Prophecy in Ancient Israel

by Johannes Lindblom

Author J. Lindblom delivers a masterful and authoritative work on the prophetic movement as a whole, and demonstrates his thesis that prophecy was not unique to ancient Israel, but may be found in a variety of cultures at different stages of religious development. Israelite prophecy (both earlier and later, classical prophecy) is, however, used as a central focal point for examination of certain characteristic psychological features that give a reference for determining commonalities. In his review of this book in The Christian Century, James Muilenberg opined, "One may well afford to do without many other books in order to secure this one," and quoted Professor T.H. Robinson, who praised the book as "probably the best and most comprehensive book on the Old Testament prophecy that has appeared in English."

472 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1962

Reviews

[B.G. Brainard · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone wanting to more about Old Testament prophecy, Lindblom's work is still highly relevant. He reports, "The special gift of the prophet is his ability to experience the divine in an original way and to receive revelations from the divine world." The book is especially insightful in regard to the revelatory state of mind of the receiver and kinds of revelations revealed through the Spirit and hand of Yahweh, which denote divine power. He also discusses the concept of revelation coming from God's mouth to the ears of the prophet, who becomes God's mouthpiece. If you want to know more about prophecy in ancient Israel, this is an excellent place to begin.

[Matthew Prydden · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting scholarly work on the Old Testament prophets, covering such ground as the life and experience of the primitive prophets, the experiences of the classical prophets, an analysis of how the prophetic books were collected, and discussion on the theology and key themes of the classical prophets. As a reformed evangelical there was much I did not agree with or adhere to in terms of Lindblom's assertions and assumptions, yet I felt I gained a tremendous amount of beneficial thought from this book. My grasp and understanding and appreciation of what to look for in the Old Testament prophets has been heightened and my feel for the subject of Old Testament prophecy in general has been enhanced, and as such this has been a very helpful and beneficial read.