Chapter 2
Principles to Keep in Mind
Below we will look at the main message of the twelve prophets, but as we do we need to keep in mind the same important principles that we observed when studying the three major prophets (see How to Read the Prophets).
Know the Historical Setting of the Prophet
The prophets were recipients of God’s message for their contemporaries. They were not speaking to the future but to their present. God sent them when his people wandered from their loyalty to the covenant in order to call them back to obedience. While, of course, the prophets’ message has important application for our day, we must study them in the light of the events of their own day as closely as we can. That is why most prophets begin with what is called a superscription that mentions the time the prophet lived and spoke. We will describe the historical setting of the various prophets below.
Keep in Mind the Overall Structure and Message of the Prophet
Do you ever get confused reading through a prophetic book? You are not alone. While we can sometimes detect an outline if we look hard enough, it is best to think of prophetic books as collections of prophetic oracles often anticipating judgment as well as looking forward to restoration. It’s often best to avoid frustration by not expecting a clear structure or chronological order. We can then marvel at the power of the prophets’ speech and use of various images as they call their readers to repent and obey the Lord.
Consider Whether the Prophet Talks about the Future Conditionally or Unconditionally
As we said above, God sent the prophets to his people when they disobeyed the covenant that they had with God. God had warned the people if they disobeyed that he would punish them (see, for example, Deuteronomy 27–28). When they first go to the people, the prophets do not announce a definite judgment (unconditional prophecy), but rather call them to repentance (conditional prophecy). From what we know about the history of God’s people, though, they did not repent, so God brought the judgment upon them. That is why sometimes the prophets move from conditional to unconditional prophecy or why even conditional prophecies strike us as unconditional.
Realize the Prophet’s Words Can Have More than One Fulfillment
The prophets speak most immediately to their contemporaries. When they talk about the future, their message is near term and also conditional. Eighth century prophets like Hosea warn about punishment that takes place soon after the people refuse to repent, namely the invasion of the Assyrian army in 722 BC and then the Babylonian exile in 586 BC. In their message of restoration, the prophets see life after the judgment. So, for example, Hosea envisions a second exodus, a return from the wilderness, that most immediately finds fulfillment at the moment the captives were allowed to return from the exile that began in 539 BC (see Hosea 2:14–15). But attentive readers of the New Testament understand that this promise of second exodus also points forward to Jesus Christ, who through his death and resurrection, leads his people out from slavery to sin and death.
Understand that All Prophecy Points Ultimately to Jesus
Prophets spoke of the near–term future, but their words can have more than one fulfillment. We should not be surprised then that the New Testament authors believed that the prophets pointed forward to Jesus. That is the point Peter makes when he said “beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days” (Acts 3:24). When we read the minor prophets, we should ask, how does their message anticipate Christ (see also Luke 24:25–27, 44–45; 2 Cor. 1:18–22).
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