THE FIRST PART: A BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
From the Captivity to the Return
Message Ten—The Minor Prophets (1)
Scripture Reading: Micah 5:2; Joel 3:16-18; Amos 9:11; Mal. 4:2; Hosea 2:19-20, Hab. 3:2a; Hosea 6:2; Joel 2:28-29; Hag. 1:14a; 2:7a; Mal. 3:1b
I. Like the Major Prophets, the Minor Prophets unveil that God’s economy in His loving chastisement of Israel, in His governmental dealing with Israel, and in His judgment upon the nations issues in the manifestation of Christ as the centrality and universality in God’s economy to bring in the kingdom, the age of restoration, which will usher the old and ruined universe into the new heaven and new earth with the New Jerusalem—Micah 5:2; Joel 3:16-18; Amos 9:11; Matt. 19:28; Acts 3:21; Rev. 21:1-2:
A. World history is displaying the fulfillment of what was prophesied through the prophets; for twenty-six centuries Israel has been suffering under a long, divine chastisement—Joel 1:4.
B. God’s chastisement of Israel has been for the purpose that Christ would be manifested as everything, as the centrality and universality in God’s economy; this manifestation will bring in the age of restoration—2:25; 3:16-18.
C. God is moving, working, and managing the world affairs to fulfill His eternal economy, that is, to make Christ everything to mankind for the bringing in of the kingdom, the age of restoration—Hosea 14:1-9; Amos 9:11; Micah 4:1-4.
D. The central point of all the prophets is Christ—Luke 24:27; John 5:39:
1. God’s intention, God’s desire, makes Christ the centrality and universality in His economy—Col. 1:15-18.
2. In the New Testament Christ is all and in all; in the new man Christ is everyone and in everyone, and thus the whole church is nothing but Christ—3:10-11; 1 Cor. 12:12.
E. The central thought of the Minor Prophets includes the following points concerning Christ:
1. God will judge the world, and thus sinners should prepare to meet God—Joel 3:2a; Amos 4:12; Acts 17:31.
2. Christ, as the eternally divine One, came to earth and was born to be human—Micah 5:2.
3. Christ entered into death and resurrected from it for the extending of God’s salvation to all the nations—Jonah 1:17; 2:10; 3:2.
4. Sinners who repent and believe in Christ will be forgiven of their sins and justified by God to have the divine life so that they may walk in the divine light and become the mighty ones of Christ, sent with Him by God in Christ’s second coming—Amos 4:12; Micah 7:8-9, 18-19; Hab. 2:4; Joel 3:11b.
5. Christ will arise as the Sun of righteousness and come as the Angel of the covenant to reign in Zion and to shepherd Israel, and then the millennium of the restoration will be brought in—Mal. 4:2; 3:1; Micah 4:1-3, 7b; 5:4; Hosea 14:4-8; Rev. 20:4, 6; Matt. 19:28.
II. God’s intention in His eternal economy is that He and His chosen people would be a universal couple—Hosea 1:2; 2:19-20; Jer. 2:2:
A. The crucial emphasis of the revelation released by all the prophets from Isaiah to Malachi is that God wants to have an organic union with His chosen people—Hosea 2:19-20:
1. In this union God is His people’s life, and they are His expression; in this way God and His chosen people become a universal couple—Rev. 22:17.
2. Both the Major Prophets and the Minor Prophets speak of God as the Husband and of God’s chosen people as the wife; this thought is fully developed in the New Testament—Matt. 9:15; 2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 21:2, 9-10.
B. The entire Bible is a divine romance, showing that throughout the centuries God has had a romance with man; thus, the Bible is a record of how God courts His chosen people and eventually marries them—Gen. 2:21-24; S. S. 1:2-4; Isa. 54:5; 62:5; Jer. 2:2; 3:1, 14; 31:32; Ezek. 16:8; 23:5; Hosea 2:7, 19; Matt. 9:15; John 3:29; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:25-32; Rev. 19:7; 21:2, 9-10; 22:17.
III. Habakkuk 3:2a speaks of revival—”O Jehovah, revive Your work / In the midst of the years”:
A. We may say that this matter of revival is the “kernel” within the “shell” of the books of the Minor Prophets.
B. Among God’s elect there has always been an aspiration to be revived; although we may not realize it, such an aspiration has been within us through all the years of our Christian life—cf. Psa. 80:17-19.
C. In the eyes of God, one person among His elect represents the whole; God always considers His elect as a corporate Body.
D. This means that Habakkuk and we are one in the unit of God’s elect; thus, when Habakkuk prayed for revival, we also prayed; such a prayer is an everlasting prayer.
E. In order to practice the God-ordained and scriptural way to meet and to serve, we need to be revived; this is why the Lord leads us to practice morning revival:
1. We believers should follow the sunrising to be revived and to have a new beginning every morning; every day we need a “sunrising,” and this sunrising is a revival—Mal. 4:2; Prov. 4:18; Judg. 5:31; Matt. 13:43.
