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RUSSELL SANDERS
5-31-2023
MINISTRY OF THE MAJOR PROPHETS
The Old Testament is recognized as having three major prophets and their books which are Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. There are thirteen minor prophets from Daniel to Malachi. They are classified major or minor only due to the length of the book without regard to their importance. Today we will very briefly look at the three major prophets and their main purpose.
Isaiah prophesied approximately one hundred years before Jeremiah and Ezekiel. He prophesied the Assyrian capture of Israel which was the northern ten tribes often called Samaria. Assyria captured Israel in 722 B.C. His chief contribution was prophesying of the coming Messiah and the message of grace.
Ezekiel and Jeremiah were contemporaries, both prophesying during the same time period, but from different countries.
Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah, the southern kingdom in 605 B.C. He took the “cream of the crop” into Babylonian captivity. That included Daniel and his three friends along with Ezekiel. Jeremiah was not taken since he was still but a young child at the time. (Jeremiah 1:6.)
Ezekiel was told by God that he was to prophesy (preach) to the Jews in captivity and not to the pagan Babylonians. The Jews would not listen to him, but it was his mission as a watchman on the wall to sound the warnings. He would be held responsible for their souls if he did not proclaim God’s word and rebuke their sin. All of Ezekiel’s remaining days were spent in Babylon’s empire.
Jeremiah was left in Judea where he preached the word. God’s commission to him was to be “Set over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out (sin, idolatry), and to pull down (strongholds), and to destroy (Satan’s works), and to throw down (God’s) gauntlets, (and then) to build (anew) and to plant (the seed of God’s word).” Yet he was forewarned that Judah’s kings, princes, and priests would fight against him.
Jeremiah was faithful to his calling. He prophesied that Samaria’s Babylonian captivity would be for 70 years (Daniel 9:2). This was fulfilled in 586 B.C. when they were released from captivity after exactly 70 years in Babylon.
Just as God had told him of the resistance to his message by the leadership, he was cast into prison (a cistern) and eventually exiled to Egypt where he lived out his remaining days.
Jeremiah’s warning about false prophets in chapter 23 is especially relevant to us today. Please read that entire chapter and see for yourself what it says.
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