God was to be glorified in Israel (Isaiah 49:3) and its people were to be His witnesses (chapters 43:10; 44:8), to reveal to men the principles of His kingdom. The only period in which the mission of Jonah to Nineveh, with its results, seems to fit is the reign of Adad-nirari III (810782). The prophets vivid description of the catastrophe that had befallen Thebes leaves the impression that the event was still fresh in the memory of the people, whereas Assyrias power, although waning, was not yet near its end. All rights reserved. Roman Empire Map - God provided Israel with every facility for becoming the greatest nation on the earth. In the midst of these kingdoms, several prophets are sent by God. The blessings thus assured to Israel are, on the same conditions and in the same degree, assured to every nation and to every individual under the broad heavens. Any idea that the return of the Jews to their ancestral home, that is, to the new state of Israel, may in any way be related to Bible prophecy is without valid scriptural foundation. ***The Scripture references provided are those that help estimate the time periods of each prophets ministry. The life of Christ is a perfect example of the character of God would have His people develop (see on Luke 2:52). The kings of Assyria, Babylonia, and Persia, whose dates for this period are well established, are shown in a separate column. [3][4] Part of a serieson Paul makes it clear beyond argument that when he speaks of Israel as the chosen people of God he means it in this sense. The prophets did not always clearly understand messages they themselves had borne pointing forward to the distant future, to the coming of the Messiah (1 Peter 1:10, 11). They cherished the idea that they were favorites of Heaven, and were ungrateful for the opportunities so graciously afforded them. Formal worship took the place of sincere religion (cf. But the Scriptures record the fact that they disobeyed God and proved disloyal to Him instead. The Temple is mentioned as still existing (chapter 2:20), which shows that the book was written before Nebuchadnezzars destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Hence, the year 603 can be considered as the beginning of Daniels ministry as a prophet. Only when its leaders formally rejected the Messiah and declared before Pilate their allegiance to no king but Caesar (John 19:15) did Israel as a nation irrevocably withdraw from the covenant relationship and the theocracy. Holiness of character (Levites 19:2; see on Matthew 5:48). Tabular showing how the four major andtwelve minor prophets fit into the timeline of the kings of Judah andIsrael. Thus it had been with Enoch (Genesis 5:24), Abraham (chapter 26:5), and Joseph (chapter 39:2-6). The fundamental principle by which we can tell unerringly when any particular promise or prediction of the Old Testament made originally to literal Israel is to meet its fulfillment with respect to spiritual Israel iswhen a later inspired writer makes such an application of it. It is not known whether Malachi is the name of the author or simply the title of an otherwise anonymous author, since Malachi means my messenger. If it is the latter, his is the only anonymous work among the prophetic books of the Old Testament. He states that he ministered under King Josiah (chapter 1:1), who reigned from 640 to 609 B.C. The list is roughly chronological . It was Gods design that the whole earth be prepared for the first advent of Christ, even as to-day the way is preparing for His second coming. The Tabernacle of Ancient Israel - Brief Overview of the Tabernacle of Moses in the Wilderness and the Ark of the Covenant. He quotes Hosea 2:23. Hosea, Prophet Hosea was a biblical prophet in the land of Israel and spoke the messages of the Lord. This concept of the role of Israel is reiterated again and again throughout the Old Testament. Hosea. Pests and diseases, flood and drought, crop failureall these would eventually disappear. Furthermore, Old Testament prophecy must first be examined in terms of its historical application to literal Israel before the validity of a derived application to spiritual Israel may be undertaken. Filed under Bible, Bible Reference, History, Infographics, Literacy, Old Testament. Daniel was taken to Babylon in 605 B.C., during the accession year of Nebuchadnezzar (see on chapter 1:1). Had Israel measured up to the noble ideal, all of the promises contingent upon obedience would long since have been fulfilled. Bible Commentary / Produced by TOW Project, 10 Key Points About Work in the Bible Every