Notes & Summary

Exodus (meaning "exit" or "going away from"):

The beginning of 70 of Jacob's family in Egypt grew to a large nation, filling the land of Goshen. So the Egyptians made slaves of the Israelites (also called Hebrews). One of the sons of Jacob was named Levi. Out of the family of Levi, at a time when the Pharaoh had tried to kill all Israeli babies, the baby Moses was born. He was raised by Pharaoh's daughter. When Moses was grown, he killed an Egyptian that was beating a Hebrew. Moses then had to leave Egypt to avoid being killed. Moses went to the land of Midian, where he met Reuel (also called Jethro) and married his daughter Zipporah.

Burning Bush (Exodus 3:2):
An Angel of the Lord appeared to Moses as "flames of fire from within a bush." Then God told him to be the person to free the Hebrews from Egypt. Moses begged to not be the person chosen as this spokesman. The Lord insisted and told him to throw down his staff (i.e., shepherd's rod) onto the ground -- at which point it was turned into a snake. The Lord told Moses to put his hand into his cloak (i.e., robe); it became "leprous, like snow" and then became all right when put into the cloak and withdrawn again. The Lord then told him that water would also be turned into blood. These things would allow the people in Egypt to know that Moses was indeed sent by God to them. Moses begged God further, so God allowed Moses' brother Aaron to be the spokesman to the people with Moses being the messenger from God.

Moses (80 years old) and Aaron (83 years old) went to Pharaoh and requested that the Hebrews be allowed to worship God for three days in the wilderness. Pharaoh did not allow this, so Moses and Aaron had to demonstrate the power of God with miracles and finally plagues, such as frogs, flies, hail, and locusts. Finally, (Exodus 11) God told Moses that He would send the "Destroyer" to kill the firstborn (i.e., oldest) sons of all in Egypt, except for those oldest sons of the people of Israel. The Hebrews were instructed by Moses to kill a lamb and coat the sides and tops of their doorframes with the blood of the lamb, so that the "Destroyer" would pass over their home (Genesis 12:23) -- hence the celebration thereafter of the Passover (celebrated forevermore, always around late March or first of April by our calendar). Pharaoh let the Hebrews go, after their 430 years in Egypt. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him out of Egypt. Pharaoh went after them when he realized that they were not coming back after their leaving to worship their God.

The sea opened up for the Hebrews, and they walked on the dry ground, whereas it closed onto the following Egyptians, killing the army of Pharaoh. The time of the Exodus from Egypt was around 1250 B.C.

Two months after leaving Egypt, the Hebrews arrived between Elim and Mt. Sinai. The people griped about their condition, so God provided them with "manna" ([Exodus 16:31] meaning "what is it?") -- a bread-food that was white and tasted like wafers made with honey; formed from dew on the ground. At his father-in-law's suggestion, Moses appointed "judges" to administer justice to the people.

TEN COMMANDMENTS: God issued His Ten Commandments (Exodus 20):

Exodus 20:3: (1) You shall have no other gods before Me.
Exodus 20:4: (2) You shall not make for yourself an idol...
Exodus 20:7: (3) You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God...
Exodus 20:8: (4) Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy... the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it, you shall not do any work...
Exodus 20:12: (5) Honor your father and your mother...
Exodus 20:13: (6) You shall not murder.
Exodus 20:14: (7) You shall not commit adultery.
Exodus 20:15: (8) You shall not steal.
Exodus 20:16: (9) You shall not give false testimony (i.e., not lie)...
Exodus 20:17:(10) You shall not covet your neighbor's house.... or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

God told Moses the laws that were to be applied to the people. There were twelve tribes of Israel, and altars were arranged to signify this. God instructed Moses on how to build a Tabernacle and an Ark (Exodus 25:10: of acacia wood, 3 3/4 ft. long, 2 1/4 ft. wide, 2 1/4 ft. high overlaid with gold (inside and out) containing inside the stone tablets engraved with the Ten Commandments). The Ark would be a place in the Holy of Holies for God to reside. Aaron and his sons were designated as the priests for God. The requirements for altars, incense, and offerings were described to Moses by God. Moses first went to Mt. Sinai to get the Ten Commandments and was there for 40 days and 40 nights. Since Moses was gone so long, his brother, Aaron, at the request of the people built a golden calf that they all worshipped. Moses saw this and, in disgust, destroyed the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments that God had given to him. He then went back to Mt. Sinai for another 40 days and 40 nights and made a contract (or Covenant) with God to not destroy the people if they would obey the Ten Commandments. God created the tablets again.

