The Sibyllines Oracles

Prophet Name:The Sibyl sisterhood, the prophetesses

Origin & Message:
The Sibyls were a set of prophetesses who uttered oracles which were recorded, their advice was much sought after (by the Roman Empire and also the early church) and their influence is mentioned in many cultures such as the Greeks and the Anglo-Irish.
It is believed that the very first Sibyl was a daughter of Noah, or it may even have begun with Noah's wife whom is said to have been the grand-daughter of Enoch (Enoch is mentioned further in my analysis of the Book of Giants). Enoch was supposedly a man of great power vision and an apostle, and therefore some of his natural talents may have passed on down through the generations. Noah's daughters name Sambethe is mentioned in the preface of the surviving writings, and it is said that she moved Greece where she started writing oracles.

Supporting documentation:An early Arab document Kitab al-Magall gives the names of Noah and his daughters, and supports the stories told in the surviving 12 books. There are various authors of these oracle books, yet it is known that other book did exist, in particular The Sibylline Books which were owned by the Roman Emperor and mentioned several times in history, however those books are said to have been destroyed in a fire in 83B.C. The documents of the Sibylline oracles were believed to have been put together (as a collection) between 200B.C. and 500 A.D. They are further mentioned in many other documents dating from around the same time.

Content of the Oracle Books:Some of the books just contain the history of mankind, these are not written exclusively from the Christian viewpoint as they often contain Greek history for example and also Asian kings and even Alexander. Other books contain oracles for specific people such as rulers and kings and warriors and kingdoms.
Some of the books also describe prophecies of the events leading up to the last day on Earth. Book Two describes the events leading up to the last day of Earth, the day of destruction where fire from the sky, stars from the sky will fall and destroy life on earth. With the slight reprieve that some get saved from the flames. Book Three says how in the end times there will be a great war, of dust clouds that cover the earth so that the suns light is darkened and the moons light appears as red as drops of blood. Seems to describe nuclear war. Book Eight is much more prophetic about the end times, it is mentioned about the stars in the sky effecting our weather causing a giant hurricane that desolates the earth.

Validity:
I find these books fascinating, most profound is how they nearly always write in future tense which actually makes me quite confused. It is possible that the Oracles written are just fakes, that someone decided to try and replace the original documents which were destroyed in the fire. Another theory is that after the fire had destroyed the original works, that sections of the original documents had been made (in order to pass on to people etc) and that someone gathered all this information back and compiled them into this set of works in the hope to at least keep some of the original information. This would give the impression that these works would have been very highly valued, and the sibylline oracles were famous in their time for their predictions. Lastly a third theory in which these documents are total fakes, designed to fool people, that they only foretell things that had already happened. For me I like the second theory best.

Old Document Review The Book of Giants

From the Dead Sea Scrolls

This scroll is very hard to read as there are words missing and it is broken into many sections with many parts missing. The document is mean as a record to tell the story of where giants came from and also to tell the story of the battle between the angels and demons.

The scroll tells a couple of stories, the first is of how two hundred demons came down to earth and fought battles, taking women as their trophies, enslaving them and subjecting them to torture, then once it was realised, angels came down and done battle with them and destroyed most of them. Part of this story includes one section mentioning how the demons revealed mysteries and arts to men which brought rebellion and ruin. It says that the demons were eventually sealed up on a prison deep in the earth, beneath the mountains.

A strange character mentioned in several parts of the text is someone called Enoch (an apostle) who is compared to Christ and other religious figures. It is clear that wherever this character goes that he is feared and also obeyed. At one point the addresses a gathering of demons and criminals, at another he commands an angel from a distance to change direction and give instruction. Enoch is also mentioned in the story of the demons being imprisoned. Enoch is also mentioned in the bible in the list of descendants of Adam and also in the book of Hebrews where it is said Enoch did not die but was taken up to heaven because he had pleased God.

The giants themselves are said to be the offspring from demons and women, they are said to be war-like, they fight with each other and for other people, but also that the life expectancy of the giants is a long time of around a thousand years, so long that they are considered to be immortal. The giants lived in 36 different towns that were specifically designed to support their needs. It is because of their origin, and their nature that they were damned or cursed and their children.

