THE SYMBOLIC IMAGES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS

Image Groups	Part I Covenant Relationship	Part II Rebellion	Part III Redemptive Judgment	Part IV Restoration Fulfilled
Covenant Marriage [examples in Scripture]	Israel Bride of Yahweh Ezekiel 16:4-14; Isaiah 61:10-11; Jeremiah 2:2	Unfaithful adulteress/harlot Ezekiel 16:15-34; 23:1-12; Isaiah 1:21; Jeremiah 3:6-8; 13:22-23, 26; 23:10; Hosea 4:10-14	Humiliated, abused & abandoned by lovers Ezekiel 16:23-61; 23:35-49; Amos 4:7-8; Jeremiah 3:1b-2; 4:30-31; Hosea 2:4-15	The Bride restored to her Bridegroom John 3:28-29; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelation 19:7-9; 21:2, 9; 22:17
Vineyard or Fig tree [examples in Scripture]	Well-tended vineyard/fruitful fig tree Isaiah 5:1-4; Ezekiel 19:10-11; Jeremiah 24:4-7	Vines grow wild/failure to produce fruit Jeremiah 2:21; Hosea 2:14; Micah 7:1-4; Joel 1:7; 11-12;	Weeds overgrow vineyard/ ruin and destruction Isaiah 5:3-6; Ezekiel 19:12-14; Jeremiah 8:13; Nahum 3:12-15	Vines are replanted/ fruitfulness restored John 15:1-2, 4-6
Animals [examples in Scripture]	Domesticated animals obedient to the Master's yoke Micah 4:13; Isaiah 40:10-11; 65:25; Ezekiel 34:15-16	Resist the yoke; run away and become wild Isaiah 50:6; 53:6; Jeremiah 5:5d-6; 8:6b-7; 23:1-2; Ezekiel 19:1-9	Ravaged by wild beasts/ birds of prey Isaiah 50:7; Jeremiah 8:15-17; 50:6-7; Hosea 8:1-14; 13:6-8	Rescued by their Master Matthew 11:28-30; John 1:29, 36; 10:1-18; Hebrews 3:20; Revelation 5:6, 13; 7:9-17; 14:1-10; 19:2-9; 21:9-23; 22:1-3
Drinking Wine [examples in Scripture]	Joy of drinking good wine Jeremiah 40:12; Isaiah 62:8-9	Becoming drunk Isaiah 5:11-12; 28:1; Jeremiah 8:13; 48:26; 51:7; Joel 1:5	Loss of wine; drinking the "cup of God's wrath" Psalm 75:8/9 Joel 4:13/3:13; Isaiah 51:17; 63:2-3; Jeremiah 13:12-14; 25:15-31; 48:26; Ezekiel 23:32-33	Rejoicing in the best "new wine" at the Master's table Promise: Zech.9:15-16 Filled: Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32; Revelation 19:7-9

Each of the image groups consists of four parts:

Part I: Yahweh and His people enter into a Covenant relationship. Yahweh will bind this people to Himself in the blessings of security and prosperity in return for obedience to the Covenant of the Torah [first five books of Moses]
Part II: Israel, the Covenant people ignore the Laws of the Covenant; they rebel by going their own way
Part III: God sends His holy prophet to call His people back to Him. Failing in this mission the prophet calls down a Covenant Lawsuit which results in Covenant curses, punishment meant to bring about repentance and restoration
Part IV: In response to repentance, Yahweh reaches out to restore and to take His people back into the Covenant relationship they had first enjoyed.