17 Books of Prophecy
Obadiah
Outline/Major Themes. Two primary themes are in the book of Obadiah:
- Ch1:1-14 Condemnation for turning away from a neighbor in need (Judah), gloating over their misfortune, and helping their enemies
- Ch 1:15-21 Promise of punishment, both by their Gentile "allies" and later by Judah
- Both OT and NT warn about rejoicing over the misfortune of another (Prov. 17:5; Job 31:29-30; Matt. 5:43-48).
- Although often oppressed, God's people will ultimately triumph (Mark 10:28-30; 2 Tim. 3:10-17).
Joel
Outline/Major Themes. The major themes of the book can be highlighted using the overall outline of the book:
Messages for Christians. The book of Joel echoes several messages of value to Christians:
- Ch. 1:1-20 Current physical suffering and destruction
- Ch. 2:1-11 The coming "Day of the Lord" with even greater destruction
- Ch. 2:12-17 The call for repentance
- Ch. 2:18-32 The promise of deliverance with physical and spiritual blessings
- Ch. 3:1-17 The coming judgment on the Gentile nations around them
- Ch. 3:18-21 Promised blessings on Judah
Messages for Christians. The book of Joel echoes several messages of value to Christians:
- Physical hardships should remind us of God and encourage us to draw closer to Him (Matt. 6:25-34; Phil. 4:4-7).
- God always provides blessings for those who remain faithful to Him (1 Pet. 5:6-10; Rev. 2:10).
- The last and ultimate "Day of the Lord", the Judgment Day, still remains to occur and we should always be prepared for it (Matt. 24:42-44; 25:1-13).
Jonah
Outline/Major Themes. Unlike many of the Minor Prophets, the book of Jonah is mostly written in historical/story form. Within its four chapters is perhaps one of the better known children's Bible stories - Jonah and the big fish.
- Ch. 1:1-2:10 God commissioned Jonah who tried to flee by ship in the opposite direction about 2000 miles across the Mediterranean Sea to southern Spain. While at sea, the ship encounters a great storm, Jonah is thrown overboard and swallowed by a giant fish for three days.
- Ch. 3:1-4:11 Jonah repents and goes to Nineveh. They repent and God spares them. Jonah is angry at the turn of events and God uses a shade plant to teach him an important lesson about compassion.
- Assyrian was a Gentile/heathen nation - not part of God's chosen people.
- In about 25 years, the Assyrian Empire would expand into the land of Canaan with the Northern Kingdom becoming a tributary state. After an additional 25 years, the Northern Kingdom would be destroyed by the Assyrians and scattered across the Assyrian Empire.
- You can't run from God and you can't hide what you do (Psm. 33:13-14; Heb. 4:13).
- In the story of Jonah and the great fish, we see a foreshadowing of Jesus' entombment and triumphant resurrection from the grave (Matt. 12:38-40; 16:21; Luke 24).
- Although God had chosen to give special attention to the nation of Israel (e.g., the Law of Moses), He still cared about the Gentiles. His interaction with such nations is dimly glimpsed in the case of Jonah and the Assyrians. We see such care and concern fully expressed in the Gospel's invitation to all men, both Jew and Gentile (Rom. 3:29; Acts 10:35).
- You can never tell for certain how people will respond to the Gospel message. God chose an obscure Jew to carry His message to the mighty Assyrian nation.
- Repentance of sin has always been part of God's plan for saving mankind (Matt. 12:41; Acts 2:38).
Amos
Outline/Major Themes. The book of Amos is written in typical prophetic style with warnings of judgments to come:
Messages for Christians. In the book of Amos, we see echoes of several lessons for Christians:
- Ch. 1:1-2:5 Pending judgments on Israel's surrounding neighbors: Damascus to the north, the Philistines of Gaza to the southwest, the Phoenicians of Tyre to the west, Edom (remember Obadiah?), Ammon, Moab to the southeast, and Judah to the south.
