Oracle
What is an Oracle?
A command or revelation from God. In the Bible, the sanctuary of the Temple.
Dictionary
- : a person (such as a priestess of ancient Greece) through whom a deity is believed to speak the prophecies of the Delphic oracle — D. F. Marks
b
: a shrine in which a deity reveals hidden knowledge or the divine purpose through such a person
c
: an answer or decision given by an oracle ambiguous oracles - 2
a
: a person giving wise or authoritative decisions or opinions She became an oracle of pop culture.
b
: an authoritative or wise expression or answer
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In the Bible, an oracle is a direct, authoritative utterance or message from God, often delivering prophecy, guidance, or judgment through a prophet. These divine words are sometimes called "burdens" (heavy messages) in the Old Testament, while the New Testament uses them to signify the inspired, authoritative words of Scripture itself.
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Key Aspects of Biblical Oracles:
- Divine Message: They are not predictions of the future alone but revelations of God's will, warning, or promises.
- "Oracles of God": In the New Testament, this refers to the Old Testament scriptures (Acts 7:38) and the foundational teachings of Christianity (Hebrews 5:12).
- The Sanctuary: In the Old Testament (e.g., 1 Kings 6:5), the "oracle" refers to the Most Holy Place in the Temple, where God’s presence dwelt and from which His voice was heard.
- Prophetic Medium: They were delivered by messengers (prophets) who were burdened to speak divine truth.
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Common Uses of "Oracle":
- Prophetic Utterances: Often, books like Isaiah or Ezekiel contain oracles against nations.
- The Law: The words given to Moses are described as "lively oracles" (Acts 7:38).
- Divine Instruction: A firm decision or command from God.
- AV1611.com
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In short, a biblical oracle is God's spoken or written word designed to instruct, warn, or predict, viewed as entirely reliable and authoritative
Dictionary
a person giving wise or authoritative decisions or opinions.
a person through whom a deity is believed to speak the prophecies.
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Acts 7:38
This is the man who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors, and he received living oracles to give to you.
Proverbs 16:10
The lips of a king speak as an oracle, and his mouth does not betray justice.
Psalm 36:1
For the music director, an oracle, written by the Lord’s servant David.
An evil man is rebellious to the core. He does not fear God.
Numbers 24:16
the oracle of the one who hears the words of God, and who knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, although falling flat on the ground with eyes open.
Numbers 24:21
Then he looked on the Kenites and uttered this oracle: “Your dwelling place seems strong, and your nest is set on a rocky cliff.
Numbers 24:23
Then he uttered this oracle: “O, who will survive when God does this!
Judges 18:5
They said to him, “Seek a divine oracle for us, so we can know if we will be successful on our mission.”
2 Samuel 23:1
David’s Final Words
These are the final words of David: “The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man raised up as the ruler chosen by the God of Jacob, Israel’s beloved singer of songs.
2 Kings 8:8
So the king told Hazael, “Take a gift and go visit the prophet. Request from him an oracle from the Lord. Ask him, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’”
2 Kings 22:13
“Go, seek an oracle from the Lord for me and the people—for all Judah. Find out about the words of this scroll that has been discovered. For the Lord’s great fury has been ignited against us, because our ancestors have not obeyed the words of this scroll by doing all that it instructs us to do.”
2 Chronicles 18:4
Then Jehoshaphat said further to the king of Israel, “First, please seek an oracle from the Lord.”
Isaiah 22:1
The Lord Will Judge Jerusalem
This is an oracle about the Valley of Vision: What is the reason that all of you go up to the rooftops?
Jeremiah 23:9
Oracles Against the False Prophets
Here is what the Lord says concerning the false prophets: My heart and my mind are deeply disturbed. I tremble all over. I am like a drunk person, like a person who has had too much wine, because of the way the Lord and his holy word are being mistreated.
Zechariah 1:16
The Oracle of Response
“‘Therefore,’ this is what the Lord has said, ‘I have become compassionate toward Jerusalem and will rebuild my temple in it,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. ‘Once more a surveyor’s measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.’
Zechariah 12:1
The Repentance of Judah
This is an oracle, the Lord’s message concerning Israel: The Lord—he who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundations of the earth, who forms the human spirit within a person.
Romans 3:2
Actually, there are many advantages. First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.
Tim Skon
Chaplain, Prayer Minister, Deacon
dedicated to serving others in Jesus name