THE MINOR PROPHETS MAJOR   MINOR:     ISAIAH HOSEA JEREMIAH JOEL LAMENTATIONS AMOS EZEKIEL OBADIAH DANIEL JONAH   MICAH   NAHUM   HABAKKUK   ZEPHANIAH   HAGGAI   ZECHARIAH   MALACHI click here to view the Table of Dates for the Literary Prophets   PERIODS Early Assyrian   Assyrian   Chaldean   Post-Exile         Obadiah Amos Zephaniah Haggai Joel Hosea Nahum Zechariah Jonah Micah Habakkuk Malachi (BIBLICAL TIME SPAN REFERENCE BEGINS WITH 2 KINGS 14:23 AND GOES THROUGH EZRA AND NEHEMIAH)       IMPORTANT DATES B.C. Date   Event     932 -death of Solomon and dividing of kingdom -- 1 Kings 12:1-24 721 -Israel's exile 612 -fall of Ninevah 606 -battle at Carchemish, Babylon becomes dominant in the East 597 -fall of Jerusalem 486 -destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar 539 -Persian period begins 536 -decree by Cyrus, Zerubbabel returns 520 -Haggai and Zechariah stir up people to resume work on temple 516 -temple completed and dedicated 457 -return by Ezra 445 -Nehemiah rebuilds the walls of Jerusalem ASSIGNMENTS NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND EACH BOOK UNDERSTAND THE POLITICAL BACKGROUND AND THE TIMES IN WHICH EACH PROPHET SPOKE. UNDERSTAND WHY THE PROPHET WAS CALLED BY GOD TO SPEAK. SINCE THE DATES OF OBADIAH, JOEL AND JONAH ARE SOMEWHAT UNCERTAIN, WE WILL STUDY THEM FIRST, BECAUSE THEY REALLY SEEM TO FIT IN THE EARLY-ASSYRIAN PERIOD OF TIME -- BETWEEN 845 B.C AND 800 B.C. NOTE THE CHART COPIED FROM HAILEY'S BOOK ON THE MINOR PROPHETS FOR DATE AND PERIOD INFORMATION. JOEL = "YAHWEH IS GOD" OUTLINE OF JOEL The harbinger of the day of Jehovah: the judgment of God and the prophet's call to repentance (the prophets speaks), 1:2-2:17. Devastation of Judah: scourge of locusts, drought, and fire, 1:2-20. Graphic description of the locust scourge, vv. 2-4. Call to various classes to mourn (repent), vv. 5-14. Drunkards -- all luxuries are cut off, vv. 5-7. Whole nation -- means of the sustenance of life is lacking, vv. 8-12. Exhortation to repentance, vv. 13-14. The awful calamity: "day of Jehovah" -- prayer for mercy, vv. 15-20. A more urgent summons to repentance and prayer: for the scourge is a forerunner of the day of judgment, 2:1-17. The urgent summons, vv. 1-11. The trumpet of warning, vv. 1-3.. A more vivid description of the calamity, vv. 4-11. A more urgent call to repentance, vv. 12-17. Rend the heart, not the garments, vv. 12-14. Sincerely repent and fervently pray, vv. 15-17. The day of Jehovah: a day of blessing to Israel, a day of terror to her enemies (Jehovah speaks), 2:18-3:21. Blessings promised to Israel, 2:18-32. Repentance implied: Jehovah's gracious change, v. 18. The removal of Jehovah's army: temporal blessings promised, vv. 19-27. Outpouring of the Spirit and approaching judgment, vv. 28-32. Outpouring of the Spirit, vv. 28-29. Judgement upon the wicked parallel to blessings of Isreal, vv. 30-31. Judgment on the nations, 3:1-6a. All wrongs committed against the people are avenged, vv. 1-3. Neighbor nations will suffer the severe judgment of slavery in a far land, vv. 4-8. Destruction of all heathen powers by a divine decree, vv. 9-16a. Glorification of the people of God: Israel's final happiness and peace contrasted with the desolation of her enemies (the world powers), 3:16b-21. (Taken from Hailey's "The Minor Prophets" QUESTIONS COVERING JOEL 1. How extensively were the events of these days to be told?   2. How extensive was the devastation of the land by the locusts?   3. Why were the drunkards and drinkers of wine to weep?   4. Why were the priests not able to offer the meal offerings to God?   5. What was said to be "at hand" (v. 15). What is meant by that expression?   6. How is the "day of the Lord" described in 2:1-2?   7. Describe the invading hoard of locusts (vv. 4-11).   8. What does God call upon the people to do?   9. How does God respond to people when they leave their sin and turn back to Him?   10. Why was the trumpet to be blown in Zion? (vv. 15-17)   11. After all the warnings of the invading army of locusts and devastation of the land, what is implied in v. 18?   12. What will God do for Israel if they will repent and turn back to Him?   13. What will He do with the invading army of locusts?   14. In place of the barren land and stripped vegetation, what will there be?   15. How are vv. 28-32, used as fulfilled prophecy in the N.T.? What apostle referred to Joel's prophecy and said that it happened on the day of Pentecost?   16. VV. 28-32, involve a prophecy for both a time of blessing for the righteous and also a time of judgment upon the wicked. How were these fulfilled in N.T. times?   17. Where would God gather all nations "in those days"? (Ch. 3:1-2)   18. Why would He execute judgment upon the nations?   19. What did He call upon the nations to do? (v. 9)   20. How do the statements in v. 10, compare to Isaiah 2:4?   21. How does God describe the time for His judgment? (v. 13)   22. What will come to pass "in that day"? (v. 18) To what time do these events refer?

	Created on 11-Jul-99	Page last updated