Two basic concepts underlie these members: forth telling and foretelling. The first is more basic and frequent. It means that one person becomes the “mouthpiece” for another. This is the Hebrew word nabi. Aaron played this role for his brother, Moses (Ex 7:1). Prior to the time of Samuel, a prophet was called a “seer” in Israel, ro’eh (1 Sam 9:9). Later there were “schools” of prophets and those in them were “son of the prophets” (2 Kings 4:38; 2:3-15). In the earliest times, there were many prophets who did not write but spoke only: Gad, Nathan, Ahijah, Jehu, Elijah, and Elisha being but some of them (1 Sam 22:5; 1 Kings 1:23; 14:2; 16:7; 18:36; 2 Kings 9:1). The authors of the books of Joshua, Judges, Kings, and Samuel are not known, but they are commonly known as the former prophets, in which are delivering other messages from God (forth telling); Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and those called the twelve “minor prophets,” Hosea to Malachi. In the rest of the Old Testament, and in fact all the rest of the Bible, everything is foretelling and in that sense, prophetic. All these books meet the requirement of forth telling, and many of them contain sections of foretelling as well. One in each Testament (Daniel and Revelation) is even put in the apocalyptic class, where the foretelling is by way of visions and strange symbolisms.
The message of the Prophets, whether writing or nonwriting, is generally the same. First comes a rebuke from God for sin and departure from God’s ways. The second part tells of God’s judgment that will come upon the person or people under condemnation. The third part, pertaining usually to a nation, tells of God’s love for his people and the great blessings he will bring upon them after they have leaned their lessons in their chastisements and have turned back to Him. Such a cycle may be seen in Deuteronomy 28-30.

The Prophetess may be only the wife of a Prophet or she may be an actual Prophet (Ex. 15:20; 2 Kings 22:14; Isa 8:3; Luke 2:36).

Books of the Minor Prophets

The dating of the writing of these books by some is uncertain and often debated. They are called “minor” because they are shorter than the larger books – Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel – not because they have less value or authority. It is generally agreed that a question mark should be placed after six of these twelve; Joel, Obadiah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and Malachi. These do not state in the introduction the name(s) of the kings of their days, nor are there sufficient historical allusions in the texts of the books to be of much value in dating them. Traditionally they are called Prophets to the Southern kingdom, Judah, and, with question marks with respect to their dates, are put at about 800, 650, 630, 550, and 430 B.C. respectively. Micah dated himself in the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Ezekiel, a prophet to Judah (Mic 1:1). This would be about 740 to 700. Zechariah and Haggai are exactly datable to the second year of Darius (520 B.C.). They prophesied to Judah after the exile (Hag 1:1; Zech 1:1). The Prophets of the Northern kingdom, Israel, were Jonah, Amos, and Hosea. The first is variously dated between about 750 and the beginning of the sixth century B.C. Amos stated that he saw the vision in the days of Uzziah of Judah and Jeroboam of Israel, two years before an earthquake (Amos 1:1). The reigns of these two kings overlapping between about 780 and 740 B.C. Hosea noted that the word of the Lord came to him in the days of Uzi, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah and Jeroboam of Israel (Hosea 1:1). This would give a date of about the same time as Amos.

Here is a summary of the Minor Prophets as they appeared in the Bible:

Hosea- The book begins with the account of the prophet’s marriage, which was an illustration of God’s dealing with his people, both the married wife, Israel, and the “bride,” the Church (Hos 1-3; Rom 9:25-26). The rest of the book is concerned with noting the sin of God’s people, impending judgment, and exhortations to repentance, and God’s love –in the last chapter 11.
Joel- A plague of locusts is portrayed and used as the basics for urging the people to repent and to give a promise of blessing if they will. In the second cycle, we are told about God’s judging the nations and of judgment being followed by the blessing of deliverance for Israel.
Amos- This is the third book in the section called the twelve, or more commonly, the Minor Prophets. He was a shepherd from Tekoa, in Judea, in the time of Uzziah (Amos 1:1). He calls for judgment around surrounding nations if Israel. Amos tells of present personal sin and social injustice, defined by the standard of the old covenant (Ex 20-24; Lev 17-26; Duet 5-26; cf Amos 3:1). The Lord sent cursings based on his faithfulness to keep his promise in the conditional blessings for obedience and cursings for disobedience in that Mosaic Covenant (Lev26; Deut 27-28; cf. Amos 2:48). In customary prophetic form, Amos calls for repentance (5:1). Yet he predicts a future time of Israel’s destruction, and ultimately Israel’s restoration.
Obadiah contained a prophecy of Edom’s judgment by God and subsequent blessings.
Jonah Micah predicted God’s judgment on Samaria and Jerusalem, the return from captivity, and God’s ultimate blessings on His people in the end of days. One of the well-known predictions on the birth of Christ is found in 5:2.
Nahum- predicted the destruction of Nineveh.
Habakkuk concerned himself in the beginning with the righteousness of God in punishing people, follows it with a message of doom on the Chaldeans, and ends with the beautiful prayer of chapter 3.
Zephaniah concerned himself with God’s judgment on a number of peoples and God’s promise to send greater deliverance through the Messianic Age later.
Haggai urged the people in their rebuilding of the postexilic temple.
Zechariah commenced with six chapters of vision, some of them highly symbolic. Chapters 7 and 8 are concerned with the keeping of the fasts, and now that the people are back in Jerusalem, the fact that the fasts will become feasts, and all nations will receive the blessings (8:20-23). The final six chapters are concerned with God’s Judgment on the nations and his mercy on his people when the Prince of peace will come.
Malachi described God’s love for his people but complained about the negligence of people and priests and called them back to the law. The books end with a prophecy that Elijah is to return before the day of the Lord.

Today, prophecy is still prevalent within the Kingdom, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of Prophecy. We welcome all prophets and prophetesses to this unification. Please fill out the application and we will place you on this page.