Christian Fiction Devourers discussion

I am currently taking a wonderful class from our pastor here at Good Samaritan Chapel on understanding the Old Testament. It is definitely making it much clearer to me in the way that he is teaching it. Please feel free to make comments or copy whatever I post.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

There are 39 books in the Old Testament. The first seventeen books are historical, the next 5 books are poetical, and the last seventeen books are prophetical.

HISTORICAL
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther

POETICAL
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon

PROPHETICAL
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amas
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi

Each book fits into a primary category even though it might also fit partially into another category.The 39 books of the Old Testament are written by 28 authors over a 2000 year span.

TIMELINE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

The Book of Job is probably the earliest written of the Old Testament books. Then the chronological orders goes as follows:

Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Dueteronomy
Joshua
Judges - Ruth (same time period)
I Samuel
2 Samuel - I Chronicles - Psalms (same time period)
1 Kings - 2 Chronicles- Proverbs - Eccleisiastes - Song of Solomom (same time period)
2 Kings - (To Israel) Hosea, Amos - (To Judah) Habbakuk, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel, Micah, Zephaniah, Lamentations - (To Assyria) Jonah, Nahum - (To Edom) Obadiah (all same time period)

70 year gap during Captivity in Egypt - Ezekiel and Daniel (same time period)

Esther - Ezra - Haggai - Zechariah (same time period)
Nehemiah (Esther and Nehemiah were originally one book) & Malachi (same time period)

THE SILENT YEARS: The years between the close of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament when the prophets were silent and before the birth of Jesus.

Thanks Loraine. I’ve also read the Bible in chronological order this year and some made more sense!

Want to do it slower this year (more study) so this will help :-)

Glad you are enjoying it Sarita. I will be reading it slowly as well. Although I will put up all the connections to Biblical literature on the other thread in this topic, I may be spending 2 years slowly working through the Old Testament.

THE NINE MAIN ERAS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

1. Creation (Undated)
The creation of the world and man, and early events.

2. Patriarch (2166 BC - 1900 BC)
The birth of the Hebrew people through a family of patriarchs, covering a period of two hundred years.

3. Exodus (Moses born 1526 BC & Exodus 1446 BC - 1406 BC)
The exodus of the Hebrew people as they are delivered out of four hundred years of slavery in Egypt.

4. Conquest (1406 BC - 1375 BC)
The conquest of the Promised Land by the Hebrew people upon their return from Egypt.

5. Judges (1375 BC - 1050 BC)
A four hundred year period during which Israel is governed by rulers called judges.

6. Kingdom (1050 BC - David 1010 BC)
An additional four hundred year period during which Israel becomes a full-fledged nation ruled by a monarchy.
(Divid Kingdom 930 BC - Final exile 586 BC)

7. Exile (586 BC - 516 BC)
A seventy year period during which Israel's leaders live in exile, having been conquered by foreign countries.

8. Return (516 BC - 430 BC)
The return of the exiled Jews to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and the temple.

9. Silence (430 Bc - Birth of Christ)
A final four hundred year period between the close of the Old Testament and the opening of the New Testament.

THE NINE CENTRAL FIGURES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

Creation - Adam - The first man
Patriarch - Abraham - The first patriarch
Exodus - Moses - The leader of the exodus
Conquest - Joshua - The leader of Israel's army
Judges - Samson - The most famous judge
Kingdom - David - The best known Israelite king
Exile - Daniel - The major exile prophet
Return - Ezra - The central return leader
Silence - The Pharisees - The religious leaders

THE NINE MAIN LOCATIONS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

Creation - Eden
Patriarch - Canaan
Exodus - Egypt
Conquest - Canaan
Judges - Canaan
Kingdom - Israel
Exile - Babylonia
Return - Jerusalem
Silence - Jerusalem

I have a map of the Old Testament area on my profile, but can't get it to upload here If you are interested, here is the link:

https://images.gr-assets.com/photos/1...

WOW! Loraine you have broken things down well and I'm looking forward to digging in deeper to the Old Testament in 2019. Thanks for all your hard work and for sharing it with our group! Will we be discussing anything on this thread? Just wondering as I enjoy reading what others are learning along the way as God teaches us.

Absolutely Kelli. I think discussion as we go along would be great.

I love studying the Binle this is fantastic Loraine I will be taking part as much as time permits :)

Great Charlene. Know you are a working gal, so take part as you can.