Christian Should Know, Beyond Rank and Power: What Philemon Tells Us About Leadership, Learning From the Psalms How to Pray Through Your Work, Situating the Prophets in Israels History, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. The transition from literal Israel to spiritual Israel, or the Christian church, is the subject of Romans 9-11. You can check these in your browser security settings. After the murder of Gedaliah, the new governor of Judea, the Jews of Mizpah, fearing the revenge of Nebuchadnezzar, went to Egypt and took with them Jeremiah as well as his secretary Baruch (chapter 43:6). Those in Israel who put forth their best efforts to cooperate with the revealed will of God realized, personally, a measure of the benefits He had promised. Thus it was also with Samuel, Elijah, John the Baptist (see on Matthew 3:4), John the Beloved (see on Mark 3:17), and many others. Among them about 30,000 are specified (Ezra 2 and Neh 7) as belonging to the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi. Situating the Prophets in Israel's History Timeline of the Prophets Related Content Donate However, all his messages were addressed to the northern nation. The Christian church is a spiritual nation scattered all over the world, and such details obviously could not apply to it in a literal sense. Accordingly, the book can probably be dated about 425 B.C. endobj Furthermore, the rise of the Chaldeans and their invasion of the West is predicted, but this seemed at that time completely incredible (chapter 1:5-7). But it was not until his 3rd year in captivity, the 2nd year of Nebuchadnezzar, that young Daniel gave the first proofs of his prophetic calling (chapters 1:5, 17; 2:1, 19). Nations that had known nothing of the true God would run to Jerusalem because of the manifest evidence of divine blessing that attended Israel (chapter 55:5). Had Jerusalem known what it was her privilege to know, and heeded the light that Heaven sent her, she would have stood forth in magnificent prosperity, the queen of kingdoms, the mighty metropolis of the earth, and would, like a noble vine, have filled the face of the world with fruit (Isaiah 27:6). This site uses cookies. A Harmony of the Life of Jesus - Four gospel accounts in harmony. Any interpretation that fails to give these matters due consideration does violence to the Scriptures. Through His people Christ is to manifest His character and the principles of His kingdom. Both of these extreme methods wrest the obvious intent of the Scriptures and render a sound understanding of the messages of the prophets for the church today unattainable. For a short time during his reign Assyria turned from its polytheistic religion to a kind of monotheistic Nabu worship. He played an important role during two momentous periods: (1) under Ahaz, during the war between Syria and Israel (chapters 7-11), and (2) under Hezekiah, during a siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib chapters 36; 37). "yonah" (dove) Sent to warn the inhabitants of Ninevah (Capital of Assyria) of God's Judgement. This ties together all the other material: consult the separate tables Ultimately Israel was conquered by Assyria and went into captivity in 721 BC, never to return as an independent nation. Psalms 68:31. Observe the conditional aspects of the prediction and ascertain whether or not, or to what extent, the conditions were met. The prophet Hosea was a citizen of the northern kingdom of Israel, whose ruler, Jeroboam II, is called by the prophet, our king (chapters 1:1; 7:5). Gods call to the nations would have been, Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth (Isaiah 45:22). **All dates are approximate time periods of each prophet's ministry. At the time of the Babylonian captivity God had specifically announced that that experience was not to mark a full end of Israel as Gods people (Jeremiah 4:27; 5:18; 46:28). If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. However, these messages pertaining to the then-distant future were intended, not only to inspire patience, comfort, and hope in the day they were first given, but also to provide men of Christs day with confirming evidence of His Messiahship. God designed that Israels experience should prove to be a warning to Judah (see Hosea 1:7; 4:15-17; 11:12; Jeremiah 3:3-12; etc.). Most of them left chronological data by which the duration of their ministry can be determined, at least approximately. Numbers 14:26-34. 