1. What exactly is the Bible?

The Bible is a collection of books that the Catholic church believes are the inspired words of God. God
chose certain men to write these books under the direction of the Holy Spirit for the benefit of all
mankind. The Bible is like a library of books that were written over the course of a thousand years, from
about 950 B.C to 100 A.D. It is the most important book that has ever been written in the history of
mankind. The Bible is considered sacred literature because it is the unique revelation of God, is inspired
by the Holy Spirit, and it describes God’s plan for our salvation and eternal life. It centers entirely on
Jesus Christ, who is God incarnate and the Savior of the world.

2. Why are there two parts of the Bible?

The Old Testament is a record of the old covenant between God and His chosen people. It describes
mankind’s preparation for the coming of the Messiah. The New Testament is a record of the new
covenant made by God with the entire human race, through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ, the son of God. The Old Testament leads up to the time of Christ and the New Testament flows
from the time of Christ. The life of Jesus Christ separates the Old and New Testaments and is the center
and focal point of the Bible. In fact, time itself is centered and measured on the life and death of Jesus
Christ and is the basis of our modern day calendar

3. Who is the author of the Bible?

The author of the Bible is God. He revealed Himself throughout mankind’s history by communicating to
human beings His merciful plan of salvation. The Bible is a written record of God’s revelation of Himself
through the messages and events that occurred throughout mankind’s history. God revealed who He is,
through the words in the Bible, but also through the events that occurred in the lives of the people
whose stories are recorded in the Bible. We know who God is, through both His words and His actions.

4. Why do we think the Bible is the inspired word of God?

The Holy Spirit’s supernatural inspiration motivated the writers of sacred scripture to record the truth
that was conveyed to them, in such a manner that could be interpreted correctly and understood by the
people of their time and ours as well. The Bible is like a love letter written by God for His people,
through the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

5. Is the Bible free from errors?

The words of the Bible are always true in the sense intended by their human authors. The words that
are recorded in the different books in the Bible may contain minor errors born from the culture in which
the author lived, or their limited knowledge of the world (such as whether the earth was flat or round
for an example). Many of the stories in the Bible were passed down from generation to generation by
word of mouth and were not written down until much later, but this too validates the importance of the
words recorded in these books. The Catholic church has studied these sacred texts for over 2,000 years
and understands the historical time periods in which they were written, as well as the background and
culture of the biblical writers themselves. This is why we should rely more on the church’s interpretation
of the sacred scriptures, than our own. However, the church does encourage us to read and reflect on
the Bible for ourselves as well.

6. What literary forms are found in the books of the Bible?

The books of the Bible contain a wide range of literary forms like prose narratives, dramatic poetry,
lyrics, ballads, tragedies, chronicles, fictitious lawsuits, orations, philosophical meditations, prayers and
letters

7. What are the Apocrypha Books?

Non-Catholics usually call the Deuterocanical Books of the Old Testament, the Apocrypha. These are the
seven “extra” books that the Catholic Bible contains, but the Protestant Bible does not. The reason the
Catholic Bible has seven extra books, is because when the Catholic church originally put together the 73
books of the Bible, these books were included as part of the canon. However, when the Protestant
reformation occurred, Martin Luther removed these books from the Catholic Bible because he did not
believe they were divinely inspired. In recent times, however, many Protestant editions of the Bible now
include these books and call them the Apocrypha.

The seven books that the Protestant Bibles do not include are:

Sirach

Wisdom

Judith

Tobit

Baruch

1 Maccabees

2 Maccabees

Longer version of Daniel

Longer version of Esther

HOW THE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT ARE DIVIDED

The Old Testament contains 46 books and are divided into three sections:

The Historical Books – known as the Torah or Law

The Didactic Books – the other Writings in the Old Testamen

The Prophetic Books – books written by the Prophet

1. What is the Pentateuch?

The Pentateuch contains the first five books of the Old Testament:

Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus and Deuteronomy

These books tell about the early history of mankind and the history of God’s chosen people and His laws.
It begins with the divine origin of the universe and mankind, the Hebrew race that came into being
through Abraham, and the Hebrew nation under Moses. The remaining books of the Old Testament
cover a thousand years of mankind’s religious history leading up to the time of Christ.

2. What are the Historical Books of the Old Testament?

The Historical Books of the Old Testament are the books of:

Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, 1-2 Maccabees, Tobit,
Judith and Esther

These books tell the history of Israel, beginning with stories about the promised land, King David, King
Solomon, the Babylonian exile and the struggle for freedom under the Maccabees.

3. What are the Seven Books of Wisdom?

Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Wisdom and Sirach

All of these books except for the book of Wisdom are written in a poetry or verse form. They are
expressed through an equal distribution of thought, but in separate lines of verse. They often repeat the
same thought using different ways of expressing it and their intent is to teach or instruct the reader. The
Song of Songs is more of a nuptial hymn and the Psalms are more of a form of prayer and praise though.
The book of Proverbs are statements on moral matters and the book of Job is a beautiful examination of
human suffering and evil.

4. What are the Eighteen Prophetic Books of the Old Testament?

The Major Prophets:Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Baruch, Ezekiel, Daniel

The Minor Prophets:Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai,
Zechriah, Malachi

The terms “major” or “minor” do not refer to their importance, but rather refers to the length of their
writings. God communicated to these prophets through visions, dreams and ecstasies that were then
transmitted to the people through sermons, writings and symbolic actions. There were actually more
than forty prophets but only sixteen of them left written records. The main purpose of the prophets
were to be the moral and religious teachers of their nation, political advisers to the kings, defenders of
the oppressed like orphans, widows and the poor, and they foretold the future coming of the Messiah,
Jesus Christ, the son of the living God.
Five Historical Books

Twenty One Didactic Books

One Prophetic Book

The New Testament reflects the history of the early church during the birth of Christianity. It is a
collection of twenty seven books written during the one hundred years following the crucifixion of Jesus
Christ, which occurred between 30-36 A.D. All twenty seven books are about Jesus Christ. The Old
Testament books lead up to the time of Christ and the New Testament books flow from the time of
Christ. The lifetime of Jesus Christ divides the Old and New Testaments and is the center, or focal point
of the Bible.

The New Testament books revolve entirely around Jesus Christ. They tell us about the mystery of time,
the world, and human beings in God’s plan of salvation, because Jesus’ redemption of the world is the
goal of everything. The books in the New Testament reflects our expectation of the coming of Jesus
Christ in all His glory at the end of the world.

1. What are the Five Historical Books of the New Testament?

The Five Historical Books of the New Testament are:

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; and the Acts of the Apostles.

These books provide a record of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the savior of the world,
and the very beginnings of the Church he founded. The word “Gospel” means the good news of
salvation proclaimed by Jesus Christ, especially in the written form handed down to us by his Apostles
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Jesus Christ himself proclaimed the good news of God’s kingdom through his life, teachings and good
deeds, but most especially through his Passion, Death and Resurrection. The Apostles preached this
good news after his ascension into heaven, and began recording these events only 30 years after his
death, in the sacred scriptures of the Gospels.

