Prophets of the Bible at a Glance

PROPHETS of the BIBLE at a glance –

A quick guide to the prophets of the Bible

From

Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without REVEALING HIS PLAN to his servants the PROPHETS.

AMOS 3:7

INTRODUCTION

Let’s face it, the prophetic books of Scripture are some of the hardest to read. Full of unusual imagery, strange ideas and uncomfortable directness, we might naturally steer to more straightforward parts of the Bible.

Yet the prophets and prophetesses of God’s Word were a fascinating bunch of heroes, leaders, rebels, and oddballs. They made mistakes, drew close to God and shared amazing truths about the coming Saviour. Each one of them has a story to tell; a story that can resonate with our lives today.

These short introductions to the prophets in Scripture are like little launchpads into their stories. They’ll help you get to know them as real people, so you can consider their relevance and have more understanding when you read the words they wrote in the Bible.

With this handy guide, these people will become more than ancient and distant prophets, they’ll become living, breathing life lessons.

Your friends at Our Daily Bread Ministries

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version

Anglicised Copyright ©️ 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Ltd, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica UK trademark number 1448790.

©️ 2024 by Our Daily Bread Ministries®. All rights reserved. Printed in Europe. For information on our resources, visit odb.org

ENOCH The prophet who never died

How do some people seem to hear God speak so clearly? Enoch’s life gives us a clue.

Enoch takes up very little of the Bible’s word count—but what it does say about him is dynamic! Enoch was the great-grandfather of the famous ark-builder Noah. Hundreds of years before the catastrophic flood, Enoch knew God’s judgement was coming.

“The Lord is coming to bring judgement on everyone who continues their ungodly ways,” Enoch warned. In fact, it’s probably fair to say that Noah first learned about the coming flood from his great granddad.

How was Enoch so in tune with God? Scripture says he “walked” with Him. Enoch’s life was continually in step with God, and that made God happy. And as they walked together, God shared knowledge with him.

Then, at 365 years old, God simply “took him away”; he never actually died! He moved from earth to heaven—to God’s home where they can speak together for all eternity.

Today, God has given us His words in the Bible. So we too can walk and talk with God from here to forever.

MOSES

The prophet who learned that God is enough

“I’m just not enough.” It’s a sadly relatable thought, isn’t it? It’s so easy to look at ourselves in the mirror and think, “How can I live for God with all of my flaws, limitations and setbacks? How could God ever use somebody like me?”

Moses struggled with this too. Although raised as an Egyptian prince, Moses knew he was one of God’s chosen people—a people cruelly enslaved in Egypt. His first attempt to free them was a complete disaster. But many years later, God invited Moses to lead His rescue mission.

“Who am I?” Moses asked, looking at himself. “No one’s going to listen to me. I can’t even speak properly.” With every excuse Moses came up with, he was saying, “I’m not enough.”

God didn’t try to boost Moses’ ego or teach him to see the good in himself. “i am,” God replied, drawing Moses’ attention back to the Lord. “I will be with you. I made you just as I intended; I will help you speak.” With every reply, God was saying, “You don’t need to be enough; i am!” With his eyes on the Lord, Moses led the people out of slavery and spoke God’s words to them.

No, we’re not enough. But when we’re tempted to put ourselves down and say, “I can’t,” we can learn from Moses to listen for God’s, “i am.” That’s when we can look in the mirror and say, “God is enough for me today.”

MIRIAM

The prophetess whose grumbling was as deadly as a disease

Words are powerful. With them, we can lift others’ spirits or wound them deeply. We can even spread poisonous ideas with terrible consequences. Miriam learned this the hard way.

As a prophetess, Miriam led the people in songs of praise after God parted the Red Sea and rescued them from slavery in Egypt. And she played an important role supporting her brother Moses’ leadership.

Yet as a leader of the people, she grumbled about Moses behind his back. It doesn’t sound like a big deal; after all, we all do it. We mutter about a leader’s decisions or abilities. We talk about how we would have done things differently. Then we move on, with no harm done—right?

God called Miriam out and showed her the real harm her grumbling caused. She was suddenly struck with leprosy; a horrifying and contagious disease.

Gossip and grumbling are like that. They spread so easily, like a cancer, defiling every cell—every person—they touch. Miriam’s grumbling was in danger of destroying the leadership of God’s nation.

When Miriam muttered her complaints, “the Lord heard”. He is the One she should have come to in the first place. He is where our true feelings are safely expressed, understood and corrected so we can bring health, not disaster, to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

BALAAM The bad prophet with a bad plan

If the devil is our enemy, what are his tactics? How can we recognise when we are under attack? The story of Balaam gives us a little window of insight.

