The Major Prophets

ROBERT B. CHISHOLM

The Historical Books showed the dominant role the prophets played in directing and interpreting Israel's history. Not surprisingly, then, the final books of the Old Testament preserve prophetic messages. Traditionally the prophetic books are divided into Major and Minor Prophets, basically on the length of the books.

The Books of the Major Prophets include Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel. That Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel should be classified as major prophets should be self-evident. All three were prominent figures in the history of Israel and have left us with large collections of prophetic messages and biographical materials. Isaiah ministered in Judah from about 742 to 700 b.c. His prophecy addresses issues facing his contemporaries as well as the situation of the future exilic generation in Babylon. Jeremiah lived in Judah during its final days prior to the fall of Jerusalem in 586 b.c. After the fall of the city, he was forced to accompany a group of refugees to Egypt. His prophecy, while focusing on contemporary events, also looks forward to a time of restoration for God's people. Ezekiel was an exile in Babylon whose prophetic ministry took place between 593 and 571 b.c. Like his counterparts Isaiah and Jeremiah, he prophesied both judgment and restoration for God's people.

In the Hebrew Bible, Lamentations and Daniel are included in the Writings, not the Prophets. However, the English Bible, following the earliest Greek translation, places these books with the Major Prophets. Lamentations has traditionally been attributed to Jeremiah and, in lamenting the city's tragic destruction, focuses on an event that occupied a great deal of Jeremiah's attention. The Book of Daniel, of course, contains several prophecies of future events, though they are presented in an apocalyptic literary style that differs significantly from traditional prophetic forms.