Being responsive to God is at the heart of prophecy. But readers of ancient prophecies and apocalyptic literatureincluding those in the Old Testamentcan come away thoroughly perplexed. Are the prophets speaking about their own times, about our present, or about some still-unrealized future?It's common to study prophecy with a focus on the sole question of prediction and fulfillment, either for the sake of apologetics or for understanding the end times, but such an approach can fail to track with the original intent of the authors. We need to shake loose both from a paradigm of reading prophecy as an offer of mysterious divination as well as from the habit of constructing eschatological timelines of any sort. How do these books work as meaningful Scripture for Christians today?John Walton applies his signature method to help us recover the lost world of the prophets. To read these biblical books well, we must understand:- the role of the prophet- the nature of prophetic literature- the theological significance of prophecy- how apocalyptic differs from prophecyA fresh reading of the Old Testament text in light of the ancient Near Eastern context can open new avenues of awareness. Walton provides a clear, helpful guide to the nature of biblical prophecy and apocalyptic literature that will help readers avoid potential misuse and reclaim the message of the prophets for their lives.The books in the Lost World Series follow the pattern set by Bible scholar John H. Walton, bringing a fresh, close reading of the Hebrew text and knowledge of ancient Near Eastern literature to an accessible discussion of the biblical topic at hand using a series of logic-based propositions.

John H. Walton (PhD, Hebrew Union College) is professor of Old Testament, emeritus, at Wheaton College and Graduate School. His many books include The Lost World of Genesis One and Wisdom for Faithful Reading.

Acknowledgments IntroductionPart 1: Ancient Near East Proposition 1: Prophecy Is a Subset of Divination Proposition 2: Prophets and Prophecy in the ANE Manifest Similarities and Differences When Compared to IsraelPart 2: Institution Proposition 3: A Prophet Is a Spokesperson for God, Not a Predictor of the Future Proposition 4: Prophecy in the OT Is Not Monolithic but Developing Proposition 5: The Classical Prophets Are Champions of the Covenant in Times of Crisis Proposition 6: Prophecy Takes a Variety of Different Shapes After the Old TestamentPart 3: Literature Proposition 7: Recognition of the Categories of Prophetic Message Help Us Be More Informed Readers proposition 8: Prophets Were Typically Not Authors Proposition 9: The Implied Audience of the Prophetic Books Is Not Necessarily the Audience of the ProphetPart 4: Methodological and Interpretive Issues Proposition 10: Distinction Between Message and Fulfillment Provides Clear Understanding of Prophetic Literature Proposition 11: Fulfillment Follows Oblique Trajectories Proposition 12: The NT Use of OT Prophecy Focuses on Fulfillment, Not Message Proposition 13: Prophecy Carries Important Implications for Understanding God and the Future, but Our Ability to Forge a Detailed Eschatology with Confidence Is LimitedPart 5: Apocalyptic Proposition 13: Apocalyptic Prophecy Should Be Differentiated from Classical Prophecy Proposition 15: In Apocalyptic Literature, Visions Are Not the Message but the Occasion for the Message Proposition 16: New Testament Apocalyptic Operates by the Same Principles as Old Testament Apocalyptic Concluding Thoughts For Further Reading General Index Scripture Index