Balaam was a bad prophet—really bad. He accepted money from the king of Moab to curse God’s people! Yet every time Balaam opened his mouth to curse, a blessing came out instead!

Balaam knew the Israelites enjoyed a special relationship with God, which came with His protection. “If I can’t destroy them,” Balaam thought, “I’ll get them to destroy themselves!”

Balaam made the people of Israel their own worst enemies. He created opportunities for them to meet and marry idolatrous people from nations that didn’t know or love the Lord. God’s people quickly led themselves astray, abandoning the true God to worship the false gods of the surrounding nations.

Balaam was bad—and sneaky. He actually showcases the tactics our enemy uses against us today. The devil has no power to break our relationship with God—it’s secured in Jesus. But he can tempt us to disrupt it ourselves, luring us into all sorts of sin and foolishness.

Balaam’s example gives us a sharp warning to stay close to God and resist anything that lures us away from Him.

DEBORAH The prophetess who loved like a mother

The prophetess Deborah had a mother’s love for a whole nation! Deborah called herself “a mother in Israel”. God’s people were being defeated by their enemies and she longed to see a breakthrough. Her concern wasn’t for herself and her own agenda, but for those who needed to be inspired to reach their God-given potential.

One day God gave Deborah a special message for a man called Barak. “The Lord commands you to gather troops and fight Canaan’s armies; He will give you victory!” Barak agreed to go, but only if Deborah came too.

Barak and the Israelites needed someone to believe in them, to care for them, to organise them and to propel them forward with confidence. They needed a mother; they needed Deborah.

Do you see potential in your friends, family or church members? Have you ever told them? The motherly love of Deborah was about nurturing the people within her influence and helping them grow into who God made them to be. Her love led to a famous victory. Who knows what God will do when you spur others on in the same way.

SAMUEL The boy who became a prophet

How do I hear God’s voice? It’s one of the most common questions Christians ask. We can get some insight from the story of the young prophet Samuel.

Israel’s cycle of sin had driven them away from the Lord. Even Eli, the high priest, wasn’t hearing from God.

But then God called out to a young boy named Samuel at the beginning of 1 Samuel 3. At first, he didn’t recognise God’s voice, but by the end of that same chapter, Samuel was recognised by the whole nation as a prophet of God.

Even as a boy, Samuel feared God more than anyone else� He was faithful to deliver God’s words; even words of judgement that he might have been tempted to soften. Before long, his authentic personal relationship with God grew into an authentic public life; people recognised that Samuel spoke from God, not from himself.

“My sheep recognise my voice,” Jesus said many years later. If you want to go deeper with your relationship with God, read through and follow Samuel’s journey. Surrender your life to God, put His Word first, and humbly speak His Word to His people.

NATHAN

The

prophet

who knew how to confront a king

Have you ever had to confront someone? It can be really awkward and uncomfortable; and sometimes, even downright dangerous.

The prophet Nathan knew this all too well. King David had fallen into serious sin. He had slept with another man’s wife and then arranged that man’s death; yet he was carrying on like nothing had happened. But confronting a king was a dangerous business. Nathan needed a very wise approach.

“I have a story to tell you,” Nathan said to the king. “It’s about a rich man who stole from a poor man.” As David listened, his anger grew. “Find the rich man!” He raged. “He deserves to die.”

“You are the man,” Nathan said.

Nathan helped David to see the evil of his own actions. And once David acknowledged his guilt and repented, Nathan showed God’s grace to him. “God still has work for you; you shall not die.”

Nathan knew how to present the seriousness of sin; but he also knew that God’s grace can redeem even the worst of sinners when they repent.

THE NAMELESS PROPHETS

The two prophets in one of the Bible’s weirdest stories

How important is God’s Word? What value should we put on His commands in a world of constant compromise? A bizarre story in the Bible leaves us with no doubt.

A young prophet was sent to King Jeroboam to confront his sin. But God spoke very clearly: “You must not stop to eat or drink.” When the King invited him to a meal, the prophet refused. He didn’t dare disobey God’s Word.

On his journey home he met an older prophet who lied to him, saying, “God told me you could come aside to eat with me.” And so the younger prophet ate and drank. When he continued his journey, he was mauled to death by a lion.

Clearly if the man had obeyed God’s Word, he wouldn’t have encountered the lion.