MAJOR EVENTS OF THE CREATION ERA
1. Creation: Man created in the image of God (Genesis 1-2)
2. The Fall: Sin enters into the world (Genesis 3)
3. The Flood: Judgment for sin (Genesis 6-10)
4. The Tower of Babel: Beginning of the Nations (Genesis 11)

The Flood: Judgment for Sin (Genesis 6-10)

Over the next several hundred years, as man multiplies in numbers, so his tendency to sin multiplies, until a time comes when God can find only eight people who are willing to live in a righteous relationship with Him: Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives. So, in judgment for sin, God performs surgery on the human race, cutting out the cancerous tissues, as it were, and leaving behind the healthy tissue to restore itself. He does this by sending a world wide flood which destroys mankind, except for Noah and his family, who are saved in Noah's Ark.

Has anyone had a chance to visit the repiica of the Ark in Kentucky? I had a friend who visited it, and her pictures were amazing. She said it was an incredible experience.

Here is a link that will take you on a virtual tour of it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvUVW...

I have wanted to visit that since it opened! Hope to this summer. Just finished reading about the flood - the Word says God was grieved that He made man. It is also says that man had 120 years to repent but didnt. How gracious God was! May we never take lightly the wickedness of sin

Thank you Loraine for starting this thread 🙂

Kelli wrote: "I have wanted to visit that since it opened! Hope to this summer. Just finished reading about the flood - the Word says God was grieved that He made man. It is also says that man had 120 years to r..."

Yes - sad to know that His most wonderful creation grieved God; and if it wasn't for our Savior and God's wonderful plan for salvation, we be destroyed again.

I hope to see that this year as well.

Kelli wrote: "I have wanted to visit that since it opened! Hope to this summer. Just finished reading about the flood - the Word says God was grieved that He made man. It is also says that man had 120 years to r..."

And sadly now people take advantage of God's grace and forgiveness through Jesus (advantage i.e. take light of this gift by sinning and repenting, sinning and repenting without really turning to God and changing our hearts).

Loraine, thanks for putting this together!

You're welcome Hannah.

Genesis 11 - The Tower of Babel: Beginning of the Nations

God's post-flood mandate to man was to spread out, populate, and subdue the whole earth. In direct disobedience to that command, man stays in one place and begins building a monument to himself, the Tower of Babel. God causes this large congregation of people to begin speaking different languages. Lack of communication prevents them from further progress on the tower, and the people of each tongue disperse to the four corners of the earth and form the beginning of the nations of the world as we know them today.

Genesis 12- 23 - The Patriarch Era

The Patriarch Era extended from 2166 BC to 1900 BC, and four major characters were involved: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. The main character is Abraham and the setting is Canaan (now Israel) when Abraham is chosen by God to father a people to represent God to the World.

Abraham is considered the Father of the Hebrew people who are descended from Noah's son, Shem. (Genesis 12-23). Because of Adam's sin and the Fall of man, God's attention is now focused on a plan of redemption for mankind. God wants a people through whom He can work to produce a reflection of Himself, and through whom He can spread the message of redemption to the world. He chooses Abraham, who becomes the Father of the Hebrew people, and promises him a country (land), countless descendants (seed), and a worldwide and timeless impact (blessing). Abraham is living in Ur, near the convergence of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, at the time. God leads him to the land of Canaan, where Abraham settles and has two sons, Ishmael and Isaac.

Thanks Loraine. Most interesting!

Genesis 24-26
Isaac; Second Father of Promise
Isaac becomes the second father of promise as the fulfillment of Abraham's Promises is passed down to him. He witnesses several major miracles during his life. He lives in the Land of Abraham, becomes prosperous, and dies at an old age after having fathered two sons: Esau and Jacob.

Genesis 27-35
Jacob: Father of the Nation of Israel
The promises give to Abraham are passed through Isaac to Jacob, Isaac's Younger son. Jacob begins life as a conniving scoundrel. However, through a series of miracles and other encounters with God, he mends his ways. Jacob has twelve sons, and the promises of Abraham are passed dow to them all as a family. While Abraham is the father of the Hebrew people, Jacob is the father of the nation of Israel, as from his twelve sons emerge the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel.

