Part of a series of SBR on NT Books of the Bible. Click here to see other NT SBR.
* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.
5/5 Last week, I wrapped up my Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) of the Old Testament Prophets with “Minor Prophets IV.” Click here to read my SBR of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Today, I conclude my SBR of individual books of The Bible for 2023 (yes, last year) with the Book of Revelation.
“The Book of Revelation, also erroneously called the Book of Revelations, is the final book of the New Testament (and therefore the final book of the Christian Bible). Written in Koine Greek, its title is derived from the first word of the text: apokalypsis, meaning ‘unveiling’ or ‘revelation’. The Book of Revelation is the only apocalyptic book in the New Testament canon. It occupies a central place in Christian eschatology… The author names himself as simply “John” in the text, but his precise identity remains a point of academic debate. Second-century Christian writers such as Papias of Hierapolis, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Melito of Sardis, Clement of Alexandria, and the author of the Muratorian fragment identify John the Apostle as the “John” of Revelation. Modern scholarship generally takes a different view, with many considering that nothing can be known about the author except that he was a Christian prophet. Modern theological scholars characterize the Book of Revelation’s author as “John of Patmos”. The bulk of traditional sources date the book to the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian (AD 81–96), which evidence tends to confirm.”
With each read of Revelation, I feel the need to eat my proverbial Wheaties. Yet, as I do visit this book every year, I see many of the comforting promises of the Lord. Also, I marvel at God’s love for His people. Speaking of comfort, promise, and love, here’s my all-time favorite verse from this last book of The Bible.
Here is a verse which resonated with me:
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Revelation 3:20
Select Bibliography
Bauckham, Richard (1993). The Theology of the Book of Revelation. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-35691-6.
Carson, Don (2005). An Introduction to the New Testament (2nd ed.). Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan. pp. 465ff. ISBN 978-0-310-51940-9.
Collins, Adela Yarbro (1984). Crisis and Catharsis: The Power of the Apocalypse. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 978-0-664-24521-4.
Holmes, Michael (2007). The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations. Baker Academic. p. 749ff. ISBN 978-0801034688.
Martin, Dale B. (6 April 2012). “The Last Trumpet”. The New York Times.
Stuckenbruck, Loren T. (2003). “Revelation”. In Dunn, James D. G.; Rogerson, John William (eds.). Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible. Eerdmans. p. 1535. ISBN 978-0-8028-3711-0.
Part of a series of Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) on Old Testament (OT) Books. Click here to see other OT SBR.
* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.
5/5 With this Starlight Book Review (SBR), I wrap up my focus on the Minor Prophets/ Twelve Prophets Books. The last three are Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
Click here to check out the Sacred Texts Journey SRC.
The Minor Prophets or Twelve Prophets (Hebrew: שנים עשר, Shneim Asar; Imperial Aramaic: תרי עשר, Trei Asar, “Twelve”) (Ancient Greek: δωδεκαπρόφητον, “the Twelve Prophets”), occasionally Book of the Twelve, is a collection of prophetic books, written between about the 8th and 4th centuries BCE, which are in both the Jewish Tanakh and Christian Old Testament… In the Christian Old Testament, the collection appears as twelve individual books, one for each of the prophets: the Book of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Their order, and position in the Old Testament, varies slightly between the Protestant, Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles.
“The Book of Haggai (/ˈhæɡaɪ/; Hebrew: ספר חגי, romanized: Sefer Ḥaggay) is a book of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, and is the third-to-last of the Twelve Minor Prophets. It is a short book, consisting of only two chapters. The historical setting dates around 520 BC before the Temple had been rebuilt. The original text was written in Biblical Hebrew.”
“The Bookof Zechariah, attributed to the Hebrew prophet Zechariah, is included in the Twelve Minor Prophets in the Hebrew Bible… Zechariah’s prophecies took place during the reign of Darius the Great and were contemporary with Haggai in a post-exilic world after the fall of Jerusalem in 587/586 BC. Ezekiel and Jeremiah wrote before the fall of Jerusalem while continuing to prophesy in the early exile period. Scholars believe Ezekiel, with his blending of ceremony and vision, heavily influenced the visionary works of Zechariah 1–8. Zechariah is specific about dating his writing (520–518 BC).”
