List of the Major and Minor Prophets

Before we go more in-depth, here is a list of the major and minor prophets mentioned
in the Bible:
The Four Major Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel
The Twelve Minor Prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum,
Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi
What Does Prophet Mean?
The word prophet defines someone who gives the declarations of God. These men and
women did not exist for their own glory but for the glory of God. The Hebrew word for
prophet is Nebi, which is derived from the verb action, “to bubble forth” like a
fountain. The English word for prophet comes from the Greek word prophetes which
means to “speak for another, especially one who speaks for a god.”
The biblical prophets spoke the truth which came from God. Their unique vocation
allowed them to authoritatively speak on God’s behalf. They never spoke on their own
authority nor did they share their own opinions. They only shared their message as
God instructed them. Their role was to make God’s will known, as well as his holiness,
and to instruct God’s people to reject idolatry and sin.

The Bible uses the terms major and minor simply as a way to divide the prophetic
books of the Old Testament. The Major Prophets are described as “major” because of
the longer lengths of their books, not their significance. In order of occurrence, the
Major Prophets are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel.
The Minor Prophets of the Bible are shorter books with more specific content,
compared to the broader subjects of the Major Prophets. These men were just as
significant as the Major Prophets despite the title of minor. The Minor Prophets are
Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai,
Zechariah, and Malachi. The Minor Prophets are also sometimes called The Twelve.

What Do the Major and Minor Prophets Have in Common?

The Major and Minor Prophets are typically the least popular for Christians to study or
read. This is due to the difficult and unusual prophetic language. There are constant
warnings and condemnation of either God’s people going astray or what will happen
to those who choose to reject God. However, there is valuable truth to be gleaned
from each book. For example, we can read of Christ’s birth being foretold in Micah and
Isaiah. We can then read how Christ will return in the books of Zachariah, Ezekiel, and
Daniel.
As with every part of the Bible, the Major and Minor Prophets shouldn’t be skipped
over. In fact, these books give us some of the richest glimpses and foreshadowing of
Christ that we see in the entire Old Testament. If you’re looking for a better
understanding of the Messiah and the events that led to and foretold his coming, the
Major and Minor prophets are must-reads.

The Major Prophets in order of occurrence and whose books we find in the Old
Testament of the Jewish and Christian Bible (Protestant and Catholic Bibles) are:
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel.
The term "Major" refers to the length of each book, not their importance.

The Minor Prophets or Twelve Prophets of the Christian and Hebrew Old
Testament are: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk,
Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.

The term "Minor" relates to the length of each book (ranging from a single chapter to
fourteen chapters); even the longest is short compared to the books of the Major
Prophets.

Some Prophets prophesied to Israel and Judah before the captivity of the Jewish
people in Assyria and in Babylon, others during and others after, when some people
returned to Israel.
The Major Prophets
Isaiah lived about 700 B.C. in Jerusalem, when Israel was divided into two kingdoms: a
northern kingdom (Israel) and a southern kingdom (Judah). Isaiah was called by a
vision, yet he still felt unworthy: “I am a man of unclean lips,” he cries in Isaiah 6:5. In
earlier chapters of the Book of Isaiah, the prophet warns of the fall of Israel, but later
he pivots to hope, speaking of a child who will save the people. During Advent we hear
Isaiah’s message of hope: “Comfort, O comfort my people, / says your God. / Speak
tenderly to Jerusalem, / and cry to her / that she has served her term, / that her
penalty is paid, / that she has received from the LORD’s hand / double for all her sins.”
(Isaiah 40:1–2)
Jeremiah, sometimes called “The Weeping Prophet,” warned of the coming
destruction of Israel because of the sins of the people. Though he attempted to call
Israel back to the covenant, he saw the Babylonians destroy Jerusalem. While
Jeremiah’s message may have been one of bitterness and sorrow, he does portray a
hopeful vision of the future.
Many of Ezekiel’s prophesies foreshadowed the Incarnation of Jesus. His vision of the
closed gate (Ezekiel 44:1–3), for example, represents the Virgin Mary, and the prince
described in that vision refers to Jesus. When Ezekiel delivers God’s message about the
restoration of the land of Israel (Ezekiel 36), we recognize the Sacrament of Baptism in
verses 25 and 26:
I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses,
and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I
will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a
heart of flesh.
We hear these words during the Easter Vigil because of their connection to Baptism.
Daniel was a visionary during the Babylonian exile, who wrote of the triumph of God at
the end of time. The Book of Daniel is an example of apocalyptic literature, which uses
symbols and hidden meaning to look ahead to a time when God would restore Israel
and Israel’s enemies would be punished by God. (Parts of Isaiah and Ezekiel are other
examples of apocalyptic literature.) The Book of Daniel describes the end of time,
when the Lord vindicates Israel. In Daniel we hear the term “Son of Man,” a title Jesus
used for himself.
What was the purpose of the major prophets in the Bible?
It is understood from all versions of the books that during this time, the four major
prophets were chosen by God to be spoken to and speak the divine word to the
people.

What was the purpose of the minor prophets in the Bible?

Essentially, the prophets are God's covenant enforcement mediators for ancient
Israel. Much of reading the minor prophets is to see text after text not of a prophet
predicting the future but calling Israel to be faithful to God's ways in the present.