Keith Essex
The Book of the Twelve (The Minor Prophets)

Keith Essex's correlating video lecture(s) from The Master's Seminary:

• Lecture 15: Introduction to the Minor Prophets;
• Lecture 16: Themes, Purpose, and Structure to the Minor Prophets; and
• Lecture 19: Preaching the Twelve (Minor Prophets).

5. The Book of the Twelve (The Minor Prophets)
   1. Introduction
      1. Title
         1. Ecclesiasticus 49:10 (c. 190 BC): "The Twelve Prophets"
         2. Hebrew: "The Book of the Twelve Prophets"
            1. Regarded as a Single Work (i.e. One Book)
               1. External Evidence
                  1. Ecclesiasticus / Sirach 49:10
                  2. Canonical Lists of 2 Esdras and Josephus
                  3. The Talmud
               2. Internal Evidence
                  1. Internal Links [see the chart below]
                  2. Certain "Books" More Like Parts of Previous Prophetic Books
               3. Development: Redacted in the Same Way as the Book of Isaiah
            2. Twelve Separate Books
               1. External Evidence
                  1. The MT {Masorah counts each prophet's verses & the whole}
                  2. The LXX (Hos, Amos, Mic, Joel, Obad, Jonah, etc.)
               2. Internal Evidence
                  1. "Book" Titles (Hos 1:1; Amos 1:1; Mic 1:1; Zeph 1:1; Hag 1:1)
                  2. Hosea Is Not Viewed as the Author of the Whole
               3. The Scroll (not the Book) of the Twelve
      2. Date: c. 845 BC to 430 BC [CBCOT, 52, 56]
         1. Hosea ["Salvation"] (754-724 BC)
         2. Joel ["The Lord is God"] (810-795 BC)
         3. Amos ["Burden" or "Burden-bearer"] (760-746 BC)
         4. Obadiah ["Servant of the Lord"] (c. 845 BC)
         5. Jonah ["Dove"] (c. 760 BC)
         6. Micah ["Who is like the Lord?"] (735-690 BC)
         7. Nahum ["Comfort"] (c. 663-654 BC)
         8. Habakkuk ["One who embraces'] (608-598 BC)
         9. Zephaniah ["The Lord hides"] (640-630 BC)
         10. Haggai ["Festal one"] (520 BC)
         11. Zechariah ["The Lord remembers"] (c. 520-480 BC)
         12. Malachi ["My messenger"] (c.450-430 BC)
      3. OT References
         1. Jonah (2 Kgs 14:25)
         2. Micah (Jer 26:18)
         3. Haggai (Ezra 5:1; 6:14)
         4. Zechariah (Ezra 5:1; 6:14)
   2. Major Themes
      1. "The Day of the Lord" (14x - Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14; Amos 5:18, 20; Obad 15; Zeph 1:7, 14; Zech 14:1; Mal 4:5; cf. Is 13:6, 9; Ezek 13:5; 30:3; see Exod 32:34) [MSB, 43, 1240; ESVSB, 1668-9; HSB, 1481-2]
         1. The Description of "The Day of the Lord" – The Day of Yahweh's Wrath (Zeph 1:15-18)
         2. Interpretive Problem: The Timing of "The Day of the Lord"
            1. The Day of Yahweh's Future Judgment and Blessing [i.e., The Tribulation and the Millennium] (cf. 2 Pet 3:10)
            2. The Day of Yahweh's Judgment Only
               1. Both Near Historical and Far Eschatological Events
               2. The Future Eschatological Event Only
      2. The Sin of Israel / Judah
         1. Idolatry / Spiritual Adultery (Hos, Mic 1; Zeph 1; Zech 13)
         2. Social Injustices (Hos 4; Amos 3, 4; Mic 2)
      3. The Judgment of Israel / Judah (Hos 13; Joel 2; Amos 2; Hab 1; Zeph)
      4. The Restoration of Israel / Judah (Hos 14; Joel 3; Amos 9; Mic 4, 7; Zeph 3; Zech 12-14)
      5. The Judgment of the Nations (Joel 3; Amos 1-2; Obad; Jonah; Nah; Hab; Zech 1; 14)
   3. Purpose: Israel's restoration will come after the "Day of the Lord," the Lord's Day of Judgment.
   4. The Literary Structure (see below)
   5. Bibliography:
      • Feinberg, The Minor Prophets.[FMP]
      • McComiskey, ed., The Minor Prophets. 3 vol. [MMP]
      • House, The Unity of the Twelve.
      • Boice, The Minor Prophets: An Expositional Commentary. 2 vol.
      