“The Book of Malachi (Hebrew: מַלְאָכִ֔י, Malʾāḵī) is the last book of the Neviim contained in the Tanakh, canonically the last of the Twelve Minor Prophets. In most Christian orderings, the grouping of the prophetic books is the last section of the Old Testament, making Malachi the last book before the New Testament.
Of these three books, Malachi stands out the most to me since it’s the last book of the Old Testament. With this latest read, though, as a Christian in a particular, I developed a strong liking for Zechariah as it prophesied the coming of Jesus. Below are favorite passages from Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
These verses stood out to me:
9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”
Haggai 2:9 NIV
9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Zechariah 9:9 NIV
10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
Malachi 3:10 NIV
One special resource which helped me in both reading and SBR was “Major and Minor Prophets Infographic” by Jordan Ladikos. Click here to access it.
Select Bibliography (Alphabetical Order by Author’s Surname)
Coogan, Michael D. “A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament.” Oxford University Press, 2009. o. 346.
Dempster, Stephen G., Dominion And Dynasty: A Theology Of The Hebrew Bible. Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 2003. ISBN 0-8308-2615-7
Grudem, Wayne; Dennis, Lane T.; Packer, J. I.; Collins, C. John; Schreiner, Thomas R.; Taylor, Justin, eds. (2008). ESV Study Bible. Wheaton: Crossway. ISBN 978-1-43350241-5.
Josephus, Flavius (1958). Vol. VI: Jewish Antiquities, Books IX–XI. Loeb Classical Library. Vol. 326. Translated by Marcus, William. London: William Heinemann. pp. 125–129, XI.xi.2–3.
Keck, Leander E. 1996. The New Interpreter’s Bible: Volume: VII. Nashville: Abingdon.
Kent H. Richards, Nahum Introduction: The Harper Collins Study Bible, (New York: Harper Collins, 2006) 1250.
Metzger, Bruce M., et al. The Oxford Companion to the Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.
Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. p. 18. ISBN 978-0-8308-9482-6.
Part of a series of Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) on Old Testament (OT) Books. Click here to see other OT SBR.
* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.
5/5 In this Starlight Book Review (SBR), I look at the Minor Prophets/ Twelve Prophets Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah.
Click here to check out the Sacred Texts Journey SRC.
The Minor Prophets or Twelve Prophets (Hebrew: שנים עשר, Shneim Asar; Imperial Aramaic: תרי עשר, Trei Asar, “Twelve”) (Ancient Greek: δωδεκαπρόφητον, “the Twelve Prophets”), occasionally Book of the Twelve, is a collection of prophetic books, written between about the 8th and 4th centuries BCE, which are in both the Jewish Tanakh and Christian Old Testament… In the Christian Old Testament, the collection appears as twelve individual books, one for each of the prophets: the Book of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Their order, and position in the Old Testament, varies slightly between the Protestant, Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles.
“The Book of Nahum is the seventh book of the 12 minor prophets of the Hebrew Bible. It is attributed to the prophet Nahum, and was probably written in Jerusalem in the 7th century BC… The subject of Nahum’s prophecy is the approaching complete and final destruction of Nineveh which was the capital of the great and flourishing Assyrian empire, at that time. Ashurbanipal was at the height of his glory. Nineveh was a city of vast extent, and was then the center of the civilization and commerce of the world, according to Nahum a “bloody city all full of lies and robbery”, a reference to the Neo-Assyrian Empire’s military campaigns and demand of tribute and plunder from conquered cities.”
“The Book of Habakkuk is the eighth book of the 12 minor prophets of the Bible. It is attributed to the prophet Habakkuk, and was probably composed in the late 7th century BC. The original text was written in the Hebrew language… Of the three chapters in the book, the first two are a dialogue between Yahweh and the prophet. The message that “the just shall live by his faith” plays an important role in Christian thought. It is used in the Epistle to the Romans, Epistle to the Galatians, and the Epistle to the Hebrews as the starting point of the concept of faith. A copy of these chapters is included in the Habakkuk Commentary, found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Chapter 3 is now recognized as a liturgical piece. It is debated whether chapter 3 and the first two chapters were written by the same author.”
