The time gap between Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, and Matthew, the first of the Gospels. God did not give His people Israel any message by a prophet during this time that has been recorded in the Bible. Daniel in Daniel 11 prophesied about this 400 years and maybe other prophets did also. There were men and women who followed the ways of God living all during this time. Some of the names that have survived from these years include: Anna the prophetess (Luke 2:36-38), the family of the Maccabees and others.   Read more »

Alexander the Great in a few short years ruled a very large empire. He came to the throne in 336BC at the age of 19 and died thirteen years later in Babylon at the age of 32 in 323BC. Alexander brought Greek colonists and culture to the East, which is still seen in these countries to this day. With Aristotle he established Koine Greek so everyone spoke and wrote the same Greek. After his death, his empire was split into four regions. In Daniel 7 Alexander is represented by the Bear and in Daniel 8 by the He-Goat single horn. Check out Daniel 11 and what it says about the 400 year period.   Read more »

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

The celebrated Jewish Hasmonean family 170-37BC who defended Jewish rights and customs. This Jewish Hasmonean family and other Jewish families stayed faithful to God during the time called the 400 years between the Old and New Testaments. Old Testament Bible reference: this happened in the silent 400 years period. Purified the temple in 164BC that had been built by Zerubbabel, from which we get the feast of Hanukkah or the Festival of Lights or the Feast of Dedication.   Read more »

The Temple built by Zerubbabel was purified 14th December 164BC. From this act of dedication, we have the Feast of Lights or the Feast of Dedication, also known as Hanukkah. Zerubbabel had this temple built in 516BC and it lasted until AD70. Herod remodeled this temple during his reign. Zerubbabel in Hebrew means: offspring of Babylon. Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, from the tribe of Judah, was the governor of Jerusalem and Joshua the son of Jehozadak was the high priest.  Read more »

From 400BC to the fall of Jerusalem in AD70 there was a Jewish High Priest. The High Priests job was to lead the people in the daily sacrifices in the temple in Jerusalem. High priest as in Moses
High priest as in Easter.   Read more »

John Hyrcanus II, eldest son of Alexander Jannaeus and Alexandra, High Priest 76BC-66BC and (restored) 63BC-40BC. The position of High Priest often was very political, but Hyrcanus was a weak person who was controlled by many in his lifetime. His life ended when he was murdered by King Herod the Great in 30BC. John Hyrcanus II was but one of fifty or more High Priests who served in the Temple in Jerusalem from the return from the Babylonian exile, about 515BC, to the fall of the Temple in AD70. Hyrcanus the name means: one from Hyrcania.   Read more »

Two brothers from the Hasmonean dynasty in 63BC, Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, vied for the throne in Jerusalem. Because neither could win they invited Rome to intervene, which they did, and the Roman overlords did not leave until the Empire fell some 500 years later. The Romans were seen as a foreign occupying force by many of the local Jews. The headquarters of the Roman army was at Caesarea, with a seaport called Sebastos. In 63 BC the Roman general Pompey was only too happy to come to the assistance of the Hasmoneans.   Read more »

Matthew 2:16-18. Herod the Great becomes the ruler of Israel. He ruled Judea, Samaria and Galilee, most of what is often incorrectly called Palestine today. He died in 4BC. Herod built MASADA as his summer palace. The Roman Senate had appointed Herod, an Idumean, as king of Judea in 37BC. He died during 4BC In Greek Herod means: heroic.Background Reading: 2:16 Herod flew into a rage when he learned that he had been tricked by the wise men, so he ordered the execution of all the male children in Bethlehem and all its neighboring regions, who were two years old and younger.   Read more »

King Herod started to build his temple in 20BC by tearing down the Temple in the city of David that Zerubbabel had built in 516BC. The new Temple 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 when he went for a visit as a twelve-year-old and listened talked with the elders and teachers who taught at the Temple in Jerusalem. King Herod the Great had a fetish for building things; he completed many projects including a port.   Read more »