Genesis 37-50
Joseph: Leader in Egypt (born to Rachel, Jacob's favorite wife. Joseph was the 11th son.
Jacob's sons, for the most part, have very little commitment to God's call on them as a nation. They sell their brother Joseph as a slave, and he is taken to Egypt. Because of Joseph's righteousness, he rises to become a great leader in Egypt. During a severe famine, his family comes to Egypt for food, is reunited with Joseph, and as a result, enjoys peace and comfort. After Joseph dies, however, his people are enslaved for the next four hundred years. This time of trial sharpens the spiritual hunger of the Hebrew people, and they cry out to God for deliverance.

THE EXODUS ERA
(Moses born 1526 BC and Exodus 1446 BC - 1406 BC)

Through Moses God delivers the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt and then gives them the law. There are four major events in the Exodus Era: 1 - Deliverance, 2 - The Law, 3 - Kadesh Barnea (name of a place), and 4. Forty Years of Wandering

1. Deliverance: Freedom from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 1-18)
The Hebrew have languished under slavery in Egypt for four hundred years when they cry out to God for Deliverance. God raises up Moses as His spokesman to Pharaoh, the rule of Egypt, asking for spiritual freedom for the Hebrew people. Pharaoh refuses, and a series of ten plagues is levied on Egypt to prompt Pharaoh to let the people go. The plagues start out bad and gradually get worse. Finally, Pharaoh consents to let the Hebrews leave Egypt. After they have gone, he changes his mind and attempts to recapture them. They are as far as the Red Sea when God parts the Red Sea, and the Hebrew people cross over to the other side. The waters come together again, protecting them from the Egyptian arm and freeing them from slavery in Egypt. God, of course, has only one destination for the: The Promise Land of Canaan. The land that their father, Abraham, had first settled is again to be their home.

2. The Law: God's Commandments at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19-40)
The Hebrew people now begin to take on a national identity as Israel. From the Red Sea, the Israelites travel south to the bottom of the sinai Peninsula and camp at Mount Sinai. They receive God's commandments at Mount Sinai. Moses meets with God alone at the tope of Mount Sinai where he receives the Ten Commandments written on tablets of stone by the finger of God. Moses also receives a full revelation of the Law that is to govern Israel's national life as well as her relationship to God. These laws are legal laws that are covered in the Book of Leviticus. God promises to bless Israel abundantly for obedience and curses her soundly for disobedience.

LEVITICUS
The Lord summons Moses to the meeting tent and lays out the patterns of worship and daily behavior for the Levites, who are the tribe of Moses, as well as for all of the tribes of Israel. The tribal name and priestly calling of the Levites led the later Greek translators of this book to give it the name we use. Moses and Aaron, along with their tribe, are to help the Israelites establish their calling and character as God's people. The book is set forth as a manual for the sacrificial system and as a guide to the offerings and for ethical behavior. It endures as an invitation to holiness. Holiness is the central issue and principal teaching of the book. Every discipline for priests and for people is a path to the knowledge of and experience with the glories of God's holiness. The Hebrew term for holy appears in one form or another more than one hundred times in the book.

NUMBERS
Numbers demonstrates that, within a framework of God's plans for further provision, guidance, and blessing, Israel must choose to proceed faithfully or retreat fearfully. The title of this fourth book of the Pentateuch comes from counting two generations of Israel's males who were "eligible for military service. The first census counts men twenty years old and above, who had experienced Egyptian slavery and deliverance, but who rebelled. The second census enrolls the next generation, which eventually enters Canaan under Joshua and receives land allotments.

Israel leaves Mount Sinai and migrates north to an oasis, Kadesh Barnea, which is the southern gateway into the Promised Lan. From this vantage point, twelve spies are sent into the Promised Land, one spy from each of the twelve tribes. The good news is that the land is beautiful and bountiful. The bad news is that there are giants and hostile armies through the land. Ten spies report that the land is indomitable; but two spies, Joshua and Caleb exhort the people to believe God and go into the land. The people believe the majority report and refuse to follow Moses into the land. This book could also be called "Rebellions" for Israel repeatedly breaks covenant, loses faith, and even seeks to return to Egypt. Although they question Moses' authority at every turn, his solidarity with the Israelites and his status as the ideal prophet and closest friend of the Lord is seen. There are other reminders of the Exodus, such as the interplay between God's providence (God's determination to bless Israel) and human free will (the influence of God's covenant partners on outcomes). Moses finally leads them to the north of the Dead Sea near Jericho, the eastern gateway to the Promised Land. Moses encourages the people, gives them additional instruction found in the Book of Deuteronomy, and then dies never reaching the Promised Land.