2. If we experience a daily revival, then we will be living and qualified to practice the God-ordained way and to help the church to take this way.
IV. The Lord desires to bring the churches into a new revival to end this age:
A. We can enter into a new revival by arriving at the highest peak of the divine revelation through the ministry of the age—the revelation of the eternal economy of God: “I hope that the saints in all the churches throughout the earth, especially the co-workers and the elders, will see this revelation and then rise up to pray that God would give us a new revival—a revival which has never been recorded in history”—Life-study of 1&2 Chronicles, p. 15.
B. We can enter into a new revival by living the life of a God-man: “We should all declare that we want to live the life of a God-man. Eventually, the God-men will be the victors, the overcomers, the Zion within Jerusalem. This will bring in a new revival which has never been seen in history, and this will end this age”—Life-study of 1&2 Chronicles, p. 28.
C. We can enter into a new revival by shepherding people according to God: “I hope that there will be a genuine revival among us by our receiving this burden of shepherding. If all the churches receive this teaching to participate in Christ’s wonderful shepherding, there will be a big revival in the recovery”—The Vital Groups, p. 40.
Ministry Excerpts:
THE COMPOSITION
The Minor Prophets are composed of twelve books, from Hosea to Malachi. In ancient times these books might have been considered one book. “The book of the prophets” mentioned by Stephen in Acts 7:42, in his quoting of Amos 5:25-27, might refer to this collective book. Although these books are minor, they complete the divine revelation concerning God’s economy in His dealings with His elect—Israel—and the nations, which is covered in detail in the books of the Major Prophets—Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. All the books of both the Major Prophets and the Minor Prophets were called by the Lord Jesus “the Prophets,” in which things concerning Him were written (Luke 24:44). This indicates that the central point of all the prophets is not chastisement or judgment but Christ. When we come to the books of the prophets, we should care mainly for Christ.
THE CONTENTS
The contents of the Minor Prophets include God’s economy in His loving chastisement of Israel, Christ as the centrality and universality of God’s economy, and a number of crucial points.
God’s Economy in His Loving Chastisement of Israel
God’s economy in His loving chastisement of Israel, in His governmental dealing with Israel, and in His judgment upon the nations issues in the manifestation of Christ as the centrality and universality in God’s economy to bring in the restoration. According to Psalm 2, Christ, God’s King, is the Lord, the Possessor, of the earth. The entire world is under Christ as the “General Manager.” He is not only the Lord but also the Manager, managing the entire world situation. At present this is somewhat hidden, but one day He will be manifested. God’s economy on this earth will eventually issue in the manifestation of Christ. When this manifestation takes place, all people will see that Christ is the centrality and universality of God’s economy to bring in the age of restoration. This is the first aspect of the contents of the Minor Prophets, an emphasis which is also found in the Major Prophets.
Christ as the Centrality and Universality of God’s Economy
In the Minor Prophets Christ as the centrality and universality of God’s economy is emphatically unveiled. In the Minor Prophets (not counting Zechariah, which reveals other aspects of Christ) this unveiling, this revelation concerning Christ, has sixteen points. We will now briefly consider these points according to the sequence of the facts.
In His Eternal Origin
We have pointed out that Micah 5:2c says that Christ’s “goings forth are from ancient times,/From the days of eternity.” This refers to Christ’s eternal origin.
In His Human Birth in Bethlehem
Micah 5:2a says that from Bethlehem would come forth the One who would be the Ruler in Israel. This is the only verse in the entire Old Testament which tells us that Christ was to be born in Bethlehem.
In His First Coming as the Messenger of God
Malachi 3:1-3 reveals that in His first coming Christ came as the Messenger of God. As God’s Messenger, He brought people God’s word, God’s message. This word, this message, is actually Christ Himself. We may say that He is the letter sent by God to us.
In His Union with Israel as the Son of God Loved by God
and Called Out of Egypt by God
Hosea 11:1 says, “When Israel was a child, I loved him,/And out of Egypt I called My son.” This speaks of Christ in His union with Israel as the Son of God loved by God and called out of Egypt by God. The fulfillment of this prophecy is in Matthew 2. Not long after Christ was born, while He was still in His babyhood, Herod tried to kill Him. But according to the word of an angel, Joseph took Jesus and His mother and departed into Egypt and remained there “until the death of Herod, in order that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, `Out of Egypt I called My Son'” (v. 15).
In His Death and Resurrection for the Salvation of God to Sinners
A further aspect of Christ is typified by the prophet Jonah. Jonah was swallowed by a great fish and was vomited out of it for the spreading of God’s salvation to the Gentile Ninevites (Jonah 1:17; 2:10). This is a type of Christ in His death and resurrection for the salvation of God to sinners, even to the Gentiles (Matt. 12:39-41).
