The Old Testament prophets and their writings were hugely instrumental in the formation of the second temple eschatology, so an appreciation of the Old Testament prophetic literature greatly helps us in understanding the life and ministry of Jesus and the rationale of the early church. Israel's story of divine election lay at the core of their identity as a nation and people, constantly reinforced in the religious practices and rituals that made up their lives. That story, by the time of Jesus, was heavily influenced by the eschatological expectations created by the prophets. The people of Israel expected, looked for, and waited for God's intervention in their history and in their lives once again as he had intervened in the past.
