Day 271, September 28 Bible more

The Preparation and Purpose for Christ's Coming The Preparation In our previous Bible study, September 27, the Jews in the land of Israel were a vassal state under the Persian Empire. In today’s Bible reading, we have jumped more than 400 years to the time of Christ. What happened in the meantime? The prophecies of Daniel give us an accurate account of the events of the period between the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. From historical records of that time, we can put dates and names with Daniel’s prophecies. Greece had a fast-moving, fierce military that conquered Persia and the entire known world (Daniel 8:5-8, 21. see map). The conquering king described in Daniel was Alexander the Great. After he died at the peak of his power, his four generals took over and became kings (vs.22). Two of these kings and their people, the Ptolemies and the Seleucids (called the king of the south and the king of the north in Daniel 11), fought over Palestine (Israel). Then Antiochus Epiphanies, a Seleucid, suddenly took the throne. Antiochus Epiphanies was known as a mad man. He conquered the Ptolemies and tried to occupy Egypt but was forced out by a representative of Rome. He then turned his attention and fury on the Jewish people. He was the king described in Daniel 11:21-35 who set up the altar of Zeus in the rebuilt temple of the Jews and sacrificed a pig on the altar. He also enticed many Jews into worshipping the king. These terrible acts angered an old priest, Mattathias Maccabeus, to lead the Jews in a rebellion. For many years he and his five sons (including Judas Maccabeus) helped bring some independence to Israel (see map). Many years later, his sons fought over control of Judea, and one son asked a Roman general, Pompey, to help him. It was an ill-advised request, however, because the general not only helped him but annexed the whole area for Rome. Rome, the mighty city-state from Italy, came to rule much of the known world and crushed any who opposed her (see map). Before Rome conquered Greece, the nation of Greece provided culture and a common language to the world. During the Hellenization of the countries by Greece, the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament, which Jesus used) was translated, written, and copied into a common language for the people. This aided the spread of the gospel. Rome brought an enforced peace to the world (Pax Romana). This was the time into which Jesus was born. Excellent roads and political control over the known world made it easy for the gospel to travel to other countries. Another contribution by the Romans surfaced when Herod the Great became king over Judea. He spent forty years rebuilding and expanding Solomon’s temple, which had been rebuilt under Ezra some 500 years earlier. He did this to curry favor with the Jews. It was this Herod who was king over Judea when Jesus was born. His contribution to rebuilding and expanding the Jewish temple does not mean Herod was a good man. In fact, he was evil. Not only were language, culture, political peace, and pathways prepared for Christ’s coming, there were also spiritual preparations. According to the prophet Malachi, the Israelites were expecting a messenger to prepare the way for the Lord they were seeking (Malachi 3:1; and 4:5-6). He would be a mighty prophet like Elijah. The Israelites hadn’t had a message from the Lord in 400 years after the last prophecy of Malachi. They were looking for and longing for a savior. John the Baptist was the Elijah type person born to fulfill the prophecy of Malachi (Luke 1:13-17). He didn’t, however, meet the specifications of the predictions completely. “That great and dreadful day of the LORD” as predicted in Malachi 4:5, hasn’t yet happened, Israel hasn’t been delivered, and she still seeks peace. (Revelation 19:11-21). We know we won’t participate in this judgment if we have accepted his salvation (more...). However, what’re we doing now to prepare to meet him in the rapture (the catching up of the church) or at our passing? Are we warning anyone or telling anyone about Jesus Christ as John the Baptist did? The Purpose The name, Jesus, given to his mother Mary by the angel Gabriel when she was an unmarried virgin, indicates his purpose for coming (Matthew 1:21). Jesus means “Savior,” which is interpreted to mean that he’ll save his people (the Jews) from their sins. The aged Simeon, who served in the temple waiting for the Savior, sheds more light on who else would be saved besides the Jews. Simeon tells us that it is non-Jews (Gentiles) who would also be given the opportunity for salvation (Luke 2:32). This gives us Gentiles hope. One of the other purposes of his coming is to also save us. Luke, the writer of the gospel account, which bears his name, informs us of when John the Baptist began his ministry. In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar-- when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene-- during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. (Luke 3:1-2, NIV) He indicates that John must’ve been doing an excellent job preparing the people because they were waiting expectantly for the Messiah (Luke 3:15). Jesus has come once to offer us eternal spiritual life. Are we waiting expectantly for his return? End Notes: 1. This was a summary of The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the O.T. ©1985, pp. 1356-74

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