The Prophets: Messengers of God's Word in the Bible - Pt 2 (Historical Context)

Ready to embark on a captivating journey back in time? Discover the trailblazing prophets of the Old Testament, their compelling messages, and the historical context in which they ministered.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Related Episodes:
Episode #6 - Genre Matters: Exploring the Different Writing Styles of the Bible
Episode #7 - The Prophets: Messengers of God's Word in the Bible - Pt 1
Episode #5 - Unveiling the Old Testament's Structure: A Journey through Law, History Poetry and Prophecy

Prophets in their Historical Setting (all dates approximate) (partial listing)

Pre-monarchial – before 1050bc 

• Abel – right after creation (Genesis 4:1-16; Luke 11:47-51) 
• Noah – at least 7 generations after Adam 
• Abraham – 2000bc 
• Joseph 1900-1885bc 
• Jacob/Israel - 1858bc 
• Moses – 1405bc 
• Miriam - 1405bc 
• Deborah – 1220bc 
• Samuel – 1095 – 1015bc 

Monarchical (not writing Prophets) - 1050 – 781bc 

• Gad – 1015-950bc (1 Samuel 22:5; 2 Samuel 24:11-19) 
• Nathan – 1003 - 931bc (2 Samuel -7:2-17; 12:1-25) 
• Ahijah the Shilonite - 931-910bc (1 Kings 11:29-40) 
• Elijah - 860-845bc  (1 Kings 17; 2 Kings 2) 
• Micaiah - 853bc (1 Kings 22:13-28) 
• Elisha – 850-795bc (1 Kings 19:16; 2 Kings 13:21) 

Writing Prophets 

Pre-exilic – before 586bc 

• Obadiah – 850-840 bc 
• Joel - possibly 835-796bc 
• Jonah – 784-760bc 
• Amos 763-755bc 
• Hosea 755-710bc 
• Isaiah - 739-68bc 
• Micah – 735-710bc 
• Nahum - 650-630bc 
• Zephaniah – 635-625bc 
• Jeremiah – 627-570bc 
• Habakkuk – 620-605bc 

Exilic – 586-536 bc

• Daniel 605-536bc 
• Ezekiel 593-570bc 

Post Exilic – 536-417bc 

• Haggai – 520-505bc 
• Zechariah – 520-470bc 
• Malachi – 437-417bc

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Note: All scripture references are from the NIV translation unless otherwise indicated.

Chapters

• 2:52 PRE - MONARCHY PERIOD
• 5:19 MONARCHY PERIOD
• 8:27 WRITING PROPHETS INTRO
• 11:12 PRE EXILIC PROPHETS
• 12:52 EXILIC PROPHETS
• 13:46 POST EXILIC PROPHETS
• 14:42 CONCLUSION

Transcript

Jacqui: 0:14

Welcome everyone. I'm absolutely thrilled to have you join us for this exciting episode of the Bible Basics Podcast. How about this comment I just heard when we read a prophetic book," it's like stepping into the middle of a conversation. That comment rang kind of true for me. I don't know about you. If you're a long time listener, you know that we've discussed biblical prophets. We've discussed what they are and what their role is. We did that back in episode 7. We also talked about genre, or prophetic genre, in episode 6. But we haven't really delved into where the prophets fit into the overall Bible story line or their historical context. Well, we're going to fix that now. Stay tuned to this episode of the Bible Basics Podcast as we address the prophets and their historical backdrop. Well, welcome everyone.

