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I. Hosea
А. The writer(s), the place, and the time
B. The subject
C. The background
D. The central thought
E. The general sketch
F. The sections
II. Joel (A to F)
III. Amos (A to F)
IV. Obadiah (A to F)
V. Jonah (A to F)
VI. Micah (A to F)
VII. Nahum (A to F)
VIII. Habakkuk (A to F)
IX. Zephaniah (A to F)
X. Haggai (A to F)
XI. Zechariah (A to F)
XII. Malachi (A to F)
[The books of the so-called Minor Prophets are not called such to infer that the prophets were of a lower rank, or that the contents were of lesser importance, but because they were shorter books.]
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [Hosea was the son of Beeri (Hosea 1:1). His name means “salvation” or “Jehovah is salvation.”]
This book covers sixty years, from 785 B.C. to 725 B.C. It was written in Israel. Some say Hosea relocated to the kingdom of Judah in his later years, but there is not enough evidence to substantiate this.
B. The subject: the loving God seeking after and saving His backsliding people.
C. The background: During the time that Hosea was a prophet, Israel was in a state of decline. The kingdom was in confusion. Both the king and the people were involved in idolatry, adultery, departure from knowledge, evil acts, lying, theft, pilfering, murder, rape, deceitfulness, mixture with the Gentiles, and betraying their kingdom for gain. (For more details about this period, see 2 Kings 15—17.) Driven beyond the limit of forbearance, and having no other alternative, God declared “Loammi” — Israel was no longer His people.
D. The central thought: God shows His rebellious people the right way to go from being “Loruhama” (I will not have mercy) and “Loammi” (you are not My people) to “Ruhama” (I will have mercy) and “Ammi” (you are My people).
E. The general sketch: Hosea married a prostitute, and they had three children. Later she played the harlot, but he still loved her and bought her back. That was a sign depicting Israel. Israel was of a lowly origin. God chose Israel not because she was good but because of His love. After she came to the Lord, she went to worship idols. The Lord rebuked her, yet He still loved her. He prophesied that she would return to Him and be saved.
F. The sections: 1) the disloyal wife (chs. 1—3), 2) the rebellious people (chs. 4—13), and 3) the restoration of Israel (ch. 14).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [Joel was the son of Pethuel (Joel 1:1). His name means “Jehovah is God.”] This book was written in Judah, probably between 870 B.C. and 865 B.C.
B. The subject: repentance and calling upon the name of the Lord bringing in salvation and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
C. The background: Through Moses and Solomon, God mentioned the plague of locusts, but His people didn’t listen. Now through Joel, God warned them again.
D. The central thought: The judgment of God will come soon. If any one of the people of God will repent and turn back to God, he will receive God’s grace and love.
E. The general sketch: Joel prophesied that God would judge His people because their heart had turned away from God and they had committed sins. Locusts and their larvae would eat up their vegetation. The locusts also signified the armies of the nations that would attack the holy land. If the people would repent and call upon the name of the Lord, He would bless them. He even prophesied about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and the war of Armageddon.
F. The sections: 1) the plague of locusts (ch. 1), 2) the day of Jehovah (ch. 2), and 3) Israel receiving blessing (ch. 3).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [The prophet Amos was a native of Tekoa in the kingdom of Judah (Amos 1:1).] He wrote this book about 787 B.C. in Bethel.
B. The subject: the judgment of God bringing in Christ to restore the kingdom.
C. The background: The king of Israel, Jeroboam, the son of Joash, was successful politically and militarily. He recovered land for Israel, yet he failed in bringing the people back to God. The people were idolatrous and sinful; thus, Amos was raised up by God to prophesy to Jeroboam.
D. The central thought: Amos had a burden to deliver to the Israelites, during their era of greatest prosperity, a serious message of warning — the judgment of God. In this book, his pointing out of the iniquities of the nation is equivalent to his judgment of the nation. The judgment of the sins of individuals will be before the throne, but the judgment of the sins of nations takes place in this age.
E. The general sketch: God wanted to judge the six nations surrounding Judah and Israel — Syria, Philistia, Phoenicia, Edom, Ammon, and Moab. He also wanted to judge the nations of Judah and Israel. Therefore, Amos prophesied to rebuke and to warn. Like other books of prophecy, regardless of the severe rebuking and the horrible judgment, at the end, there will be a bright future awaiting the children of God. The Lord promised that their kingdom will be restored, prosperous, and established forever.