735BC-700BC - Micah the Prophet 732BC- 723BC - King Hoshea the last King of Israel was taken to Assyria 722BC - Israel Exiled as Slaves because of sin 716BC-686BC - King Hezekiah was the 13th King of Judah 716-686BC - King Hezekiah - the sun goes backward 695BC - King Manasseh the 14th King of Judah 660BC - The Prophet Nahum Large Map of Israel in the First Century - Click around on the Cities. %PDF-1.5 3. Jerusalem would have become a great missionary center, and the earth would have been set ablaze with the light of truth in one grand, final appeal to those who had not as yet accepted the invitation of divine mercy. Galatians 5:19-23), and because of this failure to bear the fruit expected of them, forfeited their role in the divine plan (see Romans 11:20). Even the heathen would recognize the superiority of those who served and worshiped the living God. Scholars differ widely in their views concerning the time of Joels ministry. The chart allows both ideas, indicating his possible ministry during the two decades preceding 560 B.C. ). Nehemiah 12:12, 16). 3rd return of exiles (445) Major prophets. From the visible their minds were to be directed to the invisible, from the seen to the unseen, from the material to the spiritual, from the temporal to the eternal. Blog / Chart of Israel's and Judah's Kings and Prophets August 11, 2014 Chart of Israel's and Judah's Kings and Prophets Jonathan Petersen Blogger Grid member Craig T. Owens ( @craigtowens) has created the helpful chart below delineating the Old Testament prophets and kings of Israel and Judah: [ See the updated version of this chart] Owens says: Jeremiah 1:2-3; 3:6; 11:21-23; 21:1; 22:11; 24:1; 25:1-3; 25:8-12; 26:1; 27:1, etc. The History of Rome - Brief Overview Of Roman History from Her Dawn to the First Punic War. In the lives of Gods people the truths of His word are to reveal their glory and excellence. Isaiah 54:7; Ezekiel 36:11; 43:10, 11; Micah 6:8; Zechariah 10:6). He has a controversy with them because they have rebelled against His authority (Jeremiah 25:31-33), and He will judge (Joel 3:9-17) and destroy them there (Isaiah 34:1-8; 63:1-6; 66:15-18). The Incredible Bible - First in the BKA Series. [1][2]The last Jewish prophet is believed to have been Malachi. It was to be the result of wholehearted cooperation with the will of God as revealed through the prophets, and of divine blessing added to human efforts. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. The establishment of the Hebrew monarchy did not affect the basic principles of the theocracy (Deuteronomy 17:14-20; 1 Samuel 8:7). Jer 2 - 6 2, 3God sends Jeremiah to Jerusalem to give a series of messages to the people of Judah. Nothing is known concerning the prophet Habakkuk beyond his name. Yet in mercy, God still bore with His people, and in due time Messiah came (Malachi 3:1-3). Unparalleled prosperity, both temporal and spiritual, was promised them as the reward for putting into practice the righteous and wise principles of heaven (Deuteronomy 4:6-9; 7:12-15; 28:1-14). 1 Peter 2:6-8; 1 Corinthians 1:23) but this need not mean that they are to fallGod forbid, he exclaims (Romans 11:1, 22). It is true, he says, that national Israel stumbled at the stumblingstone, Jesus Christ (Romans 9:32, 33; 11:11; cf. by means of a broken line. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. The table down shows where in time the . Hosea 2:6-13). endobj If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. 4. While it is thus known that he began his work in 520 and continued until 518 B.C., the end of his prophetic ministry must be left open. 2 Samuel 12:7 - "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says", The Story of the Bible - Part One - The Old Testament. ?v>wO?D=`7[wx"*M -3R?$+Rjxwux>zz+ ,hd_AJ`sBJl2| AK7m?4(_^p/_zP_7LmVMNn[5s`#ydtA. This leads us to conclude that Malachis work may have followed Nehemiahs first term as governor, but preceded his return to Jerusalem from the Persian capital. In these tragic events the words of Moses met their final and complete fulfillment: As the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goes to possess it. But it is only against the background of the original historical context of the message that its meaning and value for us can be established with certainty. The late date is taken here, without prejudice toward an early one. Following this line of interpretation, some have gone to the extreme of proposing a Christian migration to Palestine. It should be remembered that God does not force the human will, and that Israels cooperation was essential to the success of His plan for the nation. Ancient Jerusalem - Interactive Study of