Leviticus:

God gave Moses specific instruction for sacrificing ox, sheep, goat, birds, or grain to God. Rules for "burnt" offerings were given. God instructed Moses and Aaron to tell the people what food to eat -- any animal with a split hoof (or cloven hoof) which chews the cud (Leviticus 11:2-3). This meant that camels, rabbits, and pigs were not to be eaten. Also, it was all right to eat any that have "fins and scales" (Leviticus 11:9) but no other water creatures. Some birds (eagles, "kites," ravens, hawks, owls, gulls, vultures, storks, bats) were also forbidden to eat, along with four-legged flying insects. The laws that God wished for the Hebrews were told to Moses. Homosexuality was forbidden (Leviticus 18:22). Holy feasts (i.e., festivals) were given for observing (Leviticus 23). The "Year of Jubilee" was explained as every fiftieth year (Leviticus 25:10), where all debts were forgiven and all land passed back to the original owners or their heirs. God constantly promises to remember the promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Leviticus 26: 42) and is often referred to as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Leviticus basically outlines the things that the Lord gave to Moses on Mount Sinai.

Numbers:

The first census of all of the Hebrew men over twenty years old was taken two years after they had left Egypt, with the total being 603,550, excluding the Levites' 22,273 who were designated to take care of the Tabernacle. Only Aaron and his sons were designated for the priesthood. The people of Israel had a special blessing designed for them to be given by Aaron and his sons (given in Numbers 6:24-26): "May the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace." The people were constantly griping about eating manna and their situation in the desert. Moses sent 12 "spies," one from each tribe, into the land of Canaan, where they stayed for forty days. They reported that the Promised Land was magnificent but with powerful people there, including giants. Two of the "spies" (one originally named Hoshea [meaning "salvation"] and later named Joshua [meaning "Jehovah is salvation"]; one named Caleb) said that the land could be taken by the Hebrews, for God was with them. The others did not agree. God was not pleased and stated (Numbers 14: 29) that no-one over twenty at the time of the census would ever enter the Promised Land, other than Joshua and Caleb. God also stated (Numbers 14:34) that the Hebrews must wander in the desert for forty years because of their rejection of Him. At one point in their wanderings, the people were rebelling against Moses and Aaron (as they had done many times) and had no water. God told Moses (Numbers 20: 8) to use Aaron's staff and to summon the people and talk to a rock and tell it to pour out water. Instead, Moses (Numbers 20:11) "struck the rock twice" with the staff, and water gushed out. Because of Moses' disobeying God at that place called Meribah (meaning "quarreling" or "Rebel Waters"), God said that Moses would not bring the people into the Promised Land.

Finally, a new census was ordered for men of twenty or older, with the number being 601,730, not including the Levites with their number of 23,000; however, none of the men over twenty were in the first census except Joshua and Caleb. God told Moses (Numbers 27: 12-14) that he could look from the Abarim mountains and see the Promised Land but could not go there and was to die in those mountains, with Joshua being his replacement as leader. Aaron died on Mount Hor (Numbers 33: 38-39) at the age of 123. God explained to Moses the setting up of the "Cities of Refuge" (Numbers 35:6) where one can be safe if he killed someone by accident.

Deuteronomy:

Moses' address to the Hebrews reviewed all the time of the forty years since they left Egypt.
The Ten Commandments are repeated once again (Deuteronomy 5: 7-21).

The setting aside of the tribe of Levi to work for the Lord and not to have land portions in the Promised Land was described (Deuteronomy 10: 8-9). Once again, what to eat and not to eat are set out (Deuteronomy 14: 3-21). The rule that every 7 years people must "cancel debts" (Deuteronomy 15: 1) was mentioned -- called the Year of Release. Moses' instructions to set up three Cities of Refuge (Deuteronomy 19:2-3) is as in the Numbers' account. The rule for anyone who is a false witness against someone was given as: "...life for life, eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." (Deuteronomy 19:21). It was pointed out that cross-dressing was wrong for either sex (Deuteronomy 22: 5). Moses, at 120 years old, was instructed by God to go to Mount Nebo (the Abirim mountains) in the land of Moab across from Jericho and view Canaan (the Promised Land), after which he should die. The Lord buried him in a valley near Beth Peor in Moab in an unknown place.

