦、亚哈斯和希西家作犹大王的时候作先知，他预言到有关撒玛利亚和耶路撒冷的未来。弥迦作神先知的日子，至少是从公元前735年，那就是约坦作王的最后一年，到701年，西拿基立入侵的时间。弥迦跟何西阿和阿摩司不一样的地方，是他作先知的地点是在犹大，特别是在耶路撒冷附近。简单地说，弥迦的讯息是神要用亚述人的手去审判撒玛利亚和耶路撒冷。他对于撒玛利亚能够避免被毁的可能性不抱有任何希望，他又警告说耶路撒冷也要被毁。在西拿基立入侵期间，弥迦起来反对假先知，因为他们说耶路撒冷不可能被敌人攻毁。可是弥迦争辩说如果耶路撒冷不悔改的话，就必定要被毁。就算弥迦知道以色列人和犹大人要被掳去，他仍然存有希望，他知道有一天神要报复他的敌人，又要把他的子民从亚述的压迫之下释放出来，神要给他们一个伟大的国王，这个王要团结国民，在属于他们的土地上回复约的祝福。

那鸿

在亚述审判时期作先知的第五个先知是那鸿。那鸿作先知的时间并没有明确地记载在他的先知书里面，可是从他书卷里其他资料中我们可以推断，那鸿作先知的时间是在公元前663年和公元前612年之间。在他书卷里有两节经文建立了这个时间范围的可能性。在3章8节中，我们发现埃及城市底比斯已经被亚述人征服了，这件事发生在公元前663年。同时先知也预言到亚述首都尼尼微城的被毁，在那鸿书3章7节中他是以未来式预言这件事的发生。尼尼微的被毁发生在公元前612年，这样，我们就知道他作先知的时间是在这件重要事件之前。

我们在1章15节中读到那鸿谈论到犹大，这样我们可以确信他是在犹大作先知的，可是，那鸿的注意力不是在犹大，而是在亚述。在这段时期当中，以色列和犹大都在亚述的手下遭受到极大的痛苦。在这段痛苦的时期当中，那鸿发出了一个重要的讯息，那就是神要毁坏亚述。他对犹大保证神要降罚于亚述，毁坏亚述的首都尼尼微城。在那鸿书3章5节中，耶和华说这些话：

万军之耶和华说：「我与你为敌。」我必….辱没你，为众目所观。凡看见你的，都必逃跑离开你，说：「尼尼微荒凉了！」（那鸿书第3章5节）

以赛亚

第六个集中在亚述审判的先知是以赛亚。以赛亚书1章1节中提及以赛亚是在何西阿、约坦、亚哈斯和希西家作犹大王期间作先知的。王朝的记录告诉我们以赛亚作先知的时候大约是在公元前740年至西拿基立入侵一段时间以后，大约在公元前701年。我们看到以赛亚作先知的时间，是由亚述与以色列结盟、撒玛利亚被毁到西拿基立入侵的时期。以赛亚书的内容显示他是在犹大作先知的，特别是在耶路撒冷服侍。在亚述审判时期以赛亚用许多方式处理犹大。在亚述与以色列联盟期间，以赛亚要求他们要信任耶和华，又要对他忠心。在西拿基立入侵期间，以赛亚引领希西家王相信耶和华要拯救耶路撒冷。他事工的这些部分表达了一项主要的讯息：那就是当犹大面对亚述人的审判的时候，他必定要信靠耶和华。当然，当以色列人不信靠耶和华的时候，以色列再次被警告：那就是犹大人要被掳。就像许多其它先知那样，以赛亚肯定犹大在被掳以后要复兴。

我们看见了亚述审判时期里发生的好几件重要的事件，这些事件为先知的事工带来了重大的后果。先知们知道这段时期对神的子民来说是一段经历大苦难和极为惨痛的时期，可是，虽然先知们带来审判的讯息，但在同时，他们也带来令人鼓舞的讯息，因为未来的日子是光明的。

我们探究过旧约先知怎么在亚述审判时期服侍，现在我们要转去看看巴比伦审判时期。

巴比伦的审判

我们看过了早期王国时期怎样为所有旧约写作先知提供背景。我们也看见公元前734年到701年之间发生的亚述审判，为约拿、何西阿、阿摩司、弥迦、那鸿和以赛亚提供了预言的历史背景。现在我们要来看先知事工的第三个主要时期，这就是巴比伦审判时期。这个审判时期是由公元前605年到公元前539年。

在许多方面来看，先知以赛亚是亚述审判时期和巴比伦审判时期的关键人物。我们已经看见了以赛亚怎样在西拿基立入侵的日子里服侍希西家王。在这次侵略结束了之后，希西家设法跟巴比伦结盟，目的是希望巴比伦保护他们，避免他们遭受进一步的攻击。在以赛亚书39章里，先知以赛亚发现希西家的所作所为。于是他在39章5至7中说了这些话：

「你要听万军之耶和华所说的话：日子必到，凡你家里所有的，并你列祖积畜到如今的，都要被掳到巴比伦去…..。从你本身所生的众子，其中必有被掳去，在巴比伦王宫里当太监的。」（以赛亚书第39章5-7节）

我们要再一次把讨论划分成两个重点。第一，巴比伦审判时期的主要事件是什么呢？第二，先知是怎样在这段期间服侍的呢？让我们首先看看组成巴比伦审判时期的主要事件。

主要事件

要了解这个时期，我们必须认明三件主要事件：巴比伦在公元前605年的第一次入侵，公元前597年的第二次入侵和公元前586年的第三次入侵。

第一次入侵

首先，在公元前605年间，巴比伦第一次入侵，并且把犹大领袖驱逐出境。约雅敬王并不忠于宗主国巴比伦的尼布甲尼撒王。所以尼布甲尼撒王就（大）攻击犹大，夺去了许多在耶路撒冷的领袖的领导权。先知但以理和他的朋友沙得拉、米煞和亚伯尼歌就是在这段期间被掳的。

第二次入侵

这个期间第二件主要事件发生在公元前597年。尼布甲尼撒对持续作出叛乱的犹大作出反应，第二次进攻犹大，又掳去一批人。他在这一入侵期间差不多毁坏了整个犹大国，又把好大一批犹大人掳到巴比伦去。先知以西结就是在这个时候被掳去的。巴比伦第二次的入侵在许多方面对犹大国家造成了创伤。可是，犹大国仍然没有悔改它的恶行。

第三次入侵

巴比伦时期的第三次主要事件发生在公元前586年。尼布甲尼撒受够了犹大国不断的叛乱，于是，他第三次，也是最后一次入侵犹大，把犹大人掳去。这一次巴比伦人完全地毁坏了耶路撒冷和其中的圣殿。绝大多数的犹大人被掳去了，土地变得荒凉，犹大国民大规模地被掳去。

