Opening Story - A City on the Brink
In 1945, as World War II drew to a close, the city of Berlin lay in ruins. Buildings were shattered, families displaced, and hope seemed extinguished. Yet amid the devastation, something remarkable happened: communities began to rebuild not only their homes but also their faith. Churches reopened, neighbours shared scarce food, and people clung to promises of renewal even when the future looked impossible. Out of collapse came resilience, and out of despair came a rediscovery of values deeper than material security.
This story mirrors the heartbeat of the prophets. Just as Berlin found renewal after destruction, the last eight prophets of the Old Testament spoke into times of crisis, collapse, and uncertainty. They offered promises of mercy, justice, faith, and restoration-truths that remain “things surely to be believed” for every generation.
Introduction
The Old Testament and the New Testament complement one another, forming a unified revelation. Across many centuries, around three dozen different authors from diverse backgrounds contributed to the Scriptures. Despite this variety, the Bible fits together in perfect harmony. Such coherence is beyond human ability and marks the hand of God.
The Old Testament prepares the way for the New. Its purpose is to mature and perfect humanity, enabling men and women to grow into the fullness of life intended in Jesus Christ. The prophets serve as expounders of God’s promises, revealing different aspects of His character. Scripture contains thousands of promises for life today, each representing God’s commitment of Himself.
A promise demands a response: it must be believed or rejected. To ignore it is to refuse it. This is why the prophetic writings are described as “things surely to be believed.” The first eight prophetic books have already set forth their promises. The focus now turns to the last eight, beginning with Jonah, which is part of the Minor Prophets.
It is important to clarify the term Minor Prophets. “Minor” does not mean less important or less inspired. The distinction is based solely on length. The twelve shorter prophetic books, from Hosea to Malachi, are called the Minor Prophets because their writings are briefer compared to the longer works of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, which are known as the Major Prophets. The message of the Minor Prophets is equally vital, each one highlighting a particular aspect of God’s character and His dealings with humanity.
The final three books, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, were written after the Babylonian captivity. All the others prophesied before Israel and Judah went into exile. These last three prophets ministered at the same time as Ezra and Nehemiah, so the historical section of the Old Testament closes alongside the prophetic section.
With this background, we now turn to the survey of the last eight prophets, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, each one offering a distinct promise that together form a mosaic of God’s character.
Jonah - The Promise of a Second Chance and God’s Mercy
Jonah is often remembered for the great fish, but the central message is God’s mercy and patience. The book is an encouragement to faith because it shows God’s willingness to give another chance, and yet another, even when human hearts are stubborn. Jonah resisted the divine call to proclaim judgment in Nineveh and fled in the opposite direction. Yet God restored him, and after being delivered from the fish, Jonah obeyed and declared the warning: “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (Jonah 3:4). The vast city, numbering more than one hundred thousand people, repented, and God withheld destruction. Jonah reveals both the resistance of human hearts and the persistence of divine mercy. The promise of a second chance is its great message: God is willing to forgive, to delay judgment, and to extend mercy when people turn back to Him.
Modern parallel: Nations and individuals today often face crises of conscience. When corruption or injustice is exposed, repentance and reform can bring renewal. Jonah demonstrates that failure does not have to be final because God’s mercy offers another chance.
Micah - The Promise of Pardon and Dependence
Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah, ministering to the Southern Kingdom of Judah. His book has been called “Isaiah in shorthand,” since it summarizes many of Isaiah’s themes and even echoes his wording. While Isaiah’s message centres on the promise of a new beginning, Micah’s focus is on the promise of God’s pardon.
Micah 6:8 is the most famous verse in the book: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” This verse is often quoted as a summary of God’s requirements. Yet the deeper message of Micah is that no one can truly live this way without first receiving God’s pardon. Only through dependence on Him, and by His life working through us, can these requirements be fulfilled. Micah, therefore, stands as the book of pardon and dependence, showing that forgiveness and reliance on God are the foundation for justice, kindness, and humility.
Modern parallel: In a world where guilt and failure weigh heavily, Micah reminds society that forgiveness is not only possible but essential. True justice and humility flow from pardon and dependence on God’s power at work within.
