Looking Forward

Key Periods of Prophetic Activity

Jeremiah

Ezekiel

Obadiah

Daniel

amos

Hosea

Micah

Isaiah

haggai

zechariah

joel

malachi

Jonah

Nahum

Zephaniah

Habakkuk

Cyrus Decree to Return

Nehemiah Rebuilds Wall

Babylonian Exile of Judah

Assyrian Exile of N. King.

Josiah's Reforms

Divided Kingdom

930 722 640 621 586 539 445

Brueggemann, Prophetic Imagination, 64

Hope requires a very careful symbolization. It must not be expressed too fully in the present tense because hope one can touch and handle is not likely to retain its promissory call to a new future. Hope expressed only in the present tense will no doubt be co-opted by the managers of this age.

We'll have a fearless future

in God's presence.

Pure & Worshipful

International mission:

Gen. 12; Exod. 19; Ps. 47, 67

Is. 2:2-4; 42:1; 51:14; 56:7; 66:18; Zech. 14; Matt. 28:19; Acts 1:8

9 “Then I will purify the lips

of the peoples,

that all of them may call

on the name of the Lord

and serve him shoulder to shoulder.

10 From beyond the rivers of Cush

my worshipers, my scattered people,

will bring me offerings.

exiled people

Deut. 28:64-68

2 kings 17, 24-25

Shameless

Day of the Lord (1:8-18; 3:8)

Wrongs listed (1:4-6; 3:1-6)

11 On that day you, Jerusalem,

will not be put to shame

for all the wrongs you have done to me,

because I will remove from you

your arrogant boasters.

Never again will you be haughty

on my holy hill.

proud leaders (1:4,8-13; 3:3-4)

Humble & Truthful

Humble = repentant (2:3)

remnant (2:7, 9)

12 But I will leave within you

the meek and humble.

The remnant of Israel

will trust in the name of the Lord.

13 They will do no wrong;

they will tell no lies.

A deceitful tongue

will not be found in their mouths.

They will eat and lie down

and no one will make them afraid.”

honesty desired

Exod. 20:16;

Ps. 15, 24;

Prov. 6:16-19

Wright, Here Are Your Gods, 84

In recent years we seem to be living in the midst of a relentless war on truth at the highest levels. The ease with which lies are told by those in power (or those seeking it), and then simply shrugged off when the falsehood is exposed, with almost no accountability or consequences, is genuinely frightening … In the sharp light of the Bible, this increasing trend is sinister and destructive, and by Jesus standards, is satanic in origin (John 8:44).

We'll have a fearless future

in God's presence.

Truthful

Humble

Shameless

Pure/

Worshipful

We'll have a festive future

in God's presence.

Peace

Zion: Psalm 46, 48; 122; Isaiah 2, 40-66

14 Sing, Daughter Zion;

shout aloud, Israel!

Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,

Daughter Jerusalem!

15 The Lord has taken away your punishment,

he has turned back your enemy.

The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;

never again will you fear any harm.

Asyyria

Presence

Day of the Lord: Zeph. 1:8-18; 3:18; Is. 2:12-22; 13:6-22; 34:8-17; 63:1-6; Ezek. 38; Amos 5:18-20; 8:9-10; Joel 1:15; 3:14; Obad. 15; Matt 24; Heb. 10:25

16 On that day

they will say to Jerusalem,

“Do not fear, Zion;

do not let your hands hang limp.

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.”

Divine presence: Exod. 25:10; Josh. 1:9; Is. 7:14; 41:10; 43:2; Joel 2:28-29; Matt. 1:24; 28:20; John 1:14

Wright, Case for the Psalms, 110

God’s glory is, of course, already known in creation, as Psalm 19 so splendidly declares. But there will be a new filling, a further drenching of the creation with God’s presence and glory, so that what was true of the tabernacle and Temple will ultimately be true for all creation.

"I will take great

delight in you;

in My love I will

no longer rebuke you,

but will rejoice over you

with singing."

Justice

Passover, weeks, booths, jubilee

egypt, philistia, assyria, (cf 2:6-15)

18 “I will remove from you

all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals,

which is a burden and reproach for you.

19 At that time I will deal

with all who oppressed you.

I will rescue the lame;

I will gather the exiles.

I will give them praise and honor

in every land where they have suffered shame.

care for needy: Deut. 15; Isaiah 61;

Jeremiah 31

Restoration

exiles returned

deut. 28; hos 11;

Isaiah 40-66; Jer. 29; ezek. 35-48

20 At that time I will gather you;

at that time I will bring you home.

I will give you honor and praise

among all the peoples of the earth

when I restore your fortunes

before your very eyes,”

says the Lord.

International mission:

Gen. 12; Exod. 19; Ps. 47, 67

Is. 2:2-4; 42:1; 51:14; 56:7; 66:18; Zech. 14; Matt. 28:19; Acts 1:8

word of the lord (cf 1:1)

Wright, Case for the Psalms, 108

[T]he Temple in Jerusalem should be a sign not only of God’s purpose to flood the whole creation with his glorious presence, but also of his longing to fill the hearts, minds, imaginations, and wills of his people with that same glory.

We'll have a festive future

in God's presence.

Heaven, Alcorn, 167

We get tired of ourselves, of others, of sin and suffering and crime and death. Yet we love the earth, don't we. I love the spaciousness of the night sky over the desert. I love the coziness of sitting next to [my wife] on the couch in front of the fireplace, blanket over us and dog snuggled next to us.

Heaven, Alcorn, 167

These experiences are not heaven--but they are foretastes of heaven. What we love about this life are the things that resonnate with the life we were made for. The things we love are not merely the best this life has to offer-they are previews of the greater life to come.

Heaven, Alcorn, 185

In heaven we'll at last be free of self-righteousness andself-deceit. We'll no longer question God's goodness; we'll see it, savor it, enjoy it, and declare it to our companions. Surely we will wonder how we ever could have doubted his goodness. For then our faith will be sight--we shall see God.