Isaiah

Salvation for the Gentiles

56

56:1 Thus says the LORD:

“Keep justice, and do righteousness,

For My salvation is about to come,

And My righteousness to be revealed.

2 Blessed is the man who does this,

And the son of man who lays hold on it;

Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,

And keeps his hand from doing any evil.”

3 Do not let the son of the foreigner

Who has joined himself to the LORD

Speak, saying,

“The LORD has utterly separated me from His people”;

Nor let the eunuch say,

“Here I am, a dry tree.”

4 For thus says the LORD:

“To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths,

And choose what pleases Me,

And hold fast My covenant,

5 Even to them I will give in My house

And within My walls a place and a name

Better than that of sons and daughters;

I will give thema an everlasting name

That shall not be cut off.

6 “Also the sons of the foreigner

Who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him,

And to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants—

Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,

And holds fast My covenant—

7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain,

And make them joyful in My house of prayer.

Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices

Will be accepted on My altar;

For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

8 The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says,

“Yet I will gather to him

Others besides those who are gathered to him.”

Israel’s Irresponsible Leaders

9 All you beasts of the field, come to devour,

All you beasts in the forest.

10 His watchmen are blind,

They are all ignorant;

They are all dumb dogs,

They cannot bark;

Sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

11 Yes, they are greedy dogs

Which never have enough.

And they are shepherds

Who cannot understand;

They all look to their own way,

Every one for his own gain,

From his own territory.

12 “Come,” one says, “I will bring wine,

And we will fill ourselves with intoxicating drink;

Tomorrow will be as today,

And much more abundant.”

Israel’s Futile Idolatry

57

57:1 The righteous perishes, And no man takes it to heart;

Merciful men are taken away,

While no one considers

That the righteous is taken away from evil.

2 He shall enter into peace;

They shall rest in their beds,

Each one walking in his uprightness.

3 “But come here,

You sons of the sorceress,

You offspring of the adulterer and the harlot!

4 Whom do you ridicule?

Against whom do you make a wide mouth

And stick out the tongue?

Are you not children of transgression,

Offspring of falsehood,

5 Inflaming yourselves with gods under every green tree,

Slaying the children in the valleys,

Under the clefts of the rocks?

6 Among the smooth stones of the stream

Is your portion;

They, they, are your lot!

Even to them you have poured a drink offering,

You have offered a grain offering.

Should I receive comfort in these?

7 “On a lofty and high mountain

You have set your bed;

Even there you went up

To offer sacrifice.

8 Also behind the doors and their posts

You have set up your remembrance;

For you have uncovered yourself to those other than Me,

And have gone up to them;

You have enlarged your bed

And made a covenant with them;

You have loved their bed,

Where you saw their nudity.a

9 You went to the king with ointment,

And increased your perfumes;

You sent your messengers far off,

And even descended to Sheol.

10 You are wearied in the length of your way;

Yet you did not say, ‘There is no hope.’

You have found the life of your hand;

Therefore you were not grieved.

11 “And of whom have you been afraid, or feared,

That you have lied

And not remembered Me,

Nor taken it to your heart?

Is it not because I have held My peace from of old

That you do not fear Me?

12 I will declare your righteousness

And your works,

For they will not profit you.

13 When you cry out,

Let your collection of idols deliver you.

But the wind will carry them all away,

A breath will take them.

But he who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land,

And shall inherit My holy mountain.”

Healing for the Backslider

14 And one shall say,

“Heap it up! Heap it up!

Prepare the way,

Take the stumbling block out of the way of My people.”



TIME CAPSULE 404 to 386 B.C.

404–359 • Artaxerxes II becomes king of Persia, defeating his younger brother Cyrus

401 • Chariots with sickles on the wheels used at Cunaxa

400 • Invention of the screw

398 • Possible date for Ezra’s arrival in Jerusalem

390 • Rome is sacked by the Gauls

386 • Artaxerxes claims all Greek cities in the Peace of Antalkidas



15 For thus says the High and Lofty One

Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:

“I dwell in the high and holy place,

With him who has a contrite and humble spirit,

To revive the spirit of the humble,

And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

16 For I will not contend forever,

Nor will I always be angry;

For the spirit would fail before Me,

And the souls which I have made.

17 For the iniquity of his covetousness

I was angry and struck him;

I hid and was angry,

And he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.

18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him;

I will also lead him,

And restore comforts to him

And to his mourners.

19 “I create the fruit of the lips:

Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,”

Says the LORD,

“And I will heal him.”

20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea,

When it cannot rest,

Whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

21There is no peace,”

Says my God, “for the wicked.”

Fasting That Pleases God

58

58:1 “Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet;

Tell My people their transgression,

And the house of Jacob their sins.

2 Yet they seek Me daily,

And delight to know My ways,

As a nation that did righteousness,

And did not forsake the ordinance of their God.

They ask of Me the ordinances of justice;

They take delight in approaching God.

3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen?

Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’

“In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure,

And exploit all your laborers.

4 Indeed you fast for strife and debate,

And to strike with the fist of wickedness.

You will not fast as you do this day,

To make your voice heard on high.

5 Is it a fast that I have chosen,

A day for a man to afflict his soul?

Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush,

And to spread out sackcloth and ashes?

Would you call this a fast,

And an acceptable day to the LORD?

6Is this not the fast that I have chosen:

To loose the bonds of wickedness,

To undo the heavy burdens,

To let the oppressed go free,

And that you break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,

And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;

When you see the naked, that you cover him,

And not hide yourself from your own flesh?

8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning,

Your healing shall spring forth speedily,

And your righteousness shall go before you;

The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.

9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;

You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.

“If you take away the yoke from your midst,

The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,

10 If you extend your soul to the hungry

And satisfy the afflicted soul,

Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,

And your darkness shall be as the noonday.

11 The LORD will guide you continually,

And satisfy your soul in drought,

And strengthen your bones;

You shall be like a watered garden,

And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

12 Those from among you

Shall build the old waste places;

You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;

And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,

The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.

13 “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath,

From doing your pleasure on My holy day,

And call the Sabbath a delight,

The holy day of the LORD honorable,

And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways,

Nor finding your own pleasure,

Nor speaking your own words,

14 Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD;

And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth,

And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.

The mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Separated From God

59

59:1 Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened,

That it cannot save;

Nor His ear heavy,

That it cannot hear.

2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God;

And your sins have hidden His face from you,

So that He will not hear.

3 For your hands are defiled with blood,

And your fingers with iniquity;

Your lips have spoken lies,

Your tongue has muttered perversity.

4 No one calls for justice,

Nor does any plead for truth.

They trust in empty words and speak lies;

They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity.

5 They hatch vipers’ eggs and weave the spider’s web;

He who eats of their eggs dies,

And from that which is crushed a viper breaks out.

6 Their webs will not become garments,

Nor will they cover themselves with their works;

Their works are works of iniquity,

And the act of violence is in their hands.

7 Their feet run to evil,

And they make haste to shed innocent blood;

Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;

Wasting and destruction are in their paths.

8 The way of peace they have not known,

And there is no justice in their ways;

They have made themselves crooked paths;

Whoever takes that way shall not know peace.

Sin Confessed

9 Therefore justice is far from us,

Nor does righteousness overtake us;

We look for light, but there is darkness!

For brightness, but we walk in blackness!

10 We grope for the wall like the blind,

And we grope as if we had no eyes;

We stumble at noonday as at twilight;

We are as dead men in desolate places.

11 We all growl like bears,

And moan sadly like doves;

We look for justice, but there is none;

For salvation, but it is far from us.

12 For our transgressions are multiplied before You,

And our sins testify against us;

For our transgressions are with us,

And as for our iniquities, we know them:

13 In transgressing and lying against the LORD,

And departing from our God,

Speaking oppression and revolt,

Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.

14 Justice is turned back,

And righteousness stands afar off;

For truth is fallen in the street,

And equity cannot enter.

15 So truth fails,

And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.

The Redeemer of Zion

Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him

That there was no justice.

16 He saw that there was no man,

And wondered that there was no intercessor;

Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him;

And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.

17 For He put on righteousness as a breastplate,

And a helmet of salvation on His head;

He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing,

And was clad with zeal as a cloak.

18 According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay,

Fury to His adversaries,

Recompense to His enemies;

The coastlands He will fully repay.

19 So shall they fear

The name of the LORD from the west,

And His glory from the rising of the sun;

When the enemy comes in like a flood,

The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him.

20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion,

And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,”

Says the LORD.

21 “As for Me,” says the LORD, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the LORD, “from this time and forevermore.”

Isaiah

The Gentiles Bless Zion

60

60:1 Arise, shine; For your light has come!

And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.

