119 The prophecies of minor Prophects

The prophecies of the Minor Prophets.

YHVH used His servants the prophets to record events to occur in our time, in the near future. In the last 12 books of the Tanach (according to the index used in modern day English versions), we learn about these events soon to occur. These books are called the Minor Prophets, because of the length of their books and not because their messages are unimportant. The kingdoms of Assyria and Babylon were great empires during the time of the prophets. These great nations were used by YHVH to defeat and enslave the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The kingdom of Israel was taken captive by Assyria between 721 and 718 BCE and the kingdom of Judah was taken captive by Babylon between 604 and 585 BCE.

The Assyrians took the nation of Israel out of Samaria and settled another people in their place. Whilst the nation of Judah returned to their homeland when YHVH stirred the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia allowing them to return, as is recorded in the book of Ezra, the nation of Israel never returned. Instead the nation of Israel was over time taken northwest into Europe, where some settled. The rest moved on into England and further on to the USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. Eventually, the seed of the Israelites were spread throughout the world and can be found amongst virtually every nation in the world. The children of Abraham have indeed become a multitude of nations. Modern day Israelites are dispersed throughout the world, but are in the main to be found in the nations of the western world. These people are referred to in the Scriptures as the ‘house of Israel’, ‘Jacob’, ‘Ephraim’ and ‘Samaria’. It is also important to understand that Scriptural phrases such as ‘in that day’ and ‘at that time’ generally referred to the period known as the Great Tribulation, which will occur immediately before the return of Yahshua our Messiah (as mentioned in Matthew 24: 21). The phrase ‘Day of YHVH’ refers to the time immediately after the Great Tribulation, and includes the events leading up to the return of Messiah.

Hosea’s Prophecies:

The Minor Prophets lived and prophesied between the years 900 to 400 BCE. To start with we read from Hosea 1: 1 that Hosea prophesied during the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the reign of King Jeroboam the second of Israel. Hosea directed his prophesies to the nation of Israel. YHVH commissioned Hosea to marry a prostitute named Gomer. The reason why YHVH told Hosea to marry a prostitute was because the people of Israel, promised at Mount Sinai to keep the covenant with Him as recorded in Exodus 24: 6 – 8, but committed spiritual adultery by worshipping false elohim. Hosea’s wife, true to character also committed adultery, and her unfaithfulness in marriage pictured what the nation of Israel had done to Elohim. Hosea and Gomer had three children - The first one was a boy, which YHVH instructed Hosea to name ‘Jezreel’, meaning ‘Elohim will scatter’, showing that He was planning to disperse the house of Israel throughout the world (see Hosea 1: 4 & 5). Hosea’s second child was a daughter. YHVH told Hosea to call her name ‘Lo-ruhamah’ meaning ‘not pitied’ or ‘no mercy’. YHVH was telling the people of Israel through Hosea that He will have no pity and will definitely punish them for their sins. Hosea’s third child was another boy, which YHVH told Hosea to call ‘Lo-ami’ meaning ‘not my people’. In this way YHVH warned Israel through Hosea that He no longer regards them as His people. In fact these three prophesies apply to us, the modern day descendants of Israel. We have been scattered throughout the nations of the world. Because of Sabbath breaking and idolatry, we have lost our identity as the house of Israel and are no longer known as the people of Elohim. He has indeed punished us and showed no mercy in doing so.