“The Book of Zephaniah (Hebrew: צְפַנְיָה, Ṣəfanyā; sometimes Latinized as Sophonias) is the ninth of the Twelve Minor Prophets of the Old Testament and Tanakh, preceded by the Book of Habakkuk and followed by the Book of Haggai. Zephaniah means “Yahweh has hidden/protected,” or “Yahweh hides”. Zephaniah is also a male given name. The original text was written in Biblical Hebrew.”
With my eighth reading of these three books – Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, what stood out most to me was God’s love. Each of these tried to reach the people, to help return them to God. Below are verses which I found outstanding in my eighth reading in 2023.
These verses stood out to me:
7 The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,
Nahum 1:7 NIV
4 His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden.
Habakkuk 3:4
17 The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
Zephaniah 3:14 NIV
Select Bibliography (Alphabetical Order by Author’s Surname)
Carson, D. A.; Hess, Richard S.; Alexander, T. D.; Moo, Douglas J.; Naselli, Andrew David, eds. (2015). NIV Zondervan Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. ISBN 978-0-31043833-5.
“The Chronology of Biblical Prophets”, Adapted from Hauer, C.E. & Young, W. A., An Introduction to the Bible: A Journey into Three Worlds, p.123, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1994.
Cross, F. L. & Livingston, E. A., eds. (2005). The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (3rd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-280290-9.
Grudem, Wayne; Dennis, Lane T.; Packer, J. I.; Collins, C. John; Schreiner, Thomas R.; Taylor, Justin, eds. (2008). ESV Study Bible. Wheaton: Crossway. ISBN 978-1-43350241-5.
Josephus, Flavius (1958). Vol. VI: Jewish Antiquities, Books IX–XI. Loeb Classical Library. Vol. 326. Translated by Marcus, William. London: William Heinemann. pp. 125–129, XI.xi.2–3.
Kent H. Richards, Nahum Introduction: The Harper Collins Study Bible, (New York: Harper Collins, 2006) 1250.
Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. p. 18. ISBN 978-0-8308-9482-6.
Part of a series of Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) on Old Testament (OT) Books. Click here to see other OT SBR.
* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.
5/5 Next up, in this Starlight Book Review (SBR), I look at the Minor Prophets/ Twelve Prophets Books of Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah.
Click here to check out the Sacred Texts Journey SRC.
The Minor Prophets or Twelve Prophets (Hebrew: שנים עשר, Shneim Asar; Imperial Aramaic: תרי עשר, Trei Asar, “Twelve”) (Ancient Greek: δωδεκαπρόφητον, “the Twelve Prophets”), occasionally Book of the Twelve, is a collection of prophetic books, written between about the 8th and 4th centuries BCE, which are in both the Jewish Tanakh and Christian Old Testament… In the Christian Old Testament, the collection appears as twelve individual books, one for each of the prophets: the Book of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Their order, and position in the Old Testament, varies slightly between the Protestant, Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles.
“The Book of Obadiah is a book of the Bible whose authorship is attributed to Obadiah, a prophet who lived in the Assyrian Period. Obadiah is one of the Twelve Minor Prophets in the final section of Nevi’im, the second main division of the Hebrew Bible. The text consists of a single chapter, divided into 21 verses with 440 Hebrew words, making it the shortest book in the Hebrew Bible, though there are three shorter New Testament epistles in Greek (Philemon with 335 words, 2 John with 245 words, and 3 John with 219 words). The Book of Obadiah is a prophecy concerning the divine judgment of Edom and the restoration of Israel… The Book of Obadiah is based on a prophetic vision concerning the fall of Edom, a mountain-dwelling nation whose founding father was Esau. Obadiah describes an encounter with Yahweh, who addresses Edom’s arrogance and charges them for their “violence against your brother Jacob.”
“The Book of Jonah is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Nevi’im (“Prophets”) in the Hebrew Bible, and an individual book in the Christian Old Testament. The book tells of a Hebrew prophet named Jonah, son of Amittai, who is sent by God to prophesy the destruction of Nineveh, but attempts to escape his divine mission… The story has a long interpretive history and has become well known through popular children’s stories. In Judaism, it is the Haftarah portion read during the afternoon of Yom Kippur to instill reflection on God’s willingness to forgive those who repent, and it remains a popular story among Christians. The story is also retold in the Quran.”
