Lifespan

Probably the latter half of the seventh century B.C.

Ministry

Zephaniah was a prophet in the land of Judah.

Preparation and Calling

Zephaniah was the great-great-grandson of King Hezekiah. He was probably familiar with the royal courts and also the spiritual leadership of the country. He likely also came from a family that had some wealth and social standing.

Interaction with God

If the book’s literary format is indicative of Zephaniah’s actual experience, he had a series of dialogues with the Lord Himself. Each of the seven parts of the book includes both a speech by the Lord and one by Zephaniah, except the last one, which includes only the Lord’s.

Social Situation

The people of Judah were being significantly influenced by the powerful Assyrians. They had begun dressing like the Assyrians and worshiping their gods. Zephaniah saw the errors of their ways and taught against this trend.

Key Teachings

Zephaniah instructed the people to become humble, obey God, and worship only the one true God. He also taught of God’s desire to bring home those who had been driven away from Jerusalem.

Living with the Prophet

Zephaniah taught that while it is tempting to become a real fan of shopping beyond one’s means and then showing off the purchases, it is far more important to become humble and worship God. How can you show your devotion to your Father in Heaven more than your devotion to the clothing god or other forms of false worship?

Sources

Learning Bible, the book of Zephaniah

Holy Bible, the book of Zephaniah

Oxford Companion to the Bible, s.v. “Zephaniah, the Book of”

Lifespan

Uncertain, but probably included the last 40 years of the sixth century B.C.

Ministry

Zechariah prophesied in the second to the fourth years of Darius the Persian. He seems to be encouraging his post-exilic citizens of Judah.

Preparation and Calling

Unknown.

Interaction with God

God spoke to Zechariah primarily through vision and the gift of prophecy.

Social Situation

The Jews had returned to their homeland after being exiled to Babylon. They were poor and struggling with drought and consequent hunger. In short, life was not going at all the way they had remembered it was nor how they had envisioned it would be once they returned to Jerusalem.

Key Teachings

Rebuilding the temple is critical in providing the needed spiritual center for the rejuvenation and reconstruction of the Jewish community. Also, in the end, the Lord will come and create a new Jerusalem where He will reign as King.

Prophecies of Christ

“For, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH” (Zech. 3:8).

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass” (Zech. 9:9).

“And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord” (Zech. 11:13).

“And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends” (Zech. 13:6).

Living with the Prophet

Zechariah’s people were struggling. They were poor and struggling. And yet God wanted a temple. Their story is much the same as the situation faced in the early 1800s by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Do you ever feel like you have to choose between practical needs and spiritual needs? Those are very difficult times. Do you believe that both needs can be fulfilled by obedience to God’s word?

Sources

Learning Bible, the book of Zechariah

Holy Bible, the book of Zechariah

Oxford Companion to the Bible, s.v. “Zechariah, the Book of”

Lifespan

Seth was born to Adam and Eve when Adam was 130, and he lived to the age of 912. (Approximately 3900-3000 B.C.?)

Ministry

Little is known of Seth, except that he was “a perfect man, and his likeness was the express likeness of his father, insomuch that he seemed to be like unto his father in all things” (D&C 107:42-43).

Preparation and Calling

He was taught the gospel by Adam and Eve, and was ordained a prophet and patriarch at the age of 69.

Interaction with God

Unknown

Social Situation

The beginning of life on the earth.

Key Teachings

Seth’s teachings were not preserved in the scriptural record.

Lifespan

Unknown.

Ministry

Mostly unknown. Probably a prophet of Judah who prophesied after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.

Preparation and Calling

Unknown.

Interaction with God

According to the words of Obadiah, the contents of his book came to him in a vision.

Social Situation

Edom and Judah had been political rivals for a considerable time. The inhabitants of Judah felt that Edom had wronged them on a number of occasions, including denying passage to Moses and the Israelites when they were moving to Canaan. This vision describes how God will take vengeance on Edom and how Israel will return from captivity to rebuild the temple.

