The minor prophets are the final books that appear in
the Old Testament. They are minor in the sense of being
small books in comparison to the longer works of a few of the other prophets;
the longer books are referred to as major prophets.
Collectively, these
books cover a long period of time. The earliest of these prophets preached
during the reigns of the latter kings of Israel and Judah. Some of them preached during the
period of captivity and occupation that followed the fall of the Jewish
kingdoms. Finally, a few of these prophets were active after the Jewish people were released form captivity and
allowed to return to Israel.
Several themes run
through all of these books. Sadly, a major them that occurs both before and
after the period of captivity is the people’s indifference toward God.
In the period before the captivity, idolatry was rampant and the people sought
alliances with foreign powers rather than protection from God. Foreign
alliances were an issue after the captivity, too, and religious practice for many was perfunctory,
devoid of devotion to God, righteousness or justice.
Many of these prophets
also foresaw the coming of Jesus Christ. Some foresaw his first coming in the
incarnation with a mission of salvation. Others saw further into the time of
His eternal reign. The problem of sin, the call for redemption and our hope for
salvation (in Christ) are still with us today.
Though the Jewish people
of the time were the immediate audience for most of the prophets, some bore
messages to foreign neighbors. These books have value to Christians even today.
The minor prophets are