Hosea continues with the same prophesy in Hosea 2: 16 & 17, saying: “And it will come about in that day,” declares YHVH, “That you will call Me Ishi (my Husband) and will no longer call Me Baali (my LORD, or my Baal). (17) For I will remove the names of the Baals (false elohim) from her mouth, so that they will be mentioned (remembered) by their names no more.” Also notice in Hosea 3: 5: ‘Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek YHVH their Elohim and David their king; and they will come trembling to YHVH and to His goodness in the last days.” Is this not what is happening to us today? The Set-apart names of YHVH and Yahshua have become known to many of us during the last number of years and many Israelites are returning to YHVH and His Torah. This is talking about us today, long after ancient Israel went into captivity. YHVH is warning modern day Israel and especially the people in the western world, that if they refuse to repent, they will again go into national captivity. However, there is a bit of good news! After the corrective punishment, soon to be inflicted on modern day Israel, the remaining remnant will again acknowledge their transgressions and seek Elohim as per Hosea 5: 15. We see in verse 15, that this will happen during their affliction, otherwise known as the great tribulation. The remnant of Israel will again look to Elohim for help, as we read from Hosea 6: 1, in this way: “Come, let us return to YHVH. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.” Hosea shows in his prophesy to Israel that the modern day descendants of Israel will again come to recognize their true identity, when Elohim gathers His people from all over the world, as is recorded in Hosea 1: 10 & 11. In Hosea chapters 7 to 13, he continues to rebuke modern day Israel with condemnation from Elohim. But as we have learned, many of the people of Israel will eventually seek YHVH in their affliction. He will again bless them with prosperity and happiness, as we read in Hosea chapter 14. However, this will only be after Messiah’s return, during the millennium. We read in verses 4 & 5 of Chapter 14, that: ‘I (YHVH) will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely, for My anger has turned away from them. (5) I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily, and he will take root like the cedars of Lebanon.’

Joel’s prophecies:

Joel was a prophet who lived in Jerusalem, and was from the kingdom of Judah. The name Joel means “YHVH is Elohim”. Joel in prophesy describes swarms of insects, symbolizing the invading armies which came to destroy modern day Israel. In Joel 1: 7 he describes successive swarms of destructive insects that devour the food crops, as follows: ‘It has made my vine a waste, and my fig tree splinters. It has stripped them bare and cast them away; their branches have become white.’ Next Joel speaks of a devastating drought in chapter 1: 10, as follows: ‘The field is ruined, the land mourns, for the grain is ruined, the new wine dries up, fresh oil fails. Joel used the analogy of the insects to describe a great human army that will invade the lands of the modern day descendants of Israel. This will be a time of great trouble before the coming of the ‘day of YHVH’, as we read in Joel 1: 15. This could also refer to what is happening to our farmers at present.

In Joel chapter 2, He describes the ‘Day of YHVH’, the time when YHVH will intervene personally in human affairs. We read accordingly from verses 1 & 2: ‘Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on my Set-apart mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of YHVH is coming; surely it is near, (2) a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, so there is a great and mighty people; there has never been anything like it, nor will there be again after it, to the years of many generations.’ We also read about an earth quake and the sun and the moon growing dark, with the stars losing their brightness in Joel 2: 10. These are terrible things which are about to happen to the inhabitants of our planet. How can people escape these terrible events that are about to happen? We read the answer to this question in Joel 2: 12 & 13, as follows: “Yet even now, “declares YHVH, “Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping, and mourning; (13) and rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to YHVH your Elohim, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving-kindness, and relenting (or repenting) of evil.” We see what YHVH says about the land devastated by the insect plagues in verse 25 of Joel 2, as follows: “Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the creeping locust, the stripping locust, and the gnawing locust, My great army which I sent among you.” We read from Joel 2: 32, “And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of YHVH will be delivered; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as YHVH has said, even among the survivors whom YHVH calls.” This shows that it is important for us to know and call on the name of YHVH, if we want to escape the coming great tribulation.

We also see in Joel 2: 27 that the modern day descendants of Israel will come to know YHVH, as follows: “Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am YHVH your Elohim and there is no other; and My people will never be put to shame.” After the great tribulation and the Day of YHVH, Elohim will once again bless the remnant of His people Israel. Yahshua will restore Elohim’s government over the whole earth and will give His spirit to all of mankind, as we read in Joel 2: 28 – 29: “And it will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. (29) And even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.” Messiah will rule from Jerusalem and Israel will dwell at peace as may be read in Joel 3: 16 – 20.

