ACCESS TO GOD

AND SHORT HISTORY OF THE INTERTESTAMENTAL PERIOD AND THE LIFE

OF THE TEMPLE

BY

JOE VALENTI

LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

NEW TESTAMENT INTRODUCTION

NBST525 D07

DR. CHARLES POWELL

MAY 6, 2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………...1

THE BACKGROUND AND BEGINNING OF THE SECOND TEMPLE PERIOD....2

The First Temple……………………………………………………………………2

The Babylonian Exile…………………………………………………………..…..3

The Rise of the Synagogue…………………………………………………….…...4

The Persian Empire……………………………………………………………...….4

Scribes………………………………………………………………………….…...5

THE HELLENIZATION OF THE WORLD……………………………………………..6

The Rule of Alexander the Great……………………………………………………6

  The Ptolemaic Period………………………………………………………………..7

The Seleucid Period…………………………………………………………………9

Hasidim and Pharisees……………………………………………………………..10

THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM…………………………………………………………..11

The Maccabean Revolt…………………………………………………………….11

Cleansing and Rededication of the Temple………………………………………..11

Another Temple……………………………………………………………………12

Freedom Restored…………………………………………………………………13

Life Under Hasmonean Rule………………………………………………………13

RESTORATION AND DESTRUCTION………………………………………………15

Herod and the Temple……………………………………………………………..15

No Need for a Temple…………………………………………………………..…16

CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………17

1

INTRODUCTION

As the Old Testament closes with the book of Malachi the people of Judah have been

allowed to return to Jerusalem from captivity to rebuild the temple. However, the general attitude

among the people was unaffectionate toward God. After their long and difficult Babylonian

exile, their attitude seems to be "God doesn't care anymore. And if he doesn't care, why should

we?"1 The Prophet Malachi is sent by the Lord to speak out against their broken faith and their

sub-par sacrifices, but he also promises that God will send his messenger (John the Baptist) to

prepare the way for his coming.

Following this revelation are 400 years of silence where God does not speak through

written revelation or a prophet to his people. This period is known as the Intertestamental Period

because it happens between the testaments. Many scholars today prefer to call this period the

Second Temple Period because it refers to the time when the second temple was completed in

515 BC to its consequent destruction in AD 70.2 As Jesus comes onto the scene, as revealed in

the Gospels, much has changed in the lives and culture of the Jewish people. The context in

which we see Jesus living is significantly different than how we see the Jewish people living at

the end of the Old Testament.

1 Douglas Stuart, "Malachi," in The Minor Prophets: An Exegetical and Expository Commentary, ed. T. E. McComiskey (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1998), 1255.

2 Andreas Kostenberger, L. Scott Kellum, and Charles L. Quarles, The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown (Nashville: B&h Publishing, 2009), 59.

2

At the epicenter of these changes is the Temple. From its predecessor, the Tabernacle, in

the wilderness to the stunning upgrades made by Herod the Great, God weaves the Temple

throughout the entirety of His story. Study of the Intertestamental Period sheds light on the social

and spiritual world that contains Jesus’ life and ministry and on the way that His sacrifice made

the Temple obsolete. Study of this period, and the life of the temple, allows us a clearer

understanding of the epic story that God was and is still telling. Moreover, it reminds us of the

access that we now have to God and points our affections to the time when God’s dwelling is

with man.

THE BACKGROUND AND BEGINNING OF THE SECOND TEMPLE PERIOD

The First Temple

The roots of the temple are set in the tabernacle that Moses built while in the desert after

the Israelites are freed from Egypt. God gave Moses very intricate instructions on building the

Tabernacle and God says about the tabernacle,

“There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory.  I will

consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate to

serve me as priests.  I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. And

they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt

that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God.” (Exo 29:43-46).

