Book Review: The Message of the Twelve by Richard Alan Fuhr, Jr. and Gary E Yates

The Minor Prophets of the Old Testament tend to be the most neglected books of the Bible with the exception of Jonah. Many pastors and theologians will take the time to study Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, but tend to neglect these other twelve books that make up the Old Testament. There are hardly any sermons on the minor prophets as well as Bible studies to be used in small groups.

Richard Alan Fuhr, Jr. and Gary E Yates have come together to produce a book for those who want to know more about the minor prophets called, The Message of the Twelve. Fuhr and Yates take a look at the historical background as well as the setting for the minor prophets. Then they tackle the message of the minor prophets which is to communicate God's message to His covenant people, a gentile people, or an individual.

The authors continue as they write about the literary genres of the minor prophets, which come in various forms depending on how God inspired the prophet to proclaim His Word. Then we see how the minor prophets fit into the canon of the Bible and how they fit into the whole Bible. The rest of the book goes through each minor prophets and breaks them down to their message, settings, and genres. I am surprised the authors had a chapter on Obadiah that was more then 10 pages considering how short the book is. The book concludes with how the message of the minor prophets benefits the church today.

This is a great study book that introduces the minor prophets to those who have never studied them before. Pastors, teachers, and theologians will benefit from this book and will be helpful in an Old Testament survey class.

Thanks B&H Publishing for letting me review this book.