Who? | When? (B.C.) | Ministered during the reign of these kings | Main message | Significance |
AHIJAH | 934-909 | Jeroboam I of Israel (1 Kings 11:29-39) | Israel would split in two, and God had chosen Jeroboam to lead the 10 tribes. Warned him to remain obedient to God | We should not take lightly our God-given responsibilities. Jeroboam did and lost his kingdom. |
ELIJAH | 875-848 | Ahab of Israel (1 Kings 17:1-2 Kings 2:11) | In fiery style, urged wicked Ahab to turn back to God. Proved on Mount carmel who the one true God is (1 Kings 18). | Even giants of faith can’t force sinners to change. But those who remain faithful to God have a great impact for him. |
MICAIAH | 865-853 | Ahab of Israel Jehoshaphat of Judah (1 Kings 22:8-28; 2 Chronicles 18:7-27) | Ahab would be unsuccessful in fighting the Arameans. | It is foolish to move ahead with plans that are contrary to God’s Word. |
JEHU | 853 | Jehoshaphat of Judah (2 Chronicles 19:1-3) | Jehoshaphat should never have allied himself with wicked Ahab. | Partnership with immoral people can lead us into trouble. |
OBADIAH | 855-840 (?) | Jehoram of Judah (The book of Obadiah) | God would judge the Edomites for taking advantage of God’s people. | Pride is one of the most dangerous sins because it causes us to take advantage of others. |
ELISHA | 848-797 | Joram, Jehu, Jehoahaz, and Jehoash, all of Israel (2 Kings 2:1-9:1; 13:10-21) | Expressed by his actions the importance of helping ordinary people in need. | God is concerned about the everyday needs of his people. |
JOEL | 835-796 (?) | Joash of Judah (The book of Joel) | Because a plague of locusts had come to punish the nation, called the people to turn back to God before an even greater judgment occurred. | While God judges all people for their sins he gives eternal salvation only to those who have turned to him. |
JONAH | 793-753 | Jeroboam II of Israel (2 Kings 14:25; the book of Jonah) | Warned Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, to repent of its sins. | God wants all nations to turn to him. His love reaches out to all peoples. |
AMOS | 760-750 | Jeroboam II of Israel (The book of Amos) | Warned those who exploited or ignored the needy. (In Amos’s day, Israel was an affluent and materialistic society) | Believing in God is more than a personal matter. God calls all believers to work against injustices in society and to aid those less fortunate. |
HOSEA | 753-715 | The last seven kings of Israel; Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah (The book of Hosea) | Condemned the people of Israel because they had sinned against God as an adulterous woman sins against her husband. | When we sin, we sever our relationship to God, breaking our commitment to him. While all must answer to God for their sins, those who seek God’s forgiveness are spared from eternal judgment. |
MICAH | 742-687 | Jotham. Ahaz, and Hezekiah, of Judah (The book of Micah) | Predicted the fall of both the northem and the southern kingdoms. This was God’s discipline on the people, actually showing how much he cared for them. | Choosing to live a life apart from God is making a commitment to sin. Sin leads to judgment and death. God alone shows us the way to eternal peace. His discipline often keeps us on the right path. |
ISAIAH | 740-681 | Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, and Manasseh of Judah (The book of Isaiah) | Called the people back to a special relationship with God-although judgment through other nations was inevitable. | Sometimes we must suffer judgment and discipline before we are restored to God. |
NAHUM | 663-654 | Manasseh of Judah (The book of Nahum) | The mighty empire of Assyria that oppressed God’s people would soon tumble. | Those who do evil and oppress others will one day meet a bitter end. |
ZEPHANIAH | 640-621 | Josiah of Judah (The book of Zephaniah) | A day would come when God, as Judge, would severely punish all nations; but afterward he would show mercy to his people. | We will all be judged for our disobedience to God, but it we remain faithful to him, he will show us mercy. |
JEREMIAH | 627-586 | Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah of Judah (The book of Jeremiah) | Repentance would postpone Judah’s coming judgment at the hands of Babylon. | Repentance is one of the greatest needs in our world of immorality. God’s promises to the faithful shine brightly. |
HABAKKUK | 612-589 | Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah of Judah (The book of Habakkuk) | Couldn’t understand why God seemed to do nothing about the wickedness in society. Then realized that faith in God alone would one day supply the answer. | Instead of questioning the ways of God, we should realize that he is completely just, and we should have faith that one day evil will be utterly destroyed. |
DANIEL | 605-536 | Prophesied as an exile in Babylon during the reigns of Nebuchadnezzar, Darius the Mede, and Cyrus of Persia (The book of Daniel) | Described both near and distant future events. Through it all, God is sovereign and triumphant. | We should spend less time wondering when the events will happen and more time learning how we should live now so we won’t be victims of those events. |
EZEKIEL | 583-571 | Prophesied as an exile in Babylon during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar (The book of Ezekiel) | Sent messages back to Jerusalem urging the people to turn back to God before they were all forced to join him in exile. After Jerusalem fell, he urged his fellow exiles to turn back to God so they could eventually return to their homeland. | God disciplines his people to draw them closer to him. |
