Hosea (which means: He has saved) is the prophet called by God to pass on his message in this small book. Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah: these are kings of Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel, where Jerusalem was situated with the temple. These names point out that God is in control and still lives in the temple. This is also true of the mention of Jeroboam (this is Jeroboam II). During the reign of this king, there was great prosperity in the northern part of Israel, while at the same time many people worshipped other gods besides God.
1 The word of the LORD that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.