3

Solomon later builds the first temple as a permanent location for the Ark of the Covenant

and the presence of God. 2 Chronicles tells us that when Solomon dedicated the Temple, fire

came down from Heaven and consumed the sacrifices and that the glory of the Lord filled the

temple. This place was, indeed, the dwelling place of God on earth. The Temple was central to

the life of the Jewish people. It was the one place that God had appointed to meet with his

people. It was a place where their well-being was secure and their transgressions paid for so that

they would not break covenant with God. 3 But the Temple would soon undergo much turmoil at

the hands of the many rulers that conquered Jerusalem. The story of the second Temple, and the

period of time named after it, begins with Nebuchadnezzar.

The Babylonian Exile

      In 597 the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judah. This was a time that the

prophet Jeremiah had warned would happen if the people did not repent, and now it had come to

pass. Many of the Jews remained in Judah under the rule of Zedekiah, the ruler appointed by

Nebuchadnezzar, while the upper class citizens, including the King, were deported to Babylon.

Jews living outside of Palestine were known as the diaspora or dispersion. This captivity moved

a significant amount of Jews out of their homeland. This would be the end of Jewish

independence for quite some time. Zedekiah, though he had vowed to serve Nebuchadnezzar,

tried to assert his own independence, and in 586 BC Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem again.

The walls of the city were demolished and the Temple was ransacked and ruined. This

development forced the Jewish people to find other ways to connect with God. Sacrifices were

3 David A. Desilva, An Introduction to the New Testament: Contexts , Methods, and Ministry formation (Downers Grove: Intervarsity, 2004), 75.

4

replaced by strict observance of the law and meeting together for prayer and instruction

transitioned to the Synagogue.

The Rise of the Synagogue

Though there is no definite knowledge as to the exact beginning of the Synagogue, many

believe that it began during the Babylonian exile due to that fact that there was no more Temple.4

The destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem left the people without a place to pray, worship, offer

sacrifices, and gather. Initially, the Greek work sunagoge referred to a place where people would

gather to meet, not necessarily a building.5 People began to meet together to study the law and

worship God. The Synagogue became the center for learning, prayer, and worship for the Jewish

people through this period and remains so today.

The Persian Empire

In Daniel 2:39 Daniel predicts that another kingdom will rise, and in 539 his prediction

comes true when Cyrus, King of Persia, captures Babylon. So begins the Persian Empire under

which significant changes and restorations to the Jewish way of life are made. Cyrus the King of

Persia, under command of God (Ezr 1:2-4) allowed a group of Jews to return to Jerusalem to

rebuild the Temple in 538. The book of Ezra tells the story of the Jews’ return and the beginning

of the rebuilding of the Temple. Adversaries, however, scare, bribe, and discourage the people to

4 Thomas D. Lea and David Alan Black, The New Testament it Background and Message, 2nd ed (Nashville: B&h Publishing, 2003), 62.

5 J. Cilliers Breytenbach, "Facets Of Diaspora Judaism," in Guide to the New Testament, volume II , ed. A. B. Du Toit (Halfway House: Orion Publishers, 1998) 14.2.7.

5

the point that the rebuilding is halted. With encouragement from the prophets, the people finally

finish the Temple under King Darius in 516.

Years later, Artaxerxes I allows Nehemiah and Ezra to lead the Israelites in the rebuilding

of the walls of Jerusalem. Though this rebuilding may have been a strategic military puzzle piece

for the Persian Empire, it succeeded in sparking revival in the people of Israel.6 But as much as

this short revival thrived with Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the walls, it was short-lived.

Malachi closes the Old Testament by showing us that the people of God still were not

worshipping as they ought.

Scribes

Through the Babylonian and Persian empires we see the scribes emerge. Led by Ezra,

there was a call back to serious study of the Law. As such, scholars of the sacred writings arose.7

They copied the Law of Moses and became experts at interpreting its meaning and application.