Joshua:

Joshua took over after Moses died. At one point, the Jordan River became dry and allowed all the Hebrews to cross (Joshua 3:12-17).

Jericho (Joshua 6): God instructed the Hebrew army to walk around the walled city once a day for six days with seven priests walKing ahead of the Ark. On the seventh day, they were to walk around the city for seven times with the priests blasting on ram's-horn trumpets, finally giving one long, loud blast with all people shouting. This caused the walls of Jericho to crumble, so that Jericho was defeated.

The taKing of the Promised Land by fighting the occupants was described. At one point (Joshua 10: 13-14), the sun and moon were stopped for a day. Joshua, at 110, died. The final burial of the bones of Joseph that had been carried all the time since the Exodus from Egypt was reported (Joshua 24:32).

Judges:

Several "judges" led the people of Israel, turning them from their worship of "Baal" and "Ashtaroth" idols. The people often strayed from God and were punished by God -- then directed back to God, then again straying. One female "judge" was Deborah, said to be a "mother of Israel." Gideon was another judge who led Israel back to God, but, once again, when he died, they worshiped "Baal and Baal-Berith." One of Gideon's sons, Abimelech, was acclaimed "King of Israel," for a short time until he was defeated. Heathen gods again were worshipped and again the Hebrews were punished by being beaten in battle.

Samson (Judges 13-16):
Samson was given great strength from God and became a judge over Israel for 20 years. At one point, (Judges 15: 15), Samson killed a thousand Philistines with a donkey's jawbone. He fell in love with Delilah, who nagged him into revealing his secret of his strength -- his uncut hair. She told the Philistines, who cut Samson's hair and then blinded him. His hair grew back, his strength returned, and he pulled down pillars supporting a temple -- killing many Philistines and himself.

A story (Judges 19-21) of a "horrible deed" of some men of the tribe of Benjamin against the wife of a Levite led to the other eleven tribes of Israel virtually eliminating the tribe of Benjamin -- all but a small number.

Ruth:

Ruth was a loving daughter-in-law of Naomi's. Ruth's caring for her mother-in-law was very deep (Ruth1:16), as she said (from King James' Version)
"...for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God..."
Ruth eventually married Boaz, had a son named Obed, who had Jesse, who had the famous King David.

First Samuel:

Eli was the main priest. Samuel was born to Hannah, a barren woman after she prayed to God and Eli also asked God to help her. Samuel was dedicated, by his mother, to God. At one point, the Ark of God was taken by the Philistines, causing their idol Dagon to fall and be disgraced (1 Samuel 5). Samuel became a judge of Israel (1 Samuel 7) when Israel defeated the Philistines at Mizpah, at a place that Samuel named Ebenezer (meaning "the Stone of Help"). The people insisted on having a King. Samuel finally picked Saul, the tallest man (1 Samuel 9:2), who was made King at Gilgal (1 Samuel 11:15). Saul made a mistake of personally making a burnt offering instead of letting Samuel do it, thus requiring his dynasty to end (1 Samuel 13:9; 12-14).

David and Goliath (1 Samuel 16, 17):
A young shepherd, David, was brave, strong, and favored with the Lord. David played the harp for King Saul when Saul had the "Spirit from the Lord" tormenting him. Goliath was a champion of the Philistines, a giant over nine feet tall. Goliath challenged for the battle of the Philistines and Hebrews to be a single combat of one Israelite and him. David accepted the challenge and killed Goliath with a sling and a stone thrown to Goliath's head. (1 Samuel 17:48-51).

David became well known and was honored with a song (1 Samuel 18:7), "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands," which made King Saul very angry. David became a "blood brother" to Jonathan, King Saul's son, and married Michal, King Saul's daughter. Saul decided to kill David and pursued him over the land. Twice (1 Samuel 24; 1 Samuel 26), David spared Saul, when David could have easily killed him. Saul consulted a medium at Endor (1 Samuel 28). On Mt. Gilboa, Saul was wounded by the by the Philistines. Saul killed himself and was cremated. (1 Samuel 31:12).