2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,

And deep darkness the people;

But the LORD will arise over you,

And His glory will be seen upon you.

3 The Gentiles shall come to your light,

And kings to the brightness of your rising.

4 “Lift up your eyes all around, and see:

They all gather together, they come to you;

Your sons shall come from afar,

And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.

5 Then you shall see and become radiant,

And your heart shall swell with joy;

Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,

The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.

6 The multitude of camels shall cover your land,

The dromedaries of Midian and Ephah;

All those from Sheba shall come;

They shall bring gold and incense,

And they shall proclaim the praises of the LORD.

7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together to you,

The rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you;

They shall ascend with acceptance on My altar,

And I will glorify the house of My glory.

8 “Who are these who fly like a cloud,

And like doves to their roosts?

9 Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me;

And the ships of Tarshish will come first,

To bring your sons from afar,

Their silver and their gold with them,

To the name of the LORD your God,

And to the Holy One of Israel,

Because He has glorified you.

10 “The sons of foreigners shall build up your walls,

And their kings shall minister to you;

For in My wrath I struck you,

But in My favor I have had mercy on you.

11 Therefore your gates shall be open continually;

They shall not be shut day or night,

That men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles,

And their kings in procession.

12 For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish,

And those nations shall be utterly ruined.

13 “The glory of Lebanon shall come to you,

The cypress, the pine, and the box tree together,

To beautify the place of My sanctuary;

And I will make the place of My feet glorious.

14 Also the sons of those who afflicted you

Shall come bowing to you,

And all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet;

And they shall call you The City of the LORD,

Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

15 “Whereas you have been forsaken and hated,

So that no one went through you,

I will make you an eternal excellence,

A joy of many generations.

16 You shall drink the milk of the Gentiles,

And milk the breast of kings;

You shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior

And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

17 “Instead of bronze I will bring gold,

Instead of iron I will bring silver,

Instead of wood, bronze,

And instead of stones, iron.

I will also make your officers peace,

And your magistrates righteousness.

18 Violence shall no longer be heard in your land,

Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders;

But you shall call your walls Salvation,

And your gates Praise.

God the Glory of His People

19 “The sun shall no longer be your light by day,

Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you;

But the LORD will be to you an everlasting light,

And your God your glory.

20 Your sun shall no longer go down,

Nor shall your moon withdraw itself;

For the LORD will be your everlasting light,

And the days of your mourning shall be ended.

21 Also your people shall all be righteous;

They shall inherit the land forever,

The branch of My planting,

The work of My hands,

That I may be glorified.

22 A little one shall become a thousand,

And a small one a strong nation.

I, the LORD, will hasten it in its time.”

The Good News of Salvation

61

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 brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives,

And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,

And the day of vengeance of our God;

To comfort all who mourn,

3 To console those who mourn in Zion,

To give them beauty for ashes,

The oil of joy for mourning,

The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

That they may be called trees of righteousness,

The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

4 And they shall rebuild the old ruins,

They shall raise up the former desolations,

And they shall repair the ruined cities,

The desolations of many generations.

5 Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks,

And the sons of the foreigner

Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.

6 But you shall be named the priests of the LORD,

They shall call you the servants of our God.

You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles,

And in their glory you shall boast.

7 Instead of your shame you shall have double honor,

And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion.

Therefore in their land they shall possess double;

Everlasting joy shall be theirs.

8 “For I, the LORD, love justice;

I hate robbery for burnt offering;

I will direct their work in truth,

And will make with them an everlasting covenant.

9 Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles,

And their offspring among the people.

All who see them shall acknowledge them,

That they are the posterity whom the LORD has blessed.”

10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,

My soul shall be joyful in my God;

For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,

He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,

And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

11 For as the earth brings forth its bud,

As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth,

So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

Assurance of Zion’s Salvation

62

62:1 For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace,

And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,

Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,

And her salvation as a lamp that burns.

2 The Gentiles shall see your righteousness,

And all kings your glory.

You shall be called by a new name,

Which the mouth of the LORD will name.

3 You shall also be a crown of glory

In the hand of the LORD,

And a royal diadem

In the hand of your God.

4 You shall no longer be termed Forsaken,

Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate;

But you shall be called Hephzibah,a and your land Beulah;b

For the LORD delights in you,

And your land shall be married.

5 For as a young man marries a virgin,

So shall your sons marry you;

And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,

So shall your God rejoice over you.

6 I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;

They shall never hold their peace day or night.

You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent,

7 And give Him no rest till He establishes

And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

8 The LORD has sworn by His right hand

And by the arm of His strength:

“Surely I will no longer give your grain

As food for your enemies;

And the sons of the foreigner shall not drink your new wine,

For which you have labored.

9 But those who have gathered it shall eat it,

And praise the LORD;

Those who have brought it together shall drink it in My holy courts.”

10 Go through,

Go through the gates!

Prepare the way for the people;

Build up,

Build up the highway!

Take out the stones,

Lift up a banner for the peoples!

11 Indeed the LORD has proclaimed

To the end of the world:

“Say to the daughter of Zion,

‘Surely your salvation is coming;

Behold, His reward is with Him,

And His work before Him.’ ”

12 And they shall call them The Holy People,

The Redeemed of the LORD;

And you shall be called Sought Out,

A City Not Forsaken.

The LORD in Judgment and Salvation

63

63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom, With dyed garments from Bozrah,

This One who is glorious in His apparel,

Traveling in the greatness of His strength?—

“I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”



TIME CAPSULE 384 to 356 B.C.

384–322 • Aristotle, Greek philosopher

360 • The Great Revolt of the Satraps (against Persia)

359–336 • Philip II becomes king of Macedon

359–338 • Artaxerxes III is poisoned by Bagoas

356 • Alexander the Great is born to Philip II of Macedon



2 Why is Your apparel red,

And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress?

3 “I have trodden the winepress alone,

And from the peoples no one was with Me.

For I have trodden them in My anger,

And trampled them in My fury;

Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments,

And I have stained all My robes.

4 For the day of vengeance is in My heart,

And the year of My redeemed has come.

5 I looked, but there was no one to help,

And I wondered

That there was no one to uphold;

Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me;

And My own fury, it sustained Me.

6 I have trodden down the peoples in My anger,

Made them drunk in My fury,

And brought down their strength to the earth.”

God’s Mercy Remembered

7 I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD

And the praises of the LORD,

According to all that the LORD has bestowed on us,

And the great goodness toward the house of Israel,

Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies,

According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses.

8 For He said, “Surely they are My people,

Children who will not lie.”

So He became their Savior.

9 In all their affliction He was afflicted,

And the Angel of His Presence saved them;

In His love and in His pity He redeemed them;

And He bore them and carried them

All the days of old.

10 But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit;

So He turned Himself against them as an enemy,

And He fought against them.

11 Then he remembered the days of old,

Moses and his people, saying:

“Where is He who brought them up out of the sea

With the shepherd of His flock?

Where is He who put His Holy Spirit within them,

12 Who led them by the right hand of Moses,

With His glorious arm,

Dividing the water before them

To make for Himself an everlasting name,

13 Who led them through the deep,

As a horse in the wilderness,

That they might not stumble?”

14 As a beast goes down into the valley,

And the Spirit of the LORD causes him to rest,

So You lead Your people,

To make Yourself a glorious name.

A Prayer of Penitence

15 Look down from heaven,

And see from Your habitation, holy and glorious.

Where are Your zeal and Your strength,

The yearning of Your heart and Your mercies toward me?

Are they restrained?

16 Doubtless You are our Father,

Though Abraham was ignorant of us,

And Israel does not acknowledge us.

You, O LORD, are our Father;

Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.

17 O LORD, why have You made us stray from Your ways,

And hardened our heart from Your fear?

Return for Your servants’ sake,

The tribes of Your inheritance.

18 Your holy people have possessed it but a little while;

Our adversaries have trodden down Your sanctuary.

19 We have become like those of old, over whom You never ruled,

Those who were never called by Your name.

64

64:1 Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down!

That the mountains might shake at Your presence—

2 As fire burns brushwood,

As fire causes water to boil—

To make Your name known to Your adversaries,

That the nations may tremble at Your presence!

3 When You did awesome things for which we did not look,

You came down,

The mountains shook at Your presence.

4 For since the beginning of the world

Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear,

Nor has the eye seen any God besides You,

Who acts for the one who waits for Him.

5 You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness,

Who remembers You in Your ways.

You are indeed angry, for we have sinned—

In these ways we continue;

And we need to be saved.

6 But we are all like an unclean thing,

And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;

We all fade as a leaf,

And our iniquities, like the wind,

Have taken us away.