Jerusalem with Map. Joel is not displayed as the dates are uncertain and estimates range from the 9th to the 4th centuries b.c. The house of God in Jerusalem would eventually be called an house of prayer for all people (chapter 56:7), and many people and strong nations would come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before Him in that day and be His people (Zechariah 8:22; 2:11). Returning to their homelands, the Gentile ambassadors would counsel their fellow countrymen, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord (Zechariah 8:21, 22; cf. It is impossible to date the devastating plague of locusts that the prophet so vividly describes and compares with the terrors of the coming day of judgment. In the 5th year of Jehoiachins captivity, 593/92, Ezekiel had his first vision by the river Chebar, a canal near the famous city of Nippur in lower Babylonia (chapter 1:1-3). United kingdom under Saul, David, Solomon, c. 1030 - 931. It is thought, furthermore, that his ministry fell in the years when the high priest Jehoiada acted as regent for the child king Joash (2 Kings 11:17 to 12:2), which fact would explain why the king is not mentioned anywhere in the book, while at the same time the Temple service flourished. Paul emphasizes the fact that the rejection of literal Israel as Gods chosen instrument for the salvation of the world does not mean that individual Jews can no longer be saved (chapters 9:6; 11:1, 2, 11, 15), for he is a Jew himself (chapters 9:3; 10:1; 11:1, 2). In the inspired utterances of the prophets of old the sincere seeker for truth will thus find messages of inspiration, comfort, and guidance for today. Below is a list of the prophets with dates, kings and historical events regarding Israel and her prophets. The period following 750 BC, beginning with Hosea and Amos, is often referred to as the classical period of prophecy and those prophets as writing prophets. Also note that during this time the prophets Jeremiah & Ezekiel were active. The accompanying chart enables the reader to study these prophets in their historical setting. Captivity, he said, had confirmed the curse that came because of disobedience (verses 11, 12) and Jerusalem lay desolate (verses 16-19). An table see shows where in time the prophets fit within the northern kingdom of Israel both the southern kingdom of Judah. Unfortunately, Nehemiahs second term as governor cannot be dated, which fact makes it also somewhat difficult to date Malachi. DIVIDED KINGDOM c.930-c.586 BC From the internal strife that divided the nation of Israel to the prophets who warned of the coming exile. Many messages and prophecies can be understood correctly only if seen against the background of the time in which the prophets ministered and in the light of the events that happened during their lives. Having begun his ministry in the time of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam II, king of Israel (chapter 1:1), Hosea continued until the time of Hezekiah, king of Judah (chapter 1:1). See also the Chronology of the Latter Prophets and the Intertestamental Period. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. It was last of all that God sent unto them his son, according to Christs own words (Matthew 21:37), but they caught him and slew him (verse 39). Louis F. Hartman and Alexander A. The fickle, human will is the weak, unstable factor in conditional prophecy. Because I find it hard to think about The close of his ministry is tentatively set by some scholars at 510. Picture Study Bible - StudyBible with Pictures and Maps. Again and again He had warned His people that captivity would be the result of disobedience (see Deuteronomy 4:9; 8:9; 28:1, 2, 14, 18; Jeremiah 18:7-10; 26:2-16; Zechariah 6:15; etc.). Thus it was with Daniel, a bright example of what man may become, even in this life, if he will make God his strength and wisely improve the opportunities and privileges within his reach (see Daniel 1:8-20). Chronology of the Latter Prophets and the Intertestamental Period. BC dates, I've also included the number of years since the end of *:G6*q Al He purposed to make them an honor to His name and a blessing to the nations about them. Thus, for more than 1,500 years, a great experiment designed to test the relative merits of good and evil was conducted before the world. For two of them (Joel and Obadiah), however, no conclusive evidence as to the time of their work exists, and scholars differ widely in their views concerning this matter. In so doing we shall be secure against the fanciful explanations sometimes given certain Old Testament prophecies. 