The final section of the Old Testament contains seventeen books of prophecy: five "Major Prophets" and twelve "Minor Prophets". For many readers these are the hardest parts of the Old Testament — full of poetry, symbols and references to nations long gone. But once you understand who the prophets were and when they spoke, their messages come alive.
What was a prophet?
A prophet was a person called by God to speak his word to the people. Prophets often began with "Thus saith the LORD". Their work included:
- Forth-telling — calling God's people back to faithfulness, justice and true worship.
- Fore-telling — warning of coming judgement and announcing future hope, including promises of the Messiah.
Most of the time prophets were addressing their own generation. Their words about the future served to warn and encourage people in the present.
Major and minor: a matter of length
The words "major" and "minor" refer to the length of the books, not their importance. The major prophets are long books; the minor prophets are shorter. In the Hebrew Bible, the twelve minor prophets were written on a single scroll and called "The Twelve".
The Major Prophets
| Book | When | Main message |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah | 8th century BC, Judah | God's holiness, judgement, and great promises of a coming servant and king |
| Jeremiah | Before and during Jerusalem's fall (586 BC) | Warnings, tears over Judah, and the promise of a new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31) |
| Lamentations | After Jerusalem's fall | Poems of grief, with hope in God's mercies (Lamentations 3:22–23) |
| Ezekiel | Exile in Babylon | Visions of God's glory, judgement and the renewal of his people |
| Daniel | Exile in Babylon and Persia | Faithfulness under pressure and visions of God's everlasting kingdom |
The Minor Prophets
| Book | Main message |
|---|---|
| Hosea | God's faithful love for unfaithful Israel, pictured in Hosea's marriage |
| Joel | A call to repent and the promise of God's Spirit (quoted in Acts 2) |
| Amos | A shepherd's call for justice for the poor |
| Obadiah | Judgement on Edom for its pride |
| Jonah | A reluctant prophet and God's mercy to Nineveh |
| Micah | Justice, mercy and humility; the Messiah to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) |
| Nahum | The fall of the cruel city of Nineveh |
| Habakkuk | A prophet's honest questions, and "the just shall live by his faith" (2:4) |
| Zephaniah | The day of the Lord and future joy |
| Haggai | A call to rebuild the temple after the exile |
| Zechariah | Visions of restoration and the humble king on a donkey (9:9) |
| Malachi | A call to faithfulness and the promise of a messenger to prepare the way |
Three periods of prophecy
It helps to place the prophets in three periods:
- Before the exile — prophets such as Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah and Jeremiah warned Israel and Judah to turn back to God before Assyria and Babylon brought judgement.
- During the exile — Ezekiel and Daniel encouraged God's people in Babylon.
- After the exile — Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi encouraged the returned community to rebuild and stay faithful.
The prophets and Jesus
The New Testament often quotes the prophets to show how Jesus fulfils God's promises. Isaiah 53 speaks of a servant "wounded for our transgressions" (Isaiah 53:5, KJV). Micah names Bethlehem as the Messiah's birthplace. Zechariah describes a king coming on a donkey. Read more in Old Testament prophecies about Jesus.
Messages for today
The prophets still speak powerfully. They call us to:
- worship God alone and reject idols;
- care for the poor, widows and orphans;
- practise honesty and justice in daily life;
- repent and return to God, who is merciful;
- hope in God's promises even in dark times.
Micah summarises it well: "what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8, KJV)
Tips for reading the prophets
- Read the introduction in a study Bible to learn the setting.
- Use a timeline — see a simple Bible timeline.
- Start with Jonah, Habakkuk or Haggai — short and easy to follow.
- Look for repeated themes: sin, judgement, repentance and hope.
Browse our commentaries and Bible study books for deeper study.