7 And there is no one who calls on Your name,

Who stirs himself up to take hold of You;

For You have hidden Your face from us,

And have consumed us because of our iniquities.

8 But now, O LORD,

You are our Father;

We are the clay, and You our potter;

And all we are the work of Your hand.

9 Do not be furious, O LORD,

Nor remember iniquity forever;

Indeed, please look—we all are Your people!

10 Your holy cities are a wilderness,

Zion is a wilderness,

Jerusalem a desolation.

11 Our holy and beautiful temple,

Where our fathers praised You,

Is burned up with fire;

And all our pleasant things are laid waste.

12 Will You restrain Yourself because of these things, O LORD?

Will You hold Your peace, and afflict us very severely?

The Righteousness of God’s Judgment

65

65:1 “I was sought by those who did not ask for Me;

I was found by those who did not seek Me.

I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’

To a nation that was not called by My name.

2 I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people,

Who walk in a way that is not good,

According to their own thoughts;

3 A people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face;

Who sacrifice in gardens,

And burn incense on altars of brick;

4 Who sit among the graves,

And spend the night in the tombs;

Who eat swine’s flesh,

And the broth of abominable things is in their vessels;

5 Who say, ‘Keep to yourself,

Do not come near me,

For I am holier than you!’

These are smoke in My nostrils,

A fire that burns all the day.

6 “Behold, it is written before Me:

I will not keep silence, but will repay—

Even repay into their bosom—

7 Your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together,”

Says the LORD,

“Who have burned incense on the mountains

And blasphemed Me on the hills;

Therefore I will measure their former work into their bosom.”

8 Thus says the LORD:

“As the new wine is found in the cluster,

And one says, ‘Do not destroy it,

For a blessing is in it,’

So will I do for My servants’ sake,

That I may not destroy them all.

9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,

And from Judah an heir of My mountains;

My elect shall inherit it,

And My servants shall dwell there.

10 Sharon shall be a fold of flocks,

And the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down,

For My people who have sought Me.

11 “But you are those who forsake the LORD,

Who forget My holy mountain,

Who prepare a table for Gad,a

And who furnish a drink offering for Meni.b

12 Therefore I will number you for the sword,

And you shall all bow down to the slaughter;

Because, when I called, you did not answer;

When I spoke, you did not hear,

But did evil before My eyes,

And chose that in which I do not delight.”

13 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:

“Behold, My servants shall eat,

But you shall be hungry;

Behold, My servants shall drink,

But you shall be thirsty;

Behold, My servants shall rejoice,

But you shall be ashamed;

14 Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart,

But you shall cry for sorrow of heart,

And wail for grief of spirit.

15 You shall leave your name as a curse to My chosen;

For the Lord GOD will slay you,

And call His servants by another name;

16 So that he who blesses himself in the earth

Shall bless himself in the God of truth;

And he who swears in the earth

Shall swear by the God of truth;

Because the former troubles are forgotten,

And because they are hidden from My eyes.

The Glorious New Creation

17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;

And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.

18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;

For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing,

And her people a joy.

19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem,

And joy in My people;

The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her,

Nor the voice of crying.

20 “No more shall an infant from there live but a few days,

Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days;

For the child shall die one hundred years old,

But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.

21 They shall build houses and inhabit them;

They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

Satyr playing the aulos. Side A from a Lucanian (Metapontium) red-figure skyphos, ca. 400-390 B.C., by Creusa.

22 They shall not build and another inhabit;

They shall not plant and another eat;

For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people,

And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

23 They shall not labor in vain,

Nor bring forth children for trouble;

For they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the LORD,

And their offspring with them.

24 “It shall come to pass

That before they call, I will answer;

And while they are still speaking, I will hear.

25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,

The lion shall eat straw like the ox,

And dust shall be the serpent’s food.

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,”

Says the LORD.

True Worship and False

66

66:1 Thus says the LORD:

“Heaven is My throne,

And earth is My footstool.

Where is the house that you will build Me?

And where is the place of My rest?

2 For all those things My hand has made,

And all those things exist,”

Says the LORD.

“But on this one will I look:

On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,

And who trembles at My word.

3 “He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man;

He who sacrifices a lamb, as if he breaks a dog’s neck;

He who offers a grain offering, as if he offers swine’s blood;

He who burns incense, as if he blesses an idol.

Just as they have chosen their own ways,

And their soul delights in their abominations,



TIME CAPSULE 351 to 336 B.C.

351–350 • Persia suffers defeat by Egypt

343 • Persian army regains domination of Egypt

338–336 • Arses, son of Artaxerxes III, is poisoned by Bagoas

338 • The Macedonians defeat Athens and Thebes

338 • Philip II founds the Corinthian League to liberate Greek cities

336 • Assassination of Alexander’s father



4 So will I choose their delusions,

And bring their fears on them;

Because, when I called, no one answered,

When I spoke they did not hear;

But they did evil before My eyes,

And chose that in which I do not delight.”

The LORD Vindicates Zion

5 Hear the word of the LORD,

You who tremble at His word:

“Your brethren who hated you,

Who cast you out for My name’s sake, said,

‘Let the LORD be glorified,

That we may see your joy.’

But they shall be ashamed.”

6 The sound of noise from the city!

A voice from the temple!

The voice of the LORD,

Who fully repays His enemies!

7 “Before she was in labor, she gave birth;

Before her pain came,

She delivered a male child.

8 Who has heard such a thing?

Who has seen such things?

Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day?

Or shall a nation be born at once?

For as soon as Zion was in labor,

She gave birth to her children.

9 Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says the LORD.

“Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?” says your God.

10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem,

And be glad with her, all you who love her;

Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her;

11 That you may feed and be satisfied

With the consolation of her bosom,

That you may drink deeply and be delighted

With the abundance of her glory.”

12 For thus says the LORD:

“Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river,

And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream.

Then you shall feed;

On her sides shall you be carried,

And be dandled on her knees.

13 As one whom his mother comforts,

So I will comfort you;

And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”

The Reign and Indignation of God

14 When you see this, your heart shall rejoice,

And your bones shall flourish like grass;

The hand of the LORD shall be known to His servants,

And His indignation to His enemies.

15 For behold, the LORD will come with fire

And with His chariots, like a whirlwind,

To render His anger with fury,

And His rebuke with flames of fire.

16 For by fire and by His sword

The LORD will judge all flesh;

And the slain of the LORD shall be many.

17 “Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves,

To go to the gardens

After an idol in the midst,

Eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and the mouse,

Shall be consumed together,” says the LORD.

18 “For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. 19 I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pula and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. 20 Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the LORD out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the LORD, “as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD. 21 And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites,” says the LORD.

22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth

Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the LORD,

“So shall your descendants and your name remain.

23 And it shall come to pass

That from one New Moon to another,

And from one Sabbath to another,

All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the LORD.

24 “And they shall go forth and look

Upon the corpses of the men

Who have transgressed against Me.

For their worm does not die,

And their fire is not quenched.

They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”

Zechariah

Israel Defended Against Enemies

9

9:1 The burdena of the word of the LORD Against the land of Hadrach,

And Damascus its resting place

(For the eyes of men

And all the tribes of Israel

Are on the LORD);

2 Also against Hamath, which borders on it,

And against Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.

3 For Tyre built herself a tower,

Heaped up silver like the dust,

And gold like the mire of the streets.

4 Behold, the Lord will cast her out;

He will destroy her power in the sea,

And she will be devoured by fire.

5 Ashkelon shall see it and fear;

Gaza also shall be very sorrowful;

And Ekron, for He dried up her expectation.

The king shall perish from Gaza,

And Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.

6 “A mixed race shall settle in Ashdod,

And I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.

7 I will take away the blood from his mouth,

And the abominations from between his teeth.

But he who remains, even he shall be for our God,

And shall be like a leader in Judah,

And Ekron like a Jebusite.

8 I will camp around My house

Because of the army,

Because of him who passes by and him who returns.

No more shall an oppressor pass through them,

For now I have seen with My eyes.

The Coming King

9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your King is coming to you;

He is just and having salvation,

Lowly and riding on a donkey,

A colt, the foal of a donkey.

10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim

And the horse from Jerusalem;

The battle bow shall be cut off.

He shall speak peace to the nations;

His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea,

And from the River to the ends of the earth.’a

God Will Save His People

11 “As for you also,

Because of the blood of your covenant,

I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.

12 Return to the stronghold,

You prisoners of hope.

Even today I declare

That I will restore double to you.

13 For I have bent Judah, My bow,

Fitted the bow with Ephraim,

And raised up your sons, O Zion,

Against your sons, O Greece,

And made you like the sword of a mighty man.”

14 Then the LORD will be seen over them,

And His arrow will go forth like lightning.