Second Samuel:

David moved to Hebron and became King of the Judean groups (this lasted for 7.5 years). King Saul's son, Ish-Bosheth, became King of the rest of Israel. There was constant warring between these groups until Ish-Bosheth's general Abner was killed. Then, two of Ish-Bosheth's captains killed him, hoping to gain favor with King David. Neither of the deaths of Abner or Ish-Bosheth pleased King David. He had Ish-Bosheth's captains killed for their deed. David was then crowned King of all Israel (2 Samuel 5:3) at the age of 37; he reigned for 30 more years. David led troops to Jerusalem, captured the fortress of Zion, and it became known as the "City of David" (2 Samuel 5:7). The prophet Nathan told David that the Lord was pleased with David and would make his name famous and that one of his sons would build the Lord a temple.

David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11):
King David admired a beautiful married woman, Bathsheba , and got her pregnant. Then, King David instructed his army general Joab to place her husband, "Uriah the Hittite," in the "front line where the fighting is fiercest" and to pull the men back to let him be killed. After Uriah's death, King David married Bathsheba (he already had 7 wives before her). The Lord, through the prophet Nathan, told King David that the Lord forgave him, but that his wives would be given openly to another man and that his son by Bathsheba would die. Thus, the son of Bathsheba died. She soon had another son -- Solomon (2 Samuel 12:24), named also Jedidiah which means "loved by the Lord" (or "Beloved of Jehovah").

The Story of Tamar (2 Samuel 13):
David’s daughter, Tamar, was raped by her half-brother, Amnon. Absalom, Amnon's half-brother, and Tamar's full-brother, waited two years and then sent his servants to kill Amnon at a feast -- to which he invited all of King David's sons.

David's son, Absalom, became powerful and eventually challenged King David for the Kingdom. King David had to leave Jerusalem and went to the Mount of Olives (2 Samuel 15:30) to mourn. Absalom arrived at Jerusalem and fulfilled the prophecy of Nathan by insulting his father by going into a tent to be "with his father's concubines" (2 Samuel 16:22) -- actually ten of his young wives (thus King David had many wives now); King David later placed these wives into "virtual widowhood" until their deaths. Absalom and King David continued to fight this civil war, until the army leader Joab killed Absalom. King David took a census and found 800,000 men in Israel and 500,000 in Judah. The census was not God's wishes, so David selected plague as his punishment, hoping that God would be merciful; and (2 Samuel 24:16), when the death angel was ready to destroy Jerusalem, God stopped it.

First Kings:

After reigning for forty years, King David died. Solomon became King. God gave Solomon a choice of anything he wanted: Solomon chose wisdom (1Kings 3:9).

Solomon's Baby Decision (1 Kings 3:16-27):
King Solomon had to decide between two women as to which was the mother of a baby. Solomon said (1 Kings 3:25) to cut the living child into two halves and to give one half to each mother. When one woman said she would rather give up her claim than have the child killed, Solomon knew that she was the real mother.

Solomon authored 3000 proverbs and 1005 songs. Solomon built the "Temple of the Lord" in Jerusalem (90 feet long, 30 feet wide, 45 feet high) -- decorated with cypress and cedar wood as well as gold, taking 7 years to build. Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, who brought in their "gods" (1 Kings 11:5-7) such as Ashtoreth (of the Sidonians), Milcom (of the Ammonites), Chemosh (of Moab), and Molech (of the Ammonites). Solomon ruled for 40 years before his death.

The Divided Kingdom: After Solomon's death, around 922 B.C., the Hebrews were divided into two groups:
The Southern Kingdom (which included Jerusalem and involved the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin)
The Northern Kingdom (which included the other ten tribes of the Hebrews and was actually called "Israel").
The Southern Kingdom was under the "family of David."

