Invitation to the New Testament 1: Intertestamental Period

Invitation to the New Testament: 

Invitation to the New Testament Gregory K. Hollifield, Ph.D.

THE INTERTESTAMENTAL PERIOD: 

THE INTERTESTAMENTAL PERIOD

Introduction: 

Introduction 400 "silent years" elapsed between Malachi 4:5 and Luke 1:11-20. During this time there were no prophets in Israel sharing new revelation. In the New Testament, you encounter people like the Pharisees and places like the synagogue which weren't present in the Old Testament. Many of these sprang-up during the intertestamental period due to Gentile influences upon and presence in Israel. What follows is a list of these influences.

Babylon (626 – 539 B.C.): 

Babylon (626 – 539 B.C.) After the Temple and sacrificial system were destroyed when Babylon leveled Jerusalem, the exiles congregated into assemblies, or synagogues, for the worship of God, the study of the Old Testament, and fellowship. Sacrifices were never offered in the synagogues. The office of the scribe arose during the Babylonian captivity. Because the priests taken as captives couldn't practice their sacrificial ministry, they began copying the Old Testament. The more they copied, the more they learned. Many of them became experts on the Law, i.e., lawyers. Idolatry, an ongoing problem in the Old Testament and the chief cause of divine judgment, came to an abrupt end during the captivity.

Persia (539 – 331 B.C.): 

Persia (539 – 331 B.C.) Cyrus (550 - 530) - signed the first decree which allowed the Jews to go home from Babylonian exile Cambyses (530 - 522) Smerdis (522 - 521) Darius I (521 - 486) - The reconstruction of Jerusalem's Temple was completed during his reign. Xerxes I (486 - 464) - Esther’s husband Artaxerxes I (464 - 423) - permitted the Jews to return home under Ezra and Nehemiah Persian history continued 100 years after Artaxerxes with little change in Israel.

PowerPoint Presentation: 

IRAQ IRAN AFGHANISTAN INDIA

Greece (359 – 323 B.C.): 

Greece (359 – 323 B.C.) Philip of Macedon (359 - 336) - united the Greek city states under a single ruler, himself Alexander (336 - 323) - enlarged the Greek empire and spread the Greek culture (Because of Alexander, Greek became the common language of the Mediterranean world. The New Testament was subsequently written in Greek. This later made preaching and witnessing much easier for the apostles.) Alexander left no heir, so his empire was divided by his four generals.

Ptolemies (323 – 198 B.C.): 

Ptolemies (323 – 198 B.C.) Ptolemy was one of Alexander's generals. During the time the Ptolemies controlled Israel, the Jews prospered and absorbed much of the Greek culture. In time, it became necessary to translate the Hebrew language of the Old Testament into Greek, because this was the only language many of the Jews understood. This Greek translation of the Old Testament is called the Septuagint .

Seleucidae (198 – 166 B.C.): 

Seleucidae (198 – 166 B.C.) These folks descended from one of Alexander's four generals. The Seleucidae occupied Palestine and persecuted the Jews for not submitting to pagan, Hellenizing (Greek cultural) pressures. In 168 B.C., Antiochus IV ( Epiphanes ) in a fit of rage, erected a pagan altar in the Temple at Jerusalem to offer a pig as a blood sacrifice. He was responsible for the destruction of Jewish religious books and the outlawing of the Jewish religion. Hebrews 11:35-40 may be a description of Antiochus' acts during this period.

Maccabees (166 – 135 B.C.): 

Maccabees (166 – 135 B.C.) In 166/165, a Syrian official tried to force Mattathias , an old priest, to offer a pagan sacrifice in the village of Modin . He refused, but a young apostate Jew volunteered to do it. Mattathias killed him and the government envoy, destroyed the altar, and fled to the wilderness with his three sons. His sons secured the freedom of the Jews from the Syrians. His son Simon secured peace for Israel through a treaty with Rome. He also gained for himself and his family official recognition as the high priestly order. This act legitimized a new dynasty, a hereditary high priesthood, which came to be known as the Hasmoneans .

Hasmoneans (135 – 63 B.C.): 

Hasmoneans (135 – 63 B.C.) After Simon died, John Hyrcanus assumed control. During his reign, two religious parties emerged. The Hasidim was the conservative wing that wanted to retain religious and national liberty and to resist the influence of Greek culture. They were the forerunners of the Pharisees. On the other side, the Hellenizers were willing to surrender some Jewish distinctives to gain some desired qualities of the Greek way of life. This group matured into the sect known as the Sadducees. B. A later Hasmonean ruler named Hyrcanus II was fighting Aristobulus II for control of Israel. Hyrcanus II found help and advice from Antipater, an Idumean . Rome intervened and made Hyrcanus II the ruler.

Rome (63 B.C. – 70 A.D.): 

Rome (63 B.C. – 70 A.D.) Hyrcanus II brought Antipater to Jerusalem to be his advisor. Antipater became the real power behind the throne. Years later, due to an uprising among the people, Antipater's son Herod was forced to leave Israel. He eventually returned to Jerusalem with the title "the king of the Jews" conferred upon him by Rome. He ruled Palestine from 37 - 4 B.C. Near the end of his reign, Jesus was born. After Herod died, his "kingdom" was divided. Pilate eventually became the procurator, or governor, of Judea. Caesar Augustus (30 B.C. - 14 A.D.), who ruled the Roman Empire, ordered that all the world should be registered for the purpose of future taxation.

Conclusion: 

Conclusion Galatians 4:4 says, "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law." God waited until the time was ripe before sending Jesus. The Greeks paved the way in religion and language. Their philosophers had started people to thinking about religion in a different light and inspired them to debate it openly. By teaching the world to speak in Greek, they made it easier for the message of Christ to be spread. The Romans paved the way for Christ by bringing about the Pax Romana , i.e., Roman peace. Because the world wasn't torn by war, people were able to travel freely and to concentrate on spiritual matters. This Roman peace made missionary endeavors much easier.