当我们考虑在巴比伦审判时期这三件主要事件的时候，我们必须记住这是神子民完全被摧毁的时期。大卫的子孙被掳去了，耶路撒冷的圣殿被毁了。在神子民的历史上，这是十分可怕黑暗的时刻。

我们看过了巴比伦期间的主要事件，现在我们要考虑旧约先知在这段期间的服侍方式。

先知的职事

巴比伦审判时期为好几位旧约先知提供了历史背景。七位先知在这段期间担当了耶和华使者的责任：他们是耶利米、西番雅、约珥、俄巴底亚、哈巴谷、以西结和但以理。

耶利米

巴比伦审判时期的第一个先知是耶利米。耶利米在犹大三次被侵略和被掳期间作先知。当我们读耶利米书1章1到3节的时候，我们读到耶利米作先知的时候，是在

约西亚在位十三年…约雅敬在位的时候…到西底家在位的末年，就是十一年五月间耶路撒冷人被掳的时候。（耶利米书第1章1-3节）

从这些经节中我们看见耶利米大约是在公元前626年作先知的，这是在巴比伦击败亚述之前，他继续作耶和华的使者，至少直到公元前586年以后，那时正是巴比伦最后一次入侵和最后一次被掳发生的时候。

在巴比伦第一次入侵之前，耶利米呼唤人民悔改，企图阻止巴比伦的入侵。当巴比伦的攻击一浪接一浪地来到的时候，耶利米知道耶路撒冷必定要遭到不幸了。他呼求人民悔改，并为快要来临的艰苦年日作好准备。尽管耶利米的集中于谈论被掳到巴比伦这件事，他同时也重新肯定说以色列在将来有一天要被复兴起来。例如，在耶利米书30至31章里，耶利米提醒犹大人说，神要领他们回到他们的土地上，而且要订立新约，叫他们安然居住。

西番雅

在巴比伦审判时期的第二个先知是西番雅。西番雅书1章1节中明确地告诉我们西番雅作神先知的时间。他是在犹大王亚们的儿子约西亚在位期间作先知的。约西亚统治犹大的时间大约是从公元前640年到公元前609年，这叫我们知道西番雅的事奉与耶利米早期的事奉是同时进行的。在西番雅书2章13节中，西番雅预言尼尼微城的倾倒，，就好象他们对待巴比伦那样。西番雅实际上预言了主的日子要临到亚述和列国，因为他们迫害神的子民。他预期巴比伦要统管全地，包括犹大国在内。西番雅虽然作了这些预言，可是他也同时宣告以色列和犹大有一天要复兴，回复从前的强大。他在3章20节这样说：

「那时我领你们进来，聚集你们。我使你们被掳之人归回的时候，就必使你们在土地上的万民中有名声、得称赞。这是耶和华说的。」 （西番雅书第3章20节）

约珥

第三位出现在巴比伦审判时期的先知是约珥。我们不可能断言说约珥在哪一个时期作先知，因为他的书卷没有给我们一段特定的时间。有些翻译者把约珥放在早期，另有一些把他放在后期。从约珥书1章13节和其它的参考资料中，我们能够肯定在约珥宣讲预言的时候，圣殿和祭司制度都仍然在运作当中。约珥在2章1节中也宣告锡安将要被毁。所以，约珥作先知的时间大概是在犹大人被巴比伦掳去的期间。他的讯息是简单直接的：犹大地要被外邦军队掳掠。在第2章里，约珥呼求人民悔改，因为他希望真诚恳切的悔改，说不定可以阻止或者软化巴比伦将要进行的毁坏。可是，就算在约珥确实知道毁坏要来临的时候，他仍然没有完全对神所赐的祝福绝望。他向读者保证一旦被掳结束了以后，神要复兴他的子民，要叫他们享有前所未有的约的祝福。就如他在约珥书3章20和21节中所说：

「犹大将存到永远，耶路撒冷必存到万代。我未曾报复流血的罪，现在我要报复，因为耶和华住在锡安。」（约珥书第3章20-21节）

俄巴底亚

第四位在巴比伦审判期间作先知的是俄巴底亚。他的书卷并没有具体地列出日期，但是书中主要在集中谈论以东怎样利用犹大人所遭受的极大痛苦。很可能俄巴底亚正在回想公元前597到586年间，犹大人被巴比伦一次又一次地侵略和被掳惨况。俄巴底亚宣布耶和华不会对以东人的残暴视而不见，以东必定会被毁坏。事际上，他宣告有一天被掳去的犹大人将要归回，攻取以东。当俄巴底亚在第15节这样说：

「耶和华降罚的日子临近万国。你怎样行，他也必照样向你行，你的报应必归到你的头上。」 （俄巴底亚书第15节）

俄巴底亚宣告犹大被掳结束了，神要降罚与恶待他子民的国家。

哈巴谷

在巴比伦审判期间服侍的第五个先知是哈巴谷。我们不能够精确地知道他作先知的时间，然而，他书卷的内容给了我们一点指引。在哈巴谷书第一章里面，先知为了犹大国中不信靠神的统治者祷告神，求神倾覆他们。神的回应可以在1章6节中看得到：

「我必兴起巴比伦人，就是残忍暴躁之民，通行遍地，占据那不属自己的住处」。（哈巴谷书第1章6节）

根据这段经文，哈巴谷似乎是在巴比伦第一次入侵和犹大被掳的时候作先知的，那大概是在公元前605年。

哈巴谷第一次哀悼犹大人的罪恶，后来他哀悼巴比伦人的压迫，到了书卷的末后，哈巴谷肯定他对耶和华的信靠，无论神用多长的时间去毁坏巴比伦，哈巴谷都信靠神。在3章17节里，我们读到这一段熟悉的信心祷告：

「虽然无花果树不发旺，葡萄树不结果，橄榄树也不效力，田地不出粮食，圈中绝了羊，棚内也没有牛，然而，我以因耶和华欢欣，因救我的神喜乐。」（哈巴谷书第3章17节）

以西结

在巴比伦时期服侍的第六位先知是以西结。以西结书1章2节告诉我们，先知在公元前597年被掳到巴比伦。他在巴比伦被掳的民中作先知，书中其他部份说得很清楚，耶路撒冷在公元前586年被毁的时候，以西结仍然继续作先知。以西结从公元前597年前后作先知，直到公元前586年耶路撒冷被毁坏的时候。以西结早期的预言是宣告巴比伦要摧毁坏耶路撒冷和圣殿。除此以外，以西结书的其他部份是集中谈论人民将怎样回到他们的土地上，他们又怎样在回归后必定要重建圣殿。他描述耶路撒冷和圣殿将会怎样的雄伟，其壮丽令人难以想像，最后，他在48章35节中以这些话作全书的终结：

