But the story for us to consider does not stop there. Each man told of his own fascinating contribution to the Bible.

Yet in the final analysis it is Jesus Christ Himself who joins the two sections of the Bible, the Old and New Testaments, together. He welds the Hebrew Prophets to the New Testament. So it is primarily to Christ that we must first look for guidance in evaluating the Latter, or Major, Prophets.

“Well did Isaiah prophesy about you . . .”  Matthew 15:7

In Matthew 15:8-9 Christ quotes from Isaiah 29:13 in the Hebrew Bible.

“For this is he [John the Baptist] who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah . . .”  Matthew 3:3; compare Mark 7:6; Luke 3:4; John 12:39-41

Clearly, the prophet Isaiah spoke these words. Like Paul in composing some of his New Testament letters, he may well have dictated portions of his book to an assistant. Remember that the official system of recorders and scribes (established by King David) was still in operation in Judah during Isaiah’s lifetime. His prophetic ministry continued during the reigns of several Judean kings (Isaiah 1:1).

Isaiah

Did the apostle Paul also quote from Isaiah?

“. . . They departed after Paul had said one word: ‘The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers’ ”  Acts 28:25; compare Romans 9:27

“Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations”  Jeremiah 1:4-5

This expression, “the word of the LORD came to me” (in slightly varied forms), is repeated often in the book of Jeremiah. The message of the prophet is directly from God; Jeremiah is merely His human instrument.

“So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that would come upon Babylon, all these words that are written against Babylon”  Jeremiah 51:60

“. . . This word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying: ‘Take a scroll of a book and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel, against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah even to this day’ ”  Jeremiah 36:1-2

“Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah; and Baruch wrote on a scroll of a book, at the instruction of Jeremiah, all the words of the LORD which He had spoken to him”  Jeremiah 36:4

Jeremiah had his own personal scribe, who apparently was also an accomplished reader (Jeremiah 36:10). Baruch read the words of Jeremiah in “the house of the LORD,” the temple in Jerusalem.

“And it happened, when Jehudi had read three or four columns, that the king cut it with the scribe’s knife and cast it into the fire . . . until all the scroll was consumed in the fire . . .”  Jeremiah 36:23

Many attempts have been made throughout history to destroy parts or all of God’s Word. This particular instance is recorded in the Bible itself. Sometimes biblical writers and translators have been imprisoned or killed. Men literally gave their lives to bring you this Book. In this scriptural example, however, the attempt to “seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet” failed because “the LORD hid them” (Jeremiah 36:26).

“Now after the king had burned the scroll with the words which Baruch had written at the instruction of Jeremiah, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah saying: ‘Take yet another scroll, and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned’ ”  Jeremiah 36:27-28

“Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe . . ., who wrote on it at the instruction of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And besides, there were added to them many similar words”  Jeremiah 36:32

Not even kings have any authority or permission to alter or destroy God’s Word. He has preserved the Bible throughout the ages in spite of determined attempts to extinguish all traces of it. Faithful men and women have risked their lives to preserve, spread and publish the Scriptures.

“The word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was upon him there”  Ezekiel 1:3

Ezekiel is mentioned only twice in the Bible—both times in the book bearing his name. In addition to obvious allusions to the temple chapters of Ezekiel (40-48) in Revelation 21, the book itself is quoted several times in the New Testament. Also, Jesus’ portrait of Himself as the Good Shepherd is an apparent allusion to passages from Ezekiel (compare Ezekiel 34:5-8; Ezekiel 34:12-23; Ezekiel 37:24). God addresses Ezekiel as “the son of man” 90 times, and Jesus Christ refers to Himself as “the Son of Man” about 80 times in the Gospel accounts.

Ezekiel’s prophecies were born in the heat of captivity. Says The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion (1997): “He [Ezekiel] was deported along with King Jehoiachin of Judah . . . in 597 BCE [before the Christian era] to Babylon by the invading forces of Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24:8-16; Ezekiel 1:1-3). The exiles were settled at Tela-bib on the river Chebar . . . Ezekiel’s call to prophesy came in July 593, and all of his preaching took place among the deported Jerusalemites . . .” (pp. 246-247).

“ ‘Therefore when you see the “abomination of desolation,” spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place’ (whoever reads, let him understand) . . .”  Matthew 24:15; compare Mark 13:14

Jesus Christ clearly refers to Daniel as a legitimate Hebrew prophet, although the book of Daniel is not technically classified as a part of the Prophets, but of the Writings—the third major section of the Old Testament.

“ ‘Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in [a sinful land], they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,’ says the Lord GOD”  Ezekiel 14:14; compare Ezekiel 14:20

Clearly, Daniel’s spiritual credentials are of the highest caliber. He was considered an example of righteousness alongside Noah (a preacher of righteousness, 2 Peter 2:5) and the patriarch Job (one of the most righteous men who ever lived, Job 1:1-8).

“As for these four young men [including Daniel], God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams”  Daniel 1:17

“Then he [the angel] said to me, ‘Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words”  Daniel 10:12

Humility before the great God is a vital key to spiritual success. Few have ever understood this principle better than the prophet Daniel. Further, it is an important key to unlocking the door to knowledge of God. Daniel himself said in praising the God of heaven: “He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding” (Daniel 2:21).

Daniel also had special understanding in “literature and wisdom” (Daniel 1:17)—essential qualifications for writing his book. That Daniel wrote the book bearing his name is certain (Daniel 9:2; Daniel 10:2). Says The New Bible Commentary: Revised: “The book of Daniel was a product of the exile and was written by Daniel himself” (p. 688). In his book he often speaks in the first person.

But, as Daniel 1:17 explains, God is the ultimate source of all this spiritual knowledge, understanding and wisdom—not human beings. Prophets like Daniel have distinguished themselves by becoming willing and humble instruments in His hands.

“As He says also in Hosea . . .”  Romans 9:25

In another example, Acts 2:16-21, Peter quotes Joel 2:28-32 because the events on that Day of Pentecost were a direct and dramatic fulfillment of a portion of Joel’s prophecy. After Christ’s crucifixion, God’s Spirit, on this particular day, was spectacularly poured out just as Joel had prophesied. Peter proclaimed that these events were a dramatic fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy.

“An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”  Matthew 12:39-40

One third of the New Testament is composed of quotations from and allusions to the Old. These two parts of Scripture are closely linked and intertwined with each other. The apostles constantly used the Hebrew Bible in their writings.