Theology Position Of Both The Old And New Testament And Intertestament Period

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Theology Position Of Both The Old And New Testament And Intertestament Period

Introduction

The Christian Bible is the source of doctrine and faith for true Christians. It is considered inerrant by many. It teaches many religious beliefs and practices but is also a source of historical information. Starting from the very beginning of time in Genesis 1, the Bible traces human history from the creation of the universe to the return of Jesus in Revelation. However, the Bible is essentially silent about what has become known as the intertestamental period.

It is important to understand how the world changed, both politically and in regards to the Jewish population, in this time period to accurately understand many events and conflicts in the early New Testament. The intertestamental period is the period of time from the chronologically latest writing of the Old Testament to when the New Testament begins. Although various scholars disagree on exact dates, a safe estimate would be that the intertestamental period covers a time span of approximately four hundred years beginning with the end of the reign of Darius II who served from 423-405 B.C.

The period lasts until the birth of Jesus originally thought to be 0 A.D. but modern scholars believe this time estimate to be inaccurate by four or five years1.

The Importance of Understanding The Intertestamental Period

The importance of understanding the intertestamental period cannot be understated. It is in this time period that various groups mentioned in the New Testament find their roots. For example, the Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem, the Sanhedrin was formed, and the Jewish Temple was built. The Babylonian captivity, which severely hampered the Jewish religion and culture, ended and Judaism reestablished itself as cultural and political influence. Jesus bases many of his teachings on events occurring in the intertestamental period.

His constant conflict with the Pharisees, for example, can only be truly understood if the Pharisaic roots and beliefs are understood. These roots were established in the intertestamental period. To understand the immense respect paid to the law one must understand the cultural influences threatening to engulf the Jewish culture and the need for cultural identity. To put it another way, Bryan Huie summarizes that “nearly 2,000 years after the life and death of Yeshua the Messiah, we have a tendency to view biblical events through the filter of our own modern western culture. But Yeshua is intricately linked to the Jewish religion and society of his day. To truly grasp his message, it's vital that we have a historical understanding of the time in which Yeshua lived.”

Without a firm understanding of the intertestamental period, it is only too easy to gloss over many of the cultural influences of Jesus' ministry. One can be certain that Jesus, the apostles, and the early church members were very aware of the events transpiring in the intertestamental period. This fact would explain why many of the events are ...