major prophets

An interesting thing about Isaiah and the whole Bible is that the Bible has 66 books and Isaiah has 66 chapters. The first 39 chapters, like the 39 books of The Old Testament, speak about the Jewish people… the last 27 chapters, like the 27 books of The New Testament, present Jesus Christ. 

Isaiah warns the nation of Judah (and other nations) to abandon their sins and evil ways and return to God or else face harsh consequences.

Isaiah paints a beautiful picture of the coming Messiah and His everlasting Kingdom of justice, righteousness, and salvation. These are the future blessings that will come to those who remain faithful to God.

A list of Judah’s sins

God calls Isaiah to be a prophet

A promise of peace

The people and land will be restored

God delivers Jerusalem from Sennacherib 

Hezekiah receives 15 extra years to his life

God will comfort His people

God’s Chosen One, the Servant – Messiah

A prophecy of Jesus suffering and death on the cross

The world to come

Jeremiah is sometimes called the weeping prophet because he was not afraid to express his deep sadness over the sins of his people and the destruction of his nation.

Jeremiah warns the people of Judah about their coming captivity, which is God’s judgement for their persistent sins and failure to live as God’s people should.

The people had chosen to ignore God and now God will ignore them, but only for a time, God also promises to restore His people back to Him when they turn from their evil and sinful ways and return to Him. 

Jeremiah tells the people that judgement should not be looked at as punishment but rather as a loving act by God to restore His people to Himself.

God calls Jeremiah to be a prophet    

Jeremiah condemns Judah for her sins   

False worship and empty religion spell doom  for Judah   

Judgment will fall upon the people and Jerusalem  

Sin points to our need for a changed heart  

The people try to silence Jeremiah  

Jeremiah is put into stocks

Jeremiah’s ultimatum to King Zedekiah

False prophets and how to recognize them

Jeremiah rebukes the false prophet Hananiah

Restoration will follow punishment

God’s new contract with His people

The king burns the Word of God

Jeremiah is put into prison

Jeremiah is rescued

Nebuchadnezzar captures Jersalem

The survivors still refuse to obey God

Jeremiah predicts the fall of Babylon

The fall of Jerusalem

Lamentations could be called the Book of Tears, for it is a lament for a wounded, broken, punished city and it’s people. Jeremiah had warned his people of impending doom, but they would not listen, they rejected Jeremiah and his message.

Because of that a once golden city, became a pile of rubble. The magnificent Temple lay in utter ruins, and Jerusalem’s people were on their way back to Babylon as captives, many of them not to return.

Jeremiah wept. He cried for a wounded broken city and for it’s people. His heart was broken because of the sin of the people and the destruction that came as a consequence of that sin. 

The road to sin may be filled with temporary pleasures, but the final destination is always misery.

This is a book of five funeral songs, one for each chapter

Jeremiah mourns for Jerusalem

God’s anger at sin

Hope in the midst of adversity

God’s anger is satisfied

Jeremiah pleads for restoration

Ezekiel was a prophet to the Jewish people in Babylon. He tells the people why they had been taken captive. He prophesies that Jerusalem will soon be captured (it was) and as a result more captives will be soon arriving. 

They took a number of choice people back to Babylon, including Daniel and the young priest Ezekiel.

Jeremiah warned of the coming destruction and Ezekiel gave the same warning. Both urged people to repent and get right with God. Both promised destruction if the people continued to turn their backs on God. 

The people refused to listen to either prophet, it was as though they thought there would be no consequences for their evil actions.

Ezekiel’s vision of God’s glory  

God calls Ezekiel to be a prophet   

Persistent sin will spell the end for Judah 

The departure of God’s glory from Jerusalem  

Each person is responsible for their own sins

Babylon will attack Jerusalem

Jerusalem is attacked; Ezekiel’s wife dies

Ezekiel the watchman

False shepherds vs. the true Shepherd

Israel will return to it’s homeland

The valley of dry bones

Satan’s last great battle at the end of time

The new Temple

The glory of the Lord returns to fill the Temple

The river of healing

Daniel and his friends were deported to Babylon, far from home, for the most part the captives were not forced into slavery but were allowed to assimilate to the culture. 

They had grand opportunities in the service of a pagan king. They could win royal favor, become powerful… tempting? Perhaps… but Daniel and his friends resisted the temptation, they would remain faithful to God no matter what.

The need for faithfulness to God is reflected throughout the pages… whatever the circumstances, we must remain true to God in simple challenges away from home or in the massive conflicts that may appear in the last days.

Daniel becomes the king’s counselor

Daniel interprets the kings dream

Four men in the fiery furnace 

The mysterious handwriting on the wall

Daniel in the lion’s den

Daniel’s vision of the future

Daniel’s vision of the coming of the Messiah

Daniel sees events of the end times