Sometimes God uses extreme examples to make a point we might otherwise miss. And in this strange story, the message is clear: obedience to God’s Word is a matter of life and death!

Many centuries later Paul wrote to the church, “Even if I or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the truth, let them be under God’s curse!” It doesn’t matter who it is speaking or how nice and popular they are—if they contradict the Bible, we mustn’t follow them. God’s Word alone holds the key to life and salvation. Our lives depend on it.

MICAIAH The prophet who saw the heavenly council

Some people only want you to say what they want to hear. King Ahab was one of them.

He wanted to go to war. So he enquired of his many (false) prophets and, of course, they all promised him a great victory. But the king of Judah persuaded Ahab to ask a true prophet of God: Micaiah. “That guy is the worst,” Ahab replied. “He always says bad stuff about me.”

So Micaiah turned up and told the king what he wanted to hear: “Yep, you’ll have victory!” But Ahab got angry. “Now I know you’re lying! Tell me the truth!”

King Ahab knew the prophet only spoke the truth, which is why he hated him. But Micaiah spoke the truth because he cared more about God’s opinion than the king’s.

Micaiah then peeled back the curtain to give Ahab a glimpse into the heavenly realities. Describing something like a cosmic boardroom, Micaiah retold the heavenly council’s decision to use the false prophets to encourage Ahab to go to war—and his death.

Micaiah lived in and revealed the truth of who God is. Because he feared God more than people, God revealed heavenly mysteries to him. And in that way, Micaiah was more powerful than a king.

ELIJAH The prophet who was

just ‘some guy’

What does it take to be a man or woman of God? Do you have to be especially talented or clever for God to use you?

Elijah offers a surprising answer. At first glance, he seems to be someone very special. He calls down fire from a mountain top, changes the weather and raises the dead. But here’s how the Bible effectively introduces him: “Elijah was just some guy from Tishbe in Gilead . . .”

In the New Testament, James wrote about Elijah to identify what it was that made his ministry so special. “Elijah was as human as we are,” James explained. “But he prayed earnestly�”

It wasn’t passion, personality or talent. It was prayer. That’s what set Elijah apart. Something we can all do.

Elijah’s prophetic ministry in Israel was spectacular for sure—but it started with Elijah knowing he wasn’t anything special; only God is special. When we give ourselves to Him in prayer, we get to see just what He can do with ordinary people like us.

ELISHA The prophet who saw the invisible

X-ray vision is a superpower often ascribed to fictional heroes; helping them respond to situations more strategically. The prophet Elisha had something even better: spiritual vision. He could see beyond the visible realm into the spiritual realities that affect our world.

When an entire army came to capture him, he was not afraid; he could see a heavenly army surrounding his enemies. When a wealthy ruler offered him riches, he was not interested. He could see that those earthly treasures had no spiritual value. And when foreign nations secretly plotted against Israel, Elisha knew exactly what they were planning. He was always able to warn the king and protect the nation. Of all the superpowers he might have had, this one was extremely handy!

But it wasn’t really a superpower; we can all have an awareness of God’s power over the spiritual realm! Elisha’s faith was what enabled him to see beyond the visible. A later Bible writer explained, “We live by faith, not by sight.”

We may not be able to physically see the invisible world around us like Elisha could. But by faith, we trust that the heavenly armies and God’s provision surround His people. It’s not wishful thinking, it’s confidence in the world the Bible describes; the world the way Elisha saw it.

HULDAH

The prophetess who could do what the king could not

We all know people who can ‘do it all’. They seem to be gifted at everything.

While there are extraordinarily talented people in the world, none of us are meant to fly solo in God’s kingdom. The ‘superheroes’ aren’t meant to do everything. We all need each other.

King Josiah was a good king. He loved God and led the people well. But when the lost book of God’s law was recovered, he realised just how far the nation had fallen from God’s ways. He was devastated to see how badly the people had broken God’s covenant. So what should he do next?

Actually, he wasn’t sure. So he asked the prophetess Huldah for help. We know very little about Huldah. In fact, this is her one moment in Scripture. But her role is crucial; she did what the king could not do at this time: get a clear word from the Lord. And the king could do what she couldn’t: implement God’s will across the entire nation.

Josiah, in many respects, may have seemed like a superhero upon Israel’s throne. And Huldah, lost in obscurity, may have seemed like a nobody. But they were both vital in God’s kingdom; they needed each other’s God-given gifts. This is the way God has put His church together too; one body full of necessary parts. We all need each other!

