Minor Prophets

'The Twelve', or Trei Asar, refers to the last twelve books of the English Old Testament, but is regarded by the Jews as one book or scroll. These prophets are designated 'minor', not because they had a less important role, but because their writings are much shorter which in a way also reflected the durations of their ministries.

Hosea and Amos were prophets to the northern kingdom of Israel though they certainly were not the only ones; there were Elijah and Elisha too, despite them not having written any book that carried their names but were mentioned in the book of Kings nonetheless.

Jonah and Nahum prophesied against Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, while Obadiah pronounced judgment on Edom for its treachery against Israel despite the two sharing a common ancestry. These three prophets are God's 'emissaries' to the surrounding nations.

The remaining seven prophets ministered to the southern kingdom of Judah—Joel, Micah, Habakkuk and Zephaniah pre-dated the Babylonian captivity, while Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi ministered in the post-exilic period.

Some of these prophets were contemporaries of each other, as with Haggai and Zechariah; most were identified as either the son of someone or a clan, though a few were simply introduced by name alone. Whatever background or occupation these men came from, they were men sent by God with a message to the nation or people facing divine judgment for their moral failures and sins.

Their messages are just as applicable to us today because God still rules and judges from heaven on His throne.