The Minor Prophets

The last twelve books of the Old Testament are commonly designated The Minor Prophets. Though shorter, they are nonetheless full of vital details not found elsewhere in Scripture. Their subject is clearly prophetic; however, they each contain much for practical meditation. In them we read of God’s ways with His earthly people, His tender love, holiness, patience, judgment, compassion, mercy, and grace.
Chronology
Hosea and Amos prophesied during the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel (Hos. 1; Amos 1). Hosea continued on during the reign of the next three kings of Judah—Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah—making him a contemporary of Micah, who also prophesied during this period (Mic. 1:1), as did Isaiah (Isa. 1:1).
The ever-threatening Assyrian in the North overshadowed the day in which they prophesied. This was just prior to the captivity of Israel (the ten tribes; 2 Kings 17), and 150 years or so before the captivity of Judah. A date cannot be given to Joel, though clearly it predates Judah’s captivity.
Although Habakkuk cannot be placed precisely in time, it is the invasion of the Chaldean, not now the Assyrian, which threatens an iniquitous Judah (Hab. 1:6). This places the book with Zephaniah (Zeph. 1:1) and Jeremiah (Jer. 1:2), both of whom prophesied in the days of Josiah just before the captivity of Judah.
Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi are post-captivity. Haggai and Zechariah prophesied in the days of Zerubbabel when the temple was being rebuilt (Ezra 5), while Malachi comes later and records the corrupt moral condition that the returned captives had fallen into.
Jonah, Nahum, and Obadiah announce judgment on the Gentile world. The Assyrian is the subject of the first two books, and Edom is the subject of the third. Jonah prophesied prior to the captivity of Israel (2 Kings 14:25) and Nahum some 150 years after Jonah. Obadiah prophesied subsequent to the captivity of Judah (Obad. 10-12).
While a chronology helps our understanding of these books, we must remember that they all look forward to a future day. Calamities were used of God to reach the conscience of the people and as an opportunity to present future events as if already seen.
Though prophets such as Haggai and Zechariah or Habakkuk and Zephaniah prophesied at similar times, it would be a mistake to assume that their prophecies bore a similar character, the examples cited being particularly diverse.