Light Bearers Convocation is right around the corner, July 3-7. If you’ve never attended, you’re missing out. “Convocation” is a big, old word. We don’t necessarily like big words, but we do like old words with big meaning. This word basically means, A called assembly for a purpose. The purpose of our convocation is to spend some concentrated time in the Word of God. It’s an annual event best characterized as a spiritual feast, and you are hereby invited to the table. This year, seven on-fire preachers will delve into a segment of Scripture that is rarely considered.
Twelve books, twelve men, one message of hope written over a 400-year period. The Minor Prophets cover the history of Israel from pre-exile in Babylon to the return to Jerusalem (about 800 BC to 400 BC). With the exception of Jonah, Nahum, and Obadiah, these prophets spoke to the tribes of Israel. They brought God’s people messages of judgment, hope, and salvation.
The Minor Prophets spoke not only for God, but of God. Glimpses of Calvary, promises of salvation, and proclamations of God’s everlasting love are contained in every book.
Hosea presents Messiah as the Savior-husband of His people, as the One who will ransom us from the dead, as the One who loves with great compassion and will heal those who return to Him.
Joel describes Christ as the One who is the hope and strength of His people.
Amos reveals Him as the One who will restore His people.
In Obadiah, the Messiah is the Deliverer of His people.
The Minor Prophets cover the history of Israel from pre-exile in Babylon to the return to Jerusalem (about 800 BC to 400 BC).
Through Jonah, Christ’s resurrection is heralded, and He is shown to be the Savior of the nations.
Micah declared that God Himself, the One “from everlasting,” would be born in the humble, little town of Bethlehem.
Nahum promised that Christ, the Lord, who is a stronghold in trouble, will one day make an utter end of evil.
Habakkuk also points us to our Savior and the gift of salvation. In Habakkuk 3:13 and 18, the Hebrew word for “salvation” is the root word from which the name “Jesus” is derived (Matthew 1:21). In Habakkuk 2:4 and 14, the Savior’s salvation justifies the righteous by faith and will someday fill the earth “with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”
Messiah is powerfully proclaimed in Zephaniah as the righteous One within the nation of Israel, the One who “never fails” to bring justice to light and who casts out the enemy of His people.
Haggai heralds Messiah as the Desire of all nations, the Restorer of the temple’s glory, and the One who will overthrow the kingdoms of the world.
Perhaps no Old Testament book is more messianic than Zechariah.
Perhaps no Old Testament book is more messianic than Zechariah. In it, Christ is the faithful opponent of Satan, the Branch who builds the Lord’s temple and reigns graciously as King and Priest, fully establishing God’s covenant of peace. He sets prisoners free from the awful pit of sin. God calls Him “My Shepherd” and “Companion” against Whom was brought the divine “sword.”
And finally, Malachi, the prelude to 400 years of prophetic silence, describes Messiah as the Lord’s Messenger, the “Sun of righteousness,” Who comes with healing in His wings.
The rich prophetic pictures of God’s gracious loving heart from the Minor Prophets beckon us forward. Their solemn warnings, merciful judgments, and loving calls to repentance are inextricably blended with prophetic images of Jesus.
We’re going to have a feast in July, and we hope you’ll join us. Learn more about Convocation or register today.
Ty Gibson
Ty is a speaker/director of Light Bearers. A passionate communicator with a message that opens minds and moves hearts, Ty teaches on a variety of topics, emphasizing God’s unfailing love as the central theme of the Bible. Ty and his wife Sue have three adult children and two grandsons.
