As we already know, the Bible consists of 66 books (the Protestant one), and of this total there are 17 that are prophetic.
But although there are seventeen prophetic books there are only 16 prophets who wrote them.
Let us not forget that Jeremiah is the author of the book of Lamentations, in addition to the one that bears his name.
In these books is the entire history of a people who were chosen by God to belong.
And the story of each of those prophets who were chosen to be the voices of the Eternal.
All the things they had to go through and experience to speak to the Israelites on behalf of God are revealed.
Many times they were not listened to, other times the people obeyed their words.
But despite all that they always spoke what God asked them to speak.
The prophets had a specific task from God and that was to make the people obey the voice of God.
They were the only ones who had the power to hear the voice of God and in turn, go to the people to express it.
They were men who feared God and in whom He had placed His trust.
They believed his words and for that reason, they were subject to that supreme being.
That he had shown them every time he spoke that he powerfully fulfilled his Word.
Learning how many prophetic books the Bible has will help you in your Bible studies.
In this part of the Bible, we find that there are four major prophets and twelve minor prophets.
They differ between majors and minors, not because one has preeminence over the others.
That is why they are differentiated by calling them that way.
Below we are going to list the 17 prophetic books that the Bible has so that you can learn to distinguish them.
THE MAJOR PROPHETS WERE 4, BUT ONE WROTE TWO BOOKS, THAT’S WHY THERE ARE 5 PROPHETIC BOOKS.
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel and Daniel
And the books have the same names, in addition to the Lamentations that Jeremiah wrote.
Now briefly about each of these books so that you get an idea of what their content is.
So you can have a clearer idea of how many prophetic books the Bible has.
Isaiah
He is the first prophet found in this part of the Testament.
He was perhaps the only one who could glimpse the future Redeemer of the world and who so avidly wrote how he would die.
And each of those prophecies was fulfilled to the letter in their time.
After reading Isaiah, which is a book that I highly recommend, we realized what his main duty was.
And that duty was nothing more than to warn the world about its redemption and how the Messiah would live and die.
Every one of these sufferings that he would go through would serve to pay the ransom for the entire world.
It speaks incredibly about the passion of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice on the cross.
Jeremiah
A prophet like few others, he was considered a true example for his consecrated spiritual life
He lived austerely and is considered to have lived and died while still a virgin.
Because of the words he wrote in chapter 16:1 of his book.
He was a hermit and suffered a lot for the people he loved so much.
It is said that they killed him in Egypt because he did not stop preaching God to everyone.
He was a prophet who had a lot of authority, so much so that many expected him to return.
Wailing
This book was also written by Jeremiah and as its name indicates it talks about lamenting.
In the same Jeremiah expresses with extreme pain and sadness, almost in agony, the sufferings he went through because of the fate of his people.
Likewise the destruction of the Temple and the beautiful city of Jerusalem.
Ezequiel
This prophet belonged to the lineage of priests and was taken into captivity in Babylon.
He ministered among those who had been taken out of Jesuralen for almost twenty-two years.
He had to fight against the idolatry to which the people turned because of the loss of hope.
Many of them had fallen because they had believed the false prophets, who announced that the exile would soon end.
That is why he faced the people asking them to leave their bad habits and idolatry.
That was the main work in his ministry.
Daniel
He was a man who personified holiness, a powerful man of faith.
Whom God decided to call as a prophet and through whom he spoke in Babylon and even many of the Gentiles believed in the God he preached.
A man strengthened in his convictions by his faith.
He was never moved despite threats and trials to renounce his belief in God.
And with this prophet, we finish the first part of how many prophetic books the Bible has.
MINOR PROPHETS WERE TWELVE AND THEY WROTE THE EQUAL NUMBER OF BOOKS
These twelve minor prophets, so called not because they had less authority, but because their books were not as long.
Hosea
In this book, we frequently see that God’s benevolence and his immense mercy are spoken of.
He was sent because of Israel’s unfaithfulness when they began to worship Baal.
Joel
In this book, it is said that the great day of Jehovah is near.
And he proclaims the excellent news that the people of Israel will be liberated and emphasizes beautiful promises to restore them.
Amos
It speaks of the judgment against all nations and that God was about to settle accounts with Israel.
Obadiah
It speaks of the reestablishment of the house of Jacob and of a dispute that would come over Edom.
Jonah
Here Jonah emphasizes the immense goodness of Jehovah, which is why he did not want to prophesy about that people in rebellion.
Well, he knew that if he repented, God would forgive them, as he did.
Review of the obedience we must have to God, always.
Micah
This was a fairly simple man who, at the time in which he lived, was a very dangerous season.
He preached to a people that was divided, where the enemies were in their homes.
Nahum
This book covers Jehovah’s consequential statement against Nineveh, an advanced view of Nineveh’s misfortune.
Habacub
It includes a prediction for the people of God, comforts, invigorates, and sustains the servants of God in difficult times.
Two sublime truths stand out: Jehovah God is the Sovereign of the entire universe, and the other is that the righteous live by faith, establishing a standard to possess stable faith in Jehovah.
Zephaniah
In this book we find threats and consolation at the same time, it talks more than anything about the long-awaited day of Jehovah God.
And he proclaims that for those who sin against Jehovah, destruction will come upon them.
Haggai
He talks about how we must put the service of God before personal things, which people always put first.
Zechariah
Its content covers the three visions he had.
The four horsemen, the horns and their creators, and the prosperity that came to Jerusalem.
Malachi
In this book we contemplate the commandments of Jehovah towards the priests, it shows who is the true Lord and the one who carries the message of the day of Jehovah, the “great fearsome one.”