The future can seem so uncertain.
With all the poverty, crime, war, injustice, corruption, and polarized politics... the world can seem so off track that it’s easy to let anxious feelings bubble up inside.
But there is One who is in control of it all.
God has it all planned out from beginning to end. And He’s given us important details about what’s to come—He’s given us a sneak peek into the future through Bible prophecy.
It’s there in His Word. We just have to dig in and discover it, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
So what are the prophetic books of the Bible to study? And what’s the best way to get started?
Let’s jump in and take a look at Bible prophecy books, so that you can have a reference point for navigating what God says about what’s coming.
Because when you understand more about the One who holds the future—you can rest in Him as He holds you today.
What are the prophetic books of the Bible? - A list of the Major and Minor Prophets + Revelation
The Old Testament books of prophecy in the Bible are usually divided into two categories:
- Major Prophets
- Minor Prophets
The terms “Major” and “Minor” do not refer to level of importance but rather to volume of content. The Major Prophets tend to be longer, and the Minor Prophets tend to be shorter.
(Fun fact: in the Hebrew Bible, the twelve Minor Prophets constitute one book called the Book of the Twelve.)
Revelation is the only book in the New Testament that contains mostly prophecy.
Here’s a list of all the prophetic books of the Bible.
Major Prophets
- Isaiah
- Jeremiah
- Lamentations
- Ezekiel
- Daniel
Minor Prophets
- Hosea
- Joel
- Amos
- Obadiah
- Jonah
- Micah
- Nahum
- Habakkuk
- Zephaniah
- Haggai
- Zechariah
- Malachi
Revelation
Since it’s in the New Testament, Revelation is not classified within the Old Testament books of prophecy, but it certainly deserves a mention as one of the prophetic books of the Bible.
So how many books of prophecy are in the Bible?
There are five books of Major Prophets and twelve books of Minor Prophets.
That means there are seventeen prophetic books in the Old Testament, plus Revelation in the New Testament.
In all, that makes eighteen books of prophecy in the Bible.
Summarizing all the books of prophecy in the Bible (+ Precept Bible studies to help you dig deeper)
What prophetic books of the Bible should I study first?
Any book of the Bible is good and profitable to study! But if you’re looking for a prophecy starting point (or just something interesting to study next), we recommend you begin by asking what it is that you're looking to learn and how deep you want to go.
You can use the chart above to see the lengths and themes of the different books, which can help give you an idea of what might be best for you right now.
Daniel and Revelation in particular are two prominent prophecy books. For some, Revelation is a great place to start (while others may want to work their way up to the level of study involved in that book). While much of Old Testament prophecy has already been fulfilled throughout history, the prophecies of Revelation were given to Christians in our current age and are still yet to be fulfilled. Revelation gives fascinating details about events that are next on the timeline of God’s sovereign prophetic plan.
Daniel is another great starting point for studying Bible prophecy as it speaks to God's sovereignty and to the coming Messiah. You'll be able to better appreciate the amazing details in Revelation if you have the background of the book of Daniel, since Daniel lays the groundwork for many of the events that Revelation further develops.
Daniel Bible study
Daniel is a fascinating combination of both history and prophecy, as it narrates events in the prophet Daniel’s life and prophecies that he and those around him were given by God.
To get started studying the book of Daniel, you can simply read it for yourself, following the principles of inductive Bible study to draw out the meaning of the text.
Or if you want some guidance that will help you go more in-depth, grab our classic Precept Upon Precept® study on Daniel.
You can also check out:
- God’s Blueprint for Bible Prophecy (an overall survey of Daniel from our New Inductive Study Series)
- Discovering What the Future Holds (six lessons on Daniel from our 40-Minute Studies)
- You’re a Brave Man, Daniel! and Fast-Forward to the Future (these are children’s studies on Daniel, but they’re in-depth enough that adults can benefit from them too as you go through them alongside your kids or grandkids!)
Once you have a good introduction to Daniel, you’ll have a solid foundation for Bible prophecy.
Revelation Bible study
Revelation is an amazing apocalyptic masterpiece—and yet, sadly, it is one of the most misunderstood and neglected books in the Bible.
Revelation seems confusing and difficult to many people. But it’s the only book in the Bible that makes this kind of promise to its readers and hearers: “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Rev. 1:3 NASB1995).
So time spent studying Revelation is well worth it!
As with Daniel, to get started, you can simply read through the book on your own and follow inductive Bible study principles (asking questions of the text in order to observe the details of what’s going on, interpreting the meaning in light of its context, and applying the principles to your life).
For help with digging deeper in discovering truth for yourself, get our classic Precept Upon Precept® study on Revelation.
You can also check out:
- Behold, Jesus Is Coming (an overall survey of Revelation from our New Inductive Study Series)
- Bible Prophecy for Kids and A Sneak Peek into the Future (these are children’s studies on Revelation, but as with the Daniel studies, they are in-depth enough for adults as you walk through them with the children in your life!)
Make prophecy your next Bible study
There are so many fascinating and relevant books of the Bible to study when it comes to prophecy!
Bible prophecy reveals to us who God is.
Bible prophecy shows us His plan.
And that’s why studying it gives us peace and motivation to live for Him in the here and now by the power of the Spirit.
Get equipped to face the present with confidence—by having a right understanding of God’s plan for the future. Order your Daniel Precept Upon Precept® study now to get started with Bible prophecy!