Key Teachings

God’s power is sure and will rule when and where He desires. Obadiah also speaks of saviors on Mount Zion, which has reference to salvation for the dead.

Living with the Prophet

The book of Obadiah is only 21 verses long, but it teaches something very important. In verse 15, the text reads: “As thou has done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.” Sometimes this principle is known as the Law of the Harvest, meaning that whatever we reap, we sow. What we do to others will be done to us. Think back on this past week. How have you treated others? Would you like to be treated in the same way? If you are not pleased with the way you answered these questions, change your ways. Now.

Sources

Learning Bible, the book of Obadiah

Holy Bible, the book of Obadiah

Oxford Companion to the Bible, s.v. “Obadiah, the Book of”

Lifespan

Unknown.

Ministry

Noah’s ministry was unique. He was called to preach repentance to the people, yet to prepare for their complete destruction. Along with being a preacher of righteousness, he was also called to be a naval engineer, a carpenter, a master of animal husbandry, and an agrarian genius for the rebuilding and repopulating for the earth.

Preparation and Calling

His preparation is unrecorded. His calling seems to have come when God spoke to him directly and told him to build an ark because He was going to destroy everyone else on the planet. To Noah’s credit, he heeded God’s direction every whit, and, as a result, became a sort of second “Adam” in the history of the human race.

Interaction with God

Noah seemed to have a good relationship with God. Although we don’t know the exact nature of God’s revelations to His prophet, the scriptural record explains that God spoke and Noah heard and obeyed. Whether this took place through the quiet whisperings of the Spirit, through angelic ministrants, or in a direct face-to-face with God is not explained, but given Noah’s position as apparently the most righteous man on earth, any of these options are entirely feasible.

Social Situation

The people all about Noah’s family were wicked, and God wanted to destroy them all if they didn’t repent. Noah was called to call them to repentance, build a ark, gather together samples of all animals on the earth, along with fishes and birds.

Key Teachings

Obey God and repent. Or die.

Living with the Prophet

“Sure, God. A great flood that will cover the entire earth and kill everything. And thou wouldst have me to build a boat how big? For all the animals?” Noah might have had thoughts like this when God told him to build an ark and explained its purpose, but we are all grateful that he obeyed. As we move towards the time when Jesus Christ will return to reign again, terrible things have been prophesied by God’s prophets. How will we react to those warnings? Will we obey our prophets, or find ourselves wishing we had! Resolve to learn what God’s prophets have told us and continue to tell us about the days in which we live.

Sources

Oxford Companion to the Bible, s.v. “Noah”

Encyclopedia of Religion, s.v. “Noah”

Holy Bible, the book of Genesis

Learning Bible, the book of Genesis

Lifespan

Approximately early to mid-600s B.C.

Ministry

Nahum’s prophecy was probably written sometime between 660 and 606 B.C. The book of Nahum deals with events of the fall on Nineveh in 612 B.C.

Preparation and Calling

Unknown.

Interaction with God

The book of Nahum is a powerful poem, and as such, indicates that Nahum likely received inspiration as he wrote the poetry that described his prophecies and visions. Thus, his revelatory experience was likely a two-stage event: first the vision or other Spirit-directed teaching in which he received God’s word, and second as he recorded that event in the format of inspired and inspiring poetry.

Social Situation

Nineveh was the capital of Assyria. At its peak, it was the greatest city of the most dominant empire of that time. As the seventh century B.C. came to a close, Assyria’s power was dwindling and several powers stood ready to bring down the once mighty city. Nahum’s prophecy of the downfall of Assyria viewed that scene as the act of an avenging God destroying its capital and bringing peace to Judah.

Key Teachings

God will punish those nations that use their political and military power to abuse others.

