The Major Prophets in order of occurrence and whose books we find in the Old Testament of the Jewish and Christian Bible (Protestant and Catholic Bibles) are: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel. Contemporary of Lehi, Ezekiel, Hosea, and Daniel. They constantly exhorted the people to an internal righteousness rather than an external adherence to the law. Ask the child to say more about their question. Also, another theme was that a coming Messiah would soon deliver them. And so thats why some are considered major, just because of the length of the chapters or the length of the book, because when theyre first written, the Bible wasnt ever written in chapters and verses. By the prompting of the Holy Spirit in response to His Word, you can encourage your children to surrender their lives to God and present the Gospel to them. The divine inspiration and instruction of the Old Testament prophets are affirmed in the New Testament, 2 Peter 1:20-21: No prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophets own interpretation of things. Malachi prophesied to Judah after they returned from Exile in Babylon and called for them to repent. The only significant difference which sets the major Prophets apart from the minor Prophets is the length of their scrolls. Are they better? The Minor Prophets are also sometimes called The Twelve. Many people today quote several verses from his writings, such as Isaiah 9:6, 40:31, and 53:2-5. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name.. This section helps you structure your teaching time. The Major and Minor Prophets give us some of the richest glimpses and foreshadowing of Christ that we see in the entire Old Testament. (& [O( &VN943UA(cyULO(a#bA_!WYkdH-g ~:`+E:HoqQ(K$b(d:ov0|EKf4|K# m`26'xvRNhc1W'?w5m%%0x67{b=+$ 2[\RQ|j6_sIU+RVgjA#F/,. Christian Author Bookstore - Xulon Press Publishing. In fact, unless you understand Dueteronomy 28-30 you cannot appreciate or perhaps even understand what the prophets are talking about. More likely the difference between the pre-classical and classical prophets is the literary form in which the prophetic traditions have reached us. 0000009749 00000 n These were men who listened to the voice of God and were faithful to tell the word of God to those who needed to hear it, even if it meant they weren't very popular. [1], All the books of the major prophets took place during the "Period of Prophecy", which covers the time from the entrance of the Israelites into the Land of Israel until the Babylonian captivity of Judah. 1 Notes from Hebrew class, Dr. Robert Chisholm, Spring 1993. Here are some bad examples of teachers making the prophets relevant. Who were these biblical prophets? The Major Prophets are described as major because of the longer lengths of their books, not their significance. By Genelle Austin-Lett. Using your finger, paint ashes onto the person's head. And of course we want to find out how the message of the books applies to us. However, in many cases, we cannot say with any certainty that someone was not. 0000001147 00000 n They never spoke on their own authority nor did they share their own opinions. But the only reason some are called major, like Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, those are considered more the major profits, while Malachi, Obadiah, those ones are considered minor. Take note of any supplies that are needed. After we started the web site, I converted all these notes to HTML. 0000009030 00000 n 0000009728 00000 n Then ask them what message they want to give to their parents, or what they would like to say to their parents in the picture. In fact, there is an entire section of the Old Testament that we refer to as the "Prophets." Lessons from OT Books of Prophecy Page 3 REVIEW QUESTIONS True or False ____1. XF4# They also reminded the people of the results of disobedience. There are four major prophets listed in the Bible: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. 0000001240 00000 n All rights reserved. Heavenly Father blesses all his posterity: biological and adopted. During the time of his prophetic ministry, the people of Judah were back to idolatry and debauchery after the death of King Josiah. If adult says 10:00, then students take 10 steps forward. The Minor Prophets are Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. Some of the prophets were told to speak God's word to the Northern Kingdom, and some to the Southern Kingdom. They are the accumulation of several years of messages and they are not always a cohesive unit with a distinct pattern. We encourage you to read the background scripture 2-3 times during the week before teaching. First, ask the children if they have any questions about the story. Many of the prophetic books are anthologies. It is a little confusing because in the Bible the prophets are arranged according to the Major and Minor prophetic books. How Is Harry Potter a Literary Christ Figure? Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. We typically include a memory verse every 4 or 5 lessons, so you can work for several weeks on the same verse. We are also going to see if we can break the literary code so we will understand why they said what they did and so we can appreciate some of the beauty in the way they said it. 0000011074 00000 n Warning of impending judgment because of the nations sinfulness, They use introductory or concluding formula"This is what the Lord says". For example, some think Obadiah was written first, others think it was one of the last books written. Check with the video publisher for usage restrictions, whether you need to pay for a license to show a video, etc. 0000005396 00000 n Israel had begun worshiping other gods and was unfaithful to the one true God. Because their prophetic writings can be hard to interpret at times, some people consider books written by the prophets (both major and minor) as the least desirable to read. Christian Truth. Nahum prophesied against Ninevah as well, but this time after the Assyrians (Ninevah was in the Assyrian empire) had captured the Northern Kingdom of Israel. 1.Obadiah 2.Joel 3.Jonah 4.Hosea 5.Amos 6.Micah 7.Nahum 8.Zephaniah 9.Habakkuk 10.Haggai 11.Zechariah 12.Malachi 21. And so that was it. Jesus also fulfilled this advocacy of his father as a priest, prophet, and king. % tBYv-0QMprU9Y_XXhZQ}- %s:Fm8#kxVu/,%RDK3[rN2 Most of the prophets include a promise of future deliverance section. Basically, a prophet is someone with gifted insight of the present and future that is more than an average person would have. Have students line up on one end of playing area. The difference is related to the length of the book rather than the importance of the message that the prophet told. Gods promises were unconditional and He would eventually keep them. Isaiah 1:1 explains that the prophet Isaiah received his revelations from God in a vision, one way that prophets can receive messages from God. Our study will be divided between the Major Prophets and Minor Prophets. The list is roughly chronological. Prophets delivered messages to the Israelites. Will God forgive me for losing hope and the will to live? "List of Major and Minor Prophets of the Old Testament." He too, like Isaiah, received his prophetic writings and teachings from God through a vision. That remains to be seen. The Minor Prophets of the Bible are shorter books with more specific content, compared to the broader subjects of the Major Prophets. h.W`1PlwZv=dUr{. We place everything you might need to prepare for the actual story telling here (this doesn't include Reinforcement Activity supplies, because we don't know which ones you will choose!). Cook, Krista. The Book of Jeremiah, Book of Isaiah, and the Book of Ezekiel are included among the Nevi'im. How did America become a super power in such a short time? It is understood from all versions of the books that during this time, the four major prophets were chosen by God to be spoken to and speak the divine word to the people.[3]. The term prophet is something that many have likely heard of, both within Christian and non-Christian circles. Major and Minor Prophets. In the Bible, there are four major prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. As we explore the teachings of these godly men, we will learn what God did in their lives to impact not only their ministries but also their work for the kingdom of God, then and today. https://www.facebook.com/bibleask This lesson is a bit different from most Teach Us the Bible lessons in that it doesn't revolve around a single story. (Amos 5:4-6; Joel 2:12-14), Salvation announcementoften alludes to a lamentable situation and focuses on the Lord's saving intervention (Amos 9:11-12), Salvation oracleintroduced by the exhortation "fear not" (Isa 41:8-16). The book discusses the destruction of Jerusalem because of the peoples behavior while also celebrating the love of God and His everlasting reign. If you like our work, please consider supporting us: 2:00 means take 2 steps, etc, Before any student reaches the end, yell out "REPENT!". 0000001586 00000 n Scripture is sometimes definitive about who was a prophet. 20. They proclaimed God's message with style, and if we can uncover and decipher their style, it makes the reading that much more enjoyable. We just learned about Jonah in the last lesson. The Major prophets are in the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. What the prophets did was come along and say, "Because you broke the covenant, the covenant curses have fallen or are about to fall on you." And so theres not one prophecy or Prophet thats more important than another because all Gods word is written basically under the inspiration of the Holy and the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth. 4:4) and Huldah (2 Kings 22:1420). Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. But theres really nothing in the Bible or that was how it was originally written. v We have some idea of prophets who are lost to history. Some were called to speak to Israel and Judah in their captivities (we will learn more about that in the next lesson). Amos was a shepherd who was called by God to tell Israel to stop mistreating the poor among them. Isaiah is the first major prophet to be featured in the Bible, considered the prince of the prophets of the major prophets or Latter Prophets as they are also referred because his writings were one of the most favored. About UsContact UsPrayer RequestsPrivacy Policy, Latest AnswersBible LessonsBibleAsk LIVEOnline Bible. S ,m>LKn=%;I?P>?H% DP]&)K}2-Q^[r'BnwVNd$!.Pq- (@]c H,x,8Trdy)OcCvZo!4aH"ltyG9vPstsSX6lt{_S,1SZ{F>jp,+V#, a=#'1|,B?.R~oDJYQPa#-:{nZ!oP\5MVG=*(F[]+&33F5*4jMhD:iyn8$ln^6RQwkA=$4)l*$# iB| That is sometimes difficult, because we are reading about events that took place 3000 years ago. Make sure to help the students see the tie-in so they don't think you are just playing a random game. There is also some debate about when various books were written. What are the Apocrypha / Deuterocanonical books? The major prophets is a grouping of books in the Christian Old Testament that does not occur in the Hebrew Bible. The term "Major" refers to the length of each book, not their importance. Real Questions. The lengths of the books that recorded their prophecies. Place a bit of ashes on each of the student's foreheads. The Major Prophets come first in English versions of the Bible and include Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel. There is also some debate about when various books were written. It is important to become like the Bereans with those who claim to be divinely appointed prophets. 0000047132 00000 n The Minor Prophets are also sometimes called The Twelve. Jeremiah 1:1-10; Isaiah 53:4-6; Obadiah 1, People chosen by God to tell Israel, Judah, or the surrounding countries his message, Repent and stop sinning or you will face judgment from God; there is a messiah coming who will bring salvation to Israel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations [of Jeremiah], Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, To show their deep desire to repent or to mourn something bad happening, person outline sheet (see below), pieces of burlap, ashes, scissors, glue, cut out sheet for each student (see below), Isaiah called Judah and its kings to repent and come back to God or face judgment. 0000038941 00000 n Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. i(` someone pointed out that it looks like the prophetic telescope below is a bad example. see the powerpoint for the cartoons I was referring to. 0000006102 00000 n Moroni quoted Joel's prophecy to Joseph Smith. 0000022009 00000 n The Minor Prophets include Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. So they organized the Bible into chapters as well as verses just so that you could find things better, which was a really good system. (NRSV). For most of the prophets, their eschatology (or view of the future) was divided into now and then. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. That student will whisper the same message in the ear of the person next to them and so on down the line. The only difference between "major" and "minor" prophets is the amount of written oracles collected. Finally, there is the prophet Daniel, one that many do lengthy studies on and even seek to follow his diet to bring glory to God. These men were just as significant as the Major Prophets despite the title of minor. They will feel how itchy it is and uncomfortable it makes them feel. Ezekiel is remembered because his calling to be a prophet happened while in exile from King Nebuchadnezzar. This is the most important part of the lesson. Another thing we need look at is how the prophets looked at the future. You should give them an overview of the Prophets, with the information in the "Story Summary" above as a guide. Mosess sister Miriam is called a prophet (Exod. Signs to look for are available to identify if the modern-day prophets are prophets from God. Since the study was originally intended just for teaching in a local church and not for publishing, I was not as careful to note my sources as I should have been, but I still want to give credit where credit is due. Most often, it was a message of judgment (which is why prophets weren't exactly looked upon kindly sometimes). 0000002837 00000 n Do the Apocryphal / Deuterocanonical books belong in the Bible? The Minor Prophets are described as "minor" because their books are shorter (although Hosea and Zechariah are almost as long as Daniel) and the content is more narrowly focused. What if each prophet showed up and said to the people. The term sometimes represents a person called by faith to share Gods prophecies, while others may see prophets as someone after their money, and not spreading Jesus to others. They were more concerned with the past and present failings of the nation in their relationships to God and man. The Hebrew Bible does not include the Book of Baruch. The Book of Lamentations and the Book of Daniel are included among the Ketuvim. Here is an overview of the prophetic books and their major themes (adapted from Bible Gateway's tour of the Bible: Major Prophets and Minor Prophets). He gave some striking prophesies that were fulfilled in the person of Jesus (Zechariah 9:9-10). They are short but it doesn't mean that are of minor consequence. Take some time to reflect on the Old Testament history we have covered so far. They also shared how the Saviors life, death, and resurrection were all part of Gods plan to reunite with His creation. The major prophets is a grouping of books in the Christian Old Testament that does not occur in the Hebrew Bible. We should read the You can find her at www.heatherriggleman.com. What we have learned through the progress of revelation is that there are actually long periods