ISAIAH The prophet who saw how much bigger God is

Isaiah’s work as a prophet appeared to be going well. King Uzziah was a great king who loved the Lord, listened to Isaiah’s counsel, and advanced Israel’s power and prosperity. This was exactly how it was supposed to work! And then?

The problem with kings is they are just so. . . human. They fail. And ultimately, they die. And King Uzziah did both. Isaiah’s hopes were shattered. And that’s when it happened. That’s when Isaiah saw God!

When the best of humanity had let him down, Isaiah saw the Lord in a breath-taking vision. He was seated on His throne, His robe filled the temple, and angels roared out thunderous praises. It was awesome, humbling and lifechanging.

God then called Isaiah to a challenging task—preaching to a people who wouldn’t listen; and showing them things they’d refuse to see. He was going to experience frequent disappointment, frustration and persecution. Yet as soon as God called him, he replied, “Here I am. Send me!” Because everything changed when Isaiah saw how awesome God is. Suddenly he knew he didn’t have to put his hope in human leaders, authorities or governments; his hope was in the King over heaven and earth. All Isaiah had to do was proclaim Him.

JEREMIAH The prophet remembered for his tears

Have you ever been so grieved you wished you could cry rivers of tears? The prophet Jeremiah’s heart sunk that low.

Judgement was coming for God’s people. After generations of rebellious idolatry, God was going to allow the Babylonians to swoop in and carry the Israelites away as captives. Surely they would appreciate Jeremiah’s desperate warnings?

For forty years Jeremiah pleaded and prophesied; but the people would not listen. They hated his ‘doom and gloom’ message; they much preferred the cheery optimism of the false prophets.

Jeremiah lost his friends, he never married, and the people to whom he prophesied despised him; it was an extremely painful calling. “Oh, that my head were waters and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night!” How did Jeremiah survive such a heartbreaking ministry?

“The Lord’s love is endless,” he explained, “His mercy is new every morning. The Lord is my portion; He is everything I need!” Jeremiah found true joy in his special relationship with God. “I ate up your words; they were my joy and my delight, for I bear your name!”

Jeremiah had a painful calling, but he enjoyed the sort of intimacy with God that only comes through suffering. In your own heartache, the weeping prophet will help you see how to live through such seasons in the arms of the God who loves you and will never let you go.

EZEKIEL

The prophet who spoke to bones

God’s people were as good as dead. Generations of sin and rebellion had taken its toll. Now, having been conquered by enemies and exiled in Babylon, a deep, black hopelessness settled upon them. Although they were breathing and walking around, spiritually they were as dead as a valley of dried up and scattered bones.

“Prophesy to the dead bones, Ezekiel!” In this vision, Ezekiel obeyed the Lord’s command and immediately the rattling bones sprang together into bodies complete with sinews and flesh. “Now prophesy breath into them!” Once again, Ezekiel prophesied and with a collective gasp, a mighty, living army stood to their feet!

This is the power of the ministry of Ezekiel. By declaring the word of the Lord to the lost, disoriented exiles, he could put flesh on the bones of their understanding.

Why didn’t God just click His fingers and bring the bones to life Himself? Only He knows; but clearly God wanted Ezekiel to be His fellow worker in bringing life. “This is what I will do for the people of Israel,” God explained. “You will speak my promises to them, and I will do it.”

As Paul, a New Testament writer, later explained: “We are God’s fellow workers.” The Lord has chosen to use Ezekiel, Paul and you to help Him bring spiritual life and breath to those around you.

DANIEL The prophet who chose God, even in the little things

Life is a series of choices; and sometimes small ones can impact the course of our lives. The prophet Daniel made a seemingly small decision as a teenager that shaped his whole future.

Whilst God’s people were in exile, Daniel was chosen to train as an advisor to the Babylonian king. But this included a diet that went against Jewish law. It might not sound like a big deal. But Daniel knew one compromise can easily lead to more. He made up his mind to stay completely faithful to God, even in that seemingly small matter.

God responded by ramping up Daniel’s physical health, his intellect, and even giving him supernatural wisdom (including interpreting dreams).

But Daniel’s brilliance didn’t go to his head. “I couldn’t possibly have this knowledge, but God in heaven reveals mysteries through me.” He chose to give God all the glory.

Throughout his life, Daniel honoured God—with his big and his little choices. And God responded by honouring Daniel with favour, protection—even from hungry lions— and spiritual insight that still baffles scholars today.

And it all started with a teenager’s decision to stay faithful to the Lord in the little things.