Jacqui: 1:25

I'm your host, Jacqui Adewole, and this is the Bible Basics Podcast, where weekly we break down the Bible into understandable, bite-sized chunks. Yes, it's easy to get confused when reading Old Testament prophecy without knowledge of when the prophets spoke. To study Old Testament prophets responsibly, we must understand the periods of time in which they ministered. For me, it helps to think of prophecy in three historical stages. First, the time before the United Kingdom, when the kings arose in Israel. That's called the pre-monarchy period. Then there's the period from the start of the United Kingdom to the first of the writing prophets, and that's called the monarchy period, and the third period is referred to as the writing period. That's covered in the books of the Bible that are named for various prophets, and that writing period will break that down even further into pre-exilic, exilic and post-exilic. So to recap, for those of you who are taking notes, we'll cover the pre-monarchy period, the monarchy period and the writing period. Let's kick things off with a trip back in time to the pre-monarchy period.

Jacqui: 3:01

The prophets of this era were the trailblazers, the early voices who proclaimed God's messages. This group of individuals spoke for God before the establishment of the Israelite monarchy in 1050 BC. They're often referred to as the early prophets. While their roles as prophets may not be as prominent as those of later writing prophets, their interactions with God and the messages they conveyed are an essential part of the prophetic tradition in the Bible. Figures like Abraham around 2000 BC, Moses and his sister Miriam during the period of the Exodus, and Deborah, who served during the period of the Judges, were among those who carried the prophetic mantle during this period. Ah, by the way, this is a good time to give a shout out to listener Marilyn D. She was the first to correctly answer our Bible nerd question about women prophets from episode 7. Sister Marilyn, you rock girl. Okay, getting back to the prophets Going back before Abraham, you may have also heard of others identified as early prophets, such as Enoch he walked with God.

Jacqui: 4:28

Learn more about him in Jude 14,. Or Noah, who warned of the great flood See Hebrews 11:7. But there's more to the story. Some scholars even suggest that the very first prophet recorded in Scripture might have been Abel, Adam's son, whose faith and righteousness made him a powerful witness. These early prophets, alongside others you may be familiar with, played vital roles in delivering God's messages and guiding the people during a period when the Israel minority had not even taken shape. Other contributions are woven into the rich history of biblical prophecy. So that was the premonarchy, and the second chapter of our exploration will delve into the era of monarchy prophets, who are not written down in their own books.

Jacqui: 5:33

As Israel transitions from a loose confederation of tribes to a united monarchy under kings Saul, David and Solomon, a new breed of prophets emerged. These were the monarchy prophets, and their role was vital during times of significant political change and upheaval, covering the period from approximately 1050 to 781 BC. Samuel played a central role during this era. His birth was an answer to prayer and he was dedicated to serving God from an early age. Samuel was called by God to fulfill multiple roles, including that of a prophet, priest and judge. Notably, Samuel anointed both King David and Saul. He even went on to establish a school for prophets. Check out 1 Samuel 19: 18 - 24 for more about that.

Jacqui: 6:41

These were groups of prophets who lived in communities, dedicating themselves to a life of service and prophecy. At least three of these prophetic schools or communities existed, and the men who were part of these bands were deeply devoted to God and his service. They followed the teachings of prominent prophets of this period like Samuel, Elijah and Elisha, and were often referred to as their 'students". So who were the other monarchy prophets and what contributions did they make? During this period, prophets not only became more numerous, but also more influential. Like the pre-monarchy prophets, these monarchy prophets didn't have books named for them. We know about them through historical accounts that recount their revelations, pronouncements and exploits. These accounts were intricately woven into the history of Israel, as documented in the books of Joshua through 2 Kings. Prominent figures like Elijah and his successor, elisha played significant roles during this era. Nathan is another noteworthy prophet who famously confronted King David. Additionally, there's Ahijah, who condemned Jeroboam, the first king of the Northern Kingdom. These prophets served as advisors to the kings, offering counsel and guidance during times of political and social flux.