As we will see, Greek influence spreads and the priests were occupied more and more by Greek

ideas and culture; many of them began to neglect their responsibilities. Scribes stepped in and

became the main people to go to for understanding and interpretation of the Torah. They became

“zealous guardians of the law, the real teachers and directors of spiritual life.”8

6 Tremper Longman and Raymond B. Dillard, An Introduction to the Old Testament, second Edition ed (Grand Rapids: Zonderan, 2006), 208.

7 Everett Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity, 2nd ed (Grand Rapids: Eerdman's Publishing, 1993), 377.

8 J. Julius Scott, Jewish Backgrounds of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1995), 167.

6

THE HELLENIZATION OF THE WORLD

The Rule of Alexander the Great

 In 336 Philip of Macedon, the King of Macedonia, died and left the kingdom to his son

Alexander. Later to be known as Alexander the Great, his 20 year old son continued the military

conquests of his father and became known as one of the greatest military minds to ever live.

Greece was on a mission to become the premier world power but Persia stood in its way. In 334

Alexander led troops into Asia Minor and by 332 had conquered Persia and taken control of

Jerusalem. 

No battle was ever fought over Jerusalem however. Under the rule of the Persians, the

high priest became not only the religious leader, but the overseer of local government as well.9

During the reign of Darius III, the last Persian king, a man named Jaddua was the high priest. He

knew the prophesies of Daniel and recognized that Alexander's rule was eminent. It is said that

as Alexander moved toward Jerusalem to conquer it, Jaddua walked out in his priestly garments

and met him. Jaddua read the scroll containing the prophesies of Daniel and Alexander

recognized the references to himself. He vowed to Jaddua that he would "never permit Jerusalem

to be touched nor its temple polluted, and sent the high-priest back laden with gifts.”10 Scholars

would admit that there is no way to confirm the full truthfulness of this story, but Ironside says

that there is good reason to believe that this may have been the case. Nevertheless, it is an

interesting tie between Alexander and the Temple.

9 H. A. Ironside, The Four Hundred Silent Years (New York: Loizeaux Brothers, 1914), 11.

10 Ibid, 11.

7

Hellenism, the spreading of Greek culture and language, continued through the empire of

Alexander during this time. Jews both in the diaspora and in Palestine were dealing with this

influence. Alexander was a pupil of Aristotle and gained a love and appreciation for Greek

ideals. Koine Greek became a common language throughout Macedonia, Asia Minor, Syria,

Egypt, Palestine, and even Rome; though Aramaic remained in Palestine also. The Jews were

faced with the difficult decision of whether or not to merge into the growing Hellenistic

influences or push back and strive to maintain their identity as a separate people chosen by God.

Though Alexander allowed them to practice their own religion, there was significant pressure

towards Greek religion. This process would prove troublesome for the Jews in the future.

Though his reign was cut short when he died of disease in Babylon in 323 BC, Alexander was

extremely successful in planting and watering the seeds of Hellenism and Greek influence would

continue through Roman rule.

   

The Ptolemaic Period

Upon Alexander's death, his kingdom was divided between four of his most powerful

generals, called the diadochi or successors.11 Only two of these generals actually established any

sort of rule or kingdom. The first was Ptolemy I whose division of the kingdom was

headquartered in Egypt beginning in 323 BC. He quickly overtook the governor of Palestine and

Jerusalem was quickly added to his area of rule. More Jews and Samaritans were displaced to

Egypt during this time and though they were treated well, were continually influenced by

Hellenism.

11 Andreas Kostenberger, L. Scott Kellum, and Charles L. Quarles, The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 2009), 67.