- Ch. 2:6-16 Pending judgment on Israel
- Ch. 3:1-6:14 Sins of Israel and their impending judgment, destruction, and exile
- Ch. 7:1-9:10 Five visions of the coming judgment plus some interaction between Amos and Amaziah, one of the priests at Bethel
- Ch. 9:11-15 A glimpse of the Messiah's kingdom
Messages for Christians. In the book of Amos, we see echoes of several lessons for Christians:
- God is mighty (Ch. 4:13; 5:8-9).
- God requires obedience, regardless of nationality (Rom. 1:16; 2:9-11).
- Spiritual decay often follows material prosperity (Matt. 19:23-24; Luke 12:16ff; 1 Tim. 6:9-10, 17-19; Rev. 3:16-18).
- Worship does not cancel out evil deeds (Ch. 5:21-23 versus Ch. 5:10-12; Matt. 15:7-9; Matt. 23:13-36; James 1:19-27; James 2:14-26).
- You don't have to be a member of the "clergy class" to be a worker for God (Matt. 5:13-16; 1 Cor. 15:58).
hosea
Outline/Major Themes. Hosea delivered much of God's message as a "living parable".:
- Ch. 1-3 Hosea was commanded by God to marry Gomer, a prostitute. Together they had three children whose names were significant of God's relationship with Israel: Jezreel ("scattered by God"), Lo-ruhamah ("not pitied"), and Lo-ammi ("not my people"). Gomer returned to a life of prostitution and slavery. Hosea was commanded to buy her back.
- Ch. 4-7 Israel's unfaithfulness is described in terms of physical and spiritual adultery. Instead of relying on God for protection from the growing Assyrian empire, they used bribery (2 Kings 15:19-20).
- Ch. 8-10 Prophecies of Israel's pending punishment.
- Ch. 11-14 The Lord is still faithful and willing to forgive.
- Spiritual adultery includes friendship with the world (James 4:4) as well as mixing true and false worship (Matt. 15:1-9).
- Love for God's word is needed as a foundational attitude (Ch. 4:6; 2 Thes. 2:10-12).
- God still loves us, even when we are sinful (John 3:16).
- We need persistence in the face of evil (Gal. 6:9).
isaiah
Outline/Major Themes. The book of Isaiah consists of four main sections:
- Ch. 1-31 Judgments against the nations: primarily Israel & Judah (Ch. 1-12, 28-31), but also Babylon, Assyria, Philistia, Moab, Damascus, Egypt, Arabia, Tyre, the whole earth, and Israel
- Ch. 32-35 Joy for the righteous
- Ch. 36-39 Historical background (around 701 B.C. with the Assyrian invasion by Sennacherib of Judah, the reign of King Hezekiah, and the prediction of Babylonian captivity about 100 years in the future
- Ch. 40-66 Future events: including the reign of Cyrus about 160 years in the future, the Suffering Servant, and the coming Messiah.
- God is aware of different nations and peoples
- "The Day of the Lord" in judgment
- Jesus, the Suffering Servant and Savior (Ch. 53; Matt. 1:18-25; Acts 8:32-35; Heb. 9:28; 1 Pet. 2:22-25)
micah
Outline/Major Themes. The book of Micah is written in typical prophetic style:
- Ch. 1 Coming punishment for both Israel and Judah. In the near future, this would occur at the hands of the Assyrians. About 120 years after that, Judah would be conquered by the Babylonians.
- Ch. 2-3 Reasons for the punishment given: greed, false prophets, violent injustice, bribery, and idolatry.
- Ch. 4-5 Prophesy of future restoration and glory.
- Ch. 6 God's indictment of His people.
- Ch. 7 Need for righteousness, confession of sin, and the Lord's mercies.
