Major Jewish Prophets

Christians divide the books of prophecy into two large groups: the Major Prophets and the Minor Prophets. These designations are more about length than rank. While Jeremiah isn’t considered more inspired than the others, his work is the longest, while, for example, Obadiah’s book is a single-page.

Most people list three to five books of the Old Testament as the Major Prophets. The three that are always counted as part of this group are Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.

• Isaiah reveals God’s coming judgment on the nations of the world (and Israel) for their oppressive practices and rebellion against him. Happily,the book also presents a narrative of a new kind of king: a servant who will suffer on behalf of those he comes to rule.
• Jeremiah warns the people of Jerusalem about the disaster that their sins will bring upon them, while expressing hope in God’s ability to redeem and restore people to himself.
• In a priestly manner, Ezekiel warns Jerusalem of the coming destruction of the Temple. He too, also foretells of a day when the glory of the Lord will return to Israel.

In addition to these three, some Christians group Jeremiah's book of Lamentations with the Major Prophets. Others do the same for Daniel because of that books complex visions about the interplay between Israel’s God and the empires of the world. However, both of these books are much smaller in volume than the three great books mentioned above.