8

One very significant development of this empire was the translation of the Old Testament

into Greek under the rule of Ptolemy Philadelphus. The origin of this translation cannot hold up

to strict historical scrutiny, but it is said that Ptolemy II obtained a scroll of the Torah from

Eleazar, the current high priest, and had it brought back to Egypt for translation. The story is that

there were 70 people chosen from the 12 tribes of Israel to translate the scroll. This translation

came to be known as the Septuagint which means 70 in Greek. The common abbreviation is the

Roman number for 70, LXX.12

Very little is known about Jerusalem while it was under the rule of the Ptolemies. The

high priest continued to play a very significant role both in religion and government during this

time. The Ptolemies were less worried about forcing their religion and more worried about

collecting taxes and fortifying their economic strength. Two Jewish families, the Oniads and the

Tobiads were in competition for the control of the priesthood under Ptolemy III. Onias II refused

to give the necessary taxes to the King and was ousted in favor of the Tobiad family – a family

who “represented a more Hellenized Jewry.”13 This in-fighting furthered the difficulty of holding

to traditional Jewish beliefs and would soon be the cause of an edict making Jewish customs

illegal.

The Ptolemies of Egypt were constantly fighting with the Seleucids of Syria during this

time, specifically over the area of Palestine. In 198 BC Seleucid ruler Antiochus III won victory

over the Ptolemies and Palestine came under the rule of Syria. This change in power would lead

to years of tyrannical leadership and spell disaster for the Temple which had enjoyed a quiet

existence under Ptolemaic rule.

12 Andreas Kostenberger, L. Scott Kellum, and Charles L. Quarles, The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 2009), 67

13 Thomas V. Brisco, Holman Bible Atlas (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998), 180.

9

The Seleucid Period

Antiochus III was good to the Jews. He allowed them to continue to practice their

religion, reduced their taxes, and actually gave money to the Temple.14 This relationship,

however, did not last long. In 175 Antiochus IV, who called himself Ephiphanes meaning “the

Glorious One,” came to power. He had a vigor to continue the spread Hellenism and also had a

lot of trouble with which to deal. Ptolemy VI, in Egypt, wanted to regain Jerusalem. But more

pressing was the very high tribute (fee) that Epiphanes had to pay due to a lost battle against the

Romans at Magnesia. This fee was so lofty that it put the Seleucids into financial struggle.

At the same time, the fighting between the Oniads and Tobiads continued over power.

Knowing the financial situation of the empire, Jason, brother of the high priest Onias III, paid

Antiochus IV to appoint him as high priest. Jason was pro-Greek and continued the Hellenization

process at a rapid pace in Jerusalem. Jason built a gymnasium in Jerusalem where Jewish boys

would exercise and race naked which caused outrage among the pious Jews. Additionally, priests

would leave their responsibilities unfinished to go and exercise naked at the gymnasium. One of

the worst occurrences was that some young Jewish boys were operated on in an effort to hide

their circumcision.15 To make matters worse, the high priesthood continued to be sold to the

highest bidder. A man named Menelaus offered Antiochus a higher price than Jason and was

named the new high priest. In addition to the position being sold, Menelaus was not of the

lineage of Zadok – which was the high priestly order. This further outraged the Jews.

14 J. Julius Scott, Jewish Backgrounds of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1995), 81.

15 Thomas D. Lea and David Alan Black, The New Testament it Background and Message, 2nd ed. (Nashville: B&h Publishing, 2003), 16.

10

Jason attempted to regain the priesthood from Menelaus but Antiochus firmly put down

the revolt. He barged into the Temple and took many of the valuables. Frustrated from failed

military endeavors and the issues surrounding the priesthood, he began to unleash violence and

hatred on the Jewish people. He issued laws that made circumcision punishable by death.

Observance of the Sabbath and other festival days were outlawed as well. It even became illegal

to own portions of the Old Testament. To go a step further, an altar to the Greek god Zeus was

erected in the Temple and a pig (an unclean animal to the Jews) was sacrificed on it.16 Antiochus

was forcing his will on the Jewish people in severe ways, but there were some who stood up to

this treacherous behavior.