The first three Gospels are very similar to one another and are called the Synoptic Gospels because their
composition can be understood in a single glance if they are placed in three columns side by side. The
Apostles may have used one another’s writings, but each of the Gospel writers wrote in a distinctly
different style.

The Gospel of John is the last Gospel written, by the apostle John, in the year 90 A.D. It is the most
theological of all of the Gospels and is very different from the Synoptic Gospels in the way it is written
and it’s content. It is called the Gospel of Love because it clearly emphasizes that God loved the world so
much that He gave his only begotten son for our salvation. The entire Gospel reduces the new law, to a
law of love.

The Acts of the Apostles is the last Historical Book of the New Testament and was written by Saint Luke.
It describes how the early church was formed and spread throughout the world, through the power of
the Holy Spirit. It’s account began after Christ’s ascension into heaven and continued until Saint Paul
was imprisoned by the Romans for the first time.

2. What are the Twenty One Didactic Books of the New Testament?

The Twenty One Didactic Books of the New Testament include:

The Thirteen Letters of Saint Paul, which are: Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians,
Philippians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon

The Letter to the Hebrews

The Seven Catholic Letters: James, 1-2 Peter, 1,2 and 3 John and Jude.

This collection of books and letters were written to answer the practical, concrete needs of the early
Church. These early documents taught the faith, included disciplinary actions, practical advice, and
encouragement for the early Christian churches.

Some of the remaining letters are about Saint Paul’s journeys, captivity and pastoral concerns about the
new Church. The Letter to the Hebrews is attributed to Paul and has to do with theology, the priesthood,
the sacrifice of Christ, the New Covenant and the Christian Way of Life.

The Seven Catholic Letters were thought to be addressed to the Church in general, rather than the
individual Churches. They encourage the Christian way of life by stressing good works, the joy of
baptized Christians and the unity of the faithful. They also refute false doctrines and encourage faith and
love for God, especially emphasizing that God is love, and is personally encountered through Jesus
Christ. The Seven Catholic Letters also answer specific questions and urges the early Christians to remain
firm in their faith.

3. What is the Prophetic Book of the New Testament?

The Prophetic Book of the New Testament is the Book of Revelation and is considered the most
mysterious book in the Bible. Even though this book is called a prophetic book, it is more properly
understood as an apocalyptic book. The book of Revelation cannot be adequately comprehended unless
you understand the historical context in which it was written. Like the book of Daniel, it was composed
to meet a crisis in the church which was the persecution of the early Christians. The harlot Babylon
symbolizes the pagan city of Rome which sits on seven hills.

The Book of Revelation encourages Christians to stand firm in their faith and avoid compromising with
non-believers. We are to wait for the fulfillment of God’s promises. Although the triumph of God in our
world remains a mystery to be accepted through faith and looked forward to in hope, it is a triumph that
continues to unfold in the lives of each individual Christian, who professes Jesus Christ as the savior of
the world. The ultimate salvation of mankind and victory of Christ will take place at the end of the
present age when Jesus Christ will come again in glory, defeating Satan and his followers and ushering in
the everlasting reign of God.

Divisions of the Bible

The Old Testament books are grouped in the following manner:

1) Historical books, which are arranged not in the order in which they were written but according to the
order of events in time which they narrate (Genesis to Esther);

2) Didactic or sapiential or moral books, which are so called because they instruct us especially about
heavenly wisdom and principles of morality (Job to Ecclesiasticus);

3) The prophetical books, which contain God's message to men, and predictions concerning the future
(Isaias to Malachias);

4) A historical appendix (the Books of the Machabees).

The New Testament like the Old Testament has also a threefold division:
1) Historical books (the Gospels and the Acts);

2) Didactic writings (the fourteen Pauline Epistles and the seven Catholic Epistles);

3) A prophetical book (the Apocalypse).

The various divisions of the Biblical books are of rather recent origin. The Jews divided their sacred
books into sections. The chapter division, as found in the Bible today, dates from the thirteenth century
and is the work of Stephen Langton, professor at the University of Paris and later Archbishop of
Canterbury. The present verse division was first introduced by the Dominican, Santes Pagnino (1528),
and his system is still in use in most of the books of the Old Testament. The modern verse division in the
New Testament is the work of Robert Stephen, a Paris printer of the sixteenth century. The chapter and
divisions are of great value for purposes of reference but frequently break up the sequence of thought.

Material taken from http://www.cathtruth.com/catholicbible/bookbook.ht

6. The Major Prophets

The Prophets of Israel Viewed as a Whole

THEIR DESIGNATION

The first division of the Old Testament was known as the Law with the second being called the Former
Prophets, but these included four books which have already been outlined—Joshua, Judges, Samuel,
and Kings. Though these books deal with the history of Israel, they were composed from a prophetic
viewpoint and possibly even the authors themselves may have been prophets by profession.

The seventeen books considered in this section were classified in the Hebrew Bible as the Latter
Prophets. The term ‘latter’ speaks primarily of their place in the canon rather than of their chronological
position. These prophets are sometimes called the writing prophets because their authors wrote or
recorded their utterances. There were other oral prophets like Nathan, Ahijah, Iddo, Jehu, Elijah, Elisha,
Oded, Shemaiah, Azariah, Hanani, Jahaziel, and Huldah who left no records of their utterances. Mostly
because of their size, the Latter Prophets are subdivided into the Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, and
Ezekiel), and the twelve Minor Prophets, whose writings could all be included in one large scroll which
came to be known in Greek as the Do„decaprophe„ton, “the Twelve-Prophet Book”).50 Daniel, usually
viewed as one of the Major Prophets in the English Bible, actually appears in the third division of the
Hebrew Canon called “the Writings.”
Lamentations will also be dealt with here because of its place in the English Bible, though in the Hebrew
Bible it is among the five rolls or megilloth, the shorter books, which were brief enough to be read
publicly on anniversaries.

