The Bible is filled with ‘true’ prophets of God – and there’s a good reason for that –
“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets.” Hebrews 1:1
“Surely the Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7
Dozens of prophets are named in the Bible, so which are your favorites? God spoke through all of them, so that would make each of them important for different reasons. However, there are some prophets who stand out – possibly because of what they said and wrote, and/or how much they said and wrote.
I will admit to having several favorite prophets including Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. I like the ‘major’ prophets because their writings are voluminous, but also because Jesus and His apostles quoted from them so often. That’s one of the reasons I’ve been excited to review a book from IVP Academic titled, The Prophets and the Apostolic Witness: Reading Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel as Christian Scripture (IVP Academic, 2023). It is edited by Andrew T. Abernethy, William R. Osborne, and Paul D. Wegner, along with contributions by Nicholas G. Piotrowski, Mark S. Gignilliat, John N. Oswalt, Dana M. Harris, Gary E. Yates, Lissa M. Wray Beal, Andrew G. Shead, Philip Graham Ryken, Alicia R. Jackson, John W. Hilber, Iain M. Duguid, and Daniel I. Block
Thoughts About the Book
My thoughts about this book are that it is worth reading. I agreed with some of the conclusions of the different writers, and disagreed with others. You may have a similar response after reading it. However, from an apologist’s perspective, not agreeing with everything an author or contributor writes is not necessarily a bad thing because it forces you to think critically – which is good and necessary to our calling to ‘defend the faith.’
I like the way each of the prophets is given five chapters, written by different contributors. The goal of each is to demonstrate from their perspective how the apostolic authors of the New Testament referenced the prophetic authors of the Old Testament – and how Christians today should read those New Testament references.
I found the Introduction by Andrew Abernethy and Conclusion by William R. Osborne helpful as well. Abernethy explained the ‘template’ for the book –
“We need a robust template for how to read the prophets. Within educational settings, training in how to read the prophets often revolves around helping students and future pastors develop skills in original-context exegesis. It takes time and tremendous effort for students to decipher ancient languages and genres, to become familiar with pre-exilic, exilic, and post-exhilic contexts in Israel and Judah, and to get accustomed to the messages of each prophet in its original context. As a result, less attention is given to the interpretive question most presing for preachers and those in the pews regarding how to read these prophetic books as God’s Word today, in the age of the church.” p 2
I like many of Osborne’s thoughts in his Conclusion, but here is one of my favorites from the book –
“There are no accidental words in the Major Prophets, and they are all intentionally pointing forward to what God will ultimately accomplish through his Son Jesus. Every intertextual link and echo is rooted in the divine will established from eternity past. The divine nature of the text justifies our looking back to the Major Prophets in light of the cross and empty tomb to arrive at a full canonical meaning of the prophet. This is not a reader-response method because this christological search for meaning and looking back is not a creation of meaning but a recognition of it from the canonical perspective of the redemptive work of Jesus.” pp 316-317
Studying the Books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel is in itself a wonderful project. Isaiah points to the day that God will judge Israel and also redeem it. Jeremiah points to the fact that God’s judgment had arrived, but that He would redeem Israel in the future. Ezekiel also does the same by demonstrating how God was judging Judah, but through that very judgment would bring a great and glorious Redeemer who would save God’s people.
This book, The Prophets and the Apostolic Witness, is certainly worth the time and attention of anyone who is serious about understanding God’s Eternal Plan and how He has carried it from prophetic times through apostolic times to our time.