「从此以后，这城的名字，必称为：『耶和华的所在』。」 （以西结书第48章35节）

但以理

第七个先知在巴比伦审判期间服侍的是但以理。但以理在公元前605年第一次被掳时期到了巴比伦。他的书卷里清楚地显示到但以理作先知的时期至少是由公元前605年到539年。但以理解梦，他自己又见到好几个异象，这一切都清楚地说明犹大的被掳要被延续一段较长的时间。他也知道神的子民就是在被掳的时候，也没有悔改他们的罪，，所以他在但以理书9章13节里说：

「这一切灾祸临到我们身上，因为耶和华我们的神在他所行的事上都是公义的，我们并没有听从他的话。」（但以理书第9章13节）

结果，但以理获悉神的子民要经历四次被掳时期：入侵他们的国家是巴比伦、玛代波斯、希腊和第四个没有提名的国家，我们现在知道那个国家是罗马帝国。但以理鼓励被掳的子民悔改，转向相信神又警告他们如果他们继续背叛神的话，那只会延长他们归回本土的时间。

巴比伦的审判是那么的严重，无论怎么强调也不会过分。这是神的子民受到最惨痛的失败的时候；神的子民竟然从犹大地被掳去了；大卫子孙的王权被夺走了；耶路撒冷城被毁了，甚至连神的圣殿也被毁坏了。这是在旧约中发生在神子民身上最悲惨的事。在这段时间里，先知发出了许多警告和有关审判的话，他们又给神的子民带来希望，预言到神的子民要复兴，有一天神甚至要领他们回到耶路撒冷和犹大去。

到目前为止，在先知书的历史性分析这一课里，我们看到了有哪些主要事件发生，又见到这三个时期中先知的事工。现在我们来看旧约先知书里的最后一个时期，那就是复兴时期。

五、恢复时期

就正如我们所看见的，早期王国时期为写作的先知提供了写作背景。好些先知在亚述人审判时期作先知，更多先知在巴比伦审判期间服侍神。现在我们要探索一下在以色列人从巴比伦被掳归回犹大地之后，是哪些先知在服侍。我们认为复兴时期大概是由公元前539年到公元前400左右。我们将以惯用的方式去探索这段时期，首先集中于这段时期的主要事件，然后要看先知预言的事工。首先让我们看看复兴时期中的主要事件。

主要事件

我们要提及的第一件事是以色列人的回归。

以色列回归故土

在公元前539年和538年，神在他被掳的子民中行了奇事。以赛亚的预言应验了，波斯王古列征服了巴比伦帝国，并鼓励以色列人归回到本土，重建耶和华的圣殿。神的子民第一次的复兴回归发生在设巴萨的领导之下，许多人误会这是所罗巴伯；大卫王朝的合法承继人。这次回归的人数相对来说较小，他们也并没有坚定地信靠耶和华，他们并不顺服神的旨意。

重建圣殿

随之而来的是复兴时期里的第二件主要事件：这就是圣殿的重建，这件事发生在公元前520年到515年之间。第一次回归到本土的以色列人忽略了重建圣殿的重要性。他们虽然开展了这个工程，但是很快就各忙各的事，停止了修造圣殿。由于神子民无法负起重建圣殿的责任，在公元前520年之间，先知哈该和撒迦利亚走到耶路撒冷的街道上，告诫神的子民要重建神的圣殿。起初的回应是积极乐观和充满希望的，但是却好景不常。

背叛纷起

复兴时期的第三件重要事件是广泛性的悖逆。神子民的悖逆在第一次重建圣殿之后越发严重，特别是在以斯拉和尼希米作先知的期间情况越来越差。学者们仍然在辩论这段时期的正确日期，所以我们把这段时期的可能性范围放在公元前450年到400年之间。在所罗巴伯重建圣殿的一个世代之后，神的子民开始与外邦女子通婚，结果，以色列的信仰与其它外邦宗教混合起来了。复兴时期变得停济不前。虽然以斯拉和尼希米领导了几项改革，这些改革运作好一阵子，但是，过了不久这些改革都失败了。复兴时期变成了悖逆时期。

我们现在要转向复兴时期中的第二个重点，这些事件究竟怎样影响在这个时期服事的先知呢？

先知的事工

这个时期里三个有名的先知是哈该，撒迦利亚和玛拉基。让我们首先考虑哈该的事工。

哈该

哈该书非常直接地说到这个先知是回归的人中的其中一位。因为这个原故，他是在耶路撒冷服侍的。除此之外，我们可以精确地知道当哈该是在哪一段时间作先知的。我们在哈该书1章1节读到这样的话：大利乌王第二年六月初一日，耶和华的话藉先知哈该，向犹大省长撒拉铁的儿子所罗巴伯说话。从哈该书这段经文和其它的经文中，我们知道哈该所说的预言都是在公元前520年的其中四个月里。

哈该书的基本讯息是什么呢？哈该定意要启发正在挣扎求存的犹大人重建圣殿。哈该预言如果大利乌和民众悔改他们的罪，他们就会获得重大的胜利和祝福。就正如他在哈该书2章21节里说的：

「你要告诉犹大省长大利乌说：『我必震动天地。』」（哈该书第2章21节）

如果犹大国恳切地回转归向神的话，先知哈该所提供的是神的丰富的祝福，犹大人又要重建神的圣殿。

撒迦利亚

复兴时期的第二个先知是撒迦利亚。从撒迦利亚的预言内容中我们知道他跟哈该一起在耶路撒冷服侍。撒迦利亚书1章1节中提到哈该在大利乌王第二年八月开始作先知的，也就是在公元前520年。许多翻译《圣经》者从撒迦利亚书第9至14章的内容里看到，撒迦利亚的事工在重建圣殿之后仍然继续，因为重建圣殿明显地不足以为他们带来神的祝福。撒迦利亚书第1章到第8章总结了撒迦利亚的早期事工，先知撒迦利亚的讯息非常简单：如果人民重建圣殿的话，他们就会得到祝福。除此以外，在第9章到14章里，撒迦利亚预言犹大完全的复兴只会因为神的介入而来临，而这介入将会是灾难性的。先知撒迦利亚见到一连串的异象，这些异象是与神的介入有关的，神将来的介入要为他的子民带来胜利和公义。就如他在14章20节中说的：