We won’t always know how God will bless us when we put Him first—or what obstacles we will still have to face. But like Daniel, when we are faithful to God in the little things, He steers our lives to deeper wisdom and joy.

HOSEA The prophet who felt God’s pain

How does God feel when the people He loves reject Him?

For the prophet Hosea, there was only one way to find out.

God wanted Hosea to write a prophecy expressing the deep, raw pain He felt when His special, covenant people continually worshipped idols instead of Him. But the only way for Hosea to write authentically was to experience God’s pain firsthand.

So Hosea was asked to marry an unfaithful wife; one who preferred her old life as a sex worker to the steady security of a loving marriage. Time and again she would return to the streets; and again and again Hosea would buy her back and bring her home. As the prophet wrote of his own pain, God gave him a window into His own broken heart as well.

Hosea’s prophecy is a beautifully tender account of God’s deep, persistent love, and of His piercing pain. Most of all, it shows God’s desire for His people to rest in Him and enjoy the endless blessings of faithfulness to Him.

Hosea’s ministry was not glamorous; it was extremely costly. But what greater privilege is there than to truly know and experience the very heart of God?

JOEL The prophet who promised the impossible

It’s every farming community’s worst nightmare: locusts. Swarms of large, ravenous pests devouring every scrap of vegetation for miles. The people of Judah were reeling from the devastation; famine was sure to follow. The effects would last for years to come.

It was the prophet Joel who saw the spiritual reality behind the disaster.

“A plague of locusts is approaching,” he said. Not literal insects this time, but vast enemy armies coming to bring catastrophic ruin as God’s judgement upon Judah for their idolatry and sin.

“Rend your hearts, not your garments!” Joel said. Instead of tearing your robes as an outward sign of sorrow, rip the idolatry out of your hearts! And if they returned to the Lord, He promised to do something extraordinary: “I will restore to you the years the locust has eaten!”

Imagine that—God restoring lost years. With God’s help any of us can reclaim wasted material; we can build something better in distant relationships; we can save up again after wasting money. But we can never—never— restore wasted years. Once they’re gone, they’re lost.

Perhaps you have a list of regrets and lost years from bad choices and terrible consequences. If so, Joel has a message for you: God can redeem anything—even the wasted years. He is in the business of saving that which is lost.

AMOS The unqualified prophet

Have you ever heard the saying “God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called”? That was certainly the case with the prophet Amos.

Amos wasn’t trained to be a prophet. He was a simple guy, a farmer from Judah, the southern half of Israel’s divided kingdom. He was just minding his sheep and farming his land when the Lord very clearly called him, “Go, prophesy to Israel”—meaning the northern kingdom, Judah’s (and therefore Amos’) rival. This was not going to be easy.

But Amos took a wise approach. He began by declaring God’s judgement on the surrounding nations. “Yes!” agreed Israel, “they deserve judgement!” But then he closed in on Israel. “The day of your judgement is as ripe as a basket of fruit.”

Almost more than any prophet, Amos holds God’s people accountable for their ill-treatment of others. He was a ‘nobody’ speaking out for all the other nobodies in Israel. It turns out, God chose his prophet very well. Yet Amos didn’t leave them without hope. “Seek the Lord and you will live!” He promised a day of restoration and hope for all of God’s people.

It was quite a ministry for a simple farmer; but God gave Amos everything he needed to fulfil his calling. He didn’t need to be qualified; he only needed to be available.

OBADIAH

The prophet who saw the danger of unforgiveness

Unforgiveness is a private sin that doesn’t affect anyone else . . . right?

The prophet Obadiah would beg to differ. He prophesied to the Edomites, the descendants of a man called Esau. His twin brother Jacob had once taken Esau’s family birthright from him. Jacob’s descendants became the nation of Israel. And over a thousand years later, their bitterness was still raging between the two nations.

Centuries earlier, the Edomites had hindered the progress of God’s people as they headed towards their Promised Land. Since then, they had been a constant nuisance, attacking and opposing them at every opportunity. Their ancient grudge made them permanent enemies. How did it get so out of control?

Unforgiveness had turned to bitterness; it became ingrained. It was taught to the next generation, and eventually became part of Edom’s national identity. What began as personal unforgiveness later became a destructive force shaping world events.

If you’ve got a secret stash of unforgiveness, let Obadiah walk you through the destructive consequences. He will help you bring it to the Lord before it gets out of control.

JONAH The prophet who was angry enough to die

The Ninevites were truly awful. Idolatrous, arrogant and notoriously cruel, their wickedness was so bad that they even exhausted the patience of God. He decided to destroy the whole city. And the prophet Jonah was ecstatic! Until . . .

