Have you ever stopped to wonder what happened during the 400 years between the Old Testament and the New Testament? During those 400 years, there were no visions, no angelic messages, and no prophetic voices reminding the people, of God's promises.
The Old Testament closes with Malachi, a prophet foretelling the arrival of both a messenger and a Messiah. Malachi 3:1 speaks of the coming of John the Baptist, “Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly comes to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the Lord of hosts.” After Malachi, then suddenly, 400 years of silence!
The 400 silent years begins with the end of the Persian rule and the rise of the Greeks. Here is the story: From 336BC to 323 BC, Alexander's conquered the Persians empire and expanded from Greece to India.
Jewish tradition holds that Alexander the Great interacted favourably with the Jewish people. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, when Alexander approached Jerusalem, the Jewish priests showed him the prophecies of Daniel eight, which symbolically predicted his conquest of Persia.
Impressed by this recognition, Alexander is said to have granted the Jews religious freedom, allowing them to maintain their worship practices.
Alexander’s legacy extended beyond military conquests to cultural influence known as Hellenization. Through Hellenization, the Greek replaced many local languages becoming the lingua franca of commerce, governance and education for many, including the Jewish communities scattered across the diaspora.
Even after the Empire of the Greeks were overtaken by the Roman Empire, Greek language remained the official and most common language in most of the Roman Empire. Latin was strong in the western side of the Roman empire, while the rest of the empire mainly spoke Greek. This common Greek Language ensured that Jesus's teachings and the writings of the apostles could reach diverse audiences across the Roman Empire.
Following Alexander's death in 323 BC, his Greek empire plunged into turmoil with no clear successor, his generals divided the Empire, forming smaller kingdoms. The Ptolemaic kingdom in Egypt and the Seleucid kingdom in Syria became the dominant powers vying for control of Israel and Jerusalem.
The Ptolemies were the first to rule over the Jews, and they were kind to the Jews. They allowed the Jews to govern themselves according to their own laws. As a matter of a fact of History, Ptolemy II (285BC to 246 BC) facilitated the translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (The Torah) into Greek, resulting in the Septuagint. This translation made God's word accessible to Greek speaking Jews and Gentiles alike.
Isn’t it strange, that God used Ptolemy II, another ruler of Egypt, a country that enslaved Israel for about 400 years, to bring His word to the known world via the Greek Septuagint, during the 400 silent years? We owe our Bible to Ptolemy II, an Egyptian ruler. That is just the fact of history.
Later, the Septuagint would become a cornerstone of early Christianity, serving as the primary version of the scriptures for Greek speaking believers, for the Apostles of Christ, and for the early Christians who operated in a predominantly Hellenistic environment.
The New Testament writers frequently quoted from the Septuagint, demonstrating its widespread use and authority. For example, Matthew 1:23 cites the Septuagint rendering of Isaiah 7:14, interpreting the prophecy of a virgin birth as fulfilled in Jesus. “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel”.
Similarly, the apostle Paul relied on the Septuagint in his letters, such as Romans 15:12, where he quotes Isaiah 11:10. The apostles used it to explain how Jesus fulfilled the promises of the Old Testament, talking about Jesus, the root of Jesse.
Most importantly, the Septuagint provided a bridge between cultures and prepared the world for the coming of Christ. Through it, the truth of God's covenant promises, and salvation, became accessible to those outside the Hebrew speaking community, paving the way for the Global Mission of the gospel.
Because of what Ptolemies did, God allowed the Ptolemies to rule Egypt for over 300 years, and Israel for approximately 100 years, from 301BCE to 198 BCE until the Seleucids wrested control of Israel from the Ptolemies.
Unfortunately, unlike Ptolemies who were from Egypt, the Seleucids felt they were more Greek. So, they exerted a lot of pressure on the Jews to conform to Greek culture, culminating in the brutal reign of Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
Antiochus the 4th, in enforcing Hellenization, was determined to eliminate Jewish religious practices. He outlawed circumcision; he outlawed Sabbath observance; and he outlawed the Jewish dietary laws. He went further by defiling the Jewish temple in Jerusalem by erecting an altar to Zeus in the Holy of Holies and sacrificing pigs on it.
These oppressive policies sparked outrage and resistance among the Jewish people, leading to the Maccabean revolt of 167BC.
