Search
I. Isaiah
А. The writer(s), the place, and the time
B. The subject
C. The background
D. The central thought
E. The general sketch
F. The sections
II. Jeremiah (A to F)
III. Lamentations (A to F)
IV. Ezekiel (A to F)
V. Daniel (A to F)
The book of Isaiah is named after its author. All the other books of the prophets are also named in this way. [Isaiah means “Jehovah saves.” Isaiah the son of Amoz (Isa. 1:1) was a contemporary of Amos and Hosea, the prophets in the kingdom of Israel, and of Micah, the prophet in the kingdom of Judah. His prophetic ministry lasted the longest; he prophesied under the reigns of four kings: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (1:1). His wife was a prophetess (8:3), and he had at least two sons: Shear-jashub (meaning, “a remnant shall return”) and Maher-shalal-hash-baz (meaning “quickly the spoil, hasting the prey”) (7:3; 8:3). He was a historian (2 Chron. 26:22; 32:32). According to a credible tradition among the Jews and some rabbinic writings of the second century, he suffered martyrdom during the reign of Manasseh (2 Kings 21:16; 24:4; cf. Acts 7:52) by being sawn asunder. Hebrews 2:13b shows that he (Isaiah) and the children whom God gave to him (Isa. 8:18) typify Christ and the believers whom God gave to him.]
Isaiah was written in Jerusalem from about 760 B.C. to 698 B.C.
The subject is [the salvation of Jehovah through the incarnated, crucified, resurrected, ascended, and coming Christ.]
Israel, the people of God, rebelled against God. They did not know Jehovah and had become full of iniquities and corruption. Jehovah needed to chastise His people. First He prophesied concerning His chastisement, then He hired the nations to chastise them. However, the nations were excessive in carrying out God’s intentions; thus, He also prophesied concerning His judgment on the nations. He then unveiled His ultimate desire — His chastisement of Israel and judgment upon the nations would usher in the God-man, Christ, and issue in the restoration of the nation of Israel.
[Christ is God incarnated in humanity to be the Savior of man, that all the God-created universe, which is fallen, might be restored and consummate in the new heaven and new earth for eternity.]
[God’s dealing in love with His beloved Israel and His righteous judgment upon the nations bring in Christ, the Savior (43:3; 49:26), who is God (9:6) incarnated to be a man (7:14), possessing both the divine and human natures (4:2), living on this earth (53:2-3; 42:1-4), crucified (53:7-10a, 12), resurrected (53:10b-11), ascended (52:13), and coming (40:10; 64:1) to meet the need of God’s chosen people and the nations (9:1-7; 49:6) in God’s all-inclusive salvation (12:2-3), that the restoration of all things (2:2-5; 11:6-9; 35:1-10; 30:26) may be brought in, which will consummate in the new heaven and new earth for eternity (65:17). Hence, the content of Isaiah covers God’s entire economy of the New Testament, from the incarnation to the new heaven and new earth, with the Old Testament background of God’s dealing with Israel and His judgment upon the nations.]
1) The salvation of Jehovah to His beloved people and to the nations (chs. 1—12), 2) the judgment of Jehovah upon the nations (chs. 13—23), 3) the issue of Jehovah’s dealing with His beloved Israel (chs. 24—35), 4) an example of seeking after Jehovah and trusting in Him (chs. 36—39), and 5) the Servant of Jehovah and the salvation brought in by Him (chs. 40—66).
[Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah the priest, was born in Anathoth (Jer. 1:1). He was born as a priest and was called to be a prophet in the thirteenth year of King Josiah. He spoke for the Lord until the captivity of Israel (Jer. 1:2-3, 5-7). Among all the prophets, he was the one who suffered the most persecution. Except for a few of the kings, leaders, priests, and people, everyone was against him and hated him. The false prophets, who assumed to speak in God’s name, especially lied about and contradicted his prophecy. Finally, Azariah and Johanan and those who were close to Egypt forced him to go to Egypt (Jer. 43:2-7).]
Most of this book was written in Judah; the final chapters were written in Egypt. It spans from 629 B.C. to 588 B.C.
The subject is the salvation of Jehovah through Christ, the righteous Sprout, administered according to a new covenant.
The kings and people of Israel had committed sins and were full of wickedness; they worshipped idols, rejected God’s word, and were extremely unrestrained. Jeremiah prophesied that they needed to repent and turn back to Jehovah; otherwise, they would be carried into captivity and their nation would be destroyed.
The judgment of Jehovah on sin is definite. His love and faithfulness are also definite and eternal. The ones who went astray should repent and come back to His bosom.
