The words of this prophet are heard every Easter night. What did he predict eight centuries before Christ?translated

The Prophet Hosea, whose memory is celebrated on October 30, is one of the twelve so-called minor prophets of the Old Testament. He lived in the 8th century BC and preached mainly in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Hosea heralded the destruction of Israel and the subsequent restoration of the people's relationship with God. Some of his prophecies received special significance in the New Testament: Christian tradition saw in them indications of the events of Christ’s earthly life and His Resurrection. What prophecies are we talking about and how should they be understood?

Priest Evgeny MURZIN

editor of the direction "Faith and Church"

1. Predicted the destruction of the kingdom of Israel

Hosea began his ministry during a period of relative prosperity for the Northern Kingdom of Israel. However, the last decades of its existence were marked by political turmoil and the increasing Assyrian threat. The Prophet warned about the destruction of royal power, the destruction of sanctuaries, the devastation of the country and the expulsion of its inhabitants:

Samaria will be desolate because it has rebelled against its God; they shall fall by the sword; their babies will be broken, and their pregnant women will be cut in pieces. (Hos 1 4:1).

The catastrophe predicted by the prophet occurred in 722/721 BC...