Teaching Notes

The time gap between Malachi the last book of the Old Testament and Matthew the first of the gospels.

God did not speak to His people Israel via any thing written by the prophets of the time is recoding at this time.

Daniel in Daniel 11 prophesied about this 400 years and may be other prophets.

Men and women who followed the ways of God lived all during this time. Some of the names that have survived over the years are: Anna the prophetess in Luke 2:36-38, The Family of the Maccabees and there were others.

Alexander the Great in a few short years ruled a very large empire.
He came to the throne in 336 BC and died thirteen years later in Babylon at the age of 32 in 323 BC
Alexander imported of Greek colonists and culture to the East which is still seen in these countries to this day.
After his death it was split into four regions.

More Information:
Alexander the Great the Greek that ruled a very big empire.
See Daniel 7 The Bear and Daniel 8 the He Goat with a single horn.
Check out Daniel 11 and what it says about the 400 year period.

This happened after Malachi was written and the Gospels had not picked up the story again.

185BC -150BC This family and others stayed faithful to God during the time called the silent years.

Old Testament Bible reference: this happened in the silence 400 years period.

Hebrew name means hammer.

Bible references none

Antiochus IV Epiphanes ruled the Seleucid Empire from 175 BC until his death suddenly dieing of disease in 164 BC.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes created a problem when he put a pig in the Temple 167 BC.
He killed over a three day period in Jerusalem forty thousand people and sold as slaves forty thousand people.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes name means: manifestation of the god.

The Temple built by Zerubbabel was purified 14th December 164BC. From this act dedication we have the Feast of Lights or the Feast of dedication.
Zerubbabel had this temple built in 516BC and lasted until 70BC.
Herod remolded this temple during his reign.
Zerubbabel in Hebrew means: offspring of Babylon.

Herod builds MASADA as his summer place.

Herod the Great was an Idumean and was made king in 37 BC and died in 4BC.

Ruled in Palestine 37BC-4BC

How do we find which Herod is which?
There is a number of men called HEROD in the Bible, starting with Herod the Great who died
spring [March, April, May] 4BC.
There is also a number of rulers descending from this man to whom the Bible gives names
other than Herod in their Title e.g. King Agrippa 2.

Herod died aged 69 possibly of chronic kidney disease.

Which Herod was Jesus referring to in Mark 8:15?

Herod's summer place destroyed 70AD

Herod started to build this temple in 20BC by tearing down the Temple that Zerubbabel had built in 516BC. The newTemple took 46 years to rebuild. It was finished about AD25 see John 2:20

So it was basically a new building at the start of Jesus' ministry and was in the process of being built when he was presented as a baby and as a twelve year old when he went for a visit and listen and talk with the elders and teachers who taught at the Temple in Jerusalem.

Herod The Great had a fetish for building things he completed many projects including a Port from which Paul and Barabbas set sail on his first missionary trip.

The temple in Jerusalem was the focus of all Jewish worship and customs as ordained by God.

The Romans were seen as a foreign occupying force.

The Romans were seen as a foreign occupying force.

The head quarters for Roman army was the sea port of Caesarea.

400 YEARS The gap between Malachi and Jesus.

We have reached the end of the 400 year period.
and the start of God talking to his people again.

John told everyone who Jesus was.

John was the forerunner to Jesus.

John was the last of the Old Testament prophets because he started his ministry before Jesus started His.

The Angel Gabriel announced to Zechariah the priest about the birth of his son John the Baptist.

More Information:
John the Baptist was Jesus' cousin.
Jesus said that John is the Elijah, Matthew 11:14

The only perfect man who walked on this earth.
His public ministry was but three and a half short years.
God had planned (promised) something better for us so that only through Jesus we can come to the father.
Together with Jesus we would be made perfect.

Background Reading:
Jesus the man who influenced many

Old Testament Bible references:
• Genesis 1:1-, Isaiah etc
New Testament Bible references:
• Mark, Luke, John, Revelation etc.
• Look at many of these modules Birth of Jesus or Acts or The book Revelation

Jesus died on a Roman death machine to bring us life.
The main purpose of Jesus' life was for Him to die on the cross, and then to be raised to life from the dead. This resurrection enables us to access God, His Father.
In Genesis 3:14-15 God said to Satan he was going to lose and His son Jesus was going to win the war between Satan and God over man kind.
Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” We also meet Jesus again in the book of Revelation as the Lamb of God.

Background Reading:
Luke 22:1-24:12
Matthew 26:17-27:10
Mark 15:1-16:20;
John 19:1-20:30

The next two verses cover the return and eternal being [eternity] of Jesus - Revelation 1:7-8
The same way he went to heaven as in Acts 1:9-11 and Luke 23:50-53 he will come back.
Jesus went back to heaven so he could send the Holy Spirit who would help us.
The Holy Spirit is a person and the third of the trinity.

More Information:
John the Baptist was a cousin of Jesus.
The father and mother of John were Elizabeth and Zacharias.