Jehovah rebuked the kings and the people for their sins. They had forsaken God and disobeyed His word (2:13; 9:13). They were worshipping idols and committing fornication (1:16; 11:13). They also spoke lies, deceiving others, and committed iniquity (9:3, 5; 11:10). The kings scattered God’s people and did not care for them. [Jeremiah, on one hand, rebuked the kings and the people for their sins and wanted them to repent; on the other hand, he warned them that they would be taken into captivity, that their nation would be destroyed, and that the cities of Judah and Jerusalem would become desolate.]
1) The calling and commission of the prophet (ch. 1), 2) the prophet in Judah before the fall of Jerusalem (chs. 2—38), 3) the fall of Jerusalem (ch. 39), 4) the prophet in Judah after the captivity (chs. 40—43:7), 5) the prophet in Egypt (chs. 43:8—51), and 6) conclusion (ch. 52).
The writer of Lamentations is also Jeremiah. This book was once part of the book of Jeremiah, and at one time it was called “the Second Book of Jeremiah.” According to Jewish tradition and the translators of the Septuagint, this book was written by the prophet after Nebuchadnezzar’s final destruction of Jerusalem. This would mean that it was written about 588 B.C.
This book was most probably written in Jerusalem. Outside the city, facing Golgotha (also called Calvary), there is a hidden cave which is called the cave of Jeremiah. It is said that the prophet used to sit there to mourn for that desolate city, and that it is there that he wrote the lamentations recorded in this book.
The subject is repentance from the sin that brought in the righteous judgment of God results in His merciful salvation and restoration.
[Jerusalem fell and the people were taken captive. All the warnings of Jeremiah were fulfilled. But because he loved God and God’s people, Jeremiah could not bear to see the fall of Israel and the loss of God’s glory due to the degradation of the people of Israel. Thus Jeremiah wrote Lamentations and wept for them.]
The central thought is the suffering and calamities brought on by sin, and the mercy and lovingkindness which Jehovah still has toward His children even when He is angry.
[Lamentations, composed of five chapters which are five songs, may be divided into five sections: suffering, lamenting, hope, confessing, and prayer. Except for the fifth, each song speaks first of the tragic destruction of Jerusalem and then of the righteousness of God’s severe judgment. “How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations” (1:1). “How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel” (2:1). “The Lord is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment” (1:18). “Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people” (2:11). “Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old” (5:21).]
1) Suffering (ch. 1), 2) lamenting (ch. 2), 3) hope (ch. 3), 4) confessing (ch. 4), and 5) prayer (ch. 5).
Ezekiel, the son of Buzi, was a priest (Ezek. 1:3). His name means “God strengthens” or “God is the strength.” His prophetic work was carried out in Babylon, from 595 B.C. to 574 B.C.
The subject is the spiritual recovery of God’s people by being revived in spirit to be built up into the full expression of God.
The people of God were judged because of their sins and were carried into captivity, but God still loved them and had mercy on them. He wanted to recover them and bring them back to rebuild the temple and the holy city, Jerusalem. [He sternly rebuked the leaders and people of Israel for turning away from God, worshipping idols, committing fornications, and doing all kinds of evil. He transmitted the word of God to the children of Israel who were in captivity (Ezek. 3:10-11); he continued and confirmed that which was spoken by Jeremiah (Jer. 29:1-14), earnestly telling them that before they could return to Jerusalem they needed to turn back to Jehovah their God. Although it was very difficult in the beginning and although he encountered great opposition (Ezek. 3:7-9), the people in captivity eventually detested the idols, turned their hearts to God, and were returned to their homeland after seventy years. This was mostly the result of the work of the prophet Ezekiel.]
God is righteous toward His people; He cannot tolerate sin, and He must judge them. However, He is also full of lovingkindness toward them, hoping that they will repent and turn back to Him, that He might receive them and pour out His grace upon them.
Ezekiel saw the visions in the land of captivity concerning the spiritual recovery of God’s people signified by the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum (ch. 1). God revives His people and gives them a new heart and a new spirit (ch. 36). God’s people, as the dry bones, are revived and formed into God’s army (ch. 37). Then, Ezekiel reveals the rebuilding of the holy city and the holy temple (chs. 40—48). [There are forty-eight chapters in Ezekiel. At the end God obtains a holy temple and a holy city in the holy land. The holy temple is for God’s presence, fellowship, and service, whereas the holy city is for God’s ruling, administration, and government. The building of the holy city and the holy temple are the issue of the enjoyment of God by His people in their living in the holy land. When God’s people have an abundant and full enjoyment of God, He obtains from them an expression in fullness, God’s house and God’s city. Here God can fellowship with man and rule through man; man can enjoy God, and God can also enjoy man. Man can be filled to the uttermost with God and can express God.]
