1. Latter Prophets: The Major and Minor Prophets
Also known as
Classical Prophets
Canonical Prophets
Writing Prophets

2. Meaning of Prophet
Hebrew word “nabi ” originated from Akkadian “nabitu ” meaning “to call”
Active meaning: to call out the message
Passive: the one who is called
English word prophet comes from Greek “prophetes” meaning “to speak for, proclaim,” or “to speak beforehand, to foretell”

3. Other Terms for Prophets
Seer
Man of God
Watchman
Messenger of Yahweh
Man of the Spirit

4. Major Prophets
Major and Minor Prophets are distinguished by the length of the books that bear their names
3 Major Prophets in Hebrew Bible
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Ezekiel

5. The Twelve Minor ProphetsMT
Hosea [before 721]
Joel
Amos [ca ]
Obadiah
Jonah [2 Kgs 14:25]
Micah [ca ]
LXX
Hosea
Amos
Micah
Joel
Obadiah
Jonah

6. The Minor Prophets… Nahum [between 663 and 612] Habakkuk [609-597]
Zephaniah [Josiah]
Haggai [520]
Zechariah [520 and 518]
Malachi [ca ]

7. Approximate Chronology of the Classical Prophets
8th century (pre-exilic)
Jonah son of Amittai [Jeroboam II; 2 Kgs 14:25]
Amos [Uzziah of Judah and Jeroboam II]
Hosea [before fall of Jehu’s dynasty]
Isaiah [Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah]
Micah [Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah]

8. Chronology of the Classical Prophets
7th century:
Zephaniah [Josiah];
Nahum [between 663 and 612];
Jeremiah [ ];
Habakkuk [ ; perhaps shortly after 605]

9. Chronology of the Prophets
6th century (exilic):
{Obadiah}
Ezekiel [ or 570]
(Daniel [ , or considerably later])
(Isaiah [ca (possibly later)]
Postexilic:
Haggai [520]
Zechariah 1-8 [520 and 518]
{Joel}
Malachi [btw ca. 486 and 450]
Zechariah 9-14;
{the book of Jonah} {} date not certain

10. Factors Determining the Positioning of the Twelve
Chronology: only approximately by century
Themes: LXX differs from MT in the ordering of the first 6 prophets to reflect different emphasis
House’s suggestion
sin of Israel and the nation
punishment of sin
restoration of both from that sin

11. 3 Key Moments in Israel’s History
Amos
Hosea
Micah
Isaiah 1-39
Zephaniah
Jeremiah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Ezekiel
{Obadiah}
Isaiah 40-55
Haggai and Zechariah
Isaiah 56-66
Malachi
800 BC -
722 BC Fall of Samaria
700 BC
600 BC
586 BC Fall of Jerusalem
538 BC Cyrus Decree
500 BC
400 BC

12. Division among Latter Prophets
Pre-exilic
Foretelling the disaster of Exile
Message of Judgment: to warn Israel and Judah of their sins
Against their contemporary cult
Change message after the Babylonian invasion

13. Division among Latter Prophets
Postexilic
Look beyond disaster to more favorable divine purposes for Israel
Still have oracles that predict selective judgment
Moral teachers to exhort
Encourage the re-establishment of cult

14. Cf. Jer 38:4
Jere 38:4 (NASU) Then the officials said to the king, "Now let this man be put to death, inasmuch as he is discouraging the men of war who are left in this city and all the people, by speaking such words to them; for this man is not seeking the well-being of this people but rather their harm."
The Lachish Ostraca VI

15. To my lord Ya’ush. May YHWH regard my lord with favor!
May good fortune attend thee just now! Who is thy servant, a dog, that my lord sent (him) the king’s [letter] and the letters of the princes, [saying]: “Read pray!” In truth, the words of the [prophets] are not good, in as much as they weaken the hands of the whole [people], and slacken the hands of the [men] who serve in the army…. …my lord, wilt thou not write to them, saying “Why do ye such a thing? …in Jerusalem… King… …As YHWH, thy God, liveth, since thy servant hath read the letters, thy servant no longer had…

16. Tell Lachish

17. Room where Lachish Letters are found

18. Some of the Lachish Letters

19. The role of the prophets
Member of the divine council
Member of prophetic tradition
Speaker for God’s kingdom
Critic of human kingdoms

20. The Characteristic of the Prophets
Ecstatic behavior
Called by God to speak God’s message
Moved by the Holy Spirit
Their lives set as paradigm

21. The Themes of the Prophets
Theo centric
The condition of Israel
Sinful Worship
Failure of the leaders: King, Prophets, Priests, Judges
Social injustice against the poor
Treacherous business practices
Excess extravagance
Relationship between God and Israel
The future

22. True and False Prophets
Criteria of validation:
When they misled people (Deut 13:2; 18:20; Jer 2:8; 23:27)
When their morals were loose (Jer 23:14)
When they practiced magic and divination (Isa 8:19; Jer 14:14)

23. Characteristic of True and False Prophets
True Prophets
False Prophets
Revelation
Holistic proclamation
Independence from power structures
Members of divine and social institution
Vision of the reality of God’s kingdom
Theo centric ethics
Suffering for the sake of God
Syncretistic
Selective proclamation
Dependence on power structures
Members of a social institution
Guardians of status quo: monarchy, temple
Man-centered ethics
Popularity and power

24. The Relevancy of the Old Testament Prophets

25. 5 characteristics of the message of the prophets
Preachers of the law of Moses
God’s delegates
The prophets as social reformers
The prophets as messengers of the oracles of God to the nations
The prophets as announcers of judgment and salvation

26. Chiastic Structure of the Book of Micah

27. Judgment against Samaria and Jerusalem 1:2-2:11
Promise of deliverance 2:12-13
A. Judgment against Israel’s leader 3:1-12
Hope for Zion’s future 4:1-5
B. Remnant’s hope: restoration of ruler 4:6-8
C. Present dire situation in Zion with hope of deliverance 4:9-10
Present siege by nations but eventual victory 4:11-13
Present helpless judges and the future ideal king 4:14-5:5
B’. The future role of Israel’s remnants 5:6-8
A’. God’s future purge 5:9-13
Hope of deliverance in the future 5:14
God’s indictment against Israel 6:1-7:7
A prophetic liturgy: hopes and prayers 7:8-20

28. Contemporary Relevance of the Prophets
Take the moral teaching of the prophets at their face value
We are summoned to repent and to execute a “U-turn” theology
The Messiah will come a 2nd time just as the prophets foretold he would come the first time

29. Case Study: Jer 31:15 What is the historical meaning?
How does NT (Matt 2:18) reinterpret it?
How do we appropriate its message?