F. The sections: 1) judgment on the surrounding nations (1:1—2:3), 2) judgment on Judah and Israel (2:4-16), 3) the controversy between God and the house of Jacob (3:1—9:10), and 4) the prosperity of the kingdom of David (9:11-15).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [Obadiah means “the servant of Jehovah.”] This book was probably written in Judah about 880 B.C.
B. The subject: judgment on Edom, the brother and enemy of the whole house of Israel.
C. The background: Edom is the descendant of Esau, the older brother of Israel. They did not allow Moses and the children of Israel to pass through their land (Num. 20:14-21). They were the most cruel enemies. They even aided other enemies and rejoiced when Jerusalem was destroyed. That is why the Lord wanted to destroy Edom.
D. The central thought: the judgment on Edom, the proud, exalted nation that was always persecuting God’s people. God wanted to speak for His own people and carry out His righteous judgment according to their work.
E. The general sketch: [The book of Obadiah is the shortest book of the Old Testament, yet its content is very important. It pronounces the future and end of Edom, Israel’s enemy for generations. In name the Edomites were Israel’s brothers, but in reality they were Israel’s archenemies, who were constantly trying to destroy God’s chosen people.]
F. The sections: 1) the shame of Edom (vv. 1-9), 2) the sins of Edom (vv. 10-14), 3) the day of Jehovah (vv. 15-16), and 4) the destiny of Edom (vv. 17-21).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [The prophet Jonah, the son of Amittai, was of Gath-hepher (Jonah 1:1; 2 Kings 14:25). Jonah means “a dove,” signifying that God’s commission to Jonah was to fly out like a dove to preach the gospel of peace.
Jonah typifies Christ in two aspects:
First, the death of Christ, as seen in Matthew 12:40: “For as Jonah was in the belly of the sea monster three days and three nights, so shall the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.”
Second, the ministry of Christ, as shown in Matthew 12:41: “Behold, a greater than Jonah is here.” Jonah was sent to Nineveh to preach the word of God; Christ was sent to the world as the Word of God (John 1:1). The Ninevites repented because they heard the preaching of the word of God; yet those during the time of the Lord Jesus would not repent, even though they had the very Word of God among them. Hence, the Ninevites will stand up in the judgment with that generation and will condemn it (Matt. 12:41).]
B. The subject: The loving God is ready to forgive and to save all those who repent in response to the preaching of the incarnated, crucified, and resurrected Christ.
C. The background: Nineveh was a wicked city. It was the capital of Assyria. God wanted to destroy Nineveh. He still loved His creatures. Therefore, He sent Jonah to preach to them to give them one more chance to repent. Jonah not only typified Christ, he also typified God’s chosen people.
D. The central thought: There are three important messages in this book: 1) “Or is He the God of Jews only? Is He not of the nations also? Yes, also of the nations” (Rom. 3:29); 2) “God is love” “who desires all men to be saved,” “not intending any to perish” (1 John 4:8; 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9); and 3) “Salvation is of Jehovah” (2:9).
E. The general sketch: This book records a lot of God’s deeds. 1) Jehovah called Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach (1:1). 2) Jehovah sent a great wind upon the sea (1:4). 3) God caused the people in the boat to cast lots, and He caused the lot to fall upon Jonah (1:7). 4) God caused the sea to grow tempestuous against them, that they were unable to get back to the land (1:13). 5) God caused the sea to cease from its raging (1:15). 6) Jehovah prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah (1:17). 7) God caused Jonah to repent and pray to Him in the fish’s belly (2:1). 8) God answered Jonah’s prayer by speaking to the fish and causing it to vomit Jonah out upon the dry land (2:10). 9) The word of Jehovah came to Jonah the second time (3:1). 10) God caused the people of Ninevah to repent (3:5). 11) God did not perform the evil which He had said He would do to them (3:10). 12) Jehovah asked Jonah a question (4:4). 13) Jehovah God prepared a gourd to be a shade for Jonah (4:6). 14) God prepared a worm to cause the gourd to wither (4:7). 15) God prepared the sun to beat upon Jonah’s head (4:8). 16) God prepared a sultry east wind to cause Jonah to faint (4:8). 17) Jehovah questioned Jonah a second time (4:9). 18) God gave an explanation (4:10-11).
Why did Jonah try to run away? It is not because of cowardice. Jonah was a very patriotic prophet. Deep down, he was acutely aware that Assyria was the most powerful country at that time, and that one day Israel would be destroyed by Assyria. He only wanted to see God judging Assyria for her sin. He did not want to see Assyria repenting and causing God to have mercy on her. Therefore, despite all the danger involved, he fled to Tarshish to hide from God.