1) The manifestation of the glory of Jehovah (chs. 1—3), 2) the departure of the glory of Jehovah (chs. 4—24), 3) Jehovah’s glory in dealing with the nations (chs. 25—32), and 4) the return of the glory of Jehovah (chs. 33—48).
Daniel was of the children of Judah (1:6). His name means “God is the Judge” or “my God is the Judge.” This book covers approximately seventy-three years, from 607 B.C. to 534 B.C.
The subject is the judgment and destruction of Satan and the kingdoms of the world ushering in Christ and the kingdom of God.
[In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and carried away Daniel and his three friends (Dan. 1:1-6). They were chosen to be taught in the palace and prepared to serve the king, for they were well favored, skillful in all wisdom, and gifted in knowledge and the understanding of science.
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Daniel requested that they be tested ten days by being given only vegetables to eat and water to drink, after which their countenances would be judged. At the end of ten days, their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the rest. Hence, the prince of the eunuchs allowed them to take vegetables and water only (Dan. 1:8-16).
At that time, God’s people were carried away, the house of God was destroyed, and the vessels of the house were taken to the house of the false gods (Dan. 1:2; 2 Chron. 36:7). The dominion and glory of God on the earth were completely gone. The people were under the rule of the king of Babylon and were associated with demons, because even the food they ate and the wine they drank, being sacrificed to demons, were defiled and unclean. In such a time, God gained Daniel and his three friends, some who cared for the dominion and glory of God. They were determined that, by refraining from eating the royal food and drinking the royal wine, they would not be defiled. Hence, they were the overcomers in captivity.]
Since Daniel was such a person, he was able to pray for the holy city and the holy temple of God until they were recovered. He was a man of God who turned the age of captivity to recovery. He was also able to interpret dreams and see visions. All young people should take Daniel and his three friends as examples.
The most high God is the Ruler of heaven and earth and the supreme Judge. “Know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men” (4:25). Therefore, He is the One that rules over the rising and falling of Gentile nations, He is the One that gives the kingdom to whomever He will (4:17). He arranges the position and work of His faithful servants. He bestows outstanding gifts and wisdom upon them, and in the end He is the One that protects them and gives them peace during their affliction and persecution.
He judged the rebellion of Judah, the pride of Nebuchadnezzar, and the blasphemy of Belshazzar. He also will judge Satan, his servants, and the nations. Finally, it is He who will bring in the kingdom of God to replace all the kingdoms of the world. Hallelujah!
Chapter one gives an introduction and the history of Daniel and his three friends. Chapter two tells us the key to the whole book — Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the great image. Daniel interpreted this image as the prophecy concerning the nations — Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and the Roman Empire, which became two parts and will be ten nations in the future. The kingdom of God will come down from heaven to smash the kingdoms of the world into pieces and fill the whole earth. Chapters three and four tell us that Nebuchadnezzar was proud and was judged. Chapter five tells us that his son, King Belshazzar, blasphemed God and was punished. Belshazzar died and his kingdom was turned over to the Medes and Persians. Chapter six tells us that Daniel defied the decree of King Darius and continued to worship God in prayer. He was thrown into a lions’ den. God saved him from the lions’ mouth. Chapters seven through twelve tell us of the visions that Daniel saw — the four beasts, the ten horns, the little horn, the Ancient of Days, the Son of Man, the ram, the he-goat, the great horn, the four notable horns, the little horn, the seventy weeks, and so on.
[He predicted that Christ would be cut off four hundred eighty-three years (that is, sixty-nine weeks) after the issuing of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (Dan. 9:25-26); that He would receive the kingdom and come back (7:13-14); and that at His coming back He would be as a stone cut out without hands, which would become a great mountain (the kingdom) and would fill the whole earth (2:34-35). He also prophesied that in the future resurrection, some will receive eternal life and others will receive eternal punishment (Dan. 12:2; John 5:28-29); they who are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars forever and ever (Dan. 12:2-3; Matt. 13:43).]
After Daniel finished his work faithfully, he was asked to rest and wait for the resurrection, rapture, and reward. We all should be like Daniel to receive the same reward.
1) History concerning Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius (chs. 1—6) and 2) the prophecies according to the visions that Daniel saw (chs. 7—12).
