The second of the Minor Prophets is Joel. Jewish tradition divides The Book of Joel into four chapters. Christian tradition divides it into three chapters. Nothing about Joel himself is communicated through the work, and the dates of Joel are hard to establish: some scholars argue the work comes from a time just after the fall of Jerusalem in 586BC, while other scholars favour a time between 539BC and 331BC. An important motif in Joel is the day of the Lord. Much of the language and imagery (sun turned into darkness, the moon into blood, stars withdraw their shining) used by Joel to describe the day of the Lord are reflected in later Christian writing. According to Joel YHWH will bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, and also at that time YHWH will gather all nations into the valley of decision on the day of the Lord.
Amos was the first Hebrew prophet to have a biblical book named after him. He came from the village of Tekoa (now a ruin about 12 miles from Jerusalem) in the southern kingdom of Judah. YHWH took him from following the flock and made him a prophet to the northern kingdom of Israel. Amos travelled to Israel, and was active there during the reign of Jeroboam the second (786 BC to 746 BC). He foretold the destruction of Israel and predicted the destruction of Judah. Although Amos, who is the third Minor Prophet, is called the first of the writing prophets, someone else probably compiled The Book of Amos - perhaps disciples who shared his theology. The book can be separated into three parts: prophecies against Israel and other nations (chapters 1-2), prophecies against Israel for injustice (chapters 3-6), and visions of various fates YHWH could visit upon Israel during its destruction. Many scholars believe verses 8 to 15 of chapter 9, which predicts restoration for Israel, were added to Amos at a later date. The day of the Lord is a significant motif in Amos.
Nothing is known about the life of Obadiah, the fourth Minor Prophet. Scholars believe that The Book of Obadiah was written after the fall of Judah - possibly in the middle of the 5th century BC when Jews returned to the area around Jerusalem. The work contains just 21 verses. A main theme of the book is the coming day of the Lord and the destruction of Edom over that country’s ‘violence against thy brother Jacob’. Another theme is the return of Jews to the Promised Land.
The fifth book of the Minor Prophets, The Book of Jonah, contains no prophecies. It was probably composed between about 500 BC and 250 BC in protest at the exclusiveness of a post-exilic Judaism that championed the notion of a pure blood race of Jews, which was set in motion by the reformers Ezra and Nehemiah in the 5th century BC. An important theme of Jonah is the idea that YHWH is a not just the God of Israel, but the God of all nations.
Micah wrote the sixth book of the Minor Prophets, The Book of Micah. He did so in the 8th century BC. The book can be separated into two parts: chapters 1-3 contain judgements against Samaria (the capital city of Israel) and Jerusalem, chapters 4-7 contain promises of restoration for the Hebrews, and the outpouring of God’s anger and fury upon the heathen ‘such as they have not heard.’ In the day that YHWH comes forth out of his place the mountains shall be molten and the valleys shall be like wax before the fire, says Micah. One of Micah’s predictions, which became important to Christians, was of a Davidic ruler who would come from Bethlehem and bring peace to the earth. Micah uses the harlot motif against Samaria.
Nahum is the seventh of the Twelve Minor Prophets. The Book of Nahum was probably composed between 626 BC and 612 BC - date of the destruction of Nineveh. Nahum’s book contains three chapters. Its main theme is the overthrow of Assyria and the destruction of Nineveh.
Habakkuk, ‘the prophet upon Shigionoth’, was the author of The Book of Habakkuk. He may have been a prophet of the Jerusalem Temple during part of the 7th century BC - possibly between 605 BC and 597 BC. He is the eighth Minor Prophet. The Book of Habakkuk contains three chapters. Chapter one starts with a protest that YHWH will not hear the prophet’s cry, and goes on to say YHWH will ‘raise up the Chaldeans’. The second chapter concerns a vision about a ‘proud man’ who spoils many nations, and who is destined to be spoiled by a ‘remnant of the people’. Chapter three is a hymn forecasting punishment for ‘the heathen’ and ‘salvation’ for the Hebrews.