The period of 400 years between the Old Testament and New Testament is often referred to as the “400 years of silence.” This is the time between the prophet Malachi and the birth of Jesus Christ. During this time, God did not speak to His people through any prophet or inspired writer. The events that took place between the close of the Old Testament canon and the arrival of Christ set the stage for the coming of the Messiah.
After the Jewish people returned from the Babylonian exile around 538 BC, they rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem that had been destroyed. The Old Testament books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, and Zechariah cover this period when Zerubbabel served as governor and Joshua as the high priest. Under their leadership, the sacrificial system was re-established and the temple was completed around 516 BC.
The next major events involved Alexander the Great’s conquest of the Persian Empire and the spread of Greek (Hellenistic) culture across the Middle East. Greek became the common language, which God used to advantage when the New Testament was written in Koine Greek. After Alexander died, Judea came under the control of the Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes who desecrated the temple around 168 BC by setting up an altar to Zeus and sacrificing a pig on the altar. This event propelled the Maccabean revolt led by Judas Maccabeus who reclaimed and purified the temple in 164 BC.
The whole intertestamental era was a time of turmoil and change as the Jewish people struggled to maintain their religious and cultural identity under foreign domination. Parts of the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha give a glimpse into Jewish life and controversies during the “silent years.” God was still at work, preserving and preparing His people for the coming of Jesus. Several significant developments set the stage for the Messiah’s arrival.
1. Transition to Hellenism
As already mentioned, Greek language and culture spread widely through the conquests of Alexander the Great. Over time, koine Greek became the common language of the eastern Mediterranean world. Many Jews adopted the language while continuing to study the Hebrew Scriptures. The Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Old Testament, was produced in Alexandria to meet the needs of Hellenized Jews. God providentially allowed this cultural trend so the New Testament would be written in a universal tongue rather than the regional Aramaic or Hebrew.
2. Roman Occupation
The Roman Empire succeeded the Greeks as the dominant world power in the 1st century BC. Judea came under direct Roman administration in AD 6 with the census that Luke mentioned (Luke 2:1). The Roman roads and sea lanes helped early Christian evangelists quickly reach nations near and far with the gospel. Jesus was born into a world where one government ruled the entire Mediterranean basin and beyond, allowing the early church to thrive in the Pax Romana (Roman Peace).
3. Synagogue System Develops
With no temple during the exile, the Jewish people began meeting in small groups on the Sabbath for prayer and study of the Scriptures. These informal gatherings led to the development of local synagogues wherever Jews settled throughout the Persian Empire. This synagogue system continued after the temple was rebuilt and ultimately provided a ready-made audience for the apostle Paul to share the gospel on his missionary journeys. The literary and linguistic skills developed through synagogue worship also equipped Jews for reading the Gospels and Epistles.
4. Partisan Divisions Emerge
As Jewish culture felt the pressure of Hellenization, different responses gave rise to groups such as the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes. The Pharisees sought strict adherence to the Mosaic Law along with the “tradition of the elders” that applied the Torah to a variety of circumstances. The Sadducees comprised mainly priests and aristocrats who wanted accommodation with Hellenism to gain power under the Seleucids. The Essenes withdrew into quasi-monastic communities like the one at Qumran by the Dead Sea. This fragmented religious climate made many Jews open to considering the revolutionary teachings of Jesus.
5. Apocryphal & Pseudepigraphical Writings
While not regarded as Scripture, books like 1 and 2 Maccabees provide helpful historical background leading up to the New Testament period. Other works such as the Wisdom of Ben Sirach and the Wisdom of Solomon capture theological developments within Hellenized Judaism. Pseudepigraphal writings attributed to Enoch, Baruch, Ezra, Isaiah, and other Old Testament figures reflect the variety of apocalyptic and eschatological expectations that permeated Second Temple Judaism. These served as intermediate religious texts until the canon was completed.
6. Diaspora Spreads Monotheism
Starting with the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests, the Jewish nation experienced several waves of dispersion, but they maintained their ethnic identity. Synagogues functioned like mini-temples fostering worship, education, community life, and charity in the Diaspora. Gentile converts to Judaism, like the biblical Ruth, also increased due to exposure to monotheism. This scattering paved the way for the rapid spread of Christianity birthed in Jerusalem thanks to established Jewish communities throughout the Roman world.
7. Prophecies of a Coming Messiah
One reason the 400 years of prophetic silence was so difficult for the Jewish people was the repeated promises of a coming deliverer. Isaiah spoke of the Virgin-born Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14) and the suffering Servant who would bear Israel’s sin (Isaiah 53). Jeremiah prophesied the righteous Branch of David (Jeremiah 23:5). Daniel foretold the Son of Man and a kingdom that would never be destroyed (Daniel 7:13-14). Hopes for fulfillment of these promises ran high in the Intertestamental Period. John the Baptist’s message sparked messianic excitement as he proclaimed the nearness of the kingdom (Matthew 3:2).
8. Priestly Focus on Ritual Purity
Since the days of Ezra, the priests maintained rituals of purification for themselves, the temple, and people who sought atonement for sin by offering sacrifices. This emphasis led to meticulous regulations concerning clean and unclean foods, hand washing, avoidance of dead bodies, Sabbath observance, and other practices. Jesus often challenged these manmade traditions that obscured the spirit of biblical law (Mark 7:1-23). At the same time, He fulfilled every requirement of purity to become the perfect sacrifice for sin.
9. Sharpened Expectation of the Kingdom
God’s past blessings and the prophetic promises primed Jewish anticipation for the messianic kingdom during the 400 years of silence. God had promised King David an everlasting dynasty, so hopes ran high whenever a descendant sat on the throne. With independence briefly regained under the Hasmoneans (Maccabees), longings surfaced for a deliverer like King David to restore full autonomy. False messiahs appeared from time to time in failed attempts to overthrow Rome. This longing for freedom from foreign oppression intensified the kingdom expectations.
10. Unfolding of Salvation History
While God was not speaking through prophets or adding to Scripture, He was actively guiding history toward His intended climax in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Looking back, we can see how Hellenism, Roman roads, the synagogue system, the Septuagint, and the fullness of time came together just as Paul described in Galatians 4:4, “when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son…” The silence was merely the calm before the unfolding of God’s glorious redemption through His Son.
The 400 years of prophetic silence built up eager anticipation for the Prince of Peace to bring in the kingdom of righteousness. Through Roman oppression, priestly ritualism, and pseudo-deliverers, the stage was perfectly set for the Messiah’s arrival. At just the right time, John stepped forth from the wilderness preaching repentance, and soon afterward Jesus began His Galilean ministry proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. The silence was broken by the voice crying in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord!” (Isaiah 40:3, Matthew 3:3).
The intertestamental period allowed tensions to heighten so the Jewish people groaned for deliverance from sin and bondage. Into this hopeless darkness, the Light of the World shone forth. After so many years of prophetic silence, Jesus Christ came as the embodiment of kingdom prophecy and the eternal Word of the Lord. The wait was over. The Messiah had come at last.