- Need for repentance (Acts 17:30-31)
- "Sunday Christians" - Observing religious ceremonies is pointless without having the right attitude and living a life of constant righteousness (Matt. 15:7-9; 23:23)
- Birth of the King in Bethlehem (Ch. 5:1-4 with Matt. 2:1-6; Luke 2)
nahum
Outline/Major Themes. While God had chosen Jonah about 120 years previously to deliver a message of "repent or perish" to the Assyrians, Nahum's message was more of impending doom:
- Ch. 1 God hates evil and Nineveh would experience His wrath.
- Ch. 2 Nahum prophesies of impending siege and plundering (as fulfilled by the Babylonians in the not to distant future).
- Ch. 3 This would be as punishment for their sin and could not be averted.
- Great, seemingly invincible nations rise and fall: Hittites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Greece, Rome, Ottoman Empire, British Empire, Nazi Germany, and the Soviet Union, just to name a few. We live in times of political and economic uncertainty. Christians must remain faithful to God regardless of the political conditions under which they live (Luke 20:19-26; Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:13-17)
- Unlike Nineveh, Christians can avert final punishment for their sins and be forgiven, although they may suffer lasting, negative consequences from their sins (e.g., social diseases, unwanted pregnancy, lost jobs, weakened influence).
jeremiah
Outline/Major Themes. The book of Jeremiah is written in an interesting combination of historical narrative, "Thus saith the Lord" messages, and various symbolic events used by God to illustrate some particular truth. These events include a broken pot (Ch. 19), two baskets of figs (Ch. 24), a yoke on Jeremiah's neck (Ch. 27), a release of Hebrew servants (Ch. 34), and a test of the Rechabites' faith (Ch. 35).
- Ch. 1 Jeremiah's initial call by God
- Ch. 2-39 Warnings and prophecies against Judah, including his arrest under King Zedekiah, prophecy of an extended 70-year captivity, eventual restoration, and the coming Messiah
- Ch. 40-44 The fall of Jerusalem, additional prophecies to Judah, and being taken to Egypt with a group of fleeing Jews
- Ch. 45-51 Prophecies to a number of nations (e.g., Egypt, Philistia, Moab, Edom), including the eventual destruction of the Babylonians by the Medes
- Ch. 52 A recap of 2 Kings 24-25
- The seriousness of adultery in the marriage relationship - God used the term "marriage" to characterize His close relationship with the nation of Israel. He also describes their rejection of Him for false gods as spiritual "adultery". The same God who hates divorce (Mal. 2:16) divorced Israel for her infidelity (Jer. 3:6-10). Such is the seriousness of adultery. See Matt. 19:3-12.
- Religious compromise associated with moral apostasy - The religious adultery of the Jews was associated with all manner of other sins. We see a similar pattern with Gentile nations in Rom. 1 along with warnings for Christians in 2 Tim. 2:16; 3:13; and 4:1-4.
- The blessings of the coming Messiah and the new covenant - Compare Jer. 31:31-34 with Acts 2.
- The punishment awaiting the wicked - In Jeremiah's day, the Hinnom valley east of the city of Jerusalem was infamous for the offering of children in fiery sacrifice to Baal and Molech (Lev. 20:2-5; 2 Kings 23:10; Jer. 7:31-32; Jer. 19:2, 6; Jer. 32:35). Jeremiah prophesied it would become known as the Valley of Slaughter due to the number of bodies buried there after the Babylonian conquest of the city. 600 years in the future the valley had become the city dump with refuse, decay, worms, and smoldering fires. Known then in the Greek language as "Gehenna", Jesus of Nazareth compared it to the eternal dwelling place of the lost (Matt. 8:12; 13:42; 22:13; 23:33; 25:30).
Zephaniah
Outline/Major Themes. As with many of the Minor Prophets, the message of Zephaniah included predicted judgments, exhortations to repent, and promised blessings.
- Ch.1 Judgment on the world in general and Judah in particular for their idolatry, violence, and deception. This would begin to occur within about 6 years and culminate in the destruction of Jerusalem and captivity of the people by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C.