“The Book of Micah is the sixth of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew Bible. Ostensibly, it records the sayings of Micah, whose name is Mikayahu (Hebrew: מִיכָיָ֫הוּ), meaning “Who is like Yahweh?”, an 8th-century BCE prophet from the village of Moresheth in Judah (Hebrew name from the opening verse: מיכה המרשתי)… Micah reproaches unjust leaders, defends the rights of the poor against the rich and powerful; while looking forward to a world at peace centered on Zion under the leadership of a new Davidic monarch… Micah reproaches unjust leaders, defends the rights of the poor against the rich and powerful; while looking forward to a world at peace centered on Zion under the leadership of a new Davidic monarch. While the book is relatively short, it includes lament (1.8–16; 7.8–10), theophany (1.3–4), hymnic prayer of petition and confidence (7.14–20), and the “covenant lawsuit” (6.1–8), a distinct genre in which Yahweh (God) sues Israel for breach of contract of the Mosaic covenant.”
Of these three books, I’m most familiar with Jonah. This is perhaps the funniest book in the Bible! I did laugh when he sulked about the Ninevites. Also, I learned that Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament.Micah, like Isaiah, also lamented without clothing which truly stood out to me.
These verses stood out to me:
21 Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will be the Lord’s.
Obadiah 1:21 NIV
17 Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah 1:17 NIV
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8 NIV
Select Bibliography (Alphabetical Order by Author’s Surname)
Allen, Leslie C (1976). The Books of Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah. Eerdmans. ISBN 978-0802825315. Micah
Coogan, Michael (2009). A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament. Oxford University Press.
“Jonah’s Path and the Message of Yom Kippur”. Archived from the original on 2008-11-18. Retrieved 2009-08-18. United Jewish Communities (UJC), “Jonah’s Path and the Message of Yom Kippur.”
King, Philip J (1988). Amos, Hosea, Micah: an archaeological commentary. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 978-0664240776.
Limburg, James (1988). Hosea-Micah. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 978-0664237578.
Mays, James L (1976). Micah. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 978-0664208172.
Nelson’s Compact Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1978, p. 191, ISBN 0-8407-5636-4
Sweeney, Marvin A (2000). The Twelve Prophets. Liturgical Press. ISBN 978-0814650912.
Part of a series of Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) on Old Testament (OT) Books. Click here to see other OT SBR.
* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.
5/5 Now, I move on to the Minor Prophets/ Twelve Prophets in this Starlight Book Review (SBR). This SBR pertains to the first three of the Minor Prophets — the Books of Hosea, Joel, and Amos.
Click here to check out the Sacred Texts Journey SRC.
The Minor Prophets or Twelve Prophets (Hebrew: שנים עשר, Shneim Asar; Imperial Aramaic: תרי עשר, Trei Asar, “Twelve”) (Ancient Greek: δωδεκαπρόφητον, “the Twelve Prophets”), occasionally Book of the Twelve, is a collection of prophetic books, written between about the 8th and 4th centuries BCE, which are in both the Jewish Tanakh and Christian Old Testament… In the Christian Old Testament, the collection appears as twelve individual books, one for each of the prophets: the Book of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Their order, and position in the Old Testament, varies slightly between the Protestant, Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles.
“The Book of Hosea (Biblical Hebrew: סֵפֶר הוֹשֵׁעַ, romanized: Sēfer Hōšēaʿ) is collected as one of the twelve minor prophets of the Nevi’im (“Prophets”) in the Tanakh, and as a book in its own right in the Christian Old Testament. According to the traditional order of most Hebrew Bibles, it is the first of the Twelve… Set around the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, the Book of Hosea denounces the worship of gods other than Yahweh (the God of Israel), metaphorically comparing Israel’s abandonment of Yahweh to a woman being unfaithful to her husband. According to the book’s narrative, the relationship between Hosea and his unfaithful wife Gomer is comparable to the relationship between Yahweh and his unfaithful people Israel: this text “for the first time” describes the latter relationship in terms of a marriage. The eventual reconciliation of Hosea and Gomer is treated as a hopeful metaphor for the eventual reconciliation between Yahweh and Israel… Dated to c. 760–720 BC, it is one of the oldest books of the Tanakh, predating final recensions of the full Torah (Pentateuch). Hosea is the source of the phrase “reap the whirlwind”, which has passed into common usage in English and other languages.”