Contents
Introduction
Andrew T. Abernethy
Abbreviations
1. How the Apostles Read Isaiah as Christian Scripture
Nicholas G. Piotrowski
2. We Are Not Apostles: Another Way of Reading Isaiah
Paul D. Wegner
3. Emulating the Apostles: Reading Isaiah as Christian Scripture in the Footsteps of the Apostles
Andrew T. Abernethy
4. The History of Interpreting Isaiah as Christian Scripture: A Selection
Mark S. Gignilliat
5. Preaching Isaiah as Christian Scripture
John N. Oswalt
6. How the Apostles Read Jeremiah as Christian Scripture
Dana M. Harris
7. We Are Not Apostles: Limits on Reading Jeremiah Like the Apostles
Gary E. Yates
8. Emulating the Apostles: Reading Jeremiah as Christian Scripture in the Footsteps of the Apostles
Lissa M. Wray Beal
9. The History of Interpreting Jeremiah as Christian Scripture: Patristic Interpretation and Its Modern Legacy
Andrew G. Shead
10. Preaching Jeremiah as Christian Scripture
Philip Ryken
11. How the Apostles Read Ezekiel as Christian Scripture
Alicia R. Jackson
12. We Are Not Apostles: Limits on Reading Ezekiel as Christian Scripture
John W. Hilber
13. Emulating the Apostles: Reading Ezekiel as Christian Scripture in the Footsteps of the Apostles
William R. Osborne
14. The History of Interpreting Ezekiel as Christian Scripture
Iain M. Duguid
15. Preaching Ezekiel as Christian Scripture with Focus on Ezekiel 37:1-14
Daniel I. Block
Conclusion
William R. Osborne
Select Bibliography
Contributors
Name Index
Scripture Index
Publisher’s Description
How should Christians read prophetic literature? Questions abound both in the academy and the church as to how to engage the prophets, particularly in light of the New Testament. The Gospel writers and the church fathers all read and appealed to the Old Testament, but are we as modern-day readers supposed to take the same approach? The Prophets and the Apostolic Witness is a dialogue among scholars that identifies the interpretive methods used throughout history while also charting a constructive way forward for our own approach to reading the Major Prophets.
This comprehensive volume brings together experts on Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel to illuminate the following topics:
- How the Apostles Read the Major Prophets as Christian Scripture
- Limits on Reading the Major Prophets as Christian Scripture
- Reading the Major Prophets in the Footsteps of the Apostles
- The History of Interpretation of the Major Prophets as Christian Scripture
- Preaching the Major Prophets as Christian Scripture
This collaborative endeavor offers fresh and helpful insights to scholars, students, and pastors alike as they engage with the text of the Major Prophets.
Reviews
“The Prophets and the Apostolic Witness is a real treat of a book. It wrestles in healthy dialogue with the content and relevance of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. It examines questions about how they work canonically as well. The book shows we should not ignore these prophetic voices, and it makes us think carefully about how to do that well.”
Darrell Bock, senior research professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary
“The Prophets and the Apostolic Witness is an outstanding book and is extremely helpful for Christians seeking to interpret and apply the Old Testament Prophets. The editors have assembled many of the top scholars in this field (most of whom preach this material as well), each bringing expertise and insight into the issue of Christian interpretation of the Prophets and engaging not only with the prophetic text but also with the use of the Prophets in the New Testament and in the early church. This is a great book and I recommend it wholeheartedly.”
J. Daniel Hays, Ouachita Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
“This volume provides a delightful overview of ways Old Testament and New Testament scholars engage the issue of how to interpret the Major Prophets, especially in light of how the apostles handled those texts. Each author writes with clarity and fairly interacts with their conversation partners. In this one volume, readers can enjoy exposure to different views on key interpretive questions.”
Michael A. Grisanti, distinguished research professor of Old Testament at The Master’s Seminary
“These essays offer a range of answers to a foundational question of biblical hermeneutics: How are the apostles reading their Bible, and ought we to follow suit? Here readers have the privilege of listening in as thoughtful exegetes formulate their answer to this timeless question in conversation with others who disagree. The result is both enlightening and useful. Readers will gain not only an understanding of the complexity of the hermeneutical question but also a greater appreciation for the fundamental theological truths that draw the volume’s contributors together.”
Michelle Knight, associate professor of Old Testament and Semitic languages at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Read an Excerpt
The Prophets and the Apostolic Witness: Reading Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel as Christian Scripture (IVP Academic, 2023, 352 pages)
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