There are a couple of very strange issues I came across, the first is the mentioning that earth is a sphere (knowledge of the universe), the second ‘three worlds’ are mentioned, possibly meaning heaven hell and the earth but this is perhaps something that fuels belief in aliens! Lastly I came across the mentioning of ‘five elements’. The five elements form the basic understandings behind Buddhism, and Buddha is mentioned elsewhere in the documents, here it is noted that the five elements are being consumed in great quantities by the Giants (earth, water, air, fire, the fifth of things that are beyond the material world).

13th Zodiac Mystery

There is something that has intrigued me about the 13^Th Zodiac ever since I learnt of its existence, it has technically been left out of the worlds calculations. There are of course 52 weeks in the year, if there are four weeks in each, that easily makes 13 months. But you see the thirteenth month has been left out, and the number 13 has been renown for 'bad luck', some cultures Tuesday the thirteenth is unlucky and some cultures Friday the thirteenth is unlucky and in recent years you such things as black Friday and the such.

I was watching a YouTube video the other day that was making theories about ancient cultures, and one of those theories is that the three Egyptian Pyramids may have been built a long earlier than people think. Their proof? Their proof id that the pyramids do not have hyroglipics on them or in them and every other Egyptian piece of stone gets covered, it is a bit strange I admit, but also it the idea that the three pyramids are based upon the sign of Orion and the location of the three stars does match roughly, but Orion in the stars is exactly opposite to the thirteenth zodiac Serpentarious.

The thirteenth zodiac is also mentioned in the Lost Book of Nostradamus, the sign itself depicts a man grasping a serpent, which is some of the imagery used in the lost book. Also the number thirteen is linked to the Mayans calender, each of the nine stages of existence contain seven days and six nights(adding up to 13 stages), this was built into their now infamous Mayan calender. There has also been found images of this thirteenth zodiac on various ancient structures, carved as it the serpent is devouring the Earth.

Even though this is not a sign that our world is about to end, it might be a sign that the last time that the world was aligned with the thirteenth zodiac that there was a terrible disaster, which could be where the unlucky feeling about the number 13 originates. Now I know there are believers and non believers in Noah's flood, but there is evidence for it around the world which I may go into at another point, however it might be possible that this is the disaster that is linked to the 13^Th zodiac and why everyone claims the number to be so unlucky.

Solar Storm 2012 & Weakened Magnetic Field

The magnetic field does not just control our compass, it also acts as a protective barrier between us and some of the dangers of space, shielding us from radiation in the solar wind. The scary thing is that the Earth’s magnetic field has been steadily weakening over the past 180 years.

A magnetic reversal is not just possible, it is destined to happen, its only a matter of when. Admittedly it could take hundreds or thousands of years, but one thing is sure, as the magnetic field has been weakening over the last 180 years, it has not been dropping at a steady rate, rather it has got more intense as time goes on. Already the changes are starting to effect our guidance systems in planes, but if an actual reversal happens it will cause an unknown amount of damage.

Polar shifts are infamous thanks to hollywoods films such as The Day after Tomorrow and 2012, but interesting enough there is another film called Knowing based upon the worlds destruction from something called a Solar Storm. A Solar storm is a burst of radiation and heat from the Sun which can reach as far as the Earth.

The issue I have is that next year in 2012, with a weakened magnetic field, a weakened protective barrier, combined with an expected solar storm, and none of this is made up, it is a real possibility for 2012 and nobody really knows whats going to happen! The Solar storm could worsen the magnetic field, it could knock out satellites and our communication systems, it could rupture volcanos and cause earthquakes. Are you prepared?

Old Document Review Book of Secrets

The Book of Secrets

From the Dead Sea Scrolls

This scroll (otherwise known as the Book of Mysteries) is one that has caught the imagination of quite a few people, it was one of the texts that was chosen not to be included as part of the Bible, yet the actual words used within the text seem to be quite prophetic.

