In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He [Jesus Christ -Yeshua] was in the beginning with God.

ERAS OF THE PROPHETS

The Holy Bible contains scripture from the ministries of sixteen prophets written in seventeen books in the Old Testament. God the Holy Spirit visited the prophets at various times to give a message to the people of Israel regarding warning and judgment for disobedience, and deliverance and blessings in repentance and obedience. In messages of deliverance, the prophets encouraged the people with God’s promise of the future Messiah who would bring salvation and redemption to both Jews and Gentiles. The prophets prophesied two advents of the Messiah. Prophecy of the first advent was fulfilled at the coming of Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God, who freely gave Himself on the cross for our sins. Prophecy of the second advent of Jesus Christ, as Judge and Redeemer, is yet to come. At the end of the present age, Christ will come as a warrior on a white horse to judge the nations for their rejection of His Word and to redeem a remnant of Israel, thus completing God’s ultimate plan of redemption for mankind.

The prophets span a period of approximately 420 years from c. 845-425 BC. Three major events occurred during this time. The nation of Israel had already been split into the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah when the prophets began their ministries. The first major event was the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians in 722 BC. The second major event was the fall of the southern kingdom of Judah to Babylon followed by the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 586 BC. The Judeans were taken captive and exiled to Babylonia. The third major event occurred when the Judeans were allowed to return in 538 BC to rebuild the temple and Jerusalem.

The eras of the prophets can be grouped into the three major periods of events. Obadiah, Joel, Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah and Micah began their ministries prior to the fall of Israel. The ministries of Nahum, Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Ezekiel and Daniel began prior to the fall of Judah and ended near the time the Jews were allowed to return to Judah. The ministries of Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi span an era from c. 520-425 BC after the Jews returned to Judah to rebuild the temple and Jerusalem.