“Go give them one last chance to turn back to me.” God’s mercy towards Israel’s hated enemy was too much for Jonah. These people are barbaric, he thought. If anyone deserves judgement, it’s them!

After an attempt to flee from his calling, Jonah was famously swallowed by a giant fish and later deposited on a beach. Although he didn’t deserve it, God had given him a second chance! Soggy, annoyed and smelling rather fishy, Jonah trudged to Nineveh to deliver God’s message.

Amazingly, the people responded and humbled themselves before God. The Lord spared them from judgement; He gave them a second chance—just as He had done for Jonah!

“I knew it! I’m angry enough to die!” Jonah slammed himself on the ground outside the city. He loved when God showed mercy to him, but was furious when He did the same for the Ninevites.

“Shouldn’t I care about a city full of people I created?” God asked. It is so much easier to see other people’s guilt than our own. But we all need God’s grace. We are all more lost than we realise; and God is so much more merciful— even to our enemies—than we dare to believe.

MICAH The prophet with an ancient answer to today’s injustice

Greed, dishonesty, bribery, fraud . . . Does this sound like today’s news feed? Maybe so, but they are the same problems the prophet Micah addressed more than 2,500 years ago.

Micah was born in obscurity and probably felt these issues very personally. Somehow, the rich kept getting richer, while the poor sank further into poverty. Judges accepted bribes; religious leaders were arrogant and greedy; and other ‘prophets’ acted like fortune tellers, giving cheery messages for anyone willing to pay.

Meanwhile, the most vulnerable people were losing their inheritances and having their property unjustly seized. How could such a horrible situation be made right? And, for us, how do we navigate these same injustices today?

Micah’s answer was not what you might think. He doesn’t tell us to rise up against oppressors, start revolutions or play the system. Instead he teaches us to be the change we want to see: “Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.”

Act justly, even when others don’t? Show mercy, even when we’re mistreated? Walk humbly, even when others lord it over us? Yes, says Micah. That’s how we bring God’s grace into a hurting world. That’s where true change begins. And that is what it means to trust that God—and God alone—is the real Judge. Only He can bring true justice to a corrupt world.

NAHUM The prophet who saw the end of evil

Will injustice ever be put right? Will those who take advantage ever be held to account? Will evil ever be defeated?

The world feels increasingly dark. Oppressors rule without mercy, the rich store up treasures for themselves while the vulnerable suffer. When does the vicious cycle end?

Nahum saw the answer. At face value, the Assyrian Empire, with its capital, Nineveh, was the supreme world power—untouchable, impenetrable, unstoppable. They had already conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel and now they were oppressing God’s people in Judah. But Nahum received fresh insight about the situation.

“The Lord is a refuge. He cares for those who trust Him. But with an overwhelming flood, He will make an end to Nineveh.” Nineveh was about to fall with God’s sobering indictment, “I am against you.”

Nahum, like everyone else in Judah, felt the pain of being oppressed. Yet he also saw the truth that the world—the whole world—is under the rule of God alone. Everyone will answer to Him. No injustice will slip through His net.

How devastating for those who will hear the words: “I am against you.” Yet how wonderful for those who trust the Lord to be our safe refuge when He finally brings true justice to our broken world.

HABAKKUK The prophet who questioned God

Why, Lord? Why don’t You listen? Why don’t You care? Why don’t You do something about all the evil and injustice in the world? Doesn’t any of it matter to You?

We’ve all had times of desperately questioning God’s goodness; but most of us keep such questions to ourselves. It might surprise us, then, to find them immortalised in Scripture in the book of Habakkuk! How can a prophet—a man of God—ask such piercing questions? Isn’t he being terribly untrusting?

Habakkuk wasn’t accusing God; he was pouring out his heart to Him. He cries out to God in frustration and faith. He knew God is good and powerful, so he couldn’t understand why God was allowing evil to prevail.

But then he confirmed his trust in God, saying, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour” even if the Lord allowed total disaster, the failure of all the crops and death of all livestock.

Because Habakkuk trusted God’s character, even in the midst of pain and injustice, he could bring his most raw, honest questions to the Lord. Faith in God’s goodness—not his own circumstances—was the basis for Habakkuk’s deep, authentic relationship with Him. Let this prophet show you how your own relationship with God can endure—and even deepen—in times of doubt and questioning.

