Page 119 - Old Testament Survey Student Textbook

Study Section 14: 3 Minor Prophets (post-exilic)

14.1 Connect

God does fulfill his word. He promised that he would bring back the Jews to their land from
the exile and he did it. These last three Minor Prophets prophecy to the remnant of the house
of Judah who came back from the exile…

14.2 Objectives

1. The student should be able to l discuss what these three books of the Minor Prophets are all
about.

2. The student should be able to discuss the important questions such as: what, when, where,
how for each book.

3. The student should be able to discuss the main message and main divisions of each individual
pre-post-exilic minor prophetic book.

4. The student should be able to discuss the applications from these books.

14.3 POST-EXILIC MINOR PROPHETS (3 books)

Introduction

As mentioned earlier, the last three books of the Old Testament, the Minor Prophets Haggai,
Zechariah and Malachi fall in the Post-exilic period of Jewish history. The time frame and
historical context for these books provide us with a glimpse of the political, physical and
spiritual condition of the remnant of Judah with returned from the Babylonian captivity,
covering about 100 years from the decree of Cyrus in 538 BC to 420 BC. Haggai and Zechariah fit with
Chapters 1-6 of the book of Ezra, dealing with the rebuilding of the temple between 536-515 BC during
the first return from exile under Zerubbabel. Malachi corresponds to Nehemiah who led the third return
in 444 BC to rebuild the city walls. Malachi focuses primarily on the spiritual condition of the people as
the Old Testament closes and sets the stage for the coming of John the Baptist as the last Old Testament
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prophet 400 years later to announce Messiah.

HAGGAI

Prophet: Haggai, God’s prophet to the remnant

Setting: Early post-exile (cf. Ezra 5:1)

Date: 520 B.C., 4 months

Theme: Spiritual Apathy

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