Cessation of Prophecy in Jewish understanding

We have finished the Minor Prophets and we are gearing up for the reformers Ezra and Nehemiah before we tackle the Major Prophet Ezekiel. But before we switch modes entirely, we are doing a mini lecture series, a Prophets 101 class. Last week we discussed the Institution of the Prophetic Office. Today I want to explore the Jewish understanding for why prophecy ceased after Malachi. In Jewish understanding, the cessation of prophecy is a spiritual tragedy, a major loss for the community that will only return in the messianic age. On that, all sources agree. As to why prophecy stopped, rabbis, both ancient and modern, have offered many well-contemplated and biblically based theories but there is no one accepted answer.  According to the prophet Amos, prophecy ceased because of the prevalence of sin and lack of faith. In his own day, idolatry and injustice were rampant, but Amos looked to a future when God would no longer bother to send his prophets to offer course correction. Amos predicted, “the days are coming when I will send a famine through the land—not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord” (Amos 8:11-12). Support the showConsider donating (one-time or recurring) to www.TheJerusalemConnection.us so we can continue to bring valuable content via podcasts free to the public. Help us increase our audience reach and improve production quality. Your donation is 100% tax-deductible to our non-profit organization. Bible Fiber and The Red Alert Report are available via YouTube and all major podcast platforms. The Jerusalem Connection also engages in additional educational and advocacy programs. Check our "Projects" tab for all the endeavors we invite YOU to be part of.