Thirteen of the Prophets were connected with the destruction of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah and three with the restoration of Judah. Ten prophets spoke and wrote to Israel or Judah before their captivity, three during their captivity and three to Judah after they returned from their captivity. The destruction and captivity of Israel and Judah was accomplished in two periods. The conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel by the, then powerful, Assyrian Empire1The capital of Assyria was Nineveh. began in about 740 BC (c.f. I Chronicles 5:26). Nearly 20 years later, in about 722 BC, Israel’s capital city, Samaria, was overtaken by the Assyrians under Shalmaneser V. The book of 2 Kings 17:5-6 notes that, “in the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.” Preceding, and during, this period God spoke through Jonah (820-804), Amos (810-785), Joel (800), Hosea (785-725), Micah (749-722), Isaiah (740-681), Nahum (661-612), Zephaniah (630), Jeremiah (625-582) and Habakkuk (610-599). The Southern Kingdom of Judah was carried into captivity in three waves that took place in 605, 597 and 586 BC. In this period God spoke through Daniel (605-534), Ezekiel (592-570), Obadiah (585). The Restoration of Judah occurred from 536 to 444 B.C. Haggai (520), Zechariah (518), Malachi (430-400 ) ministered during this period.
Nahum refers to Jonah; Zephaniah quotes Habakkuk.2Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible. Introduction to the Minor Prophets, And Chiefly To Hosea. (Electronic Version) Hosea 11:1 is quoted in Matt. 2:15. Hosea 6:6 is quoted in Matt. 9:13 and 12:7. 1Cor.15:54 quotes from Isa. 25:8 and the next verse (15:55) is a quote from Hos. 13:14. In 1Pet. 2:10 there is an allusion Hos. 2:23. Abel was the first righteous martyr (Gen_4:8) and Zechariah the prophet the last (cf. Mat_23:35; 2Ch_24:21-22). There had probably been other victims since Zechariah, but his murder was the last one in Old Testament history.
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