biblical prophecy | David Solomon

This second instalment of David’s series on the Trei Asar, the twelve “minor” prophets, explores the lives and books of:

Ovadiah (Obadiah),
Yonah (Jonah), and
Michah.

Jonah Preaching to the Ninevites (1866) by Gustave Doré. Public domain.

David examines the historical contexts of all three prophets and how they are reflected in the texts. He also discusses the key themes in these three prophetic books, including:

national and individual teshuvah
the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel
false prophets and prophecy
Edom and its spiritual and geo-historical connections
destinations of exile
messianic visions
the importance of ethical and just behaviour.

In exploring these themes, David also delves into the words of these prophets. He examines, line-by-line, some of the key passages of the books and reveals the remarkable power and substance of these fundamental sacred works.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:29:47 — 84.1MB)

Continue reading “#91 The Twelve Minor Prophets (2)”

The Jewish mystical tradition has fascinating and profound speculations about accessing divine reality. In this podcast episode, the first in a four-part series entitled ‘A History of Mystical Encounters’, David explores definitions of mysticism and its manifestations in life and texts. In doing so, he looks at different forms of Jewish mystical practice, including biblical prophecy. Unusually, this lecture also involves textual study. David examines extracts from Bereishit, Genesis, and the Book of Ezekiel (Sefer Yechezkel), and discusses mystical ideas presented and the context in which they are set.

Click on the links to download the extracts from the Books of Genesis and Ezekiel discussed in this episode.

Engraved illustration of the “chariot vision” of the Biblical book of Ezekiel, chapter 1. Public Domain.

Continue reading “#37 A History of Mystical Encounters (part 1)”