Years of Silence 1 Years of Silence

Years of Silence 1

Years of Silence • After the time of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Malachi there was a period of time we call the “Years of Silence. ” • For 400 years there is no recorded message from God. • This was a prophesy Years before • Since there is no word from God during this time we look at historical documents from this time period. • Sources like 1 -2 Maccabees, Josephus, and others. 2

Malachi 4: 5 -6 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse. ” Matt. 3: 1 -3 “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths 3 straight. ”

Malachi 4: 5 -6 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse. ” Luke 1: 17 ~400 YEARS “He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, ’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. ” From the years of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Malachi’s prophecies, there approximately 400 years where there is no 4

Years of Silence Amos, a prophet sent to Israel in 750 B. C. , prophesied as such in Amos 8: 11 -12: “Behold, the days are coming, ” says the Lord God, “That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, And from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, But shall not find it. ” 5

Years of Silence Close of OT World Power: Medo-Persian Empire Language: Hebrew / Aramaic Beginning of NT World Power: Roman Empire ~400 YEARS Language: Greek 6

Years of Silence Close of OT Actions of the Jews: Very negligent in keeping the law carefully. Did not bring tithes regularly to provide for the Levites. (Neh. 13: 10 -12) Beginning of NT ~400 YEARS Actions of the Jews: So strict, tried to kill Jesus for healing on the Sabbath. (Mt. 12: 9 -14, etc. ) So strict, they would provide tithes of their plants. (Mt. 23: 23) 7

Years of Silence Close of OT People: The people were still referenced back to their tribal heritage. (Ref. Ezra 8: 1) Beginning of NT People: Multiple sects ~400 YEARS (Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots. ) These groups were both political and spiritual in their outlook. 8

Years of Silence Close of OT People: The people were still referenced back to their tribal heritage. (Ref. Ezra 8: 1) Beginning of NT ~400 YEARS People: A family of Edomites (Idumeans), the Herods, ruled over the Jews. (Herod the Great, Herod Antipas, Philip the Tetrarch, Herod Agrippa II, Drusilla, Bernice, etc. ) 9

Years of Silence Close of OT People: The people were still referenced back to their tribal heritage. (Ref. Ezra 8: 1) The Samaritans were major enemies and tried to inhibit the rebuilding process. Beginning of NT ~400 YEARS People: A family of Edomites (Idumeans), the Herods, ruled over the Jews. Although still hated, the Samaritans were no longer a threat. 10

Years of Silence Close of OT Land: Judah, a small area about 25 sq. miles surrounding Jerusalem. Struggled materially. Beginning of NT ~400 YEARS Land: Now called Judea, with a province in the northern part of the land called Galilee. The land was prosperous. Note: The Samaritans were now living in a province between Judea & Galilee. 11

Years of Silence Close of OT Land: Judah, a small area about 25 sq. miles surrounding Jerusalem. Struggled materially. Beginning of NT HOW? Land: Now called Judea, with a province in the northern part of the land called Galilee. The land was prosperous. Note: The Samaritans were now living in a province between Judea & Galilee. 12

Years of Silence The four “threads” throughout the period : The Persian history: ü The government that allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem. ü Esther was married to a Persian monarch. ü A Persian king allowed Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. ü The government in control as the OT closes, and remains in control for approximately 100 more years. The Grecian history: ü Small Greek city-states were in existence when OT closes, but an empire had been prophesied by Daniel (Daniel 8). ü Dan. 8: 21 >> “And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king. ” 13

Years of Silence The four “threads” throughout the period : The Roman history: ü Rome was in existence before the end of the OT but it was only a small kingdom. ü Prophesied in Daniel 2 as the legs of iron & in Daniel 7 as the great & terrible beast with iron teeth. The Jewish history: ü ü The Maccabean revolt. The development of the sects of the Jews. The translation of the Septuagint. The Herodian family. 14