The spark of the revolt was lit in the village of Modin, about 17 miles northwest of Jerusalem when a Seleucid official demanded that Mattathias, a local priest, offer a sacrifice to Zeus - a pagan god. Mattathias refused. In a bold act of defiance, he killed both the official and a Jewish man willing to comply. This action ignited the Maccabean revolt. Mattathias and his five sons rallied other faithful Jews to resist the Seleucid forces.
Mattathias’ great-great-grandfather was called Hasmoneus. One of his son named Judas Maccabees, or “the Hammer”, emerged as the leader of the rebellion. Under Judas Maccabees, the Jewish resistance used guerrilla warfare tactics to challenge the Seleucid army, which was far superior in numbers and weaponry. Despite being outmatched, they achieved stunning victories.
The revolt success ushered in a rare period of Jewish political independence under the Hasmonean dynasty established by Mattathias descendants from 164BC to 63 BC (100 years).
During this time, the Jews rebuilt their society, re-established religious practices, and defended their borders against external threats. The revolt also solidified Jewish identity, emphasizing the need to uphold the distinctiveness of their faith and practices. The annual celebration of Hanukkah serves as a lasting reminder of this period.
Unfortunately, over time, some Hasmonean leaders conformed to Hellenistic practices, thereby undermining the very values that had inspired the revolt. The result were Internal divisions and power struggles. A bitter civil war broke down between two Hasmonean brothers; Hyrcanus the 2nd and Aristobulus the 2nd. This weakened the Jewish state, prompting both factions to seek Roman intervention. That is how Judea became a client kingdom under Roman control.
Saints, any time the Jewish people depart from God of their covenant to any other foreign culture, God allows a foreign nation to rule over them. So, in 63 BC, the Roman General Pompey captured Jerusalem, bringing an end to the period of Jewish independence under the Hasmonean dynasty. General Pompey declared Judea a client kingdom under Roman control.
Under the Roman rule, four key elements shaped Jewish religious life:
1. Pax Romana or the Roman Peace.
2. The rise of the Synagogue system of worship.
3. The Roman Empire's unparalleled Infrastructure, particularly its road system.
4. The heightened Messianic expectation.
The first enabler was Pax Romana, or Roman Peace, established during the reign of Augustus Caesar (27 BCE–14BCE) through to the reign of Marcus Aurelius (161CE –180CE). Pax Romana created a stable environment in which commerce and ideas flourished and ensured an era of relative peace and order that lasted for over 200 years.
The Roman law provided protection for its citizens, as seen in Acts 22:25-29 when Paul invokes his Roman citizenship to avoid unlawful treatment.
In that period, the use of Greek as the universal language in the Roman Empire united the Empire by enhancing the ease of communication across diverse regions, setting the stage for the dissemination of Christianity. Though the city of Rome used mainly Latin, much of the Roman Empire still used Greek.
The Romans actually allowed the Jews to continue practicing their religion, albeit their autonomy was drastically curtailed. The High Priesthood, which had traditionally been a spiritual office, was transformed into a political tool under Roman influence.
During the time of the Romans, 4 factions emerged among the Jews; the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Zealots and the Essenes.
? The most prominent were the Pharisees. They emphasized strict adherence to the law and Jewish traditions, resisting Roman influence through spiritual devotion. They were the most powerful.
? Then there were the Sadducees who adopted a pragmatic approach of collaborating with the Romans, to protect their power and the temple. This cooperation earned them a reputation for being more concerned with wealth and influence than with genuine faithfulness to God.
? The third grouping were the Zealots, who were radical nationalists who advocated armed rebellion against Rome.
? Lastly, the Essenes, a separatist group who withdrew from society entirely, focusing on purity and awaiting divine intervention.
One of the most prominent figures of this period was Herod the Great; a client King appointed by Rome who ruled over Judea from 37BC to 4BC.
On one hand, Herod was a brilliant administrator and an ambitious builder. His most notable achievement was the magnificent renovation of the Second Temple, a project that made the temple a source of Jewish pride.
On the other hand, Herod was notoriously ruthless and paranoid. He even executed members of his own family, including his wife and sons, to eliminate perceived threats to his throne. He is the one who ordered the execution of all male infants in Bethlehem in an attempt to eliminate Jesus Christ - the newborn King of the Jews.
The 2nd key enabler that shaped Jewish religious life during the Roman rule was the Synagogue system. Through the Synagogue system, Jewish faith and identity were preserved during the 400 silent years – from the time of the Persians, through to the Greeks and to the Romans, ensuring the survival of the Jewish faith and identity during times of dispersion.