THEIR DESCRIPTION

The authors of these books were described or referred to by a number of terms due to the nature of
their ministry and calling. They were called prophets, seers, watchmen, men of God, messengers, and
servants of the Lord. Unger writes:

According to I Samuel 9:9 the prophet was in earlier Israel commonly called a ro’eh, that is one who
perceives that which does not lie I the realm of natural sight or hearing. Another early designation of
similar etymology was a hozeh “one who sees supernaturally” (II Samuel 24:11). Later the Hebrew seer
was more commonly called a nabhi’ (I Samuel 9:9). This popular name is to be related the Accadian
nabu, “to call or announce,” either passively, as Albright (From the Stone Age to Christianity, 1940, pp.
231 ff.), “one who is called” (by God), or actively with Koenig (Hebraeisches and Aramaeisches
Woerterbuch zum Alten Testament, 1936, p. 260), “an announcer” (for), or preferably with Guillaume
(Prophecy and Divination, 1938, pp. 112f), who construes the term to mean that the prophet is the
passive recipient of a message manifest in his condition as well as in his speech, and is “one who is in the
state of announcing a message which has been given to him” (by God).51

As can be seen from Unger’s comments, a certain amount of uncertainty exists regarding the exact
meaning of the word “prophet.” The word prophet is from the Hebrew ayb]n* (nabi). The deviration of
this word is a matter of controversy, but the essential idea in the word is that of an authorized
spokesman. This is clear, not from the etymology of this word which has been lost in antiquity, but from
its use in three Old Testament passages: (1) Exodus 6:28-7:2. When Moses objected to being the
spokesman for God to Pharaoh, God appointed Aaron to be Moses prophet, i.e., his authorized
spokesman. The issue here is one person speaking for another. (2) Numbers 12:1-8. Aaron and Miriam,
perhaps out of jealousy, sought to supplant Moses as mediator of God’s revelation with themselves (cf.
Vs. 2), but God dramatically intervened to show He would speak directly with Moses alone and that He
would also speak through those called prophets by dreams and visions. But the implication as to the
meaning of “prophet” is clear. A true prophet is one who speaks for God to man. (3) Deuteronomy 18:9 -
22. Just before the death of Moses, we have the formal announcement of the office of the nabi, the
prophet, on a continuing basis.52 These verses make it clear that the prophet is one who speaks forth
the message which God has revealed to him.

THEIR DIRECTIVE OR MESSAGE

As a mouthpiece or spokesman for God, the prophet’s primary duty was to speak forth God’s message
to God’s people in the historical context of what was happening among God’s people. The broadest
meaning is that of forthtelling; the narrower meaning is that of foretelling. In the process of proclaiming
God’s message, the prophet would sometimes reveal that which pertained to the future, but, contrary
to popular opinion, this was only a small part of the prophets message. Forthtelling involved insight into
the will of God; it was exhortative, challenging men to obey. On the other hand, foretelling entailed
foresight into the plan of God; it was predictive, either encouraging the righteous in view of God’s
promises or warning in view of coming judgment. So the prophet was the divinely chosen spokesman
who, having received God’s message, proclaimed it in oral, visual, or written form to the people. For this
reason, a common formula used by the prophets was, “Thus says the Lord.”

As God’s spokesman, their message can be seen in a three-fold function they had among the people of
God in the Old Testament:

First, they functioned as preachers who expounded and interpreted the Mosaic law to the nation. It was
their duty to admonish, reprove, denounce sin, threaten with the terrors of judgment, call to
repentance, and bring consolation and pardon. Their activity of rebuking sin and calling for repentance
consumed far more of the prophets’ time than any other feature of their work. The rebuke was driven
home with predictions about the punishment that God intended to send on those failing to heed the
prophet’s warning (cf. Jonah 3:4).

Second, they functioned as predictors who announced coming judgment, deliverance, and events
relating to the Messiah and His kingdom. Predicting the future was never intended merely to satisfy
man’s curiosity, but was designed to demonstrate that God knows and controls the future, and to give
purposeful revelation. The prediction given by a true prophet would be visibly fulfilled. The failure of the
prediction to be fulfilled would indicate that the prophet had not spoken the word of Yahweh (cf. Deut.
18:20-22). In 1 Samuel 3:19 it is said of Samuel that the Lord was with him and let none of his prophetic
words fail (lit., “fall to the ground”).

Finally, they functioned as watchmen over the people of Israel (Ezek. 3:17). Ezekiel stood as a watchman
on the walls of Zion ready to trumpet a warning against religious apostasy. He warned the people
against political and military alliances with foreign powers, the temptation to become involved in
idolatry and Canaanite cultic worship, and the danger of placing excessive confidence in religious
formalism and sacrificial ritual.
While the prophets functioned in various ways as they communicated God’s message, they occupied
one major role in Israel’s religious system. The prophets in Israel occupied the role of a royal diplomat or
prosecuting attorney, indicting the nation for violations of the Mosaic covenant.53

A COMPARISON OF THE FOUR MAJOR PROPHETS54

Comparison of the Four Major Prophets

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Ezekiel

Daniel

Prophesied To:

Jews in Judea

Jews in Judea and captivity

Jews captive in Babylon

Jews captive in Babylon and Gentile kings

Concerning:

Judah and Jerusalem

(Isa. 1:1; 2:1)

Judah and Nations (Jer. 1:5, 9-10; 2:1-2)

The whole house of Israel

(Ezek. 2:3-6; 3:4-10, 17)

Israel and Gentile Nations

(Dan. 2:36ff; 9)

During the reigns of:

Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah (kings of Judah)

Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah

(kings of Judah)

Zedekiah

(king of Judah);

Nebuchadnezzar
(king of Babylon)

Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah

(kings of Judah).

Nebuchadnezzar

(king of Babylon

Dates:

740-680 B.C.

627-585 B.C.

592-570 B.C.

605-536 B.C.

Historical

Setting:

2 Kings 15-21;

2 Chronicles 26-30

2 Kings 22-25

Daniel 1-6
Daniel 1-6

A REVIEW OF THE OLD TESTAMENT’S ANTICIPATION OF CHRIST 55

By way of review, it would be well to remember that the Law laid the foundation for Christ by the
election (Genesis), redemption (Exodus), sanctification (Leviticus), direction (Numbers), and instruction
(Deuteronomy) of the nation of Israel as the custodians of the oracles of God (Rom. 3:1) and the channel
for Messiah (Gen. 12:1f; Rom. 9:4-5).

Then further preparation for Christ was given in the Historical Books by giving the nation the Land of
Israel for their possession (Joshua). The nation was then oppressed by foreign nations and was
unfaithful, still God raised up judges and found faithfulness in the nation (Ruth). Stabilization was given
to the nation under king Saul (1 Samuel), then expansion under king David (2 Samuel), and glorification
of the nation under Solomon’s reign (1 Kings 1-10). This was followed with division in the nation (1 Kings
11 -22) into the northern 10 tribes and the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin. These both suffered
deterioration (2 Chronicles) resulting eventually in deportation by Assyria and Babylon (2 Kings).
Consequently, the Temple suffered deprivation (1 Chronicles) and destruction (2 Chronicles). However,
God’s faithfulness to His promises remained and so there was reconstruction of the Temple (Ezra) and
restoration of a remnant of the nation to the land (Nehemiah) followed by protection of God’s people
(Esther).

All the while, in the Poetical Books there was always spiritual aspiration for Christ with the moral
foundation being laid in the Law and the national framework being developed in the books of History.