- Ch.2 An exhortation to repent and persevere since the "day of wrath" was coming. Although King Josiah would initiate a series of major religious reforms between 624 B.C. and 620 B.C. (2 Kings 22-23), this would be insufficient to avert the coming punishment at the hands of the Babylonians.
- Ch. 3 A promised conversion of the heathen and restoration of Israel. In the near-term, this would occur when the Jews were allowed to return to the land under Zerubbabel, Ezra, & Nehemiah beginning around 536 B.C. Some scholars also see a foreshadowing of the events in the Book of Acts with the establishment of Jesus' church (the Messiah's kingdom) with the gospel message being given to both Jew and Gentile.
- Being rich does not necessarily mean we have God's approval, nor will it spare us from God's disapproval when we sin (Ch. 1:18; Matt. 6:19-24; 1 Tim. 6:6-10; James 5:1-6).
- Being a Christian (one of God's "chosen" people) does not spare us from the punishment and consequences of sin when we do wrong (1 Cor. 9:24-10:13; Heb. 10:26-31)
- "The Day of the Lord" and a time of judgment will come (Ch. 1:7, 14-15). For the Jews of Zephaniah's time, that event was less than 50 years in the future. For the Jews of Jesus' time, that event was likewise less than 50 years in the future with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman army in 70 A.D. For us, we don't know when that event will ultimately occur when Jesus' returns in Final Judgment (Ch. 2:1-3; 2 Pet. 3:3-13).
habakkuk
Outline/Major Themes. Habakkuk pleads with God on behalf of Judah (Ch. 1:2; 2:1):
Messages for Christians. Some lessons Habbakkuk reminds us of include:
- Ch. 1:1-1:11 Habbakkuk asks "Why does Judah's sin continue to be tolerated?" The answer is it won't be for long. Babylon is coming.
- Ch. 1:12-2:20 Habbakkuk asks "Why use pagan Babylon to punish your chosen people?" The answer is Babylon will also be punished for their insatiable ambition, greed, cruelty, drunkenness, and idolatry. See Daniel 5:1-4, 25-31 for the fulfillment about 70 years later around 539 B.C.
- Ch. 3:1-3:19 Habbakkuk offers a prayer of confident faith to God.
Messages for Christians. Some lessons Habbakkuk reminds us of include:
- God can use wicked people for his purposes, including punishing His people who sin. In Bible times, this included Pharaoh, the Canaanites during the time of the Judges, and Judas Iscariot. In modern times when Christians sin, sometimes they experience natural negative consequences at the hands of wicked people (e.g., bar fights, sexually transmitted diseases, "no honor among thieves") (Matt. 26:52). Remember the wisdom of Prov. 13:15 "The way of the transgressor is hard."
- Keep your faith and confidence in God no matter what may happen (Rev. 2:10). Though a day of distress come upon you, exult and rejoice in the Lord (Phil. 4:4; 1 Thes. 5:16) .
daniel
Outline/Major Themes. In the book of Daniel, we see glimpses into the majesty and sinful pride of King Nebuchadnezzar as well as his son, Belshazzar. The book is mostly a historical account with interspersed visions and prophecies.
- Ch. 1 Daniel taken captive to Babylon, given a pagan god name ("Belteshazzar"), encounters first test of character (unclean food), and enters government service along with his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, & Azariah (better known by their Babylonian names of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego)
- Ch. 2 - 3 Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the Great Statue and Daniel's interpretation, second test of character (Golden Image & the fiery furnace)
- Ch. 4 Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the Great Tree, his sinful pride, fall, and repentance.
- Ch. 5 Belshazzar's prideful and idolatrous feast, the hand writing on the wall, Daniel's interpretation, and Belshazzar's downfall to Darius the Mede
- Ch. 6 Daniel's exemplary service under Darius, third test of character (prayer only to Darius & the lion's den), and his service under Cyrus
- Ch. 7 - 12 Various visions & prophecies
- Four beasts - The rise of world empires (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome), the coming of the Ancient of Days (Christ), and his Kingdom.
