The Latter, or Major, Prophets

Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel are known as the major prophets and wrote the books that bear their names (along with occasional assistance from personal scribes).

But the story for us to consider does not stop there. Each man told of his own fascinating contribution to the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ..

Yet in the final analysis it is Jesus Christ Himself who joins the two sections of the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ., the Old and New Testaments, together. He welds the Hebrew Prophets to the New TestamentThe 27 authoritative books of the apostolic writings: the four Gospels of Christ, Acts (a history), 21 apostolic letters and the book of Revelation.. So it is primarily to Christ that we must first look for guidance in evaluating the Latter, or Major, Prophets.

Did Jesus directly ascribe any portions of the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. to the prophet Isaiah?

"Well did Isaiah prophesy about you . . ." (Matthew 15:7Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
See All...). In verses 8-9 Christ quotes from Isaiah 29:13Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
See All... in the Hebrew BibleThe books of the Old Testament..

Did all four GospelThe good news of God's everlasting kingdom to be established on earth after Christ's return and how we may be a part of that kingdom. This message was central to the teaching of Jesus Christ and the apostles. The term is used about 100 times in the New Testament . writers attribute portions of the Hebrew ScripturesThe books of the Old Testament. to Isaiah?

"For this is he [John the Baptist] who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah . . ." (Matthew 3:3For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
See All...; compare Mark 7:6He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
See All...; Luke 3:4As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
See All...; John 12:39-41 [39] Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
[40] He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
[41] These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.

See All...).

Clearly, the prophet Isaiah spoke these words. Like Paul in composing some of his New TestamentThe 27 authoritative books of the apostolic writings: the four Gospels of Christ, Acts (a history), 21 apostolic letters and the book of Revelation. letters, he may well have dictated portions of his book to an assistant. Remember that the official system of recorders and scribes (established by King DavidKing of Israel, killed the giant Goliath with a sling and stones, a man after God's own heart, only turned from God in the matter of Uriah the Hittite (1 Kings 15:5), had an affair with Bathsheba, Messiah would come from line of David, main author of Psalms and highly musical.) was still in operation in Judah during Isaiah's lifetime. His prophetic ministry continued during the reigns of several Judean kings (Isaiah 1:1The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
See All...).

Did the apostle Paul also quote from Isaiah?

". . . They departed after Paul had said one word: 'The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers'" (Acts 28:25And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,
See All...; compare Romans 9:27Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
See All...).

What was unusual about Jeremiah's calling?

"Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations" (Jeremiah 1:4-5 [4] Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
[5] Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

See All...).

This expression, "the word of the LORD came to me" (in slightly varied forms), is repeated often in the book of Jeremiah. The message of the prophet is directly from God; Jeremiah is merely His human instrument.

What was one of Jeremiah's prophetic gifts?

"So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that would come upon Babylon, all these words that are written against Babylon" (Jeremiah 51:60So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written against Babylon.
See All...).

But did Jeremiah do all the writing himself?

". . . This word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying: 'Take a scroll of a book and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel, against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah even to this day' " (Jeremiah 36:1-2 [1] And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that this word came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
[2] Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day.

See All...).

"Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah; and Baruch wrote on a scroll of a book, at the instruction of Jeremiah, all the words of the LORD which He had spoken to him" (verse 4).

Jeremiah had his own personal scribe, who apparently was also an accomplished reader (verse 10). Baruch read the words of Jeremiah in "the house of the LORD," the temple in Jerusalem.

When God's message through Jeremiah (but written down by Baruch the scribe) reached King Jehoiakim, what did he immediately do?

"And it happened, when Jehudi had read three or four columns, that the king cut it with the scribe's knife and cast it into the fire . . . until all the scroll was consumed in the fire . . ." (verse 23).

Many attempts have been made throughout history to destroy parts or all of God's Word. This particular instance is recorded in the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. itself. Sometimes biblical writers and translators have been imprisoned or killed. Men literally gave their lives to bring you this Book. In this scriptural example, however, the attempt to "seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet" failed because "the LORD hid them" (verse 26).

What was God's reaction to the king's destruction of Jeremiah's scroll in the fire?

"Now after the king had burned the scroll with the words which Baruch had written at the instruction of Jeremiah, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah saying: 'Take yet another scroll, and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned' " (verses 27-28).

"Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe . . ., who wrote on it at the instruction of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And besides, there were added to them many similar words" (verse 32).

Not even kings have any authority or permission to alter or destroy God's Word. He has preserved the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. throughout the ages in spite of determined attempts to extinguish all traces of it. Faithful men and women have risked their lives to preserve, spread and publish the ScripturesThe divinely inspired writings of both the Old and New Testaments. The term Scripture is used in the New Testament to refer to both the Hebrew Bible (Luke 24:44-45) and the new apostolic writings accepted as inspired (2 Peter 3:16; 1 Timothy 5:18)..

What were Ezekiel's prophetic credentials?

"The word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was upon him there" (Ezekiel 1:3The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.
See All...) .

Ezekiel is mentioned only twice in the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ.—both times in the book bearing his name. In addition to obvious allusions to the temple chapters of Ezekiel (40-48) in RevelationThe disclosure of God's Word and plan to mankind. In the Bible this refers to making obscure things clear; bringing hidden matters to light; causing especially called individuals to see, hear, perceive, know and understand the things of God; the unveiling of biblical mysteries (Romans 16:25). 21, the book itself is quoted several times in the New TestamentThe 27 authoritative books of the apostolic writings: the four Gospels of Christ, Acts (a history), 21 apostolic letters and the book of Revelation.. Also, Jesus' portrait of Himself as the Good Shepherd is an apparent allusion to passages from Ezekiel (compare 34:5, 8, 12, 23; 37:24). God addresses Ezekiel as "the son of man" 90 times, and Jesus Christ refers to Himself as "the Son of Man" about 80 times in the GospelThe good news of God's everlasting kingdom to be established on earth after Christ's return and how we may be a part of that kingdom. This message was central to the teaching of Jesus Christ and the apostles. The term is used about 100 times in the New Testament . accounts.

Ezekiel's prophecies were born in the heat of captivity. Says The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion (1997): "He [Ezekiel] was deported along with King Jehoiachin of Judah . . . in 597 BCE [before the Christian era] to Babylon by the invading forces of Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24:8-16 [8] Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother's name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.
[9] And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done.
[10] At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.
[11] And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it.
[12] And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.
[13] And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said.
[14] And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.
[15] And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.
[16] And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.

See All...; Ezekiel 1:1-3 [1] Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
[2] In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,
[3] The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.

See All...). The exiles were settled at Tela-bib on the river Chebar . . . Ezekiel's call to prophesy came in July 593, and all of his preaching took place among the deported Jerusalemites . . ." (pp. 246-247).