“The Book of Joel is a Jewish prophetic text containing a series of “divine announcements”. The first line attributes authorship to “Joel the son of Pethuel”.It forms part of the Book of the twelve minor prophets or the Nevi’im (“Prophets”) in the Hebrew Bible, and is a book in its own right in the Christian Old Testament. Joel is not mentioned elsewhere in either collection… The book of Joel is a short collection of prophetic poems that are both powerful and puzzling. This book is unique among the books of the prophets for a few reasons, starting with the fact that there’s no explicit indication of when it was written. It’s most likely set during the time period of Ezra-Nehemiah, after the return from the exile, because he mentions Jerusalem and the temple but not a kingdom. Another aspect that sets this book apart is that Joel is clearly familiar with many other scriptural books, as he alludes to or quotes from the prophets Isaiah, Amos, Zephaniah, Nahum, Obadiah, Ezekiel, and Malachi, as well as the book of Exodus. Finally, Joel never accuses Israel of any specific sin. Like the other prophets, he announces that God’s justice is coming to confront Israel’s sin, but he never says why. This is because Joel assumes that, like him, you’ve been reading the books of the prophets and already know all about Israel’s rebellion.”
“The Book of Amos is the third of the Twelve Minor Prophets in the Old Testament (Tanakh) and the second in the Greek Septuagint tradition. Amos, an older contemporary of Hosea and Isaiah,was active c. 750 BC during the reign of Jeroboam II (788–747 BC) of Samaria (Northern Israel), while Uzziah was King of Judah. Amos lived in the kingdom of Judah but preached in the northern Kingdom of Israel.His major themes of social justice, God’s omnipotence, and divine judgment became staples of prophecy.
Of these first three of the Minor Prophets, my reading of Hosea stands out the most. The Prophet Hosea and his relationship with Gomer inspired many including the band Third Day and author Francine Rivers (Redeeming Love). What struck me most with Hosea as well as Joel and Amos with my 2023 reading was the timelessness of their content. Also, below are verses from each book that masterful.
2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence.
Hosea 6:2 NIV
32 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls.
Joel 2:32 NIV
15 Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.
Amos 5:15
Select Bibliography (Alphabetical Order by Author’s Surname)
Cook, Stephen L. (1989). HarperCollins Study Bible; New Revised Standard Version With the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books Student Edition (San Francisco: Harper Collins Publishers, Meeks, Wayne A. ed., p. 1193.)
Dearman, J. Andrew (2010). The Book of Hosea. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. ISBN 9781467423731.
Finkelstein, Israel. The Forgotten Kingdom: The Archaeology and History of Ancient Israel. Atlanta: SBL, 2013. Ancient Near East Monographs, Number 5. p. 4.
Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985.
Jerusalem Bible (1966), Introduction to the Prophets, p. 1135, London: Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd and Doubleday and Co. Inc.
Keller, C. A., 28. Joel, in Barton, J. and Muddiman, J. (2001), The Oxford Bible Commentary Archived 2017-11-22 at the Wayback Machine, p. 578
Sweeney, Marvin A. (2000). The Twelve Prophets: Volume 1: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah. Liturgical Press. ISBN 9780814682432.
Part of a series of Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) on Old Testament (OT) Books. Click here to see other OT SBR.
* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.
5/5 Gnomies, I continue my Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) for the 2023 Sacred Texts Journey Stellar Reading Challenge (SRC). This SBR pertains to the last of the Major Prophets — the Book of Daniel.
Click here to check out the Sacred Texts Journey SRC.
The Major Prophets is a grouping of books in the Christian Old Testament that does not occur in the Hebrew Bible. All of these books are traditionally regarded as authored by a prophet such as Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel. The term “major” has nothing to do with the achievement or importance of the prophets, rather with the length of the books. In comparison to the books of the Twelve Minor Prophets, whose books are short and grouped together into one single book in the Hebrew Bible, these books are much longer.
“The Book of Daniel is a 2nd-century BC biblical apocalypse with a 6th century BC setting. Ostensibly “an account of the activities and visions of Daniel, a noble Jew exiled at Babylon”, it combines a prophecy of history with an eschatology (a portrayal of end times) both cosmic in scope and political in focus, and its message is that just as the God of Israel saves Daniel from his enemies, so he would save all Israel in their present oppression.
