OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS for students

Most messages of the Old Testament prophetic books were addressed to the generations of God's people who lived approximately between the years 840 and 420 B.C. The ten tribes, known specifically as the kingdom of Israel. lived in north Canaan before they were deported by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. The other two tribes, known as the Kingdom of Judah, lived in south Canaan before they were taken captive by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. The people of God were not always divided into two camps. The split of the kingdom came at the end of Solomon's reign, Jeroboam I being the first king of the north, and Rehoboham the first king of the south. This story is recorded in I Kings 12-16. The history of the Jews during Old Testament times generally falls into four periods, called Camp, Commonwealth, Crown, and Captivity (with restoration). The audience of the writing prophets were the people living during the last two periods. The primarily task of the Old Testament prophets was not to foretell future events but to foretell the will of God which He had revealed to His prophets.