「当那日，马的铃铛上必有归耶和华为圣的这句话。耶和华殿内的锅必如祭坛前的碗一样。」（撒迦利亚书第14章20节）

玛拉基

旧约中最后一位先知是玛拉基。玛拉基的焦点是在圣殿和利未人身上，明显地玛拉基也是在耶路撒冷附近服侍的。他的讯息最配合尼希米的改革时期，那大概是在公元前450年到公元前400年之间。圣殿的敬拜变得非常腐败，神的子民也远离了神。于是玛拉基宣告会有剧烈的审判临到神的子民身上。我们在玛拉基书3章5节中读到这样的话：

「[万军之耶和华]必临近你们，施行审判。」（玛拉基书第3章5节）

玛拉基知道神的审判最终要为以色列公义之民带来复兴。在玛拉基4章2节里，玛拉基为那些愿意悔改又证明自己对神忠心的人提供希望：

「但向你敬畏我名的人，必有公义的日头出现，其光线有医治之能。你们必出来如跳跃的肥犊。」（玛拉基书第4章2节）

就是在以色列叛逆的时候，玛拉基也向以色列保证在审判以后要有莫大的祝福。

复兴时期的先知都要面对一个重大的危机。神的子民从被掳之地归回继续背叛神、反对神。结果，先知们最后要宣告真正的复兴和祝福要在遥远的将来才出现。我们现在作基督徒的，知道这遥远的未来是甚么时候，那就是耶稣降世的时候。

六、总结

在这一课中，我们探索了旧约先知的历史性分析。虽然这一段历史非常复杂，但是，能够按照四个主要时期去总结预言历史事件，对我们了解这段历史十分有帮助。第一是早期王国时期；第二是亚述审判时期；第三是巴比伦审判时期；第四是复兴时期。复兴时期初期是充满希望的，但是这个希望渐渐退色了，接下来的是另一次的审判，这次审判之后神赐下的是一个遥远的祝福。

当我们学习解释旧约先知书的时候，我们要把先知们的话与他们身处的环境连系起来。因为把先知的话与他们面对的历史环境连结起来的话，我们就能够了解先知的话对当时的人所存的意义，我们也能够因此了解他们的话对我们现代人有什么意义。

He Gave Us Prophets: Historical Analysis of Prophecy

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INTRODUCTION

I have a friend who told me a story recently. He was married just a few years ago and his wife was cleaning out one of his drawers when she found a letter that came from an old girlfriend. At first she was very upset because she thought the letter was written recently, but my friend was able to prove that the letter was written years ago by the envelope and the date on the envelope. Well, my friend looked at me and he said, "Rich, I don't know what to tell you, because I don't know what would have happened if I had not been able to prove when that letter was written." Unfortunately, many times Christians misunderstand Old Testament prophecy because they are not concerned about when the prophets spoke or when the prophets wrote their books. And if we're going to study Old Testament prophets responsibly, we must be ready to understand the dates and the times in which they ministered.

We have entitled this lesson "Historical Analysis of Prophecy," and we're going to examine how Old Testament history provides an essential context for properly understanding Old Testament prophecy. Our historical analysis will divide into four major periods of prophetic history: first, the early monarchy; second, the period of Assyrian judgment; third, the period of the Babylonian judgment; and then finally, we're going to look at the restoration period. Let's take a look first at the period of the early monarchy.

EARLY MONARCHY

We saw in an earlier lesson that prophecy rose to prominence in Israel when kingship rose to prominence. And so it will help us to begin our historical analysis of prophecy by looking at the early monarchy — the days when Israel first had kings. From the time of Abraham, who lived around 2000 B.C. until the days of Saul, Israel had no human king. But David's kingdom was established around 1000 B.C., and his kingdom remained intact for several generations. As we explore this period of Israel's history, we're going to ask two important questions: what were the major events that took place in this period and how did these events shape the prophetic ministries?

Major Events

Let's first consider two major events that took place in the early monarchy. In the first place we can speak of the united kingdom.

United Kingdom

Around 1000 B.C. David took the throne in Jerusalem. He united all the tribes, established relatively secure borders for the kingdom, and he brought the ark of God to Jerusalem in preparation for his son to build a temple for God. Solomon, the son of David, followed in his father's footsteps. He expanded the territories of Israel and kept the tribes united. Also, Solomon built a glorious temple and dedicated it to the worship of Yahweh. The books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles make it clear that David and Solomon were not perfect kings. But still, the Bible looks at this period as a time that was ideal, when the people of God received many blessings.

Divided Kingdom

As good as conditions were in these early years, we have to remember another major event, the divided kingdom. Sadly, Solomon and his son Rehoboam did not treat the northern tribes with the respect that they deserved, so the tribes of the north broke away and formed their own nation around 930 B.C. We learn of this event in 1 Kings 12 and 2 Chronicles 11. When Rehoboam refused to treat the northern tribes justly, they broke away and formed their own nation. Jeroboam I became king of the northern tribes, and set up a capital in Samaria along with worship centers in Dan and Bethel. Now, Jeroboam went much too far in his rebellion against the south. He established idols in his worship centers at Dan and Bethel, and by doing this the northern kingdom became severely corrupt. The nation turned away from loyalty to Yahweh and refused to submit to their covenant responsibilities. Now, Judah had its ups and downs during this period as well, but for the most part they remained much more faithful than northern Israel.

So we've seen two major events in the early monarchy: first, the united kingdom under David and Solomon when the people were blessed tremendously, and then the division of the kingdom in the days of Rehoboam.

Now that we've seen two major events that took place during the early monarchy, we have to ask how these events shaped the ministries of the prophets.

Prophetic Ministries

There are sixteen different prophets whose ministries are summarized in the major and minor prophetic books of the Old Testament. The books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles make it clear that the period of the early monarchy was full of prophetic activity, but none of these books of prophecy come from that period. We may only speak of the early monarchy as providing a background to the prophets that we're studying. Now we can see this background in at least two ways.

Covenant Ideals

On the one hand, later-writing prophets looked back to the days of the united monarchy as establishing important royal covenant ideals. They based all of their hopes for the people of God on the covenant God made with David and confirmed with Solomon. They longed for the day when Israel would be reunited with Judah as in the days of David and Solomon. They looked forward to the days when the throne of David would be secure again and the borders of the land would be extended once again. So in this sense, the united monarchy provides a background for the writing prophets of the Old Testament.

Divided Kingdom

On the other hand, the division of the kingdom also provided a background to the fact that the writing prophets served two different nations. These nations had relatively separate histories. Some prophets served Yahweh in the northern kingdom, threatening covenant judgment and assuring the people of a day of great healing and blessing. Their focus was on Samaria, the capital of the northern tribes. Other prophets served Yahweh in Judah and they warned of judgments and offered blessings to the people of God in the south, but they focused on Jerusalem and the tribe of Judah.

