The Old Testament Prophetic Books
The Prophetic Books,Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah,Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi by Pastor Fred Overview In the Pentateuch the law of God is given. In the historical books we are shown Israel’s response to that law. The poetic books express the devotional impact of God’s law in the individual lives of his people. Now in the prophetic books we see again the response of the nation of Israel to God’s law.“This is what the Lord says!” was the preface to the prophet’s message. The prophet was, as the title implies, a spokesman for God. He was God’s personal messenger. Israel was, properly, a theocracy — God was their king — and God would send his word to kings and people alike. In this sense, no one in the kingdom stood taller than the prophet. When he spoke all were responsible to listen. Whether his message was written or spoken verbally, he was God’s mouthpiece delivering God’s word to the people.Israel’s prophets would sometimes speak to other nations (Jonah, for example), and often they would prophesy concerning other nations.But the burden of their work was to speak for God to his own covenant-disobedient people Israel.The prophet’s message from God might concern the future (prediction), or it might concern responsibility for the present. Or it might be a call to repentance or a word of comfort, promise, warning, judgment, or rebuke from the Lord. But in any case it was God’s word being spoken. This is the function of the Biblical prophets: they were spokesmen for God.Classifications The writing (as contrasted with the non-writing) prophets of the Old Testament are most easily categorized as the “major” and the “minor” prophets, as in our English Bibles. These designations (major vs. minor) do not reflect the relative importance of the prophets but rather the comparative length of their writings.
Major Prophets-Isaiah,Jeremiah & Lamentations,Ezekiel,Daniel
Minor Prophets-Hosea,Joel, Amos,ObadiahJonah,Micah,Nahum,Habakkuk,Zephaniah,Haggai Zechariah,Malachi
The prophets labored throughout the time of Israel’s monarchy, during the exile, and after the exile and return to their land. To keep this general chronology — and often the corresponding message — in mind, many have found it helpful to classify the prophets according to the time of their ministry.
Preexilic Prophets-Isaiah,Jeremiah,Hosea,Joel,Amos,Obadiah,Jonah,Micah,Nahum,Habakkuk Zephaniah
Exilic Prophets-Lamentations (Jeremiah),Ezekiel,Daniel
Postexilic Prophets-Haggai,Zechariah,Malachi
History & Chronology
Chronological Chart of the Prophets & Kings
Era / Date (B.C.) Prophetic Book King(s) Kingdom
Pre-exilic
840-830 Obadiah,Jehoram, Ahaziah, Athaliah, Joash,Judah
830-820 Joel,Joash,Judah
780-760 Jonah,Jeroboam II,Israel
755-750 Amos,Jeroboam II,Israel
760-710 Hosea,Jeroboam II, Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah, Hoshea,Israel
740-690 Isaiah,Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh,Judah
735-700 Micah,Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah,Judah
650-620 Nahum,Manasseh, Amon, Josiah,Judah
630-620 Zephaniah,Josiah,Judah
620-605 Habakkuk,Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim,Judah
625-585 Jeremiah,Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah,Judah
Exilic
605-530 Daniel,JehoiakimNebuchadnezzar, BelshazzarDarius, Cyrus, Judah, Babylon,Persia
593-570 Ezekiel, Zedekiah,Judah
Post-Exilic
520 Haggai,Judah
520-480 Zechariah,Judah
430-420 Malachi,Judah
Prophetic Themes
Themes of the OT Prophetic Books
Book Theme
Isaiah-Judgment & Deliverance
Jeremiah-Judgment
Lamentations-Judgment & Mourning
Ezekiel-Judgment & Preservation
Daniel-God’s Dominion
Hosea-Faithfulness
Joel-The Day of the Lord
Amos-Judgment & Blessing
Obadiah-Judgment
Jonah-Mercy
Micah-Warning & Promise
Nahum-Judgment
Habakkuk-The Ways of God
Zephaniah-Judgment
Haggai-Doing the Work of the Lord
Zechariah-The Coming Messiah