Hasidim and Pharisees

In opposition to the continued spreading of Greek culture, a group of devout Jews was

formed called the Hasidim. In order to create a wall of protection and separation from

Hellenization, these Jewish men banded together in strict observance of the Law. The Hasidim

play a vital role in the future of Judaism. From their ranks will come the leaders of the Jews for

the next few hundred years.

The Pharisees stem from the Hasidim and continued their passion for observance of the

Law. The Pharisees are well known for the oral law which were strategies and tactics that one

could apply to life to make sure that one never even got close to breaking the actual law. These

are also the men that are the primary opponents of Jesus during His ministry.

16 This occurrence is known as the "Abomination of Desolation" and is a fulfillment of prophesy mentioned in the book of Daniel. Jesus also talks about this occurrence in Matthew 24:15.

11

THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM

The Maccabean Revolt

1 Maccabees 2 recounts a story that would be the beginning of a new season of life for

the Jews. In an effort to make sure that his new regulations considering Jewish religious practice

were being followed, Antiochus dispatched members of the military to the outlying towns. There

was a man named Mattathias who was the priest of a small village called Modin. The officers

set out to make an example of him and asked that he make a sacrifice to a pagan God. Mattathias

refused. Another Jew stepped forward and volunteered to make the sacrifice and Mattathias

killed him and the officer who had commanded the sacrifice. Mattathias then said, “Let everyone

who is zealous for the law and supports the covenant come out with me!” He then left everything

and he and his sons fled into the desert.

Cleansing and Rededication of the Temple

Mattathias died shortly after, but he passed the leadership of this revolt over to his sons of

whom Judas was the leader. Over the next few years Judas would lead his brothers, and many

others who joined their grassroots movement, in warfare against the Seleucid forces. He was

such a good military strategist and tactician that he was given the nickname “Maccabeus” which

means “the hammer.” Hence this time period is known as the Maccabean period. Antiochus

continued to have military struggles in other areas and he was not able to focus fully on the

issues at hand with the Jews. Judas and his followers continued to fight for their religious

freedom.

12

In 165 Antiochus repealed the ban on Jewish religion, then in 164 Judas lead the people

in cleansing the Temple and renewing the practice of offering sacrifices to God. This remains a

significant pivotal moment in the life of the Jewish people. To this day Hanukkah is celebrated

as a remembrance of this rededication of the Temple. This, however, was only a step in the right

direction. The Seleucids remained in power, Menelaus (who had purchased the office) remained

the high priest in charge of the Temple, and Hellenism continued to spread. The Jews were still

not a free people and so Judas turned his sights on gaining full freedom for the Jewish people.

Another Temple

During this time, Onias IV went to Egypt and asked the ruler there for permission to

build a temple in Egypt. It was important to conservative Jews that the priest in charge of the

Temple be a descendant of Zadok. For 230 years another temple sat on Egyptian soil at

Leontopolis. This temple was under the leadership of Zadokites and functioned just like the

temple in Jerusalem.17

Freedom Restored

Judas died in 160 but his legacy and desire for the freedom of his people was taken up by

his brothers Jonathan and Simon. Jonathan continued military forays against the Syrians and was

actually given the position of high priest in 152 BC even though he was not a descendant of

17 J. Julius Scott, Jewish Backgrounds of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1995), 84.

13

Zadok. When Jonathan was murdered by the Seleucids in 143, leadership fell to the last of the

sons of Mattathias, Simon.

Simon won a great victory for the Jews when he was offered exemption from taxes in

return for his military assistance by Demetrius II Nicator. This was a huge achievement and

brought them to the brink of full autonomy. Finally, in 142 Simon and his men were able to

overtake the Syrian citadel and gain full national autonomy for the Jewish people. God’s people

would rule themselves for the first time since the time of the Kings of Judah.

Life Under Hasmonean Rule

Mattathias was a descendant of Hasmon, and though the previous period is known as the

Maccabean period due to the significant influence of Judas Maccabeus, the following period is

known as the Hasmonean period. It is important to note that even though the name of the period

changes, the Jews are still self-governing and the same family is leading.