F. The sections: 1) Jonah’s disobedience (ch. 1), 2) Jonah’s repentance (ch. 2), 3) Jonah’s preaching (ch. 3), and 4) Jonah’s opinion (ch. 4).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah (Micah 1:1). He was a contemporary of Isaiah, Hosea (Isa. 1:1; Hosea 1:1), and possibly Amos. His name means “Who is like Jehovah?”] His book was written in Judah about 750 B.C. to 710 B.C.
B. The subject: the forgiveness out of God’s love saving His disciplined people by Christ issuing in the restoration of the kingdom.
C. The background: Micah and Isaiah were prophets of the same generation. One was in the countryside, the other was in the imperial court. It is possible that they were acquainted. The content of their prophesies are very similar, both speaking of God’s judgment towards Israel and Judah, the coming of the Messiah, and the recovery and rebuilding of the kingdom of God’s people. Some have suggested that Micah is a condensed version of Isaiah. The two books have many similar wordings and thoughts (compare 4:1-3 with Isaiah 2:2-4).
D. The central thought: Towards His elect, God must: 1) chastise, because He hates sin; 2) forgive and save, because of His lovingkindness; and 3) provide recovery and regeneration, because of His covenant.
E. The general sketch: In this book, Micah [pointed out repeatedly the transcendence and incomparableness of God’s holiness, righteousness, love, and mercy. At the end of his book, he said, “Who is a God like unto thee...?” (Micah 7:18). He prophesied concerning the birthplace of Christ when He became a man in time and the goings forth of His Godhead being from eternity (5:2), that He as the victorious Ruler would be the deliverance and peace of God’s people (5:2-9), that His kingdom would be above all nations, and that the people would flow unto it (4:1-5), as also prophesied by Isaiah (Isa. 2:2-4).]
F. The sections: 1) chastisement (chs. 1—3), 2) consolation (chs. 4—5), 3) argument (ch. 6), and 4) forgiveness (ch. 7).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [Nahum was an Elkoshite (Nahum 1:1). God gave him the vision specifically concerning the Assyrian Empire and the destruction of its capital Nineveh. Although he was an Israelite, he prophesied in the kingdom of Judah. His name means “consolation” or “revenge.” His prophetic speakings were full of both consolation and revenge. Toward the oppressed people, God comforted them through the prophets; toward the cruel and violent Assyria, God made revenge.] His book was written about 713 B.C.
B. The subject: God consoling His oppressed people and taking revenge on the cruel aggressors.
C. The background: Jonah went to Nineveh about 862 B.C. The Ninevites repented because of his preaching. After 150 years they had departed from God again, even rebelling against God. They invaded the holy land and blasphemed God. Therefore, God wanted to utterly destroy them. [Nahum prophesied in the reign of Hezekiah king of Judah. At that time Assyria was the strongest nation and the most cruel aggressor, and all the Near Eastern nations were afraid of her. Judah was especially afraid of her, and having seen the fall of the kingdom of Israel into the hands of Assyria (720 B.C.) and Egypt’s defeat by Assyria (714 B.C., see Isa. 20), was constantly wary of this terrible enemy. Under this circumstance, Nahum rose up as a prophet to comfort God’s people, telling them not to fear and predicting the soon coming of God’s judgment upon Assyria.]
D. The central thought: The people that forsake or betray God have a fearful and irredeemable destiny, but the people that depend on God receive Him as their shelter and refuge in times of tribulation.
E. The general sketch: The prophecy in chapter one is about how “in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and took them” (713 B.C., 2 Kings 18:13). The prophecy in chapters two and three refers to Babylon’s defeat of Assyria.
F. The sections: 1) the Judge (1:1-7) and 2) the judgment (1:8—3:19).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [Habakkuk means “embraced” or “attached.” When he had problems or when he sought for the interest of his fellow people, he embraced God and attached himself to God, asking questions repeatedly and not relaxing at all.] This book was written in Judah about 626 B.C.
B. The subject: The God who abhors iniquities will judge, but the just shall live by faith.
C. The background: [The book of Habakkuk is very similar to the book of Nahum, both being concerned with God’s judgment upon the enemies of God’s people. The latter prophesied the end of Assyria, while the former predicted the end of Chaldea.]
D. The central thought: God cannot tolerate sin, but the execution of His judgment is in time, according to a plan, and in stages. When He is angry, He still remembers His mercy (3:2), because He causes the righteous to live by faith. What a marvelous gospel!