The Lord GOD will blow the trumpet,

And go with whirlwinds from the south.

15 The LORD of hosts will defend them;

They shall devour and subdue with slingstones.

They shall drink and roar as if with wine;

They shall be filled with blood like basins,

Like the corners of the altar.

16 The LORD their God will save them in that day,

As the flock of His people.

For they shall be like the jewels of a crown,

Lifted like a banner over His land—

17 For how great is itsa goodness

And how great itsb beauty!

Grain shall make the young men thrive,

And new wine the young women.

Restoration of Judah and Israel

10

10:1 Ask the LORD for rain In the time of the latter rain.a

The LORD will make flashing clouds;

He will give them showers of rain,

Grass in the field for everyone.

2 For the idolsa speak delusion;

The diviners envision lies,

And tell false dreams;

They comfort in vain.

Therefore the people wend their way like sheep;

They are in trouble because there is no shepherd.

3 “My anger is kindled against the shepherds,

And I will punish the goatherds.

For the LORD of hosts will visit His flock,

The house of Judah,

And will make them as His royal horse in the battle.

4 From him comes the cornerstone,

From him the tent peg,

From him the battle bow,

From him every rulera together.

5 They shall be like mighty men,

Who tread down their enemies

In the mire of the streets in the battle.

They shall fight because the LORD is with them,

And the riders on horses shall be put to shame.

6 “I will strengthen the house of Judah,

And I will save the house of Joseph.

I will bring them back,

Because I have mercy on them.

They shall be as though I had not cast them aside;

For I am the LORD their God,

And I will hear them.

7 Those of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man,

And their heart shall rejoice as if with wine.

Yes, their children shall see it and be glad;

Their heart shall rejoice in the LORD.

8 I will whistle for them and gather them,

For I will redeem them;

And they shall increase as they once increased.

9 “I will sow them among the peoples,

And they shall remember Me in far countries;

They shall live, together with their children,

And they shall return.

10 I will also bring them back from the land of Egypt,

And gather them from Assyria.

I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon,

Until no more room is found for them.

11 He shall pass through the sea with affliction,

And strike the waves of the sea:

All the depths of the Rivera shall dry up.

Then the pride of Assyria shall be brought down,

And the scepter of Egypt shall depart.

12 “So I will strengthen them in the LORD,

And they shall walk up and down in His name,”

Says the LORD.

Zechariah

Desolation of Israel

11

11:1 Open your doors, O Lebanon, That fire may devour your cedars.

2 Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen,

Because the mighty trees are ruined.

Wail, O oaks of Bashan,

For the thick forest has come down.

3 There is the sound of wailing shepherds!

For their glory is in ruins.

There is the sound of roaring lions!

For the pridea of the Jordan is in ruins.

Prophecy of the Shepherds

4 Thus says the LORD my God, “Feed the flock for slaughter, 5 whose owners slaughter them and feel no guilt; those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the LORD, for I am rich’; and their shepherds do not pity them. 6 For I will no longer pity the inhabitants of the land,” says the LORD. “But indeed I will give everyone into his neighbor’s hand and into the hand of his king. They shall attack the land, and I will not deliver them from their hand.”

7 So I fed the flock for slaughter, in particular the poor of the flock.a I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Beauty,b and the other I called Bonds;c and I fed the flock. 8 I dismissed the three shepherds in one month. My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me. 9 Then I said, “I will not feed you. Let what is dying die, and what is perishing perish. Let those that are left eat each other’s flesh.” 10 And I took my staff, Beauty, and cut it in two, that I might break the covenant which I had made with all the peoples. 11 So it was broken on that day. Thus the poora of the flock, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the LORD. 12 Then I said to them, “If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.

13 And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD for the potter. 14 Then I cut in two my other staff, Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

15 And the LORD said to me, “Next, take for yourself the implements of a foolish shepherd. 16 For indeed I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are cut off, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces.

17 “Woe to the worthless shepherd,

Who leaves the flock!

A sword shall be against his arm

And against his right eye;

His arm shall completely wither,

And his right eye shall be totally blinded.”

The Coming Deliverance of Judah

12

12:1 The burdena of the word of the LORD against Israel. Thus says the LORD, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him: 2 “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. 3 And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. 4 In that day,” says the LORD, “I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. 5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the LORD of hosts, their God.’ 6 In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem.

7 “The LORD will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall not become greater than that of Judah. 8 In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the LORD before them. 9 It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Mourning for the Pierced One

10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. 11 In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.a 12 And the land shall mourn, every family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; 13 the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself, and their wives by themselves; 14 all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.

Eilat Mountains, Israel

Idolatry Cut Off

13

13:1 “In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.

2 “It shall be in that day,” says the LORD of hosts, “that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land. 3 It shall come to pass that if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who begot him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, because you have spoken lies in the name of the LORD.’ And his father and mother who begot him shall thrust him through when he prophesies.

4 “And it shall be in that day that every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies; they will not wear a robe of coarse hair to deceive. 5 But he will say, ‘I am no prophet, I am a farmer; for a man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.’ 6 And one will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms?’a Then he will answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.’

The Shepherd Savior

7 “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd,

Against the Man who is My Companion,”

Says the LORD of hosts.

“Strike the Shepherd,

And the sheep will be scattered;

Then I will turn My hand against the little ones.

8 And it shall come to pass in all the land,”

Says the LORD,

That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die,

But one-third shall be left in it:

9 I will bring the one-third through the fire,

Will refine them as silver is refined,

And test them as gold is tested.

They will call on My name,

And I will answer them.

I will say, ‘This is My people’;

And each one will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”



TIME CAPSULE 336 to 332 B.C.

336–331 • Darius III is the last Persian king

334 • Alexander wins battle at Granicus River against Persia

333 • Darius suffers severe defeat at battle of Issos

332–37 • Hellenistic period

332 • Alexander’s armies lay siege to the island of Tyre

Zechariah

The Day of the LORD

14

14:1 Behold, the day of the LORD is coming,

And your spoil will be divided in your midst.

2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem;

The city shall be taken,

The houses rifled,

And the women ravished.

Half of the city shall go into captivity,

But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

3 Then the LORD will go forth

And fight against those nations,

As He fights in the day of battle.

4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,

Which faces Jerusalem on the east.

And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two,

From east to west,

Making a very large valley;

Half of the mountain shall move toward the north

And half of it toward the south.

5 Then you shall flee through My mountain valley,

For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal.

Yes, you shall flee

As you fled from the earthquake

In the days of Uzziah king of Judah.

Thus the LORD my God will come,

And all the saints with You.a

6 It shall come to pass in that day

That there will be no light;

The lights will diminish.

7 It shall be one day

Which is known to the LORD—

Neither day nor night.

But at evening time it shall happen

That it will be light.

8 And in that day it shall be

That living waters shall flow from Jerusalem,

Half of them toward the eastern sea

And half of them toward the western sea;

In both summer and winter it shall occur.

9 And the LORD shall be King over all the earth.

In that day it shall be—

“The LORD is one,”a

And His name one.

10 All the land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. Jerusalema shall be raised up and inhabited in her place from Benjamin’s Gate to the place of the First Gate and the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses.

11 The people shall dwell in it;

And no longer shall there be utter destruction,

But Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.

12 And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem:

Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet,

Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets,

And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.

13 It shall come to pass in that day

That a great panic from the LORD will be among them.

Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor,

And raise his hand against his neighbor’s hand;

14 Judah also will fight at Jerusalem.

And the wealth of all the surrounding nations

Shall be gathered together:

Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance.

15 Such also shall be the plague

On the horse and the mule,

On the camel and the donkey,

And on all the cattle that will be in those camps.

So shall this plague be.

Alexander’s Greek Empire

In 334 B.C. a 22-year-old Alexander began a military quest to destroy the Persian Empire. Moving from west to east, he was victorious in battle at Issus in 333 B.C. against the Persian Darius III. Moving south, Alexander defeated the Phoenicians at Tyre in 332 B.C., swept through Palestine, and conquered Egypt in 331 B.C. Darius III was defeated again near Nineveh. Alexander’s campaigns secured vast territory for the Greek Empire before he died in 323 B.C.

The Nations Worship the King

16 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 17 And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain. 18 If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

20 In that day “HOLINESS TO THE LORD” shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in the LORD’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. 21 Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the LORD of hosts.a Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.

EPOCH SEVEN

BETWEEN THE TWO TESTAMENTS

During this time, that is little known to the Bible but fully attested in the Apocrypha, the faith of the Jewish people was tested both by oppression and freedom.

(332–37 B.C.)

