Introduction
The 'Minor Prophets'
are called the minor prophets only in relation to the 'Major
Prophets', and this really only refers to the length of their
writings included in the Bible. They could more accurately be called
the 'shorter prophets' and the 'longer prophets'. Altogether there
are a total of 16 prophets included in the Old Testament and counting
Jeremiah's Lamentations, they account for 17 books of our English
Bibles.
The Writing Prophets - English Bible Order
Isaiah Jonah
Jeremiah Micah
Lamentations Nahum
Ezekiel Habakkuk
Daniel Zephaniah
Hosea Haggai
Joel Zechariah
Amos Malachi
Obadiah
But this can be
confusing for today's Bible readers because this is not the
chronological order in which these books and the events they cover
actually occurred. I have borrowed this timeline from an article at Bible.org which is a great Bible study resource. This timeline shows the kingdoms of Israel and Judah and marks the approximate times that each of these prophets ministered for the LORD.
Here are our Key Verses for this Bible study series. Perhaps the Lord will lay it on your heart to memorize these verses in order to assist you in remembering the keys to understanding the minor prophets.
Key Verses
Jonah
2:8-9 Those
who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.
But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I
have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!
Amos
8:11-12
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God,
“when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of
bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.
They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall
run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord,
but they shall not find it.”
Hosea
3:1
And the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who
is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves
the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes
of raisins.”
Obadiah
1:15
For the day of the Lord is
near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you;
your deeds shall return on your own head.
Joel
2:11
The Lord utters
his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he
who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the Lord is great
and very awesome.
Micah
6:8
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does
the Lord require
of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk
humbly with your God?
Nahum
1:7-8 The Lord is
good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take
refuge in him. But with an overflowing flood he will make a
complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies
into darkness.
Zephaniah
2:3
Seek the Lord, all
you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness;
seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger
of the Lord.
Habakkuk
3:17-19
Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock
be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I
will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God,
the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes
me tread on my high places.
I will update the rest of the verses for the remainder of the study soon. May God open the eyes of your understanding to see Him through this study and bring glory to Himself.