The Kings of both Southern and Northern Kingdoms had the worship of the "gods" other than the "Lord God of Israel," leading to many problems. One King, Ahab of "Israel" (the Northern Kingdom), had a wife, Jezebel, who worshipped the "gods" Baal (1 Kings 16:29-33) or Baalzebub and Asherah. Jezebel tried to kill the Lord's prophets and encouraged Ahab to do evil.

Elijah was a prophet of the "Lord God of Israel" during this time. Elijah returned a child to life after his death (1 Kings 17:17-23). On Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18), Elijah and prophets of Baal had a showdown to see who would send fire to light their alters: God lit the fire for Elijah, and the prophets of Baal were killed. Elijah told King Ahab that the dogs would devour Queen Jezebel's body. (1 Kings 21:23).

Second Kings:

Elijah parted the Jordan River with his cloak (2 Kings 2:8) and then was carried by a whirlwind into heaven, following a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11), leaving Elisha as the main priest of "Israel" (Northern Kingdom) and with twice the prophetic power of Elijah. Elisha was credited with several miracles:

1. Also parting the Jordan River (2 Kings 2:13-14).
2. Causing a poor widow to have her olive oil multiplied many times so that she could pay her debts and live normally (2 Kings 4:1-7).
3. Enabling a barren woman to have a child (2 Kings 4:14-17) and then bringing the child back to life after its dying (2 Kings 4:32-35) -- a story sounding much like modern-day mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
4. Multiplying loaves and grain to feed 100 men (2 Kings 4:42-44).
5. Healing a leper, by having him wash 7 times in the Jordan River (2 Kings 5:10; 14)
6. Causing an ax head to float (2 Kings 6:5-7).

Elisha anointed Jehu as King of "Israel," and Jehu had King Ahab's wife, Jezebel, killed and, as prophesied by Elijah, her body was scattered (2 Kings 9: 30-36). After Elisha died, a man's body was thrown into Elisha's tomb and was revived (2 Kings 13:20-21).

The fall of "Israel" (the Northern Kingdom, including Samaria) and the people's exile to Assyria (2 Kings 17:6) around 721 B.C. was attributed to their not following the Lord. At that point, Judah (the Southern Kingdom, which included Jerusalem) still was independent. The "gods" from other areas included Succoth-Benoth, Nergal, Ashima, Nibhaz, Tartak, Adrammelech, Anammelech, Molech, Asherah, Nisroch, Topheth, Ashtoreth, Chemosh, Milcom, and Baal; these were being worshipped also by the Hebrews, angering the Lord. In the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah,

Isaiah was the prophet. Isaiah caused time to go backwards (2 Kings 20:11).
During the reign of Josiah as King of Judah, Hilkiah (the High Priest) discovered a scroll of laws in the temple. Josiah restored the Lord's Temple and destroyed the shrines to other "gods," but Huldah (the prophetess: 2 Kings 22: 14-20) told Josiah that Judah would be destroyed because of its worshipping these "gods." Finally, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took over Judah in 586 B.C. Thus, the Southern Kingdom was independent for 135 years longer than the Northern Kingdom.

First Chronicles:

This book reviews the Hebrew history. From Abraham's son, Isaac were two sons -- Esau and Jacob, who was renamed "Israel." The sons of Israel were the 12 tribes of Israel:

1. Reuben | Simeon | Levi | Issachar | Zebulun | Dan | Joseph | Naphtali | Gad | Asher | Judah | Benjamin

The last two eventually became the "Southern Kingdom," and the others the "Northern Kingdom."
One of the reasons for King Saul's problems was his consulting a medium. (1 Chronicles 10:13; see also 1 Samuel 28). Jerusalem was called Jebus (from where the Jebusites, the original inhabitants, lived), and then "Fortress of Zion," and later "City of David," before finally Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 11: 4-6). The Lord told King David (1 Chronicles 17:11-12) that his line would always be the royal line but that his son would build the temple. David's census, showing 1,570,000 men of military age, was not authorized by God (1 Chronicles 21).
David was given credit for getting the materials ready for the temple, although not for its construction.

Second Chronicles:

Esther:

This is the story of a Jewish girl, Hadassah who was also called Esther, who became queen of Persia with King Xerxes (or Ahasuerus), who did not know she was a Jew. Her cousin, Mordecai, guided her and was a gatekeeper for the King. Haman, the prime minister, disliked the Jews and asked the King to kill them all. Queen Esther persuaded the King to kill Haman and grant Mordecai the King's "signet ring" and the right to save the Jews. The Jewish celebration of "Feast of Purim" is for the saving of the Jews by Esther.