- Ram & Goat - Medo-Persia and Greece (Alexander the Great?)
- 70 Weeks - Daniel's prayer for his people, a visit from the angel Gabriel, the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (445 B.C.), the coming & death of an Anointed One, and the desecration/destruction of the temple (Some scholars cite fulfillment in the Maccabee revolt and temple desecration in 165 B.C., but many others see the coming of Christ around 30 A.D. and subsequent destruction of the temple & Jerusalem by the Romans).
- Conflicts to Come - Greece, Egypt & Syria, Antiochus Epiphanes (the Maccabee revolt), Rome
- Put God first and take a stand for Truth - When young and far from home, if it costs your job, or even if threatened with certain death (Matt. 6:24-34; Matt. 13:7, 22).
- The contrast between the ruler's prideful arrogance and Daniel's humility (Dan. 2:27-30) - Luke 18: 10-14; Phil. 2: 3; 1 John 2: 16
- The coming Messiah
ezekiel
Outline/Major Themes. The book of Ezekiel is written from Ezekiel's perspective (in first person singular). Despite the complex imagery of the book, the major themes are relatively simple and found repeatedly in previous prophetic books.
- Ch. 1 - 3 Ezekiel's call and commission - no speedy delivery from Babylonian captivity
- First vision, "the glory of the Lord" - a flying complex of four winged creatures, wheels, a crystal-like expanse, a throne-like platform on top, and a man-like figure.
- Ch. 4 - 24 The imminent destruction of Judah and Jerusalem due to their persistent state of spiritual rebellion (e.g., idolatry, murder, adultery, oppression)
- The coming siege of Jerusalem, eating defiled bread, plague, famine, and slaughter
- Idol worship, evil rulers & elders, false prophets
- Ch. 25 - 32 God's judgment against the heathen nations Judah would try to align with against the Babylonians (e.g., Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon, Egypt).
- Ch. 33 - 37 The call for repentance - news arrives of the fall of Jerusalem
- Ch. 38 - 48 The eventual triumph of God's people over her enemies - visions of the valley of dry bones, Gog and Magog, physical restoration of the temple, animal worship, and the land - the spiritual triumph of the church.
- Personal accountability - While the Jews were often collectively held responsible and collectively punished as a society, ultimate salvation is an individual matter (Ez. 3:16-21; 18:20; Matt. 3:7-10; John 8:39)
- The sovereignty of God - Ezekiel contains at least 65 occurrences of the phrase "Thus they will know that I am the Lord". God not only knows the future, but is the Supreme Being, the Creator, and the Ultimate Judge. (Heb. 10:26-31)
- The ultimate triumph of God's people - One way or another, the children of God will ultimately triumph over their enemies. Physically viewed, the repentant Jews would eventually be allowed to return to the Promised Land, rebuild the temple, and restore worship. Spiritually viewed, Jesus' church would eventually triumph over the forces of Roman paganism and religious oppression.
lamentations
Outline/Major Themes. The book of Lamentations consists primarily of laments, expressions of deep grief over the fate of Jerusalem and her people. If Jeremiah is the author, such is not surprising given his 40 year dedication of warning the people to repent.
- Ch. 1 Jerusalem's fate, misery, and desolation
- Ch. 2 As judgment from a righteous God in anger against His sinful people
- Ch. 3 Pleas for the Lord's mercies
- Ch. 4 Remembrance of how Jerusalem once was
- Ch. 5 Repentance and prayer for forgiveness and deliverance
- Prov. 14:34 "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any nation."
- The coming judgment of a righteous God - Psalms 19:7-9; Rom. 2:1-10; Rev. 16:4-7; 19:2.