Although no writing prophets came from the early monarchical period, we discover that this period formed an essential background to the ministries of all prophets. The period of the early monarchy established the ideals of the covenant and it also established the reality of a northern and southern kingdom.

So far we've seen the background of the early monarchy. Now we have to move into the second major period of prophetic history, the period of the Assyrian judgment.

ASSYRIAN JUDGMENT

As we've seen in the earlier lesson, the people of the covenant had responsibilities to be faithful and loyal to the Lord, and when they flagrantly violated this covenant, they found themselves in a situation where God would send judgment in war. The first time God sent major war against the people of God was during the period of the Assyrian judgment. The divine judgment of defeat in war came upon the people of God through the Assyrian empire during the years especially of 734 to 701. During the 8th and 7th centuries B.C., the Assyrian empire grew in strength and conquered many nations. At the height of its power, the Assyrian empire stretched from modern day Turkey to the Persian Gulf and as far south as Egypt. Israel and Judah could not avoid dealing with this massive and aggressive empire. To explore the period of this Assyrian judgment, we'll look at two matters again: what were the major events that took place at this time, and how did these events influence the ministries of the prophets during these centuries?

Major Events

What major events took place in the centuries of the Assyrian dominance that have an influence on Old Testament prophetic writings? At least three major historical events took place that are important for our study: first, the Syrian-Israelite coalition; second, the fall of Samaria; and third, the Sennacherib invasion.

Syrian-Israelite Coalition

The Syrian-Israelite coalition involved conflict among three small nations under Assyrian control at that time: Syria, northern Israel and Judah. We can read about these events in several places in the Old Testament, but one very interesting passage is Isaiah 7. Around 734, Syria and northern Israel grew tired of paying tribute to the Assyrian empire, so they decided to build a coalition to resist the Assyrians because the Assyrians were experiencing trouble in other parts of their empire. In addition to building their own coalition, Israel and Syria tried to force Judah into joining their ranks. But Ahaz, the king of Judah, refused to join them and appealed for help from Assyria. These events had many results for the people of God, but we should be aware of at least one of those major consequences. Both the North and the South were on a path of conflict with Assyria. Northern Israel had rebelled against Assyria and so the kings of Assyria came, attacked and destroyed northern Israel. Judah aligned herself with Assyria for a while and so she owed great tribute and great taxes to the empire of Assyria. Eventually, however, even Judah rebelled against Assyria and judgment was going to come against southern Judah as well.

Fall of Samaria

The second major event of the Assyrian period of judgment was the fall of Samaria. Samaria was the capital of northern Israel and became the object of Assyrian vengeance because of the rebellion of the Syrian-Israelite coalition. We read about this event in 2 Kings 17. The great Assyrian army marched against northern Israel and destroyed Samaria, and the Assyrians sent many northern Israelites into exile. Now, this event marked a new day for the people of God, but the climax of covenant judgment in large-scale exile actually took place for the first time with the destruction of northern Israel at the hands of the Assyrians.

Sennacherib Invasion

The third major event of the Assyrian judgment occurred in the Sennacherib invasion of Judah. Judah escaped the wrath of Assyria for a while because they submitted themselves to Assyria to gain protection from the northern kingdom. But later on, even Judah eventually rebelled against Assyria, and they incurred the wrath of this great empire. Several attacks came against Judah, but the worst came around 701 B.C., the Sennacherib invasion. We can read about this event in 2 Kings 18 and 19. The Assyrians destroyed many Judaite cities and came as far as Jerusalem. In fact, it appeared that all was lost until Hezekiah, the king of Judah, turned to Yahweh for help and was miraculously delivered. Now, Judah remained a vassal state of Assyria, but she avoided total destruction in the days of Hezekiah and the Sennacherib invasion.

So we can see that there were three major events during the Assyrian judgment: first, the Syrian-Israelite coalition in 734; second, the destruction of Samaria in 722 B.C.; and finally, the Sennacherib invasion of 701.

Now that we've seen several major events that took place during the Assyrian judgment, we have to examine how these three events influenced the ministries of the prophets.

Prophetic Ministries

The Assyrian judgment had great influence on the ministries of prophets. Of the sixteen books that we have in the Old Testament, six of them report the ministries of Yahweh's emissaries during this period: Jonah, Hosea, Amos, Micah, Nahum and Isaiah. All of these prophets ministered during the time of the Assyrian judgment. Let's briefly summarize what these prophets had to say about the Assyrian judgment.

Jonah

First we should mention the prophet Jonah. According to 2 Kings 14:25, God called Jonah to prophesy during the reign of Jeroboam II who was king in northern Israel from around 793-753 B.C. And the place of Jonah's ministry was unique among the prophets because God called him to go to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria. He went to this capital city of the Assyrians and preached the word of Yahweh, and his central message was simple, as we read in Jonah 3:4:

Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned (Jonah 3:4).

Much to Jonah's regret, the city of Nineveh repented when they heard this word from Yahweh, and God did not bring the disaster he threatened against the city. Jonah's ministry marks the mercy of God extended even to an empire as evil as the Assyrian empire.

Hosea

A second prophet who ministered during the Assyrian judgment was Hosea. Hosea 1:1 tells us that Hosea served in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Uzziah's last year to reign was around 740 B.C., and Hezekiah's first year to reign was around 716 B.C. This range establishes a long period for the ministry of the prophet Hosea. He ministered primarily in northern Israel from around 750 B.C., at least until the fall of Samaria in 722 B.C. At that time Hosea probably migrated to the South. And so we can see that Hosea prophesied in the days of prosperity before the Syrian-Israelite coalition, and he also prophesied through to the time of the fall of Samaria.

The focus of Hosea's prophecies reveals that he ministered in northern Israel. Most of his prophecies consist of warning against corruption and evil in the North. Hosea's central message was this: the northern kingdom was so corrupted by sin that God was going to judge them by bringing the Assyrians to destroy Israel and Samaria. This prediction, of course, was fulfilled with the fall of Samaria. Hosea did offer hope, however. He said that one day the covenant blessing of restoration would come, even after the exile.

