What is a prophet?
Q1 (4 points). In 3-4 sentences, answer the following question: What is a prophet? Use a few analogies to help describe important aspects of the role of a prophet.
A prophet is an inspired individual who believes that God sends him to deliver a message. A prophet teaches the truth and deduces the word of God. They serve as mediators with people by delivering communication or knowledge from the mystical source to other individuals.
Q2 (5 points). In 5-6 sentences, tell me what the difference is between eschatological prophecy and apocalyptic prophecy. What are some thematic examples of apocalyptic prophecy in the book of Daniel?
Apocalyptic prophecy refers to the heavenly so powerful that it converts how an individual sees everything. It occurs when someone is uncovered to the inspiring reality of God’s outlook. In contrast, eschatological prophecy describes the vital nature of individual decisions, the destiny of the person believer’s spirit after death, and the extinction of this order (DeSilva, 2018). In the book of Daniel, Eschatology is seen in which God significantly intervenes in the human account, destroying the evil ones and saving the upright. The general theme of Daniel is God’s sovereignty over an account.
Q3 (2 points). In 1-2 sentences, explain the basic idea of Hebrew parallelism.
It is an organization of ideas in which the author balances a chain of terms so that patterns of planned contrast or deliberate repetition emerge. It happens in the segments consisting of a notable association in the thoughts expressed in two consecutive units.
Q4 (3 points). In 2-3 sentences, explain the goals and main differences between biblical prophecy and pop-culture/common ‘prophecy’.
Biblical prophecy gets revelations from deities and entails the passages of the Bible that are argued to mirror communications from deities to individuals via prophets. In contrast, popular culture/ common prophecy itself believes the prophetic duty of telling the truth to authority and analyzing features of the biblical custom. The goals include giving faith, offering endurance to the faith by providing hope, and it equips for evangelism.
Q5 (4 points). In 3-4 sentences, how would you account for the similarities and differences between the poetry and wisdom literature of the Hebrews and that of the rest of the ancient Near East?
Poetic and Wisdom literature tells accounts of human difficulties and experiences from the moment of Abraham to the ending of the Old Testament. They disclose the composing knowledge of generations of religious individuals and consider the difficulty and effortlessness of living intelligently.
Difference between Eschatological Prophecy and Apocalyptic Prophecy
Q6 (5 points). Our class lecture and the course textbook have different ways of talking about the purpose and message of the book of Job. In 5-6 sentences, explain what are some areas of similarity and difference? How do both help us have a better appreciation for the complexities of the book?
The book of job is a wisdom hymn since job ends that knowledge belongs to God, and every human who tries to grip it or hold it is destined to fail. The book’s idea is the everlasting problem of unjust suffering, and it is named once it’s essential character. The book investigates the physical and mental depths of anguish and the religious depths of affliction (Dekker, 2017). His associates discard his job, and God even rebukes him for no motive. The similarities and differences aid in enhancing appreciation for the complexities of the book of job by building strong relations with God and praying for the correct perspective of Him so that the situation may be seen through His eyes.
Q7 (5 points). In 5-6 sentences tell me what it means to think about the wisdom books as a “curriculum”?
Wisdom books include job, proverbs, and Ecclesiastes, which discloses the collected knowledge of generations of religious individuals and invites all to think about the difficulty and ease of existing wisely. Wisdom books are a curriculum since they encompass awareness, understanding, and ethical conduct. It entails declarations by sages and the wise that provide teachings on divinity and good value.
Short Essay Questions
Each of the short essay questions is worth 10 points. I expect each answer to be between 8-12 sentences long. These answers, then, are supposed to be more thorough than your answers to the short answer questions.
Q8. We spent a good amount of time working through the differences between the message of the prophet and the message of the book. Explain to me what these differences are and illustrate them using both the books of Isaiah and Daniel.
The prophet’s message refers to messages of an idea that God desires to reveal to his people and illustrates just how much God wishes to be close to his individuals. God desires his individuals to prosper to experience harmony and happiness. Still, sins find a way in. The book’s message refers to the message the author is attempting to express through the story. Isaiah is the most famous diviner in the Bible for his prophecy of the savior’s coming, who would cleanse His individuals from their sins and bring trust to His people in difficult moments (DeSilva, 2018). The Book of Daniel’s message is that, as the God of Israel protected Daniel and his associates from their opponents, thus he will protect all of Israel in their current oppression.
