Page 142 - Advanced OT Survey Revised

Chapter 13: 12 Minor Prophets (pre-exilic and post-exilic)

Connect…

Again, as earlier noted in the introduction to the Prophetic books, one of the primary tasks of a Prophet
was to warn the people of God about destruction coming because of their rebellion. The 9 Minor books
of Prophets were written before the exile. Just like the Major Prophets, they are called pre-exilic
because the Prophets ministered before the Assyrian or Babylonian captivity.

Objectives…

1. The student should be able to discuss what these 9 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-
exilic minor prophetic book.

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

The Lesson ...

The 12 Books of the Minor Prophets

Introduction

The twelve books of the Minor Prophets cover a period of almost 400 years beginning about 840 BC,
some 120 years before the fall of Israel (North) to Assyria in 722 BC and ending about 420 BC at the
close of the Old Testament some 120 Years after the return of the remnant of Judah (South) from the
Babylonian Captivity 538 BC. The Major Prophets are also included within the time frame of the 12
Minor Prophets.

The Minor Prophets at one time comprised one scroll or book known as “the twelve.” They are “Minor”
only in the sense that each book is very short in relationship to the “Major Prophets.” In fact, Isaiah
contains as much material as all of the twelve minor prophets combined. However, the message and
significance of the Minor is of no less value than the Major Prophets. The Human authors were not as
well-known, and their writings were shorter than the Major Prophets. The order of the Minor our
English Bible is roughly but not exactly chronological. Obadiah is probably the earliest of the pre-exilic
books while Habakkuk was the last Minor prophet to Prophecy before the fall of Judah in 586 BC. The

140