As a girl, I remember my Sunday School teachers held me in their thrall with the passages of Daniel in the lions’ den as well as those of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Yet, early in my faith, I read the Book of Daniel and the more prophetic verses scared me. Many years later, with each read of this book, I find bits and seeds of hope. The following verse serves as a great example of the promises within Daniel:
44 “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.
Daniel 2:44
Select Bibliography (Alphabetical Order by Author’s Surname)
Brettler, Mark Zvi (2005). How To Read the Bible. Jewish Publication Society. ISBN 9780827610019.
Collins, John J. (1984). Daniel: With an Introduction to Apocalyptic Literature. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802800206.
Reid, Stephen Breck (2000). “Daniel, Book of”. In Freedman, David Noel; Myers, Allen C. (eds.). Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Eerdmans. ISBN 9789053565032.
Part of a series of Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) on Old Testament (OT) Books. Click here to see other OT SBR.
* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.
5/5 I continue my Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) for the 2023 Sacred Texts Journey Stellar Reading Challenge (SRC), Gnomies. This SBR pertains to the Major Prophets Book of Ezekiel. The name Ezekiel means “God is strong” or “God strengthens” and I believe this prophet represents his name well.
Click here to check out the Sacred Texts Journey SRC.
The Major Prophets is a grouping of books in the Christian Old Testament that does not occur in the Hebrew Bible. All of these books are traditionally regarded as authored by a prophet such as Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel. The term “major” has nothing to do with the achievement or importance of the prophets, rather with the length of the books. In comparison to the books of the Twelve Minor Prophets, whose books are short and grouped together into one single book in the Hebrew Bible, these books are much longer.
“The Book of Ezekiel (Hebrew: ספר יחזקאל; Latin: Liber Ezechielis) is the third of the Latter Prophets in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) and one of the major prophetic books in the Christian Bible, where it follows Isaiah and Jeremiah. According to the book itself, it records six visions of the prophet Ezekiel, exiled in Babylon, during the 22 years from 593 to 571 BC, although it is the product of a long and complex history and does not necessarily preserve the very words of the prophet… The visions and the book are structured around three themes: (1) judgment on Israel (chapters 1–24); (2) judgment on the nations (chapters 25–32); and (3) future blessings for Israel (chapters 33–48). Its themes include the concepts of the presence of God, purity, Israel as a divine community, and individual responsibility to God. Its later influence has included the development of mystical and apocalyptic traditions in Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism, and Christianity.”
I must say, reading Ezekiel always makes me nervous; that remains true to my latest time just last month. The vivid imagery of the Vision of Dry Bones alone leaves me on edge. Yet, I always look forward to reading a certain verse I discovered in 2017:
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:26
Select Bibliography (Alphabetical Order by Author’s Surname)
Joyce, Paul M. (2009). Ezekiel: A Commentary. Continuum. ISBN 9780567483614.
Petersen, David L (2002). The prophetic literature: an introduction. John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664254537.
Sweeney, Marvin A. (1998). “The Latter Prophets”. In McKenzie, Steven L.; Graham, Matt Patrick (eds.). The Hebrew Bible Today: An Introduction to Critical Issues. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664256524.
Part of a series of Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) on Old Testament (OT) Books. Click here to see other OT SBR.
* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.
The Major Prophets is a grouping of books in the Christian Old Testament that does not occur in the Hebrew Bible. All of these books are traditionally regarded as authored by a prophet such as Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel. The term “major” has nothing to do with the achievement or importance of the prophets, rather with the length of the books. In comparison to the books of the Twelve Minor Prophets, whose books are short and grouped together into one single book in the Hebrew Bible, these books are much longer.
5/5 Gnomies, I continue my Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) for the 2023 Sacred Texts Journey Stellar Reading Challenge (SRC). This SBR pertains to the Major Prophets Books of Jeremiah and Lamentations. Jeremiah, known as the Weeping Prophet, wrote both of these books.
Click here to check out the Sacred Texts Journey SRC.
