Prophet. In the study of the messages of the prophets we should
understand that the meaning of the term prophets may be: (1) A person
employed in the public utterance of religious discourse, very much as
the preacher of today. This was the most common function of the
prophet. Some were reformers while others were evangelists or
revivalists. (2) One who performed the function of the scribes and
wrote the history and biography and annals of their nations. In this
capacity they compiled or wrote large portions of the books of the Old
Testament. (3) One who was able to discern the future and foretell
events which would transpire afterward.

The Prophetical Books. All take their name from the Prophets whose
messages they bear. They are written largely in the poetic style and
are usually divided into two divisions. (1) The major prophets which
include Isaiah. Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel and Daniel. (2) The
minor prophets, including the other twelve. This division is based on
the bulk of material in the books and is unscientific and misleading,
since it suggests that some are more important than others.
They are more appropriately divided according to their place in the
prophetic order or the period of Israel's history when they
prophesied, somewhat as follows: 1. _The Pre-exilic prophets_, or
those who prophesied before the exile. These are, (1) Jonah, Amos and
Hosea, prophets of Israel. (2) Obadiah, Joel, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum,
Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and Jeremiah, prophets of Judah. 2. _The exilic
prophets_, Ezekiel and Daniel. 3. _The Post-exilic prophets_, prophets
who prophesied after the captivity. All are of Judah and are Haggai,
Zechariah and Malachi.

Jeremiah's ministry perhaps extended into the period of the captivity.