Oracle of Judgment


There are two major types of prophetic oracle: the oracle of salvation and the oracle of judgment.

Oracles of judgment lend themselves well to a satirical literary approach. There is always an object of attack, and a standard by which the judgment is rendered.

(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. The Bible as Literature by Leland Ryken, Page 146)

In the Bible

Amos is satire from start to finish, attacking public evils on the basis of clearly stated spiritual and moral standards.

Jonah is a great masterpiece of biblical satire. The object of attack is the nationalistic zeal that made God the exclusive property of Israel and refused to accept the universality of God's grace. The protagonist embodies this attitude. The other main character, God, presents the standard of universal love and mercy by which Jonah's attitude is exposed as wrong. The irony of the ignominious behavior of the wayward prophet produces latent humor in the story.

In the Gospels, the Pharisees are portrayed with satiric scorn. Jesus' discourses are frequently satiric, especially Matthew 23, as are His parables.

(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. The Bible as Literature by Leland Ryken, Page 146-147)