“The Book of Jeremiah (Hebrew: ספר יִרְמְיָהוּ) is the second of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, and the second of the Prophets in the Christian Old Testament. The superscription at chapter Jeremiah 1:1–3 identifies the book as “the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah”.Of all the prophets, Jeremiah comes through most clearly as a person, ruminating to his scribe Baruch about his role as a servant of God with little good news for his audience… His book is intended as a message to the Jews in exile in Babylon, explaining the disaster of exile as God’s response to Israel’s pagan worship:the people, says Jeremiah, are like an unfaithful wife and rebellious children, their infidelity and rebelliousness made judgment inevitable, although restoration and a new covenant are foreshadowed.Authentic oracles of Jeremiah are probably to be found in the poetic sections of chapters 1 –25, but the book as a whole has been heavily edited and added to by the prophet’s followers (including, perhaps, his companion, the scribe Baruch) and later generations of Deuteronomists.”
“The Book of Lamentations (Hebrew: אֵיכָה, ʾĒḵā, from its incipit meaning “how”) is a collection of poetic laments for the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. The Book of Lamentations (Hebrew: אֵיכָה, ʾĒḵā, from its incipit meaning “how”) is a collection of poetic laments for the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. In the Hebrew Bible it appears in the Ketuvim (“Writings”) as one of the Five Megillot (or “Five Scrolls”) alongside the Song of Songs, Book of Ruth, Ecclesiastes and the Book of Esther although there is no set order. In the Christian Old Testament it follows the Book of Jeremiah, as the prophet Jeremiah is its traditional author… Some motifs of a traditional Mesopotamian “city lament” are evident in the book, such as mourning the desertion of the city by God, its destruction, and the ultimate return of the divinity; others “parallel the funeral dirge in which the bereaved bewails… and… addresses the [dead]”. The tone is bleak: God does not speak, the degree of suffering is presented as overwhelming, and expectations of future redemption are minimal. Nonetheless, the author repeatedly makes clear that the city, and even the author himself, have profusely sinned against God, justifying his wrath. In doing so the author does not blame God but rather presents him as righteous, just, and sometimes even as merciful.”
When I set out to write SBR of the Major Prophets and Minor Prophets, I left out Lamentations of the equation. In the end, I decided to include the smaller in the review with the much larger Jeremiah due to authorship. While uneasy and put off by reading these two books, I saw yet again how I often glean something new to me. With complete realization that Jeremiah wrote both of these books, I now get why Jeremiah and Lamentations reside next to one another in the Bible. They go “hand in hand.” I look forward to reading these books again (and again) in the years to come.
A couple of verses which stood out in my 2023 reading of these books:
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
Lamentations 3:22 NIV
Select Bibliography (Alphabetical Order by Author’s Surname)
Allen, Leslie C. (2008). Jeremiah: A Commentary. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664222239.
Berlin, Adele (2004). Lamentations: A Commentary. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664229740.
Hayes, John H. (1998). “The Songs of Israel”. In McKenzie, Steven L.; Graham, Matt Patrick (eds.). The Hebrew Bible Today: An Introduction to Critical Issues. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664256524.
Kugler, Robert; Hartin, Patrick (2009). The Old Testament between theology and history: a critical survey. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802846365.
Sweeney, Marvin A. (1998). “The Latter Prophets”. In Steven L. McKenzie, Matt Patrick Graham (ed.). The Hebrew Bible today: an introduction to critical issues. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664256524.
Part of a series of Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) on Old Testament (OT) Books. Click here to see other OT SBR.
* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.
5/5 Today, I kick off my Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) for the 2023 Sacred Texts Journey Stellar Reading Challenge (SRC). Last year, I posted SBR on most book groupings of the Bible. As I mentioned in my post on the Epistle of Jude, I left SBR for Prophecy — Major Prophets, Minor Prophets, and New Testament (NT) Prophecy for this year. Click here to see my Epistle of Jude SBR.
Click here to check out the Sacred Texts Journey SRC.
The Major Prophets is a grouping of books in the Christian Old Testament that does not occur in the Hebrew Bible. All of these books are traditionally regarded as authored by a prophet such as Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel. The term “major” has nothing to do with the achievement or importance of the prophets, rather with the length of the books. In comparison to the books of the Twelve Minor Prophets, whose books are short and grouped together into one single book in the Hebrew Bible, these books are much longer.
This SBR pertains to the first book of the Major Prophets — Isaiah.
