Prophets

Chronologically place the OT Prophets and describe their lives and prophecies

OT Prophets are placed chronologically and their lives and prophecies are described below:

Amos

Life of Amos: The meaning of the name of Amos is ‘burden bearer.’ Amos is called a prophet of doom. He worked about the year 760 BC in Tekoa 12 miles south of Jerusalem. Amos preached during the reigns of King Uzziah (C783–742 BC) of Judah, the southern kingdom and King Jeroboam II (C786–746 BC) of Israel, the northern kingdom. He was a shepherd. He preached for only a short time.

His prophesies: Amos was called to go and prophesy to the people of Israel and appeared at Bethel, the capital of the Northern kingdom. Amos traveled from Judah to the neighbouring kingdom of Israel, where he began to preach. It is the manner of the prophets to appear where they are most needed; the northern kingdom about that time had come victorious out of war and had reached its culmination of wealth and power, with the attendant results of luxury and excess, while the southern kingdom had been enjoying a period of outward tranquility and domestic content. Amos fiercely castigated corruption and social injustice among Israel’s pagan neighbours, Israel itself, and Judah; he asserted God’s absolute sovereignty over man; and he predicted the forthcoming destruction of Israel and Judah.

Hosea

Life of Hosea: The meaning of the name of Hosea is ‘Jehovah is help or salvation.’ The time of Hosea’s work is C.750-725 BC. The time when Hosea prophesied is the statement in the first verse that the Word of the Lord came to him ‘in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.’ It is quite evident that his ministry did not extend over the combined reigns of all these kings; for, from the beginning of the reign of Uzziah to the beginning of that of Hezekiah, there is a period of 52 years, and Jeroboam came to his throne a few years before the accession of Uzziah. Hosea married the prostitute Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, at God’s command. He lived in the Northern Kingdom in the period.

His works: Hosea became a symbol to Israel. Hosea used his own experience as a symbolic representation of God and Israel: God the husband, Israel the wife. Hosea's wife left him to go with other men; Israel left the Lord to go with other gods. Hosea searched for his wife, found her and brought her back; God would not abandon Israel and brought them back even though they had forsaken him. Hosea was a severe warning to the northern kingdom against the growing idolatry being practiced there; it was a dramatic call to repentance. Hosea was a striking presentation of the mercy of God.

Isaiah

Life of Isaiah: The meaning of the name of Isaiah is ‘Jehovah is helper.’ The date of his work is the 8th-century BC (740-700) in the Kingdom of Judah. He was the son of Amoz. He seems to have belonged to a family of some rank, as he may be inferred from his easy access to the king, and his close intimacy with the priest. Tradition says that he was the cousin of king Uzziah. He lived in Jerus and became court preacher. He was married and had two sons. He received a call from God. The first verse of the Book of Isaiah states that Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah. Uzziah's reign was 52 years in the middle of the 8th century BC, and Isaiah must have begun his ministry a few years before Uzziah's death, probably in the 740 BC. Isaiah lived until the fourteenth year of Hezekiah's reign. Thus Isaiah may have prophesied for as long as 64 years.

Isaiah’s Prophecies: Isaiah’s prophecies are very suggestive. Isaiah is distinctive for its direct portrayal of the "wrath of the Lord" as presented, for example, in Isaiah 10:19 stating, "Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire." Isaiah always had an eye upon the future. His prophecies are the easiest to date. The form of his Messianic and eschatological discourses is largely due to his own personal temper and psychology.

Micah

Life of Micah: The meaning of the name of Micah is "who is like the LORD?" Micah was a prophet who prophesied from approximately 737–696 BC in Judah and is the author of the Book of Micah. He was a contemporary of the prophets Isaiah, Amos and Hosea and is considered one of the twelve minor prophets of the Tanakh (Old Testament). Micah was from Moresheth-Gath, in southwest Judah. He prophesied during the reigns of kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah. Micah’s messages were directed chiefly toward Jerusalem. He prophesied the future destruction of Jerusalem and Samaria, the destruction and then future restoration of the Judean state, and he rebuked the people of Judah for dishonesty and idolatry. His prophecy that the Messiah would be born in the town of Bethlehem is recalled in the Book of Matthew

His Prophecies: Micah's messages were directed mainly towards Jerusalem, and were a mixture of denunciations and prophecies. In his early prophecies, he predicted the destruction of both Samaria and Jerusalem for their respective sins. The people of Samaria were rebuked for worshipping idols which were bought with the income earned by prostitutes. Micah was the first prophet to predict the downfall of Jerusalem. According to him, the city was doomed because its beautification was financed by dishonest business practices, which impoverished the city’s citizens. He also called to account the prophets of his day, whom he accused of accepting money for their oracles. Micah also anticipated the destruction of the Judean state and promised its restoration more glorious than before. He prophesied an era of universal peace over which the Governor will rule from Jerusalem. Micah also declared that when the glory of Zion and Jacob is restored that the Lord will force the Gentiles to abandon idolatry. Micah also rebuked Israel because of dishonesty in the marketplace and corruption in government. He threatened them on behalf of God with destruction. He told them what the Lord requires of them:

