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The Next to Last Word: Service, Hope, and Revival in the Postexilic Prophets
Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachithe often ignored Minor Prophetsdelivered the next-to-last word to God's people. That is, these prophets pointed Israel to Christ, the supreme and final Word, and warned them against rejecting Him. Underscoring the truth that studying this portion of Scripture is profitable (2 Tim. 3:16), Michael Barrett helps us discern the relevance of these prophets for today. He explains the prophetic office, the historical setting of the postexilic books, and their contributions to God's overall redemptive message before considering the specific messages of each of these books in depth. Study questions at the end of each chapter enhance individual and group Bible study.
264 pages, Paperback
Published July 27, 2015
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23 people want to read
About the author
Michael P.V. Barrett
23 books5 followersDr. Michael P. V. Barrett is the Vice President for Academic Affairs of the Whitefield College of the Bible, the Theological Seminary of the Free Presbyterian Church of North America. For almost thirty years, he was a professor of Ancient Languages and Old Testament Theology and Interpretation at Bob Jones University Seminary. His other works include "Complete in Him: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying the Gospel."
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 18, 2016
★ ★ ★ 1/2
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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It's no secret that the Minor Prophets are probably about the least-read and least-understood portion of Scripture today. After describing the problem, Barrett describes his project: help the contemporary reader understand what these particular Minor Prophets are saying and to see how that it's a modern message as well as an eternal one.
He describes why he's focusing on the these three prophets:
Part 1 describes the Office of a Prophet, and refreshes (hopefully) the reader's understanding of what's going on in the land of Judah and with those who were exiled.
Having oriented the reader, he devotes then turns to Haggai, Zecharaiah, and Malachi in turn. He gives each Prophet their due -- spending more time with Zecharaiah, as he's the longest; Haggai gets the least. He doesn't approach each book the same way -- which originally annoyed me, because I liked his approach with Haggai and wanted the same for Zecharaiah. I got over it, because the books being as different as they are, the readers needs to treat them a little differently. Also, if he'd treated each of them the same way, my eyes definitely would've glossed over by the time we got to Malachi.
As a quick aside, I appreciated his showing the divinity of the Messiah from Zecharaiah -- if I'd read/been shown that beore, I've forgotten it.
It's important to remember that he's not trying to write a commentary, but rather that he's trying to provide a framework for the reader to go off and study things on their own. To that end, his suggestions and tips aren't just helpful to see how to read these prophets, but also for reading prophets in general, the Old Testament, and even the Scriptures as a whole. He's also very helpful reminding us by example and precept to apply these writings to ourselves.
Barrett is really good at applying each Prophet to contemporary readers. While I'm not typically a fan of questions for discussion/reflection at the end of chapters, Barrett's seem better than many -- as good as you could hope for.
Especially given his topic and the reflex to see it these books as unapproachable, his style is very helpful -- he writes with a light tough, not going for laughs, but he keeps it loose while maintaining a respect for Scriptures. Even his word choices -- "avers" where most would say "states," "forlorn" where others would settle for "saddened." It's nothing major, it just makes the reading experience more pleasane.
Accessible, approachable, helpful, orthodox, succinct -- The Next to Last Word will be a trustworthy aid to understanding this important part of the Older Testament.
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
It's no secret that the Minor Prophets are probably about the least-read and least-understood portion of Scripture today. After describing the problem, Barrett describes his project: help the contemporary reader understand what these particular Minor Prophets are saying and to see how that it's a modern message as well as an eternal one.
He describes why he's focusing on the these three prophets:
That God did not speak to another prophet for hundreds of years underscores the importance of what He said through these three. Last words are always important. Malachi prophesied that God would send His messenger to prepare the way of the coming Christ (3:1), and all we have to do is turn the page to the New Testament, in Matthew 3, to find that messenger, John, in the process of preparing the way. The Old Testament was not the last word after all, but its last prophetic messages contribute significantly to our understanding of what God has spoken in these last days by His Son (Heb. 1:2). The next-to-last word—written and spoken by these postexilic prophets—sets the stage for hearing God’s final, ideal, and incomparable Word.
Part 1 describes the Office of a Prophet, and refreshes (hopefully) the reader's understanding of what's going on in the land of Judah and with those who were exiled.
Having oriented the reader, he devotes then turns to Haggai, Zecharaiah, and Malachi in turn. He gives each Prophet their due -- spending more time with Zecharaiah, as he's the longest; Haggai gets the least. He doesn't approach each book the same way -- which originally annoyed me, because I liked his approach with Haggai and wanted the same for Zecharaiah. I got over it, because the books being as different as they are, the readers needs to treat them a little differently. Also, if he'd treated each of them the same way, my eyes definitely would've glossed over by the time we got to Malachi.
As a quick aside, I appreciated his showing the divinity of the Messiah from Zecharaiah -- if I'd read/been shown that beore, I've forgotten it.
It's important to remember that he's not trying to write a commentary, but rather that he's trying to provide a framework for the reader to go off and study things on their own. To that end, his suggestions and tips aren't just helpful to see how to read these prophets, but also for reading prophets in general, the Old Testament, and even the Scriptures as a whole. He's also very helpful reminding us by example and precept to apply these writings to ourselves.
Barrett is really good at applying each Prophet to contemporary readers. While I'm not typically a fan of questions for discussion/reflection at the end of chapters, Barrett's seem better than many -- as good as you could hope for.
Especially given his topic and the reflex to see it these books as unapproachable, his style is very helpful -- he writes with a light tough, not going for laughs, but he keeps it loose while maintaining a respect for Scriptures. Even his word choices -- "avers" where most would say "states," "forlorn" where others would settle for "saddened." It's nothing major, it just makes the reading experience more pleasane.
Accessible, approachable, helpful, orthodox, succinct -- The Next to Last Word will be a trustworthy aid to understanding this important part of the Older Testament.
September 18, 2016
This book isn't a commentary in the sense of a verse-by-verse exposition. It is wonderfully Christ-centered, and relevant to today. It covers the last three writing prophets, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, who sometimes don't get the coverage they deserve. Barrett gives an excellent historical setting for each book, explains the themes running through each one, describes the meaning for sometimes obscure messages for Israel, and what it should mean for Christians today.
I highly recommend this little book for anyone looking for a resource on these books.
I highly recommend this little book for anyone looking for a resource on these books.
October 30, 2023
I'll give him four stars to keep him grounded. If you know you know.
December 11, 2024
WOC (Women of the church) study book for 2024. Definitely a professor-ish type book!
August 28, 2018
I’ve never read a book on Haggai, Zechariah, or Malachi. But now I have! This is a concise, easy to read, and informative work. This will definitely be useful for sermon prep. Barrett also helps teach how to interpret biblical prophecy (and visions) while providing application of these books to today!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews