The purpose of the Minor Prophets is to supplement the subjects presented in the Major Prophets—Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. They do not bring forward any new prophetic subjects but expand on those that have been introduced by the other prophets. They especially deal with prophetic matters relating to the remnant of Israel.
Today, apart from about 6.7 million Jews in the land of Israel, the nation is dispersed throughout the world. They are not colonists helping to expand an empire, but until recently (1948), they have been exiles without a homeland. The prophetic Scriptures answer the question as to why Israel is outside of the land they once had, and how a remnant of that nation will return and be blessed in that land according to the promises given in the prophetic Scriptures. Historians have their explanations, Zionist religious movements have their beliefs, and politicians have their plans in regard to Israel, but those who learn the ways of God from the Word of God have an infallible guide as to what is about to happen to that nation.
The world powers are disputing the ownership of the land of Israel, but God has never given up His rights to it. He reserves to Himself the right to settle the issues concerning that land—and He will do it for His own glory and the glory of His Son, the Messiah of Israel. Until the Lord intervenes at His Appearing and brings deliverance, there will be nothing but turmoil in that land. “I will overturn, overturn, overturn it: and it shall be no more, until He come whose right it is; and I will give it Him” (Ezek. 21:27).
The Minor Prophets have much to do with how God will bring a remnant of all twelve tribes of Israel into a right state to inherit their land. The Jews today may profess to hear God, but the proof of this will be in their hearing His Prophets and believing their testimony concerning the Messiah. Isaiah lamented over this very thing. They had not heeded the “report” of the Prophets concerning “the sufferings” of the Messiah and the kingdom “glories” that would follow (Isa. 53:1; 1 Peter 1:12). These prophetic writings are filled with testimonies as to Israel’s sin and their need for repentance. When they are humbled in the Great Tribulation and they own their sin and failure to the Lord, He will come in with blessing and will restore the nation (Rom. 11:26).
Three Groups of Minor Prophets
The twelve Minor Prophets, which form one book in the Hebrew Scriptures, can be divided into three groups, according to the time period in which they prophesied. Some prophesied at the time when the Assyrians were the dominant power in the world, others when the Babylonians ruled, and others when the Persians were the world power. Hence, we have three periods in which they prophesied—the Assyrian period, the Babylonian period, and the Persian period.
The Prophets of the Assyrian Period
The purpose of this present volume is to give a brief exposition of the prophets of the Assyrian era. These are: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, and Nahum. These prophets prophesied during the time when the great northern threat to Israel was the Assyrian. They (except Obadiah) used the Assyrian inroads in their prophecies as a figure of the future enemy of Israel—the King of the North (Dan. 11:40-42). The order in which these prophets are placed in our Bibles is not chronological, but rather, they are arranged according to the moral dealings of God with Israel. Hosea (the first of these prophets) introduces the Assyrian, and Nahum (the last of this group) gives the final destruction of that enemy.
The Prophets of the Babylonian Period
The prophets of the Babylonian period are Habakkuk and Zephaniah. They prophesied a little later during the time when the Babylonians were the great northern threat to Israel. They used the Babylonian inroads as a figure of that same future enemy of Israel—the King of the North. These prophets also focus on how God will humble and restore a remnant of the nation and how He will bring them into the millennial kingdom of Christ.
The Prophets of the Persian Period
The prophets of the Persian period are Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. As mentioned, these prophesied when the Persians were the world power. The context of their writings is the return of a remnant of Jews from Babylon in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, but their prophecies look on to the end times when the Lord will effect a full restoration of a remnant composed of all 12 tribes of Israel. Hence, their focus is on the restoration of Israel, and they have been written for the encouragement of the remnant in a coming day. The moral issues that applied to the Jews who returned in those previous days in history will have an application to the remnant of Israel in the coming day.
Interpreting the Writings of the Prophets
It is important to understand that the prophecies of the so-called Major and Minor Prophets have both a near fulfillment and a far (end time) fulfillment. Much in these prophecies had its fulfillment during the lifetime of the prophet (or shortly thereafter), but there are also things mentioned in those prophecies that were not fulfilled at that previous time, which makes it evident that there is still a side of those prophecies that is yet to be fulfilled. Therefore, to get the essence of these prophecies—which is the end-time fulfillment—we must realize that the Spirit of God is using those things in history as a foreshadow to the prophetic events that are yet to come to pass. To miss this point is to reduce the prophetic writings in our Bibles to mere history.