Lamentations:

This is an outpouring of sadness over the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon. "...The Lord has ...summoned an army...to crush My young men. In His winepress the Lord has trampled the Virgin Daughter of Judah (i.e., His beloved city)." (Lamentations 1:15).

Daniel:

After King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had taken over Jerusalem, some of the young Hebrews were educated as counselors to the King -- particularly four:

1. Daniel (the Babylonian name was Belteshazzar [after King Nebuchadnezzar's "god" -- thus this Book uses Daniel for his name])
2. Hananiah (Babylonian was Shadrach )
3. Misha-el (Babylonian was Meshach )
4. Azariah (Babylonian was Abednego )

Daniel was the best at understanding visions. Of God, Daniel said (Daniel 2:22), "He reveals deep and hidden things, He knows what lies in darkness, and Light dwells within Him."
Two well-known stories from Daniel:
The Fiery Furnace (Daniel 3):
When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship a golden idol of King Nebuchadnezzar, they were thrown into a flaming furnace, yet were untouched due to God's deliverance.
The Lion’s Den (Daniel 6):
When Daniel prayed to God against King Darius' orders, he was thrown into a den of lions but was untouched. Those who plotted against him were then thrown into the lion's den and were killed.
Daniel, analyzing a dream, foretold that King Nebuchadnezzar would go insane for seven years and eat "grass like the cows," after which his Kingdom would be restored (Daniel 4). For another King (Belshazzar), Daniel read the writing on a plaster wall by a mysterious "hand," indicating that the King would be killed (Daniel 5).
Daniel described God's throne in a manner like Ezekiel, as fiery and on flaming wheels, with God having clothing white as snow and white hair with millions of angels (Daniel 7:9-10) -- coming to judge as "The Books" were opened.
As Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, Daniel spoke of the "last days" -- the future around his time (or even possibly yet to come now)

1. Gabriel (an angel from heaven) told Daniel, "..the vision concerns the time of the end." (Daniel 8:16-17)
2. "...Then Michael , one of the chief princes (i.e., of the heavenly army), came to help me...to explain...the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come." (Daniel 10:13-14)
3. "At that time Michael...will arise ...everyone whose name is found written in the Book -­will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt." (Daniel 12:1-2)
4. "...until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge." (Daniel 12:4)

Daniel refers to the Messiah:

1. "...one like a Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven...He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all people, nations and men of every language worshiped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His Kingdom is one that will never be destroyed." (Daniel 7:13-14).
2. "After the sixty-two 'sevens' (i.e., a time of 434 years), the Anointed One will be cut off (i.e., killed) and will have nothing (i.e., will not have His Kingdom)..." (Daniel 9:26).

Many of the dreams and visions of Daniel are of strange creatures (lion with eagle's wings; a leopard with four heads; a multi-horned animal with one horn that had eyes and a mouth), whose meaning is uncertain.

Hosea:

Hosea, a prophet of the Northern Kingdom (Israel), tells about his wife Gomer, who was a prostitute. Hosea sees that Israel has also acted like a prostitute, serving their "gods," yet God still loves the Jews, who will return to the Lord in the "last days" (Hosea 3:5). When the people believed in Baal or Baal-Peor, Hosea said, "They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind." (Hosea 8:7).

Joel:

Joel warns, "...The day of the Lord is great (i.e., awesome); it is dreadful..." (Joel 2:11). At that time, the "sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood ...everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved..." (Joel 2:31-32). However, Joel stated that, since the Day of the Lord (or Judgment Day) was near, people should "Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears..." (Joel 3:10; reversal of Isaiah 2:4: perhaps Joel thought of before the day and Isaiah after or on the day.).

Amos:

Amos, a herdsman, had a vision of God roaring like a lion from Mount Zion in His Temple (in Jerusalem), saying that He would test the Hebrews with a "plumb line" and will scatter Israel across the world. Amos did see that Israel and the Hebrews would eventually have their fortunes restored.