The prophecies of Amos:

Amos was born in Judah in a place called Tekoa. He was a shepherd and a cultivator of sycamore trees. Amos prophesied in the days of Uzziah, the 13th of 19 kings of the house of Israel, as we read in Amos 1: 1. Like the major prophets Amos prophesied about the destruction of Israel and among other the nations of Edom, Ammon and Moab who moved into the land, by exterminating the people of YHVH, as may be read in Amos 1: 3 -15 and 2: 1- 3. In verses 4 & 5 of Amos 2 we read what Judgment YHVH will send on the house of Judah, as follows: ‘Thus says YHVH, “For three transgressions of Judah and for four I will not revoke its punishment, because they rejected the law of YHVH and have not kept His statutes; their lies also have led them astray, those after which their fathers walked. (5) So I will send fire upon Judah, and it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.”’ This prophecy was fulfilled for Judah, when Nebuchadnezzar captured the city of Jerusalem in 604 to 586 BCE and the palaces were destroyed with fire. But as we will see later on, there is a duality in Scriptural prophesy. The house of Judah returned to their homeland 70 years after their captivity and many of their present day descendants live in the land today. In fact they are of the house of Judah and not the house of Israel as the name of the modern day Jewish state suggests. However, they together with the modern day descendants of the house of Israel will be punished severely during the great tribulation, before Messiah’s return.

The rest of the prophecies of Amos are addressed to the house of Israel. Israel had gone so far away from keeping Elohim’s Torah that He asked the question recorded in Amos 3: 3 ‘Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment?’ The word appointment here implies the appointed times of YHVH. It is essentially saying that people cannot walk together unless they agree about the appointed Feast Days of YHVH. The proper Feast Days are the ones celebrated by Judah, as we shall see when we discuss the prophesies of Nahum[1]. It is not possible for two to walk together unless they are in agreement with one another. The people of Israel were not in agreement with Elohim, and He was using Amos to warn them to repent from their sins and to return to Torah. We read in Amos 3: 7 that YHVH always warns His people, before punishing them, as follows: ‘Surely YHVH Elohim does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets.’

YHVH showed Amos three visions along with their meanings. In the first vision in Amos 7: 7 & 8, he saw Elohim standing on a wall holding a plumb line, an instrument used by the construction industry to test the straightness of walls. The plumb line symbolizes Elohim’s testing of the righteousness of Israel. Because of their unrighteousness, we see the punishment that would come upon them in Amos 7: 9, as follows: “The high places of Isaac will be desolated and the sanctuaries of Israel laid waste. Then shall I rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.” This punishment will be meted out against the people of Israel scattered throughout the world today, but primarily located in the Western world. However, why do we also read about Isaac and Jeroboam in this same judgment? Yes, the people of Israel are also called ‘house of Isaac’ as they were descended from him. But, we know that as Nazarene Israelites (and likeminded believers) we like Isaac, are children of promise (Galatians 4: 28), and according to Galatians 6: 16 the Israel of Elohim. In addition we are familiar with Romans 9: 6 & 7, stating: ‘But it is not as though the word of Elohim has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; (7) neither are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED.” Could this plumb line test not also be a warning for us, Nazarene Israel and like-minded believers, today? The conundrum (mystery) that helps us understand why this might also be talking about us and the confusion that reigns in our midst, is (partly) the reason for mentioning king Jeroboam in the same judgment. Jeroboam was the first king of Israel after the original nation split in two. As we already stated, Israel was taken captive by Assyria because king Jeroboam started the sins of Sabbath breaking and idolatry in Israel. In 1 Kings 12: 32 we see that Jeroboam instituted a feast in the eighth month on the 15th day of the month, like the feast which is in Judah. However, we know according to Leviticus 23: 34 that the Feast of Tabernacles in Judah starts on the 15th day of the seventh month. We should also be aware that the Feast Days of YHVH are part of His Sabbaths which we are commanded to observe. Are we observing the Feasts at Elohim’s appointed times?

In Amos 7 verse 17 we see how Israel will be punished: “Therefore, thus says YHVH, ‘Your wife will become a harlot in the city, your sons and your daughters will fall by the sword, your land will be parceled up by a measuring line, and you yourself will die upon unclean soil. Moreover, Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’” In Amos 8 verses 1 & 2 we read about the second vision that Amos had. In this vision He saw a basket of fruit, symbolizing Israel being ripe for punishment. Amos’ final vision was of the destruction of a temple – not the Temple in Jerusalem, but a temple in the kingdom of Israel. In Amos 9: 8 we read: ‘“Behold, the eyes of YHVH Elohim are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth; nevertheless, I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob,” Declares YHVH.’ In Amos 9: 11 – 15 we see that after YHVH has corrected Israel, He promises to restore the ruined land and cities and bring Israel back from captivity. After the tribulation and the return of Messiah, the nation of Israel consisting of all twelve tribes, will again be the head of all the nations on the earth.

