Probably my favorite feature of this reading plan is how each book of prophecy is read when it fits historically. The readings of the prophets are not treated as a separate category, but are read in their historical context.

So the day after reading about a king of Israel or Judah in the books of Kings or Chronicles, you read the prophecies spoken directly to that king. The book of Isaiah, for example, is interspersed throughout three or four sections of history because he spoke during the reign of multiple kings.

The power of this design is hard to describe.

• You see the kings of Israel and Judah turning worse and worse. Then you read the warnings God gave them through specific prophets, whose words finally make sense because you see them in context.

   

• You see the prophets foretelling the coming of Assyria, and then read the history of how Assyria conquered Israel, but failed to take Judah.

   

• You read warning after warning from the prophets about a coming exile, and the tension just builds and builds until the end of Kings and Chronicles when Judah lies in ruins and the exiles have been led away to Babylon.

   

• And you hear the hope (and warnings) spoken to the exiles in Babylon, and to the remnant in Judah while you read about what’s happening to the exiles in the books of Daniel and Esther.

   

• After reading God’s promises to use the king of Persia to bless Israel and rebuild the temple, you see those promises fulfilled in Ezra and Nehemiah.

   

• You hear Nehemiah rebuke the priests who are back in Jerusalem, and then read Malachi’s prophetic words to those same unfaithful priests, and his promises of the coming of Elijah and then the Messiah to all who do remain faithful.

I’ve read every book of prophecy in the Old Testament multiple times over the years. But have I understood them? Other than Daniel, which is half history, half prophecy, the books can feel somewhat disconnected and difficult to relate to without context.

It’s easy to avoid them altogether, or maybe cherry pick certain passages which are genuinely lovely, taking them out of context and turning them into wall art. (“For I know the plans I have for you…”) 

The Five Day Reading plan changed everything for me. I have never read the prophets like this.

I actually understood the books of prophecy like never before. I was never tempted to skim them. I didn’t have to muscle through them.

I saw the words of God to the people of God, in the context they were actually speaking into. Then also, as all of God’s prophecies are meant to do, I saw them shine light on the present day and the future to come. 

All of Scripture is God-breathed and is meant to edify us. But some books of the Bible are harder to understand when isolated. The books of prophecy rank up there as the hardest. Taking in these difficult books within their historical context blessed me in a very deep way.