of time between some of the future events predicted by the prophets. Learn Religions, Sep. 3, 2021, learnreligions.com/major-and-minor-prophets-old-testament-4048175. In comparison to the books of the Twelve Minor Prophets, whose books are short and grouped together into one single book in the Hebrew Bible, these books are much longer. [1], Most Protestant Bibles include only the Book of Isaiah, the Book of Jeremiah, the Book of Lamentations, the Book of Ezekiel, and the Book of Daniel. You are worshipping other gods, spending all your money on yourself, being dishonest in the marketplace, etc. I'm glad they wrote the way they did. From 4:-13: there is a cyclical pattern of sin, judgment and restoration and it is difficult to find a distinct movement through the book. Have them pass the message on fairly quickly. Salem Media Group. If you feel an answer is not 100% Bible based, then leave a comment, and we'll be sure to review it. Major Prophets Where does the Old Testament prophesy the coming of Christ? Prophets heard a message directly from God and had to be obedient to give that message to the people, Prophets told the people to repent or stop sinning or God would judge them (show sackcloth and ashes as you make this point), Prophets told the people of things that would happen in the future (including the coming Messiah, Jesus), Many books in the Old Testament were called Major or Minor Prophets, depending on the length of the book, and they recorded the messages God gave the people. Does the Bible Mention What to Give Up for Lent? This is designed to get your kids talking and to build a connection with them. The labels "major and minor" mean the length of the prophecy recorded. The Book of Isaiah tells primarily of prophecies of the judgments awaiting nations that are persecuting Judah. At some points in his writings, he scolds the people of Judah for their idolatry and child sacrifices, while at other points, he shared his love for the people of Judah and prayed for them, even when God said to not pray. Children naturally have questions. (2021, September 3). Use reinforcement activities to help your students remember the story. 0000009051 00000 n The Major Prophet books are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel. In this activity, children will deliver a message to their parents. Keep in mind that only your oldest elementary school children will be able to think in abstract terms, but you can ask some basic questions that will hopefully open up a conversation about what the children believe. Have the students cut out the names of the prophets and glue onto the appropriate side (Major or Minor prophet), All of the Major prophets are represented there, and a selection of Minor prophets. When you outline the prophets you find that they all have the same basic ingredients: If you want to outline a prophetic book how do you recognize where one unit begins and ends?1. Lamentations is sort of like a long Psalm by Jeremiah about just one topic: Jerusalem and Judah's sin. This chart also shows the chronological order in which the books were written. For example, we can read of Christs birth being foretold in Micah and Isaiah. How Daniels Prophecy of 70 Weeks Connects to the End Times. And I think weve had somebody ask this before and its totally common question because its like why are some prophets considered major and why are some considered minor? The post exilic prophets wrote to assure the people that God would deal with the restored community according to the same principles. bIcGGp0?ZD%HJ!/Vc?6v/@?o,"lVm ,z:Z}`' 0000006806 00000 n https://twitter.com/bibleask They are mostly towards the end of the Old Testament, and they are known as either Major or Minor Prophets. The Minor Prophets, in alphabetical order, are Amos, Habakkuk, Haggai, Hosea, Joel, Jonah, Malachi, Micah, Nahum, Obadiah, Zechariah, and Zephaniah. Here's what to do*: Just wanted to point out here that you should follow all copyright laws when it comes to using videos. The Major Prophets in the Bible are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. Hn0~ Learn Religions. Have students draw pictures of cars, houses, ways of living, 100 years from now. 0000001793 00000 n Ph.D., Public Administration and Public Affairs, Virginia Tech, M.L.S., Library and Information Science, Emporia State University, M.P.A., Political Science and Public Administration, Brigham Young University, B.A., Political Science, Brigham Young University. The Major Prophets are described as "major" because of the longer lengths of their books, not their significance. The distinction pertains to the length of the books, nothing else a. They might have been tempted to think that because Babylonia had defeated Israel, the Babylonian gods were superior to Yahweh. There are four major prophets listed in the Bible: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. HtMr1N!8I*)4DIk>p$+$]@Sk>XI(}x KZnvyJ.zvys(rF tqvQ~&`28pEA/a2T/ZgbK'/c) EBz`pc^KFr~N'G]\U#cSF,InS{E5cd Now, just because a book is referred to as a Major Prophet doesn't mean that the prophet was more important than one of the Minor Prophets. They only shared their message as God instructed them. The short way would only appeal to our intellect. %PDF-1.4 Start your lesson planning by reading the "Lesson Prep" section about 5 days before you are scheduled to teach. The "major" prophets are so called not because the "minor" prophets are unimportant, but because the books of the Major Prophets are lengthier and cast a correspondingly longer shadow on Old Testament history and theology. Thats a pretty cool question. Also, feel free to share your own faith experiences with them (being careful not to delve into "adult" struggles, like marriage, sexual sin, etc). In all other respects their time periods and their messages were essentially the same (except that the. Submit your question at bibleask.org/live. The only difference between "major" and "minor" prophets is the amount of written oracles collected. They say that it doesnt make sense that some guy would come along and pronounce judgment and then turn right around and promise deliverance. The difference between major and minor prophets is the difference in length of their books. All rights reserved. He would lay down the law and then promise to protect them if they were loyal and promise to destroy them if they were not loyal. What does it mean do not be overly righteous. What Does It Mean That There Is No One Holy Like God? Even today, we can see their prophecies as resourceful advice to guide us in living in a fallen world, knowing that what these prophets spoke of centuries ago is still as pertinent today as it was years ago. Ezekiel was instructed by God to warn the people of Judah that Jerusalem was to fall because of their behavior and that they were not to mourn her fall. JpukUD]O3^ Obadiah is just one chapter long and is a prophecy against the nation of Edom because they were hostile to Jacob's descendants. But that is because they dont believe the Bible is the inspired word of God which contains the promises of God. In the Bible, there were categories of prophets listed as major and minor, which is based on the length of their books in Gods Word. What are the major prophets? I guess the Bible would be a lot shorter. However, there is valuable truth to be gleaned from each book. Remember, Edom was the name given to Esau, Jacob's twin brother. They warn the wicked and encourage the righteous. Hide a loud ticking clock or other object that makes a quiet noise. Habbakkuk is a book of questions that he had for God. 0000010457 00000 n Scripture mentions them, but their records are not found in the Old Testament. Give them each a sheet of paper and coloring supplies. "List of Major and Minor Prophets of the Old Testament." The writings of the prophets discuss how important it is for Christian people to change their ways to avoid Gods wrath, shining more of a light on the carnal intentions of people. You might have heard the terms: pre-exilic, exilic and post-exilic prophets. To understand these concepts deeper, you have to first understand intervals.An interval is the space between two notes. All of these books are traditionally regarded as authored by a prophet such as Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel. What is meant by The Minor Prophets? This expression is not an inspired one, but is one invented by Bible students in order to differentiate among all the prophets used by God. They may or may not have been. These men and women did not exist for their own glory but for the glory of God. Their revelations can only be attributed to a higher power (God in this situation) giving these insights to be used to share with others about future events. The prophets often told about events that were going to happen in the future. 0000003868 00000 n Both are related. But let the Scripture and the Holy Spirit speak to them and be sensitive to where the conversation can go. Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi were writing to the people who had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon. 0000001565 00000 n Web. The Minor Prophets include Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. There are constant warnings and condemnation of either Gods people going astray or what will happen to those who choose to reject God. Old Testament Abstracts, 43(2), 483498. }JOLk^&qQ4IL1 The Bible doesnt explain how the word of the Lord came to a prophet, however, there are a number of examples where the Lord revealed his will through visions aside from an audible or internal voice (1 Samuel 3:1,15; 2 Samuel 7:17; Isaiah 1:1; Ezekiel 11:24) or dreams (Numbers 12:6). To see the complete list,& More. 0000008276 00000 n Several days before you teach, choose the activities you want to do with your class. h/f,om%'|d)+sDbC*.RViIXUk One would think, if you look at the length of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel that "major" prophets had more to say since the minor prophets' books are very short. If youre looking for a better understanding of the Messiah and the events that led to and foretold his coming, the Major and Minor prophets are must-reads. So just basically the longer prophecy, like I said, like Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Daniel, those books are longer. Is it possible that more books could be added to the Bible. The Minor Prophets are made up of the following 11 books: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Also, use this time to take the topic where the students want to go.