ABSTRACT
The natural meaning of the regular English translation of Amos 3:7 suggests that Yahweh, as a matter of course, makes his every intention known to and through his prophetic servants. An accepted definition of the relationship between biblical prophecy and apocalyptic remains peculiarly elusive. A continuum is often sketched which includes both prophecy and apocalyptic, and holds that the traditional task of prophecy was to translate visions of the divine council into historical terms. Apocalyptic as social phenomenon may well be a child of prophecy. But prophecy as literature may have been touched up, even if not as much as reshaped, by apocalyptic. In fact 'apocalyptic', although itself a contentious enough term, may be rather more straightforward than 'prophecy'. The verb in a prophetic context, and with the deity as subject, suggests without apparent problem the familiar theological category of 'revelation'.
