PROPHETS AND PROPHECIES - SUDHA RANI (books to read for 13 year olds TXT) 📗

to be humble.

If we read Matthew 5th, 6th and 7th chapters Jesus spoke about Beatitudes, how to pray and gave many examples on how to live a good and spiritual life. Jesus said in Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished”. So as the children of God we should spread the good news about Jesus Christ’s birth, death, resurrection and the II coming.

 

 

HABAKKUK (BC 609)

 

Habakkuk means “TO EMBRACE OR HUG”. He prophesised in Judah. He decided that what ever may happen He will not leave God. In Habakkuk 3:17-18 says “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD I will be joyful in God our saviour” God has chosen him to tell the people that if they do not repent Babylon king will destroy them (Habakkuk 1:6) He also tells that righteous will live by his faith (Habakkuk 2:4)

God appointed him to tell the people of Judah that because of their sins the Babylon king will come against them destroy the city and take then as captives.( Habakkuk 1:6-11).

 

ABOUT THIS BOOK

 

1. Habakkuk 1:2 to 4 - Habakkuk’s first complaint

2. Habakkuk 1:5 to 11 - The LORD’S Answer

3. Habakkuk 1:12 to 2:1 - Habakkuk’s second complaint

4. Habakkuk 2: to 20 - The LORD’S Answer

5. Habakkuk 3rd chapter - Habakkuk’s Prayer for the God’s grace

6. Habakkuk 3:16 to 19 - Faith in God’s salvation

 

NOTE : In Habakkuk 1:15-17 says that “The wicked foe pulls all of them up with his hooks, he catches them in his net, he gathers them up in his drag-net and so he rejoices and is glad……..Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy?”. In these verses we can see that the wicked (Satan) is using hooks, nets of worldly desires, tempting us and destroying the people of the world causing them to sin.

 

NOTE: In Habakkuk 2:11 says that “The stones of the wall will cry out and the beams of the wood work will echo it “these verses mean that what ever the sin people do in secret on the judgment day these walls and beams (the two witness) who give witness against the sinners.

 

In (Habakkuk 3:16-19) Habakkuk says that “Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity ……..yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my saviour. “ This is the prayer of Habakkuk he was not afraid of the calamity that is going to come but trusted in the

LORD our saviour because those who have trust in God there are saved.

 

ABOUT JESUS CHRIST IN THIS BOOK

 

Habakkuk 3:18 “I will be joyful in God my saviour “here saviour refers to our LORD Jesus Christ .He is the only saviour of the world.

Habakkuk 3:16-19 it is written about “the day of calamity” that is the end days the II Coming of our LORD Jesus Christ.

Habakkuk prophesised in 3:16 to 19 verses “I will wait patiently for the day of calamity…………. Yet I will rejoice in the LORD I will be joyful in God my Saviour. The Sovereign LORD is my strength;” So as Habakkuk we should have our trust and hope in LORD Jesus Christ our only saviour, he will save us from all the calamities if we accept him as our saviour. (John 4:42)

 

 

ZEPHANIAH (BC 640)

 

Zephaniah means “God will hide” He prophesised during the reign of Josiah king of Judah. Zephaniah belongs to the Kings family (Zephaniah 1:1) (grand son of king Hezekiah). As his name mean God will hide the people on the destruction day (end times)

 

THIS BOOK CAN BE DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS

 

1st chapter & 2nd chapter : “ Warning of coming destruction “ and “The great day of the LORD “ If we read these two chapters it is very clearly written about the God’s anger against Judah and how God is going to destroy Jerusalem .

3rd chapter : The future of Jerusalem ( Zephaniah 3:17 “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save “)

 

NOTE : Zephaniah prophesised during king Josiah who was a good king (II Kings 22:1-2) during his time the Law Book written by Moses was found in the temple by Hilkiah the High Priest (II Kings 22:8) which was brought to the king . The king heard the words of the Law Book, he renewed the Covenant and made it read to all the people, He destroyed all the idols all starry hosts and burned it outside the Jerusalem (II Kings 23rd chapter). So during King Josiah period people were happy. But after him the other kings did evil in the eyes of the LORD

 

 

WHAT JESUS CHRIST HAS SPOKEN ABOUT THIS BOOK

 

In New Testament time Jesus Christ spoke two times the prophesies of Zephaniah Prophet.

 

Zephaniah 1:3 and in Matthew 13:41 says about the end times, the destruction and the judgment.

Zephaniah 1:15 and in Matthew 24:29 says about the Signs of the End of the Age “A day of darkness and gloom, Day of Wrath”.

By these verses it is clear that Prophet Zephaniah prophesised more about the Last Days, how the day will be, he also tells that silver and gold will not save you from the LORD’S Wrath. (Zephaniah 1:14-18).

But those who seek God, who are righteous and humble, are sheltered on the day of the LORD’S anger (Zephaniah 2:3). Amen

 

 

HAGGAI (BC 520) - After captive

 

Haggai means “JOYFUL” In BC 536 during the second kingdom of king Darius (Haggai 1:1), (Ezra 5:1) after the captive when the Israel people returned to their own country (Jerusalem). At that time the Word of the LORD came to prophet Haggai to encourage the people for rebuilding the city of Jerusalem because people were thinking that the time has not come to build the city ( Haggai 1:2) . Prophet Haggai prophesised to the people that they are planting and eating but not having enough (Haggai 1:6-7) “You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it”. So he told them stop thinking and go up into the mountains cut timber and build the House of God. Then Zerubbabel the leader and all the people obeyed the Word of the LORD and the message of the prophet Haggai (Haggai 1:12-13) . In Haggai 2:5 The LORD says that “My Spirit remains among you. Do not fear “.