The prophecies of Obadiah:

The name Obadiah means ‘servant of Elohim’. The prophecy of Obadiah is the shortest book in the Tanach. Obadiah prophesied about the destruction of Edom. The people of Edom are descendants of Esau, the brother of Jacob. Edom will be punished at the return of Messiah for the reasons given in verses 8 to 10 of Obadiah. One of those reasons is as given in the first part of verse 10: “Because of violence (transliterated as Hamas in Hebrew) to your brother Jacob.” The destruction of Edom will come during the Day of YHVH as we read in Obadiah verse 15: “For the day of YHVH draws near on all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you. Your dealings will return on your own head.” Nations such as Edom will be destroyed (as may be seen in verse 16) and the people of Israel and Judah will once again possess all the land originally promised to father Abraham. This is confirmed in verse 20, as follows: ‘And the exiles of this host of the sons of Israel, who are among the Canaanites as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will possess the cities of the Negev.’ According to verse 21, when Messiah returns to set up the kingdom of Elohim on the earth, those who[2] are changed into immortal spirit-composed beings will be with Him at His return.

The book of Jonah:

Jonah is the only Minor prophet who did not prophesy about Israel or Judah. He was sent by Elohim to the ancient city of Nineveh, to convince its inhabitants to repent from their wickedness. But, we see that Jonah did not obey YHVH and fled to Tarshish, from the presence of YHVH on board a ship. However, we should never be as naïve as Jonah was, thinking that there is a place where we can hide from YHVH. This is when YHVH stirred up a storm on the sea, so that the ship was about to break up. All the sailors on the ship became very afraid, but Jonah went into the hold of the ship and fell sound asleep. The captain approached Jonah, asking him how he is able to sleep during such a storm. He instructed Jonah to pray to his Elohim, so that they may not perish. At that time the sailors decided to cast lots to see on whose account the calamity has struck them. The lot fell on Jonah and the sailors demanded to know where he is from. He told them that he was a Hebrew and that he fears YHVH the Elohim of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land. This upset the sailors and they asked Jonah what they should do to him. He told them to throw him overboard. Initially they would not do that, but prayed to YHVH and told Him that they do not want to perish on account of Jonah, after which they threw Jonah overboard. We read that at that time the sailors feared YHVH greatly: They offered up a sacrifice to Him and made vows. YHVH then appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights. Jonah prayed whilst He was in the stomach of the fish recognizing in the last part of Jonah 2: 9 that: “Salvation is from YHVH.” Then YHVH commanded the fish to vomit Jonah up on dry land.

Again YHVH commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh. This time Jonah obeyed and went to the city. He walked through the city crying out that they should repent, or their city will be overthrown in forty days. The people of Nineveh believed Jonah and went on a fast, putting on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Even the king of Nineveh covered himself in sackcloth and issued a decree that all the inhabitants, both man and beast should not eat or drink. They called on YHVH and when He saw their deeds and that they repented from their sins, He relented concerning the calamity which He declared to bring upon them. However, this displeased Jonah greatly and he asked YHVH to take His life from him. When YHVH asked him about his anger, Jonah went out from the city and sat east of it. YHVH made a plant to be a shelter for Jonah and He was pleased with the plant. Then YHVH appointed a worm to attack the plant and it withered. So there was no more shade for Jonah and he became faint, saying to YHVH that death is better than life. He also said that he had good reason to be angry even to death. Then YHVH said to Jonah, that he had compassion on the plant for which he did not work, and which he did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. In verse 11 of Jonah 4 YHVH concluded: “And should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?” I believe that the purpose for the book of Jonah is the following: Yahshua spoke about the book of Jonah in Matthew 12 verses 39 – 41, where He told the Scribes and the Pharisees that the only sign proving that He is the Messiah, is the fact that He will be in the grave for three full nights and three full days, like Jonah was in the belly of the fish for the same amount of time. He also said to them that the men of Nineveh shall be resurrected with this generation (meaning those of His day, who did not believe in Him) at the judgment, and shall condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold something greater than Jonah (Yahshua himself) was with them. Those who lived during Messiah’s time and saw the miracles that Yahshua had done, and even though they knew the prophecies about Him from the Tanach, they denied Him. That is why they will be condemned, with others who disobey Him after they have come into the knowledge of the truth, to burn with the wicked, after the great white throne judgment.