Through the Prophetical Books we have the nation of Israel, through the prophets, looking forward with
great expectation to Christ. This is done in the following ways:

The earlier prophets (Hosea, Joel, Amos) expect a national restoration by the Messiah. Isaiah and Micah
predict international salvation through the coming of Christ. But Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk and
Zephaniah warn of God’s retribution on the nations. Lamentations grieves over God’s retribution on His
people but Jeremiah looks for a covenantal reaffirmation in Christ. Ezekiel expects the nation’s religious
restoration and Daniel predicts its political restoration. After the Babylonian captivity Haggai and
Zechariah exhort the people in their religious reconstruction and Malachi in their social and moral
reconstruction, as they await the coming of the “sun of righteousness [that] shall rise, with healing in its
wings” (Mal. 4:2).56
ISAIAH (The Salvation of Yahweh)

AUTHOR:

As the book clearly declares, the author is Isaiah, the son of Amoz, an apparently influential and
distinguished Jewish family. Isaiah but he appears to have been on familiar terms with the royal court
even in the reign of Ahaz. He was evidently a well- educated student of international affairs, who spent
most of his time in the city of Jerusalem, where he rubbed shoulders with royalty and gave advice on
foreign affairs because he was so in touch with the crosscurrents of world affairs. Though often scoffed
at, being directed by God, he vigorously opposed any entangling alliances with foreign powers (whether
with Assyria as against Samaria and Damascus, or with Egypt as against Assyria). As warned by the Lord
in chapter six, his cause was doomed to failure, for both government and people chose to put their trust
in the political alliances of man rather than in the sure person and promises of God.

An old tradition relates that he was martyred at some time in the reign of Manasseh, possibly by being
sawed in two inside a hollow log (d. Heb. 11:37). Since he records the death of Sennacherib in Isa. 37:37-
38, it is fair to assume that Isaiah lived until after Sennacherib’s death in 681 b.c.57

The unity of the book of Isaiah has been challenged by liberal critics who hold that a “Deutero-Isaiah”
wrote chapters 40-66 after the Babylonian captivity. Concerning the various viewpoints of the critics,
Ryrie writes.

Much dispute has arisen over the authorship of chaps. 40-66. Some assign the entire section to a
“Deutero-Isaiah,” who lived around 540 B.C. (after the Babylonian captivity). Others see a “Trito-Isaiah,”
who wrote chaps. 56-66. Still others see insertions and editing as late as the first century B.C., a position
difficult to maintain in view of the discovery of the Qumran Isaiah scroll dated in the second century B.C.

These suggestions attempt to eliminate the supernatural element necessary for predictive prophecy.
Hence, the Babylonian captivity and the return under a Persian king (specifically named Cyrus) are not
viewed as being predicted 150 years in advance, but as happenings recorded after the events. But even
if one were to grant such a conclusion, it would not invalidate predictive prophecy. The name of King
Josiah was predicted by a prophet three centuries before his time (1 Kings 13:2), and Bethlehem was
named as the birthplace of Messiah seven centuries before the event (Mic. 5:2). In addition, there is
predictive prophecy in chaps. 1-39 of Isaiah (see 7:16; 8:4,7; 37:33-35; 38:8 for prophecies soon fulfilled
and 9:1-2; 13:17-20 for prophecies of the more distant future).
If “Deutero-Isaiah” lived in Babylon, as is claimed, he shows little knowledge of Babylonian geography
but great familiarity with Palestine (41:19; 43:14; 44:14). Further, it is asserted that differences in
language and style can only be accounted for by assuming different authors, a theory which, if applied to
Milton, Goethe, or Shakespeare, would force us to conclude that many of their writings were spurious.
On the contrary, one can point out 40 or 50 sentences and phrases that appear in both sections of the
book and that therefore argue for single authorship (cf. 1:20 with 40:5 and 58:14; 11:6-9 with 65:25;
35:6 with 41:18, etc.).

To claim two or more authors for this book is also to contradict the evidence of the New Testament.
Quotations from chaps. 40-66 are found in Matthew 3:3; 12:17-21; Luke 3:4-6; Acts 8:28; Romans 10:16,
20, and all are attributed to Isaiah. Moreover, in John 12:38-41, quotations from Isaiah 6:9-10 and 53:1
appear together, and both are ascribed to the Isaiah who saw the Lord in the Temple vision of chap. 6.
We must therefore conclude that the same author was responsible for the entire book and that no part
of it was written at the time of the Babylonian captivity.58

For more on this issue, see Gleason Archer’s coverage in his work, A Survey of Old Testament
Introduction, Updated and Revised Edition, 1994, Moody Bible Institute, Paperback Edition.

DATE:

740–680 B.C.

Isaiah had a very long ministry that ranged from around 740 to 680. His ministry began near the end of
the reign of Uzziah (790-739 B.C.) and continued through the reigns of Jotham (739-731 B.C.), Ahaz (731-
715 B.C.), and Hezekiah (715-686 B.C.). From the standpoint of Gentile rulers of the time, Isaiah
ministered from the time of Tiglath-pileser (745-727 B.C.) to the time of Sennacherib (705-681 B.C.) of
Assyria.

He outdated Hezekiah by a few years because chapter 37, verse 38, records the death of Sennacherib in
681 B.C. Hezekiah was succeeded by his wicked son Manasseh who overthrew the worship of Yahweh
and no doubt opposed the work of Isaiah.59

TITLE OF THE BOOK:

The title, Isaiah, is obviously taken from the name of the human author who, under the inspiration of
the Holy Spirit, composed it. The Hebrew name of this prophet, Yes„aàya„hu‚, means Yahweh is
salvation, which appropriately, is an excellent summary of the theme and contents of the book.

THEME AND PURPOSE:

As just mentioned, Isaiah’s name provides the theme of the book, “salvation is of Yahweh.” This is most
evident by the fact the term “salvation” occurs some twenty-six times in Isaiah but only seven time in all
the other prophets combined. Because of this, Isaiah has been called “the evangelical prophet” because
he says so much about the salvation and redemptive work of Messiah. In fact, more is said about the
person and work of Messiah in His first and second advents than in any other Old Testament book. In
some respects, Isaiah is a miniature Bible. It has sixty-six chapters while the Bible has sixty-six books. The
first thirty-nine chapters of Isaiah correspond to the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament which
largely anticipate the coming of Messiah. The last twenty-seven chapters of Isaiah neatly parallel the
twenty-seven chapters of the New Testament because they speak a great deal about Messiah and His
Kingdom as the Servant of the Lord. Chapters 1-39 speak of man’s great need of salvation while chapters
40-66 reveal God’s provision of Salvation in Messiah and His kingdom.

Summarizing the theme and content, Archer writes:

Appropriately enough, the basic theme of Isaiah’s message is that salvation is bestowed only by grace,
by the power of God, the Redeemer, rather than by the strength of man or the good works of the flesh.
The holy God will not permit unholiness in His covenant people, and will therefore deal with them in
such a way as to chasten and purge them and make them fit to participate in His program of
redemption. Isaiah sets forth the doctrine of Christ in such full detail that he has rightly been described
as “the evangelical prophet.” Deeper Christological insights are to be found in his work than anywhere
else in the Old Testament.60

KEY WORD:

Again in keeping with the theme and Isaiah’s name, the key word is salvation.

KEY VERSES:

7:14. “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son,
and she will call His name Immanuel.
9:6-7. For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His
shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of
Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and
over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and
forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

53:4-7. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him
stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was
crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are
healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has
caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open
His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He
did not open His mouth.