DEUTERONOMY

Deuteronomy is central to the OT. Some portion of Deuteronomy may have been the "Instruction Scroll" (2 Kings 22:8) found in the temple during Josiah's time. It is certain that Deuteronomy's theological emphases - especially exclusive worship of the Lord and the centralization of worship-- are the standards by which we judge Isreal's history as a monarchy. Indeed, Joshua-Kings is called "the Deuteronomistic History" in recognition of Deuteronomy's influence in these books.

Deuteronomy serves as a gateway to the rest of the OT and as the final and definitive word of the Pentateuch, repeating much of Exodus-Numbers, even as it revises that material in striking ways. Deuteronomy the book's name in Greek, means "second law," which fits its penchant for repetition and revision. Deuteronomy presents itself as Moses' last sermon to Israel before his death. Deuteronomy is deeply concerned with persuading Israel what to do, how to do it, and why it ought to be done once Moses is gone and Israel is settled in the land. The book communicates differently to various audiences: from the second generation of those who left Egypt, to those in Josiah's time, to the exiles, to the present. The fact that so much of what follows in Scripture-- not to mention our own lives--seems to follow Deuteronomy's standards shows just how effective the book was in the past and how important it remains today.

Loraine wrote: "Has anyone had a chance to visit the repiica of the Ark in Kentucky? I had a friend who visited it, and her pictures were amazing. She said it was an incredible experience..."

Yes! My family went to Ark Encounter in 2016, two months after it opened. It was amazing! My husband walked around marveling at the workmanship. It is beautiful inside. And the exhibits are excellent. They will give you much to think about. I highly recommend a visit to the ark and the nearby Creation Museum.

We went to the Creation Museum soon after it opened in 2007. I'm a charter member, so of course we were going to go. :-> It was excellent. My family of six loved it (kids aged 6-15). My husband, two youngest kids, and I went again in 2016 when we took a vacation to that area so we could see the ark. Quite a bit" had been changed at the CM since we had last seen it, and it was better. The Created Cosmos planetarium show is excellent, and I highly recommend it. Here's a snippet about it at the CM website, and I agree with it: "...This planetarium show will give you a better understanding of the immensity of the universe and the power of the One who created it..."

If you visit one site, you should also visit the other. A discounted, combined ticket is available. There is some overlap in the information presented at the two sites, but there's enough unique information at each that you really should visit both.

There are lots of other things to do in the area. When we visited in 2007, we also went to a horse farm, Shaker museum, Toyota plant that had a tour, Mammoth cave, and Kentucky Down Under (an Australian-themed zoo where we got to pet a lot of animals, including kangaroos). When we visited in 2016, we also went to the National Park Service Dayton Aviation Heritage site with Wright brothers sites. We also went to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force and a zoo (Cincinnati?). We went to other places which I can't remember right now. Anyway, there are plenty of fun things to do which aren't so far away from the ark and CM (well, the zoo was far away but still in Kentucky and worth the drive).

Thanks for sharing AlegnaB. Sounds like that would definitely be an interesting area for families to visit.

I definitely want to go Alegna. Thanks for sharing.

Y'all are welcome. Ark Encounter was recently featured on Fox & Friends. You can see the segment, which includes some inside images of the ark, at https://answersingenesis.org/blogs/ke....

THE CONQUEST ERA (1406-1375 BC)

Joshua leads the conquest of the Promised Land that has been occupied by the Canaanites.

There are four main events in the Conquest Era: 1 Jordan, 2 Jericho, 3 Conquest, and 4 Dominion.

Jordan: A Miraculous parting of water (Joshua 1-5)
Moses dies, and God hand-picks Joshua to succeed him. Joshua's first challenge is to cross the Jordan River at flood stage. God commands him to prepare the nation for a ceremonial procession and to begin walking, priests first, toward the Jordan River. When the priests touched water, God would part the water for them. The people respond, and God parts the Jordan River for a distance of about twenty miles. They cross without incident, and the water begins flowing again.

About Gilgal (Joshua 5:1-2)

Jericho: A miraculous conquest of a city (Joshua 6)
The city of Jericho, on the west side of the Jordan River near the Dead Sea, is not only the eastern gateway to the Promised Land, but it is also a fortified city and poses a threat to the welfare of Israel. Joshua is a brilliant military strategist, so much so that his campaigns in the Bible are still studied in the Army War College today. As he stands overlooking the city, contemplating how to conquer it, the angel of the Lord appears to him and instructs him to march around the city, totally quiet, once a day for seven days. On the seventh day, he is to march around it seven times and the people are to shout. The city walls will fall down. They did as the angel said, and the walls fell down.