The scroll starts by addressing the type of reader that is expected to be reading it, I believe this text was written for prophets, calling them people who ‘understand parables and riddles’ and even understand the ‘origins of knowledge’. This idea of seeking the origins of knowledge is a theme throughout the scroll, mentioning the ‘secret of the way things are’ and that people have misunderstood the ‘eternal mysteries’.

The sections which seem to be prophetic are where it mentions an ‘Era of wickedness‘, and also in another part a time where evil will be wiped from the face of the Earth. It describes the comings and goings of nations and people, of oppression and the advancement and they way that things have always been, in a way saying how history repeats itself because we are all flawed and as humans we make the same mistakes over and over, and as nations we do the same also.

I think a very relevant text for today’s readers, although as this script is not published you may only find a copy of the interpreted scroll online. Recently more and more texts which were never previously published are being made available to the public.

Do not believe scientific dating methods

It was only a few hundred years ago that many people believed that the Earth was flat. We have been told that as we look backwards into this history that the Church played a big role in holding people back from revealing the truth. This belief very much led to the war between religion and science. My understanding of science is that its aim is to explain the world around us. Seems pretty simple right? But science has also given us inventions, the industrial age, the nuclear age and so many many things since the time of the flat earth. But what I am starting to see happen around the world is a role reversal of the belief in science.

No its not a case where people are going back to believe in a flat earth, it is the case of understanding how modern day science works. Okay as an example, lets say that I am a scientist and I come up with an idea that mice can learn how to speak. Ok and some crackpot decides to fund my experiments and I carry out experiments and tests and come out with a theory concerning talking mice, either prooving it or disproving it. In general that doesn't make a theory prooved, results of experiments have to be able to be reproduced by others. And so someone else comes along with a slgihtly different idea and builds upon my experiments and refines the theory and so on, and this is the way that scientific knowledge has grown to what it is today.

So where is the problem in all of that? What is so wrong with that system? Well I will tell you whats wrong with it, some of these theories that have been accepted as fact in todays society have not been proved. The biggest one that I believe is a failed system is fossilization, its not as if someone tested to see how long a fossil takes to form, we simply don't live that long. Simple facts are that you cannot carbon date anything older than 50,000 years neither can you carbon date sea creatures as they did not breathe air but made oxygen through other sources. So how do they date other stuff you may ask. Well I will tell you, they can test using other isotopes such as uranium and the such, or they can use other methods such as rock layers. They furthermore admit mistakes made in carbon dating in the 60s and 70s as they now understand that radiation from the sun has changed over the last 10,000 years which effects the results.

In fact that was not the only issue that they came across, scientists actually admit that geological samples from the Earth are unable to give a date simply due to the fact that the Earth has undergone differentiation into the core, mantle. In simple words as the samples will always have the chance of being contaminated, this is because once a sample has been heated or irradiated it will give incorrect results. So where does the date of the Earth of 4.5 billion years come from? That is even more outstanding to answer than you would believe, the date comes from the Canyon Diablo Meteorite, yes they dated the meteorite and gave us the date of the Earth. Brilliant. Fantastic. Who said the meteorite didn't crash to earth 10,000 years ago?

Ok so lets go back to the alternative dating method of rock layers or stratigraphy, which the basic idea that layers of rock form on top of each other and the one at the bottom is the oldest. Makes sense. Yet how do you know how old the bottom layer is? There are various methods, each with its own problems, having already touched upon the limits of carbon dating I will mention a couple of others.

The First is called 'faunal dating' which refers to identifying the type of animal bones or fossils that they find in the rock and they simply look up when those animals existed. Makes sense, as rock forms it traps animals insects bones and other stuff. But the problem is, how do they know how old the fossils are? If you look up one of the main methods for dating fossils you will come across the idea that they date the fossils by the type of rock they find it in and what layer it is in. You see the problem with that one? Yes I know its crazy but its true.

The next is radiocarbon dating the rock to find out its age. Yet if you close your eyes and image lava pouring out from a volcano forming a new layer of rock, you will have to admit that the older layer has been just submitted to severe heat, which as mentioned is one of the things which can effect the accuracy of isotope dating.