The Prophecies of Micah:

The name Micah means ‘who is like YHVH’. As we read in Micah 1: 1, Micah came from a Judean town Moresheth and prophesied during the reign of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah kings of Judah. Micah’s prophecies were directed to the capitols of both Judah and Israel. He called all the people, including the rulers of the house of Israel to hear his prophesy. Micah foretells that YHVH will come forth from heaven and will stand upon the mountains, and the mountains will melt under Him; the valleys will be split like wax before a fire. We see that these things will occur when Yahshua returns from heaven. We see from Micah 3 that it was the heads of Jacob and the rulers of the house of Israel who are to blame for leading their people astray. We see in verse 12 of Micah 3, ‘Therefore, on account of you (speaking about the leaders), Zion will be plowed as a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the temple will become high places of a forest.’ We see From Micah 7: 12 & 13 (as we have also seen in Amos 6: 14) that YHVH will use the Assyrians and Egyptians to punish the modern day descendants of Israel, as follows: ‘It will be a day when they will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, from Egypt even to the Euphrates, even from sea to sea and mountain to mountain. (13) And the earth will become desolate because of her inhabitants, on account of the fruit of their deeds.’ Micah recorded his prophecies as it was revealed to him. It did not follow in chronological order as we see in Micah 4: 1 where he is talking about what will happen after the devastation mentioned in chapter 7, as follows: ‘And it will come about in the last days that the mountain (government) of the house of YHVH will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, and the peoples will stream to it.’ Elohim’s government will be established over the commonwealth of Israel and they will as a model nation show the rest of mankind how blessed it is to live by and obey Elohim’s commandments. As a result all nations on the face of the earth will turn to YHVH (or Yahshua the image or face of Elohim) to teach them to live a way of life that brings happiness and peace (Micah 4: 2). In verses 3 to 4 of Micah 4, we read accordingly: ‘And He will judge between many peoples and render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they train for war. (4) And each of them will sit under his vine and under his fig tree, with no one to make them afraid, for the mouth of YHVH of hosts has spoken.’

Reading on in Micah 5: 7 -15 we see that Micah’s prophecy is for the remnant of modern Israel today. Micah describes the many blessing that the Israelites in especially the Western world have been experiencing up to now. In verse 7 of Micah 5 we read: ‘Then the remnant of Jacob will be among many peoples like dew from YHVH, like showers on vegetation which do not wait for man or delay for the sons of men.’ Wherever the lost tribes of Israel lived, they were a blessing to the people amongst whom they resided. However, in the same chapter Micah also prophesied that at this very time, i.e. today, Elohim will cut off these blessings. In Micah 5: 10 & 11 we read: ‘And it will be in that day, declares YHVH, “That I will cut off your horses from among you and destroy your chariots (Will this happen, when oil production is stopped by the Arabs?). (11) I will also cut off the cities of your land and tear down all your fortifications.”’ In Micah 5: 12 - 13 we see that Elohim allows such destruction because of pagan idol worship. YHVH will punish us unless we repent before utter destruction come upon the nations at the second coming of Yahshua Messiah. Micah’s prophecies conclude with positive news in Micah 7: 18 to 20, where he tells us how YHVH will restore Israel again to His way of life.

