Major and Minor Prophets

Grade 10 Lesson

1. The Four Major Prophets

2. Isaiah Prophet of the Messiah

3. Isaiah was a Prophet of Judah @740 BC He was educated and had great faith. During his lifetime, he advised many of the kings of Judah.

4. Isaiah had a vision of the Lord surrounded by angels. The angels were crying out , “ Holy, holy, holy is the Lord; all the earth is filled with His glory!”

5. MINISTRY Isaiah urged the people to fully trust in God. Isaiah understood that God ruled the whole world , not just the chosen people.

6. In the second Book of Isaiah, the prophet speaks of one who would take upon himself the sins of the people ; through his suffering the people would be saved. This was a prophesy about the Messiah that was to come.

7. JEREMIAH Prophet of the New Covenant

8. At first Jeremiah thought he was too young to be a prophet.

9. MINISTRY Jeremiah warned the people to never go back to idol worship and unjust treatment to each other, if they did not stop breaking God’s command, the Temple would be destroyed and Jerusalem itself would burn.

10. Jerusalem was captured by the Babylonians and the treasures of the Temple were taken. Second attack: the temple was burned.

11. Promise Jeremiah told the people that God would make a new covenant with them.

12. God said, “ I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people… everyone, from least to greatest, shall know me, for I will forgive their inequity and no longer remember their sin.” -Jeremiah 31:33-34

13. EZEKIEL Prophet during the exile

14. Ezekiel became a prophet for those who were in exile in Babylon. He often had symbolic visions.

15. Daniel Daniel was taken as a captive from Jerusalem to Babylon and placed in a training school for captives who’d shown abilities to be trained in the knowledge and ways of the Babylonians.

16. The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, had a dream which he couldn’t remember. All his wise men failed to bring the dream back to his remembrance and also interpret its meaning, so the king ordered execution which included Daniel. Daniel prayed mightily to God to know the king’s dream and its meaning.

17. His prayer was answered and Daniel went to the king, telling him his dream and its meaning in front of the whole court. This began Daniel’s life as a high court official and advisor

18. The Minor Prophets

19. The 12 minor prophets are so named not because of importance, but because of the length. They are short but it doesn’t mean that are of minor consequence.

20. Obadiah Joel Jonah Hosea Amos Micah Nahum Zephaniah Habakkuk Haggai Zechariah Malachi

21. HOSEA Prophet of Israel Chapters 14 The book of persevering love To illustrate Israel’s spiritual adultery and warn of coming destruction.

22. JOEL Prophet of Judah Chapter 3 The book of the day o f the Lord To call t o repentance in order to avoid terrible judgment

23. JOEL Meaning of the name: YHWH is God About: Israel (Ten tribes of Israel) Major Sins: Adultery, drunkenness, idolatry and licentiousness.

24. AMOS Prophet to Israel Chapter 9 The book of judgment To accuse and judge Israel for injustice and lack of Mercy

25. AMOS Meaning of the name: Burden Bearer About: Israel, Judah, Benjamin and all nations Major Sins: Oppression of poor, sexual immortality, wanton luxury, corrupt law and men.

26. Obadiah Prophet of Judah Chapter 1 The book of retribution (Edom) To prophecy against Edom, the ancient enemy of God’s people.

27. OBADIAH Meaning of the name: Worshipper of YHWH About: Against Edom Major Sins: Edom had continual violence toward Jacob. Edom cheered when Judah taken to captive

28. JONAH Prophet to Nations and Israel Chapter 4 The book of mercy on the Gentiles (Nineveh) To show that God is ever merciful to the truly repentant

29. JONAH Meaning of the name: Dove About: Nineveh, with implications to all people Major Sins: Cruelty of Assyrians

30. MICAH Prophet of Judah and Israel Chapter 7 The book of conviction To warn people of coming judgment and to offer hope for the future.

31. MICAH Meaning of the name: Who is like YHWH About: Samaria, Jerusalem, all nations Major Sins: Lack of justice in land, oppression

32. NAHUM Prophet to Nations and Judah Chapter 3 The book of vengeance (Nineveh) To pronounce judgment on Nineveh and the Assyrian empire.

33. NAHUM Meaning of the name: Consolation About: Assyrians, primarily city of Nineveh Major Sins: Cruelty of the Assyrians, overstepped boundaries

34. HABAKKUK Prophet of Judah Chapter 3 The book of faith To affirm that wicked will not prevail and remind Judah God id in control.

35. HABAKKUK Meaning of the name: Embrace About: Babylon with implications for all people Major Sins: Aggression and plunder, greed, graft violence in building, inhumanity and idolatry

36. ZEPHANIAH Prophet of Judah Chapter 3 The book of the day of wrath To motivate repentance and comfort the faithful remnant

37. ZEPHANIAH Meaning of the name: Hidden by YHWH About: Judah, Jerusalem, all Israel, all people about Day of the Lord Major Sins: Spiritual fornication

38. HAGGAI Prophet of Judah Chapter 2 The book of the rebuilding of the temple To urge the people to complete rebuilding the temple of God.

39. HAGGAI Meaning of the name: Festival About: Zerubbabel, Joshua and the return remnant Major Sins: Neglect in building God’s House, procrastination

40. ZECHARIAH Prophet of Judah Chapter 14 The book of Messianic visions To give hope to the remnant who had return to the land.

41. ZECHARIAH Meaning of the name: Remembered by YHWH About: Zerubbabel, Joshua and the return of remnant Major Sins: Joshua filthy garments, lack of judgment, lack of mercy and peace, living in evil ways

42. Malachai Prophet of Judah Chapter 4 The boo of the Lord’s messenger To examine Judah’s actions and encourage the prioritization of God.

43. MALACHI Meaning of the name: My Messenger About: Israel (twelve tribes) and Israel of God today (the Church) Major Sins: Priests neglecting duties. People chided for divorce, adultery, robbing God and criticizing

44. Conclusions to our study • When looked at collectively there are a number of recurrent ideas/themes in the smaller (minor) prophets, e.g. – The coming day of the LORD – The love of God for His erring people – The need to repent and change, prior to inevitable judgment – The insidious dangers of human nature – The blessings of the coming Kingdom of God

45. • These are all highly relevant topics for us... here & now! • May we in future reading/studies of these prophets more readily place the teaching in its context and draw out the exhortation