E. The general sketch: Habakkuk asked God why He did not listen to his prayer and did not judge sin. God showed him that He was about to use the cruel Chaldeans to carry out His judgment on Israel. Then Habakkuk asked again, How could the righteous and holy God use the Chaldeans, who were more sinful, to judge Judah? God showed him that He knew of their sinfulness and would judge them with fire. “But the righteous shall live by his faith” (2:4). At the end, Habakkuk praised God, because he was filled and satisfied by Him.
F. The sections: 1) first dialog (1:1-11), 2) second dialog (1:12—2:20), and 3) Habakkuk’s song (ch. 3).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah (Zeph. 1:1), was a prince in the royal house of Judah. His name means “Jehovah hides.”] The events recorded in this book took place in Judah about 630 B.C.
B. The subject: idolatry and mixture resulting in judgment, and the destruction of idols resulting in salvation.
C. The background: [A contemporary of Habakkuk and Jeremiah, Zephaniah prophesied in the days of Josiah, king of Judah. During his reign Josiah began to remove the idols but did not do it thoroughly; thus, some idols still remained. Therefore, Zephaniah spoke the word of God, saying, “I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarim with the priests; and them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops” (1:4-5). He was in the imperial court assisting and guiding the young king Josiah to seek God. He prophesied that God would punish the nations, cause the people to call upon Him and serve Him, and bring restoration to the nation of Israel (3:8-20).]
D. The central thought: The jealous God 1) rebukes the evil of idolatry, 2) warns of the imminent day of Jehovah, and 3) predicts the blessing of the coming kingdom age.
E. The general sketch: Manasseh and Amon, the two most evil kings of Judah, had led the people to worship idols and forsake God. Zephaniah warned Judah that the judgment of the righteous and holy God, although suspended during the years of King Josiah (2 Chron. 34:24-28), would eventually be fully accomplished on Judah. This judgment was to be executed on two kinds of remnants — the remnant of the priests and worshippers of Baal would be utterly destroyed; the remnant of the house of Judah, after being chastened, would be blessed and prosper in the end. Some of the people worshipped both Jehovah and Malchim (god of Amon — 1:4-5). God is a jealous God; He will never tolerate compromise. His promised judgment came in part when Babylon invaded Judah and will come in full in the last day. Such chastening is proof of God’s love. Like Habakkuk, it ends with a very sweet song. Though stressing judgment, it is full of promises (3:14-17). “For then will I turn to the peoples a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of Jehovah, to serve Him with one consent” (3:9). This will be fulfilled in the coming kingdom, but we have a foretaste in the church today (Rom. 15:5-6).
F. The sections: 1) judgment (1:1—3:8) and 2) salvation (3:9-20).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [Haggai, who lived at the same time as Zechariah (Ezra 5:1), spoke for God in the second year of Darius the king. His name means “my feasts” or “Jehovah’s feasts.” This shows how much he longed for an early return to his homeland to restore God’s feasts.] The events recorded in this book took place about 520 B.C. in three months and twenty-four days in Jerusalem.
B. The subject: building up the house of God by rejecting our discouragement and interest.
C. The background: [During the years when the rebuilding of the holy temple was interrupted, the children of Israel began to build beautiful houses for themselves and gradually forgot the building of the holy temple. Furthermore, the enemy’s opposition and hindrance steadily increased, and desolation and drought continued to plague the land. Therefore, the people of Israel concluded that the time to build the house of Jehovah had not yet come (Hag. 1:2, 4, 6, 10). It was under such a circumstance that the prophets Haggai and Zechariah rose up to deliver the word of God and encourage the returned Israelites to finish the rebuilding work of God’s holy temple.]
D. The central thought: 1) In their life and service, the believers should always put God in the first place. 2) You should “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt. 6:33). 3) “Wherefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).
E. The general sketch: [God reprimanded the people through Haggai, telling them to consider their ways because of the disasters and miseries that had come upon them, and to not let the house lie waste, but to go up to the mountain, bring wood, and build God’s house. So, Zerubbabel the son of Salathiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of Jehovah their God (Hag. 1:2).
Then God spoke through Haggai the prophet to encourage the people to be strong and work for the completion of the rebuilding of God’s house. “Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts” (Hag. 2:4).]
F. The sections: 1) the chastisement and the encouragement for the lazy, selfish people (ch. 1), 2) the prophecy of the holy temple in the kingdom age (2:1-9), 3) the warning for the transgressions of the people (2:10-19), and 4) the promise of the Messiah (2:20-23).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo (Zech. 1:1), was born in the land of captivity; he returned to the homeland with Zerubbabel. Iddo was one among the first group of priests to return (Neh. 12:4, 16); hence, Zechariah was both a prophet and a priest (Zech. 7:3-4), like Jeremiah and Ezekiel.
Iddo means “an appointed time;” Berechiah means “blessed of Jehovah;” Zechariah means “remembered of Jehovah.” These three names taken together mean “at the appointed time Jehovah blesses and remembers.” Surely, at an appointed day, God will bless and remember His people.] This book was written in Judah around 520 B.C.
B. The subject: the importance of Christ in the recovery of God’s building.
C. The background: Haggai and Zechariah were contemporaries, prophets after the return from captivity. They spoke the same prophecies in the same circumstances, strengthening Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the people of the land for the rebuilding work, and at the same time they gave them the hope of the future restoration and glory.
D. The central thought: the love and care of God toward His people guaranteeing that He will bless and remember them at the appointed time.
E. The general sketch: [In order that Zechariah might strengthen the rebuilding work of the holy temple by foretelling its success, God gave him a series of eight visions in the beginning of the prophecies in his book.]
The first vision showed that God would grant mercies that His house might be rebuilt. The second vision showed the tools used by God to smite Israel’s enemies. The third vision showed that Christ, the Sender and sent One, would choose Jerusalem and dwell in its midst. In the fourth vision, [God raised up Christ as the Sprout of life and the stone with God’s seven Spirits (seven eyes — 4:10; Rev. 5:6), and judged (engraved on) Him on the cross that He might remove the iniquity of Israel. The Sprout of life, Christ, who is filled with God’s Spirit, also became the festival-robes to clothe them as their righteousness that they might live in God’s presence.] The fifth vision showed that the purged Israel would shine as a lampstand among the nations. In this vision [the two olive trees, on the one hand, signify Joshua and Zerubbabel building the holy temple and recovering God’s testimony by the Spirit of Jehovah; on the other hand, they denote the two witnesses in Revelation 11 preaching the word by being filled with the Spirit.] It also showed that Christ is the topstone for the building of God’s temple. The sixth vision showed that God wants to cleanse His people by His law and righteousness. The seventh vision showed that the people needed to return all the Babylonian things to Babylon. The eighth vision showed that the nations will be judged and this judgment will cause them to come and build up God’s temple.
Zechariah also prophesied various aspects of the two comings of Christ (9:9-10; 11:12-13; 12:1-14; 13:1, 6, 7; 14:2-5, 12-15).
F. The sections: 1) the message during the building of the temple (chs. 1—8) and 2) the message after the building of the temple (chs. 9—14).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [Malachi, whose name means “my messenger,” was the last of the prophets.] He prophesied in Jerusalem about 434 B.C.
B. The subject: The Old Testament age of the law ends with a curse, and the New Testament age of grace dawns with the introduction of Christ.
C. The background: [During that time, first, the holy temple had been rebuilt and the offering of sacrifices had been restored (Mal. 1:6-10); second, the zeal of the priests had gradually grown cold in the service of God (compare Mal. 1:6 with Neh. 13:4); third, the people had neglected to bring their tithes to the storehouse (compare Mal. 3:8 with Neh. 13:10-12); fourth, the people had married heathen wives (compare Mal. 2:11 with Neh. 13:23-25); and fifth, the initial fulfillment of the prophecy in Malachi 3:1-5 probably refers to Malachi and Nehemiah initially.]
D. The central thought: Remember God’s love, repent of your sins, turn back to Him, and look to the coming Lord.
E. The general sketch: Malachi rebuked and admonished the people of Israel for their evils after the rebuilding of the holy temple and the holy city. Then he foretold the coming of Elijah the prophet and John the Baptizer. Finally, he foretold the second coming of Christ.
F. The sections: 1) the zeal of God towards Israel (1:1-5), 2) God’s chastisement of the iniquities of the priests (1:6—2:9), 3) God’s chastisement of the iniquities of the people (2:10-17; 3:7-15), and 4) God’s unveiling of the day of Jehovah (3:1-6, 16-18; 4:1-6).
Malachi’s [message terminated the age of law of the Old Testament and introduced the greatest messenger, the messenger of the covenant (Mal. 3:1), the Lord Jesus who gives grace. However, he could only introduce the Lord Jesus and could not bring Him in. Therefore, his concluding word was still on the curse (4:6), which was the terrible result of the age of law.]
[Between the book of Malachi and the Gospel of Matthew there was a space and silence of about four centuries. Bible readers can see, however, that a wonderful connection and correspondence definitely exist between the two books. The things that were mentioned at the end of Malachi are also at the beginning of Matthew — the Messenger of the covenant and His forerunner (3:1; 4:2, 5; Matt. 1—3).]
