Minor prophets prophesied to the people of God in the last century before the coming of Christ. They will also speak to you to bring a renew emphasis of the centrality of Jesus in your life.

Minor prophets are fascinating Bible studies into the working of God in the world.

There is nothing more intriguing in the history of the people of God from Genesis to Revelation than the prophetic utterances that often came forth through man in time of desperate need.  Isaiah walked through the land naked and barefoot (Isa. 20:2). Ezekiel laid on his left side for 390 days and on his right side for 40 more (Eze. 4:4-5).  Hosea married a harlot to illustrate the love of God (Hos. 1:2).

Although the warnings of the prophets were often scorned or ignored, they nevertheless dynamically challenged the attitude and behavior of the people.  The utterances of God through these minor prophets will always arouse the curiosity of the people of God..

Minor prophets came from all walks of life.

The minor prophets had no specific qualifications other than being moved upon by God as a vessel, a medium, whereby a specific word could be given. They came forth to speak their, “Thus, saith the Lord . . .,” from many walks of life. They were shepherds, farmers, priests, and princes.  As God so moved upon His chosen vessel, each of the minor prophets, the prophet so spoke.

Prophets from the Old Testament throughout the New Testament had no specific qualifications other than being moved upon by God as a vessel, a medium, whereby a specific word could be given. They came forth to speak their “Thus, says the Lord . . .” from many walks of life. They were shepherds, farmers, priests, and princes. Women and children were sometimes used of God to speak his words. As God so moved upon his chosen vessel, the prophet so spoke.

Minor prophets were not professional but participant in work of God as God directed. 

Although it was known that Jeremiah and John the Baptist would be used of God to speak his word before they were born, to be a prophet was not to be a profession but rather a participant in the work of God for a specific time and a specific place. Since the prophet was a participant in the working of God, often the personality and character of the prophet was evident as God spoke through the vessel to the people. The compassion and love of Hosea, the lamentation and sorrow of Jeremiah, the articulation and ingenuity of Isaiah, and the persistence and flare for the dynamic of Ezekiel, reveal the many faces of God’s prophetic words.

The prophets were often called the shepherds of the people, the servants of God, watchmen, and the messengers of the Lord. They were people who spoke for God, communicating God’s message to man. So moved upon by God, they often spoke their message without fear and concern for their preservation. Teaching, reproving, correcting, and training they continually put forth the message of God to the people of God. Faithfully proclaiming God’s word and not their own, the prophet of God always spoke with the authority of the Holy Spirit.

Minor prophets prefigured the prophetic function of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ, as in all things, reveals the standard of the prophetic utterances. He stated,

For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak” (John 12:49-50).

The minor prophets were moved upon by the Holy Spirit and spoke not their words but the words of God flowing through them.

The minor prophets are referred to as minor prophets only because their writings are considerably shorter that the writings of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. Putting all the minor prophets together, their combine writings roughly equals the length of a major prophet’s scroll. Although shorter, the contents of their prophecies are as powerful and moving as the major prophets.

Minor prophets do not appear in a strict chronological order in the Bible

Two prophets, Obadiah and Joel may have preached in the ninth century B.C. (853-796).

In the following century, five prophets can be connected to the time of 793-686 B.C.: Hosea, Amos, Jonah, Isaiah, and Micah.

Nahum, Zephaniah and Habakkuk  gave their prophecies in the next century: Nahum, around 663 B.C.; Zephaniah probably 640-609 B.C.; and Habakkuk, around 612 before Christ.

Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi lived and preached after the Captivity of the Children of Israel by the Babylonian empire: Haggai, 520 B.C.; Zechariah, about the same time; and Malachi, around 432 B.C.

The twelve minor prophets close out the writings of the Old Testament declaring how great God is.

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