Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 553

§84.

CiiAP. II]

THE FORMS OF INSPIRATION

529

what I say unto thee open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee'' And in Chap. iii. 1, 2 " Son of man, eat that thou findest, eat this roll, and go and speak. So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roliy To eat is to take up and assimilate in my blood a material or food which originated outside of me. This, therefore, is a most definite indication that the subject from whose conthou, son of man, hear

;

:

sciousness the prophecy originated

prophet, but the subject Jehovah.

is

not the subject of the

Whichever way

this

is

always that the

turned, the chief distinction in prophecy is subject of the prophet merely serves as instrument.

From

this,

however,

it

must not be inferred that the

char-

acter or disposition of this instrumental subject was a matter The same musician who at one time plays of indifference.

the flute, the other time a cornet, and at

still

another time a

trumpet, produces each time entirely different tones. This depends altogether upon the instrument he plays and the condition

of

the

instrument.

sonal character and

In the same

way

this per-

present- disposition of the prophet will

prophecy to such an extent that with Isaiah the result is entirely different from what it is with Hosea, and with Jeremiah from what it is with Micah. Only do not lose from sight that this noticeable difference in prophecy, which is the result of the great difference between prophet and prophet, was also determined by the higher As the player chooses his instrument according to subject. he wants to be heard, Jehovah chose His composition the God the Lord, moreover, did what instrument. prophetical prepared His instrument Himself, He the player cannot do and tuned it to the prophecy which by this instrument He

o-ive

tone

to

his

:

was to give

to Israel,

and by

Israel to the

Church

of all ages.

thus without reservation we must recognize the personal stamp which a prophet puts upon his prophecy, it may never be inferred that the fons prophetiae is to be sought in him, If

and that the primoprimae issues of thought should not come from the consciousness of God. We may even enter more fully into this, and confess that it was the preparation, education, and further development of a prophet and his lot in life

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