The Old Testament provides scant information on events following the end of the Persian period (c. 331 B.C.). One prophecy of Zechariah (Zech. 9) possibly refers to the conquests of Alexander the Great in 332 B.C. At least one interpretation of Daniel’s later visions (particularly Dan. 8–11) refers to events after Alexander’s Greek kingdom was divided, resulting eventually in the Ptolemies and the Seleucids of the 2nd century B.C. Yet, for the most part, the Old Testament is silent on the approximately 300 years before the birth of Jesus Christ (c. 5 B.C.). This epoch is known appropriately as “the Intertestamental Period” since it is the time between the testaments—between the last writings of the Old Testament and the first writings of the New.

For Judea, the epoch is characterized not only as “between the testaments,” but also as between Persian rule and Greek rule, between Greek rule and Judean independence, between independence and Roman rule, with Herod the Great on the throne. It was a time when the faith of the Jewish people was tested, both by oppression and freedom. It is a time little known to the Bible, but fully attested in the Apocrypha.

Archaeology and the Past

Archaeology hints of extensive building and rebuilding during this period. All over Palestine, cities were rebuilt by the Greek Ptolemies from Egypt, or by the Greek Seleucids from Syria. Samaria was settled by colonists from Macedonia, and coastal cities in Palestine became Greek. East of the Jordan River, there were many Greek colonies (called the Decapolis in the Gospels). Specific archaeological data is scanty because so much of the building material was reused by later peoples.

The Jewish colony in Egypt continued to thrive. Papyrus documents list Jewish names in Alexandria and all the way up the Nile to present-day Aswan. The Nash Papyrus, a small fragment from this period containing the Ten Commandments in Hebrew, shows that at least some Jews in Egypt could still read Hebrew.

In Palestine itself, one important monument is the painted tombs of Marisa, in southern Judah. These tombs were carved out of the rock and painted elaborately, with the spaces between the paintings being filled with inscriptions and graffiti. The city of Marisa had been the capital of Edomite territory in southern Judah, a region eventually influenced by Greek culture. Names recovered from the tombs are Greek, Phoenician, and Idumean (all of southern Palestine eventually became known as Idumea).

Coins in Palestine show the succession of rulers. Many coins are from the Seleucid rulers of Syria, but coins dated after the Maccabean revolt of 166 B.C. andicate a free Judea. The Judean coins show the Hasmonean rulers becoming more and more secular. (“Hasmonean” derives from the family to which the Maccabees belonged. It was the name applied to the dynasty of Maccabean high priests and kings who ruled Judea between 142 B.C. and 63 B.C.)

One of the most famous archaeological remains from the period is the early occupation at Qumran, south of Jericho on the shores of the Dead Sea. Qumran was apparently settled by a sect of strict Jews who did not approve of the Hasmoneans being both kings and high priests. Josephus, the Jewish historian of the 1st century A.D., tells us that the founders of Qumran were the Essenes, a kind of monastic community. Their settlement was later abandoned and then resettled. It was near Qumran that the famous Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947.

The Peoples and Groups

At the beginning of the period the most influential people were the Greeks and their successors. Alexander the Great founded colonies for his soldiers all over his empire. His generals who succeeded him ruled in Syria (the Seleucids) and in Egypt (the Ptolemies), and continued the ancient struggle between Asia and Africa for control of Palestine. While they fought each other over Palestine, both agreed on the importance of establishing Greek culture in the land. The increasing Greek influence would lead ultimately to revolt on the part of the Jews and to defeat of the ruling Seleucids. The incredible struggle of the Jewish people against Greek culture culminated in a Jewish political kingdom independent of Gentile control.

Other peoples figure importantly in this time of Jewish history. The Edomites, who had long been an enemy of Israel, lost their territory in Transjordan and the Sinai to the rising power of the Nabatean Arabs. Many Edomites moved to southern Judah, where they became known as Idumeans. The Idumeans were conquered by the Jews and forced to convert to Judaism, but, ironically, an Idumean would come to rule the Jewish state. Not only was Herod the Great an Idumean, but his brother-in-law was descended from the priests of Koze, an ancient Edomite god.

By 312 B.C. the Nabateans established themselves at Petra, the former capital of Edom, and in this great center they carved homes and temples out of the sandstone. By controlling the desert highways south of the Dead Sea, they became great traders, dominating much of the spice trade in the Middle East.

The Samaritans inhabited the area immediately north of Jerusalem and Judea. Tension between Samaritans and Jews goes back at least to the reconstruction of the Jerusalem temple (538 B.C.). Yet a definite break between these groups occurred around either 388 or 332 B.C. When the Samaritans built a rival temple on Mount Gerizim, claiming Shechem rather than Jerusalem as the location of the true house of God. Both the temple and the city were destroyed by the Jewish ruler John Hyrcanus around 129 B.C.

At the close of the period the most powerful people were the Romans. The first record of Romans in Palestine is the treaty entered into by Judas Maccabeus and the Senate of Rome. Judea and Rome became allies just as Rome was beginning to consolidate its power and expand its territory. The alliance was helpful to the Jews for a few decades, then the Romans moved into Palestine and took control in 63 B.C. Pompey, Julius Caesar, Mark Antony (and Cleopatra), Augustus, and Crassus are Romans associated with Jewish history. Herod the Great was a friend of Caesar, Antony, and Augustus, changing sides with the changes of power in Rome.

The Biblical Literature

The books associated with this period are found primarily in the Apocrypha. The books of Maccabees exalt Jewish martyrs and encourage the Jews to be strong in their faith. The history of the Jewish revolt that began in 166 B.C. as told in 1 and 2 Maccabees. Stories about the Jews’ struggle with Greek culture are found in 3 and 4 Maccabees. The Wisdom of Jesus Son of Sirach (also called Ecclesiasticus) covers ethics in public life, standing in the tradition of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. The writer wrote in Jerusalem around 180 B.C.

These apocryphal books provide the background for a period almost unknown to the Old Testament, except for the last chapters of the Book of Daniel. The apocalyptic visions of Dan. 7; 8 reveal the kingdoms that came after Babylon, extending at least as far as the Greek Empire established by Alexander and possibly to the Roman Empire. Daniel’s vision of 70 weeks (Dan. 9) points toward either Greek or Roman times of the 2nd or 1st century B.C. The Greek kingdoms that controlled Palestine during the 2nd century B.C., particularly the reign of Antiochus IV (175–164 B.C.), come into view in Dan. 10–12.

These visions of Daniel reveal that the trials of God’s people would get worse before they got better. Other empires would succeed Babylon, and the later ones would persecute the Jews for their religion, threatening not only their lives, but the continued worship of God. But there is a further message: the pagan kings would not be able to ignore or defy God. Exalt themselves as they might, they would be brought low before the God of Israel. The final outcome would be determined not by earthly armies, but by heavenly ones.

Artaxerxes

The Greek Empire

The Persian Empire continued for another century after the death of Artaxerxes I (424 B.C.). Various kings of varying ability ruled Persia, but no great advances were made by the empire, and no new territories were added. Indeed, some of the empire’s conquered territories were lost. Egypt, at the far southwestern end of the empire, rebelled several times, and in 404 B.C. finally won independence from its Persian overlords.

Besides rebellions within its own dominion, Persia’s most significant threat continued to be the growing power of the independent city-states of Greece. Both Darius I (522–486 B.C.) and Xerxes I (486–465 B.C.) attempted to invade Greece but were turned back. Later Persian kings gave up plans for conquest, being content simply to keep the Greeks from encroaching on Persian territory. This goal was made easier by wars between the fiercely independent Greek city-states, such as the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta (434–404 B.C.). While the Greeks fought each other, the Persian kings Artaxerxes I (465–424 B.C.), Xerxes II (424 B.C.), and Darius II (423–404 B.C.) were able to concentrate their military forces in Asia Minor, making that area a buffer between Greece and the rest of the Persian Empire.

Alexander’s conquests, in their swiftness and effectiveness, are the stuff of military legend.

Despite continuous conflict between the Greek city-states, this century was the golden age in Greece. The city of Athens, which had led the Greek alliance against Darius I and Xerxes I, became the center of Greek politics, literature, and philosophy. In Athenian politics, this was the age of Pericles. In literature, this century saw such Greek dramatists as Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Athenian philosophers of this time included Socrates, Plato, and near the end of the century, Aristotle.

Despite great diversity, Greek art and thought shared a few significant presuppositions. Most important of these was a new emphasis on the beauty and value of the human being. Before this time, most cultures saw people as weak creatures, helpless before the more powerful forces of nature and of the gods. In 5th-century Greece, this view changed. Humans came to be perceived as having intrinsic value as well as the strength to overcome (or at least endure) the worst that fate or the gods could offer. The Stoic philosopher Protagoras summarized this humanism with his dictum, “Man is the measure of all things.” This philosophical position was to prove much more enduring and influential in world history than any of the military or political achievements of Athens.