KEY CHAPTERS:

Chapter 53: With a book so full of rich truth and Messianic anticipation, deciding of a key chapter is not
easy, but surely Isaiah 53 which points to Messiah as a suffering Savior who must die for our sin, is the
most remarkable and key chapters of the Old Testament.

KEY PEOPLE:

Isaiah the prophet is the key human personage, but Yahweh by the way He is focused on as the Mighty
One of Israel, as the Holy One of Israel, and as the Lord God of Hosts, is clearly the chief focus of Isaiah’s
book.

CHRIST AS SEEN IN ISAIAH:

No book of the Old Testament presents a portrait of Christ that is as complete and comprehensive as
does Isaiah. Isaiah portrays Messiah in His sovereignty above (6:1f), birth and humanity (7:14; 9:6; 11:1),
in His ministry by the Spirit (11:2f), His divine nature (7:14; 9:6); His Davidic descent (11:1); His work of
redemption as our substitute (53), His ministry as the Servant Savior (49ff), and much more.

OUTLINE:
Due to the size of Isaiah, we will restrict the outline to major sections.

I. Prophecies of Denunciation and Judgment (1:1-39:8)

A. Prophecies Against Judah (1:1-12:6)

1. The Condemnation of Judah (1:1-5:30)

2. The Commission of the Prophet (6:1-13)

3. The Coming of Messiah (7:1-12:6)

B. Prophecies Against Gentile Nations (13:1-23:18)

1. Against Babylon (13:1-14:23)

2. Against Assyria (14:24-27)

3. Against Philistia (14:28-32)

4. Against Moab (15:1 - 16:14)

5. Against Damascus and Her Ally, Israel (17:1-14)

6. Against Ethiopia (18:1-7)

7. Against Egypt (19:1-20:6)

8. Against Babylon (21:1-10)

9. Against Edom (21:11-12)

10. Against Arabia (21:13-17)

11. Against Jerusalem (22:1-25)

12. Against Tyre (23:1-18)

C. Prophecies of the Day of the Lord (24:1-27:13)

1. Judgments of the Tribulation (24:1-23)

2. The Triumphs and Blessings of the Kingdom (25:1-27:13)

D. Prophecies Against Israel and Judah (Woes and Blessings) (28:1-35:10)

1. Woe on Samaria (28:1-29)

2. Woe on Judah (29:1-31:9)

3. Behold Messiah and His Kingdom (32:1-20)

4. Woe to Assyria, the Spoiler of Jerusalem (33:1-24)

5. Woe to the Nations (34:1-17)

6. Behold the Coming Kingdom (35:1-10)

E. Prophecies Against Sennacherib (36:1-39:8)

1. The Taunt from Assyria (36:1-22)

2. The Truth from God (37:1-7)

3. The Threat from Assyria (37:8-35)

4. The Triumph over Assyria (37:36-38)

5. The Sickness of Hezekiah (38:1-22)

6. The Stupidity of Hezekiah (39:1-8)

II. Prophecies of Comfort or Consolation (40:1-66:24)

A. Prophecies of Israel’s Deliverance and the Greatness of God (40:1-48:22)

B. Prophecy of Israel’s Deliverer; the Salvation of the Suffering Servant (49:1-57:21)

C. Prophecies of Israel’s Glorious Future; God’s Program for Peace (58:1-66:24)

JEREMIAH (Warnings Against Sin and Judgment)

AUTHOR:

As with Isaiah, this book clearly identifies the human author who is Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah from the
priest city of Anathoth in the land of Benjamin (1:1). Jeremiah dictated his prophecies to Baruch, his
secretary. Only chapter 52 was not written by the prophet. Jeremiah is often called the “weeping
prophet” (9:1; 13:17) or the “prophet of loneliness” perhaps because he was commanded not to marry
(16:2). He is also known as the reluctant prophet (1:6), but he faithfully proclaimed God’s judgments on
an apostate Judah even though he experienced opposition, beatings, and imprisonment (11:18-23; 12:6;
18:18; 20:1-3; 26:1-24; 37:11-38:28).

DATE:

627-585 B.C.

Jeremiah was a contemporary of Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Daniel, and Ezekiel. His prophetic ministry began
in 626 B.C. and ended sometime after 586. His ministry was immediately preceded by that of Zephaniah.
Since Ezekiel began his ministry in Babylon in 593 he too was a late contemporary of this great prophet
in Jerusalem. How and when Jeremiah died is unknown though Jewish tradition asserts that Jeremiah
was put to death while living in Egypt (cf. Heb 11:37).

TITLE OF THE BOOK:

The book takes its name from it author, Jeremiah. “The name Jeremiah, Yirme-Ya„hu„ apparently means
‘Jehovah establishes’ (Orelli in ISBE), if the verb ra„ma‚ (“to throw”) is to be understood in the sense of
laying a foundation.”61 But compare the following regarding Jeremiah’s name:
The meaning of his name is uncertain. Suggestions include “The LORD exalts” and “The LORD
establishes,” but a more likely proposal is “The LORD throws,” either in the sense of “hurling” the
prophet into a hostile world or of “throwing down” the nations in divine judgment for their sins.62

THEME AND PURPOSE:

Two themes are prominent: warnings of God’s judgment against sin are prominent throughout the
book, but with that there was also the message of hope and restoration if the nation would genuinely
repent.

As hinted earlier, an aura of conflict surrounded Jeremiah almost from the beginning. He lashed out
against the sins of his countrymen (44:23), scoring them severely for their idolatry (16:10-13, 20; 22:9;
32:29; 44:2-3, 8, 17-19, 25)—which sometimes even involved sacrificing their children to foreign gods
(7:30-34). But Jeremiah loved the people of Judah in spite of their sins, and he prayed for them (14:7,
20) even when the Lord told him not to (7:16; 11:14; 14:11).63

KEY WORDS OR IDEAS:

Judah’s last hour in view of backsliding and unfaithfulness. There are more references to Babylon in
Jeremiah (164) than in all the rest of the Bible together.

KEY VERSES:

1:4-10. Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And
before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Then I said,
“Alas, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth.” But the Lord said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you,
you shall speak. “Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you,” declares the Lord. Then the
Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put My
words in your mouth. “See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, To
pluck up and to break down, To destroy and to overthrow, To build and to plant.”

7:23-24. “But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you
will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.’
“Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the stubbornness of
their evil heart, and went backward and not forward.
8:11-12. “And they heal the brokenness of the daughter of My people superficially, Saying, ‘Peace,
peace,’ But there is no peace. “Were they ashamed because of the abomination they had done? They
certainly were not ashamed, And they did not know how to blush; Therefore they shall fall among those
who fall; At the time of their punishment they shall be brought down,” Declares the LORD.