The Prophecies of Nahum:

Nahum wrote his prophecies about one hundred years after the house of Israel was taken captive by the Assyrians. Nahum’s prophesies were directed to Nineveh the capital of Assyria. Nahum states in the first part of verse 12 of Nahum 1, that YHVH will eventually punish Assyria, as follows: ‘Thus says YHVH, “Though they are at full strength and likewise many, even so, they will be cut off and pass away.”’ YHVH promises His people, modern day Israel and Judah, that He will cut off their oppressor at Messiah’s return. We read in Nahum 1: 15: ‘Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace! Celebrate your feasts, O Judah (meaning that YHVH is pleased with the feast days kept by Judah); pay your vows. For never again will the wicked one pass through you; he is cut off completely.”

The prophecies of Habakkuk:

Habakkuk prophesied around 600 BCE. His prophesy open with him praying about the sins of Israel and other nations. He was upset to see what the Babylonians would soon do to Judah. He waited for Elohim’s reply to him and in Habakkuk 2: 2, we read: ‘Then YHVH answered me and said, “Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run.” In verse 3 of Habakkuk 2 (in the KJV), we see that this vision was not for our ancient forefathers, but for us, as follows: ‘For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie; though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.’ YHVH also showed Habakkuk that He will punish all unrighteousness at the end-time, including those nations that conquered the kingdoms of Israel and Judah (as may be read in Habakkuk 2: 8, 10, and 16 & 17). We read in Habakkuk 2: 14 that YHVH will teach all nations His way of life, as follows: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of YHVH, as the waters cover the sea.” Habakkuk concludes his prophesy with a prayer of thanksgiving, as we read in Chapter 3: 18: ‘Yet I will exult in YHVH, I will rejoice in the Elohim of my salvation.’

The prophecies of Zephaniah:

Zephaniah means ‘YHVH hides’ or ‘the one whom YHVH hides’. Zephaniah’s prophesy focuses on ‘the Day of YHVH’, the period following the great tribulation. He warns that no one will escape the punishment to be meted out on ‘the Day of YHVH’. The leaders of the nations will be punished (as per Zephaniah 1: 8). The wicked merchants (in some versions of the Scriptures called Canaan) are warned about dishonesty (Zephaniah 1: 10 &11). In Zephaniah 1: 7, Zephaniah instructs the inhabitants of the world, to: ‘Be silent before YHVH Elohim! For the day of YHVH is near, for YHVH has prepared a sacrifice, He has consecrated His guests.’ Zephaniah describes the Day of YHVH in verse 15 to 18 of chapter 1, as follows: ‘A day of wrath is that day, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, (16) a day of trumpet and battle cry, against the fortified cities and the high corner towers. (17) And I will bring distress on men, so that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against YHVH; and their blood will be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung. (18) Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the day of (YHVH)’s wrath; and all the earth will be devoured in the fire of His jealousy, for He will make a complete end, indeed a terrifying one, of all the inhabitants of the earth.’

In Zephaniah 2: 1- 3 YHVH calls the nations to repent and he foretells the judgment coming upon the nations who warred against Israel. In the last part of Zephaniah 3: 8, we read: “For all the earth will be devoured by the fire of My zeal. We also see from Zephaniah 3: 9 that: “For then I will give to the peoples purified lips, that all of them may call on the name of YHVH, to serve Him shoulder to shoulder.” We see from verse 10 that YHVH will even remember the Israelites who were scattered and live beyond the rivers of Ethiopia in Southern Africa, but warns that only those who humble themselves before Him will make it into His Kingdom. He also promises that He will not leave the few remaining people of Israel in a state of desolation and destruction, but will bring them out of this time of trouble. This will be a time of joy and happiness, as we read in Zephaniah 3: 14 & 15, ‘Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! (15) YHVH has taken away His judgments against you, he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, YHVH, is in your midst; you will fear disaster no more.’ Yahshua the Word of Elohim will rule over the United Israel as King of Kings, as we read in Revelation 19: 11 – 16.

The prophecies of Haggai:

Haggai was the first of the post-captivity prophets and wrote after the nation of Judah returned from captivity in Babylon. YHVH inspired Haggai to inspire the people to rebuild the Temple destroyed by the Babylonians. However, we see that after the people of Judah returned, they were more concerned about rebuilding their own houses and stopped building the Temple. We read in Haggai 1: 2: “Thus says YHVH of hosts, ‘This people says, “The time has not come, even the time for the house of YHVH to be rebuilt.”’ The people had become uninterested in rebuilding the Temple, saying the time was not right for rebuilding it. Haggai told them to reconsider, since their ways were not the way of YHVH. They were not prospering, because they neglected to put YHVH first, as we read in Haggai 1: 8 – 11. It was at that time that the Spirit of Elohim stirred Zerubbabel, governor of Judah and Joshua, the high priest, as well as the people and they started rebuilding the Temple.