Now I bet after considering all this that you may be scratching your head and wondering a bit more about all this stuff. I, just a simple man have just shown how scientists do not know the age of the Earth, they have theories about it, but it is in no way proven. If you want to believe in their nonsense then go ahead, I won't stop you from believing in a flat planet either. But if you doubt anything that I have said, then I challenge you to go and research it for yourself, because you will find the exact same thing that I have.

End Time Prophecies Fulfilled in 2011

As foretold by the 12 Minor Prophets

1. The Death of Birds

“I will sweep away the birds of the air” Zephaniah 1:3

January 2011

Unexplained and unanswered in the sky of Arkansas thousands of blackbirds fell out of the sky, and within a week hundreds of other birds in Kentucky and Louisiana also dropped dead from the sky. Still unexplained, it was said that the birds simply were startled and flew into each other?? Then in Italy hundreds of doves also died, apparently having eaten themselves to death.

2. The Death of Fish

“and the fish of the sea” Zephaniah 1:3

January 2011

Another story to head the headlines was the death of 40,000 crabs that washed up on beaches in the UK, and the death of 2 million fish in Chesapeake Bay, and thousands more fish died the previous year in Lake Michigan, all deemed as abnormal events with strange explanations.

3. The Red Moon

"The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come" Joel 2:31

June 2011

For years this prophecy had been much talked about, and to be honest most people expected this as being part of World War Three, as apparently nuclear fall-out can result in the moon appearing red. But in reality, it turned out to be volcanic ash which gave the moon the appearance of being red. Even more intriguing is the fact that in 2011 there were four partial solar eclipses and two total lunar eclipses which is quite rare, it happens about 6 times every century, so the odds of this combined with the ash-cloud-red-moon mirrors the prophecy.

4. The Disaster in Japan

“Their wealth will be plundered, their houses demolished. They will have houses but not live in them, they will have vineyards but not drink the wine” Zephaniah 1:13

March 2011

What happened in Japan was a sad tragedy to all those who were lost and their families, yet was it something that was foretold? In the prophecy mentioned there are three main points; the destruction of houses, the damage to wealth and lastly land (houses etc) which must be left untouched. A report in August from Japan claimed there were as many as 111,944 destroyed buildings, 139,870 partially destroyed buildings, 517,050 partially damaged buildings. There is still some debate about the economic damage done not only in Japan but across the Global markets, and with rebuild costs of up to $300 billion. Lastly the nuclear disaster which became part of the whole crisis; Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes and up to 2500 kilometers of soil were contaminated. Although the warnings were lifted from the 25-30km radius, many residents were unwilling to return to their homes with their children, but there are parts that are still in exclusion where it may be 20 years before residents can return. Even more chilling is the fact the Fukushima was well known for its grapes and vineyards!!!

Prophet Zephaniah (est640-609BC)

Prophet Name:

Zephaniah, related to the Royal line, meaning ‘The Lord protects’, according to the Book of the Bee he was of the tribe of Simeon and died in peace in his own land

Mission/Message:

Zephaniah’s mission was to disclose God’s coming judgement and to speak about ‘the day of the Lord’.

Documentation:

Due to Zephaniah’s social position he would have been very knowledgeable of the political issues of the time, and was probably familiar with the writings of Isaiah and Amos. The book itself is believed to have been written after 640 but before 627.

Occupation:

Not known for sure but we know he was related to the royal line.

Best known for:

-Prediction of the Day of the Lord

Attributes of his personality:

He was of ruling class, in his twenties when he began to prophesy

Supernatural Aspects:

It says that the ‘word of God came to him’. His prophecies come across as if God revealed things to him first and then he spoke about it to others. This is slightly different to others who said directly as if God was speaking to them in present tense.

Examples of prophecies:

-The Day of the Lord

-The destruction of the world

End Times Prophecies:

This book is full of end time prophecies; death of men and birds and fish, destruction of the economy, houses and land not liveable (maybe nuclear contamination), a day of darkness, a time when wealth is worth nothing, the whole world consumed, streets deserted, cities destroyed

Prophet Zechariah (est520-480BC)

Prophet Information:

Zechariah, meaning ‘the Lord remembers’, according to the Book of the Bee he died at a great age and was buried beside Haggai

Mission/Message:

Zechariah’s mission was very similar to Haggai’s mission. Both were concerned with spiritual renewal of the returned exiles as well as the need for the temple to be re-built.

