This month I had the privilege of presenting a survey of the prophetic books. I chose to present it in chronological rather than canonical order, following how God progressively revealed new things about Himself and His plan. It is also interesting to realize who came first and how the later prophets built on the content of their predecessors. All of these prophets’ writings are based on Deuteronomy, especially chapter 28 and 30:1-10. Keeping this in mind, here is a list of what each prophet adds to the progress of revelation in the Old Testament.

• Joel introduces the concept of the “Day of the Lord” and the fact that it is a day of dark judgment, followed by blessing for all mankind.
• Hosea first presents the idea of spiritual adultery and balances it with God’s deep longing for the people He loves.
• Amos emphasizes God’s desire for justice and mercy in society.
• Jonah teaches us about God’s love for the nations, especially for those whom His people view as their enemies.
• Isaiah’s key new concepts are details about God’s plan for reaching the nations, revelation of the coming King (the Messiah), and details of his person and ministry and the promise of a new heaven and a new earth.
• Micah, who was Isaiah’s contemporary, clarifies God’s expectation of His people (see Mic. 6:8), and pinpoints where the divine ruler will be born.
• Nahum comforts God’s people with the certainty of God’s judgment upon those who oppress them.
• Zephaniah tells us of the extreme joy God has in saving His people and how He exults over their reconciliation.
• Habakkuk gives us the clearest expression that it is faith(fulness) that causes the righteous to live (Hab. 2:4b).
• Jeremiah tells us how long the exile will be, that God is with the exiles, and prophesies the new covenant, which will replace the Mosaic covenant.
• Ezekiel reveals God’s obsession with His holiness and His determination to see His plan through, as well as fleshing out the details of the new covenant, especially how the hearts of humans will be changed and a new order of worship for Israel (see Eze. 40-48).
• Obadiah laments the fall of Jerusalem and shows how those who curse God’s people will be cursed.
• After Daniel realizes that the 70 years Jeremiah prophesied has passed, he prays, receiving a revelation built on what God has already revealed to Ezekiel. God gives Daniel a detailed look at His plans for the future, especially the time frame for the coming of Messiah. Daniel 12:13 contains the clearest expression of the resurrection in the Old Testament.
• After the return to the Judah, Haggai prophesies that the second temple will be greater than the first and that Messiah will come from the line of Zerubbabel.
• Zechariah builds on Ezekiel and Daniel, giving more details about God’s plans for the future and the coming Messiah, whom he calls “the Branch”, based on Isaiah 11:1-10 and Jeremiah 23:5-6.
• Lastly, Malachi reveals God’s hatred for divorce and the coming of the forerunner of the Messiah.

Certainly, there is much, much more to be found in each of the prophetic books, but this brief overview shows us how God chose to reveal Himself progressively, basing what His people know about Him on what came before. It is amazing to be able to look back and see how carefully He revealed things piece by piece and how each following prophecy clarifies the former.