After they started rebuilding the Temple, YHVH inspired Haggai to prophesy about the ‘Day of YHVH’ as we read in Haggai 2: 6 & 7: “For thus says YHVH of hosts, ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. (7) And I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations; and I will fill this house with glory,’ says YHVH of hosts.” YHVH is speaking of a house, a Temple at the return of Messiah. Who or what is that Temple? How can we know? In Ephesians 2, we see that Yahshua the Messiah builds His Temple, with stones from both houses, fitly framed together. We read in verses 20 – 22 of Ephesians, as follows: ‘Having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Messiah Yahshua Himself being the corner stone, (21) in whom the whole building being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in YHVH; (22) in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of Elohim in the Spirit.’ Haggai was prophesying about the Temple, the congregation which Yahshua is even now building and preparing for His second coming. YHVH tells us through Haggai that He is going to over throw the nations of the world and set up His Kingdom on the earth. He promises in Haggai 2: 9 that at that time there will be peace for His people.

The prophecies of Zechariah:

The prophet Zechariah also prophesied after Judah returned from their captivity in Babylon. Zechariah was commissioned by Elohim to encourage Judah to rebuild the Temple at Jerusalem. He also prophesied about Messiah’s return to His spiritual Temple and the city of Jerusalem. We read accordingly from Zechariah 1: 16 ‘Therefore, thus says YHVH, “I will return to Jerusalem with compassion; My house will be built in it,’ declares YHVH of hosts, “and a measuring line will be stretched over Jerusalem.”’ And also in Zechariah 2: 10 ‘“Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” declares YHVH.’ We see from Zechariah 4 that he continued with a prophecy for Zerubbabel, who was overseeing the rebuilding of the physical Temple. It was by Elohim’s Spirit and not human effort that the Temple was rebuilt as we read from the last part of Zechariah 4: 6, as follows: “This is the word of YHVH to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says YHVH of hosts.” YHVH will also build His Spiritual Temple by His Spirit. As we see in Zechariah 8: 3, Yahshua the Messiah will set up His Kingdom and rule from the city of Jerusalem, after His return. During the millennium, people will live to a ripe old age. Children will again be playing in the streets of Jerusalem without fear (Zechariah 8: 4 & 5). We read from verse 13 of Chapter 8: ‘And it will come about that just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a blessing. Do not fear; let your hands be strong.’

Zachariah prophesied about the first coming of Messiah in Zechariah 9: 9, saying: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” He also prophesied about Messiah’s second coming in Zechariah 12: 10. We see from Zechariah 14: 1 – 4 what the nations will be doing at His second coming, in this way: ‘Behold, a day is coming for YHVH when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. (2) For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished, and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. (3) Then YHVH will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. (4) And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.’ We are also given a glimpse of His arrival in the last part of Zechariah 14: 5, as follows: ‘Then YHVH, my Elohim, will come, and all the Set-apart ones with Him!’ The people of United Israel will know and obey the One and only true Elohim in that day. In fact all nations alive at that time will keep the Feast Days of YHVH, as we read in Zechariah 14: 16 ‘Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, YHVH of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths.’ Even though very few people keep the Feast Days of YHVH given in Leviticus 23 today, that is about to change during the millennium rule of Yahshua our Messiah.