Nahum - The Promise of God’s Unchanging Judgment
The brief book of Nahum predicts the destruction of Nineveh. It stands in direct connection with Jonah, for at Jonah’s preaching the city repented, from the king to the lowest worker, and was spared. God turned back the judgment He had announced, showing His patience and mercy. Yet a century later, Nahum declared that Nineveh would fall, and his prophecy was fulfilled exactly. He foretold that the city would be destroyed by the opening of the river gates, allowing the enemy to enter. History records that this is precisely how Nineveh was conquered some fifty years after Nahum’s words.
The message is clear: God does not change. He does exactly what He says He will do. He does not forget, nor does He grow weary with time, nor does He alter His mind. Judgment may be delayed when repentance occurs, but if repentance is abandoned, as in Nineveh’s case, judgment still comes. Nahum, therefore, expresses the unswerving character of God: patient in mercy, but certain in justice.
Modern parallel: Powerful institutions may appear untouchable, but corruption eventually collapses. Nahum affirms that divine justice is certain, even if delayed, and dependence on God is the only secure foundation.
Habakkuk - The Promise of Ultimate Answers
Habakkuk confronts the eternal question: “Why does God allow injustice to prevail?” The prophet looks at the nations running rampant over the poor and the innocent, and he cries out in agony, “Why?”
God’s first answer is startling and deeply confusing: He declares that He will raise up the Babylonians, a ruthless and violent people, to punish Judah. This response shocks Habakkuk, because it seems to replace one injustice with an even greater one. How could God use a nation more wicked than Judah to discipline His own people? The prophet is left bewildered, struggling to reconcile God’s holiness with His chosen instrument of judgment.
Yet through this confusion, Habakkuk learns that God’s purposes are larger than human understanding. The ultimate answer comes in the declaration: “The just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). This phrase became foundational for the Protestant Reformation, igniting Martin Luther’s conviction and shaping Christian history. It is quoted in Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews, each with a distinct emphasis: Romans highlights “the just,” Galatians stresses “shall live,” and Hebrews underscores “by faith.” Together they form a complete picture of life lived in dependence on God.
Habakkuk, therefore, stands as the book of faith, teaching that when the question “Why?” remains unanswered, or when God’s answer seems even more perplexing, the response is trust. Dependence on God, and His life working through His people, is the ultimate answer to injustice and uncertainty.
Modern parallel: In times of global turmoil, when oppression and inequality seem unchecked, Habakkuk’s message remains relevant. Faith is not passive resignation but active reliance on God’s character, the only secure foundation when human answers fail.
Zephaniah - The Promise of God’s Jealous Love
Zephaniah, one of the shortest prophetic books, concentrates on “the day of the Lord.” This theme reveals the other side of divine love, God’s wrath. The book sets forth the burning jealousy of God, a jealousy not of suspicion or insecurity, but of wholehearted, exclusive love that cannot allow a rival. God opposes and destroys whatever harms the ones He loves, which explains the severity with which He deals with destructive attachments and allegiances.
Zephaniah therefore clarifies that true love entails wrath against what injures the beloved. A God who cannot be angry at what destroys His people cannot truly love. The prophet presents jealousy as protective love in action: when God sees people clinging to what damages them, He says “No” and removes the rival.
Zephaniah’s message calls for the renunciation of rival loyalties and the return to God alone. Dependence on Him, allowing His life and holiness to work through His people, is the path out of judgment into renewal.
Modern parallel: In a culture of competing loyalties, career, image, power, pleasure, Zephaniah insists that anything injuring human wholeness must be confronted. God’s jealous love exposes harmful rivals and calls for undivided trust, because only dependence on Him secures lasting peace and purity.
Haggai - The Promise of Material Blessing
Haggai sets forth the promise of material blessing and highlights the inseparable link between the physical and the spiritual. He addressed the people who had returned from exile but had forgotten God. They abandoned the rebuilding of the Temple while devoting themselves to their own houses and personal prosperity. The prophet reminded them that such neglect was like the folly of killing the goose that laid the golden egg. Their material well-being was directly tied to their willingness to place God at the centre of their lives.
Haggai’s message is that prosperity fades when God is ignored. Blessing is not sustained by human effort alone but by dependence on God’s presence. The promise is therefore one of God’s essentiality: unless He is central, both physical and spiritual life remain incomplete.
Modern parallel: Societies often pursue economic growth while neglecting spiritual foundations. Haggai reminds us that material success without God at the centre is fragile. Dependence on Him is the only way to secure lasting prosperity and wholeness.