No human glory lasts forever, and the glory of Persia and of the Greek city-states began to fail simultaneously. In Persia, the collapse came from within. After Artaxerxes II (404–359 B.C.), Persia was ruled by a series of violent, ambitious men, most of whom gained the throne by assassinating their predecessor and all possible rivals. One of these, Artaxerxes III (359–338 B.C.) seemed to be restoring Persian might—he even recaptured Egypt in 343 B.C.—but that return to glory was illusory. Artaxerxes III was poisoned and replaced by his son Arses (338–336 B.C.).

The threat to Greece came from without, from the land of Macedon to the north. The king of Macedon, Philip II (359–336 B.C.), marched his armies south and by 338 B.C. had captured the whole Greek peninsula. Although not a Greek himself, Philip had his son tutored in Greek thought by none other than the great Greek thinker Aristotle. When Philip was murdered in 336 B.C., his son was ready to expand both the kingdom of Macedon and the culture of Greece into Persian territory. Philip’s son was named Alexander (336–323 B.C.).

Alexander the Great’s conquests, in their swiftness and effectiveness, are the stuff of military legend. In 334 B.C. Alexander crossed the Hellespont into Asia Minor and overcame all opposition. He met the main Persian force, under Darius III (336–331 B.C.) in 333 B.C. and routed it, sending Darius himself fleeing. Before pressing on into Mesopotamia, the center of Persian power, Alexander marched south and conquered Palestine and Egypt in 332 B.C. Moving north again, he took Mesopotamia in 331 B.C. and everything else he could find to conquer by 327 B.C. The new Greek Empire stretched from Macedon to Egypt, from Greece to India. Alexander himself died of a fever in Babylon in 323 B.C. at the age of 33.

Upon Alexander’s death, his generals began fighting over his newly acquired empire. The next few decades were marked by a series of shifting alliances, intrigues, and wars. No one general was strong enough to take control of the whole empire. At first the empire was divided into four parts, but by 280 B.C. three separate dynasties were established: the Antigonids in Macedonia, the Ptolemies in Egypt, and the Seleucids in Persia and Syria.

The land of Palestine, which included Judah and Jerusalem, was at first a part of the Ptolemaic kingdom, centered in Egypt. In about 200 B.C., however, Palestine was captured by the Seleucid king Antiochus III (223–187 B.C.). Now Judah was part of the Seleucid kingdom, based in Syria. The Jews, who had been largely left alone under Ptolemaic rule, now faced danger. The Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175–164 B.C.) sought to establish Greek religion and culture in his realm and to wipe out all rival beliefs. He outlawed the Jewish faith, burned all copies he could find of the Jewish Scripture, and in 167 B.C. sacrificed pigs to Zeus on the altar of the Jerusalem temple. Faithful Jews rebelled and in 164 B.C. were able to cleanse and rededicate the temple, a rededication still celebrated today in the Feast of Dedication, or Hanukkah.

For 300 years after the death of Alexander, the ancient world was controlled by the descendants of his Greek generals. Greek became the official language of trade, and Greek culture found its way into every land. As early as 215 B.C., though, a rival to Greek power began to appear to the west—Rome. In 30 B.C. the last of the Hellenistic (Greek) kingdoms, the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt, was absorbed into the new Roman Empire.

Double daric of Artaxerxes II, Babylonia, ca. 330–300, Persian king running holding a bow.





Daniel

Vision of the Four Beasts

7

7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts.a

2 Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. 4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.

5 “And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’

6 “After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

7 “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.

Vision of the Ancient of Days

9 “I watched till thrones were put in place,

And the Ancient of Days was seated;

His garment was white as snow,

And the hair of His head was like pure wool.

His throne was a fiery flame,

Its wheels a burning fire;

10 A fiery stream issued

And came forth from before Him.

A thousand thousands ministered to Him;

Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.

The courta was seated,

And the books were opened.

11 “I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

13 “I was watching in the night visions,

And behold, One like the Son of Man,

Coming with the clouds of heaven!

He came to the Ancient of Days,

And they brought Him near before Him.

14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,

That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion,

Which shall not pass away,

And His kingdom the one

Which shall not be destroyed.



TIME CAPSULE 331 to 327 B.C.

331 • Darius retreats to Ecbatana, as Alexander takes Babylon and Susa

330 • The Persian governor surrenders Persepolis to Alexander

330 • Darius is assassinated by Bessos, satrap of Bactria

330 • Lycurgus rebuilds Dionysus theater in Athens

327 • Alexander conquers all of Persia before age 30



Daniel’s Visions Interpreted

15 “I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16 I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: 17 ‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four kingsa which arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’

19 “Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; 20 and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.

21 “I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.

23 “Thus he said:

‘The fourth beast shall be

A fourth kingdom on earth,

Which shall be different from all other kingdoms,

And shall devour the whole earth,

Trample it and break it in pieces.

24 The ten horns are ten kings

Who shall arise from this kingdom.

And another shall rise after them;

He shall be different from the first ones,

And shall subdue three kings.

25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,

Shall persecutea the saints of the Most High,

And shall intend to change times and law.

Then the saints shall be given into his hand

For a time and times and half a time.

26 ‘But the court shall be seated,

And they shall take away his dominion,

To consume and destroy it forever.

27 Then the kingdom and dominion,

And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,

Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.

His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’

28 “This is the end of the account.a As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed; but I kept the matter in my heart.”

Daniel

Vision of a Ram and a Goat

8

8:1 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me—to me, Daniel—after the one that appeared to me the first time. 2 I saw in the vision, and it so happened while I was looking, that I was in Shushan, the citadel, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision that I was by the River Ulai. 3 Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing beside the river, was a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. 4 I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and southward, so that no animal could withstand him; nor was there any that could deliver from his hand, but he did according to his will and became great.

5 And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 6 Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious power. 7 And I saw him confronting the ram; he was moved with rage against him, attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in the ram to withstand him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him; and there was no one that could deliver the ram from his hand.

8 Therefore the male goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven. 9 And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. 10 And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. 11 He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. 12 Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.

13 Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”

14 And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days;a then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”

Gabriel Interprets the Vision

15 Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and was seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” 17 So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end.”

18 Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright. 19 And he said, “Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be. 20 The ram which you saw, having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the male goat is the kingdoma of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king. 22 As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power.

23 “And in the latter time of their kingdom,

When the transgressors have reached their fullness,

A king shall arise,

Having fierce features,

Who understands sinister schemes.

24 His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power;

He shall destroy fearfully,

And shall prosper and thrive;

He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.

25 “Through his cunning

He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule;a

And he shall exalt himself in his heart.

He shall destroy many in their prosperity.

He shall even rise against the Prince of princes;

But he shall be broken without human means.b

26 “And the vision of the evenings and mornings

Which was told is true;

Therefore seal up the vision,

For it refers to many days in the future.

27 And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days; afterward I arose and went about the king’s business. I was astonished by the vision, but no one understood it.

Daniel

Daniel’s Prayer for the People

9

9:1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans —2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judg-ments. 6 Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land. 7 O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.

8 “O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. 10 We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. 11 Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. 12 And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.

13 “As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth. 14 Therefore the LORD has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have done wickedly!

16 “O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us. 17 Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. 19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

The Seventy-Weeks Prophecy

20 Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God, 21 yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering. 22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. 23 At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:

24 “Seventy weeksa are determined

For your people and for your holy city,

To finish the transgression,

To make an end ofb sins,

To make reconciliation for iniquity,

To bring in everlasting righteousness,

To seal up vision and prophecy,

And to anoint the Most Holy.

25 “Know therefore and understand,

That from the going forth of the command

To restore and build Jerusalem

Until Messiah the Prince,

There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;

The streeta shall be built again, and the wall,b

Even in troublesome times.

26 “And after the sixty-two weeks

Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;

And the people of the prince who is to come

Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.

The end of it shall be with a flood,

And till the end of the war desolations are determined.

27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;

But in the middle of the week

He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.

And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,

Even until the consummation, which is determined,

Is poured out on the desolate.”



Daniel

Vision of the Glorious Man

10

10:1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long;a and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision. 2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. 3 I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

4 Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris,a 5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.

7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 8 Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. 9 Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.

Ptolemaic Control of Palestine

Alexander’s death resulted in the breakup of his empire into smaller kingdoms ruled by his generals. Two of those generals, Ptolemy and Seleucus, became established in the regions around Palestine. By 275 B.C. the Ptolemies were controlling Egypt, Palestine, Cyrene, Phoenicia, Cyprus, and the coast of Asia Minor. The Seleucids controlled Mesopotamia, Syria, and most of Asia Minor and Iran.

