Berean Bible Church

The Prophets

Lesson # I

January 3, 2010

 

 

I  Introduction

1.  In considering the last twelve books of the Old Testament we prefer to use the term “shorter” rather than the commonly used term of “minor” prophets.

 

2.  Perhaps it is right to say that these books are the most neglected books in the Bible

 

3.  It is this neglect that has, in our opinion, strengthened the a-millennial view of the Scriptures.  Two major views of the a-millennialist are:

a) God has finished His dealings with Israel, they are no longer His Chosen people.

b) There will not be a 1000 year reign of Christ on this earth

 

4.   In 1941, a brother said:  “I can give you a verse that says, God has already fulfilled all the promises made to Israel.  It is Joshua 23:14.” What was wrong with his position?

 

5.  All the prophets were written after that time!

2 Chronicles 6:4  God hath fulfilled .that which He spake to David my father.

Also written before the prophets were written.

 

            6.  This position of the amillennial belief, actually strengthens our pre-millennial position. For if God literally fulfilled all the promises made to Israel before the prophets were written,

                  is it not proof that the promises made to Israel by the prophets will have the same kind of fulfillment?

 

             7.  Zechariah 14:1-5 is a most difficult passage for an amillennialist

                  I illustrate from David Regan’s book, as I have done before.

 

                  I asked a believer in “amillennilaism” to interpret the passage for me

He began:  “The Mount of Olives is Israel.  The dividing of the Mount is the division that came between the Ten Tribes of the North and the Two Tribes of the south.”  I did not ask for anymore. For he was using history to interpret prophecy.  And that which is history is not prophecy.

 

II  We shall endeavour to point out the major theme of each of these books.

                  Hosea  The great love of God for Israel

                  Joel      The judgments of God upon Israel, followed by His mercy to Israel

 

We would suggest that the reason these books have been neglected is because there is so much in them about Israel.

                 

                  Notice, you cannot study the prophets and leave out the subject of Israel

 

III  The prophets wrote in different periods of time.

1.      Some wrote before the Assyrian Captivity of the Ten Northern Tribes

Between the years of 800 BC, and 712 BC  These include: Hosea, Joel Amos, Obadiah, Jonah and Micah. Isaiah also wrote during this time

 

2.      Some wrote after Israel’s fall in 712 BC but before Judah’s fall in 606 BC

These include:  Habakkuk, Nahum, Zephaniah.  Jeremiah wrote part of his book during this period.

 

3.      Some wrote during the 70 years of Babylonian captivity – 606BC- 536 BC

The writers were, Jeremiah, Daniel and Ezekiel.  None of the Shorter  Prophets wrote during this period.

                 

4        Others wrote after the 70 years in Babylon  536 BC – 400 BC

These writers were: Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi

 

IV  After Malachi, there was no prophetic voice until the silence was broken by the Angel, as recorded in Luke 1:1-25 and Luke 2:57-80

 

The “Little Light”, John the Baptist appeared in history. 

He was sent to introduce the TRUE LIGHT, the True Prophet, the Promised Prophet made to Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15. The Christ, of whom all those before Him were but types and shadows

 

V  All true prophets were misused and abused.

                  2 Chronicles 36:15-16  mocked, despised, misused

                  Acts 7:52  which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted?

                  In this abuse they foreshadowed, typified Christ

                  Isaiah 53:3  He is despised and rejected, a man of sorrows…