ZEPHANIAH The prophet who heard God sing

“That’s it! I’ve had enough!” We all have our limits; and it turns out God does too.

The prophet Zephaniah records God’s verdict: “I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth!” The violence, the lies, the hatred, the gossip, the selfishness, the pain, the anger. God has had enough of the way we treat each other and His world. His message in Zephaniah is very clear: “I’ve had enough. It is time to wipe away evil.”

If we’ve ever thought the way we live doesn’t really matter; God’s burning anger in this little book is a big wakeup call. God is love; so how can He put up with the nastiness we show each other?

Zephaniah’s message isn’t simply, “The end is nigh.” His words are written to provoke a positive reaction—to see the end that God’s judgement intends: singing. When we respond to Zephaniah’s message and turn our hearts back to the Lord, God is genuinely joyful. He rejoices over us with singing!

Zephaniah understood very clearly that God hates sin, and that He loves—really, truly loves—sinners.

That’s why Zephaniah makes our choice clear: ignore God’s warning and suffer the consequences, or come running back to His open arms and hear Him sing over us in joy!

HAGGAI The prophet who got his priorities right

“Once I’ve got my own life sorted out, then I can start thinking about what God wants me to do.” Sounds fair enough, right? But the prophet Haggai would disagree.

“Sort out your priorities! Is it right for you to be building up your own house while God’s house lies in ruins?”

The people of Israel returned home from exile. Jerusalem, the city wall, the temple and their homes were just piles of rubble. It all needed rebuilding. And enemy nations were watching them hungrily.

Perhaps quite logically, the people prioritised building their own homes first while the temple remained a ruin. It is a strong natural instinct we all share. Haggai, also a returning refugee, understood the desperate need to have a home, a place to belong, and a sense of security. But even those weighty things didn’t replace God. “God’s blessings are not found in sorting yourselves out,” Haggai explained. “He will bless you and protect you when you put Him first.”

Thankfully, the people listened. They laid the foundation and began work on the temple. And God responded to their obedience saying, “From this day on I will bless you.”

As the people discovered under Haggai’s leading, when we seek God first, we will know blessing and hope, even in hardship and pressure. We are not our provider and strength; God is. “Be strong,” God said to His people. “For I am with you.”

ZECHARIAH The prophet who knew how big the word “if” is

If. A small word with big meaning. And it’s probably the most important word in the book of Zechariah.

This book is a bit of a wild ride. The first few chapters are filled with strange dreams Zechariah had about the four horsemen who ride round the earth, flying women with stork wings, olive trees that pour oil—and things like that. But these dreams, alongside Zechariah’s teaching, build a picture of hope. They promise the coming Shepherd King who will rule the world in peace and destroy all God’s enemies.

It’s a stirring picture of the future we can be part of . . . if we are faithful to God. There are lots of “if” statements in Zechariah; not because this future is in doubt, but because we must choose to love, obey and follow Jesus—the Shepherd King—if we want it to be our future.

In his dreams and visions, Zechariah gives us special insight into King Jesus. He’s the Shepherd who was struck for His people, and the King who reigns in God’s eternal city with all His people. Zechariah’s stunning vision of God’s King will help you see this world, and where it’s headed, far more clearly.

of it all

MALACHI The prophet who understood the point

Do you get disheartened when you’re doing all the ‘right’ things, but you don’t see any benefit?

God’s people had returned to their homeland after exile. They rebuilt the temple and resumed proper worship. But nothing was happening. Israel wasn’t gaining power, they couldn’t sense God’s presence, and things were nothing like the glory days of Israel’s past. “There’s no point giving God our best,” they thought. “There’s no reward!” They still went through the motions, but it was just empty ritual.

Enter the prophet Malachi. He held Israel responsible for breaking their covenant relationship with God and explained that’s why there was no blessing!

“You have broken your special relationship with the Lord! You bring worthless sacrifices. You act religious, but you only serve Him for what you can get out of it. Isn’t He worthy of worship just because of who He is?”

It is all too easy to fall into serving God in order to get something from Him. If we don’t benefit from our worship, what’s the point?

God is the point, Malachi tells us. To know Him, to be loved by Him, to be His treasured possession. Because even in the dark times, God is still God and He is always worthy of our worship and devotion. When life is hard, Malachi will reveal God’s value to you again—it’s all about who He is, not what He does.

SIMEON The prophet who broke 400 years of silence

Imagine how God’s people felt after waiting 400 years for God to say something. To say anything! Scripture doesn’t record a single prophet—or word from God—in all that time. There was no indication that His ancient promises of a coming Saviour would ever be fulfilled. It had all gone eerily quiet.

