We have finished the Minor Prophets and we are gearing up for the reformers Ezra and Nehemiah before we tackle the Major Prophet Ezekiel. But before I switch modes entirely, I am doing a mini lecture series, a Prophets 101 class. Previously, I discussed the institution of the prophetic office in the Bible, and last week I explored the Jewish understanding for why prophecy ceased after Malachi. Today, I want to investigate the Christian understanding of prophecy today. The best place to start is the introduction to the book of Hebrews.
The author of Hebrews is hyperaware that in the Second Temple period, the Mosaic law and Hebrew scriptures are understood to be the ultimate divine revelation to the Jewish people. He writes, “the law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming” (Heb. 10:1). He explains how divine revelation came first in the form of the prophets and holy scriptures, but it reached its zenith in the incarnation:
“Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word.” (Heb. 1:1-3)
The language of all Hebrews offers a rich Christology, as Christ is both the one who God sent and the one who God will send again. However, the book is also firmly rooted in the message of the prophets, quoting and alluding to Isaiah (Heb. 2:13), Jeremiah (Heb. 10:16-17), Habakkuk (Heb. 10:37-38) and Haggai (Heb. 12:26).
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