Overview: The Not So Minor Prophets

I. Background

A. Considered one book by the Jews

1. In the apocryphal book Ecclesiasticus they are called ”the twelve prophets”

2. Josephus spoke of them as being together on one scroll

B. They were equivalent with Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel

C. Augustine referred to them as “minor” referring to their size, not to their message

D. They are in what was traditionally considered their chronological order

1. Books from the period of Assyrian power

a) Hosea

b) Joel

c) Amos

d) Obadiah

e) Jonah

f) Micah

2. Books from the period of Assyrian decline

a) Nahum

b) Habakkuk

c) Zephaniah

3. Books from the postexilic era

a) Haggai

b) Zechariah

c) Malachi

II. Their Value

A. Their message was major though their length was minor

B. Their message often has great parallels to modern events

1. The Jews were often in a “post-Mosaic” condition just was the United States is in a post-Christian era

2. Judgment is a needed voice with today’s “anything goes” mentality

III. The prophets and the Kings

A. Obadiah: Jehoshaphat (Judah); Jehoram (Israel)

B. Joel: Joash (Judah); Jehu, Jehoahaz (Israel)

C. Jonah: Amaziah, Uzziah (Judah); Jereboam II, Zachariah (Israel)

D. Amos: Uzziah (Judah); Jereboam II (Israel)

E. Hosea: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah (Judah); Jereboam II (Israel)

F. Micah: Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah (Judah); Menehem, Pekahiah, Pekah, Hoshea (Israel)

G. Nahum: Josiah (Judah)

H. Zephaniah: Josiah (Judah)

I. Habakkuk: Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim (Judah)

J. Haggai: Captivity period

K. Zechariah: Captivity period

L. Malachi: Captivity period

IV. The Prophets and their message

Book	Message	Key Verse
Obadiah:	Judgment on sin and pride	Verse 3
Joel	Judgment on sin precedes revival	2:12-14
Jonah	God’s grace extends to all that repent	3:10
Amos	You reap what you sow	3:2
Hosea	God’s unconditional love	3:1
Micah	The way of righteousness	6:8
Nahum	God’s judgment on the ungodly	1:3
Zephaniah	The chastising of God	3:8-13
Habakkuk	Faith in the midst of trials	3:17-19
Haggai	Maintaining the right priorities	1:4-6
Zechariah	Reassurance of God’s covenant	1:16
Malachi	Condemnation of the sins of Israel	3:6