Documentation:

The book of Zechariah is traditionally thought to have been authored by the prophet, although some readers believe that there are stark differences between the first and second half of the book and therefore must have been written by two authors. It is possible that Zechariah had just written each part of the book at different stages of his life.

Occupation:

A priest and a prophet

Best known for:

-The re-building of the temple, continuing the work of Haggai

-A detailed prediction of the Messiah (his personality, the betrayal, the crucifixion)

Attributes of his personality:

When visions are revealed to him he requests more details or an explanation, this might be so that he can analyse the meanings. He was a deep thinker.

Supernatural Aspects:

It says that the ‘word of God came to him’. He had many night visions; the book includes a series of eight visions, in these visions he would see the Lord or angels and be able to talk with them. He also speaks of angels waking him from sleep in order to reveal things to him.

Examples of prophecies:

-The prediction of the coming Messiah and detailed descriptions of him

-Apocalyptic prophecies

-The prediction of the siege of Jerusalem

End Times Prophecies:

In chapter 11, the author speaks of a ‘false shepherd’ which some believe to represent a recent church leader as many of the verses of prophecy can be linked to him.

Prophet Obadiah (est605-585BC)

Prophet Information:

Obadiah, which means “servant of the Lord”, according to the Book of the Bee he was from the country of Shechem and was a captain over fifty soldiers until he became a disciple of Elijah and became worthy of prophecy, later he died in peace

Mission/Message:

Obadiah’s message was to announce the coming destruction of Edom, the Edomites were related to the Israelites yet they had not helped when Israel was being destroyed, and they gloated over their own security.

Documentation:

The authors name is given as Obadiah however the date and place of the book is still debated. There are some parallels between the book of Jeremiah and this book, which some have suggested points to either a common source for their material. It is possible that they lived at the same time and were in some way interdependent on each other, but there are no records of this.

Best known for:

-Announcement of the coming destruction of Edom

Attributes of his personality:

Very little can be found due the shortness of the book, however it is recorded that he was possibly sent out to destroy Elijah and the prophets, but instead helped them and as a reward received the gift of prophecy.

Supernatural Aspects:

The book mentions a vision, and also the author speaks as if God had spoken directly to him

Examples of prophecies:

-The destruction of Edom

-The notion of the Deliverer

End Times Prophecies:

The establishment of the ‘Lord’s kingdom’ or the Israel state.

Prophet Nahum (est663-612BC)

Prophet Information:

Nahum, meaning “comfort”, according to the Book of the Bee he was from the city of Elkosh and was of the tribe of Simeon, died in peace and was buried in his own country.

Mission/Message:

Nahum’s mission was to portray God as one who gives refuge to those who trust in Him and as one who will not let the guilty go unpunished. In particular Nahum spoke and prophesised about the coming destruction of Nineveh, and that this would give comfort to Judah.

Documentation:

The book contains details of the vision of Nahum. The estimates of dating this book come from the events mentioned in the book. It was after the fall of Thebes in 663 and before the destruction of Nineveh in 612.

Occupation:

Unknown but his hometown was named Elkosh (location also unknown)

Best known for:

-Announcement of the coming destruction of Nineveh

Attributes of his personality:

The type of works used in the book show intense descriptions and vocabulary, the writing is poetic yet features many rhetorical questions. He was a deep thinker and analyst.

Supernatural Aspects:

The book is a vision, but it differs in the fact that other prophets would say “The Lord says” whereas Nahum describes “The Lord will” or “The Lord is”. This would give a general picture that Nahum knew the mind of God whereas others heard the words of God.

Examples of prophecies:

-The destruction of Nineveh

End Times Prophecies:

There is a possibility that the second chapter is talking about Israel being restored after ‘destroyers have laid them waste’ meaning the Israel state after the Second World War. It goes on to mention about an army in red or scarlet, which could represent a country that uses predominantly red on their flag.