KEY CHAPTERS:

In keeping with the suffering Jeremiah experienced, chapter 1 is surely a key chapter in that it records
the call of the prophet. Then chapter 23 is key in that it gives the prophecy of the Messiah, the righteous
branch who is seen in contrast to the wicked shepherds and lying prophets described in this same
chapter. Twenty-four is another important chapter because it prophecies the Babylonian captivity which
will last for seventy years. Finally, chapters 31-32 are key in that they speak of restoration, the New
Covenant when the Lord will “Put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; …” (31:33)

KEY PEOPLE:

The key person throughout is of course Jeremiah, his preaching, resistance, and persecution.

CHRIST AS SEEN IN JEREMIAH:

Many pictures of Christ are seen in Jeremiah: He is portrayed as the fountain of living waters (2:13; cf.
John 4:14), the balm of Gilead (8:22), the Good Shepherd (23:4), a Righteous Branch (23:5), and the Lord
our Righteousness (23:6). He is seen as the one who will bring in the New Covenant (31:31-34).

Another prophecy in Jeremiah has significant Messianic implications.

The curse on Jehoiachin (Jeconiah, Coniah) meant that no physical descendant would succeed him to the
throne (22:28-30). Matthew 1:1-17 traces the genealogy of Christ through Solomon and Jeconiah to His
legal (but not His physical) father Joseph. but no son of Joseph could sit upon the throne of David, for he
would be under the curse of Jehoiachin. Luke 3:23-38 traces Christ’s lineage backward from Mary (His
physical parent) through David’s other son Nathan (Luke 3:31), thereby avoiding the curse. The
Righteous Branch will indeed reign on the throne of David.64
OUTLINE:

I. Jeremiah’s Call and Commission (1:1-19)

A. The Call (1:1-10)

B. The Confirmation of the Call (1:11-19)

II. Prophecies to Judah (2:1-45:5)

A. The Condemnation of Judah (2:1-25:38)

1. Judah’s Willful Sin (2:1-3:5)

2. Judah’s Chastening (3:6-6:30)

3. Judah’s Wrong Religion (7:1-10:25)

4. Judah’s Breaking of God’s Covenant (11:1-13:27)

5. Judah’s Coming Drought (14:1-15:9)

6. Judah’s Prophet Recommissioned (15:10-16:9)

7. Judah’s Sins (16:10-17:27)

8. Judah and the Sovereign Potter (18:1-23)

9. Judah as a Broken Jar (19:1-20:18)

10. Judah’s Kings (21:1-23:8)

11. Judah’s False Prophets (23:9-40)

12. Judah’s Captivity (24:1-25:38)

B. The Conflicts of Jeremiah (26:1-29:32)

1. Judah’s Reaction to Jeremiah’s Ministry (26:1-24)

2. Judah’s Advice from Jeremiah: Submit to Nebuchadnezzar (27:1-29:32)

C. Judah’s Hope of Restoration (30:1-33:26)

D. Events Before the Fall of Jerusalem (34:1-38:28)

E. The Fall of Jerusalem (39:1-18)

F. Events After the Fall of Jerusalem (40:1-45:5)

III. Prophecies to the Gentiles (46:1-51:64)

A. Prophecies Against Egypt (46:1-28)

B. Prophecies Against the Philistines (47:1-7)

C. Prophecies Against Moab (48:1-47)

D. Prophecies Against Ammon (49:1-6)

E. Prophecies Against Edom (49:7-22)

F. Prophecies Against Damascus (49:23-27)

G. Prophecies Against Arabia (49:28-33)

H. Prophecies Against Elam (49:34-39)

I. Prophecies Against Babylon (50:1-51:64)

IV. Historical Supplement (52:1-34)

A. The Fate of Jerusalem (52:1-23)

B. The Fate of Certain People (52:24-34)

LAMENTATIONS (A River of Tears)

AUTHOR:

The author of Lamentations is unnamed in the book, but two lines of evidence favor Jeremiah as the
author.

1. External Evidence: The consensus of Jewish tradition attribute the book to Jeremiah. The
superscription to Lamentations in the Septuagint points to Jeremiah as the one weeping over the
captivity and the desolation of Jerusalem.

2. Internal Evidence: That the author is an eyewitness of Jerusalem’s siege and fall is clear from the
graphic nature of the scenes portrayed in the book (cf. 1:13-15; 2:6, 9; 4:1-12). Further, there are a
number of similarities between the books of Jeremiah and Lamentations (e.g., the phrase “daughter of”
occurs about 20 times in each book). In addition, Jeremiah is connected with this type of literature in 2
Chronicles 35:25).

DATE:

586 or 585 B.C.

Since the book was written soon after Jerusalem’s destruction which was completed in 586, the earliest
possible date for the book is 586 B.C. The graphic immediacy of Lamentations argues for a date shortly
after this like 586 or 585 B.C.

TITLE OF THE BOOK:

The Hebrew title of the book is áe‚ka‚ (“How … !”), the first word found in 1:1, 2:1; and 4:1. Because of
its subject matter, the book is also referred to in Jewish tradition as qinot, “Lamentations,” which is the
title given to it in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate.

THEME AND PURPOSE:

The primary theme of the book is a lament or mourning over the woes that had fallen on sinful Judah
and the pitiable destruction of the holy city and the temple. God’s promised judgment for Judah’s sin
has come. A second theme flows out of this of judgment for sin. Thus the prophet appeals to the
chastened nation that they recognize God was just and righteous in His dealings with them, and that
they cast themselves upon His mercy in a spirit of repentance.

Yahweh has poured out His wrath, but in His mercy He will be faithful to His covenant promises.
“Though the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every
morning; great is Your faithfulness” (3:22-23).65

The special contribution of the prophet Jeremiah as seen in Jeremiah and Lamentations can be observed
by a comparison of these two books:66

KEY WORD:

In view of the theme and nature of the book, the key word is mourning or lamentations.

KEY VERSES:

2:5-6. The Lord has become like an enemy. He has swallowed up Israel; He has swallowed up all its
palaces; He has destroyed its strongholds And multiplied in the daughter of Judah Mourning and
moaning. And He has violently treated His tabernacle like a garden booth; He has destroyed His
appointed meeting place; The LORD has caused to be forgotten The appointed feast and sabbath in Zion,
And He has despised king and priest In the indignation of His anger.

3:21-24. This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never
cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The
LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.”

KEY CHAPTERS:

Surely chapter 3 stands as a pinnacle in the midst of the other chapters of ruin and destruction for here
the author expresses his faith and hope in God’s mercy who will not reject His people forever.
CHRIST AS SEEN IN LAMENTATIONS:

Lamentations includes two elements that portray the Savior: (1) It portrays Him as the Man of Sorrows
who was acquainted with grief, who was afflicted, despised, and scorned by His enemies (cf. 1:12; 3:19:
2:15-16; 3:14, 30). (2) Jeremiah’s weeping over the destruction of Jerusalem is perhaps also a picture of
Christ who wept over Jerusalem (see Matt. 23:37-38).