We have reached the end of the 400 year period and the start of God talking to His people again. BC stands for Before Christ. BCE stands for Before the Common Era. AD stands for Anno Domini which means: in the year of the Lord.   Read more »

Luke 1:5-25. 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. Background Reading: 1:5 During the reign of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 Both of them were righteous before God,   Read more »

Luke 1:26-38. The Angel has a message for Mary and this angel also sings at Jesus' birth. The angel Gabriel tells Mary that she will have a baby and to call him Jesus. Also that Elizabeth her cousin is six months pregnant. The Angel Gabriel was one of about three Archangels, the most important angels in God's realm. Michael is the other mentioned in the Bible. Satan is a fallen Archangel. The Angel Gabriel also announces to Zechariah the priest about the birth of his son John the Baptist. Gabriel in Hebrew means: God is mighty.   Read more »

Luke 2:1-7 and Matthew 1:18-25. The town was full of people because of the Roman census. There may well have been a Jewish feast happening at the same time. One of the few private places available for Jesus’ birth was where the animals were housed. After He was born Mary wraps Him in a soft cloth and places Him in the animals’ manger which serves as His crib, or cradle. Possible dates of the birth of Jesus. Jesus was born as a baby and then had to grow up as any baby does to become an adult.   Read more »

Jesus the only perfect man who walked 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: Old Testament Bible references: Genesis 1:1-, Isaiah etc.
New Testament Bible references: Mark, Luke, John, Revelation etc.   Read more »

Luke 22:1-24:12. 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 mankind. 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.   Read more »

The next two verses cover the return and eternal being [eternity] of Jesus - Revelation 1:4-8 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 person of the Trinity.
More Information: John the Baptist was a cousin of Jesus. The father and mother of John were Elizabeth and Zacharias.   Read more »

Questions: 1. 400 Years is the length for what? 2. At what age did Alexander the Great die? 3. What did Antiochus IV Epiphanes do in the year 167BC? 4. What was the Hasmonean family famous for in the year 164BC? 5. What famous Jewish festival is associated with The Temple in 164BC? 6. What was the High Priest's job? 7. Between what years did the High Priest Hyrcanus serve? 8. What could a Roman Soldier by law force a person to do? 9. When did King Herod the Great start his rule? 10. When did King Herod the Great start The Temple?   Read more »

The Birth of Jesus is the first of 8 sections or modules of the New Testament. The Birth of Jesus covers from the announcement to Mary from the Angel Gabriel to Jesus' coming to the age of 12 years and His death on the cross.The Scriptures are mainly taken from the gospels of Luke and Matthew, as well as some Old Testament scriptures. Included in the line up are Magi, Herod the Great, Simon, Anna, Angels, Shepherds, and the mother of Jesus and her husband Joseph.   Read more » »

Time Line for 400 years - 450BC-AD10. Approximately 4 A4 pages from 400BC-AD10 set up so you can print them. MALACHI TO THE MESSIAH End of the writing of books Malachi and Ezra 400BC TO THE MESSIAH 12BC – 3BC. Please enjoy looking at this table of contents as much as we did in making it. Time Line for 400 years - 450BC-AD10.   Read more »

Background Information: 400 YEARS: Background Notes And Study Material Page.
Background Information: 400 YEARS: Background Notes And Study Material Page.
Background Information: 400 YEARS: Background Notes And Study Material Page.
Background Information: 400 YEARS: Background Notes And Study Material Page.   Read more »

BOOK RESOURCES: The Sequence of Events of the Old Testament - Shlma Eliezer Pub MOD Israel. Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ- Harold W. Hoehner - Zondervan 1977 Bibliotheca Sacra Volume 130 and131, Doctoral Dissertation 1964 Revived 1972 Dallas Theological Seminary. Great Events of the Bible James Harper Editor - Weidenfield and Marshall editions Ltd 1987 ISBN 0-297-79068-4. A Harmony of the Gospels and Analytical out line of the Harmony A T Robertson 1922 renewed 1950 Harper & Row Publishers.   Read more »