Joel: We don't know for sure when he wrote this but St. Jerome believes mid-8th CE and that works out for me personally to be the case so I would generally go with that.
[Chapter 1]
Something is coming. A plague of locusts because of the sins of Israel (Babylon/Gog is referenced in Amos as the king of locusts). They are told they should mourn like a newlywed who hasn't even consumnated her marriage to her husband. They are told to repent and mourn, people of Israel.
[Chapter 2-3]
Israel is a great land but after this army comes they will desolate the land.
They will see the Day of the Lord take place (2:10-11). Jesus' Cross had this event take place (a day of judgment happened at the Cross). This is not a prophecy about the Final Day of the Lord.
God basically says through Joel that "you think these armies are bad, wait for what approaches if you do not repent. He will bless those who repent.
God talks to the Land and says it needs to be courageous for it seeks to see Redemption by God too (Paul does something similar in Romans 8 when he says the creation groans for the Lord).
In the end, God will restore His people and [Ch.3] His Spirit shall be on ALL people who serve Yahweh. All flesh will see the Spirit pour His presence on them. Everyone will be prophesying. A reference to Numbers is made when Moses and all men (priests) began prophesying. They are all as a New People to get this in order that they may lead Gentiles to God. This will still happen one day and that day is to happen in the New Testament with Peter and the apostles at Pentacost. All men under Christ have the Spirit pour on them. In Acts this is fulfilled and the apostles lead Gentiles to God and bring back those in Exile and those who are captive to freedom as the New People aka the Church.
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Obadiah: Written around 586 BC. Fall of Jerusalem. Doom is put upon Edom (Esau's tribe. The Edomites help destroy Israel wiht Babylon, so they are to be judged like Israel. Obadiah was an Edomite according to Jewish rabbinical tradition. Edom had fortress like cities embedded in strong cave dwellings and so they thought they were pretty well-gaurded and untouchable; but God tells them they are not.
God worked with Edom too and they could have worshipped Him too but did not and will now be judged for their rejection of Him and must be judged like Israel.
Israel will ultimately survive this and be great again but Edom will not. There are today no more Edomites because Babylon completely wiped them out.
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