Amos

The third prophet to focus on the Assyrian judgment was Amos. Amos 1:1 tells us that Amos ministered when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam was king of Israel. This verse gives us a range of dates for Amos' ministry from around 760 to 750 B.C. Amos served prior to the dates of the Syrian-Israelite coalition in 734. He served during the dates of northern Israel's prosperity and their complacency under Jeroboam II. And like Hosea, Amos ministered in northern Israel, and his main message was this — he warned the generation of his day that the Assyrian judgment was coming and that Samaria would fall and that exile was going to take place. As Amos says to the Israelites in Amos 5:27:

"Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Damascus," says the Lord, whose name is God Almighty (Amos 5:27).

In the last chapter of his book, Amos reiterates the hope that the exile was not the end of Israel. There was going to be a restoration, the covenant blessing of restoration after exile which Moses himself promised was also reaffirmed by Amos.

Micah

The fourth prophet to deal with the Assyrian judgment was Micah. Micah 1:1 says that he ministered during the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah, concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. Micah served as God's prophet from at least 735 B.C., the last year of Jotham's reign, to 701, the days of the Sennacherib invasion. Unlike Hosea and Amos, Micah ministered in Judah, especially in the vicinity of Jerusalem. Put simply, Micah's message was that God was going to judge both Samaria and Jerusalem by the hands of the Assyrians. He had little hope that Samaria would escape out of destruction, and he also warned that Jerusalem was going to be destroyed. During the Sennacherib invasion, Micah opposed false prophets who said that Jerusalem could never be destroyed by an enemy. He argued that Jerusalem would be destroyed if repentance did not take place. Even so, Micah held out hope to Israel and to Judah that even if exile occurred, one day God would retaliate against her enemies and he would free his people from the oppression of the Assyrian and bring a great king to reunite the people and to restore their covenant blessings in the land.

Nahum

The fifth prophet who ministered during the period of the Assyrian judgment was Nahum. The time of Nahum's ministry is not stated explicitly in his book, but it can be inferred from the materials in his book. His ministry took place between 663 B.C. and 612 B.C. Two verses in his book establish the range of possibilities. In 3:8 we discover that the Egyptian city of Thebes had already been conquered by the Assyrians, and this event took place in 663 B.C. Yet the prophet also foretells the destruction of Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, and he speaks of it as a future event in 3:7. Nineveh's destruction took place in 612 B.C., so we know that his ministry took place before that great event.

We read in 1:15 that Nahum addressed Judah, so we may be confident that he did minister in Judah, but Nahum focuses his attention not on Judah, but on Assyria. Both Israel and Judah had suffered severely at the hands of Assyria by this time, and in the midst of this suffering, Nahum had one primary message: God was going to destroy Assyria. He assures Judah that God will punish Assyria by destroying the capital city of Nineveh. As we read in 3:5-7, Yahweh says these words:

"I am against you," declares the Lord Almighty… "I will treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle. All who see you will flee from you and say, 'Nineveh is in ruins'" (Nahum 3:5-7).

Isaiah

The sixth prophet to focus on the Assyrian Judgment was Isaiah. Isaiah 1:1 mentions that Isaiah ministered during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. This registry of kings tells us that Isaiah served from around 740 B.C. at least to slightly after 701 B.C., the Sennacherib invasion. We can see that Isaiah ministered through the time of the Syrian-Israelite coalition, the fall of Samaria, and the Sennacherib invasion. The content of Isaiah's book reveals that he ministered in Judah, especially in Jerusalem. Isaiah dealt with Judah in many ways during the time of Assyrian Judgment. He called for fidelity and trust in Yahweh during the Syrian-Israelite coalition. During the Sennacherib invasion, Isaiah led King Hezekiah to trust Yahweh for the deliverance of Jerusalem. These portions of his ministry had one main message: Judah must trust Yahweh as she faced Assyrian judgments. Of course, when the Israelites did not trust Yahweh, Israel had another warning: exile will come to Judah. Yet like so many other prophets, Isaiah affirmed that the restoration of Judah would take place after the exile.

So we've seen that the period of the Assyrian Judgment had several major events that had significant consequences for the ministries of the prophets. The prophets knew that this was going to be a time of great misery and hardship for the people of God. And they came with words of judgments, but also words of encouragement that a brighter day was on the horizon.

Now that we have explored how Old Testament prophets ministered during the period of Assyrian judgment, we must now turn to the period of the Babylonian judgment.

BABYLONIAN JUDGMENT

So far we've seen that the early monarchy formed a background for all of the writing prophets of the Old Testament. We've also seen that the Assyrian judgment of 734 to 701 B.C. formed the historical context within which Jonah, Hosea, Amos, Micah, Nahum and Isaiah ministered. Now we come to the third major period of prophetic ministry, the Babylonian judgment. This period of judgment extended from 605 B.C. to 539 B.C.

In many ways the prophet Isaiah forms a hinge between the period of Assyrian judgment and Babylonian judgment. We've already seen that Isaiah ministered to Hezekiah during the days of the Sennacherib invasion. Well, after this invasion was over, Hezekiah tried to make an alliance with the Babylonians to protect themselves from further attacks. In chapter 39 of Isaiah, the prophet discovers what Hezekiah had done. And so he says these words in 39:5-7:

Hear the word of the Lord Almighty: The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon… Some of your descendants … will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon (Isaiah 39:5-7).

Once again we'll divide our discussion into two concerns: first, what were the major events of the Babylonian judgment, and second, how did the prophets minister during this time? Let's look first at the major events that comprised the Babylonian judgment.

Major Events

To understand this period, we must identify three major events: the first Babylonian incursion of 605 B.C., the second incursion of 597 B.C., and the third incursion of 586 B.C.

First Incursion

First, in 605 B.C., there was the first incursion and deportation of Judaite leaders to Babylon. The king Jehoiakim was unfaithful to his Babylonian suzerain, Nebuchadnezzar, so Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah and removed many of the leaders in Jerusalem. The prophet Daniel and his friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were among those deported at this time.

Second Incursion

The second major event of this period occurred in 597 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar responded to continuing rebellion in Judah with a second incursion and deportation. At this time, he destroyed much of Judah and took a good number of the population into exile into Babylon. The prophet Ezekiel was taken away in this deportation. This second incursion hurt the nation of Judah in many ways, but the nation still did not repent of its evil ways.

Third Incursion

The third major event of the Babylonian period occurred 586 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar had enough of continuing rebellion in Judah and he made a third and final incursion and deportation. This time, the Babylonians utterly destroyed Jerusalem and its holy temple. The vast majority of people in Judah were taken into exile, and the land was left desolate, and a great exile of Judah was under way.

When we think about these three major events during the Babylonian judgment, we must remember that this was a time of utter destruction for the people of God. The son of David was taken off into exile, and the temple of Jerusalem was destroyed. It was a terrible time in the history of God's people.

