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 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 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