What
is an Oracle?
In the Old Testament the sanctuary of the Temple.
Genesis
3;8
[ The
Judgment Oracles of God at the Fall ] Then the man and his wife
heard the sound of the Lord God moving about in the orchard at the breezy time
of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the orchard.
Numbers
24;4
the oracle
of the one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty,
although falling flat on the ground with eyes open.
Numbers
24;15
[ Balaam
Prophesies a Fourth Time ] Then he uttered this oracle; “The oracle
of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eyes are open.
Numbers
24;16
the oracle
of the one who hears the words of God, and who knows the knowledge of the Most
High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, although falling flat on the ground
with eyes open.
Numbers
24;23
Then
he uttered this oracle; “O, who will survive when God does this!
Judges
18;5
They
said to him, “Seek a divine oracle for us, so we can know if we will be
successful on our mission.”
2
Samuel 23;1
[ David’s
Final Words ] These are the final words of David: “The oracle of
David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man raised up as the ruler chosen
by the God of Jacob, Israel’s beloved singer of songs.
2
Kings 22;13
“Go,
seek an oracle from the Lord for me and the people—for all Judah. Find
out about the words of this scroll that has been discovered. For the Lord’s
great fury has been ignited against us, because our ancestors have not obeyed
the words of this scroll by doing all that it instructs us to do.”
2
Kings 22;18
Say
this to the king of Judah, who sent you to seek an oracle from the Lord:
“This is what the Lord God of Israel has said concerning the words you have
heard.
2
Chronicles 18;4
Then
Jehoshaphat said further to the king of Israel, “First, please seek an oracle
from the Lord.”
2
Chronicles 24;27
The
list of Joash’s sons, the many prophetic oracles about him, and the
account of his building project on God’s temple are included in the record of
the Scroll of the Kings. His son Amaziah replaced him as king.
2
Chronicles 34;26
Say
this to the king of Judah, who sent you to seek an oracle from the Lord; “This is what the Lord God of Israel says concerning the words you have heard.
Isaiah
8;19
[ Darkness
Turns to Light as an Ideal King Arrives ] They will say to you, “Seek oracles
at the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, from the magicians who chirp
and mutter incantations. Should people not seek oracles from their gods,
by asking the dead about the destiny of the living?”
Isaiah
14;28
[ The
Lord Will Judge the Philistines ] This oracle came in the year that
King Ahaz died.
Isaiah
15;1
[ The
Lord Will Judge Moab ] This is an oracle about Moab; Indeed, in a
night it is devastated, Ar of Moab is destroyed! Indeed, in a night it is
devastated, Kir of Moab is destroyed!
Isaiah
17;1
[ The
Lord Will Judge Damascus ] This is an oracle about Damascus; “Look,
Damascus is no longer a city, it is a heap of ruins!
Isaiah
19;1
[ The
Lord Will Judge Egypt ] This is an oracle about Egypt; Look, the
Lord rides on a swift-moving cloud and approaches Egypt. The idols of Egypt
tremble before him; the Egyptians lose their courage.
Isaiah
21;1
[ The
Lord Will Judge Babylon ] This is an oracle about the wilderness by
the Sea; Like strong winds blowing in the south, one invades from the
wilderness, from a land that is feared.
Isaiah
21;11
This is an oracle about Dumah; Someone calls to me
from Seir, “Watchman, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the
night?”
Isaiah
22;1
[ The
Lord Will Judge Jerusalem ] This is an oracle about the Valley of
Vision; What is the reason that all of you go up to the rooftops?
Isaiah
23;1
[ The
Lord Will Judge Tyre ] This is an oracle about Tyre; Wail, you large
ships, for the port is too devastated to enter! From the land of Cyprus this
news is announced to them.
Isaiah
30;6
This
is an oracle about the animals in the Negev; Through a land of distress
and danger, inhabited by lionesses and roaring lions, by snakes and darting
adders, they transport their wealth on the backs of donkeys, their riches on
the humps of camels, to a nation that cannot help them.