Obadiah:

This book tells of the land of Edom and its fall, along with other nations: "...As you have done (implied -- done to Israel), it will be done to you..." (Obadiah 1:15).

Jonah:

This story is well known:
Jonah and the Whale (Jonah 1-2): Jonah was appointed by God to tell the people of Ninevah of their destruction because of their wickedness. Jonah was afraid and hid from God on a ship. When a storm occurred, the seamen threw Jonah overboard to please God, and the seas calmed. Jonah was then swallowed by a "great fish" (whale) for three days and then was "vomited" up onto dry land.
Jonah then delivered the message to the people of Ninevah, they prayed to be saved, and they were saved from destruction (i.e., God changed His mind about destroying them). Jonah was angry about these people being saved, and God illustrated to Jonah that Gentiles (non-Jews, like the people of Ninevah) can be important to God.

Micah:

Micah said that God is coming to earth, speaKing of the "last days" -- the future around his time (or even possibly yet to come now):

1. "...The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (i.e., Jerusalem will rule in the end)..." (Micah 4:2)
2. "...They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore." (Micah 4:3; note similarity to Isaiah 2:4)
3. "In that day ...I will gather the lame...the exiles ...those I have brought to grief...The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever." (Micah 4:6-7).

Micah refers to the Messiah:

1. "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me One who will be Ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times (or -- from days of eternity)." (Micah 5:2).
2. "...His greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And He will be their peace." (Micah 5:4-5).

Micah says that all God wants of man is: "To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)

Nahum:

Regarding Ninevah/Assyria, Nahum tells them God said, "...I will prepare your grave..." (Nahum 1:14). Nahum says that God is good and knows all who trust Him, and He knows His enemies, who will be destroyed.

Zephaniah:

Zephaniah spoke of the "last days" -- the future around his time (or even possibly yet to come now):

1. "'On the day of the Lord's sacrifice I will punish the princes and the King's sons and all those clad in foreign clothes." (Zephaniah 1:8)
2. "...Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord's anger." (Zephariah 2:3)
3. "On that day they will say to Jerusalem...The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you...will quiet you with His love...will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:16-18)

Haggai:

The prophet, Haggai, delivered his message to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah (Southern Kingdom, including Jerusalem) encouraging the rebuilding of the Temple. Haggai said that future "splendor" of the Temple would be greater than in the past.

Zechariah:

Zechariah told of his visions, some with Angels on horses, golden lamp stands, and chariots. Zechariah said that the Lord is coming to earth from heaven (Zechariah 2:13), speaKing of the "last days" -- the future around his time (or even possibly yet to come now):

1. "'Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become My people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent Me to you." (Zechariah 2:11)
2. "On that day I will destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem...They will look on Me, the One they have pierced, and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child..." (Zechariah 12:9,10)
3. "A day of the Lord is coming...On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost ...plague with which the Lord will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem..." (Zechariah 14:1,6,12)

Zechariah refers to the Messiah:

1. "Listen, O high priest Joshua ...I am going to bring My Servant, the Branch ...seven eyes on that one Stone ...I will remove the sin of this land in a single day." (Zechariah 3:8,9)
2. " ...Joshua ...Tell him this is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Here is the Man whose name is The Branch, and He will branch out from His place and build the Temple of the Lord.'" (Zechariah 6:11-12)
3. "Rejoice greatly...your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey." (Zechariah 9:9)
4. "...for His flock, the house of Judah...will come the Cornerstone, from Him the tent peg, ...the battle bow, ...every ruler." (Zechariah 10:3,4)

Malachi:

The prophet Malachi said that God will be honored "among the nations" (i.e., by the Gentiles). (Malachi 1:11, 14) Malachi speaks against divorce, saying that God makes the two into one with marriage. (Malachi 2:15) Malachi also spoke of the "last days" -- the future around his time (or even possibly yet to come now):

1. "...A Scroll of Remembrance was written in His presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored His name. 'They will be Mine...in the day when I make up My treasured possession. I will spare them...'" (Malachi 3:16-17)
2. "'Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble (i.e., waste)...'" (Malachi 4:1)

Malachi refers to the Messiah:
• "'But for you who revere My name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall...'" (Malachi 4:2)