The Synagogue system can be traced back to the Babylonian exile when Solomon's Temple was destroyed in 586 BC. The Jewish people were forcibly removed from their homeland, leaving them without a central place of worship.
With no temple for sacrifices. They began gathering in small groups to study the Torah, Pray and Foster a sense of Community. These gatherings laid the foundation for the Synagogue system. By the time of the 400 silent years, Synagogues had become a well-established part of Jewish life, both in the land of Israel and throughout the diaspora.
Unlike the grand temple in Jerusalem, which was dedicated to sacrificial worship, Synagogues focused on Teaching, Prayer and Community Fellowship. Weekly readings from the Torah formed the foundation of Synagogue worship, often accompanied by Prayers and Psalms. In addition to being places of worship, Synagogues functioned as schools for young boys, where they were taught to read and memorize the Torah.
Even the New Testament frequently references Synagogues as places where Jesus taught, healed, and proclaimed the arrival of God's kingdom. For instance, in Luke 4:16-21 Jesus reads from the scroll of Isaiah 61:1, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” Talking about Himself, He read this in the Synagogue at Nazareth, declaring the Scripture as fulfilled in their hearing.
Similarly, the apostle Paul used Synagogues to engage with Jews and God-fearing Gentiles in his missionary journeys in cities like Philippi, Thessalonica and Corinth.
This adaptability ensured that Judaism could survive periods of exile, foreign rule, and even the eventual destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70. The emphasis on teaching and prayer within Synagogues reflected a broader shift from sacrificial worship to personal and communal devotion. This transition not only preserved Jewish faith during the intertestamental period but also influenced the creation of the Church – the bride of Christ, and her worship practices today.
The third key enabler of the gospel spread during the Roman rule was the Roman Empire's unparalleled Infrastructure, particularly its road system. The Romans were master builders, creating over 250,000 miles of roads with stone paved surfaces and drainage systems, that connected cities and regions across their vast empire. These roads facilitated trade, communication and travel with remarkable efficiency. Missionaries like Paul used the Roman road system to travel extensively, bringing the Gospel to cities such as Philippi, Ephesus and Corinth.
Additionally, the Roman postal system supported the exchange of letters and information. The New Testament epistles, such as Paul's letters to the Corinthians and Ephesians, were delivered through this system, providing guidance and encouragement to early Christian communities. These letters became foundational to the growth and unity of the early church.
This Roman infrastructure was therefore not merely human achievements; they were tools in God's providential plan to ensure that the gospel could spread rapidly and effectively.
The fourth and last crucial element of God's preparation during the Roman rule was the heightened Messianic expectation. The Jews recalled the Old Testament prophecies that pointed to the coming of a messiah. Passages such as Isaiah 9:6-7, foretold the birth of a Divine Ruler. Micah 5:2, predicted that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Daniel 7:13-14 described a Son of man who would receive Everlasting Dominion and Glory. The arrival of Jesus Christ fulfilled these long-held expectations.
Unlike the political deliverers, Jesus came as a spiritual Savior, offering redemption from sin and establishing a Kingdom that transcended earthly boundaries.
The 400 silent years were therefore not void, but a period of deliberate preparation. God was aligning history so that when Jesus came, the world would be ready to receive His message. From the establishment of Greek as a universal language, through to the construction of Roman roads and infrastructure; to the deepening Messianic hope; all these were not random events. They were carefully orchestrated preparations ensuring that the good news of Jesus Christ could spread to all nations.
Though there were no Prophets proclaiming new revelations and no Scriptures being written, God was actively at work behind the scenes. He was shaping history, cultures and hearts to prepare the world for the arrival of His Son, Jesus Christ.
The apostle Paul captures this beautifully in Galatians 4:4-5. “But when the set time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law that we might receive adoption to sonship”.
For us today, the 400 silent years teach us that God is faithful, and His timing perfect. Do you sometimes experience seasons when God seems distant? Perhaps a delayed answer to a prayer, or a difficult waiting period? Just as He was faithful during the silent years, God remains faithful today.
The key to navigating these seasons of silence is TRUST! Trust in God's goodness; TRUST in His sovereignty; and TRUST in His timing. As Paul writes in Romans 8:28, “and we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose”.
FINALLY, when the TIME was RIGHT, GOD sent His Son into the world, fulfilling every promise, and offering the ultimate solution to humanity's greatest need...SALVATION! AMEN!
Sermon Presented on 17th October 2025 Wednessday Vespers at Mt. Olives SDA Church, Ngong by Elder Timothy Ogada.