Isaiah
41;22
“Let
them produce evidence! Let them tell us what will happen! Tell us about your
earlier predictive oracles, so we may examine them and see how they were
fulfilled. Or decree for us some future events!
Isaiah
42;9
Look,
my earlier predictive oracles have come to pass; now I announce new
events. Before they begin to occur, I reveal them to you.”
Isaiah
44;26
who
fulfills the oracles of his prophetic servants and brings to pass the
announcements of his messengers, who says about Jerusalem, ‘She will be
inhabited,’ and about the towns of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt, her ruins I
will raise up.’
Jeremiah
23;9
[ Oracles
Against the False Prophets ] Here is what the Lord says concerning the
false prophets; My heart and my mind are deeply disturbed. I tremble all over.
I am like a drunk person, like a person who has had too much wine, because of
the way the Lord and his holy word are being mistreated.
Lamentations
2;14
Your prophets saw visions for you that were worthless whitewash.
They failed to expose your sin so as to restore your fortunes. They saw oracles
for you that were worthless lies.
Ezekiel
14;10
They
will bear their punishment; the punishment of the one who sought an oracle
will be the same as the punishment of the prophet who gave it.
Hosea
4;12
They
consult their wooden idols, and their diviner’s staff answers with an oracle.
The wind of prostitution blows them astray; they commit spiritual adultery
against their God.
Hosea 6;5
Therefore,
I will certainly cut you into pieces at the hands of the prophets; I will
certainly kill you in fulfillment of my oracles of judgment, for my
judgment will come forth like the light of the dawn.
Micah
3;5
This
is what the Lord has said about the prophets who mislead my people, “If someone
gives them enough to eat, they offer an oracle of peace. But if someone
does not give them food, they are ready to declare war on him.
Micah
3;7
The
prophets will be ashamed; the omen readers will be humiliated. All of them will
cover their mouths, for they will receive no divine oracles.”
Nahum
1;12
[ Oracle
of Deliverance to Judah ] This is what the Lord says; “Even though they are
powerful— and what is more, even though their army is numerous— nevertheless,
they will be destroyed and trickle away! Although I afflicted you, I will
afflict you no more.
Nahum
1;14
[ Oracle
of Judgment against the King of Nineveh ] The Lord has issued a decree
against you; “Your dynasty will come to an end. I will destroy the idols and
images in the temples of your gods. I will desecrate your grave, because you
are accursed!”
Habakkuk
1;1
[ Habakkuk
Complains to the Lord ] This is the oracle that the prophet Habakkuk
saw.
Habakkuk
2;18
What
good is an idol? Why would a craftsman make it? What good is a metal image that
gives misleading oracles? Why would its creator place his trust in it
and make such mute, worthless things?
Zechariah
1;16
[ The
Oracle of Response ] “‘Therefore,’ this is what the Lord has said,
‘I have become compassionate toward Jerusalem and will rebuild my temple in
it,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. ‘Once more a surveyor’s measuring line
will be stretched out over Jerusalem.’
Zechariah
4;7
[ Oracle
of Response ] “What are you, you great mountain? Because of Zerubbabel you
will become a level plain! And he will bring forth the temple capstone with
shoutings of ‘Grace! Grace!’ because of this.”
Zechariah
6;9
[ A
Concluding Oracle ] The Lord’s message came to me as follows;
Zechariah
9;1
[ The
Coming of the True King ] This is an oracle, the Lord’s message
concerning the land of Hadrach, with its focus on Damascus; The eyes of all
humanity, especially of the tribes of Israel, are toward the Lord,
Zechariah
12;1
[ The
Repentance of Judah ] This is an oracle, the Lord’s message
concerning Israel; The Lord—he who stretches out the heavens and lays the
foundations of the earth, who forms the human spirit within a person—says,
Malachi
1;1
[ Introduction
and God’s Election of Israel ] This is an oracle, the Lord’s message
to Israel through Malachi.
Acts
7;38
This
is the man who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke
to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors, and he received living oracles
to give to you.
Romans
3;2
Actually,
there are many advantages. First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles
of God.