19:21; Isaiah 46:10; Acts 5:39; Hebrews 6:17; etc. Obadiahs prophecy, directed against Edom, presupposes that a looting of Jerusalem and a carrying away of many Jews into captivity had recently taken place. Those nations that rejected the worship and service of the true God, were to be dispossessed, and Israel would inherit the Gentiles chapter (54:3). . According to Jewish tradition Isaiah was sawn asunder. John 4:23, 24; 2 Tim. The British-Israel movement teaches that the Anglo-Saxon peoples are the literal descendants of the ten so-called lost tribes of the northern kingdom and that the promises will, in large measure, be fulfilled to their modern posterity. Used under license from Veer He should not be confused with Micaiah, the son of Imlah, a prophet of Israel in Ahabs time (9th century B.C.). Peter concurs, saying, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, for in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him (Acts 10:34, 35; cf. They looked for Messiah to reign as a temporal prince (cf. Accordingly, Abraham became in a special sense the Friend of God (James 2:23) and the father of all them that believe (Romans 4:11). Prophet go. The material advantages that Israel enjoyed were designed to arrest the attention and catch the interest of the heathen, for whom the less obvious spiritual advantages had no natural attraction. At the same time, He permitted the heathen nations to walk in their own ways (Acts 14:16), to furnish an example of what man can accomplish apart from Him. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. chapter 9:7; Isaiah 66:23). Encouraging Hezekiah and the people through his own trust in God, he was instrumental in saving Jerusalem. Salvation was to be of the Jews, in that the Messiah would be a Jew (John 4:22), and by the Jews, as messengers of salvation to all men (Genesis 12:2, 3; 22:18; Isaiah 42:1, 6; 43:10; Galatians 3:8, 16, 18). <>>> Owing to the failure of the Jews as Gods chosen people, many of the prophecies of the Old Testament, such as those affirming the worldwide mission of Israel and the ingathering of the Gentiles (see Genesis 12:3; Deuteronomy 4:6-8; Isaiah 2:2-5; 42:6; 49:6; 52:10; 56:6, 7; 60:1-3; 61:9; 62:2; Zechariah 2:11; 8:22, 23; etc. Having declined, thus, to surrender themselves to God as His agents for the salvation of the human race, the Jews, as a nation, became agents of Satan for the destruction of the race. Galatians 3:27-29; see on Deuteronomy 18:15). Zechariah probably belonged to a priestly family (chapter 1:1; cf. Through Israel of old, God planned to provide the nations of earth with a living revelation of His own holy character and an exhibit of the glorious heights to which man can attain by cooperating with His infinite purposes. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. The covenant with literal Israel proved faulty, not because God failed to carry out His part of the covenant, but rather because Israels fair promises proved evanescent as the morning dew (Hosea 6:4; 13:3; Hebrews 8:6, 7). But because of apostasy it was the predictions of national honor and glory that could not be fulfilled. However, there is also no reference made to Persia, which would be expected if the book was of so late a date. They were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come (1 Corinthians 10:11). These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. To this can be added the mention of Greeks (chapter 3:6), who hardly played a role in Near Eastern history earlier than the 7th century. Timeline of the Prophets Bible Commentary / Produced by TOW Project The table below shows where in time the prophets fit within the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. It was their unwillingness to submit to the restrictions and requirements of God that prevented them, to a great extent, from reaching the high standard which He desired them to attain, and from receiving the blessings which He was ready to bestow upon them. Story of Esther, (535 BC: First portion of Ezra; 515 BC: Second portion of Ezra and Haggai and Zecharia; Joel possibly some time later; 474 BC: Esther; 450 BC: Remainder of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Malachi. God may reject one nation or group of people in favor of another if those first summoned persistently refuse to cooperate with Him (see Jeremiah 18:6-10; cf. He would renew His covenant with them (Jeremiah 31:10-38; Ezekiel 36:21-38; Zechariah 1:12, 17; 2:12), including its accompanying blessings (Jeremiah 33:3, 6-26; Ezekiel 36:8-15).