Living with the Prophet

In the Old Testament, God is sometimes described as being vengeful and ready to punish the wicked at all times, whether an individual or an entire nation. As you look around you at the world today, it is easy to identify those who do not seem punished at all for their behavior. The scriptures teach that God is perfect in justice and mercy. As you see wicked nations using their power to abuse others, or the innocent injured, it can help to remember that God’s timetable is perfect and that He will set it all right.  No righteous act will go unrewarded, and no blatant evil unjudged. Knowing this often frees us from imposing sentences ourselves and enables us to leave what is God’s in His hands, after doing our part to see justice prevail.

Sources

Learning Bible, the book of Nahum

Holy Bible, the book of Nahum

Oxford Companion to the Bible, s.v. “Nahum, the book of”

Lifespan

Uncertain. Moses led the Israelites from Egypt and spent the next 39 years as their spiritual and political leader as they wandered the wilderness. (Approximately 1290-1250 B.C.?)

Ministry

Moses served as the leader of the Israelites during their escape from Egyptian bondage and subsequent 40-year wanderings predominantly in the area of the Sinai Peninsula and wilderness south of the Dead Sea, much of which seems to have been spent in the vicinity of Kadesh-barnea in the northern Sinai desert.

Preparation and Calling

Moses was the product of a secret birth during a time of mortal persecution. Hidden in amid the reeds of the Nile River, he was found by the daughter of Pharaoh, and nursed by his own mother through a bit of quick thinking on the part of his older sister. He was raised by Pharaoh’s daughter in privileged circumstances, but when, as an adult, he killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew man, he had to flee the country to save his life. He ended up in Midian, where he married Zipporah, had two sons, and tended his father-in-law’s flocks. While Moses was tending those flocks one day near Horeb, God appeared to him in a burning bush and called him to return to Egypt and lead the Israelites out of bondage.

Interaction with God

Moses experienced a full range of experiences with the God whom he represented to the people of Israel. He spoke to God as He appeared in a burning bush, he visited with Him face to face, he received His word through inspired counselors and friends, and he counseled with God in prayer and the quiet whisperings of the Spirit.

Social Situation

The story of Moses and the Israelites covers several social scenarios. The two major ones are (1) the people of Israel serving in slave-labor camps to the Egyptians, and (2) after escaping, a nearly 40-year existence in the wilderness awaiting God’s permission to re-enter the promised land. However, the theme that connects the entire Moses’ story is the need to understand that God is all-powerful, and Israel must learn to depend on and obey their God.

Some have drawn a close parallel between Moses leading the children of Israel in the wilderness and the modern prophet Brigham Young leading the Mormon pioneers west to the Great Salt Lake Valley in the mid-1800s. He was nicknamed an “American Moses.”

Key Teachings

Moses has left us many important teachings, some of which include:

• The Ten Commandments
• The principle of delegating administrative responsibilities
• The principle of commitment to one God only: the true God
• The witness of miracles for those who believe
• A detailed code of laws for those unable to live God’s higher laws

Prophecies of Christ

“The Lord thy God will raise up onto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken” (Deut. 18:15).

Living with the Prophet

Moses had the perfect background for his calling: an Israelite with an Egyptian education and credentials. But freeing the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage was not his only task. He then had to live with and lead the freed Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years, and they tended to sometimes be less than grateful for their blessings. They lacked the perspective of Moses, the prophet. When you perceive that life is difficult, read the words of ancient and modern prophets and tie into their perspective. You’ll find that your life suddenly becomes more manageable.

Sources

Encyclopedia of Religion, s.v. “Moses”

Oxford Companion to the Bible, s.v. “Moses”

Holy Bible, the book of Moses

Encyclopedia of Mormonism, s.v. “Young, Brigham”

Lifespan

Micah may have begun his ministry in approximately 725 B.C.; otherwise unknown.

Ministry

Micah is a native of Moresh-gath, a small village in the Judaean foothills. Little else is known about him. He prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, all kings of Judah, and was perhaps a lesser-known peer and contemporary of Isaiah.

Preparation and Calling

Unknown

Interaction with God

Micah seemed to receive God’s word and direction primarily through his prophecies and revelations given to the Judaean people he addressed.

