Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Uri Hurwitz <uhurwitz AT yahoo.com>]

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On Fri 19 Aug 2005 (00:52:58 +0000), yitzhaksapir AT gmail.com wrote:
> ...  At the time, astrology was inseparable from astronomy,
> and calendar computations depended on astronomical sightings.  Are
> you sure that Isaiah 8:19 includes astrology?  This would really make
> no sense if Isaiah is an astrologer, as Isaiah 38:8 might suggest (but 
> not necessarily although I think it definitely raises the issue). 
> Perhaps only certain forms of occultism were not allowed.

 Astrology in the occult sense would imply casting horoscopes or going into
 trances, which was presumably the stock-in-trade of the 'oBoWT and the
 YiDD:`oNiYM with their familiar spirits. Micah 3:11 talks of professional
 soothsayers who divine for reward, root QSM. This would include practices
 such as hepatoscopy, mentioned in Ezekiel 21:21. Deuteronomy 18:9-12 gives
 a list of the abominations of the nations.

 The true prophet of YHWH is not an occultist, but one who has stood in the
 Council of YHWH, SoWD-YHWH (Jeremiah 23:18, 22; cf Job 1:6; 2:1). Prophets
 did not volunteer; they were called. Each biblical Prophet features his Call
 Vision in his book.

 Jeremiah had big trouble with the false prophets; how could one distinguish
 between the true and the false?  Chapters 23, 28 and 29 provide the answer.
 True prophets did not commit adultery or "walk in lies" (Jeremiah 23:14),
 neither did they encourage sin (23:17, 22; 29:23).

 Isaiah provides the criterion of Future Prophecy. YHWH challenges the
 prophets of the Baals to foretell the future (Isaiah 41:21-24). Deuteronomy
 18:21-22 lays down accurate future prophecy as the criterion of a true
 prophet. Jeremiah 28:9 echoes this.

 It seems that prophecy has two functions: (1) as a Present Persuader to
 urge God's people to mend their ways, etc; (2) as a Future Confirmer, so
 that when it happens everyone will recognise what is happening, and take
 the prescribed steps to avoid disaster. These functions are those we label
 Forthtelling and Foretelling respectively.

 Well, James, if you are reading this: we've come a long way from Abraham.
 But even Enoch was a prophet, in that he named his some Methuselah, "when
 I die it happens". The year the oldest of them all died, the Flood came.

 Ben
-- 
 Revd Ben Crick, BA CF                                       ZFC Hf
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