Topical Bible: The Jews: Punished For: Killing the Prophets

◄ The Jews: Punished For: Killing the Prophets ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

Throughout the history of Israel, the Jewish people have been recipients of divine revelation and guidance through the prophets, whom God sent to call them back to righteousness and covenant faithfulness. However, the biblical narrative also records instances where the prophets were rejected, persecuted, and even killed by those they were sent to admonish. This rejection of God's messengers is seen as a grave sin, leading to divine punishment and judgment upon the nation.

Biblical Instances and Warnings

The Old Testament provides several accounts of prophets who faced hostility and violence. For example, the prophet Zechariah, son of Jehoiada, was stoned to death by order of King Joash (2 Chronicles 24:20-22). Similarly, Jeremiah faced severe persecution, including being thrown into a cistern (Jeremiah 38:6), and tradition holds that Isaiah was sawn in two during the reign of Manasseh.

The New Testament continues this theme, with Jesus Himself lamenting over Jerusalem's history of killing the prophets. In Matthew 23:37 , Jesus declares, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!" This lament highlights the persistent rejection of God's messengers and the resulting consequences.

Divine Judgment and Consequences

The killing of the prophets is seen as a significant factor leading to divine judgment upon Israel. In 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 , it is written, "Again and again the LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them through His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, and there was no remedy."

This passage underscores the seriousness of rejecting God's prophets, as it ultimately led to the Babylonian exile—a pivotal moment of judgment and punishment for the nation. The exile served as a divine response to the people's persistent disobedience and mistreatment of the prophets.

New Testament Reflections

The New Testament writers also reflect on the theme of persecuted prophets. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, addresses the Sanhedrin in Acts 7:52 , saying, "Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered Him." Stephen's speech connects the historical pattern of rejecting prophets to the ultimate rejection and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

The Apostle Paul echoes this sentiment in 1 Thessalonians 2:15-16 , where he writes, "who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out as well. They are displeasing to God and hostile to all men, hindering us from telling the Gentiles how they may be saved. As a result, they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last."

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, the killing of the prophets is seen as a manifestation of the broader human tendency to resist divine authority and revelation. It serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of rejecting God's messengers and the truth they proclaim. The biblical narrative consistently portrays such actions as leading to divine judgment, emphasizing the importance of heeding God's word and the messengers He sends.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 23:37,38
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets, and stone them which are sent to you, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not!
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Sins of Communities Noted and Punished.
... he entered into judgment, and punished the sin ... The Jews had enjoyed greater religious
privileges than ... it would be completed"by their killing and crucifying ...
/.../lee/sermons on various important subjects/sermon xxix the sins of.htm

The Maccabees.
... On his return to Antioch, he punished the apostate high ... Syrian kings had begun to
misuse the Jews, they had ... BC143, and soon after succeeded in killing the young ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson xviii the maccabees.htm

The Second Part.
... as to have lost the form of Jews; but hath ... kind would be remitted to them, since
even the killing of Christ ... The devil on that account alone is to be punished. ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/the second part 2.htm

Faustus States his Objections to the Morality of the Law and the ...
... join with me in condemning the Jews for injuring ... for your thinking that we blaspheme
your prophets and patriarchs ... fiction, let its authors be punished, let the ...
/.../faustus states his objections to.htm

That the King of Babylon Repented of Making Jehoiachin King, and ...
The Antiquities of the Jews. ... he should bear him a grudge, because of his killing
his father ... of torments and tortures, and was reserved to be punished; and this ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 7 that the king.htm

The Destruction of Jerusalem
... who would begin his work by killing all the ... his Jewish prisoner, Josephus, to the
Jews, promising them ... you worthy of freedom, He would have punished the Romans ...
/.../duff/the bible in its making/chapter ix the destruction of.htm

On the Holy Ghost and his Descent Upon the Apostles
... us of"some great event; and the Jews celebrated this ... these little flies must have
greatly punished the Egyptians ... the most terrible of all"the killing of the ...
/.../kinkead/baltimore catechism no 4/lesson 9 on the holy.htm

But as to the Argument of those Men who are Unwilling that Their.. ...
... order of events was then so rolling on, that even the Jews were killing those who ...
free-will is given by God to man, should adulteries be punished by the ...
/.../writings in connection with the donatist controversy /chapter 5 19 but.htm

The Great Slaughters and Sacrilege that were in Jerusalem.
... man whom they were the most desirous of killing, and made ... not be long ere they should
be punished for this ... his hopes of the restoration of the Jews upon their ...
/.../chapter 13 the great slaughters.htm

On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. xv. 21,"Jesus Went Out Thence ...
... show up whatever Christians he should find, to be punished. ... people too, of the people
of the Jews, were they ... of his sins, when the crime of killing Christ was ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon xxvii on the words.htm