Malachi-Apostasy
The Prophetic Books,Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah,Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi by Pastor Fred Overview In the Pentateuch the law of God is given. In the historical books we are shown Israel’s response to that law. The poetic books express the devotional impact of God’s law in the individual lives of his people. Now in the prophetic books we see again the response of the nation of Israel to God’s law.“This is what the Lord says!” was the preface to the prophet’s message. The prophet was, as the title implies, a spokesman for God. He was God’s personal messenger. Israel was, properly, a theocracy — God was their king — and God would send his word to kings and people alike. In this sense, no one in the kingdom stood taller than the prophet. When he spoke all were responsible to listen. Whether his message was written or spoken verbally, he was God’s mouthpiece delivering God’s word to the people.Israel’s prophets would sometimes speak to other nations (Jonah, for example), and often they would prophesy concerning other nations.But the burden of their work was to speak for God to his own covenant-disobedient people Israel.The prophet’s message from God might concern the future (prediction), or it might concern responsibility for the present. Or it might be a call to repentance or a word of comfort, promise, warning, judgment, or rebuke from the Lord. But in any case it was God’s word being spoken. This is the function of the Biblical prophets: they were spokesmen for God.Classifications The writing (as contrasted with the non-writing) prophets of the Old Testament are most easily categorized as the “major” and the “minor” prophets, as in our English Bibles. These designations (major vs. minor) do not reflect the relative importance of the prophets but rather the comparative length of their writings.
Major Prophets-Isaiah,Jeremiah & Lamentations,Ezekiel,Daniel
Minor Prophets-Hosea,Joel, Amos,ObadiahJonah,Micah,Nahum,Habakkuk,Zephaniah,Haggai Zechariah,Malachi
The prophets labored throughout the time of Israel’s monarchy, during the exile, and after the exile and return to their land. To keep this general chronology — and often the corresponding message — in mind, many have found it helpful to classify the prophets according to the time of their ministry.
Preexilic Prophets-Isaiah,Jeremiah,Hosea,Joel,Amos,Obadiah,Jonah,Micah,Nahum,Habakkuk Zephaniah
Exilic Prophets-Lamentations (Jeremiah),Ezekiel,Daniel
Postexilic Prophets-Haggai,Zechariah,Malachi
History & Chronology
Chronological Chart of the Prophets & Kings
Era / Date (B.C.) Prophetic Book King(s) Kingdom
Pre-exilic
840-830 Obadiah,Jehoram, Ahaziah, Athaliah, Joash,Judah
830-820 Joel,Joash,Judah
780-760 Jonah,Jeroboam II,Israel
755-750 Amos,Jeroboam II,Israel
760-710 Hosea,Jeroboam II, Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah, Hoshea,Israel
740-690 Isaiah,Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh,Judah
735-700 Micah,Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah,Judah
650-620 Nahum,Manasseh, Amon, Josiah,Judah
630-620 Zephaniah,Josiah,Judah
620-605 Habakkuk,Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim,Judah
625-585 Jeremiah,Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah,Judah
Exilic
605-530 Daniel,JehoiakimNebuchadnezzar, BelshazzarDarius, Cyrus, Judah, Babylon,Persia
593-570 Ezekiel, Zedekiah,Judah
Post-Exilic
520 Haggai,Judah
520-480 Zechariah,Judah
430-420 Malachi,Judah
Prophetic Themes
Themes of the OT Prophetic Books
Book Theme
Isaiah-Judgment & Deliverance
Jeremiah-Judgment
Lamentations-Judgment & Mourning
Ezekiel-Judgment & Preservation
Daniel-God’s Dominion
Hosea-Faithfulness
Joel-The Day of the Lord
Amos-Judgment & Blessing
Obadiah-Judgment
Jonah-Mercy
Micah-Warning & Promise
Nahum-Judgment
Habakkuk-The Ways of God
Zephaniah-Judgment
Haggai-Doing the Work of the Lord
Zechariah-The Coming Messiah
Malachi-Apostasy