The prophecies of Malachi:

The name Malachi means ‘messenger of YHVH’. Most of Malachi’s prophecies are aimed at the modern day descendants of Israel. However, in verse 2 - 4 of Chapter 1 we read YHVH saying: “I have loved you,” says YHVH. But you say, “How hast Thou loved us?” Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares YHVH. “Yet I have loved Jacob; (3) but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation, and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.” (4) Though Edom says, “We have been beaten down, but we will return and build up the ruins”; thus says YHVH of hosts, “They may build, but I will tear down; and men will call them the wicked territory, and the people toward whom YHVH is indignant forever.” From this we see that YHVH will remain angry with Esau. He also informs us that it is His right to decide how He responds to His Creation. YHVH rebukes the people of Israel for not honoring His name, in Malachi 1: 6, saying: “’A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?” says YHVH of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, ‘How have we despised Thy name?’ Yes, this is talking to the many believers who today refuse to honor the name of YHVH, by using titles such as G-d and Father in place of His name. However, we notice In Malachi 1 from verse 6 on, that He says that the modern day Israelites are not honoring His name by offering defiled food upon His altar. We should at this point ask ourselves: are we giving YHVH our best at all times? Are we giving Him the first fruits of our offering of time: for Sabbath services, in Scripture studies and prayer? Or do we want it to be over as soon as it started?

In Chapter 2 YHVH again says that the priests are not honoring His name, because they refuse to keep His Feast Days at the appointed times, which Moses (or the one in Moses’ seat) shall proclaim. YHVH actually refers to it here as His ‘covenant with Levi’. Yes, we read in verse 11, that Judah has also dealt treacherously and profaned the sanctuary of Elohim. YHVH explains in verse 16 that He hates divorce and him who covers his garment with wrong. In verse 17 He warns that we as Israel must take heed to our spirit that we do not deal treacherously, by asking how He (YHVH) can still delight in Judah, after the evil that they had done. How dare we? YHVH has the right to do what He wants, as He is our maker. Rav Shaul explains this very thing in Romans 3: 1 & 2, where he tells us that Judah has been entrusted with the Oracles of Elohim. They decide at the seasons appointed by YHVH, when we should observe the Feast Days of YHVH. In verse 3 and the first part of verse 4 of Romans 3 we read: ‘What then? If some (of the Jews) did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of Elohim, will it? (4) May it never be! Rather, let Elohim be found true, though every man be found a liar.' Believe it or not brethren, this is how many dishonors the name of YHVH. Continuing on in chapter 3 of Malachi, Malachi prophesied of a messenger that will come to prepare the way for Messiah’s return. This refers in type to Messiah’s first coming, but primarily to His return. Messiah will suddenly come to His Spiritual Temple – those whom Elohim has called to become His spirit begotten children. In verse 2 of chapter 3 Malachi describes the Day of YHVH, as follows: “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.” In Malachi 3 verses 17 and 18 we see the reward that YHVH has planned for those who fear Him, in this way: “And they will be mine,” says YHVH of hosts, “on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. (18) So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves Elohim and one who does not serve Him.” Malachi speaks of the second death after the tribulation, in Malachi 4 verses 1 and 3, saying: “For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says YHVH of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.” (3) “And you will tread down the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says YHVH of hosts.’

YHVH through Malachi, admonished us in verse 4 of Chapter 4 to remember the Law of Moses and the statutes and ordinances that He commanded Moses at Horeb, for all Israel. Next we read that prior to Yahshua’s return, YHVH says that the Prophet Elijah will come before the Day of YHVH and he will teach Israel saying: “My El is YHVH”, or that his Elohim is YHVH. In addition he will turn the hearts of the children to their fathers and the hearts of the fathers to the children: meaning that this Elijah will also turn the faith (hearts) of the children (modern day Israel) back to the faith of their fathers in the faith, namely Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We see in Malachi 4: 6 that YHVH says if this is not accomplished, He will smite the land with a curse. The word curse can mean utter destruction and is transliterated as Allah in Hebrew. This is in effect saying that because the modern day Israelites have violated the Law of Moses, the curse has been poured out upon them: the curse of Islamic terrorism started during the early 1990’s and is continuing even today. We as Nazarene Israel (and some like-minded believers) are to an extent, presently fulfilling the role of Elijah that Malachi prophesied about!

[1] In Nahum 1: 15 we read: ‘Behold on the mountains the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace! “Celebrate your feasts, O Judah:”

[2] Those who died in Messiah will be resurrected and those believers in Him, who are still alive at His return, will together be changed into immortal spirit composed beings.