Jacqui: 8:27

Now let's shift our focus to the most well-known group of prophets the writing prophets. In ancient Israel, there were hundreds of prophets, but only sixteen were chosen to convey God's message in a way that would be collected and written in the final seventeen books of the Old Testament. It's worth noting that, while there were seventeen books, one of them Lamentations is associated with Jeremiah, who is believed to have written it in addition to the book bearing his name. Now, an important note While we refer to this third group of prophets as written prophets, it's essential to recognize that they also delivered their messages orally. They spoke, preached and lectured, and their words were later transcribed. For instance, the evidence in the book of Jeremiah indicates that he was, for the most part, an oral prophet, and the writing down of his prophecy was largely the work of Baruch. Most of the prophetic books were initially spoken messages written down later, possibly by the prophets themselves or by their followers. These prophetic books are divided into five major prophets, including Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel and Daniel, and the twelve minor prophets, consisting of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum,H habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Z,echariah and Malachi. Remember 5,12, 5,5,12? You know what I mean, right? If you don't have a clue about what I'm talking about, check out Episode 5.

Jacqui: 10:29

Meanwhile, let's organize these writing prophets and their associated books by their historical periods. First we have the pre-exilic prophets from 755 to approximately 586 BC, followed by the exilic period, that's, the time when Judah was exiled to Babylon, and that would be 586 to 520 BC and finally the post-exilic period, when Israel returned from exile 520 to 432 BC. Written prophecy began in the 8th century during the reign of Jeroboam II in the northern kingdom of Israel. The prophets of that time are called the pre-exilic prophets. Prophets in Hosea were among the first to put their messages in writing. In the northern kingdom of Israel, Assyria would bring God's judgment upon Israel and he sent his prophets to warn them about it. Ultimately, it was idolatry and the failure of the nation to heed God's warnings through his prophets that caused the northern kingdom to fall. It was taken captive by Assyria in 722 BC, see 2 Kings, 17: 5-23. In the southern kingdom of Judah, Micah and Isaiah were the initial known writing prophets. They are followed by Nahum, Jeremiah, Zephaniah and Habakkuk. These writing prophets primarily address four main subject areas the worship of false gods and idolatry, empty ritualism, injustices with a focus on the oppression of the poor, and repentance to avoid God's judgment. Just another point I didn't mention Obadiah, Joel and Jonah. The exact dates of their ministries is not clear, but they could have been serving during this period as well.

Jacqui: 12:53

Now we move on to the Exilic prophets. This is the second period of the writing prophets. After Israel fell in 722 BC, Judah continued to exist for over a century due to the influence of some good kings and righteous prophets. However, they too turned away from God and were sent into exile under the Babylonians. During their captivity in Babylon, they needed hope and encouragement. They had to be reminded that God's covenant was still in force and that he would complete his redemptive purpose in the world. Daniel and Ezekiel served as the prophets, the messages of hope, during this period.

Jacqui: 13:47

The third period of the writing prophets was the post-exilic period. After Israel's return to Jerusalem under Persian authority, the people began rebuilding the temple, the city and the nation. Post-exilic prophets encouraged rebuilding the temple, reestablishing the kingdom and the throne of David and resuming the formal worship that helped preserve Israel's separate identity. The prophet Haggai's message was to build the temple. Zechariah encouraged the completion of the temple and also saw visions of the messianic period. Malachi warned the people to return to God and to watch for the coming of Elijah before quote "the great and terrible day of the Lord.

Jacqui: 14:43

So in our exploration we touched on the pre-monarchy prophets, the monarchy prophets that were not formally written down, and now the writing prophets that spread over three periods pre-exilic, exilic and post-exilic. We also looked at some of their key messages. Note that the most direct application of the prophet's message was to the people of their time, but in the distance, on their horizon, they also saw the coming of the Messiah and His kingdom. Ultimately, these messages from God pointed to the coming Christ. Let's conclude with this tip. To understand Old Testament prophecy, it's crucial to relate their words to their circumstances. By connecting the words of the prophets to the historical context they faced, we can comprehend what their messages meant for the people of their time and what they mean for us today. A wealth of information on the context and background can be found in the historical books of Joshua through 2 Chronicles. Indeed, the more we consult that history, the better we'll understand the prophets and their Christ-centered messages.