A strange and interesting phenomenon in the history of prophecy is what is called 'False' Prophecy. The true prophets, whose word hibtciry and God's providence verilied, and to which the religious mind of mankind has set its seal, laid cmjihasis on the 'religious' element in the complex 'national-religious' idea. The unity J' and the nation had to their minds become dis- rupted, and J' now stood opposed to the nation. The ' false ' prophets continued to lay the chief emphasis on the 'national' side; hence they might be called nationalistic prophets rather than false, though, of course, their anticipations were often di8i)roved by events. The question whether these prophets were retrograde or only unprugressive, will be answered dilR-rently acconling to the view taken of the development of religion in Israel. There is no reason to suppose that they had per- sonally sunk below the level of their own time. They stand on the same level with the body of
the peoiile. The charge of the canonical prophets is that tlie nation as a whole had declined from the purer moral and religious ideal of early times (Hos 2', Is 1-'). And this charge is certainly true. Kor, admitting that the people by entrance upon the Canaanite civilization liad attained to a broader and fuller human life, and admitting even that the conception of J", by taking up into it some of the thoughts connected with the native gods, became enlarged and enriched, mixture with the Canaaiiites produced a deterioration both in the life and religion of Israel. It is this deteriora- tion that seems to the true prophets so fateful in regard to the destinies of the nation. And it is on this (question of the national future that con- flicts arise between the true prophets and the false. It is in this region, too, that another new phenomenon in tlie history of prophecy appears in this age — the persecution of the prophets. Former prophets, like Samuel, Elijah, and Elisha, were embodiments of the ' national -religious ' spirit, and carried the people witli them. The new out- look of the prophets regarding the national des- tinies enraged the populace. The prophets seemed to them madmen; their predictions that J" would destroy His people were incredible ; they were traitors, and sought not the welfare of the people, but their hurt (Jer 38^). The prophets probably mi"ht have preached as they liked about the nature of J" and the kind of service pleasing to Him, if they had not gone further and drawn inferences as to the destinies of tlie nation. Jehoiakim showed his indifference to Jeremiah's preaching, or his con- tempt for it, by throwing his book piecemeal into the fire ; it was only when at the end of the roll he found the assertion that Nebuch. would come and destroy the land (Jer 36^ 25"- '"), that he ordered the prophet's arrest. On another occasion Jer. was seized and beaten on the suspicion that he was falling away to the Chalda>ans, and flung into a dungeon because his gloom3' anticipations dis- heartened the men of war in the city (38*). And it was because of his prophecy of national disaster (1 K 22) that Ahab ordered Aticaiah to be confined on bread and water till he came back (he did not come back !). It was not their religious opinions but their political threats that drew persecution on the propliets (."^ni T'"*). The persecution was the convulsive efl'ort of the ' national - religious ' spirit to maintain itself. No doubt many of the people were impatient of the pro|>hets' general teaching, or contemptuous of it : thej- burlesqued their manner (Is 28"- '"), and ironically invited the interposition of the Lord with which the prophets threatened them (Is 5"- '") ; they imiiosed silence on them (Am 2'-, Mic 2"), and told them to have done with the Lord of hosts in their hearing (Is 30"'") ; but it was mostly when the proimcts entered the political region, or when to the general mind they seemed guilty of sacrilege (Am "'-• ", Jer 714 ofp. 8)_ i\^g_i harsher measures were adopted. No doubt the persecution of the prophets by Ahab at the instigation of Jezebel was on account of their opposition to the introduction of the liaiil worship. But even this persecution seems to have been transient, for shortly before his death we observe Ahab on the best of terms with the pro])hets (1 K 22). If the 400 mentioned here are ' false,' or merely nationalistic, prophets, probably many of them liad opposed the Baal cultus if for no liighei reason than that J" was the national God. The per- secution by Manasseh, of whom we know so litth', would be for similar reasons, because the prophets opposed the Assyrian cults which the King 1"- ardently patronized.
4. T/ie Ex/iiri/ of Prophecy. — Many things contributed to the decline and final failure of propliecj'.
112 PROPHECY A:S'D PEOPHETS
PROPHECY AND PROPHETS
(a) The projihets bore some resemblance to a progressive political party in a State. So long as abuses exist, and privilege leads to injustice and oppression of the weaker classes, such a party is slroni;. Its power lies in attack. But when abuses nave been removed, and tlie reforms de- manded have been conceded and placed upon the statute book, the function of the party of progress has ceased. Now, the evils against which the prophets contended had, e.xternally at least, been removed by the reform of Josiah. Deuteronomy received the sanction of the king and government, and became tlie law of tlie State. Tliis was a triunipli of prophetic teaching on morals and re- ligion ; but if it was thus a witness to the power of prophecy in the past, it was virtually a death- blow to it for the future. For by embodying the practical issues of the prophetic principles in law, having State authority, it superseded the living prophetic word. No doubt even after Deut. be- came State law Jer. continued to be a prophet, lie perceived that the reform was merely e.xternal, and he continued to demand something more in- ward— not reform but regeneration.