Nahum

Life of Nahum: The life time of Nahum is C 660 BC. Little is known about Nahum’s personal history. His name means “compassionate” or “comforter,” and he was from the town of Alqosh, (1:1) which scholars have attempted to identify with several cities, including the modern Alqush of Assyria and Capharnaum of northern Galilee. He was a very nationalistic Hebrew however and lived amongst the Elkoshites in peace. Nahum, called ‘the Elkoshite,’ is the seventh in order of the Minor Prophets.

His prophecies: Nahum's writings could be taken as prophecy or as history. One account suggests that his writings are a prophecy written in about 615 BC, just before the downfall of Assyria, while another account suggests that he wrote this passage as liturgy just after its downfall in 612 BC. Nahum, taking words from Moses himself, has shown in a general way what sort of ‘Being God is’. The Reformation theologian Calvin argued, Nahum painted God by which his nature must be seen, and ‘it is from that most memorable vision, when God appeared to Moses after the breaking of the tables.’

Zephaniah

Life of Zephaniah: The meaning of Zephaniah is ‘Yahweh is darkness’ or ‘God hides.’ The most well-known Biblical figure bearing the name Zephaniah is the son of Cushi, and great-grandson of Hezekiah, ninth in the literary order of the Minor Prophets. He prophesied in the days of Josiah, king of Judah (B.C. 641-610), and was contemporary with Jeremiah, with whom he had much in common. The only primary source from which we obtain our scanty knowledge of the personality and the rhetorical and literary qualities of this individual is the short book of the Old Testament which bears his name. The scene of his activity was the city of Jerusalem.

His prophecies: The prophet spoke boldly against the religious and moral corruption, when, in view of the idolatry which had penetrated even into the sanctuary, he warned that God would ‘destroy out of this place the remnant of Baal, and the names of the ... priests’ (1:4), and pleaded for a return to the simplicity of their fathers instead of the luxurious foreign clothing which was worn especially in aristocratic circles (1:8).

Jeremiah

Life of Jeremiah: The meaning of Jeremiah is ‘Jehovah is high’ or ‘exaltation of God.’ His time was C. 626-587 BC. Jeremiah was the son of Hilkiah, a Jewish priest. Jeremiah's ministry was active from the thirteenth year of Josiah, king of Judah, until after the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of Solomon's Temple in 587 BC. This period spanned the reigns of five kings of Judah: Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. The Hebrew-language chronology Seder HaDoroth gives Jeremiah's final year of prophecy to be, whereby he transmitted his teachings to Baruch ben Neriah.

His prophecies: Jeremiah was primarily a preaching prophet, going where the Lord directed him to preach oracles throughout Israel. He condemned idolatry, the greed of priests, and false prophets. Many years later, God instructed Jeremiah to write down these early oracles and other messages.

Habakkuk

Life of Habakkuk: The meaning of Habakkuk is ‘Love’s embrace’ or ‘God embraces’. Almost nothing is known about Habakkuk, aside from what few facts are stated within the book of the Bible bearing his name, or those inferences that may be drawn from that book. His name appears in the Bible only in Habakkuk 1:1 and 3:1, with no biographical details provided other than his title ‘the prophet.’ Even the origin of his name is uncertain. For almost every other prophet, more information is given, such as the name of the prophet's hometown, his occupation, or information concerning his parentage or tribe. For Habakkuk, however, there is no reliable account of any of these. Although his home is not identified, scholars conclude that Habakkuk lived in Jerusalem at the time he wrote his prophecy. Further analysis has provided an approximate date for his prophecy and possibilities concerning his activities and background.

His works: The only work attributed to Habakkuk is the short book of the Bible that bears his name. The book of Habbakuk consists of five oracles about the Babylonians and a song of praise to God. The style of the book has been praised by many scholars,^] suggesting that its author was a man of great literary talent. The entire book follows the structure of a chiasmus in which parallelism of thought is used to bracket sections of the text. Habakkuk is unique among the prophets in that he openly questions the wisdom of God (1:3a, 1:13b). In the first part of the second chapter, the Prophet sees the injustice among his people and asks why God does not take action: ‘1:2 Yahweh, how long will I cry, and you will not hear? I cry out to you ’Violence!’ and will you not save?’ (World English Bible).

