ABSTRACT
Chapter 1, “Context: Prophets and Prophecy, Ezekiel, and the Spirit,” provides the biblical and historical context for the book. Ricoeur's hermeneutics of revelation frame the chapter. For Ricoeur, poetic discourse manifests revelation. Within Scripture (poetic discourse) the originary manifestation of Yahweh's revelation is prophetic discourse, for it is the closest humans have come to hearing directly from God—from God's mouth to the prophet's ear. I examine the context and spiritual conflict for the Old Testament (OT) prophets, locating criteria by which they may be identified: the classical prophets in general and Ezekiel's distinct mode of prophecy in particular. Demonstrating that it is the Holy Spirit who speaks through the prophets, and that Ezekiel is the central “prophet of the Spirit,” I then examine the Spirit's specific identity in the New Testament (NT), beginning with John the Baptist and Jesus. The Spirit's mission to the world in the Gospels and Acts differs from Paul's depiction of the Spirit in the early church, but it is more congruent with the OT prophets. Examining both OT and NT in light of Ben Quash's theology of the Spirit's finding (pursuing) us throughout time enables this model to go beyond Scripture, not just outside the church but through history, imagination, and art. I return to Ricoeur's understanding of the world of the text as Scripture, and how it unfolds itself before us once the originary authors and audience are absent, setting the stage for the artist-prophet in the Christian tradition.