But for one otherwise insignificant resident of Jerusalem, all that was about to change.

Simeon was still faithfully waiting for God to do exactly what He had promised all those centuries before. The seemingly endless silence didn’t take his faith away. Neither did the fact that hardly anyone else seemed to be waiting.

Simeon knew one simple thing: God is always faithful to His Word. And one day in the temple, it happened!

A young couple was registering the birth of their firstborn son, Jesus. They looked like an everyday young family. But Simeon immediately saw the truth; their tiny baby was the promised Saviour! He took Jesus in his arms and broke the four-century silence, “My eyes have seen the Lord’s salvation!”

Simeon is a shining example of how we too can anticipate Jesus. We are in a long spell of waiting for the promised One to arrive. Much of the world lives in ignorance. Around us it looks like the world is just turning as usual. Yet God is always faithful to His Word. One day, Jesus will return.

ANNA The prophetess who grew old waiting for God

Have you ever waited for something for a month? A year? What about a lifetime? Anna the prophetess was an old lady by the time her wait paid off.

As her days on earth were drawing to an end, Jesus, the Saviour she had been waiting for, was born. But hers was not a wasted life; she spent all her days in service to God. Anna was overjoyed that her final days could be spent telling others that God’s salvation had arrived. For her, Jesus was worth the wait.

What was the key to Anna’s many, many years of patience? She wasn’t just waiting, like us staring at an endlessly spinning buffering circle on the screen and getting irritated. Her waiting wasn’t empty but purposeful, vibrant and active. It was filled with expectancy as she worshipped and praised God. Her reaction to the baby Saviour summed up the joy she felt towards the Lord she’d been drawing closer to during her wait.

When we’re following God, even our waiting will be used. Nothing is wasted.

JOHN THE BAPTIST

The prophet who doubted

Many of us want to do great things for God; but that doesn’t always look the way we think it will. Just ask John the Baptist.

John spent years living in the wilderness, preparing for his vitally important ministry: introducing Jesus. Finally, the time came. He baptised people, challenged their hearts and promised the Messiah was about to be revealed. Thousands came out to hear him. But he knew his ministry wasn’t about himself: “He must become greater. I must become less.”

Then Jesus appeared! He began preaching and John was thrown into prison! Suddenly, John’s words had come true. Jesus was the public figure and John’s time was up. He had simply become “less”.

Alone, forgotten and full of doubts, John questioned everything. Is He really the one? Did I make a mistake?

Seeking more of Jesus and less of ourselves is a painful process. It won’t always look how we might expect. Dying to ourselves is hard and uncomfortable. When we feel like this, we can copy John’s example and bring our pain to our Lord for His reassurance.

Jesus was deeply pleased with John, holding him up as a shining example: “There has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.” And then He comforted John by directing him back to the rock-solid truths of the Bible. “The blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk!” All the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah were beginning to be fulfilled through Jesus.

JOHN THE APOSTLEThe prophet who couldn’t be shut down

Many of us know what it is to be laughed at, isolated or cut off because of our faith. It can happen at work, from our friends and even in our own homes.

John the Apostle was cut off too. He’d been one of Jesus’ closest disciples, part of the early church’s dramatic expansion, and he’d survived while several other apostles were executed for their faith.

As an old man John had been arrested and shipped off to the island of Patmos. Now he could no longer spread the message of Christ. Or so the authorities thought . . .

Shut away on Patmos, John saw further than any human has ever seen: “The revelation of Jesus Christ.” The curtains of heaven were pulled back for him as he witnessed the glorious Lord Jesus one day bringing earth’s history to a dramatic conclusion. His revelation is one of the most enigmatic and exciting books ever written—it still challenges and delights (and often confuses) readers two thousand years later.

It’s true, the world can shut us down—but it can’t ever shut God down. As John discovered, there is a special experience of God for those who find themselves cut off and isolated. His place is beside the broken-hearted to reveal Himself in even deeper ways. If you feel shut away, reach out for the One who is always with you.

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The prophets and prophetesses of God’s Word were a fascinating bunch of heroes, leaders, rebels, and oddballs. They made mistakes, drew close to God and shared amazing truths about the coming Saviour. Each one of them has a story to tell; a story that can resonate with our lives today.

These short introductions to the prophets in Scripture are like little launchpads into their stories. They’ll help you get to know them as real people, so you can consider their relevance and have more understanding when you read the words they wrote in the Bible.

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