Simon was murdered by his brother-in-law and his son, John Hyrcanus took leadership.

Hyrcanus was an excellent military leader but his forcefulness and brutality “alienated many

godly Jews and pushed Hyrcanus into reconciliation with wealthy Jews who had sympathies for

Hellenism.”18 The Sadducees develop during this time and become the high priestly order.

The Hasmonean dynasty would lead the Jewish nation until the Roman general Pompey

finalized the Roman conquest of the Middle East by conquering both Syria and Judea. Though

the Jewish people did enjoy freedom, there was much corruption and many questioned how the

government-priesthood was being run. N. T. Wright sums up the end of Hasmonean rule

excellently, 18 Thomas D. Lea and David Alan Black, The New Testament its Background and Message, 2nd ed.

(Nashville: B&h Publishing, 2003), 20.

14

“[W]as the new (Hasmonean) regime what the covenant god actually wanted? Was it not in

its turn heavily compromised with Hellenism, and riding roughshod over the religious

sensibilities of the Jewish people by, for instance, combining the offices of king and high

priest? Some opposed it bitterly and, as we shall see, set up alternative communities. Some

stuck it out, but grumbled and tried to reform from within. Others played the power game

to win. Most Jews—the ones who wrote no literature, led no marches, had no voice—

struggled to maintain their livelihood and their loyalty, their allegiance to national and

cultural symbols, as best they could, always under the social pressures of warring

theologies.19

RESTORATION AND DESTRUCTION

Herod and the Temple

Herod was king of Judea (Luke 1:5) when Jesus was born. He ruled from 37 BC to 4 BC.

Herod came to power in Jerusalem after his father, Antipater, offered military assistance to Julius

19 N. T. Wright, The New Testament and the People of God (London: Society For Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1992), 159.

15

Caesar and was appointed procurator over Judea. Antipater appointed his sons, Phasael and

Herod as governors over Galilee and Jerusalem. Herod was later promoted to tetrarch and finally,

after dealing with military conquests from the Parthians, Mark Antony deemed him King of the

Jews and gave him control over Judea, Galilee, and Samaria.

Though Herod is most notably attached to the birth of Jesus and being fooled by the

Magi, Herod may be best known for his extensive building forays throughout his dominion. Most

important to our conversation here is the expansion that Herod made to the Temple. The Temple

that had been rebuilt by Zerubbabel and the exiles under Persian rule was old, had been battered

by war, and did not fit the grandeur of the city that Herod was trying to create. Therefore he

added major upgrades which included cedar roofs, solid marble Corinthian columns, new

porches, and a new grand entrance called the “Gate Beauty.” 20 It is said that Rabbi’s of the time

said, “He who has not seen Herod’s temple has not seen beauty.”21

The point of Temple, however, was not beauty for the sake of beauty. The Temple, again,

was the dwelling place of the presence of God on earth, and this current state of the Temple,

though beautiful, never reached the fullness of what it was meant to be. Edersheim describes this

“inferior glory:”

[T]he real elements of Temple-glory no longer existed. The Holy of Holies was quite

empty, the ark of the covenant, with the cherubim, the tables of the law, the book of the

covenant, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the pot of manna, were no longer in the sanctuary.

20 James M. Freeman, The New Manners & Customs of the Bible (Gainsville: Bridge-logos Publishers, 1998), 465-466.

21 Everett Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity, 2nd ed (Grand Rapids: Eerdman's Publishing, 1993), 390.

16

The fire that had descended from heaven upon the altar was extinct. What was far more

solemn, the visible presence of God in the Shechinah was wanting.22

Herod’s Temple stood until AD 70 when it was finally destroyed by the Romans. This was the

last Temple that the Jews would have. Worship was and is still carried out in the Synagogue.

