Prophetic Figures of the Old Testament
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With this background,, going to as far as the times of the patriarch Abraham, in mind, it may be significant, or just coincidental maybe, that David chooses Jerusalem to be the headquarters of his administration, and the capital city of the state of Israel under his rule. He plans to build a temple in this city. Solomon constructs that temple. Under Solomon, Jerusalem remains the capital city, transformed into the “only” national religious shrine by the temple project now housing the ark of the Lord, and perhaps initially starting off as the main sacred centre for Israel since the relocation of the ark to the place in David’s time. Jerusalem becomes headquarters of the state of Judah after the division of the country at the beginning of the reign of Rehoboam, Solomon’s son. It continues to be associated with the correct worship of the Israelite God from now on. All other sites are condemned as places where adulterated religion was practiced. This perpetuates the central religious and political stature and importance of Jerusalem which had belonged there, since the times of Abraham and Melchizedek, or perhaps even before them both.
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About the Book
There is nothing particularly new or unique about the subject matter of Prophetic Figures of the Old Testament. In fact, greater authorities have covered it better many times before, and this endeavour is hugely reliant upon and indebted to these great minds for this current work. The hope is that readers can enjoy more of what they have already had, from many different quarters, presented through a different hand. It is also the hope that beginning learners of divinity or biblical studies can find this book greatly enjoyable and inspiring. In the main, the prophetic figures represented in the wording of the book title certainly refer to persons called or identifiable as prophets in the Bible. But this is also extended to include some objects, occurrences, and places that prophets may have encountered and even made use of in the performance of their prophetic duties. The interplay of these and the prophet is generally taken to signify the comprehensiveness or completeness of prophecy, in this book. The reader is invited to interrogate the relationship of the prophet and this environment in order to enjoy more fully the religious, historical, political, intellectual, and inspirational aspects one goes through in respect of the issues selected and commented on. The reader is encouraged to think beyond what one reads. Any statement or comment is not meant to be some kind of definitive prescription but is meant to arouse thought and more thought. More important, readers should always be in constant contact with the origin of the materials spoken about in this book – that is, the Bible. There is obviously no way in which selective consideration of items picked on a rather random, personal, subjective basis can replace the source from which these are originally taken. Reading of Prophetic Figures of the Old Testament should therefore always depend on knowledge of, or familiarity with, the background information provided in the Bible.
About the Author
Nyamayabo Mashavakure has taught Bible knowledge and divinity at the high school level in Zimbabwe for many years. There, divinity as an A-level subject has always included the rise and practice of Israelite prophecy as depicted in the Old Testament, as a major item of the compulsory first Paper of the Divinity examination. He has always enjoyed reading academic and related literature on biblical studies and religion in general, among other subject areas, throughout his educational and professional careers. He obtained a BA general in Shona and religious studies, a BA special honours in religious studies, a graduate certificate in education, and a postgraduate diploma in curriculum and arts education, all from the University of Zimbabwe. He also holds an MA in theology from the University of Leeds, England.