Over against the rigid determinism of paganism from ancient or modern times, the prophets of the Old Testament faced forward in time and anticipated a time beyond the coming divine judgment when God would resume his promises to his people as he ushered in a new age in which justice, righteousness, and peace would characterize his own reign over the whole earth. The roots for such a hope are deeply embedded in the promises of the Abrahamic and the Davidic covenants of old. But they begin to come into