If you’re worried about your Biblical knowledge and Old Testament chronology, this handy chart should prove useful. I’ve listed the kings of the people of Israel and Judah, the prophets, their lifespans, and when each book from the Bible was written.
A big part of the Bible is the history books that are included in the Old Testament, but it can be hard for readers to find the history and stories about prophets and kings organized in chronological order. This chart lays out the history of each book, including who wrote it and when it was written, along with a brief summary of each book’s contents. This chart will help you understand more about Old Testament history and all of its different periods
The Old Testament Chronological Chart puts the kings and prophets in their proper historical place. This clear, easy-to-read chart shows how core events in Israel’s history are connected to each other, making it simple for you to grasp the history of God’s people. The chart includes all the major biblical characters and stories from the earliest times through King Josiah, who helped restore true worship in Israel.
This chart is a comprehensive chronological record of the Old Testament kings and prophets, including when they lived, their deeds and accomplishments, major events and battles.”
Right here on Churchgists, you are privy to a litany of relevant information on the list of prophets in the Bible, prophets of the southern kingdom, 44 kings of Israel, and so much more. Take the time to visit our Website for more information on similar topics.
Chronological Chart Of Old Testament Kings And Prophets
Each one of the prophets of the Old Testament teaches us something specific and important about God, His word and our relationship with both. As we look at these teachings, we can see that they form a perfect revelation of God’s character and plan for the ages. These prophets each taught about a different aspect of God and His word.
List of Kings And Prophets In The Bible
- King/prophet name
- Position
- Dates
- Brief summary of the prophets message
The role of a prophet
The role of a king
The role of a prophet in the old testament
The role of a prophet in the new testament
Saul the first king of Israel august 1057 BC-1003 BC
Saul was the first king of Israel. He was born in Tarsus, a city in what is now Turkey. Saul was the son of Kish and became king when he conquered all the tribes in Israel except those living in Transjordan and Judah.
Saul’s first capital was Gibeah but after he had defeated the Philistines at Michmash, he moved his capital to Gibeah where it remained until Saul died. After Saul died, David became king of Israel and moved his capital to Jerusalem where it has remained ever since
David second king of Israel 1003BC-970BC
Our next king, King David, was a great warrior and leader. He was also a father, husband, friend and musician.
David was born in Bethlehem to Jesse who was the youngest of eight brothers. David’s father died when he was young so he became his own man at an early age. He became a shepherd and later on became a musician in his village because he played the harp with such skill that they called him sweet singer or “The Psalmist”.
Later on David joined Saul’s army as one of his warriors when they were fighting against the Philistines but soon after that Saul became jealous of David’s growing popularity so he tried to kill him twice but failed both times because God protected him both times from danger
When Saul died it seemed like all hope was lost for Israel because there were two contenders for power: Ishbaal (who ruled over part of Israel) and Adonijah (who ruled over another part). However; God had other plans! It turned out this whole time He had picked someone else entirely: Solomon!
Solomon third king of Israel 970BC-931BC
Solomon was the third king of Israel, succeeding his father David. He is known as one of the wisest men who ever lived, and he built a temple in Jerusalem that still stands today.
Rehoboam fourth king of Israel 931BC-915BC
Rehoboam was the son and successor of Solomon. He was a good king, but not a good leader. Rehoboam’s people complained against him, and he had to deal with their rebellion by dividing his kingdom in half so that those who had been loyal to David would have their own country.
Jeroboam II seventh king of Israel 793BC-753BC
Jeroboam II was the seventh king of Israel and the founder of the Israelite dynasty of Jehu. In 793 BC, he succeeded his father Jehu on the throne. His reign was marked by peace and prosperity, as he sought to restore Israel to its former glory as well as to establish economic stability for his people.
Jeroboam II’s strength was in part due to his ability to form alliances with neighboring kingdoms that included Syria, Moab and Ammon (modern-day Jordan). He also invaded Damascus at least once during his reign—the first time that any king had defeated an Assyrian army since Sargon II had conquered Jerusalem in 722 BC.
Hosea eighth prophet740BC-710 BC
Zechariah ninth king of Israel 753 BC-752 BC
Zechariah, the ninth king of Israel, ruled during the reign of King Jeroboam II. Zechariah prophesied during this time period and his prophetic ministry was contemporaneous with that of Hosea and Amos (1 Chronicles 9:44).
Shallum tenth king of Israel 752 BC
Shallum was the tenth king of Israel. He ruled from 752 BC to 742 BC, and he is the last king mentioned in the Bible as having reigned over a united kingdom of Israel (2 Kings 15:10). Shallum’s reign marked a brief period of peace before the Assyrians conquered Samaria, which then became part of their empire.
After only two years in power, Shallum’s own servants assassinated him (2 Kings 15:14). His son, Pekahiah took over as king until Menahem came back from exile and killed him in turn (2 Kings 15:25).