“The Book of Isaiah (Hebrew: ספר ישעיהו [ˈsɛ.fɛr jə.ʃaʕ.ˈjaː.hu]) is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible and the first of the Major Prophets in the Christian Old Testament. It is identified by a superscription as the words of the 8th-century BCE prophet Isaiah ben Amoz, but there is evidence that much of it was composed during the Babylonian captivity and later. Johann Christoph Döderlein suggested in 1775 that the book contained the works of two prophets separated by more than a century, and Bernhard Duhm originated the view, held as a consensus through most of the 20th century, that the book comprises three separate collections of oracles: Proto-Isaiah (chapters 1–39), containing the words of the 8th-century BCE prophet Isaiah; Deutero-Isaiah (chapters 40–55), the work of an anonymous 6th-century BCE author writing during the Exile; and Trito-Isaiah (chapters 56–66), composed after the return from Exile. Isaiah 1–33 promises judgment and restoration for Judah, Jerusalem and the nations, and chapters 34–66 presume that judgment has been pronounced and restoration follows soon. While few scholars today attribute the entire book, or even most of it, to one person, the book’s essential unity has become a focus in more recent research.”
Isaiah daunted me the first time I read it. With the aid of Beth Moore and others, I decided to read this first book among the Major Prophets. With my most recent read, I anticipated with relish both Isaiah 40:31 and the point when Isaiah described Jesus, the savior to come.
I selected the aforementioned passage from Isaiah:
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31
Select Bibliography (Alphabetical Order by Author’s Surname)
Cate, Robert L. (1990b). “Isaiah, book of”. In Mills, Watson E.; Bullard, Roger Aubrey (eds.). Mercer Dictionary of the Bible. Mercer University Press. ISBN 9780865543737.
Clifford, Richard (1992). “Isaiah, Book of: Second Isaiah”. In Freedman, David Noel (ed.). The Anchor Bible Dictionary. Vol. 3. Doubleday. p. 473. ISBN 0385193610.
Petersen, David L. (2002). The Prophetic Literature: An Introduction. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664254537.
Sweeney, Marvin A. (1998). “The Latter Prophets”. In McKenzie, Steven L.; Graham, Matt Patrick (eds.). The Hebrew Bible Today: An Introduction to Critical Issues. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664256524.
* Note — The Epistle of Jude will be last Starlight Book Review (SBR) for my 2022 reading of the Bible. Future posts regarding book(s) of the Bible such as Old Testament (OT) Prophets or New Testament (NT) Prophecy will be for 2023 or better.
Part of a series of SBR on NT Books of the Bible. Click here to see other NT SBR.
* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.
5/5 When I first learned of the Epistle of Jude, my mind leapt to Paul McCartney’s vocals in the song “Hey Jude.” In the course of my readings of this brief, next to last book of The Bible, I know this Jude greatly contrasts from the subject of a Beatles’ song <smile>.
“The Epistle of Jude is the penultimate book of the New Testament as well as the Christian Bible. It is traditionally attributed to Jude, brother of James the Just, and thus relative of Jesus as well… Jude is a short epistle written in Koine Greek. It condemns in fierce terms certain people the author sees as a threat to the early Christian community, but describes these opponents only vaguely. According to Jude, these opponents are within the Christian community, but are not true Christians: they are scoffers, false teachers, malcontents, given to their lusts, and so on. The epistle reassures its readers that these people will soon be judged by God. It is possible that the group being referred to would have been obvious to the original recipients of the letter, but if a specific group was being referred to, knowledge of the details has since been lost. The one bit of their potential ideology discussed in the letter is that these opponents denigrate angels and their role. If this was indeed a part of the ideology of this group the author opposed, then the epistle is possibly a counterpoint to the Epistle to the Colossians. Colossians condemns those who give angels undue prominence and worship them; this implies the two letters might be part of an early Christian debate on Christian angelology.”
This short missive boils down to one thing — adhere to the faith. Do not let anyone or anything separate you from God. Instead, listen to the true teachers of the Christian faith.
Here is a verse which resonated with me:
2 Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.
Jude 1:2
* Bible Verses came from the New International Version (NIV) Bible, courtesy of Bible Gateway. Access Bible Gateway by clicking here.
Select Bibliography
Reicke, Bo (1964). The Epistles of James, Peter, And Jude (First ed.). Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc. p. 189–192.
Starry Night Elf 
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