      
      
      THE TWELVE
      Structure:

      Hosea

      Judgment / Restoration

      Joel

      Day of the Lord

      Amos

      Nations / Edom

      Obadiah

      Edom

      Jonah

      Ninevah

      Micah

      Assyria (5)

      Nahum

      Ninevah

      Habbakkuk

      Babylon

      Zephaniah

      Day of the Lord

      Haggai

      Zechariah

      Judgment / Restoration

      Malachi
      The Chronology of The Twelve

      9th / 8th Century

      7th Century

      6th / 5th Century

      The Divided Kingdom

      The Surviving Kingdom

      The Post-Exilic Nation

      Hosea (I)
      Joel (J)
      Amos (I)
      Obadiah (J)
      Jonah (I)
      Micah (J)

      Nahum
      Habakkuk
      Zephaniah

      Haggai
      Zechariah
      Malachi
      Links:
      Hosea: wise, discerning (Hos 14:9)

      Joel: "Tell your sons about it" (Joe 1:2-3)

      Joel: the Lord roars from Zion (Joe 3:16)

      Amos: "The Lord roars from Zion" (Amo 1:2)

      Amos: "possess the remnant of Edom" (Amo 9:12)

      Obadiah: "concerning Edom" (Oba 1:1)

      Obadiah: nations … those who escape (Oba 1:16-17)

      Jonah: "go to Ninevah" (Jon 1:2)

      Jonah: anger toward God (Jon 4:1-11)

      Micah: "sins / rebellion of Jacob / Israel" (Mic 1:5)

      Micah: judgment on nations (Mic 7:16-17)

      Nahum: judgment on Ninevah (Nah 1:1-2)

      Nahum: judgment on Ninevah (Nah 3:1-7)

      Habbakkuk: judgment on Judah (Hab 1:5-11)

      Habbakkuk: earth devastated (Hab 3:17)

      Zephaniah: earth devastated (Zep 1:2-3)

      Zephaniah: "gather you together" (Zep 3:20)

      Haggai: "sow much, harvest little" (Hag 1:6)

      Haggai: nations, house (Hag 2:7)

      Zechariah: nations, house (Zec 1:15, 16)

      Zechariah: "angel of the Lord" (Zec 12:8)

      Malachi: "my messenger" (Mal 1:1; 3:1)
   6. The Individual Books / Sections
      1. Hosea [MSB, 1225-6; ESVSB, 1619-22; HSB, 1459-62; MKP, 434-6]
      2. Joel [MSB, 1240-1; ESVSB, 1643-5; HSB, 1479-82; MKP, 397-8]
      3. Amos [MSB, 1248-9; ESVSB, 1655-8; HSB, 1489-92; MKP, 398-402]
      4. Obadiah [MSB, 1260-1; ESVSB, 1677-9; HSB, 1507-10; MKP, 397]
      5. Jonah [MSB, 1264-5; ESVSB, 1683-6; HSB, 1513-6; MKP, 402-3]
      6. Micah [MSB, 1269-70; ESVSB, 1693-5; HSB, 1521-4; MKP, 442-3]
      7. Nahum [MSB, 1380-1; ESVSB, 1709-11; HSB, 1535-8; MKP, 467-8]
      8. Habakkuk [MSB, 1286-7; ESVSB, 1719-20; HSB, 1543-6; MKP, 468-9]
      9. Zephaniah [MSB, 1299; ESVSB, 1729-31; HSB, 1553-6; MKP, 469-71]
      10. Haggai [MSB, 1301-2; ESVSB, 1741-3; HSB, 1561-4; MKP, 507]
      11. Zechariah [MSB, 1307-8; ESVSB, 1749-52; HSB, 1569-72; MKP, 507-8]
      12. Malachi [MSB, 1328-9; ESVSB, 1771-3; HSB, 1587-90; MKP, 526]
   7. Preaching the Twelve

Used with permission by Dr. Keith Essex. Redistribution without express permission from Dr. Keith Essex is prohibited.