Zechariah - The Promise of Encouragement
Zechariah is one of the most remarkable books of the Old Testament, often called the “apocalypse” of the Old Testament because of its close resemblance to the book of Revelation. It begins with a vision of horsemen riding out to patrol the earth and concludes with a magnificent vision of the coming glory of God-the second coming of Jesus Christ. Within its pages is the specific prediction that the Lord’s feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives, which will split in two to form a great valley, the place of judgment for the nations.
Zechariah, therefore, stands as the Old Testament’s counterpart to Revelation, filled with visions of ultimate victory and divine triumph. Its message is the promise of encouragement: reassurance that God’s purposes will prevail even in the darkest days. When circumstances appear to suggest defeat, Zechariah offers mighty comfort, reminding God’s people that His plan is unfolding and His victory is certain.
Dependence on God is the source of this encouragement. By trusting Him and allowing His life to work through His people, discouragement is replaced with hope. Zechariah is the book for dark days, assuring that God’s glory will come and His kingdom will stand.
Modern parallel: In times of uncertainty, when global events seem chaotic, and faith appears fragile, Zechariah’s visions remind us that God’s purposes are not thwarted. His encouragement sustains those who depend on Him, offering hope and strength until His final victory is revealed.
Malachi - The Promise of God’s Responsibility
Malachi, the final book of the Old Testament, sets forth the promise of God’s responsibility. In four brief chapters, it reveals God’s answer to human failure and blindness. The book begins with a series of questions posed by God to Israel, each met with denial or confusion: “You have robbed me.” Israel replies, “How have we robbed you?”; “You have failed to honour me.” Again, they respond, “How have we failed?” This exchange exposes the discouraging condition of spiritual blindness, where people cannot even recognize their own faults.
Malachi speaks to this state by showing that ultimate responsibility rests with God. He breaks through the blindness, indifference, and darkness of the human heart, bringing His people back to the light. The book closes with a vision of hope: the first coming of Christ, preceded by John the Baptist, and then the promise of His second coming, the dawning of the Sun of righteousness, who brings healing and final glory to the earth.
Malachi, therefore. assures that when human weakness seems overwhelming, God Himself takes responsibility to act. Dependence on Him, and His life working through His people, is the only way to overcome blindness and failure.
Modern parallel: In times when spiritual apathy or indifference seems widespread, Malachi reminds that renewal does not depend on human strength alone. God takes responsibility to awaken, to heal, and to restore, calling His people to trust in Him.
So What?
Taken together, these eight prophets reveal God’s promises through a mosaic of God’s character:
- Mercy and second chances (Jonah)
- Pardon and dependence (Micah)
- Unchanging justice (Nahum)
- Faith as the ultimate answer (Habakkuk)
- Jealous love that protects (Zephaniah)
- Essentiality of God at the center (Haggai)
- Encouragement in dark days (Zechariah)
- God’s responsibility to restore (Malachi)
The prophetic voices insist that promises must be believed or rejected. They are not abstract; they demand commitment. Each prophet highlights a different dimension of God’s dealings with humanity, but together they point to the same truth: dependence on God is the only secure foundation for life.
Concluding Modern Story - Renewal After Collapse
During the global financial crisis of 2008, many lost homes, jobs, and security. Entire communities faced despair as systems they trusted collapsed. Yet out of the crisis came renewal: families rediscovered the importance of relationships, communities rallied to support one another, and priorities shifted from material gain to deeper values.
This modern story reflects the prophetic message. Jonah shows that failure is not final; Micah reminds that pardon is essential; Nahum warns that corruption will fall; Habakkuk teaches faith when answers seem absent; Zephaniah reveals God’s jealous love against destructive rivals; Haggai insists that prosperity fades without God at the center; Zechariah offers encouragement in dark days; and Malachi assures that God Himself takes responsibility to restore His people.
Conclusion
The last eight prophets of the Old Testament form a powerful chorus of promises. They reveal mercy, pardon, justice, faith, jealous love, essentiality, encouragement, and responsibility. Together they show that God’s character is consistent, His promises are sure, and His purposes are unfolding. The call is clear: these promises must be believed, not ignored. In every generation, including our own, they remain “things surely to be believed.”
Resources:
For more references, please see the following:
- Ray Stedman - Things Surely to Be Believed, Part 2
- The Gospel Coalition - Introduction to the Minor Prophets
- Bible Project - Minor Prophets