Prophet Micah (est750-686BC)

Prophet Information:

Micah, according to the Book of the Bee he was of the tribe of Ephraim and was slain by Joram the son of Ahab

Mission/Message:

Micah switches between messages of doom and messages of hope. His message also declares that there will be a Messiah from the line of David.

Documentation:

The author is unknown but believed to be Micah himself. The writings bear some resemblance to that of Isaiah with the difference being that Micah had less knowledge of Jerusalem’s political scene.

Best known for:

-Prediction of the capture of Samaria, which happened later in his lifetime

Attributes of his personality:

Micah was an opinionated observer of the society around him, and he spent time pointing out how God hates idolatry, injustice, rebellion and ritualism. His prophecies show both tenderness, but they also show threatening language.

Supernatural Aspects:

It is mention how the “word of God” came to him. His prophecies follow the format of pointing out social injustices followed by what the Lord had to say about it, so he must have been able to speak with God.

Examples of prophecies:

-The destruction of Samaria

-The prediction of the Messiah and the birthplace where he would be born

End Times Prophecies:

-In Chapter two, it mentions that when the church will not prophesy, that there will be someone called “the breaker” who will be broken away from the church yet devoted to God and that he will become a leader that will lead people out of spiritual confusion to avoid destruction. Interestingly enough, if you link this with predictions of Daniel who mentions a Michael (of which has several meanings: ‘Who is like God?’ The name also means ‘leadership’). Could the Michael and ‘the breaker’ be one in the same?

Prophet Malachi (est440-430BC)

Prophet Information:

Malachi, meaning ‘my messenger’, according to the Book of the Bee he was nicknamed 'angel' because of his good looks.  He had two brothers Nathaniel and Josiah.  It is said that he was buried in the Tomb of the Prophets in Israel.

Mission/Message:

Malachi’s mission is more of reassurance and warning for the people of Jerusalem not to give up and that the day of the Lord will come. Malachi also condemned several sins in the same way Nehemiah did when he returned to the city.

Documentation:

There is some doubt over the prophet’s name, as messenger was a general term used to describe priests and prophets; however there is a likelihood that this was his name also. Malachi’s book is the last book of the twelve Minor Prophets (although some claim Joel came later)

Occupation:

A priest and a prophet

Best known for:

-Announcing the Day of the Lord is coming

Attributes of his personality:

Sarcasm features in the book as well as repetition.

Supernatural Aspects:

It says that the ‘word of God came to him’ and that he was an oracle.

Examples of prophecies:

-The prediction of the coming Day of the Lord

-The prediction of John the Baptist

End Times Prophecies:

Malachi mentions that God will send the prophet Elijah, which could represent John the Baptist (who was said to be like Elijah) or a reference to the prophets mentioned in the book of revelations. He also mentions how the Day of the Lord will ‘burn like a furnace’ and all evil-doers will be destroyed.

Prophet Jonah (est775-785BC)

Prophet Information:

Jonah son of Amittai, his name means “dove”, according to the Book of the Bee he was from Gath-hepher, which is near to Gaza and the sea coast.

Mission/Message:

To travel to Nineveh (a place of great menace to Israel) and proclaim to them of their imminent disaster, according to the Book of the Bee he moved away after he had prophesied to Assyria until he met with Elijah's widow and he decided to return to Judea, he was buried in the cave of Kainan.

Documentation:

The author of the book of Jonah is unknown however it is traditionally thought to be Jonah himself who wrote it. The book itself is very narrative in comparison to other books of prophecies which has led some to believe that it is not historical. There is also debate over when it was written, some say after 612B.C and others say it was written after the times of Amos but before the invasion of the Assyrians.

Best known for:

-Running away from God and ending up being thrown off a boat and swallowed by a great fish, which spat him out onto land three days later.

Attributes of his personality:

Low self-esteem (believing he could not accomplish God’s mission for him), stubborn and flawed (lying to the sailors of the boat), possibly suicidal (“better for me to die” and “I am angry enough to die”)

Supernatural Aspects:

It says that the “word of God came to him”, speaking as if God spoke directly to him. The provision of a vine to grow from nothing and give him shelter from the sun

Examples of prophecies:

-His job was to go and ask the people of Nineveh to turn from their ways in order to avoid disaster and they did what was asked, and they were saved which made Jonah angry for Nineveh was a great menace to Israel.