OUTLINE:

I. The Destruction of Jerusalem (1:1-22)

A. The Lament of the Prophet (1:1-11)

B. The Lament of the City of Jerusalem (1:12-22)

II. The Lord’s Anger Against His People (2:1-22)

A. The Anger of God (2:1-10)

B. The Author’s Lament (2:11-22)

III. The Distraught Prophet (3:1-66)

A. His Lament (3:1-18)

B. His Hope (3:19-42)

C. His Suffering (3:43-54)

D. His Prayer (3:55-66)

IV. The Defeated People of Jerusalem (4:1-22)

A. The Siege of the City (4:1-12)

B. The Reasons for the Siege (4:13-20)

C. The Hope for the Future (4:21-22)

V. The Prayer for Restoration (5:1-22)

A. Confession (5:1-18)

B. Petition (5:19-22)

EZEKIEL (They Shall Know That I Am Yahweh)

AUTHOR:

The author is Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, who received his call as a prophet while in exile in Babylon
(1:1-3). His ministry as a prophet demonstrates a priestly focus with his concern for the temple,
priesthood, sacrifices, and the shekinah glory of God. What is known of Ezekiel is derived entirely from
the book of Ezekiel itself. He was married (see 24:15-18), lived in a house of his own (cf. 3:24; 8:1) and,
along with his fellow exiles, had a relatively free existence.

DATE:

593-571 B.C.
The book of Ezekiel contains many dates so that its prophecies can be dated with considerable precision.
Twelve of the 13 dates in the book specify the times when Ezekiel received his message from the Lord.
The other date is of the arrival of the messenger who reported the fall of Jerusalem (33:21). Receiving
his call as a prophet in July, 593 B.C., Ezekiel was active for 22 years. His last dated oracle was received in
about 571.

TITLE OF THE BOOK:

As with Isaiah and Jeremiah, the book of Ezekiel gets its name from its author, Ezekiel, which is the
Hebrew yehezkeál and means “God strengthens” or “strengthened by God.”

THEME AND PURPOSE:

Ezekiel’s focus is on condemnation (1-32) for Israel’s sin and consolation (33-48) in view of what God will
do in the future. Archer summarize the theme:

The theme of Ezekiel’s prophecy is that the fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity are necessary
measures for the God of grace to employ if He is to correct His disobedient people and draw them back
from complete and permanent apostasy. But the day is coming when Jehovah will restore a repentant
remnant of His chastened people and establish them in a glorious latter-day theocracy with a new
temple.67

Ryrie adds the following word that brings out another important element of his ministry:

Ezekiel’s ministry was to keep before the exiles the sins that had brought God’s judgment on them and
to assure them of God’s future blessing in keeping with His covenant. Chapters 1-24 were written before
the fall of Jerusalem to remind his fellow captives that God’s judgment on the city and Temple was
surely coming. Chapters 33-48 contain prophecies of the still future restoration of Israel in the millennial
kingdom.68

KEY WORD:

While the key concept may be found in the word “restoration,” the words “shall know that I am the
Lord” occurs some 63 times. Other distinctive phrases that are repeated are “the word of the Lord
came” (50 times), and “glory of the Lord” (10 times).
KEY VERSES:

36:24-30. “For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands, and bring you into your
own land. “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your
filthiness and from all your idols. “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;
and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. “And I will put My
Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My
ordinances. “And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I
will be your God. “Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and
multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you. “And I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce
of the field, that you may not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations.

36:33-35. ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause
the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt. 34 “And the desolate land will be
cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passed by. 35 “And they will say,
‘This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate, and ruined cities are
fortified and inhabited.’

KEY CHAPTERS:

Chapters 36-37 speak of the blessings that will come to the mountains of Israel followed by the hope of
restoration of Israel in the vision of the valley of dry bones, which outlines the clear process of
restoration of Israel’s future.

Chapters 38-39 anticipate the great global conflict that will occur on the mountains of Israel but with
Israel’s enemies defeated by God.

KEY PEOPLE:

Ezekiel, son of Busi, a priest called to be prophet to Israel before and after the Babylonian captivity.

CHRIST AS SEEN IN EZEKIEL:

Christ, the Messiah, is pictured as a tender sprig that will be planted on a high and lofty mountain
(17:23-24), a picture similar to that of the Branch in Isaiah (11:1), in Jeremiah (23:5; 33:15), and in
Zechariah (3:8: 6:12). Ezekiel also speaks of Messiah as the King who has the right to rule (21:26-27) and
who will minister as the true Shepherd (34:11-31).

OUTLINE:

Again, because the great length of this book, only the major sections will be outlined.

I. The commission and Call of Ezekiel (1:1-3:27)

A. Ezekiel Beholds the Glory of God (1:1-28)

B. Ezekiel is Commissioned to the Word of God (2:1-3:27)

II. Present Judgments on Jerusalem and Judah (4:1-24:27)

A. Four Signs of Coming Judgment (4:1-5:17)

B. Two messages of Coming Judgment (6:1-7:27)

C. Four Prophecies Through Visions (8:1-11:25)

D. The Certainty of Judgment With Their Causes Through Signs, Messages, and Parables (12:1-24:27)

III. Prophecies Against Gentile Nations (25:1-32:32)

A. Against Ammon (25:1-7)

B. Against Moab (25:8-11)

C. Against Edom (25:12-14)

D. Against Philistia (25:15-17)

E. Against Tyre (26:1-28:19)

F. Against Sidon (28:20-26)

G. Against Egypt (29:1-32:32)

IV. Prophecies of the Restoration of Israel (33:1-48:35)

A. The Return of Israel to the Land (33:1-39:29)

B. The Restoration of Israel in the Kingdom (40:1-48:35)

DANIEL (Israel’s Ultimate Destiny)

AUTHOR:

As evident by Daniel’s own claim (12:4) and by his use of the autobiographical first person from chapter
7:2 onward, Daniel is the author of this prophetic book. Archer points out:

Despite the numerous objections which have been advanced by scholars who regard this as a prophecy
written after the event, there is no good reason for denying the sixth-century Daniel the composition of
the entire work. This represents a collection of his memoirs made at the end of a long and eventful
career which included government service from the reign of Nebuchadnezzar in the 590s to the reign of
Cyrus the Great in the 530s. The appearance of Persian technical terms indicates a final recension of
these memoirs at a time when Persian terminology had already infiltrated into the vocabulary of
Aramaic. The most likely date for the final edition of the book, therefore, would be about 530 b.c., nine
years after the Persian conquest of Babylon.69

While a youth, Daniel was taken as a captive to Babylon in 605 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar. There he
became a statesman in the court of Nebuchadnezzar and Darius. Though he did not occupy the office of
a prophet, Christ identified him as a prophet (Matt. 24:15; Mark 13:14). As one who did not occupy the
prophetic office, the book of Daniel is found in “the Writings,” the third division of the Hebrew Bible
rather than in “the Prophets.”

