Minor Prophets

Place in the Bible and Content

The Minor Prophets are the twelve books placed at the very end of the Old Testament: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. The term is paired with "Major Prophets," which refers to longer books such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. "Minor" means only that the books are shorter. This distinction is generally understood to have become widespread through the usage of Augustine. The books rebuke idolatry and social injustice and proclaim God's judgment together with the promise of restoration.

Background

The Hebrew Bible (the Masoretic Text) counts the twelve books as a single book called "The Twelve" and places it at the end of the Prophets section. The order in Korean Bibles matches that of the Hebrew Bible. The Septuagint arranges the opening books differently, in the order Hosea, Amos, Micah, Joel, Obadiah, and Jonah.

The prophets' ministries span a long period. Amos and Hosea are generally thought to have prophesied before the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel, while Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi are generally placed after the return from exile, around the time of the rebuilding of the temple. For books whose texts contain no dating information, such as Joel and Obadiah, scholarly opinion varies.

Significance in the Whole Bible

The Protestant Old Testament ends with Malachi. The announcement in Malachi 4:5 that God will send Elijah is connected in the New Testament with John the Baptist (Matthew 11:14). The New Testament frequently quotes the Minor Prophets:

• Hosea 11:1 → Matthew 2:15
• Micah 5:2 → Matthew 2:6, the prophecy that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem
• Joel 2:28-32 → Acts 2:16-21, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
• Habakkuk 2:4 → Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11
• Zechariah 9:9 → Matthew 21:5, the triumphal entry into Jerusalem
• The account of Jonah → Matthew 12:39-41, "the sign of the prophet Jonas"
• Amos 9:11-12 → Acts 15:16-17, the Council of Jerusalem

Interpretation and Points of Debate

• Habakkuk 2:4, "the just shall live by his faith," has been read in the Reformation tradition as an important foundation for the doctrine of justification.
• Pentecostal traditions read the promise in Joel 2:28 that God will pour out his Spirit as directly connected to experiences of the Spirit today. Other denominations emphasize its fulfillment in Acts 2, and views differ on the scope of its application (cessationism and continuationism).
• Some read the Book of Jonah as actual history, while others read it as a didactic story. The creature that swallowed Jonah is popularly described as a "whale," but the text says only "a great fish" (Jonah 1:17).
• Interpretations also differ on whether the marriage of Hosea and Gomer was an actual event or a symbolic act.
• Whether Malachi 3:8-10 can be applied directly to church offerings today is a major issue in the tithing debate.

In the Korean Church

Passages from the Minor Prophets frequently used in the Korean church include the following:

• Malachi 3:10: sermons on the tithe
• Joel 2:28: revival meetings and gatherings focused on the Holy Spirit
• Habakkuk 3:17-18: sermons on thanksgiving in the midst of hardship
• Micah 6:8 and Amos 5:24: teaching on justice and social responsibility in the life of believers