Prophecies Concerning Persia and Greece

10 Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.

12 Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.

15 When he had spoken such words to me, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. 16 And suddenly, one having the likeness of the sonsa of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, “My lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength. 17 For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me.”

18 Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. 19 And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!”

So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

20 Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. 21 But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince.

11

11:1 “Also in the first year of Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him.) 2 And now I will tell you the truth: Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece. 3 Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. 4 And when he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not among his posterity nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted, even for others besides these.

Seleucid Control of Palestine

Antiochus III, king of Syria, expanded the boundaries of the Seleucid Kingdom in numerous battles with the Ptolemies. In 221 B.C. he captured part of Palestine, only to lose most of it in 217 B.C. Returning in 201 B.C., he finally defeated the Ptolemies in 198 B.C. with the aid and support of the Jews. Palestine enjoyed freedom until 175 B.C., when Antiochus IV oppressed the Jews, causing the Maccabean revolt in 167 B.C.

Warring Kings of North and South

5 “Also the king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes; and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall be a great dominion. 6 And at the end of some years they shall join forces, for the daughter of the king of the South shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her authority,a and neither he nor his authorityb shall stand; but she shall be given up, with those who brought her, and with him who begot her, and with him who strengthened her in those times. 7 But from a branch of her roots one shall arise in his place, who shall come with an army, enter the fortress of the king of the North, and deal with them and prevail. 8 And he shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt, with their princesa and their precious articles of silver and gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the North.

9 “Also the king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the South, but shall return to his own land. 10 However his sons shall stir up strife, and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one shall certainly come and overwhelm and pass through; then he shall return to his fortress and stir up strife.

11 “And the king of the South shall be moved with rage, and go out and fight with him, with the king of the North, who shall muster a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into the hand of his enemy. 12 When he has taken away the multitude, his heart will be lifted up; and he will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail. 13 For the king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and much equipment.



TIME CAPSULE 327 to 323 B.C.

327 • Alexander marries the Iranian princess Roxane

327 • Alexander’s army begins campaign against India

323 • Macedonian armies use catapults for shooting arrows

323 • Alexander dies prematurely of fever

323 • Alexander’s empire divided among four of his generals

323 • Ptolemy I hijacks Alexander’s body and takes it to Egypt



14 “Now in those times many shall rise up against the king of the South. Also, violent mena of your people shall exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision, but they shall fall. 15 So the king of the North shall come and build a siege mound, and take a fortified city; and the forcesa of the South shall not withstand him. Even his choice troops shall have no strength to resist. 16 But he who comes against him shall do according to his own will, and no one shall stand against him. He shall stand in the Glorious Land with destruction in his power.a

17 “He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright onesa with him; thus shall he do. And he shall give him the daughter of women to destroy it; but she shall not stand with him, or be for him. 18 After this he shall turn his face to the coastlands, and shall take many. But a ruler shall bring the reproach against them to an end; and with the reproach removed, he shall turn back on him. 19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land; but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.

20 “There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle. 21 And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 With the forcea of a flood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant. 23 And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people. 24 He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time.

25 “He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a great army. And the king of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand, for they shall devise plans against him. 26 Yes, those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him; his army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. 27 Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time. 28 While returning to his land with great riches, his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant; so he shall do damage and return to his own land.

The Northern King’s Blasphemies

29 “At the appointed time he shall return and go toward the south; but it shall not be like the former or the latter. 30 For ships from Cyprusa shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage.

“So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 And forcesa shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. 32 Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. 33 And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. 34 Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue. 35 And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.

36 “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done. 37 He shall regard neither the Goda of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. 38 But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. 39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain.

Expansion of Palestine Under the Maccabees

At the time of the Maccabean revolt, the Jewish leaders controlled a very small portion of their former land. Between 166 and 76 B.C., however, several men led the Jews to expand their area of control: Jonathan, brother and successor to Judas Maccabeus; John Hyrcanus; Aristobulus; and Alexander Jannaeus.

The Northern King’s Conquests

40 “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. 44 But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. 45 And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.



Prophecy of the End Time

12

12:1 “At that time Michael shall stand up,

The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;

And there shall be a time of trouble,

Such as never was since there was a nation,

Even to that time.

And at that time your people shall be delivered,

Every one who is found written in the book.

2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,

Some to everlasting life,

Some to shame and everlasting contempt.



TIME CAPSULE 319 to 305 B.C.

319 • Ptolemy I unsuccessfully attempts to control Palestine

312–250 • The early Seleucid kings found many cities with the name “Antioch”

312 • Nabateans gain control of Petra,the former capital of Edom

305–282 • Ptolemy I founds the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt



3 Those who are wise shall shine

Like the brightness of the firmament,

And those who turn many to righteousness

Like the stars forever and ever.

4 “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

5 Then I, Daniel, looked; and there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the other on that riverbank. 6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?

7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.

8 Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?

9 And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. 10 Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.

11 “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12 Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.

13 “But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”

EPOCH EIGHT

THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH

The Herods are overshadowed by the great events that occurred during their time: the ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection of the Messiah.

(37 B.C.–A.D. 30)

The epoch that witnessed the Messiah’s coming actually began with the rise to power of King Herod the Great. The lives of Herod and his sons were closely connected with the earthly life of the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Herod the Great ordered the deaths of all male children in Bethlehem who were under the age of two (Matt. 2), an order that forced Joseph to flee, taking his wife and young Child to Egypt.

After Herod’s death, his sons continued to impact the life of the Messiah. One of Herod’s sons was partly responsible for the Messiah becoming known as “Jesus of Nazareth.” When Joseph returned from Egypt with Mary and Jesus, he chose to avoid Judea. Herod’s son, Archelaus, ruled over Judea and was worse than his father, so Joseph (with Jesus) settled in Nazareth of Galilee. Herod Antipas, another son of Herod the Great, ordered the death of John the Baptist and held a mock “hearing” of Jesus after His arrest. Despite having positions of power, the Herodian family was overshadowed by the great events that occurred during their time: the ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection of the Messiah, bringing victory over sin, death, and the devil.

Archaeology and the Past

Archaeological discoveries in the Holy Land from the Roman period (37 B.C.–A.D. 325) fall into two categories: those which shed light on the Roman world, and those which shed light on the life of Jesus. Sometimes the same archaeological find fits into both categories.

The Roman period, archaeologically, is the world of Herod the Great. Among his many building accomplishments is the great seaport Caesarea Maritima. Excavations have uncovered the theater, the harbor, vast warehouses, temples, and one important inscription. A stone bearing the name of Pontius Pilate, the governor, reminds us that Caesarea was also the headquarters of Roman forces occupying the land. Military installations were placed all over Judea, since it was a border province. Roman Jericho, built on a site different from both Old Testament Jericho and the modern city, was also the work of Herod. The ruins of a magnificent palace and baths have been uncovered in Jericho’s excavations.

In Jerusalem are more remains of Herod’s building programs. The Wailing Wall is actually part of the great retaining wall Herod built around the Temple Mount to make a surface large enough for the temple rebuilding project. On the western side of the Old City, at a site called the Tower of David, are the remains of one of the towers Herod built to defend the city. It is probably the tower called Phasael, as described by Josephus. Either in one of these towers, or in his great palace nearby, Herod and his soldiers mocked Jesus.

The ministry of Jesus is illumined by archaeology. In Galilee, the famous “Jesus boat” was discovered in a lake during a drought. One can picture Jesus, Peter, and the others setting out across the lake in such a boat, since it is much like the ones used by fishermen of the 1st century. In Capernaum, the center of Jesus’ Galilean ministry, are at least two possible links to Jesus. The synagogue that visitors see is dated to the 4th century, but more recent excavations have shown the foundations of a 1st-century building underneath it. Since synagogues were always built on the same site, the 1st-century synagogue may have been where Jesus preached. Nearby are the ruins of an octagonal church. Archaeologists believe that this ancient church is on the site of Peter’s house, and that the foundations discovered underneath the church are literally the remains of the building where Jesus stayed while in Capernaum.

Around Jerusalem are many reminders of Jesus’ ministry. Just over the Mount of Olives is the village of Bethany, where we find a 1st-century tomb belonging to a wealthy family. This is the traditional tomb of Lazarus, having a vestibule chamber and a small inner chamber. Somewhere on the Mount of Olives is the Garden of Gethsemane. Whether it was located at the Church of All Nations or nearby at the “Tomb of Mary” is debated. But beyond debate is the reality that Jesus prayed in this vicinity.