DATE:

537 B.C.

If Daniel is the author as the book claims, then it written after the Babylonian captivity when Daniel and
other young men were taken captive to Babylon in 605 when Nebuchadnezzar subdued Jerusalem. But
for various reasons, this date has been disputed with many critics arguing that Daniel is a fraudulent
book which was written in the time of the Maccabees in the second century B.C. rather than the sixth
century B.C. Concerning the arguments against the authorship of Daniel in the sixth century Ryrie writes:

The first attack on the traditional sixth century B.C. date for the composition of the book came from
Porphyry (A.D. 232- 303), a vigorous opponent of Christianity, who maintained that the book was
written by an unknown Jew who lived at the time of Antiochus Epiphanes (175-163 B.C.). This view was
widely promoted by scholars of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries for the following reasons: it is
alleged that Daniel could not have made these predictions, since they were accurately fulfilled and could
therefore have been written only after the events occurred; Persian and Greek words used in the book
would have been unknown to a sixth-century Jewish author; the Aramaic used in 2:4-7:28 belongs to a
time after that of Daniel; and there are certain alleged historical inaccuracies. In answer, we observe
that predictive prophecy is not only possible but expected from a true prophet of God. Since Daniel lived
into the Persian period, he would have known Persian words. The presence of Greek words is easily
accounted for, since one hundred years before Daniel, Greek mercenaries served in the Assyrian army
under Esarhaddon (683) and in the Babylonian army under Nebuchadnezzar. Recent discoveries of fifth
century B.C. Aramaic documents have shown that Daniel was written in a form of Imperial Aramaic, an
official dialect known in all parts of the Near East at that time. Alleged historical inaccuracies are fast
disappearing, especially with the information provided by the Nabonidus Chronicle as to the identity of
Belshazzar (5:1) and with evidence that identifies Darius the Mede with a governor named Gubaru
(5:31).

In addition, how can the use of relatively few Greek words be explained if the book was written around
170 B.C., when a Greek-speaking government had controlled Palestine for 160 years? One would expect
the presence of many Greek terms. Also, the Qumran documents (Dead Sea Scrolls), dated only a few
decades before the alleged second-century writing of Daniel, show grammatical differences that indicate
they were written centuries, not decades, after Daniel. Further, the scrolls of Daniel found at Qumran
are copies, indicating that the original was written before the Maccabean era.70

TITLE OF THE BOOK:

The book is named after its author. The Hebrew word for Daniel is Daniyyeál or Daniáel, which means
either “God is Judge” or “God is my Judge.” The Greek form Daniel in the Septuagint is the basis for the
Latin and English titles.

THEME AND PURPOSE:

The theme of Daniel is God’s sovereign power as the one true God, who judges and destroys the
rebellious world powers and will faithfully deliver His covenant people according to their steadfast faith
in Him. Daniel was written to encourage the exiled Jews through revealing God’s sovereign plan for
Israel during and after the period of domination by the Gentile world powers. This is the time of the
Gentiles which began with the Babylonian captivity but will end with the establishment of Messiah’s
kingdom as the stone, one cut out without hands, became a great mountain and filled the whole earth
(2:34-35; see also 7:13-14).

KEY WORD:

Though the words “king” and “kingdom” occur over and over again, the key idea is the plan of God for
Israel which will end in the establishment of God’s Messiah King as ruler on the earth.

KEY VERSES:

2:20-22. Daniel answered and said, “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and
power belong to Him. “And it is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and
establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, And knowledge to men of understanding. “It is He who
reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the light dwells with
Him.

2:44. And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be
destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these
kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.

7:14. “And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations, and men of
every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And
His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.

KEY CHAPTERS:

One of the greatest prophetic chapters in the Bible is Daniel 9, the prophecy of the ‘seventy weeks’
determined for Israel (9:24-27). These verses give us the chronological frame for the nation of Israel and
her Messiah from the time Daniel to the establishment of Messiah’s kingdom on earth.

KEY PEOPLE:

The key people are Daniel who was taken to Babylon as a youth, served in government and became
God’s special mouthpiece to Gentile and Jewish nations; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, three
more youths who were chosen for special training along with Daniel (their former and Jewish names
were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah). Other important persons are Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon in
605 B.C., Darius who succeeded Belshazzar as king, Cyrus, the Persian monarch, and Michael, the
archangel who ministered to Daniel in chapter 10.

CHRIST AS SEEN IN DANIEL:

One of the key portraits of Christ in Daniel is that of the coming Messiah who will be cut off (a reference
to the cross) (9:25-26). However, Christ is also portrayed as the great stone who will crush the kingdoms
of this world (2:34, 45), the son of man (7:13), and the Ancient of days (7:22). The vision in 10:5-9) is
most likely a Christophany, an appearance of Christ (cf. Rev. 1:12- 16).

OUTLINE:
I. The Personal History of Daniel (1:1-21)

A. His Deportation to Babylon (1:1-7)

B. His Faithfulness in Babylon (1:8-16)

C. His Reputation in Babylon (1:17-21)

II. The Prophetic Plan for the Gentile Nations (2:1-7:28)

A. Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream of the Great Image (2:1-49)

B. The Fiery Furnace: A Lesson in Faith (3:1-30)

C. Nebuchadnezzar’s Vision of the Great Tree (4:1-37)

D. Belshazzar’s Feast and the Handwriting on the Wall (5:1-31)

E. Darius’ Foolish Decree or Daniel in the Lion’s Den (6:1-28)

F. Daniel’s Vision of the Four Beasts (7:1-28)

III. The Prophetic Plan for Israel (8:1-12:13)

A. Daniel’s Vision of the Ram, the Goat, and the Small Horn (8:1-27)
B. Daniel’s Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks of Year (9:1-27)

C. Daniel’s Prophetic Panorama of Israel’s Future (10:1-12:13)

50 Archer, Electronic Media.

51 Unger, pp. 306-307.

52 R. Laird Harris, L. Archer, Jr. Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Word Book of the Old Testament, Vol. 2, p.
544.

53 Carl Laney, Bibliotheca Sacra, Oct.-Dec. 1981, p. 315-316.

54 The following chart comparing the four major prophets is taken from The Ryrie Study Bible, Expanded
Edition, Moody Press, 1995, p. 1151.

55 Thouh not quoted verbatum, the focus here was taken from Norman L. Geisler’s, A Popular Survey of
the Old Testament, Baker, Grand Rapids, 1977, pp. 227-228.

56 Geisler, p. 228.

57 Archer, Electronic Media.

58 Ryrie, pp.1044-1045.

59 Wilkenson and Boa, p. 191.

60 Archer, Electronic Media.

61 Archer, Electronic Media.

62 NIV Study Bible, General Editor, Kenneth Barker, Zondervan, 1985, p. 1115.

63 NIV Study Bible, p. 1116.

64 Wilkenson and Boa, p. 200.

65 Wilkenson and Boa, p. 208.

66 Adapted from Wilkenson and Boa, p. 209.

67 Archer, Electronic Media.

68 Ryrie, pp. 1261.

69 Archer, Electronic Media.

70 Ryrie, p. 1342.

Related Topics: Introductions, Arguments, Outlines

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