Reflections on Biblical Prophets and Silence Through the Ages
Exploring the intriguing stories of biblical prophets like John the Baptist and the prophecy of silence in the book of Amos. Delve into the significance of figures like Malachi, the last Jewish prophet according to Jewish tradition, and ponder over the 400 years of prophetic silence leading up to Jesus' birth. Consider the supernatural elements, historical context, and the enduring messages found in the Old Testament scriptures.
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Who is this strange man, John the Baptist? Why does he wear, clothes of camel s hair and his food was locusts and wild honey Matthew 3:4 Is he real , fictionalized or even entirely made up? Pastor Johnson Hsu
Is the Bible just history? Is there a supernatural? Do we limit our understanding of God by trying to make him human ? Do we believe in the supernatural? Does human science disprove God? Pastor Johnson Hsu
John 1:19 Now this was Johns testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, I am not the Messiah. 21 They asked him, Then who are you? Are you Elijah? He said, I am not. Are you the Prophet? He answered, No. 22 Finally they said, Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, Make straight the way for the Lord.
In Amos 8 we read; The days are coming, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I will send a famine through the land not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it. Amos 8:11-12 There will come a day, when God is so upset with His people, that He will no longer speak to them there will be no more prophets.
Prophet That last is Malachi this is last book in the Old Testament. Jews believe he is the last Jewish prophet. After him, there will be no more, hearingthe words of the Lord .
Prophet Prophet That last is Malachi this is last book in the Old Testament. Jews believe he is the last Jewish prophet. After him, there will be no more, hearingthe words of the Lord . Malachi lived around 420 BC. In Jesus day, there had been 400 years of silence!
Prophet Jesus Birth 5 BC Malachi 420 BC Wisdom of Solomon 2 Maccabees 1 Maccabees Baruch Sirach Judith Tobit Old Testament New Testament Years of Prophetic Silence Catholic DeuteroCanonical Books All Scripture is God-breathed 2 Timothy 3:16 In Jesus day, there had been 400 years of silence!
Prophet Yet Malachi prophesied that one day, God would come back, Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come, says the Lord Almighty. Malachi 3:1 We call this person the Messiah
Prophet Messiah Yet Malachi prophesied that one day, God would come back, Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come, says the Lord Almighty. Malachi 3:1 We call this person theMessiah
Prophet Messiah Before the Messiah, Elijah would come Elijah See, I will send the prophet to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction. Mal 4:5-6
And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous to make ready a people prepared for the Messiah Elijah Prophet Before the Messiah, Elijah would come Lord. Luke 1:17 Elijah See, I will send the prophet to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction. Mal 4:5-6 In asking about Messiah, Elijah and Prophet The Jewish leaders are asking, Is God no longer angry with us? Has He come back to us? While John is not Elijah, we are told that, If you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. Matthew 11:14
John 1:19 Now this was Johns testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, I am not the Messiah. 21 They asked him, Then who are you? Are you Elijah? He said, I am not. Are you the Prophet? He answered, No. 22 Finally they said, Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, Make straight the way for the Lord.
24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet? 26 I baptize with water, John replied, but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. 28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me. 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.
Messiah The Bible is beyond just history. It is God breathed. We can trust God, even though we don t see Him. This is faith. He is faithful, even when we are unfaithful. and He is the Creator of History. He is not limited by what He has created.
Messiah Science and Christian faith are absolutely not in conflict. Sy Garte, Ph.D. Biochemistry For me, the life of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, whose birth we celebrate today, is an inspiration and an anchor in my life. Queen Elizabeth II, Christmas 2014
