Prophetic Books

Scope and Contents

The Prophetic Books are the books of the Old Testament that bear the names of prophets. In Protestant Bibles the term refers to the seventeen books from Isaiah through Malachi, which form the final section of the Old Testament. These books are divided by length into two groups.

• Major Prophets (5 books): Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel
• Minor Prophets (12 books): Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

The terms "major" and "minor" refer only to the length of the books, not to their importance. Although Lamentations is short, it is placed among the Major Prophets in keeping with the tradition of reading it together with Jeremiah.

Background

The Hebrew word for prophet, nabi, denotes one who receives the word of God and proclaims it. The Prophetic Books generally cover the period from the division of the kingdom, through the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel and the Babylonian exile of the southern kingdom of Judah, to the period after the return from exile. Some books, such as Amos and Hosea, are early, while others, such as Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, date from after the return. Scholars differ on the dating of several books, including Joel and Obadiah. The principal themes of these books are the indictment of idolatry and social injustice, warnings of judgment, calls to repentance, and promises of restoration and of the Messiah.

The Jewish division of the Hebrew Bible differs from this arrangement. In Judaism the "Prophets" (Nevi'im) comprise Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings (the Former Prophets) along with Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve Minor Prophets (the Latter Prophets). Daniel and Lamentations are placed not among the Prophets but among the "Writings." The arrangement of the Protestant Old Testament is generally understood to follow the tradition of the Septuagint and the Vulgate.

Connection to the New Testament

The New Testament often refers to the Old Testament as "the law" and "the prophets" (Matthew 5:17). Jesus said that "all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me" (Luke 24:44–46). Jesus began his public ministry by reading from Isaiah 61 in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:16–21), and Peter quoted the book of Joel at Pentecost (Acts 2:16–21).

Many passages in the Prophetic Books provided the foundation for the New Testament's explanation of Christ and the gospel. Examples include the following:

• The Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53
• The new covenant of Jeremiah 31 (Hebrews 8:6–13)
• "The just shall live by his faith" in Habakkuk 2:4 (Romans 1:17)

Interpretation and Issues

• The nature of prophecy: The Prophetic Books contain more material proclaiming God's will to the people of the prophets' own day than material foretelling the future. It is therefore widely accepted that "prophecy" should not be narrowly understood as prediction alone but as encompassing both foretelling and forthtelling.
• Authorship and dating: Within critical scholarship, some attribute Isaiah 40 onward to a later author, and some date the book of Daniel to the second century BC. Conservative evangelicals uphold the traditional views of authorship.
• Interpreting fulfillment: Dispensationalism tends to read the prophecies of Israel's restoration as events that will yet take place literally. Covenant theology emphasizes that these prophecies are fulfilled in Christ and the church.
• Prophecy today: Whether the gift of prophecy continues today is a central issue in the debate between cessationism and continuationism, and it is also tied to the controversies surrounding the New Apostolic Reformation.

In the Korean Church

In the Sunday schools of many churches, children learn the distinction between the Major and Minor Prophets by memorizing the names of the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament in song. Isaiah 9 is frequently read at Christmas, and Isaiah 53 during Holy Week. Habakkuk 3:17–18 is often used as a sermon text at Thanksgiving.