Basic idea of Hebrew Parallelism
Q9. What does it mean to say that the Old Testament is “old” and the New Testament is “new”? What difference does this make in how we think about the relationship between each part of our Bible?
The Old Testament refers to the first element of the Christian Bible that enlightens the Jews, their account, and God’s terms to them in the time before the birth of Jesus Christ. The New Testament refers to the second element of the Christian Bible, printed initially in Greek and scripting the existence and experiences of Christ and his first followers (Madden, 2022). The relationship between the Old Testament and the New Testament is that the Old Testament is an arrangement for the Gospel. The New Testament is pedagogy and a prediction of things to appear. It predicts and foretells the work of freedom from sin, which shall be satisfied in Christ. However, New Testament authors read the actions of the Old Testament as gazing on to Christ as the Saviour of his individuals. For instance, at the beginning of Genesis, God spoke a divine word about making the world, and at the beginning of John, God is the word re-made and transformed the world.
Each of the psalm identification questions is worth six points.
Q10. Below I have included the text of Psalm 143. In left side margin of each verse, please indicate which formal elements of the lament genre can be found there. Your options are: address, complaint, request for help, expression of trust, or promise of praise. Some of these elements may be absent, and others may be present more than once. Each correct identification is worth ½ point, totaling 6 points.
1) |
Request for help |
1 Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness! |
2) |
2 Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you. |
|
3) |
Complaint |
3 For the enemy has pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead. |
4) |
Complaint |
4 Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled. |
5) |
Expression of trust |
5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands. |
6) |
Request for help |
6 I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah |
7) |
Complaint |
7 Answer me quickly, O LORD! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. |
8) |
Expression of trust |
8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. |
9) |
Request for help |
9 Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD! I have fled to you for refuge. |
10) |
10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground! |
|
11) |
Promise of praise |
11 For your name’s sake, O LORD, preserve my life! In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble! |
l2) |
Promise of praise |
12 And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies, and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul, for I am your servant. |
Q11. Using the selected verses from Psalm 143, tell me what kind of parallelism is found in each using Dr. Witt’s discussion of Hebrew poetry. You first need to identify whether the verse is an example of “line matching” or “non-correspondence,” and then identify what kind of matching or non-correspondence is there. Your options for “line matching” are: equivalence, contrast, or dynamic movement. Your options for “non-correspondence” are: citation, sequential action, means, cause/reason, purpose, result, conclusion, or illustration.
Each answer is worth 1/2 point, for six points total.
Matching or Non-correspondence? |
What Kind? |
Verse |
|
1) |
Non- correspondence |
Sequential action |
143:1 Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my pleas for mercy! |
2) |
Non- correspondence |
Conclusion |
143:2 Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you. |
3) |
Matching |
Equivalence |
143:5 I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands. |
4) |
Non- correspondence |
Illustration |
143:6 I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. |
5) |
Non-correspondence |
result |
143:7 Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. |
6) |
Matching |
Dynamic movement |
143:9 Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD! I have fled to you for refuge. |
References
Dekker, J. (2017). The Concept of Torah in the Book of Isaiah. In Torah and Tradition (pp. 118- 134). Brill.
DeSilva, D. A. (2018). Introducing the Apocrypha: Message, context, and significance. Baker Books.
Holmstedt, R. D. (2019). Hebrew Poetry and the Appositive Style: Parallelism, Requiescat in pace. Vetus Testamentum, 69(4-5), 617-648.
Kynes, W. (2018). The ‘Wisdom Literature’Category: An Obituary. The Journal of Theological Studies, 69(1), 1-24.
Lacocque, A. (2018). The book of Daniel. Wipf and Stock Publishers.
Madden, F. W. (2022). History of Jewish coinage and of money in the Old and New Testament. BoD–Books on Demand.
Müller, R., & Pakkala, J. (2017). Insights into Editing in the Hebrew bible and the Ancient Near East. What Does Documented Evidence Tell Us about the Transmission of Authoritative Texts.