End Times Prophecies:

There are no direct prophecies about the end times, or about the Day of the Lord. However, there is the distinct lesson that a sinful person can turn from his wicked ways and be forgiven, which is something that many people may draw upon during the end times.

Prophet Joel (est800-400BC?)

Prophet Information:

Joel son of Pethuel, of the tribe of Reuben, according to the Book of the Bee he died in peace in his own land

Mission/Message:

His overall mission was to foretell of punishment upon Israel and all nations, followed by restoration

Documentation:

The book of Joel, is believed to have been either written in the ninth century B.C. or the sixth century B.C., the only importance of the dates is that phrases in his book were used by other prophets, therefore if the early date is true then other prophets certainly read his work, and if the later date, then he had read the works of some of the other prophets

Occupation:

The occupation of Joel is unknown as there is very little mention of him elsewhere (only in the book of Acts) and the non-Biblical legends about him are not convincing, however he was concerned with Judah and Jerusalem so he probably resided in that area

Best known for:

-Not following the general belief that Israel would avoid a day of judgement

Attributes of his personality:

The whole book of Joel is in poetry format in proclamations and prophecies so there is no direct storylines about the man himself, I do not wish to comment on his character based solely upon those words, a more detailed psychoanalysis of the words would be needed.

Supernatural Aspects:

It says that “the word of the Lord came to Joel”, which is very similar to the claims of other prophet’s claims of prophetic authority. There is no mention of dreams or visions.

Examples of prophecies:

-Prediction of a massive locust plague, which some point out to represent empires invading but some believe it was just the plague.

-Prediction that the people of Israel will be scattered across all nations but after a war will return and be given a sanctuary which will never be invaded again

End Times Prophecies:

-The sun will turn to darkness

-The moon will turn the colour of blood

-Blood and fire and billows of smoke

Prophet Hosea (est750-715BC)

Prophet Information:

Hosea son of Beeri, of the tribe of Issachar and was from the town of Be'elmath, according to the Book of the Bee he died in peace and was buried in his own land, yet modern beliefs is that he was buried in the cemetery of Safed

Mission/Message:

Hosea’s mission from God was to have a relationship with his wife that was similar to God’s relationship with Israel, Hosea seen Israel’s main problem as a failure to acknowledge God.

Documentation:

Hosea is identified as the first of the twelve Minor Prophets and is the only prophet to come from the Northern kingdom of Israel, the book of Hosea is dated by reference to the current kings of Judah; the author of the book is unknown.

Best known for:

-His dramatic relationship with his adulterous wife.

Attributes of his personality:

He was obedient to God’s commands. He had the ability to rebuke his wife in a harsh way, but similarly to take her back in a loving and supportive way. This would point at a man that is slow to anger (his wife bore three children before he rebuked her) yet someone that considers the person not just by their actions, and therefore takes his wife back if she promises not to be with another man again.

Supernatural Aspects:

It says that the “word of God came to him”, and it is said also that “the Lord began to speak through him”

Examples of prophecies:

-He told people about God’s opinion of their way of life, opinions about the kings and foretold their destruction and repentance

-Ch6 verse two it mentions references which could easily be linked to the death of Jesus or the tearing of the old covenant and the making of the new covenant.

End Times Prophecies:

Although some theorists have taken words from Hosea’s prophecies in an attempt to apply them to modern times, my belief is that they applied to his times, and the coming invasion of the northern kingdom.

Prophet Haggai (est590-520BC)

Prophet Name:

Haggai, means ‘festal’ or 'my holiday', he is said to have been buried in the Tomb of the Prophets on the upper slope of Mount Olives in Jerusalem.

Mission/Message:

Haggai’s mission was to clearly explain the consequences of disobedience. Furthermore, he talks about the promise that a Messiah will come. His mission was to help convince the returned exiles to re-build the temple.

Documentation:

Haggai’s message was given in two parts during the year 520, it is hinted that he witnessed the destruction of Solomon’s Temple which would make him to be aged in his seventies. Other than the book of Haggai, he is also possibly mentioned in the Book of Esther as being a eunuch.