Ezekiel

Life of Ezekiel: The meaning of Ezekiel is ‘God is strong’ or ‘God strengthens the man.’ His time is c.593-570. Ezekiel shows himself as Ezekiel, the son of Buzi [Ezekiel 1:3], born into a priesthood (Kohen) lineage of the patrilineal line of Ithamar, and resident of Anathoth. The author dates ages, prophecies and visions by making references to the lengths of time King Jehoiachin of Judah was in exile. Under the direction of Nebuchadnezzar II, Babylonian armies exiled three thousand Jews from Judah, deposing King Jehoiachin in 597 BC. In reference to Ezekiel being in his ‘thirtieth year... during the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile’, it could be determined that he was born c. 622 BC.

His ministry: In 592 BC, at the age of 30, Ezekiel describes his calling to be a prophet, by going into great detail about his encounter with God and four living creatures or Cherubim with four wheels that stayed beside the creatures. For the next five years he incessantly prophesied and acted out the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple, which was met with some opposition. However, Ezekiel and his contemporaries like Jeremiah, another prophet who was living in Jerusalem at that time, witnessed the fulfillment of their prophecies when Jerusalem was finally sacked by the Babylonians. The date of the sacking, 587 BC, is confirmed by Babylonian cuneiform records discovered by archeologists. Ezekiel was 50 years old when he began to have visions of a new Temple. He served as a prophet for at least 22 years until, according to^], Ezekiel last experienced an encounter with God in April 570 BC. His time of death has not been found.

Obadiah

Life of Obadiah: The meaning of Obadiah is ‘Servant or worshipper of Yahweh’. His work time was 580 BC. The political situation implied in the prophecy points to a time after the Exile, probably in the mid-fifth century B.C. No value can be attributed to traditions identifying this prophet with King Ahab's steward or with King Ahaziah's captain.

His works: Obadiah is supposed to have received the gift of prophecy for having hidden the ‘hundred prophets’ from the persecution of Jezebel. He hid the prophets in two caves, so that if those in one cave should be discovered those in the other might yet escape (1 Kings 18:3-4). Obadiah was very rich, but all his wealth was expended in feeding the poor prophets, until, in order to be able to continue to support them, finally he had to borrow money at interest from Ahab's son Jehoram. Obadiah's fear of God was one degree higher than that of Abraham; and if the house of Ahab had been capable of being blessed, it would have been blessed for Obadiah's sake.

Haggai

Life of Haggai: The meaning of Haggai is ‘festive.’ His work time is 520 BC. He was a Hebrew prophet during the building of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, and one of the twelve Minor Prophets in the Hebrew Bible and the author of the Book of Haggai. He was the first of three post-exile prophets from the Neo-Babylonian Exile of the House of Judah (with Zechariah, his contemporary, and Malachi, who lived about one hundred years later), who belonged to the period of Jewish history which began after the return from captivity in Babylon. Scarcely anything is known of his personal history. He may have been one of the captives taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. He began his ministry about sixteen years after the return of the Jews to Judah (ca. 520 BC). The work of rebuilding the temple had been put to a stop through the intrigues of the Samaritans. After having been suspended for eighteen years, the work was resumed through the efforts of Haggai and Zechariah. They exhorted the people, which roused them from their lethargy, and induced them to take advantage of a change in the policy of the Persian government under Darius the Great.

His work: Haggai supported the officials of his time, specifically Zerubbabel, the governor, and Joshua the High Priest. In the Book of Haggai, God refers to Zerubbabel as ‘my servant’ as King David was, and says he will make him as a ‘signet ring,’ as King Jehoiachin was (Haggai 2:23; cf. Jer 22:24). The signet ring symbolized a ring worn on the hand of Yahweh, showing that a king held divine favor. Thus, Haggai is implicitly, but not explicitly, saying that Zerubbabel would preside over a restored Davidic kingdom.

Zachariah

Life of Zachariah: The meaning of Zachariah is ‘Jehovah is renowned’ or ‘Jehovah has remembered’. His date is C.520 BC. Zechariah was a prophet who lived in the 6th century BC. He was one of those captives in Babylon; but under the leadership of a political ruler whose name was Zerubbabel, Zechariah together with some 50,000 of his Hebrew kinsmen, returned to their native Palestine (cir. 536 B.C.). The record of these events is found in the book of Ezra. When the Israelite people eased into a state of lethargy, Zechariah, and his companion prophet, Haggai, sought to bring them back to a revived level of service. Haggai worked to encourage the completion of the temple project which had been destroyed during the Babylonian invasion in 586 B.C., and Zechariah would attempt to rekindle a spiritual fire in the hearts of the nation.

His prophecies: Zachariah told the people what saw in the visions. Interpreting the various visions that the prophet had, he comforted those who returned from exile assuring them that Yahweh was going to restore their lost temple, their destroyed cities and their once glorious but eclipsed prosperity. He firmly assured them that Yahweh was going to act on behalf of his people. He told the people of Jerusalem that their future protection consisted in Yahweh alone, and his presence in the restored temple would ward off enemies from their city although it had no walls. He gave hope to them.

Joel

Life of Joel:

His prophecies:

Jonah

1. Malaki
2. Daniel