The Indignation
Another thing that is key to understanding the prophetic Scriptures is having an outline of the events that will take place in “the Indignation” (Isa. 10:5, 25; 26:20; Dan. 8:19; 11:36, etc.). This is a short period of time (about 75 days) at the end of the Great Tribulation before the Millennium begins. Most of the prophetic writings of Scripture pertain to this short period of time and the sequence of events that will occur during that time. It is, therefore, imperative that we have a simple understanding of these things; otherwise, we will have difficulty understanding what the Prophets are referring to.
This period is called “the Indignation” because it is a time when the Lord will vent His indignation against the mass of the Jews in the land of Israel on account of their apostasy and their reception of the Antichrist and his idolatry. To accomplish His indignation against the apostate Jews, the Lord will use the armies of the King of the North and his ten-nation Arab confederacy, who have a deep-seated, long-standing hatred for Israel (Psa. 83:1-8). After these Muslim nations accomplish the Lord’s will on the apostate Jews, He will have indignation on those nations and destroy them.
These armies will sweep through the land of Israel from the north to the south and devastate it (Dan. 11:40-41). Many millions of the apostate Jews who will be back in their land at that time will be killed by this invasion (Psa. 79:1-3; Zech. 13:8). This judgment is called “the Consumption” (Dan. 9:27; Isa. 10:22-23; 28:22). After these armies have passed through the land of Israel, they will enter into Egypt with a similar destruction of that land (Dan. 11:42-43). As the King of the North is making his way into Egypt, the armies of “the Beast” (a ten-nation western confederacy – Rev. 13:1; 17:12-14; Num. 24:24) will come into the land of Israel from the west to defend what they believe is their territory. At that moment, the Lord will appear out of heaven (the Appearing of Christ) with His armies of glorified saints and will destroy the armies of the Beast with “the brightness of His coming” (2 Thess. 2:8; Rev. 19:11-18). At the same time, the Lord will execute “the Harvest” judgment by dispatching His angels to cleanse the western prophetic earth of all who have rejected the gospel of the grace of God (Rev. 14:14-16; Matt. 13:37-43; 24:39-41, 50-51). This is a discriminating judgment: “one shall be taken” out for judgment and cast into the lake of fire “and the other left” to enter the kingdom on earth (Matt. 24:39-41). The first of those who will be taken out are the Beast and the Antichrist (Rev. 19:20).
When the King of the North is in Egypt, he will hear tidings that a heavenly Warrior has appeared and will turn northward to meet Him in battle in the land of Israel (Dan. 8:25; 11:44). The Lord will have indignation against these armies and execute judgment upon them (Dan. 11:45; Isa. 30:27-33).
After the Lord judges the Western powers under the Beast and the armies of the King of the North, He will restore Israel. This restoration will be accomplished in a remnant of all twelve tribes. There are two phases:
The Lord will show Himself to the remnant of the Jews who will mourn in repentance and be restored to Him (Matt. 24:30; Zech. 12:9-13:1).
The Lord will also gather the ten tribes back into the land of Israel and restore a remnant of them to Himself (Matt. 24:31; Ezek. 20:34-38; Zech. 13:4-6).
When a remnant of all twelve tribes of Israel are dwelling safely in their land under the protection of the Lord, they will be attacked by the last confederacy under Gog—the Russian hordes and their confederates (Ezek. 38-39). At that time, the Lord will
The King of the South will come up into the land of Israel (1). Then the King of the North will come down through the land and decimate it, and then enter into Egypt (2). While the King of the North is entering Egypt, the Western powers under the Beast will come in from the west (3), at which time the Lord will come out of heaven and judge them (4). The King of the North will return into the land and be destroyed by the Lord (5).