In Haggai 2:20-23 The LORD says “Zerubbabel the LORD’S Signet ring”.

 

THIS BOOK CAN BE DIVIDED INTO 4 PARTS

1. A call to build the house of the LORD: Haggai 1:1-15.

2. The promised glory of the new house of God: Haggai 2:1-9

3. Blessings for a defiled people: Haggai 2:10-19

4. God’s promise and future blessings: Haggai 2:20-23.

 

The spiritual meaning of the above verses:

 

We are living in this world which is not permanent we are in captive (slave) in all our sinful acts and works. Jews were taken as captive to Babylon (compared to Satan city) they settled their build their houses, planted vineyards earned money just to put them in a purse of holes (1:6-7). Jesus Christ said “I will destroy this temple and built it in three days “(that refers to his Death and Resurrection) so also we are the Temple of the living God (II Corinthians 6:19). As those people were bringing the timber and building the Temple of God so also we have to build the Spiritual Temple by preaching the Good News the Word of God, gathering the believers to build his kingdom. If we do his work then we will be God’s signet ring.

“God has chosen you “ Amen.

 

 

ZECHARIAH (BC 520) -After captive

 

Zechariah means “GOD WILL REMEMBER” .He prophesised during the second kingdom of king Darius. He is the son of Berekiah (Zechariah 1:1) as his name means God remembered his promise after 70 years of captive in Babylon Israel people returned to their own country and rebuild the Temple . Zechariah was born in priest family he is a Levite (Nehemiah 12:4-16, Ezra 6:16). After the defeat of Babylon kingdom the Persia king gave order to rebuild their Temple (Ezra 3:7) under the leadership of Zerubbable. God has chosen both Haggai and Zechariah as prophets to prophesise to Jews in Jerusalem (Ezra 5:1).

 

NOTE: Ezra and Nehemiah in the company of Zerubbable returned to Jerusalem after the captive (Ezra 2:1-2). Nehemiah was the Governor and Ezra was the Priest and the Scribe (Nehemiah 8:9 and 12th chapter). In their time only prophet Haggai and Zechariah prophesised, so read books of Ezra and Nehemiah along with the prophetic books Haggai and Zechariah.

 

Zechariah encouraged the people to rebuild the Temple of God. They started the construction in BC 539 and completed by BC 510. If we read the book of Ezra and Nehemiah, Cyrus king of Persia helped the Exiles to return to their country and built the Temple (Ezra 1:1) and King Artaxerxes (who took Esther as queen in place of Vashti) sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem with the 2nd group of Exiles. King Cyrus also returned the gold and silver articles which were carried away by Nebuchadnezzar (Ezra 1:6). During the construction people faced many problems by their enemies (Ezra 4th chapter). They discouraged the people of Judah and also wrote letter to king Artaxerxes to stop the construction, but king Darius of Persia gave orders to rebuild the Temple and not to interfere with their work (Ezra 6th chapter). In Nehemiah 6:1 the Sanballat, Tobiah and other Arab’s also were against the rebuilding of the Temple (Nehemiah 4th chapter).

In spite of so many obstructions the Jews did not stop their work. They build the Temple by carrying a weapon in one hand and worked with another hand (Nehemiah 4th chapter).

In the same way we have to build the Temple of God by preaching the Gospel, by praying, by serving, being in fellowship with believers and working to build God’s kingdom. (Acts 2:37-42). We may also get many obstructions and oppositions by the people, our own ones, our relatives or our enemy (Satan) to stop the work which we are doing for God. But we should not give up as those people of Israel were carrying weapons while construction so also we should carry the Bible (The Word of God) and defeat our enemy.

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

1st chapter to 6th chapter - Eight visions

7th & 8th chapter - The LORD’S promises to Bless Jerusalem

9th to 14th chapter - Judgment on Israel’s Enemies an oracle.

 

ABOUT JESUS CHRIST IN THIS BOOK

 

1. Angle of the LORD - Zechariah 3:1

2. The Branch - Zechariah 3:8, 6:12.

3. Seven eyes on the stone - Zechariah 3:9, Revelation 2nd ch

4. Conner Stone - Zechariah 10:4, Psalms 118:22

5. Battle Bow - Zechariah 10:4

6. Tent peg - Zechariah 10:4

7. Thirty pieces of silver - Zechariah 11:12

8. Good Shepherd - Zechariah 13:6-7

9. Priced Me - Zechariah 11:13-14

10. They will look on me the

One they have pierced. - Zechariah 12:10, Revelation 1:7

Fountain will be opened - Zechariah 13:1

Strike the shepherd - Zechariah 13:7

The LORD is coming - Zechariah 14:1

On that day his feet will

Stand on the Mount of Olives - Zechariah 14:4

 

In Gospel of John 4:22 Jesus said that “ Salvation is from Jews” and in Zechariah 8:23 says “ In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the him of his robe and say, ‘ Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.”

So it is clear that Prophet Zechariah has spoken about the last days, that Jews will spread the Gospel and save the people of all nations.

In Psalms 122:6 says “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem may those who love you be secure “Peace be with you”. Amen.

 

 

 

MALACHI ( BC 433 )

 

Malachi means “MY ANGLE OR GOD’S ANGLE” He prophesised

In Israel specially to the priest.