Conquest - the defeat of Canaan (Joshua 7-12)
The Canaanites are untied in their hatred of the Israelites, but not in their military opposition to them. Primarily, the region is characterized by individual kings, each with his own city and surrounding country. Joshua cuts the the midsection toward the Mediterranean Sea. Having divided the land, he then begins to conquer, from South to North. In about seven years, the initial defeat of Canaan is complete.

Dominion: Finalizing Dominion (Joshua 13-20)
Each of the twelve tribes of Israel is given a land area by lottery and is responsible for finalizing dominion over that area. All twelve tribes inhabit their areas and form a loose federation with the other tribes.

Here is a map showing the division of the land among the twelve tribes of Israel.

https://www.biblestudy.org/maps/divis...

Thanks for that map Lorraine!

THE JUDGES ERA (1375 BC - 1050 BC)

Samson and others were chosen as judges to govern the people for four hundred rebellious years. The fours main subjects of the Judges era were: Judges, Rebellion, Cycles, and Ruth.

As seen in the Book of Judges, these judges were not men who wear long, flowing back robes, sit on high benches, and make legal decisions. Rather, they are political-military leaders of Israel who exercise nearly absolute power because of their office and abilities. The four major judges are: Deborah, a woman judge early in the Judges Era. Gideon, who defeats an army of thousands with only three hundred men. Samson, the most famous judge, whose fabulous strength has captured our imagination of thousands of years. And Samuel, a transitional character held in very high regard in Scripture, who is both the last judge and the first prophet.

The Book of Judges records the darkest period in Israel's history, following one of the brightest eras: the Conquest Era under Joshua. Just before Moses dies, he instructs Israel (Deuteronomy 7:1-5) to do three things: 1) Destroy all the inhabitants of Canaan. 2) Avoid intermarriage with the Canaanites. 3) Shun worship of the Canaanite gods. Israel fails on all three accounts.

Much of the Era of the Judges involves a series of seven cycles that are recorded in the Book of Judges. Each cycle has five component parts: 1) Isreal sins, 2) God disciplines them through military conquest by a neighboring country, 3) Israel repents and cries out to God for deliverance, 4) God raises up a judge who delivers them from bondage, 5) God frees the land from military oppression for the remainder of that judge's life. That is one cycle: sin, conquest, repentance, deliverance, and freedom. Then, when a judge dies, the repitition of Israel's misfortunes begins again. Seven such cycles are recorded in the book of Judges.

There were 13 judges. The seven major judges were: Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson, and Samuel.

THE BOOK OF RUTH
Ruth is a model woman, and this book though still part of the historical books is a refreshing contrast to the general background of the Judges Era. This model woman who lives during the Era of the Judges is an example of moral and spiritual strength. Her story is one of love, purity, and commitment. She is a living illustration of the blessings that God showers on those who live in faithful obedience to HIm. One example of God's blessings toward Ruth is that she, a non-Hebrew, is listed in the lineage from Abraham to Jesus.

A lineage chart showing Jesus' ancestry including Ruth's husband Boaz (first column on left) is at:

https://byustudies.byu.edu/charts/8-6...

Ruth would have been Jesus' 28th great grandmother.

THE KINGDOM ERA 1050 BC - 1010 BC

David, the greatest king in the new monarchy, is followed by a succession of most unrighteous kings, and God eventually judges Israel for her sin, sending her into Exile.

There are four main periods in the Kingdom Era. 1) United Kingdom, 2) Division of the Kingdom, 3) Northern Kingdom, and 4) Southern Kingdom

The United Kingdom: A new monarchy (1 and 2 Samuel)

The twelve tribes of Israel, jealous of other nations around the, are united in their demand to God for a king. God allows Samuel, the last judge, to anoint Saul to be the first king, beginning a new monarchy. Because Saul is not a righteous king, God does not honor his reign or establish his family on the throne of Israel. His successor, David, though having shortcomings, is a righteous king, and Israel prospers under him. David's son Solomon becomes king upon David's death. Solomon rules righteously at first, then drifts from the Lord.

