CHRISTOLOGY PART 1 (Just Before the New Testament)

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CHRISTOLOGY PART 1 (Just Before the New Testament)

This course is very important, not only to the pastors and church leaders. But also to every Christian who is interested to study the first four books in the New Testament called the “gospels” for they contain the story about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ here on earth. However, let us begin with inter testament period.

INTER TESTAMENT PERIOD

More that four hundred years elapsed between the close of the Old Testament history of the Bible and the opening of the New Testament history. Every bible student should bear this in mind when studying the Bible.

For he cannot read the New Testament as if it takes up from where the Old stopped

These four hundred years are called inter-Testament period (but some Bible scholars call it silent years). To me I don’t see any reason it should be called silent years except for the fact that there was no Prophetic utterances like thus said the Lord, the word if God came unto me saying, etc, as it was in the Old Testament historical books; which closed with the book of Malachi.

Far from beginning “silent years” that period was of such significance to the gospel story that there can be no full understanding of the New Testament records without at least a general knowledge of what happened during that time.
This historical gap was filled with affairs and events of such great influence on the Jewish people and Nation.

When the Curtain of silence closed on the Old Testament, the Persian Empire was ruling Palestine; but when the Curtain was lifted again to commence the New Testament era, The Roman Empire was ruling Palestine and the world.
At the close of the Old Testament the throne of Israel was occupied by a Jewish King, a Vassal named Zerubabel.

At the beginning of the New Testament the throne was occupied by an Idumean King, named Herod.

How these things happened is important to our understanding of the gospel story.

Moreover, in the New Testament we encounter numerous commonplace matters that were non-existent or little known in the Old Testament. Among other things, we read as a matter of fact the account of the Pharisees, Sadducees, Publicans and Synagogues. All these came into prominence during the inter-Testament period.

We need to know how these things mentioned above came into being. We also read of Judean place with Greek or Latin designations and Jewish persons with Greek or Latin names.

Throughout the New Testament period the Greek language and Culture were in great evidence among the Jewish people. The knowledge of all these are not only interesting, but essential to the fullest comprehension and appreciation of the life of Christ.

There were three powerful streams of influence in Judea during the four centuries that separated the two Testaments.

1. The religious faith and Monotheism of the Jew.

2. The language and culture of the Greeks.

3. The political and military power of the Romans.

Each of these streams in its own way dominated Israel in such away that it can be said that Jesus lived in a Jewish world, a Greek world, and a Roman world. These came to pass through a complex change of fortunes for Israel, and the succession of empires that ruled the land. We may not go in detail to survey all that happened during this period; however, we shall make only a brief and general summary of the years between the Testaments,

It is likely that this period started from 445 BC. - 4 BC.

The Summary Of Inter-Testament Period

For convenience and simplicity we shall divide these years into four periods.

1. The Persian period.

2. The Greek period.

3. The Maccabean period.

4. The Roman period.

1. THE PERSIAN PERIOD: (445-332 BC)

Israel was defeated and became a desolate long before the Old Testament closed. First the Assyrians conquered the Northern Kingdom and then Babylon destroyed the Southern, and each of their conquerors carried the Jews from their homeland as captives.

Most of these Jews never returned to Israel again.
Therefore, the land lay broken and empty until the time Persian Empire conquered Babylon in 538 BC.

King Cyrus of Persia and those who followed him were lenient toward the Jews and allowed them to return to Palestine to resettle in their land. Zerubabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah were leaders in this restoration. The remnant of the Jews who returned to their homeland lived and prospered under the tolerant rule of Persian kings.

They rebuilt their homes and Temple and re-established their Nation.
Persia even allowed the Jews to rule themselves. Subject to the Persian Governor.

It was this time and under this circumstance that the Old Testament closed.
The Medes and Persia continued for about one hundred years.
Now, after the close of the Old Testament history, life and worship in Israel were much as they had been in the past centuries.

Those Jews who never return to their homeland chose to settle in the lands of captivity. From there they spread to other lands. They became what we call the Diaspora, “the dispersed ones”.

Wherever these Jews went throughout the world, they established their own communities and retained their racial and religious identity.

Their faith centered in one God, Jehovah, and their worship of him. Far removed from the temple in Jerusalem, they could not offer sacrifices, so they turned instead to the study of their scriptures.

This gave birth to the Jewish synagogue, which were places of prayer and scriptural instruction. Synagogue became so widespread that during the time of Jesus it was found in all the religions or areas the Jews were living.
(Look out for Christology part 2)