Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 558

534

§ 84.

THE FORMS OF INSPIRATION

[Div. Ill

was already performed, and (2) what was to follow while the comparison, for instance, of Kings with Chronicles makes ;

the epical excellence of the former to appear clearly above the The drama then begins from the moment God's latter.

What

people are settled in the Holy Land. is

With

Toledoth.

lies

behind

this

Thorah

gives

the

The

not history, but preparation.

Canaan the starting-point

Israel in

is

given

What lies back of that is a way of prologue. With Joshua by description of the situation the drama begins, and ends only when the new humanity shall enter upon the possession of the new earth, under the new heaven. In this drama the prophet stands midway. As a Semite he knew but two tenses, the factum and jiens^ a for the all-governing drama.

The

perfect and an imperfect.

this epically,

employed

;

prophetical narrative presents

programme which

is performed. It does with the disclosure of the Divine agencies while that which is to come is not seen by the

that part of the i.e.

prophet in reality, but in vision.

Always

in

such a way,

He however, that to himself in its midst. but stands therefore is not outside of it, In his own heart he has passed through the struggle between him a review

of the whole

is

possible.

Divine drama of redemption and the roar of the nations, whose history must end in self-dissolution. He is conscious of the fact that that spirit of the world combats the Spirit of

this

God, not only outside of, but also within, the boundaries of Thus by virtue of his own impulse he pronounces the Holy Spirit's criticism upon the unholy spirit of the world, and is filled with holy enthusiasm in seeing in vision, that that Spirit of God and His counsel shall sometime Israel.

Thus

an organic connection between what was, and is and is to come a connection between one prophet and another; a connection also with the same

gloriously triumph.

there

is

;

prophet between the series of visions that

and

God

this states the

need

fall to his

of the vision of the call, in

share

;

which

revealed to him, that he himself was called to cooperate and in the further un-

in the realizing of the Divine counsel

veiling of the drama.

It

is

as foolish therefore to

element of prediction in prophecy, as

it is

deny the

irrational to

make

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