The 12

by James Collins

Do you feel alone, lost, and hopeless? What if God revealed contemporary messages of hope to 12 ancient prophets? The writings of the Minor Prophets contain not only incredible predictions of the future, but also relevant and life-changing messages for you today. In The 12, James Collins explores the messages of the Minor Prophets. Do you need encouragement in these dark days? Read The 12.

Genres: Religion

Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2024

About the author

James is a follower of Jesus, author, evangelist, retired U.S. Army Chaplain, husband, and dad. His latest book, The Overcomer, was released on September 23, 2024.

James says, "My calling is to be an effective communicator of God's Word." He has a passion to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. His writings have been featured in publications such as Chicken Soup for the Soul, Stars & Stripes, Baptist Press, Good News Press, Faith and Freedom News, The Baptist Standard, The California Southern Baptist, The Louisiana Baptist Message, Southwest Kansas Faith & Family, The Baptist New Mexican, The Baptist Digest, and Prophecy in the News. He and his wife share their home with their three extraordinary children, three dogs, and a lifetime collection of books.

Reviews

[Clay Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best commentary I have read about Old Testament Prophets and their books.

[Trinity Modest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book by James Collins about the 12 minor prophets.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely LOVELY book! 💕 Do you have a favorite show or song that you can watch/listen to over and over because it just makes your heart happy? This book is that for me now. A few years ago, my son helped me convert his old room into a library and now all of my books are together in one place. However, I have a few really meaningful books on a tiny shelf in my bedroom. This is going on my bedroom shelf and I will be reading this again.

I have read through my Bible many times in my life, but I never fully grasped the minor prophets. This book amazingly helped me understand them so much better and how not only are they prophetic, but applicable to our lives right now.

This book is not only informative, but also fun and silly. 😍 It made me smile and laugh out loud at times. It has many lovely little stories to draw you in and tie each prophets’ words to our lives and the times we currently live in. I admittedly cried at least once in each chapter. 🥹 I loved that the author creatively named each chapter and almost every chapter has a call to Jesus at the end.

This would be a fantastic Bible Study and I’m hoping very much that my ladies group will be interested in reading this.

[Louise Bélanger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world around us has technology that did not exist when my generation was born. Science has also evolved greatly but humanity struggles with the same issues with each generation.

The Minor Prophets, the last 12 books of the Old Testament have messages for us, for the world we live in, for the issues we face even though it was written as far back as 800 BC.

If you don’t know God, if you don’t have a relationship with God, if you are unsure about reading the Bible or how to understand it, start with The 12 by James Collins. It will give you the clarity you need. James brings passages from these books into day-to-day reality, in 2022 life and in years to come because humanity does not seem to change and God’s words are true and their significance doesn’t change either.

If you know God, have a relationship with Him… The 12 is the perfect book to revisit The Minor Prophets. Read it cover to cover (like I just did) and then use it as part of your Bible study (as I will do). Read each book from the Bible and then James’ chapter to get a deeper understanding and to apply God’s messages to your life.

The 12 is the perfect Bible guide, study, tool…for every Christian who wants to live the Christian life.

It is also more, so much more than simply a Bible study. It touches your soul, it reaches inside, it grabs your attention…it’s God speaking to you, what you need to hear.

A grateful thank you to the author and publisher for providing me a ARC paperback. My review is voluntary and it reflect my honest opinion.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so full of hope (God's love) and history of Israel turning away from and rebelling against God. But that is what the Bible is all about.
I have read the prophets but not with any depth. This really touches the heart and soul with great
motivation to dig ever deeper into the Word of Tod. Very well put together (formatting and content) and easy to read.
OUTSTANDING! Highly recommend. I thank the author for a free copy in exchange for a review. My positive review is not based on the copy being free.

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

He goes into more detail and understanding of each of the 12 minor prophets. I’ve learned more about the 12 I didn’t know about. A small book that’s packed full of knowledge. I love how he threw in historical facts and some history added too. It’s a good reference book to go back to when you read the Bible of the 12 prophets.

[Rodney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by James Collins. Messages of Hope from the minor prophets. It's nice to have a preacher who pulls no punches and tell it like it is and ain't afraid to preach the full word of God just like the prophets. I highly recommend this book.  I would like to Thank James and the publishers for an ARC of this book. My review is by no way related to that.

[Read-n-Bloom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful, very informative book! I loved it! Loved reading about all the different prophets, Haggai, Zephaniah, Malachi and many more . I learned a lot about each one that I didn’t know before! This one will go on my shelf, to keep, to help me in my studies of God’s Word. Recommend to everyone and especially those who are interested in studying prophecy and the prophets. Thank you to the author, James Collins, for giving me an opportunity to read and review #The12 with my honest thoughts and opinions.

[Sandra Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a helpful little book. It's 176 pages are packed with information about the minor prophets of the Bible, as well as true stories that offer insightful application to the message. The book is full of practical examples, some of which brought me to tears with their tender stories. I knew very little about the minor prophets and so these insights helped me to understand their sometimes prophetic, sometimes warning messages more. For instance, the little book of Obadiah is only two pages in my Bible, yet the author has 16 pages on Obadiah in his book. The author gives examples from his own and other's lives of situations that mirror those spoken of by the prophets. The prophecies of those prophets were for Israel at that time, but they are also for us today as well. I recommend this book for those interested in learning more about the Bible - and about life as well.

[Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than a commentary, this book is a series of messages from the writings of the twelve Minor Prophets. The author uses great illustrations and writes in a style that is easy to read. Five stars!

[AG · Rating 5 out of 5]

James Collins explains the minor prophets in a way that’s easy to understand. He uses real life, practical illustrations to show how the messages of the 12 minor prophets are relevant today.

[Carly Wiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 12 by James Collins is thought-provoking enough for the ones deep in theology to think but also accessible to new Christians. I am sure that wasn't easy for James Collins as a writer to pull off. I learned a lot about the minor prophets and how they aren't minor at all but significant in foretelling Scriptures about Jesus dying on the cross and His second coming. I also enjoyed the light-hearted and relatable stories in this book throughout to usher in the theme that we need Jesus and can't do this life without His help. Thank you, James, for writing this much-needed book today. I definitely recommend this book.