Years of Silence The First “thread”: Persian History Cyrus (559 -530 B. C. ): 15

Years of Silence The First “thread”: Persian History Cyrus (559 -530 B. C. ): • • • Cyrus rose to power in the small kingdom of Persia in 559 B. C. At this time, Persia was under the control of the growing might of the Median Empire. Nabonidus (Babylon) made an alliance with Cyrus to counter the Median threat. In 550 B. C. , the Median and Persian armies met in battle. Cyrus conquered the Median army and made himself monarch of the empire which he named Medo-Persian. Nabonidus quickly sought alliances with Lydia and with the Egyptians but to no avail. In 546 B. C. , Cyrus added the kingdom of Lydia to his 16

546 B. C. 539 B. C. 550 B. C. 17

The Jewish “Thread”: The particular part of Cyrus’ decree that is significant to the Bible story is the permission it gave the Jews to go home and rebuild their temple. Zeurbbabel led about 50, 000 Jews home in this first group. They rebuilt their altar as soon as they arrived at the burned site of Jerusalem, and then began the work on the temple the next spring… 536 B. C. In the first year of Cyrus, he made a decree that all captive people in his empire could return to their homeland. Captured gods were returned and permission given to rebuild their places of worship. ~538 B. C. 18

Years of Silence The First “thread”: Persian History Cambyses (530 -522 B. C. ): • • • Rose to power after Cyrus was killed in battle. Added Egypt to the Medo. Persian empire. Died on his way home from his victory in Egypt in response to a rebellion in Persia (supposedly led by his brother Bardiya. ) 19

Years of Silence The First “thread”: Persian History The Jewish “Thread”: Darius I (521 -486 B. C. ): • The Jews in Jerusalem have stopped building the temple. Also known as Darius the Great. • Haggai and Zechariah begin preaching urging the people to Darius proved to be a strong and wise ruler. He was tolerant “consider your ways” and to get busy building the temple toward governor of the satrapy of Syria inquires about the again. Theother religions and cultures, promoted learning, Jews actions and he writes Darius to see if their response is agriculture, is made and the true. A search forestation, and decree of Cyrus is located and construction gives orders verified. Dariusof highways. that the Jews be given any • material they needed to completeto project. He developed a fleet of ships the serve as his navy. • The temple is to add new 516 B. C. (20 years after it was Continues finished in territories to the begun). empire. These included portions of Greece. 20

Battle of Marathon 490 B. C. Beginning of the Greek “Thread” 21

Years of Silence The First “thread”: Persian History Xerxes (486 -465 B. C. ): The Jewish “Thread”: • Takes control after Darius death. • When Xerxes avengefromfather’she chooses a new queen, Wanted to returns his battle defeat at the hand of the Greeks at Esther. Through Mordecai, Haman’s plot is exposed and the Marathon so he gathers an Jews are saved from destruction. enormous army and sets out for battle. Mordecai is given a very high position in the government and • the Jewsvictories (captures Athens andkingdom. Early become honored people in the burns it’s acropolis). • But his navy is destroyed on the island of Salamis, just off the coast near Athens, and his remaining army is defeated the following year (479 22

Years of Silence The First “thread”: Persian History The Jewish “Thread”: The Greek “Thread”: Artaxerxes Longimanus (465 -425 B. C. ): to Ezra to return Artaxerxes Longimanus issues the decree The of Xerxes. • and do “whatever is commanded by the God ofthe The son Greeks never forgave the Persians for heaven…” Athens. This lays groundwork of • (Ezra burning of. Ezra leads aname came men with their Supposedly, his second groupthe 1354 7: 12 -26). of hatred that made it possible for Philip of Macedon from his right hand being longer than restore families later mold the separate city-states into a and to Jerusalem. It was his task to his to left hand. the worship of Jehovah. Around 458 united strengthen to fight their common enemy, the Persians. B. C. . force Nehemiah askedcontinues and finally the Persians are Resistance for and received permission to go to Jerusalem and rebuild. Minor andof the city. to enter the all the driven from Asia the walls agree not He is given materials and. Sea. ~449 to complete the work. Around 445 Aegean supplies B. C. . Malachi either overlaps with Ezra & Nehemiah or comes soon 23 afterward.

