The Old Testament’s major Prophets – Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel – all experienced persecution and suffering. Each of their writings contain important insights into the theology of persecution, and how God works through it.
- Isaiah’s emphasis on the suffering of God’s servant is particularly evident in chapters 50-55. The suffering servant is a central figure in these chapters, and his suffering is presented as a means of proclaiming and illustrating God’s redemption to those around him. Isaiah underlines God’s redemptive and missionary purposes in persecution, and the role suffering plays in revealing God’s glory and sovereignty. Romanian pastor Josef Ton summarizes:
The message of Isaiah is eminently clear. . . . The purpose of God is to bring all the nations under His authority and rule; yet He does not do this by force, but by the sacrifice and suffering of His chosen servants. . . . First, the Servant has been called to suffer and to die for the redemption of the sins of the world; [second,] following in His footsteps, the other servants chosen by the Lord have also been called to suffer in order that they may proclaim and manifest the redemption of God, conquering the lost world for God.
- Daniel fits God’s redemptive purposes into the “bigger picture” of His eternal plan and – through the lives of Daniel and his friends – illustrates the time-and-space perseverance necessary to achieve them. Ton points out that a “big picture” of God’s redemptive purposes:
- Gives the Christian inspiration that he or she is being perfected for something far bigger than him- or herself.
- Gives the Christian substantive content by which to encourage others on to love and to good deeds. Prophecy is more than mere platitudes – it is God’s entry into our time and space world to demonstrate the reality of His purposes.
- Weakens the Christian’s temporal perspective and builds an eternal perspective.
- Helps the Christian celebrate God’s character in the midst of adversity.
- Jeremiah further illustrates the obedient perseverance necessary for the realization of God’s purposes. His writings contain personal accounts of his own persecution and rejection by his fellow Israelites for speaking the truth of God’s word (Jeremiah 26:11). So great were his sufferings that he is known as the “weeping prophet.” Even though God’s messages mostly fell on deaf ears, he continued to obediently deliver the messages that God had given him.
- Daniel fits God’s redemptive purposes into the “bigger picture” of His eternal plan and – through the lives of Daniel and his friends – illustrates the time-and-space perseverance necessary to achieve them. Ton points out that a “big picture” of God’s redemptive purposes:
- Finally, Daniel illustrates the process and purposes of persecution as purification: Persecution is God’s means of purifying and preparing His followers for future service and responsibility in His kingdom. His message is one of hope and encouragement that that even in the midst of great trials and tribulations, God is still present and working in the lives of His children.
Each of these themes – proclamation, perseverance, and purification – is a vital component of persecution theology.
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