Bible Overview encompasses all of our Bible-related articles in one section. Bible Characters "Did you know" goes into detail about a Bible character we are studying either from that book in the Bible or from one of many stories in the Bible.

This month’s “Did you know” section focuses on the three Minor Prophets, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

Bible scholars have many different views on the same subject and it is sometimes difficult to gather a consensus on any given topic. We've used a compilation of sources, cited at the end of each section, so that you have access to different sides of the research. Enjoy using these resources and others as you discover new views of these last three minor prophets, shared by Mary Jane Chaignot.

Did you know...

HAGGAI

• There is no information about Haggai’s ancestry.
• Haggai dated his prophecies with precision. He provided four exact dates over a four-month period -- August-December 520 BCE.
• He prophesied from Jerusalem almost seventy years into the exile.
• He was the first to prophesy after the conquest of Jerusalem.
• He was a practical man who believed nothing was more important than the rebuilding of the temple.
• He was called by God to motivate the people to do just that.
• His name is mentioned twice in Ezra and probably means “feast” or “festival.” Some scholars think that means he was born on a feast day, though they have no way of knowing which one or even if that’s true.
• It is not known if he was taken to Babylon during the conquest or if he stayed behind in Jerusalem. His name is not on the list provided by Ezra of those who returned.
• He was definitely a man of conviction and a very effective speaker. (Consider that the people began building the temple within three weeks of his first oracle and finished it in four years. He only preached for four months.)
• His book is comprised of only two chapters, perhaps signifying an unexpected demise.
• Some of his end time prophecies did not come to pass.

ZECHARIAH

• Zechariah was a priest.
• His grandfather’s name (Iddo) is on the list of priests and Levites offered by Nehemiah of people who returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel.
• Zechariah was a contemporary of Haggai, though neither mentions the other.
• Unlike Haggai who was probably well along in years, Zechariah might have been a younger man.
• Scholars think he might have preached for an additional 50-60 years.
• Most scholars agree that Zechariah wrote the first eight chapters of his book. They don’t agree on authorship for chapters 9-14.
• He, too, is quite specific about the date of his ministry; he offers the month and year – October/November 520BCE.
• Zechariah’s main contribution is a series of visions that an angel interprets for him. Scholars have noted a high number of obscure words and are not very confident about their various meanings.
• Zechariah was able to give a spiritual interpretation to the rebuilding of the temple.

MALACHI

• Malachi has the last words of the Old Testament.
• Unlike the two previous prophets, Malachi gives no indication of time or place for his prophecies.
• Nothing is known about his ancestry.
• His name means “messenger,” so many scholars think it might have been his title and not even his name. It could be translated, “my messenger,” or “the Lord’s messenger,” which would mean that the real author remains anonymous.
• Some people think his book was originally attached to the book of Nehemiah because Josephus (a first century historian) does not mention him as a separate character when he lists all the other prophets.
• This is clearly a case where the message is more important than the messenger.
• In this writing, the message was conveyed through the use of questions and answers.
• It would be a message for all time since prophecy virtually ended with Malachi – at least for 400 years.

Bibliography

Craigie, Peter. “Twelve Prophets.” Daily Study Bible Series. Philadelphia, PA:      Westminster Press, 1984.

Gaebelein, Frank. “Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.” Expositor’s Bible Commentary.      Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing, 1985.

Mills, Watson and Richard Wilson. Mercer Commentary on the Bible. Macon, GA:      Mercer University Press, 1995.

Smith, Ralph. “Micah-Malachi.” Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas, TX: Word      Books, 1984.