THE SYMBOLIC IMAGES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS

THE SYMBOLIC IMAGES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS

Image Groups

Part I

Covenant relationship

Part II

Rebellion

Part III

Redemptive Judgment

Part IV

Restoration

Fulfilled

Covenant Marriage

[examples in Scripture]

Israel Bride of Yahweh

Ezekiel 16:4-14;

Isaiah 61:10-11;

Jeremiah 2:2

Unfaithful adulteress/harlot

Ezekiel 16:15-34; 23:1-12; Isaiah 1:21; Jeremiah 3:6-8; 13:22-23, 26; 23:10;

Hosea 4:10-14

Humiliated, abused & abandoned by lovers

Ezekiel 16:23-61; 23:35-49; Amos 4:7-8; Jeremiah 3:1b-2; 4:30-31;

Hosea 2:4-15

The Bride restored to her Bridegroom

John 3:28-29;

2 Corinthians 11:2;

Ephesians 5:25-27;

Revelation 19:7-9;

21:2;9; 22:17

Vineyard

Fig tree

[examples in Scripture]

Well-tended vineyard/fruitful fig tree

Isaiah 5:1-4; Ezekiel 19:10-11; Jeremiah 24:4-7

Vines grow wild/failure to produce fruit

Jeremiah 2:21; Hosea 2:14; Micah 7:1-4; Joel 1:11-12; 7:1-4;

Weeds overgrow vineyard/ ruin and destruction

Isaiah 5:3-6; Ezekiel

19:12-14;

Jeremiah 8:13;

Nahum 3:12-15

Vines are replanted/

fruitfulness restored

John 15:1-2, 4-6

Animals

[examples in Scripture]

Domesticated animals

Micah 4:13; Isaiah 40:10-11; 65:25; Ezekiel 34:15-16

Run away and become wild

Isaiah 50:6; 53:6; Jeremiah 5:5d-6; 8:6b-7; 23:1-2; Ezekiel 19:1-9

Ravaged by wild beasts/birds of prey

Isaiah 50:7; Jeremiah 8:15-17; 50:6-7; Hosea 8:1-14; 13:6-8

Rescued by

their Master

Matthew 11:28-30;

John 1:29, 36; 10:1-18; Hebrews 3:20; Rev. 5:6, 13; 7:9-17; 14:1-10; 19:2-9; 21:9-23; 22:1-3

Drinking Wine

[examples in Scripture]

Joy of drinking good wine

Jeremiah 40:12;

Isaiah 62:8-9

Becoming drunk

Isaiah 5:11-12; 28:1; Jeremiah 8:13; 48:26; 51:7; Joel 1:5

Drinking the "cup of God's wrath"

Joel 4:13; Isaiah 51:17; 63:2-3; Jeremiah 13:12-14; 25:15-31; 48:26; 25:27-30

Rejoicing in the best "new wine" at the Master's table

Promise: Zech.9:15-16

Filled: Luke 22:19-20;

1 Corinthians 11:23-32;

Revelation 19:7-9

Each of the image groups consist of four parts:

¨ Part I: Yahweh and his people enter into a Covenant relationship. Yahweh will bind this people to Himself in the blessings of security and prosperity in return for obedience to the Covenant of the Torah [first 5 books of Moses]

¨ Part II: Israel, the Covenant people ignore the Laws of the Covenant; they rebel by going their own way

¨ Part III: God sends His holy prophet to call His people back to Him. Failing in this mission the prophet calls down a Covenant Lawsuit which results in Covenant curses-punishment meant to bring about repentance and restoration

¨ Part IV: In response to repentance, Yahweh reaches out to restore and to take His people back into the Covenant relationship they had first enjoyed. Michal Hunt, 2003