Up to this point in the study of Hebrew written prophecy, special attention has been paid to the contribution of the great seers of the eighth century B.C.—Amos and Hosea, Isaiah of Jerusalem and Micah, his contemporary. In the work of these four great men were set forth fundamentals of thought and conduct that aided in shaping the ideals of the Hebrew people and in preparing for further progress. Amos laid a firm foundation of righteousness and justice. Love was typical of Hosea's message. Isaiah of Jerusalem stressed faith in the God of Israel, assurance that He would meet their needs, both directly and through His ideal representative, who would come to be known as the Messiah or Christ. Social justice meant so much to Micah that it is still associated with his name.
With the dawning of the seventh century B.C. the influence of the pagan empire of Assyria was becoming stronger in the affairs of the Hebrew people. To grasp something of the problems with which the prophets were faced at this time, it is important to glance at the chief events and characteristics of this seventh century.
One startling fact demands explanation. Amos, Hosea, First Isaiah, and Micah had followed one another in swift succession, the last three active during the half century from 750 to 701 B.C. Prophecy had become established as a vital characteristic of the time. Why, then, for the next seventy-five years, from 701 to the commencement of Zephaniah's ministry about 626 b.c., does prophecy seem to have been almost completely ignored? Why were the urgent cries for reform stilled by an ominous silence?
