Jewish Prophets

The name Habakkuk appears in the Hebrew Bible only in Habakkuk 1:1 and 3:1. No biographical details are provided other than his title "the prophet". He wassaid to be from the land of Bethzuchar. After the fall of Jerusalem he went to live in the land of Ishmael and then returned to help the Hebrews who remained. He later went to Babylonia during the captivity where he met Daniel. He died two years before the end of the captivity.

Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah three times, taking captives to Babylonia on each incursion. In about 607 BC, Daniel was taken, and in 597 BC, the priest Ezekiel was taken. Ezekiel prophesied to the captive people in Babylon.

Daniel was taken captive at Nebuchadnezzar's first attack on Jerusalem in 607 BC. He became a chief minister in Babylon and famous for visions and interpretation of dreams.

In the third year of Cyrus (conqueror of Babylon, and founder of the Persian Empire) Daniel had a series of visions through which God revealed details of the future concerning the Jews as well as the ultimate fate of each world governing empire from his own day on through to the second coming of Christ. He specifically mentions Babylon, and then Mede-Persia, and then Greece, and the fourth being the most powerful, was the Roman empire. Daniel was a man of incredible character and his book is considered one of the most important prophetic works.

Obadiah prophesied judgement against Edom for attacking Judah at the time of the Babylonian invasion and for rejoicing over the misfortunes that befell Jerusalem.

Haggai is said to have come to Jerusalem from Babylonia when he was young, and he saw the reconstruction of the Temple. In 520 B.C. eighteen years after the Jews had returned from exile in Babylon, Haggai urged them to forget their own interests and finish rebuilding the temple.

Zechariah was said to come to Jerusalem from Babylonia when already old. He, along with Haggai prophesied to the returned Jewish exiles between 520 and 518 B.C. The message begins with a reminder that the captivity had been a result of disobedience.

A prophet who lived in the fifth century B.C. dealing with the Jews who had become disillusioned and apathetic. Because Malachi simply means "messenger", many assume it to be a pseudonym, with Jewish tradition claiming that the real identity of Malachi is Ezra the scribe.

Apart from Jesus Christ himself, John the Baptist is probably the most theologically significant figure in the Gospels. As was the case with Jesus, his birth was meticulously recorded ( Luke 1:5-25 ) and his entrance into the world was marked by angelic proclamation and divine intervention ( Luke 1:57-80 ). John's birth both parallels that of Jesus, and the birth of Isaac to Abraham and Sarah ( Gen 17:15-22 ; 21:1-7 ).