20121126 Prophets confirmed Faith 先知們確認信仰
Prophets were men inspired by God to announce His will and to foretell the future. In the Old Testament, the particular office of the prophets was to confirm faith in the one God and to admonish people to do penance. The prophets also prepared the people for the coming of the Messiah by their example and prophecies.
Elijah and Elisha
Elijah appeared on the scene during the reign of King Ahab (874-853 B.C.) in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Ahab had married a pagan, Jezebel, and had introduced idolatry into the kingdom.
Elijah tried to bring Ahab back to the religion of the one true God by predicting a three-year drought. Ahab sought to kill Elijah, and Elijah hid out east of the Jordan where two ravens brought him bread and meat every day. He then proceeded to Zarephath where a poor widow gave him shelter and food. God rewarded the widow by miraculously multiplying flour and oil for her, and by raising her dead son to life through Elijah.
“The sacrifice on Mount Carmel is a decisive test for the faith of the People of God. In response to Elijah’s plea, ‘Answer me, O Lord, answer me,’ the Lord’s fire consumes the holocaust, at the time of the evening oblation. The Eastern liturgies repeat Elijah’s plea in the Eucharistic epiclesis.
Finally, taking the desert road that leads to the place where the living and true God reveals himself to his people, Elijah, like Moses before him, hides ‘in a cleft of the rock’ until the mysterious presence of God has passed by.” (The Catechism of the Catholic Church #2583)
When Elijah was taken up the heaven, his disciple Elisha inherited his spirit. Elisha continued to proclaim faith in the one true God by miracles such as: dividing the Jordan, multiplying oil, and raising a dead man to life.
The Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians around 721 B.C.
Isaiah and Jeremiah
In the south, the people of Judah was sinking into the evil practices of the Canaanites, and the prophet Isaiah called them to repentance and warned them of the destruction that was to come.
In the midst of darkness, Isaiah pointed out the light of Christ: “For a son has been born for us, a son has been given to us, and dominion has been laid on his shoulders; and this is the name he has been given, ‘Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God, Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace’” (Is. 9:5). “The young woman is with child and will give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel” (Is. 7:14).
Jeremiah had to difficult task to preach the truth to an unreceptive people. The truth about the future destruction proclaimed by Jeremiah was unpopular, and there were flattering false prophets predicting prosperity. Though a prophet of doom, Jeremiah also predicted God would preserved a remnant, and would gathered Israel back together.
Ezekiel and Daniel
The Southern Kingdom of Judah was fallen in 587 B.C. and the people were taken to Babylon. Ezekiel was among the first group of exiles to Babylon. He foretold the destruction of Jerusalem. Ezekiel was commanded by God to warn sinners. He predicted Christ as the good shepherd, and the future redemption.
Daniel was a great prophet during the exile; he defied many attempts to force him to worship the pagan gods of Babylon. Daniel also saved the chase Susanna from the two wicked elders.
Jeremiah and Daniel foretold the return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity. Under the benevolent rule of the Persians, the Jews returned from exile in 538 B.C. and rebuilt Jerusalem and the temple.
The Jews was persecuted under the Greek Empire, which resulted in the Maccabean Revolt, which in turn restored an independent Israel around 125 B.C.
先知是天主的代言人，天主默啟他們發言，甚至講說預言。舊約先知們主要是確認唯一真神的信仰，呼籲群眾悔改補贖。他們以自己的說話和行動來預言默西亞的來臨。
厄里亞和厄里叟
厄里亞現身於公元前874至853年，正藉北國以色列王阿哈布管治時代。阿哈布娶了外邦女子依則貝耳，致使國家風行敬拜邪神的異行。厄里亞先知嘗試把阿哈布王回歸天主，更預言以色列國將遇三年的旱荒，卻惹使阿哈布大怒，要追殺先知。厄里亞被迫往東逃亡，天主派遣烏鴉每天帶給他麵包和肉類充飢。後來，厄里亞在匝爾法特得到一名窮困寡婦提供食宿，天主便讓先知復活了她的兒子，又使她從此不再捱餓。
天主教要理 #2583寫道：「在加爾默羅山上舉行祭獻的一刻，正是天主子民的信仰受到決定性考驗的時刻。藉著厄里亞懇切的祈求，上主之火燒毀了全燔祭品，那時，『正是奉獻晚祭的時分』，『上主，應允我！應允我！』東方禮儀在感恩祭呼求聖神禱詞中，採用了厄里亞的這些話。最後，當厄里亞在曠野中，再次踏上旅途，前往那真實而生活的天主顯現於自己子民的地方時，他好像梅瑟一樣，『躲在山洞裡』，直至天主奇妙的臨在『經過』時為止。」
當厄里亞被提昇天後，弟子厄里叟秉承他作為天主先知之職。厄里叟繼續宣認唯一真神的信仰，更求得天主的力量，以分隔約旦河河水、增添食油，及復活小童等奇蹟，證明自己所宣講的，是確切的真道。
叛逆了天主北國的以色列，在公元前721年，亡於外族亞述國手中。
依撒意亞和耶肋米亞
南方的猶大國亦出現離棄真道的現象，他們受到原居客納罕人供奉異神的影響，依撒意亞先知苦口婆心，勸戒他們悔改，否則要面臨天主的毀滅。
黑暗彰彌之中，依撒意亞先知點出基督之光：「因為有一個嬰孩為我們誕生了，有一個兒子賜給了我們；祂肩上擔負著王權，祂的名子要稱為神奇的謀士、強有力的天主、永遠之父、和平之王。（依9:5）」「有位貞女要懷孕生子，給祂起名叫厄瑪奴耳。（依7:14）」
耶肋米亞先知面對不屑的天主子民，工作感到尤其繁重，群眾對他警告將臨的滅亡，充耳不聞，寧願相信假先知的花言佞語。不過，耶肋米亞還是預言天主的慈悲和大能，聲稱天主要保留一些遺民，並要將離散的以色列召集。
厄克則耳和達尼爾
公元前721年，南方的猶大國終被外族征服，天主忤逆的子民，被充軍到巴比倫，厄克則耳先知亦在首批被充軍的人群中；他被天主派遣，向罪人儆醒，並預言耶路撒冷的滅亡、善牧的基督和將臨的救恩，。
猶太遺民充軍期間，達尼爾是天主偉大的先知，他堅決拒絕跪拜任何邪神異端，甚至不接受外邦人的飲食模式，也曾幫助女子蘇撒納申冤，從兩個邪惡長老的誣蔑中救出來。
耶肋米亞和達尼爾先知，都曾預言猶太遺民，會重返舊地。公元前538年，在波斯君令下，猶太人被釋放，重建耶路撒冷和聖殿。
猶太人曾遭受希臘人的迫害，但因瑪加伯家族領導叛變，於公元前125年，重建獨立的以色列。