Jesus the Seer: The Progress of Prophecy
Jesus the Seer: The Progress of Prophecy

Jesus the Seer: The Progress of Prophecy

by Ben Witherington III

5 Rank Score: 5.1 from 1 reviews, 0 featured collections, and 0 user libraries
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Pages 448
Publisher Hendrickson
Published 1999
ISBN-13 9781565633445
Increasingly scholars are realizing that prophetic traditions, expressions, and experiences stand at the heart of most religions in the ancient Mediterranean world. This is no less true for the world of Judaism and Jesus. Witherington aims to look at the broader expression of prophecy in its ancient Mediterranean context in an attempt to better understand biblical prophecy in that wider context. Equipped with an impressive appreciation for the cross-cultural nature of prophecy in the ancient world, Witherington is then able to look at the prophetic role of Jesus. Jesus the Seer especially complements Witherington's other volume on Jesus, Jesus the Sage.

"Ambitious in scope, clear and compelling in presentation. Witherington has linked the eschatological prophet-sage Jesus to the complex world of Old Testament prophecy, and then gone on to trace the relationship of both to early Christian prophecy. Rarely has a New Testament scholar demonstrated such proficiency in handling Old Testament and Hebrew sources. The result is a comprehensive scriptural presentation."
-Christopher R. Seitz, University of St. Andrews

"Jesus the Seer pursues two important ends simultaneously. On the one hand, it adds yet another essential dimension to the emerging comprehensive portrait of Jesus that is being brought to light by the careful work of Ben Witherington III. On the other hand, anyone interested in prophecy-in prophets and in prophesying-will find Witherington's book a veritable tour of the topic. Witherington's knowledge of the contemporary study of Jesus and his picture of the phenomenon of prophecy are remarkably broad and deep. His presentation is lucid, accurate, incisive, and persuasive. All who are interested in the complex person and ministry of the historical Jesus, especially his work as a prophet, are in Witherington's debt for this volume."
-Marion L. Soards, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary

"In ranging over two millennia of the phenomenon of prophecy and offering a sustained interpretation of the whole phenomenon, this book is something of a tour de force. It is not too surprising that it has not been attempted before. Witherington's command of the several scholarly fields his book traverses is impressive. This book will undoubtedly stimulate fresh study of biblical prophecy within the broad historical and cultural context it provides."
-Richard Bauckham, University of St. Andrews

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Review of Biblical Literature (RBL) (Richard Vinson) Review of Biblical Literature (RBL) August 10, 2000
Craig Evan’s review of Ben Witherington III’s Jesus the Sage remarks, “The title of the book is somewhat misleading, since only a portion of the book deals with ‘Jesus the sage.’” This applies even more to Jesus the Seer: the chapter on Jesus is the book’s eighth, and the author’s exposition of his understanding of Jesus’ prophetic role is set out in on pp. 277-92. The real aim of the book, stated in the preface, is “to examine larger issues concerning the nature of prophecy and the development of prophetic traditions, especially paying attention to the cross-cultural nature of the prophetic phenomenon” (p, xii). The first chapter surveys prophecy at Mari and looks at the figures of Balaam, Deborah, Moses, and Aaron. Part of the author’s interest is in describing what is required and what is optional for a person to be considered a prophet; prophets need not receive or transmit their message by ecstatic utterances, do not necessarily act as intercessors, and need not do miracles; prophecy is normally in poetic form, and prophets receive oracles or visions from God. The second and third chapters continue this line of inquiry through the Samuel and Saul material, the David and Nathan material, and the stories of Elijah and Elisha. The author shows that the biblical traditions assign many roles to prophets and that we cannot assume that all or most prophets were organized into guilds. Witherington treats Amos, Micah, Isaiah, and Jeremiah in ch. 4 and Second Isaiah and Ezekiel in ch. 5. The author continues to touch on the general nature of prophecy in these chapters, but lingers on certain specific texts: the Bethlehem oracle of Mic 5; Isa 7-11; 24-27; Jer 3 1; and the Servant Songs of Second Isaiah. [Full Review]