In His Being the Desire of All the Nations
In Haggai 2:7 we see that Christ is the Desire of all the nations. Even though the nations do not know Christ, they still desire to have Christ. All the nations desire to have peace and a good life, but the situation in the world is the opposite of this. Christ is peace; Christ is also the good life. For the nations to desire these things means that they actually desire Christ. He is the Desire of all the nations.
In Elijah’s Being Sent before Him to Prepare the Way for His Coming Back
Elijah will be sent before Christ to prepare the way for His coming back (Mal. 4:5-6; 3:1a; Rev. 11:3-4).
In His Being Sent by God the Second Time with His Overcomers
“There cause Your mighty ones to descend,/O Jehovah!” (Joel 3:11b). This reveals that Christ will be sent by God the second time with His overcomers. Today Christ is making overcomers, those who will be with Him in His coming back. When Christ comes back, He will come with His overcomers to fight against Antichrist.
In the universe there are two sources: God and Satan. God is embodied in Christ, and Satan will eventually be embodied in Antichrist. Both Christ and Antichrist will have an army. In His coming back Christ will descend with His army, composed of the mighty ones, the overcomers. This indicates that at the time of His coming back, Christ and His army will defeat Antichrist and his army.
In His Arising as the Sun of Righteousness with Healing in His Wings
As we have seen, according to Malachi 4:2 Christ will arise as the Sun of righteousness with healing in His wings.
In His Going Forth as the Dawn, and Coming as the Rain,
as the Latter Rain Which Waters the Earth
Hosea 6:3b says, “His going forth is as sure as the dawn, /And He will come to us as the rain,/As the latter rain which waters the earth.” In 10:12 we are told that Christ will come and rain righteousness upon us. Christ’s going forth has not stopped. He is still going forth as the dawn. Also He will come as the rain, even as the latter rain. How much Christ is to us! He is the dawn, the rain, and the latter rain.
In His Second Coming as the Angel of the Covenant, Whom Israel Desires
“The Angel of the covenant, whom you desire, behold, He will come, says Jehovah of hosts” (Mal. 3:1b). This speaks of Christ in His second coming as the Angel of the covenant, whom Israel desires. The covenant of which He is the Angel is the new covenant.
In His Coming as the Mighty One with His Overcomers to
Defeat Antichrist and His Army
In Joel 3:11 Christ is unveiled in His coming as the mighty One with His overcomers to defeat Antichrist and his army.
In His Judgment of the Nations
Christ is also unveiled in His judgment of the nations—the judgment of the living (Joel 3:2a, 12, 14; Matt. 25:31-46; Acts 10:42; 17:31).
In His Dwelling in the Holy Mountain of Zion within Jerusalem to Reign among Israel
Joel 3 unveils Christ in His dwelling in the holy mountain of Zion within Jerusalem to reign among Israel to be their God, their shelter, and their stronghold (vv. 16-17, 21b).
In His Reigning in Zion as David Their King, as Ruler in Israel, in the Millennium
David was a type of Christ as the King. In the Minor Prophets Christ is unveiled in His reigning in Zion as Israel’s King, the Ruler in Israel, in the millennium (Micah 4:7b; 5:2b; Hosea 3:5a; Zeph. 3:15b; Rev. 20:4, 6).
In His Shepherding of Israel, Becoming Great and Being Their Peace
Finally, Christ is unveiled in His shepherding of Israel, becoming great and being their peace (Micah 5:4-5). In the millennium Christ will be not only the King and the Ruler but also the Shepherd.
SOME CRUCIAL POINTS
Let us now go on to consider come crucial points in the Minor Prophets.
Being Prepared to Meet Our God
Amos 4:12 says, “Prepare to meet your God, O Israel.” There is no other verse in the Bible which tells us to prepare to meet God. Are you prepared to meet your God?
God Pardoning Our Iniquity and Passing over Our Transgression
These books speak in different ways concerning God’s forgiveness. According to Micah 7:18 and 19, God pardons our iniquity and passes over our transgression, treading our iniquities underfoot and casting all our sins into the depths of the sea. This reveals how willing God is to forgive our iniquities.
The Outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost
Another crucial point, prophesied in Joel, is the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost (2:28-32a; Acts 2:16-21). This outpouring was a great matter, for it initiated the church life.
The Righteous One Living by His Faith
The matter of the righteous one, or the just one, living by his faith was not initiated by Paul but was prophesied in the Minor Prophets. “The righteous one will live by his faith” (Hab. 2:4). This word was quoted by Paul in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38. To live by faith implies having life by faith. Thus, the righteous one has life and lives by his faith.
God Being Light to Us and Bringing Us into the Light
God is light (1 John 1:5). The Lord Jesus said that He is the light of the world (John 8:12). But even in the Minor Prophets it is prophesied that God would be light to us, His people, and would bring us into the light (Micah 7:8-9). (Life-Study of Hosea, msg. 1)