Now that we've seen the major events of the Babylonian period, we should consider the ways in which Old Testament prophets ministered at these times.

Prophetic Ministries

The Babylonian judgment provides an historical context for a number of Old Testament prophets. In fact, seven prophets served as Yahweh's emissaries at this time: Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Joel, Obadiah, Habakkuk, Ezekiel, and Daniel.

Jeremiah

The first prophet of the Babylonian period was Jeremiah. Jeremiah served as God's prophet in Judah throughout the three invasions and deportations. As we read in Jeremiah 1:2-3, Jeremiah ministered

… in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah … through the reign of Jehoiakim … down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah … when the people of Jerusalem went into exile (Jeremiah 1:2-3).

From these verses we see that Jeremiah served from about 626 B.C., even before the Babylonians had defeated the Assyrians, and he continued to serve as Yahweh's emissary at least until shortly after 586 when the final Babylonian incursion and deportation took place.

Before the Babylonians first invaded, Jeremiah called for true repentance to forestall the invasions. As the waves of Babylonian attacks continued, Jeremiah learned that Jerusalem's doom was certain. He called for the people to repent and to prepare for years of hardship. Even so, despite his focus on the Babylonian exile, Jeremiah also affirmed that Israel would be restored some day in the future. For instance, in chapters 30–31 of his book, Jeremiah reminded the people of Judah that God would bring them back to the land and establish them in safety under a new covenant.

Zephaniah

The second prophet of the Babylonian judgment was Zephaniah. Zephaniah 1:1 tells us explicitly when he served as God's prophet. He served during the reign of Josiah, son of Amon, King of Judah. Josiah reigned over Judah from about 640 B.C. to 609 B.C., and this makes Zephaniah a contemporary of Jeremiah's early ministry. In 2:13-15, Zephaniah predicted that Nineveh would fall as it did to the Babylonians. In fact, Zephaniah predicted that the day of the Lord was coming against Assyria and other nations who had persecuted the people of God. He anticipated the Babylonian dominance over the entire region, including Judah. Even so, Zephaniah also proclaimed that the day would come when Israel and Judah would be restored to greatness. As he says in 3:20:

"At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes," says the Lord (Zephaniah 3:20).

Joel

A third prophet who appears during the Babylonian Judgment is Joel. We cannot be dogmatic about the date of Joel's ministry because his book does not give us a specific time for his ministry. Some interpreters place Joel earlier, others place him later. Yet from 1:13 and a number of other references, we can be sure that the temple and the priesthood were in operation as Joel preached. Joel also announces that the destruction of Zion will come in 2:1. So Joel probably ministered sometime during the deportations of the Judaites to Babylon. His message was straightforward — the land of Judah was going to be ravished by foreign armies. And in chapter 2, Joel called for repentance and the hope that sincere repentance might forestall or soften the Babylonian destruction. Yet after concluding that destruction was coming, Joel did not give up entirely on God's blessing. He assured his readers that once the exile was over, God would restore his people to a time of unsurpassed covenant blessing. As he says in Joel 3:20-21:

"Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem through all generations. Their bloodguilt, which I have not pardoned, I will pardon." The Lord dwells in Zion! (Joel 3:20-21).

Obadiah

A fourth prophet during the Babylonian judgment was Obadiah. His book is not specifically dated either, but it concentrates on how the nation of Edom took advantage of the terrible suffering of the Judaites. In all likelihood, Obadiah had in mind the troubles that came to the Judaites during the waves of invasions and deportations which Babylon inflicted on Judah during the years of 597 to 586 B.C. Obadiah announced that Yahweh will not overlook the cruelties of the Edomites. Edom will be destroyed. In fact, he announced that one day the exiles of Judah would return and take possession of Edom. As Obadiah says in verse 15 of his book:

The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head (Obadiah 15).

Obadiah proclaimed that after Judah's exile was over, God would punish the nations for their mistreatment of his people.

Habakkuk

A fifth prophet who ministered during the Babylonian judgment was Habakkuk. Once again, we don't know precisely when he ministered, yet the content of his book gives us some guidance. In the first chapter of Habakkuk, the prophet prays for the destruction of godless rulers in Judah. God's response is found in 1:6. There the Lord says:

I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwelling places not their own (Habakkuk 1:6).

In light of this passage, it seems likely that Habakkuk ministered sometime near the first Babylonian invasion and deportation in 605 B.C.

Habakkuk first lamented the evil of the Judaites, then he lamented the oppression of the Babylonians, but in the end of his book, Habakkuk affirmed his trust in Yahweh, no matter how long it took for God to destroy the Babylonians. In 3:17-18, we read those well-known words of faith:

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stall, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior (Habakkuk 3:17-18).

Ezekiel

A sixth prophet to serve during the Babylonian period was Ezekiel. Chapter 1 verse 2 of Ezekiel tells us that the prophet was taken to Babylon in 597 B.C. He ministered in Babylon among the exiles, and as the rest of this book makes clear, Ezekiel ministered even through the great destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. So Ezekiel ministered from around 597 through the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Ezekiel spent most of his early ministry proclaiming that the Babylonians were going to destroy Jerusalem and its temple. Beyond this, much of the book of Ezekiel focuses on how the people will return to the land and how they must rebuild the temple when they return. After describing how the city and the temple will be grand beyond belief, he closed his book in this way in 48:35:

And the name of the city from that time on will be: The Lord is there (Ezekiel 48:35).

Daniel

The seventh prophet to minister during the Babylonian judgment was Daniel. Daniel was taken to Babylon in the first deportation of 605 B.C. References to events in his book make it clear that Daniel's ministry extended at least from 605 to 539 B.C. Daniel interpreted dreams and had several visions of his own that made it clear that Judah's exile was going to be extended for a long period of time. He realized that the people of God had not repented of their sins, even in the exile, so as he says in 9:13:

Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth (Daniel 9:13).

As a result, Daniel learned that the exile of God's people would extend through four kingdoms: the Babylonians, the Medes and Persians, the Greeks, and a fourth unnamed nation which we now know was the Roman Empire. Daniel encouraged repentance and faith among the exiles and warned that continuing rebellion would only prolong separation from the land.

It would be very difficult to overemphasize the Babylonian judgment. This was a time when the people of God suffered their worst defeat; the people of God were exiled out from the land of Judah; the son of David was exiled from his throne; the city of Jerusalem was destroyed and even the temple of God was destroyed. This was the worst thing that ever happened to the people of God in the Old Testament. And during this time, the prophets offered many words of warning and judgment, but they also offered the hope that one day the Lord would restore his people even to Jerusalem and Judah.

