Minor Prophets
Digital Verbum Edition
Overview
In the language of the Bible, “prophecy” has quite a broad meaning—but it refers, primarily, to the idea of “speaking in the name of God.” The entire Old Testament could be said to be prophetic, but some books carry the names of four “major” and twelve “minor” prophets—a distinction based on length. Not all of them easy to date, the authors and editors of these books—collectively the “roll of the twelve prophets”—lived sometime between the eighth and second century BC. The Psalms aside, the books of the prophets are the Old Testament sources most often referenced in the New Testament. Their message covers all aspects of Israelite and Christian faith: belief in One God, his chosen people, the Messiah, and the path to salvation.
Top Highlights
“The whole passage is a reminder that material progress can also have negative consequences: ‘Holy Scripture teaches the human family what the experience of the ages confirms—that while human progress is a great advantage to man, it brings with it a strong temptation. For when the order of values is jumbled, and bad is mixed with the good, individuals and groups pay heed solely to their own interests, and not to those of others’ (Vatican II, Gaudium et spes, 37).” (Page 68)
“‘God’s calling gives us a mission: it invites us to share in the unique task of the Church, to bear witness to Christ before our fellow men and so draw all things toward God. Our calling discloses to us the meaning of our existence. It means being convinced, through faith, of the reason for our life on earth. Our life—present, past and future—acquires a new dimension, a depth we did not perceive before. All happenings and events now fall within their true perspective: we understand where God is leading us, and we feel ourselves borne along by this task entrusted to us’ (St Josemaría Escrivá, Christ Is Passing By, 45).” (Page 138)
“‘The flight of the prophet can be read as a general metaphor for the way that man runs away from the presence of God and immerses himself in the things of this world when he has broken His commandments; but the storms of misfortune and the doom of shipwreck prompt him to remember God’s presence and to journey back to the One from whom he sought to flee’ (St Jerome, Commentarii in Ionam, 1, 4).” (Page 167)
“No prophet, not even Isaiah or Jeremiah, has equalled Hosea in the fervour with which he describes the mystery of God’s love for his people. Jeremiah, particularly, and the lyrical Song of Songs have things to say about God’s spousal love; but Hosea expounds it best of all—that is, until such time as the Son of God becomes man and actually shows us the love of God.” (Page 35)