Treasures in God’s Word
Mapping It Out: A Survey of the Bible for Kids
Between the Old and the New
Looking for Clues
Although you would never know it by turning from the last page of Malachi to the first chapter
of Matthew, a huge amount of time elapsed between the last writings of the Old Testament and
the beginning of the New Testament. This period of time is called the “Intertestamental Period.”
It is also known as the “Four Hundred Years of Silence” because during this time, there were no
recorded messages from God to His people. Malachi was the last prophet God spoke through
until Jesus came to earth as a baby. Although God was silent during those years, His Sovereign
hands never stopped working. He was at work behind the scenes, perfectly setting the world
stage for the entrance of His Son.
Digging for Truth
To better understand what God was up to during this time, let’s look back at some history. After
King Solomon’s reign, the nation of Israel split into two kingdoms—Israel in the north and
Judah in the south. God had warned His people through prophets to turn their hearts back to
Him. Instead, the people of Israel and Judah faced the consequences. Both kingdoms were
wiped out. The Assyrians conquered Israel and took the people as slaves back to Assyria. The
Babylonians ransacked Judah, destroying the temple in Jerusalem and taking captives back to
Babylon. It was during this time that the people of Judah became known as “Jews” and this term
eventually applied to all the Hebrew descendants.
This period of Jewish captivity is known as the exile. The stories of Daniel, Esther, Ezra, and
Nehemiah all take place during the Jewish exile. These stories are the last bit of history recorded
in the Old Testament. And although 400 years of silence followed, a lot of changes were taking
place in the world. In fact, the prophetic book of Daniel records many of the events before they
ever happened!
The Babylonians defeated the Assyrians and then became part of the Persian Empire. So the
entire Jewish population fell under Persian rule. Eventually, they were allowed to return to their
homeland and even rebuild their temple. But they continued to be ruled by one world power
after another.
Alexander the Great from Greece conquered Persia and introduced the Greek language to Israel
when he began to rule over the area. Greek became the most common language in the world
because of Alexander’s widespread rule. As a result, the New Testament was written in Greek
instead of Hebrew. This would mean that many more people would be able to hear the message
of salvation.
After Alexander died, one of his generals named Antiochus controlled the land of Israel. He tried
to force the Jews to adopt Greek customs and worship the Greek gods instead of the one true
God. The people revolted against him and eventually won their freedom, but not for long. Rome
© Terry Tamashiro Harris 2016 | http://www.harrishousepublishing.com/between-old-and-new/
soon became the dominant world power. The Romans took control from the Greeks and placed
King Herod as their puppet leader over Israel.
Under Roman rule, networks of roads were built connecting all the lands of the Roman Empire.
The world had never before seen such progress or the ability to travel from one area to another.
God would use this as well so that the Good News about Jesus could be spread around the
world.
Polishing the Stones
Fill in the blanks. Check your answers with the key provided in the next blog. If you miss some,
erase your mistake and write in the correct answer.
1. How many years elapsed between the Old Testament and New Testament?
_________________
2. This period of time between the testaments is called
________________________________________ or
__________________________________________________
3. During this time, there was no recorded communication between God and the people of
_____________________.
4. The time of captivity when the Jews were taken as slaves to Assyria and Babylon is
known as the ______________.
5. When the people of Israel were allowed to return home, were they allowed to rule
themselves? ______________
6. What did Alexander the Great introduce to the Jews which God later used to make the
good news available to more people? ______________
7. What did the Romans introduce that allowed the Gospel to be spread more easily?
________________________
Putting on the Jewels
By the time the 400 years of silence came to an end, the Jewish people were desperate for a
savior. They still held on to the promises that God would send the Messiah to deliver them. They
thought He would come to deliver them from the harsh Roman rule. They thought He would
establish His Kingdom in Jerusalem. They didn’t understand that God had far bigger plans—
plans that would encompass eternity.
Sadly, many Jews today still don’t recognize that Jesus is their promised Savior. But even in
that, God has a purpose. In the New Testament book of Romans, chapter 11 explains that Israel
has experienced a hardening of hearts until the full number of Gentiles has come to faith in
Christ. God’s mercy is for everyone, but if the Jewish people had all accepted the Jewish Messiah
Jesus, the rest of the world would have thought salvation was only for the Jews. God used even
the faithlessness of some to make opportunity for those of us who are not Jewish. God has
always had a special love for the people of Israel, and one day they will see the truth that Jesus is
really their promised Savior. In the meantime, the rest of the world has the opportunity to come
to faith in Him.
© Terry Tamashiro Harris 2016 | http://www.harrishousepublishing.com/between-old-and-new/
The words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3:1 say that there is a time for everything and a season for
every activity under heaven. How perfectly we see that in this time between the testaments. I’m
sure many people thought God was slow in bringing about His promised salvation. Four
hundred years is definitely a long period of silence. But God perfectly orchestrated things so that
the Good News of His salvation could be spread far and wide. Then, when His own people of
Israel rejected His Son, He even used that for good—to allow the Good News to be preached to
anyone willing to hear it. This opportunity won’t last forever. Everything is for a season.
Turn in your Bible to Romans 11:33-36. Meditate on that passage, recognizing that we can never
understand the mind of God. But amazingly, His ways are so perfect, so right. Write verse 33 on
the lines below, and then spend some time in prayer thanking Him for giving you the
opportunity to hear the Good News of salvation.
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© Terry Tamashiro Harris 2016 | http://www.harrishousepublishing.com/between-old-and-new/