Menahem eleventh king of Israel 752 BC-742 BC
Menahem was a good king who ruled Israel for ten years, but he was assassinated in 742 BC. He was the son of Pekahiah and grandson of Ahaziah, both kings of Judah. He became king when his cousin Azariah died without leaving any children. Menahem had a reputation for being ruthless with his enemies and wise with his people, but historians believe that these were two sides to the same coin: his obsession with preserving peace at any cost made him easy prey for those seeking to manipulate him into overthrowing Assyria—just as they’d done with King Hoshea before him.
Pekahiah twelfth king of Israel 742 BC-740 BC
Pekahiah was the twelfth king of Israel, reigning in 742 BC to 740 BC. During his reign, Israel fell into the hands of Pekah and Hoshea.
We learn that a Judah assassin killed Pekahiah in 2 Kings 15:28.
Pekah thirteenth king of Israel 740 BC-732 BC
- Pekah was a king of Israel.
- Pekah was a wicked king.
- Pekah was the son of Remaliah, who plotted against King Ahaziah and succeeded in killing him (2 Kings 15:25-27).
- He was the king of Israel from 740 to 732 BC, during which he made an alliance with Syria against Judah (2 Kings 15:28).
These prophets each taught about a different aspect of God and His word.
These prophets each taught about a different aspect of God and His word. Some prophets were kings for a short time, while others were kings for a long time. Some kings served as prophets for very long periods of time, while others served as prophets for very short periods of time.
Timeline of The Old Testament
Learning about the major and minor prophets may sound like a reference to the major and minor leagues of baseball, but that’s where the similarities end. Who were these biblical prophets? God sent appointed messengers throughout history to warn and guide his people.
We discover God’s first mention of a prophet in Deuteronomy 18:18–19. “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him to do. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name.”
List of the Major and Minor Prophets
Before we go more in-depth, here is a list of the major and minor prophets mentioned in the Bible:
The Four Major Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel
The Twelve Minor Prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi
What Does Prophet Mean?
The word prophet defines someone who gives the declarations of God. These men and women did not exist for their own glory but for the glory of God. The Hebrew word for prophet is Nebi, which is derived from the verb action, “to bubble forth” like a fountain. The English word for prophet comes from the Greek word prophetes which means to “speak for another, especially one who speaks for a god.”
The biblical prophets spoke the truth which came from God. Their unique vocation allowed them to authoritatively speak on God’s behalf. They never spoke on their own authority nor did they share their own opinions. They only shared their message as God instructed them. Their role was to make God’s will known, as well as his holiness, and to instruct God’s people to reject idolatry and sin.
The divine inspiration and instruction of the Old Testament prophets are affirmed in the New Testament (2 Peter 1:20–21). “No prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
Interestingly enough, women were also prophets. Moses’s sister Miriam is called a “prophet” (Exod. 15:20), as are Deborah (Judg. 4:4) and Huldah (2 Kings 22:14–20).
How Did These Men and Women Become Prophets?
The Bible doesn’t explain how the word of the Lord came to a prophet; however, there are a number of examples where the Lord revealed his will through visions aside from an audible or internal voice (1 Samuel 3:1,15; 2 Samuel 7:17; Isaiah 1:1; Ezekiel 11:24) or dreams (Numbers 12:6). Jesus also fulfilled this advocacy of his father as a priest, prophet, and king.
The Bible uses the terms major and minor simply as a way to divide the prophetic books of the Old Testament. The Major Prophets are described as “major” because of the longer lengths of their books, not their significance. In order of occurrence, the Major Prophets are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel.
The Minor Prophets of the Bible are shorter books with more specific content compared to the broader subjects of the Major Prophets. These men were just as significant as the Major Prophets despite the title of minor. The Minor Prophets are Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. The Minor Prophets are also sometimes called The Twelve.
What Do the Major and Minor Prophets Have in Common?
The Major and Minor Prophets are typically the least popular for Christians to study or read. This is due to the difficult and unusual prophetic language. There are constant warnings and condemnations of either God’s people going astray or what will happen to those who choose to reject God. However, there is valuable truth to be gleaned from each book. For example, we can read of Christ’s birth being foretold in Micah and Isaiah. We can then read how Christ will return in the books of Zachariah, Ezekiel, and Daniel.
As with every part of the Bible, the Major and Minor Prophets shouldn’t be skipped over. In fact, these books give us some of the richest glimpses and foreshadowings of Christ that we see in the entire Old Testament. If you’re looking for a better understanding of the Messiah and the events that led to and foretold his coming, the Major and Minor Prophets are must-reads.
Conclusion
Using these dates as a guide, it is possible to determine when the prophets were speaking. We now know that their writings are not just random stories but instead a precise chronology of events in history. It’s easy to see how important this information can be for understanding what happened during those times and why.