Best known for:

-The re-building of the temple, along with the help of Zechariah, another prophet

Attributes of his personality:

He was in his seventies when he delivered his messages. He uses questions and repetitions to highlight aspects of his prophecies, which shows natural talent to be a teacher.

Supernatural Aspects:

It says that the ‘word of God came to him’ or ‘through’ him.

Examples of prophecies:

-The prediction of the coming Messiah

-The judgement at Christ’s second coming

End Times Prophecies:

In Chapter two of the book it mentions the shaking of heavens, the earth, sea, land and all nations. This is a reference to the second coming of Christ.

Prophet Habakkuk (est640-598BC)

Prophet Information:

Habakkuk, according to the Book of the Bee he was from the land of Zoar and of the tribe of Simeon, also that he brought food to Daniel in the lions den, he was stoned to death by Jews in Jerusalem

Mission/Message:

Habakkuk was different to the other twelve Minor Prophets in that he wrote no oracle addressed directly at Israel, instead his book is like a debate between himself and God. This is supposed to be symbolic of the general feelings felt by those like him at the time.

Documentation:

The book seems like it is just a personal record between a man and God, but it could represent how the godly felt at the time about what was happening around them. The book itself is generally dated to 605 B.C. Habakkuk is also mentioned in the book Bel and the Dragon as being the person who ministered to Daniel whilst in the lions den, but this is not seen as historical. He is also mentioned in Lives of the Prophets, saying that he was born to a Shunamite woman with Elisha's blessing.

Occupation:

Unknown but there are musical notations in the book, which would give rise to the belief that he was knowledgeable in music.

Best known for:

-Prediction of the coming Babylonian invasion

Attributes of his personality:

Strong faith in religious traditions, he wrote with clearness and great feeling, and displays his trust and belief in God

Supernatural Aspects:

The book describes a relationship between the prophet and God, one where Habakkuk complains and gets his answers until finally he is happy and fully understands God’s will and accepts it.

Examples of prophecies:

-The invasion by Babylonians

-The punishment of the Babylonians

End Times Prophecies:

There is some debate about the first section of Chapter two where some believe it is talking about the anti-christ and the end times yet the traditionalists believe that it is merely talking about the fact that, even though the punishment of the Babylonians will come, that they will have to wait for the vision to come true, and they did have to wait 66 years.

Prophet Amos (est760-750BC)

Prophet Information:

Amos from the land of Tekoa, according to the Book of the Bee a priest of Bethel tortured him and afterwards killed him.

Mission/Message:

His overall mission was a call for social justice, emphasizing God’s forgiveness on the repentant and judgement on the unfaithful.  He traveled through the Northern Kingdom of Israel, in particular visited the cities of Samaria and Bethel.

Documentation:

The book of Amos was written at a time of prosperity of the Northern and Southern kingdoms and before the Assyrian captivity, and therefore it is believed that Amos’s years of ministry were from 760 to 750 B.C. during the reign of Uzziah (792-740 B.C.)

Occupation:

Amos was a shepherd of Tekoa; it is unclear if he was just a hired hand, or the owner of the herds. However it is clear that he was knowledgeable with words and with history and therefore he was probably not a peasant.

Best known for:

-Travelling to the Northern Kingdom (Israel) to give a message in a time of prosperity that the immorality and corruption had not gone unnoticed by God

Attributes of his personality:

A simple and humble man, in Chapter eight he is confronted by people telling him to go back to where he had come from, and he replies that he is not a prophet just a shepherd that has been sent by God to give a message. In another version he says "I am not a prophet nor a son of a prophet".

Supernatural Aspects:

In his verses of prophecies, he talks as if God speaks directly to him revealing things in imagery and words.

Examples of prophecies:

-Prediction of the invasion of the Northern kingdom by the Assyrians (722-721 B.C.)

-Prediction that the people of Israel will be exiled to all nations but they will be planted in a land of their own

-Prediction of the coming Messiah

End Times Prophecies:

-The Day of the Lord will come

-A day of darkness not light, pitch black without a ray of sunshine