Social Situation

Judaean society was in a moral downslide. Idolatry was rampant, and the upper classes were oppressing the commoners. Micah seems to have come from that oppressed common class, unlike his contemporary Isaiah, who was city born and privileged. The northern kingdom was already doomed to defeat at the hands of the Assyrians, and Judah was manuevering to hold off the same fate. (In the end, they too fell, to the Babylonian successors to the Assyrians.)

Key Teachings

Micah’s name, shortened from “Micaiah” (Jeremiah 26:18), means “Who is like Jehovah?” His prophecies of restoration contain some insightful glimpses of the coming Messiah. For example, Micah is the only Old Testament figure to prophecy of Bethlehem as the Messiah’s birthplace.

Prophecies of Christ

“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel” (Micah 5:2).

Living with the Prophet

Have you ever wanted to know what God expects of you? Yes, you! Micah has a good answer to that question. He was a humble prophet from a small village. He cared about the poor, and his message was simple: “What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8). Set a goal today to invite God’s Spirit to walk with you as you go about your daily life, doing justly and showing mercy to those around you.

Sources

Oxford Companion to the Bible, s.v. “Micah, the Book of”

Learning Bible, the book of Micah

Holy Bible, the book of Micah

Lifespan

Uncertain, although Methusaleh was the longest lived of the early patriarchs, living a total of 969 years.

Ministry

Methusaleh was a righteous man, a prophet, and an astronomer, but little is known about his actual ministry.

Preparation and Calling

Unknown

Interaction with God

Unknown

Social Situation

When the city of Enoch was taken into heaven, Methuselah was left on the earth to provide a prophetic, priesthood lineage through which Noah would be born.

Key Teachings

The scriptural record contains no record of teachings specific to Methusaleh.

Living with the Prophet

Methusaleh lived longer than any other human being on record. What do you suppose he experienced during his nearly 1,000 years of life? Although people today do not live as long as Methusaleh, we have much to learn from those who have “been around the block a time or two.” Resolve today to visit an elderly person, and try to learn three things of value during your visit.

Sources

Holy Bible, the book of Genesis

Oxford Companion to the Bible, s.v. “Methusaleh”

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Lifespan

Uncertain, but the prophecy recorded in the book by the same name was spoken in about 430 B.C.

Ministry

Malachi seems to have taught after the return from Babylon, for some of the wickedness that he writes of parallels the post-exilic reforms that Nehemiah and Ezra would soon put into practice. He also mentions that the temple is still standing. Chronologically, he was perhaps the last of the official prophets whose writings made it into the Old Testament, although some scholars believe that he predates Ezra and Nehemiah.

Preparation and Calling

Uncertain

Interaction with God

Most of the book of Malachi is written in a question and answer format. Obviously Malachi has been given the gift of the Spirit, perhaps the gift of prophecy, in order to understand and relay God’s answers to His people, but it is unclear the exact nature of how that happens for Malachi.

Social Situation

The exiled Jews had returned to Jerusalem and were rebuilding their lives and their buildings, including the temple. And yet life was still hard. The people wondered about the prophecies of a better life that previous prophets had uttered. Malachi’s ministry was to assure them of God’s love for them and the need for them to keep their covenants with Him.

Key Teachings

Malachi taught strongly of the importance of keeping covenants. Thus, he chastises the people for not keeping the law of the tithe, challenges them to keep the law of Moses, and promises that God will eventually send Elijah to prepare the people for the “day of the Lord.”

Prophecies of Christ

“Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts” (Mal. 3:1).

Living with the Prophet

God’s people have always been covenant makers and covenant keepers. If you are unsure of what covenants you should make, perhaps it is time to seek direction from a living prophet. We are fortunate today to have one, you know. Seek out his teachings and obey them to find yourself on the right side of God.

Sources

The Learning Bible, the book of Malachi

Holy Bible, the book of Malachi

Oxford Companion to the Bible, s.v. “Malachi, the Book of”