Excavations at the southern end of the Temple Mount have uncovered the steps that led up to the temple. Several steps remain in an unrestored condition, and represent the way 1st-century persons, including Jesus, usually entered the temple. The steps are also identified as the “rabbis’ teaching steps,” meaning that Jesus likely sat on them, teaching His disciples and the crowds.

Jesus Christ marked a new beginning in God’s dealings with His people.

On the north end of the Old City are twin pools which possibly represent the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed a lame man. The porches mentioned in John’s Gospel (John 5:2) stood along the sides of the pools and on the causeway between them. Back on the south end of the city are the remains of the Essene Gate, a 1st-century gate that led into Jerusalem. Nearby the gate are the remains of the house of Caiaphas, who was high priest at the time of Jesus’ trial. A dank, cold basement cell reminds us that Jesus may have been imprisoned there for at least a few hours. A paved courtyard above reminds us of Peter’s denial by the high priest’s house.

One of the most powerful archaeological remains is the discovery of a man who had been crucified. Johanan, the name inscribed in the stone box that held his bones, had nail marks in his wrists, and one nail driven through the heel bones. The wood of the cross had been cut apart and buried with him. Johanan’s bones illustrate crucifixion, a common method of execution for the Romans, and possibly suggest the way Jesus Himself was executed.

Archaeologists almost universally agree that the site of Jesus’ tomb is located inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. At two points in the church, one can actually see what is left of the hill of Calvary. The traditional site of Jesus’ burial is found very near other 1st-century tombs.

The Peoples and Groups

Peoples outside Judea and Galilee were also prominent in this period. The Nabateans were an Arabic people, with their capital at Petra to the south. The daughter of the Nabatean king Aretas IV married Herod Antipas. When Antipas threw her over for his own sister-in-law Herodias, war broke out between Herod Antipas and the Nabateans. This was the same Herod who beheaded John the Baptist and held a hearing for Jesus at the request of Pilate.

Southeast of the Sea of Galilee were the cities of the Decapolis. Founded by Greeks and Macedonians, the Decapolis was united not by political organization, but by Hellenistic culture and institutions. Gerasa has been excavated, and one can see the city walls, temples, the marketplace, and paved streets with colonnades. The only remains of 1st-century Philadelphia are the ruins of a Roman theater, near the downtown heart of a bustling, modern city.

The Gospels mention such groups as the Samaritans, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Zealots. The Samaritans and Jews suffered a long history of hatred for each other, going back to the fall of Israel in 722 B.C. But out of this background of hatred, Jesus identified a Samaritan as one who was truly a neighbor to a Jewish person in need. The Sadducees were the priestly aristocracy in Jerusalem, the leaders of the people. They walked a fine line between Jewish nationalism and keeping the peace with their Roman overlords. The Pharisees were a group of laymen dedicated to the keeping of the Law (Torah). They had a saying: if all Israel would keep Torah perfectly for just one day, the Messiah would come. Some Pharisees opposed Jesus; others befriended Him–warning Him of trouble, speaking for Him at His trial, providing a place for His burial. The Zealots were the revolutionary underground. Jesus’ disciple Simon “the Zealot” probably belonged to one of the 1st-century groups who actively opposed Roman rule.

The Biblical Literature

The biblical books relating the time of the Messiah are the Gospels–Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Although they tell us almost everything we know about the life and teachings of Jesus, they are not true biographies. Rather, they are theological documents telling who Jesus is and why He is important. They say little about Jesus’ family background and youth, and nothing about His physical appearance. They concentrate almost totally on Jesus’ ministry, but even here they do not give enough information to reconstruct the history of those years with absolute certainty. Rather, they focus on Jesus’ person and His teachings, and give considerable attention to His death and resurrection and the surrounding events.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the Synoptic Gospels. The name “Synoptic” means that they view the life of Jesus from a common perspective. After introducing Jesus in different ways depending on their purpose, they relate the ministry of John the Baptist, the baptism and temptation of Jesus, His ministry in Galilee, His journey to Judea and ministry there, His final week in Jerusalem, His death, and His resurrection.

The Gospel of John differs from the Synoptics in a number of ways. It tells us more about Jesus’ early ministry in Judea. John also records long thematic discourses by Jesus instead of the usual shorter sayings of the Synoptics. More than the Synoptics, John includes theological reflection on the meaning of Jesus’ life and death. The four Gospels together give us a more complete picture of Jesus than any one of them would by itself.

Introductions to Jesus Christ

Each of the four Gospels uniquely introduces the story of Jesus Christ as marking a new beginning in God’s dealings with His people. The Gospel of Mark uses a brief superscription (Mark 1:1) and prophetic announcement (1:2, 3) to make it clear that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, a truth previously declared by the prophets. Matthew begins his Gospel with a genealogy (Matt. 1:1–17), showing his Jewish readers that Jesus is truly the Messiah by tracing His ancestors back to David. That Jesus’ ancestry goes back also to Abraham evidences Jesus’ fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel.

Two Gospel writers, John and Luke, alert their readers concerning their purpose for writing a Gospel. Luke provides a brief preface (Luke 1:1–4) in which he sets out his intention. In a prologue, John begins with a clear statement about Jesus’ preexistence and divinity. He wanted his readers to know and believe that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:30, 31).



TIME CAPSULE 36 to 31 B.C.

36–33 • Relations between Octavian and Antony break down

36 • Cleopatra visits Herod to impose rent

31 • Octavian defeats Antony at the battle of Actium

31 • Herod the Great changes allegiance from Antony to Octavian

31 • Octavian dominates the Roman Empire

31 • Tomb of Jason west of Jerusalem is damaged by earthquake



John

The Eternal Word

1

1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehenda it.

John’s Witness: the True Light

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name wasa John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.a

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own,a and His ownb did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

The Word Becomes Flesh

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”

16 Anda of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son,a who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

Luke

Dedication To Theophilus

1

1:1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilleda among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.



Luke

John’s Birth Announced To Zacharias

1

1:5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’a and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

18 And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”

19 And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. 20 But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”

21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. 22 But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.

23 So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. 24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

Christ’s Birth Announced To Mary

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”a

29 But when she saw him,a she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”

38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

The Song of Mary

46 And Mary said:

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;

For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.

49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me,

And holy is His name.

50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him

From generation to generation.

51 He has shown strength with His arm;

He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones,

And exalted the lowly.

53 He has filled the hungry with good things,

And the rich He has sent away empty.

54 He has helped His servant Israel,

In remembrance of His mercy,

55 As He spoke to our fathers,

To Abraham and to his seed forever.”

56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

Birth of John the Baptist

57 Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. 58 When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.

Circumcision of John the Baptist

59 So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. 60 His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.”

61 But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called.

63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. 65 Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66 And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him.

Herod’s Kingdom at Jesus’ Birth

Born in Idumea, Herod the Great was a Jew by religion, but was also immersed in Greek culture and politically loyal to Rome. The Roman emperor Augustus Caesar appointed Herod over a kingdom including the regions of Idumea, Judea, Perea, Samaria, Gaulanitis, Iturea, Trachonitis, Batanea, and Auranitis.

Zacharias’s Prophecy

67 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:

68 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,

For He has visited and redeemed His people,

69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us

In the house of His servant David,

70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,

Who have been since the world began,

71 That we should be saved from our enemies

And from the hand of all who hate us,

72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers

And to remember His holy covenant,

73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:

74 To grant us that we,

Being delivered from the hand of our enemies,

Might serve Him without fear,

75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.

76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;

For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,

77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people

By the remission of their sins,

78 Through the tender mercy of our God,

With which the Dayspring from on high has visiteda us;

79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,

To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

80 So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.

Matthew

From Abraham To Christ

1

1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:

2 Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. 4 Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. 5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, 6 and Jesse begot David the king.

David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah. 7 Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa.a 8 Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. 9 Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon,a and Amon begot Josiah. 11 Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.

12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. 13 Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. 14 Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. 15 Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. 16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.

Matthew 1:18–25

The Virgin Birth

1

1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,”a which is translated, “God with us.”

24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son.a And he called His name Jesus.



TIME CAPSULE 30 to 27 B.C.

30 • Herod the Great meets Octavian in Alexandria, Egypt

30 • Octavian confirms Herod the Great as king of Judea

30 • Herod executes Hyrcanus II

29 • Herod the Great executes his wife Mariamne

27–A.D. 14 • Augustus Caesar is founder and emperor

27–25 • Herod builds city of Sebaste in Samaria

27 • Roman Senate gives the title “Augustus” to Gaius Octavian



Luke 2:1–20

Christ Born of Mary

2

2:1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife,a who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Glory in the Highest

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold,a an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14 “Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”a

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widelya known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Luke

Circumcision of Jesus

2

2:21 And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child,a His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

Jesus Presented To God