The Minor Prophets -- Have You Met Your Match? Quiz

Answer:

The correct answers are Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.

Out of the twelve correct answers, eleven of them wrote a book that bears their name and is part of the Minor Prophet section of the Old Testament. No one knows for certain who wrote the Book of Jonah.

It must be stressed they are called Minor Prophets only because their books are shorter than the books of other prophets. Their books are regarded every bit as important as the other books of the Old Testament.

Hosea was a prophet in the northern kingdom of Israel. Scripture tells of him receiving divine instructions to marry a prostitute to illustrate how far the people had drifted away from God.

Joel was the son of Pethuel but little else is known about him. In his book, Joel announces a series of divine judgments and disasters the people will face.

Amos was a shepherd from Tekoa and prophesied in the southern kingdom of Judah. In his book he condemns the people for their idolatry as well as oppression of the poor.

Obadiah is the author of the shortest book in the Old Testament. It consists of 21 verses and is largely about prophesy pertaining to the kingdom of Edom.

Jonah is arguably the best known book of the Minor Prophets. It tells the story of Jonah disobeying divine instructions to preach in Nineveh and ends up being swallowed by a gigantic fish. The book ends on a happy note with the fish eventually spitting out Jonah and he then travels to Nineveh to complete his mission.

Micah was a prophet who strongly denounced the corrupt leaders in both Israel and Judah. In Chapter 5, Verse 2, Micah prophesies about a Ruler coming out of Bethlehem. Christians believe this is direct reference to Jesus Christ.

Nahum wrote a book of prophesy consisting of three chapters. The book tells of God's justice bringing about the downfall of oppressive nations.

Habakkuk was a prophet in Judah during the time of Jehoiakim's reign as king. The book consists of three chapters.

Zephaniah wrote a book of prophesy telling of the coming Day of the Lord.In order of appearance, it is the ninth book in the Minor Prophet section.

Haggai was a prophet serving in Judah at the time of the return of the exiles from Babylon. In his book, Haggai urges the people to complete the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem.

Zechariah, in a nutshell, urges the people to repent and return to God. He also prophesies about a Messianic King. Some key verses about the Messiah are Zechariah 6:12-13, 9:9, 11:2, 12:10 and 13:7.

Malachi wrote the final book, in order of appearance, in the Minor Prophet section. It consists of four chapters. Some scholars believe Malachi was not the name of the writer of the book because Malachi means 'My Messenger'.

Meanwhile, among the incorrect answers are Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Isaiah. The four are regarded as major prophets and have books bearing their names in the Old Testament.

The fifth incorrect choice is Elijah. He was a prophet of God but is not credited with writing a book in the Old Testament. (To be fair, 2 Chronicles 21:12-15 contains a letter written by Elijah to Jehoram, king of Judah.) Elijah is known for many things, not the least of which he defeated 450 prophets of Baal in a showdown on Mount Carmel.