When a remnant from all twelve tribes of Israel is dwelling in their promised land under the protection of the Lord, Gog and his enormous confederacy (who will gather in the land of Edom) will mount an attack on Israel (6). The Lord will defend Israel and destroy these godless armies, after which the armies of restored Israel will put down any remaining people on their promised inheritance (7).
defend Israel from these armies by roaring out of Zion to destroy them in what is called “the Winepress” judgment (Rev. 14:17-20; Isa. 63:1-6; Joel 3:12-14). The Lord will “roar” forth from Zion (Jerusalem) to the land of Edom (the trans-Jordanic lands southeast of Israel) to destroy the confederate armies of Gog that will be assembled there (Isa. 34:1-10; 63:1-6; Joel 3:16; Hab. 3:3-16). After this, the armies of restored Israel will go out and possess their full inheritance as promised to Abraham by putting down any remaining people situated on their rightful inheritance (Psa. 47:3; Psa. 108:7-13; Isa. 11:14; Jer. 51:20-23; Ezek. 39:10; Obad. 17-20; Micah 4:13; 5:8). This will mark the end of all wars (Psa. 46:9; Zech. 9:10). After this, the Millennium (the 1000-year reign of Christ) will begin (Rev. 20:1-6).
Daniel 11:36 indicates that “the Indignation” will START when the willful king of the Jews (their false messiah—the Antichrist) ceases to reign in the land. Thus, he will reign up until the Indignation. We know from Revelation 13 that he will rise to power in the middle of Daniel’s prophetic week and will reign with the Beast for 42 months (3½ years)—the latter half of the week, which is the time of the Great Tribulation (Rev. 11:2). When the King of the North makes his inroads into the land, the Antichrist will run from his post in the land of Israel (Isa. 22:19; Zech. 11:17). Hence, the Indignation will begin at the end of the Great Tribulation with the attack of the King of the North.
Isaiah 10:25 indicates when the Indignation will END. It will cease when the Lord judges Gog and the armies of that confederacy—presented in Isaiah as the Assyrian’s second attack (Isa. 33-34). After this, the millennial kingdom of Christ will begin (Isa. 11-12; Isa. 35; Ezek. 40-48).
The Three Stages of Israel’s Deliverance
As mentioned, the Indignation will only last 75 days because the Lord has promised that His judgments on the earth will be “a short work” (Rom. 9:28). This short period of time can be computed from three verses in the twelfth chapter of Daniel, which mention three timeframes. The first (1260 days) is 18 days before the end of the prophetic week; it marks the close of the Great Tribulation with the attack of the King of the North. The other two times are really extensions that reach beyond the end of the prophetic week. Daniel was told that these time extensions are measured “from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate” is “set up” in the temple (Dan. 12:11), which is the middle of the week (Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:15; Rev. 13:14-15). These dates mark three stages of Israel’s deliverance from their enemies and show that the nation’s re-establishment will not take place in one day.
At 1260 days or “time, times, and a half” (Dan. 12:7; Rev. 11:3; 12:6) the remnant of the Jews will be delivered from the persecution of the Antichrist.
At 1290 days (Dan. 12:11) the remnant of the Jews will be delivered from the King of the North.
At 1335 days (Dan. 12:12) the remnant of all twelve tribes of Israel will be delivered from Gog (Russia).
The Remnant
Another thing to understand when studying prophecy is that God’s purpose for the blessing of Israel will be accomplished in “a remnant” from both of the two tribes (the Jews) as well as from the ten tribes (Isa. 10:20-22; 11:11, 16, etc.). Scripture does not teach that every last Israelite will end up blessed of God in the kingdom of the Messiah. In fact, it tells us that most of them will prove to be unbelieving apostates; they will be destroyed by the invasion of the King of the North (Dan. 11:40-42) and by the Lord’s sifting at the border of Israel (Ezek. 11:10; 20:33-38). The purpose of God for the blessing of the nation will be accomplished in a remnant of the people who will not only have Abraham’s bloodline, but more importantly, Abraham’s faith (John 8:37-39; Rom. 9:6-8; 11:25-27). Hence, the nation of Israel will not be cast off forever. God has promised that the blindness that is over their hearts will be lifted and His blessing will be upon them (Rom. 11:25-26; 2 Cor. 3:14-16)—but this will only be in “a remnant” of the people.
Prophecy indicates that there will be two parts to the remnant, or perhaps two remnants—a remnant of Jews and a remnant of the ten tribes of Israel. In the end, the Lord will bring them together into one and they will be a remnant from all twelve tribes of Israel, and they will inherit the kingdom (Isa. 11:12-13; Ezek. 37:15-19). The Lord’s controversy with the ten tribes has to do with their breaking the legal covenant (the Law) and their involvement in idolatry. The Lord’s controversy with the two tribes (the Jews) involves their blood-guiltiness in the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ, and also their breaking of the Law. When these things are owned by the people in true repentance (Zech. 12:10-14), the Lord will restore them to Himself (Zech. 13:1-6), and they will be the nucleus of the nation in His millennial kingdom of the Messiah.