So far in this lesson on the historical analysis of the prophets, we've seen the major events and the prophetic ministries in three periods. Now we come to the last period of Old Testament prophecy, the period of restoration.

RESTORATION PERIOD

As we've seen, the early monarchy provided the background for the writing prophets of the Bible. A number of prophets ministered during the Assyrian judgment, and even more served God during the Babylonian judgment. Now we should explore the prophets who ministered to God's people when some Israelites actually returned from exile in Babylon to the land of Judah. We may speak of this restoration period extending from 539 B.C. to around 400 B.C. We will explore this period in our usual way by focusing first on the major events of that time and then the prophetic ministries. Let's look first at the major events of the restoration period.

Major Events

The first thing we should mention is the return of the Israelites to the land.

Israelites Return to the Land

In 539 and 538 B.C., God did a wonderful thing for his exiled people. In fulfillment of the prophecies in Isaiah, the Persian emperor Cyrus conquered the Babylonian empire and encouraged the Israelites to return to their land and rebuild the temple of Yahweh. This initial restoration of the people from exile took place under the leadership of Sheshbazzar, who many think was Zerubbabel, the rightful heir of David's throne. The exiles who returned, however, were relatively few in number, and they were not firmly devoted to doing Yahweh's will.

Rebuilding of the Temple

Now, this fact brings us to the second major event during the restoration period, the rebuilding of the temple during the years 520 to 515 B.C. The Israelites who first returned to the land neglected rebuilding the temple. They began the project, but soon became preoccupied with their own needs and stopped building. Because the people of God were failing in their responsibility to rebuild the temple, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah stepped onto the streets of Jerusalem around 520 B.C. to exhort the people to rebuild the temple of God. At first there was great optimism and great hope, but that optimism did not last long.

Widespread Apostasy

The third great event of the restoration period was widespread apostasy. Now, this apostasy grew after the initial rebuilding of the temple, especially during the ministries of Ezra and Nehemiah. Scholars debate the precise dates of this period, so we should set a range of possibilities from around 450 to 400 B.C. Within one generation after Zerubbabel had rebuilt the temple, the people of God began to intermarry with foreign women, and as a result, the religion of Israel was mixed with the religions of other peoples. The restoration period ground to a halt. Now Ezra and Nehemiah did have a few reforms and they worked for a while, but it wasn't long even before those reforms failed. The restoration period became a period of great apostasy.

We may now turn to our second concern with the restoration period. How did these events influence the prophets who ministered at this time?

Prophetic Ministries

Three well-known prophetic figures were Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. Let's first consider the ministry of Haggai.

Haggai

The book of Haggai makes it very plain that this prophet was among those who had returned to the land. As a result, his ministry took place in Jerusalem. Beyond this, we know rather precisely when Haggai ministered. We read in Haggai 1:1 that God spoke through Haggai on the first day of the sixth month to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah. From this and other passages in the book of Haggai, we learn that all of Haggai's prophecies were given during a four-month period in 520 B.C.

Now what was Haggai's basic message? Haggai was determined to inspire the floundering Judaites to rebuild the temple. In fact, Haggai predicted that great victories and blessings would come to Zerubbabel if he and the people would repent of their sins. As he says in 2:21:

Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I will shake the heavens and the earth (Haggai 2:21).

Haggai offered God's rich blessings to the people if the nation would sincerely turn back to the Lord and rebuild his temple.

Zechariah

The second prophet of the restoration period was Zechariah. From the content of Zechariah's prophecies, we learn that he ministered in Jerusalem alongside of Haggai. Chapter 1 verse 1 mentions that Haggai began to minister in the eighth month of the second year of Darius, in other words, in the year 520 B.C. And from the content of chapters 9–14 of Zechariah, many interpreters believe that Zechariah's ministry continued after it became clear that simply rebuilding the temple was not sufficient to bring divine blessing. In his early ministry, summarized in the first eight chapters of Zechariah, the prophet's message was very simple: great blessings will come if the people will rebuild the temple. Beyond this, however, in chapters 9–14, Zechariah predicted that full restoration would come only by a catastrophic, future, divine intervention. The prophet had visions of a great series of events in the future when God would intervene and bring victory and righteousness to his people. As he said in 14:20:

On that day "Holy to the Lord" will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the Lord's house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar (Zechariah 14:20).

Malachi

Now, the last prophet of the Old Testament was Malachi. From his focus on the temple and the Levites, it's apparent that Malachi also ministered in the vicinity of Jerusalem. His message fits best during or after the time of Nehemiah's reforms, somewhere between 450 and 400 B.C. The temple services had become so corrupted, and the people had turned so far away from the Lord that Malachi announced a great judgment was still coming against the people of God. As we read in Malachi 3:5:

[The Lord] will come near to you for judgment (Malachi 3:5).

Yet Malachi knew that the judgment of God in the future would also lead to the final restoration for the righteous in Israel. In 4:2, Malachi offers hope for those who repent and prove to be faithful to the Lord:

For you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall (Malachi 4:2).

Malachi assured Israel, even in her apostasy, that after judgment would come a time of great blessing.

The prophets of the restoration period had to deal with a great crisis. The people of God who had come back from exile continued to rebel against God, and as a result, the prophets finally concluded that the great restoration blessings would come only in the distant future. Now, as Christians, we know when this distant future came — it was when Jesus came to the earth.

CONCLUSION

In this lesson we have explored an historical analysis of Old Testament prophets. Although the history is very complex, it is helpful to summarize the events of the prophetic history in terms of four major periods: first, the early monarchy; second, the Assyrian judgment; third, the Babylonian judgment; and fourth, the post-exilic period, the time when there were high initial hopes but eventually the hopes gave way to the expectation of a further judgment followed by a distant blessing from God.

As we learn to interpret Old Testament prophecy, it's always essential to relate their words to their circumstances. As we relate the words of prophets to the historical circumstances they faced, we'll be able to understand what their words meant for the people of those days, and we'll also be able to understand what their words mean for us today.

Dr. Richard L. Pratt, Jr. (Host) is Co-Founder and President of Third Millennium Ministries. He served as Professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary for more than 20 years and was chair of the Old Testament department. An ordained minister, Dr. Pratt travels extensively to evangelize and teach. He studied at Westminster Theological Seminary, received his M.Div. from Union Theological Seminary, and earned his Th.D. in Old Testament Studies from Harvard University. Dr. Pratt is the general editor of the NIV Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible and a translator for the New Living Translation. He has also authored numerous articles and books, including Pray with Your Eyes Open, Every Thought Captive, Designed for Dignity, He Gave Us Stories, Commentary on 1 & 2 Chronicles and Commentary on 1 & 2 Corinthians.