Herod died in 4 BC and his kingdom was divided among his 3 sons. His son, Herod

Antipas oversaw the beheading of John the Baptist, but his sons’ careers are short lived. Shortly

after his sons come to power, the Romans decided to take over oversight of their provinces. One

such overseer was Pontius Pilate who was prefect of Judea and oversaw the trial of Jesus.

No Need for a Temple

As mentioned throughout this short history, the Temple was at the epicenter of the Jewish

life. It was their way of access to God. There was a space within the Temple known as the Holy

of Holies and a large veil separated this space from the rest of the Temple. The high priest was

the only one who had access to this room and he would go to offer sacrifices to atone for the sins

of the people. No other person was allowed into this space under the penalty of being struck dead

in the presence of God.

But when Jesus died, something incredible happened. Matthew 27:51 records the veil in

the Temple being torn upon His death. With Jesus death, He gave us access to God. We now

have no need for a second party to approach God on our behalf. Through Christ we have access

to God through the gift of the Holy Spirit. This new life and access to God that was purchased by

22 Alfred Edersheim, The Temple, its ministry and services as they were at the time of Jesus Christ (Bellingham: Logos Research Systems, 2003), 61-62.

17

Jesus Christ sparks fire in the first century AD and the need to gather in the Temple is replaced

by the people actually becoming the church as they gathered and advanced the Gospel.

CONCLUSION

It is easy to see how the Jewish people would expect the Messiah to be a great military or

political leader that would end their suffering and establish a new kingdom. But Jesus was not

another John Hyrcanus that would lead by way of force. Jesus came with words of life and an

example of humble service. Jesus came to set up a new kind of kingdom, but the people didn’t

understand. All they had known of kings and kingdoms were the hundreds of years that their

people had spent in slavery.

When the veil in the Temple tore, the world changed. Access to God is granted to man

through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. No longer is the Temple needed for there is complete access

to the God who is over all things. No longer do sacrifices need to be made and blood spilt for our

atonement – Jesus Christ accomplished that once and for all. With this we look forward to the

day when Christ makes his final return and the new Jerusalem is before us with no Temple for

“its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. (Rev 21:22

WORKS CITED

Breytenbach, J. Cilliers. "Facets Of Diaspora Judaism." In Guide to the New Testament. Volume

II. Edited by A. B. Du Toit. Halfway House: Orion Publishers, 1998.

18

Brisco, Thomas V.. Holman Bible Atlas. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998.

Desilva, David A.. An Introduction to the New Testament: Contexts , Methods, and Ministry

formation. Downers Grove: Intervarsity, 2004.

Edersheim, Alfred. The Temple, its ministry and services as they were at the time of Jesus

Christ. Bellingham: Logos Research Systems, 2003.

Ferguson, Everett. Backgrounds of Early Christianity. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdman's

Publishing, 1993.

Freeman, James M.. The New Manners & Customs of the Bible. Gainsville: Bridge-Logos

Publishers, 1998.

Ironside, H. A.. The Four Hundred Silent Years. New York: Loizeaux Brothers, 1914.

Kostenberger, Andreas, L. Scott Kellum, and Charles L. Quarles. The Cradle, the Cross, and the

Crown. Nashville: B&H Publishing, 2009.

Lea, Thomas D., and David Alan Black. The New Testament its Background and Message. 2nd

ed. Nashville: B&h Publishing, 2003.

Longman, Tremper, and Raymond B. Dillard. An Introduction to the Old Testament. Second

Edition. Grand Rapids: Zonderan, 2006.

Richards, Lawrence O.. The Bible Reader's Companion. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1991.

Scott, J. Julius. Jewish Backgrounds of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic,

1995.

19

Stuart, Douglas. "Malachi." In The Minor Prophets: An Exegetical and Expository Commentary.

Edited by T. E. McComiskey. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1998.

Wright, N. T.. The New Testament and the People of God. London: Society For Promoting

Christian Knowledge, 1992.