Years of Silence The First “thread”: Persian History The Greek “Thread”: Xerxes II (425 B. C. ): • • Son During this time, the most famous Greek of Artaxerxes Longimanus Afterphilosophers came along. he was assassinated in 424 a reign of forty-five days, • Socrates (470 -399) BC by his brother Sogdianus (one of his 17 half brothers) who • Platowas murdered by Darius II. in turn (428 -348) • Aristotle (384 -322) These men had an profound effect upon the thinking of the educated among the Greeks. Since the Greeks will conquer all the lands involved in our study, their thinking had a strong effect upon the world during the years of silence, and continued to be predominant in the world of the New Testament. 24

Years of Silence The First “thread”: Persian History Darius II (424 -405 B. C. ): • • Previously known as Ochus, the satrap of Hyrcania, adopted the name Darius on his accession; he was also known as Nothus. Darius was dominated by eunuchs and by his half-sister and wife, the cruel and ambitious Parysatis. After the Athenian defeat at Syracuse, Darius II successfully retakes a large portion of Asia Minor. He dies of an illness. 25

Years of Silence The First “thread”: Persian History Artaxerxes Mnemon (405 -359 B. C. ): • • His name means “whose reign is through truth. ” Reputed to have a phenomenal memory. Battled his younger brother Cyrus at Cunaxa who had assembled a large group of Greek mercenaries (about 13000). Cyrus is killed but the Greek mercenaries were very effective against the large army of Artaxerxes (approximately 40000). The Greek mercenaries make their way back home noting that the Persian army is not indestructible. 26

Years of Silence The First “thread”: Persian History Artaxerxes Mnemon (405 -359 B. C. ): • • He became involved in a war with Persia's erstwhile allies, the Spartans, who, under Agesilaus II, invaded Asia Minor. In order to redirect the Spartans' attention to Greek affairs, Artaxerxes subsidized their enemies: in particular the Athenians, Thebans and Corinthians. These subsidies helped to engage the Spartans in what would become known as the Corinthian War. Artaxerxes II is said to have had more than 115 sons from 350 wives. 27

The Greek “Thread”: In the battle of Cunaxa, the Greeks found out just how inferior the Persian armies had become in battle. In the battle, it is stated that only one of the Greek soldiers was wounded. The mercenaries made their way north and fought their way to the shores of the Black Sea, and then westward to home. Cunaxa: 70 miles north of Babylon. Battle took place on the left bank of the Euphrates River 28

Years of Silence Judea was caught in a power struggle between Syria and Egypt Armies consistently passed through their land Syria gained control and Antiochus Epiphanes declared himself the human manifestation of Zeus He demanded all subjects worship according to the customs of the Greeks He came into Judea and desecrated the temple, forbade the observance of the law of Moses and set up idols in the temple grounds This brought about the Maccabean Revolt (167 BC) 29

Many Jews hoped this revolt was ushering in the new kingdom that God had promised And that the Messiah would soon appear to restore Israel as a world leader as in David’s day Even as late as Jesus return the Apostles ask the question: Ac 1: 6 ¶ When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 30

Romans came on the scene Came with the pretense of helping the Maccabees to rule (63 BC) Once inside they laid claim to the city The Jews resented them for this Romans wanted complete control of the Mediterranean shore line It could also be a buffer zone between them and the Parthians Civil unrest grew in the land Herod the Great (40 -4 BC) 31

Herod the Great • • • He was loyal to Roman interest He understood Jews enough to know their thinking This helped win the favor of some Jews He enlarged the temple Granted full religious liberty High priest recognized as religious leaders Allowed to pay temple tax Allowed to observe Sabbath Local affairs judged by the Sanhedrin 32