Were the "Silent Years" Really Silent?

This blog post is the start of what I hope will generate more thorough and deeper discussions around common (and some uncommon) Bible study topics. This first video was a short I created at the request of co-workers for more in-depth Bible study than they were commonly exposed to. It covers what is commonly called “The silent years” surrounding the Intertestamental Period between the Old and New Testament. Please consider this as you read this blog post and hopefully watch the video – the phrase “the silent years” was almost certainly coined by Christians… and I would propose that our God was certainly NOT silent.

Background: The “Prophets and the Law” refers to the ‘Law of Moses, commonly called the Pentateuch – Genesis through Deuteronomy, and the Prophets, or Nevi’im, which are the writings of the Major and Minor Prophet (though ordered a bit differently than we have in our Old Testament).

To begin with, the Old Testament closes with the following from Malachi: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes” (Malachi 4:5 ESV). The first book of the New Testament has our Lord Christ stating, “For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come” (Matthew 11:13 ESV). Clearly, the last verse in Malachi was yet another prophecy fulfilled.

The attached video discusses just some of what God Himself did from the time that prophesy was made until it was fulfilled. I hope this shows how great a God we have who could literally move nations across the Earth and set the stage for “the great and awesome day of the Lord”, as well as create an environment for His Word to spread to the farthest reaches afterward.

Caveat: In the video, I recommend reading the Apocrypha and other books. I hope to clearly state that these are NOT ‘Cannon’ (scripture) but have for centuries (at least as far back as the third century Jerome for example), been recommended for context (what life was like during those times, as well as what early Jews and Christians were dealing with) but never recognized as authoritative. Most Christian scholars today also do not believe they must be read, but that they could be read for a more complete understanding of life in general during the times of the early Jews and Christians. Philo is also mentioned but is not apocryphal. Philo was a Hellenistic Jew during the time of Christ, and his writings are very informative regarding what Jews, during the time of Christ, believed or were taught.

God Bless - Love God - Love your neighbor.

Mark