- God's compassion & mercy - Lam. 3:22-25; Eph. 2:1-10 (esp. verses 4-5); 1 Peter 1:3-4; 2:9-10.
haggai
Outline/Major Themes. The overall theme of the book of Haggai is two fold: 1) the Jews have not prospered because they have neglected the rebuilding of the temple and 2) they needed to repent, get to work, and finish the job.
- Ch. 1:1-11 The call to repent and rebuild
- Ch. 1:12-15 Zerubabbel's response of repentance
- Ch. 2:1-9 Encouragement since the rebuilt temple would be filled with God's glory
- Ch. 2:10-19 The people would be restored and blessed
- Ch. 2:20-23 A promise made to Zerubabbel which has messianic overtones To the Jews' credit, they resumed construction and completed the temple about five years later (Ezra 5-6).
- The lingering consequences of sin - The overall temple complex built during Zerubbabel's time was smaller than Solomon's and had less gold and precious stones. The ark of the covenant, the 10 commandment tablets, and the mercy seat had been lost or destroyed along with the first temple. Likewise today, Christians can repent of sin, but sometimes sin has lingering consequences (e.g., weakened spiritual influence, unplanned pregnancies, an increased appetite for sinful things).
- The ends don't justify the means - The Jews did not accept help from the idolatrous Gentiles to the north. According to the New Testament pattern, congregations today are to be financed by the free-will offerings of Christians (not by selling merchandise or services to the general public nor by financial appeals to non-Christians such as bake sales, garage sales, or rummage sales).
- Always put God first (Matt. 6:24-34; Matt. 13:7, 22).
- Don't become weary in doing good by external persecution or by internal indifference (Rev. 2:4-5; Heb. 10:24-25; Gal. 6:9).
zechariah
Outline/Major Themes. The Book of Zechariah has 14 chapters (the most of the Minor Prophets). These chapters are grouped into approximately three major parts:
- Ch. 1-6 Call for repentance in rebuilding the temple along with eight night visions about an encouraging future.
- Ch. 7-8 A question about annual fasts and the call for heart-felt genuine worship over outward observances.
- Ch. 9-14 Reassurances about the future and the coming Messiah. The third part is written very differently than the first two parts (so differently that some scholars question whether it was written by Zechariah). Scholars are somewhat divided over the fulfillment of the various prophetic visions. One view is that they span a period of time including Alexander the Great (330 B.C.), the Maccabees (100 B.C.), and the destruction of Jerusalem (70 A.D.).
- Outward actions without the right attitude and obedience are useless (ch. 7:4-7). For example, we cannot live for Christ on Sunday and live for ourselves (or for Satan) the rest of the week.
- Salvation and blessings available to us as citizens of the Messiah's Kingdom, the Church (Matt. 16:18-19; Eph. 3:6-10; Eph. 5:22-33; 1 Tim. 3:15)
malachi
Outline/Major Themes. The themes in Malachi are very similar to many of the Minor Prophets: God's love for His people, their unfaithfulness, their need to repent, and the coming Messiah & the "Day of the Lord".
- Ch. 1:1-5 God's love for Israel
- Ch. 1:6-2:9 The unfaithfulness of the priests
- Ch. 2:10-16 The unfaithfulness of the people
- Ch. 2:17-4:6 Repent for the "Day of the Lord" is coming
- Rampant divorce and remarriage (ch. 2:16; Matt. 5:32; Matt. 19:9; and 1 Cor. 7).
- Failure to offer our best (ch. 1:13; Rom. 12:1-2).
- Failure to be generous in our financial free-will offerings (ch. 3:8-11; 2 Cor. 9:6-8; 2 Cor. 8:12; 1 Cor. 16:1-2)
- In addition, Malachi (and the Old Testament) closes with a very important prophesy: Mal. 4:5-6. Almost 460 years would pass before this would be fulfilled in John the Baptist (Luke 1:17; Matt. 11:14).