My apologies for getting behind on this, but a fall put me in the hospital and rehab for 2 weeks. Now I have been recovering at home for the past 2 weeks.

The Divided Kingdom: A Civil War (1 Kings)
As a result of Solomon's spiritual drifting, a civil war erupts upon his death, and the kingdom is divided. There is now a northern kingdom consisting of the ten tribes, and a souther kingdom, consisting of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The northern ten tribes retain the name "Israel," and the souther two tribes adopt the name "Judah" after the name of the larger tribe.

Northern Kingdom: The Unrighteous Kingdom (2 Kings)
In the civil war that splits the kingdom, Jeroboam commands the northern kingdom of Israel. He is unrighteous, and every other king (nineteen total) who succeeds him during the 250 year life of the northern kingdom is also unrighteous. Because of this unrighteousness, God raises up Assyria to conquer the northern kingdom and scatter His people to the four winds. The unrighteous kingdom in never restored.

Southern Kingdom: the inconsistent kingdom (2 Kings)
Rehoboam, Solomon's son, commands the southern kingdom of Judah. He is also unrighteous, but the southern kingdom fares somewhat better than the northern. Lasting for four hundred years, its life is prolonged by eight righteous kings out of a total of twenty. Judah's sins finally catch up to her, however, and God bring judgment on the inconsistent kingdom by raising up Babylonia (which has conquered Assyria) to conquer Judah. Babylonia gathers all the leaders, artisans, musicians, and promising children, and takes them away to captivity in Babylonia. The most famous was Daniel who was in captivity 70 years. The Jews kept their identity even though they had been taken to Babylonia.

Thanks for posting this, Loraine. It was an important part of both history and prophecy that I only recently discovered. I've heard people say many of the end times prophecies were fulfilled with the Maccabees (before Jesus), but the prophecies talked about the children of Israel returning from the whole world (not just Babylon and Assyria), and they would no longer be divided. Jews and Samaritans were certainly at odds when Jesus was around. But nowadays you hear nothing of the ancient rivalry.

You'e welcome John. This came from a year long Bible Study that our pastor did about the chronological history of the Bible.

THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS (Isaiah - Malachi)

If a man was a true prophet from God, no prediction of his would ever fail. This is not an ability inherent within himself. Rather, this information is given to him by God. They were also "forthtellers." Forthtelling means simply proclaiming the teachings of God to the people which primarily relate to righteous living. There are sixteen men who wrote down their messages. They wrote the final seventeen books of the Old Testament, and their writings are called the Prophetical Books. Isaiah through Daniel are the major prophets and Hosea through Malachi are the minor prophets. These books were written during the period of 445 BC to 433 BC.

The primary message of the prophets was to the nations to stop sinning and return to the Lord. The prophets predicted what would happen to the nation if the people did not heed the warning. Twelve of the books were written during the time covered in 2nd Kings. Of the remaining books two propeths (Ezekiel and Daniel) ministered during the Exile, and three (Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi) during the return.

THE SILENT YEARS
These are the years between the close of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament when the prophets were silent and before the birth of Jesus

Pharisees and others entomb the Israelites in legalism for 400 years. At the close of the Old Testament, Jerusalem is ruled by Persia. Alexander the Great defeats the Persians in 333 B.C. and established Greek culture and the Greek language as a unifying force for the at part of the world. When Alexander dies, his kingdom is quartered, but Hellenistic (Greek) culture is still advanced and remains the dominant influence. When Rome conquers that part of the world, Roman influences are introduced. The march of nations passes from Persia to Greece to Rome.

Throughout the four hundred Silent Years, there are militant Jews who attempt to revolt against the foreign rule and make Jerusalem and the surrounding area of Judea an independent country. These include the Maccabeans and the Zealots.

There are two primary religious "parties" in Jerusalem during this time. Neither offers much guidance in true spirituality rather they are caught up in promoting a religious "Legalism" of external adherence to rules. The Pharisees are orthodox and conservative and they foster separation between themselves and "secular" society. The Sadducees are more liberal. They are the party of the Jerusalem aristocracy, and the use their wealth and influence to keep the political waters calm. A ruling board, called the Sanhedrin, is made up of representatives from both the Pharisees and the Sadducees, but the two groups have little in common except their desire for religious freedom.

The expectation and hope for the coming of the "Messiah" is strong during the four hundred Silent Years. Events of the Silence Era seem to expecially prepare the world for the coming of the Messiah.