The Miracle Narratives of the Bible

This work is to add a sequel to my doctoral dissertation: The Literary and the Theological Functions of the Miracle Narratives Associated with Moses/Joshua and Elijah/Elisha (2008). This combined work demonstrates that the purpose of these miraculous events was to elucidate and validate the spoken word of the prophets and apostles and even of Jesus Himself, and makes a convincing case for the linkage of these miraculous New Testament occurrences to those of the Old Testament. Thus this work brings the cycle of such divine manifestations to a close. Where Moses was the beginning, Jesus was the telos, the fulfillment. Elijah and Elisha are the links between the two. The author relates the three clusters of intense miraculous activity to one another by an exacting study of the literary features of the narratives. This study also shows that these three miracle narratives of the Bible portray a comprehensive theology. This theology leads to a conclusion that the miracles in these three biblical periods were God's careful interventions at Israelites' religious crises with respect to His kingdom ideal.