The Minor Prophets is a distinction that does not refer to the importance or significance of these books, but refers only to the general size and length of the books. The prophet's function was only to call men and women back to the word God had given to Moses and to pray for the people he served. The words taught by the prophet were to agree with what had already been revealed by God, and should be able to accompany the words he taught with signs and wonders that would back up and authenticate that word as being from God. Moreover, the truthfulness of a prophet's ability to predict the future was to be seen in the fulfillment of near events that he predicted. If these came to pass, then his long-range projections into the future could then also be trusted. The near and close fulfillments served as the reason why their audiences in their day and in our own times were to trust the prophet's long-range predictions (Deut. 18:15-22). In this way the more immediate fulfillments confirmed the truthfulness of those that were distant to the prophet and happened after he had passed from this life.
