SEMINAR ON THE MINOR PROPHETS

@ CALVARY PANDAN BP CHURCH

1 - 4 SEPTEMBER 2008

 

by Rev (Dr) Quek Suan Yew

 

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INTRODUCTION

 

THE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OF THE MINOR PROPHETS

 

These dates are taken from Hailey's book pp. 19‑21.

 

Ninth Century‑‑Early Assyrian Period

 

OBADIAH ‑‑ ca. 845 B.C.     Date is uncertain

 

JOEL ‑‑ ca. 830 B.C.        Date is uncertain

 

JONAH ‑‑ 790‑750 B.C.

 

 

Eighth Century‑‑Assyrian Period

 

AMOS ‑‑ 755 B.C.

 

HOSEA ‑‑ 750‑725 B.C.

 

ISAIAH ‑‑ 740‑700 B.C.

 

MICAH ‑‑ 735‑700 B.C.

 

 

Seventh Century‑‑Chaldean Period

 

JEREMIAH ‑‑ 626‑586 B.C.

 

ZEPHANIAH ‑‑ 630‑625 B.C.

 

NAHUM ‑‑ 625‑612 B.C.

 

HABAKKUK ‑‑ 625‑605 B.C.

 

 

 

 

Sixth Century‑The Period of Exile

 

EZEKIEL ‑‑ 593‑570 B.C.

 

DANIEL ‑‑ 605‑536 B.C.

 

 

Sixth and Fifth Centuries‑‑Post Exilic Period

 

HAGGAI ‑‑ 520 B.C.

 

ZECHARIAH ‑‑ 520‑518 B.C.

 

MALACHI ‑‑ ca. 440 B.C.

 

 

 

The following dates are taken from Willmington's Guide to the Bible

 

 

THE WRITING PROPHETS OF THE CHAOTIC KINGDOM STAGE (p. 170)

 

Author           Yrs. of Ministry        Dates (B.C.)              Destination

 

Obadiah                     10                    850‑840                     Edom

 

Jonah                          35                    785‑750                     Nineveh

 

Nahum           30                    650‑620                     Nineveh

 

Amos                          7                      760‑735                     Israel

 

Hosea                         60                    760‑700                     Israel

 

Joel                             7                      841‑834                     Judah

 

Isaiah                          58                    739‑681                     Judah

 

Micah                          35                    735‑700                     Judah

 

Zephaniah                  20                    640‑620                     Judah

 

Habakkuk                   3                      609‑606                     Judah

 

Jeremiah                    52                    627‑575                     Judah

 

 

 

PROPHETS OF THE CAPTIVITY STAGE (p. 210, 224)

 

Ezekiel                       ‑‑                      ca. 597                       Jerusalem; Tyre; Egypt

 

Daniel                         69                    605‑536                     Jerusalem; Babylon;

                                                                                                Medo‑Persia; Greece;

                                                                                                Romans; Antichrist

 

 

PROPHETS OF THE RETURN STAGE (p. 253, 255, 260)

 

Haggai                        ‑‑                     520                             Israel

 

Zechariah       ‑‑                     520                             Israel

 

Malachi                       39                    435‑396                     Israel

 

 

 

CANONICAL ORDER OF THE MINOR PROPHETS IS:

 

Name of Book          Number of chapters

 

Hosea                                     14

Joel                                           3

Amos                                        9

Obadiah                                   1

Jonah                                        4

Micah                                        7

Nahum                                      3

Habakkuk                                 3

Zephaniah                                3

Haggai                                     2

Zechariah                               14

Malachi                                     4

 

 

        There are two basic issues to remember when we study the books of the prophets.

 

1)         It is necessary to understand the political, moral, social and religious climate in which the prophets lived and ministered. It was not in a vacuum that the prophets of God spoke. The focus of all their messages might be similar, i.e. to point the people back to God but before the people can return to God they must change. The change is a transformation from within rather than a renovation of some external conduct or behaviour.

 

2)         The relationship God has with the heathen nations and God's chosen nation must be carefully distinguished and understood. In the light of God's dealings with both groups we can understand God's present dealings with His church and present day godless nations.

 

 

        The approach adopted for this course will be according to the Canonical arrangement of the books of the Minor Prophets.

 

 

 

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE POLITICAL KINGDOM

 

        After the death of David in 970 B.C., Solomon became the new king of Israel.  By then David had already united the twelve tribes of Israel and Israel was a United Kingdom. Solomon was the wisest man to rule Israel (only in the political sense). Unlike modern thinking today which believe that "education" will solve the social ills and sinful habits of man, Solomon's earthly wisdom was impotent in controlling his sin of the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and fatally the pride of life.  He had 700 wives and 300 concubines (cf. 1 Ki. 11:1‑3). These wives turned his heart away from the LORD. The summary statement that describes his life most accurately is 1 Kings 3:3  "And  Solomon  loved  the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only  he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places."

 

        At the end of his reign in 930 B.C., His son, Rehoboam became the new king of United Israel. But it did not remain united for long. Because of the sins of Solomon the kingdom was divided into two parts, ten tribes toward the north (Ephraim being the strongest of the ten tribes) and two tribes will take the south (Judah and Benjamin). The first king of the Northern Kingdom was Jeroboam I. This was called Israel and sometimes Ephraim because Ephraim was the most powerful tribe in Israel.  The first king of the Southern Kingdom was Rehoboam. This nation was called Judah.

 

        The people of the Northern Kingdom were called Israelites. The Northern kingdom had over nine dynasties and 19 kings and existed for 208 years (930‑722 B.C.) but they had no good king.

 

        The people of the Southern Kingdom were called Jews. They had only one dynasty and that was the Davidic line. They had 20 kings of whom 8 were good kings. They existed for 344 years (930‑586 B.C.).

 

        After the destruction of Judah, the focus shifted to the Exilic people in Babylon. This could be seen in the books of Ezekiel and Daniel (part of the four Major Prophets). According to God's prophetic Word and fulfillment, the Jews returned to Jerusalem to rebuild their temple and city.

 

        This is a very brief account of the history of the Divided kingdom and the Jewish Returnees. The Minor Prophets span this entire period from the Divided Kingdom period through the exilic period.