To have an understanding of God’s dealings with Israel the student of prophecy needs to distinguish these two parts of the remnant. The responsibilities of the two are different. Therefore, He will deal with them differently in view of their restoration. The result will be the same in both—true repentance and a full restoration to the Lord. Some of the differences are:
The Jews will return to their homeland before the Great Tribulation (Isa. 18:1-4) and a remnant of them will distinguish themselves among them as having a fear of God (Isa. 8:16; 66:2; Psa. 1:1-3); the ten tribes will not come back to the land until after the Great Tribulation is over. While the mass of the ten tribes will return to their homeland, only a remnant of them will enter the land (Ezek. 11:9-11; 20:34-38; Amos 9:9-10).
The remnant of the Jews will be in the land before the Lord appears (Matt. 24:30), whereas the remnant of the ten tribes will not come back into the land until after the Lord appears (Matt. 24:31).
The Jews have rejected Christ (John 19:15) and will receive the Antichrist (John 5:43); the ten tribes are guilty of neither.
The remnant of the Jews will confess “blood-guiltiness” in the crucifixion of Christ and their breaking of the Law (Psa. 51:14; Acts 7:53); the remnant of the ten tribes will confess their failure in departing from the Law and turning to idolatry (Isa. 26:13; Hos. 14:8).
The Maschilim
There will be wise and instructed ones among the God-fearing Jewish remnant who will be more enlightened in the ways of God and His dealings with the nation of Israel. They are called “the Maschilim,” which means, “wise and instructed ones” (Dan. 11:33). These intelligent ones will act as instructors to their fellow Jews and will “turn many to righteousness” (Dan. 12:3). Their understanding will probably be such that they will see the Lord Jesus Christ, whom the nation crucified, as the true Messiah of Israel, and will encourage the others to receive Him in faith as such. The remnant of the Jews will eventually do this when Christ appears and they “look on Him whom they pierced” (Zech. 12:10-14; John 19:37). At that time, they will mourn in repentance and He will open a fountain for cleansing for them and they will be restored to Him (Zech. 13:1).
Two Parts to the Jewish Remnant
There are also two parts to the Jewish remnant. There will be a preserved portion that will be miraculously spared from the attacks of their persecutors and from other dangers. They will survive the Great Tribulation and the wars during the Indignation to enter the kingdom of Christ on earth and will reign with Him in the Millennium (Rev. 12:6, 13-17; 14:1; Psa. 91). There will also be a martyred portion of the remnant that God will allow to be killed during that time for their faithful testimony (Rev. 6:9-11; 11:2-12; 12:11; 14:2-3a; 15:2-4; Psa. 12; Isa. 57:1-2). These will be raised at the end of the Great Tribulation and will have a better portion in heaven being glorified (Rev. 14:13). They will reign with Christ over the earth with the resurrected Old Testament saints and the Church in the Millennium (Dan. 7:18, 22, 27; Rev. 20:4).
The Sifting of the Remnant of the Ten Tribes
As mentioned, the ten tribes will return to the land after the Great Tribulation under the aid of the angels of God (Matt. 24:31). Many Gentile nations who will fear God’s judgment will assist the returning Israelites as well (Isa. 14:1-2; 49:22; 60:9). They will be brought to “the border” of the land of Israel where the Lord will sift them with a discriminating judgment (Ezek. 11:9-12; 20:34-38). He will cause them to “pass under the rod” and will “purge out” those who do not have real faith. A “tenth” of them (a remnant) will be found to be real and they will be brought into “the bond of the covenant” (Isa. 6:13; Ezek. 20:37; Jer. 31:31-34). They will go up into the land and join the remnant of the two tribes. Thereafter, they will be “one” and “shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all” (Ezek. 37:14-22; Isa. 11:13; 49:18-23). This will be a triumphant moment because they have been separated for about 3000 years!
The “rebels” of the ten tribes will be left at the border of the land and will be judged by the Lord when He roars out of Zion to deal with Gog and His confederates (Isa. 63:1-6; Joel 3:13-16). This is what is meant in the expression, “The angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God” (Rev. 14:19). Israel is the “vine of the earth;” they are first “gathered” back to the land, and then they are “cast” into the winepress of God’s judgment.