3.  The Old Testament contains a body of writings which are not historical; neither are they prophetical, in the restricted sense of the term, although some of them contain prophecy.  The enumeration of these books, prominent among which are Job, Psalms, and Proverbs, with an account of their contents and the place which each of them holds in the plan of revelation, belongs to the Introduction to the Old Testament.  It is sufficient to say here, that they are precious offshoots of the Mosaic economy, that they contain rich and varied treasures of divine truth for the instruction and encouragement of God’s people in all ages, and that they are, as a whole, recognized in the New Testament as part of God’s revelation to men.  The book of Psalms, in particular, is perpetually quoted by the writers of the New Testament as containing prophecies which had their fulfilment in Jesus of Nazareth.

4.  The prophetical books—­according to our classification, the Jews having a different arrangement—­are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the twelve minor prophets.  The vast body of prophecies contained in these books—­the prophetical portions of the other books being also included—­may be contemplated in different points of view.

Many of these prophecies, considered independently of the New Testament, afford conclusive proof that the Old Testament is the word of God, for they bear on their front the signet of their divine origin.  They contain predictions of the distant future which lie altogether beyond the range of human sagacity and foresight.  Such is the wonderful prophecy of Moses respecting the history of the Israelitish people through all coming ages, Lev. ch. 26; Deut. ch. 28, a prophecy which defies the assaults of skepticism, and which, taken in connection with our Lord’s solemn declaration, “They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations:  and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled,” Luke 21:24, marks both the Old Testament and the New as given by the same omniscient God, who declares the end from the beginning.  Such also are the predictions of the utter and perpetual desolation of Babylon, uttered ages beforehand, and which presuppose a divine foresight of the course of human affairs to the end of time:  “Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.  It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.”  “I will also make it a possession for the bittern and pools of water:  and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the Lord of hosts.”  Isa. 13:19, 20; 14:23.  See also the prophecy of the overthrow of Nineveh, Nahum, chs. 2, 3, and of Tyre:  “I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock.  It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea.”  “I will make thee like the top of a rock:  thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more.”  Ezek. 26:4, 5, 14.  On all the above prophecies, and many more that might be quoted, the descriptions of modern travellers furnish a perfect comment.