Old Testament Prophecy as a Puzzle

I am not the first one to use the analogy of a puzzle in regards to Old Testament prophecy. Interpreters have remarked on how it is like a puzzle with missing pieces (due to the progress of revelation) or how one is putting the pieces together without the benefit of a picture on the box. But I was recently struck by how a puzzle might help to illustrate Zechariah 9. Consider the picture below picturing the first three Star Wars movies. Various scenes from all three movies are arranged into one picture. Just by looking at the picture, one would be hard pressed to know that significant time had passed between the various scenes or their exact order unless one were already familiar with the Star Wars' trilogy. In a similar way, it seems to me that Zechariah  9–14 presents an eschatological picture of Israel's redemption and restoration through the juxtaposition of various events related to the overall picture. Seen this way, one can understand how vignettes of Alexander's conquests, the Maccabean Revolt, and the First and Second Advents, etc. can form a collage of Zechariah's overall eschatological picture.

 

Psalm 41 Links

I have been working on a commentary on the Psalms. I have decided to compile some helpful links that I discovered during my research. It includes a mix of exegetical and sermonic links. Here is what I have for Psalm 41 (in no particular order). Feel free to mention any that you find helpful in the comments section.  

Literary analysis of Psalm 41: http://psalmsstudy.com/psalms-literary-analysis-by-chapter/literary-analysis-psalm-41-blessed-adonai-god-israel-times-times-amen-amen

Analysis by C. J. Labuschagne: https://www.labuschagne.nl/ps041.pdf

William Barrick’s notes: https://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_041.pdf

David Guzik’s notes, “Psalm 41 – Prayer for Help in Sickness and Against Whispering Traitors”: https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-41

The Shapira Scroll

The New York Times have published an interesting article on the so-called Shapira Scroll. The article highlights the recent work of Idan Dershowitz, a scholar at the University of Potsdam who argues (along with others) that the manuscript might have been ancient and authentic. I am a bit skeptical, but this is not my area of expertise. It will be interesting to see how the debate plays out. In any case, you can read the article for yourself here. 

A "Biblical Fertility Amulet" Found in the Negev

This story is reports on a "biblical fertility amulet" found recently by an 11-year-old in the Negev. Here is a photo from the story. This is an interesting find but so much is unknown that caution needs to be exercised about calling it "biblical" and a "fertility amulet."

The Latest Issue of the Review of Biblical Literature

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below but unfortunately you must be a SBL member to read them.

David Allen and Steve Smith, eds., Methodology in the Use of the Old Testament in the New: Context and Criteria
Reviewed by Maria Brutti

John Binns, The T&T Clark History of Monasticism: The Eastern Tradition
Reviewed by Robert A. Kitchen

Sarah H. Casson, Textual Signposts in the Argument of Romans: A Relevance-Theory Approach
Reviewed by David J. Neville

Brandon D. Crowe, The Hope of Israel: The Resurrection of Christ in the Acts of the Apostles
Reviewed by David M. Allen

Edward L. Greenstein, Job: A New Translation
Reviewed by James L. Crenshaw

Max J. Lee, Moral Transformation in Greco-Roman Philosophy of Mind: Mapping the Moral Milieu of the Apostle Paul and His Diaspora Jewish Contemporaries
Reviewed by Timothy A. Brookins

Jeffrey J. Niehaus, When Did Eve Sin? The Fall and Biblical Historiography
Reviewed by Mark A. O’Brien

Donald W. Parry, Exploring the Isaiah Scrolls and Their Textual Variants
Reviewed by Jacob Stromberg

Jordan D. Rosenblum, Rabbinic Drinking: What Beverages Teach Us about Rabbinic Literature
Reviewed by Claudia D. Bergmann

Joachim Schaper, Media and Monotheism: Presence, Representation, and Abstraction in Ancient Judea
Reviewed by Matthew Lynch