The Prophets

740–430 BC

Books of Isaiah through Malachi

~ Before God called prophets to speak in His name, idolatry was rampant, hearts were hardened, and there was widespread injustice—but mostly spiritual adultery.

The Lord’s anointed prophets recorded and announced the words of God over the course of 400 years. Some messages were addressed to the northern kingdom, some to the southern kingdom, and some to the surrounding nations and beyond.

The prophecies included warnings and calls to repentance, encouragement about God’s faithfulness, and glimpses of the return of Israel after the exile. They even included prophecies that were not fulfilled until the New Testament and some that we are still waiting to see fulfilled. Most beautiful are the prophecies of the Messiah.

Here is the prophetic breakout to enhance our biblical “shelves”:

Prophets to the Northern Kingdom (Israel/Samaria)

• Amos—A shepherd from Judah, sent to warn Israel of coming judgment
• Hosea—Called to expose Israel’s unfaithfulness through the imagery of his own marriage
• Elijah—Confronted Ahab, Jezebel, and Baal worship
• Elisha—Successor to Elijah, performed miracles and called Israel back to God
• Jonah—Though sent to Nineveh, he was a prophet from Israel during Jeroboam II’s reign

Prophets to the Southern Kingdom (Judah/Jerusalem)

• Isaiah—Preached in Jerusalem during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah
• Jeremiah—Warned Judah of the coming exile to Babylon, called the “weeping prophet”
• Joel—Likely preached in Judah about repentance and the “Day of the Lord”
• Micah—Was a contemporary of Isaiah, condemning injustice in Judah and Samaria
• Habakkuk—Wrestled with God about Babylon being used to judge Judah
• Zephaniah—Prophesied in Josiah’s reign, warning of judgment and restoration

Prophets to Surrounding Nations

• Obadiah—Prophesied judgment against Edom
• Nahum—Declared the fall of Nineveh (Assyria)
• Jonah—Was sent directly to Nineveh with a message of repentance
• Daniel—Though exiled in Babylon, prophesied to Gentile kings and looked ahead to the empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome
• Ezekiel—Spoke to exiles in Babylon but also against foreign nations

~ After announcing the word of the Lord, most prophets were ignored, rejected, mocked, persecuted, or murdered.

Significance

• Jesus accused the religious leaders of His day of hypocrisy. They decorated the graves of the prophets, but their actions testified against them… They were the true descendants of those who murdered the prophets. God is looking for hearts that do not resist Him. We dishonor God with hypocrisy. We honor God best with transparency and humility.
• Though it is difficult to be confronted with our sin, resisting God’s correction will only hurt us and others.