Timeline of the prophets
The sixteen writing prophets set in history: when each spoke, under which kings and empires, to whom, and the heart of their message.
Open the interactive timeline Kings of Israel and Judah
| Prophet | Dates | Addressed | In the days of | Message | Key verse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joel | c. 835–796 BC (debated) | Judah | undated; placed early (reign of Joash) or after the exile (Joel 1:1) | A locust plague as a warning of the day of the LORD, and the promise of the Spirit poured out on all flesh. | Joel 2:28 |
| Jonah | c. 785–750 BC | Nineveh | Jeroboam II of Israel (2 Kings 14:25) | God’s compassion reaches even Israel’s enemies, to the prophet’s dismay. | Jonah 4:2 |
| Amos | c. 760–750 BC | Israel | Uzziah of Judah, Jeroboam II of Israel (Amos 1:1) | A shepherd from Tekoa condemns the prosperous north for oppressing the poor while keeping religious festivals. | Amos 5:24 |
| Hosea | c. 755–715 BC | Israel | Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah of Judah; Jeroboam II of Israel (Hosea 1:1) | His marriage to an unfaithful wife pictures Israel’s idolatry and God’s persistent love. | Hosea 6:6 |
| Isaiah | c. 740–681 BC | Judah | Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah of Judah (Isaiah 1:1) | The Holy One of Israel judges Judah and the nations, and promises a coming king, a suffering servant and a new creation. Many scholars assign chapters 40–66 to later prophets. | Isaiah 53:5 |
| Micah | c. 735–700 BC | Judah and Samaria | Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah of Judah (Micah 1:1) | A villager’s protest against corrupt leaders, with the promise of a ruler from Bethlehem. | Micah 6:8 |
| Nahum | c. 663–612 BC | Nineveh | Manasseh or Josiah of Judah (Nahum 1:1) | The fall of Nineveh, the cruel Assyrian capital, announced as the LORD’s justice. | Nahum 1:7 |
| Zephaniah | c. 640–609 BC | Judah | Josiah of Judah (Zephaniah 1:1) | The day of the LORD will sweep away Judah’s idolatry, but a humble remnant will rejoice. | Zephaniah 3:17 |
| Jeremiah | c. 627–580 BC | Judah | Josiah, Jehoiakim and Zedekiah of Judah (Jeremiah 1:2) | Forty years warning Jerusalem to submit to Babylon, weeping over its fall, and promising a new covenant. | Jeremiah 31:31 |
| Habakkuk | c. 609–598 BC | Judah | probably Jehoiakim of Judah (Habakkuk 1:6) | A dialogue with God over why he would use the ruthless Chaldeans, ending in trust. | Habakkuk 2:4 |
| Daniel | c. 605–536 BC | The exiles in Babylon | Jehoiakim of Judah; Nebuchadnezzar, Darius and Cyrus (Daniel 1:1) | Faithfulness in a foreign court, and visions of kingdoms rising and falling until the kingdom of God. Many scholars date the book’s final form to the 2nd century BC. | Daniel 7:13 |
| Ezekiel | c. 593–571 BC | The exiles in Babylon | in the exile of Jehoiachin (Ezekiel 1:2) | A priest among the exiles sees the glory of the LORD leave Jerusalem, and promises new hearts and a restored temple. | Ezekiel 36:26 |
| Obadiah | c. 586–553 BC | Edom | after Jerusalem’s fall (some date it to the 9th century BC) (Obadiah 1:1) | Judgment on Edom for gloating over Jerusalem’s destruction. | Obadiah 1:15 |
| Haggai | c. 520 BC | Jerusalem after the return | Darius I of Persia (Haggai 1:1) | Four short messages urging the returned exiles to rebuild the temple. | Haggai 2:9 |
| Zechariah | c. 520–480 BC | Jerusalem after the return | Darius I of Persia (Zechariah 1:1) | Night visions encouraging the rebuilding, and oracles of a humble king riding into Jerusalem. | Zechariah 9:9 |
| Malachi | c. 460–430 BC | Jerusalem after the return | the Persian period, near the time of Nehemiah (Malachi 1:1) | Disputations with priests and people grown careless, and the promise of a messenger to prepare the way. | Malachi 3:1 |
Dates are approximate. The dates of Joel and Obadiah are debated, and many scholars assign parts of Isaiah and the final form of Daniel to later periods.