4. Symbolic Actions of the Prophets. In the midst of the prophetic declarations symbolic ac tions are often mentioned, which the prophets had to perform. The opinions of interpreters on these are divided. Some assert that they always, at least generally, were really done; others assert that they had existence only in the mind of the prophets, and formed part of their visions. The latter view, which was espoused by Calvin, is proved to be correct by a considerable number of such symbolic actions as are either impossible, or inconsistent with decorum.
Thus Hosea relates (i:2-11) of himself 'that the Lord had ordered him to take a wife of whoredoms, for the land had committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord ;' and that he then had taken Gomer, by whom he had several children. That this is not to he taken as a real fact is proved by Hengstenbcrg's Christologie, (vol. iii), where it is shown that the prophet in tended only symbolically to depict the idolatrous disposition of his nation. Another symbolic ac tion of Jeremiah prefigures the people's destruc tion. He says (xiii i-to) he had been by the Lord directed to get a linen girdle, to put it on his loins. to undertake a long tour to the Eu phrates, and to hide the girdle there in a hole of the rock. He does so, returns, and after many days the Lord again orders him to take the gir dle from the place where it was hidden, but 'the girdle was marred and good for nothing.' In predicting the destruction of Babylon and a gen eral war (xxv :12-38), he receives from the Lord a wine-cup, to cause a number of kings of various nations, among whom the sword would be sent, to drink from it till they should be overcome. He then goes with this cup to the kings of Egypt, Arabia, Persia, Media, and many other countries. When the prophet Ezekiel receives his commis sion and instructions to prophesy against the re bellious people of Israel, a roll of a book is pre sented to him, which he eats by the direction of the Lord (Ezek. ii :9; III:2, 3). He is next or dered to lie before the city of Jerusalem on his left side three hundred and ninety days; and when he had accomplished them, on his right side forty days. He must not turn from one side to the other, and he is ordered to bake with dung of man the bread which he eats during this time (Ezek. iv :4, 8, 12). Isaiah is ordered to walk naked and barefoot, for a sign upon Egypt and Ethiopia (Is. XX :2, 3). Many other passages of this kind might be adduced from the books of the prophets, which compel us to admit that they state internal, not external facts. This may also
further be supported by other reason. In the rec ords of the prophets, their seeing the Lord, hear ing him speak, and addressing him, are, no doubt, inward acts. Why, then, not likewise their sym bolic representations? The world in which the prophets moved was quite different from the or dinary one; it was not the sensible, but the spir itual world. Vision and symbolic action are not opposed; the former is the general class, compre hending the latter as a species. We must, how ever, not refer all symbolic actions to internal in tuition ; at least of a false prophet we have a sure example of an externally performed symbolic ac tion (1 Kings xxii:it), and the false prophets al ways aped the true ones (comp. Jer. xix :1, sq.). Inward actions were sometimes, when it was pos sible and proper, materialized by external per formance; they are always at the bottom, and form the regular, natural explanation of the sym bolic actions of the prophets. To attain the in tended object, external performance was not al ways required; the internal action was narrated, and committed to writing. It made a naked state ment more intuitive and impressive, and by pre senting the subject in a concentrated form, it was preferable to external performance, which could only take place when the sphere of internal ac tion was circumscribed and did not extend over long periods of time.
5. False ProphetsDistinguished. As Moses had foretold, a host of false prophets arose in later times among the people, who promised pros perity without repentance, and preached the gos pel without the law. The writings of the proph ets are full of complaints of the mischief done by these impostors. Jeremiah significantly calls them 'prophets of the deceit of their own heart ;' i. e. men who followed the suggestions of their own fancy in prophesying (Jer. xxiii:26; comp. verse 16, and ch. xiv :14). All their practices prove the great influence which true prophetism had ac quired among the people of Israel. But how were the people to distinguish true and false proph ets? In the law concerning prophets (Deut. xviii: 20; comp. xiii:7-9), the following enactments are contained: (1) In the Name of Other Gods. The prophet who speaks in the name of other gods—i. c. pro fesses to have his revelations from a God differ ent from Jehovah—is to be considered as false, and to be punished capitally; and this eventhough his predictions should come to pass.