Bible Stories for Adults

Between the Testaments

Malachi, Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

Next Week - Jesus is the Way to the Father (John 14:1-14)
Bible Words to Remember:
You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9

How did the people learn about God's Law after returning to Judah?
Nehemiah 8:2-3 = Ezra read the Book of the Law to the large assembly
How did the people respond when they realized how they had been sinning?
Nehemiah 8:9 = They cried & mourned

How did they respond later in the month after their situation sank in?
Nehemiah 9:1-3 (8:1-9:37) = They were greatly moved & confessed their sins
What did they understand to be the reason their ancestors had been exiled?
Nehemiah 9:29-30 = Disobeyed God's laws & ignored His messengers
What did they do to show their sincerity in being faithful to God?
Nehemiah 9:38; 10:29 = Rededicated themselves & made an oath to keep God's Laws

Did the Jews persevere in their dedication to obey God's Law?
Nehemiah 13:6-7, 10-11 = Strayed while Nehemiah was gone in Babylon
Why were the Jews so quick to stray?
Malachi 3:14-15 = Why obey when even the evildoers prosper?
What were some examples where the Jews cut corners in keeping God's Law?
Malachi 1:7-8 = Brought blemished animals to sacrifice
Malachi 2:11 = Married foreign wives
Malachi 2:14 (14-16) = Divorce
Malachi 3:8 (8-10) = Failing to tithe

Would God give up on these people or would He send another messenger?
Malachi 3:1 = He'd send a messenger to prepare the way for the Messiah
Who would this messenger be?
Malachi 4:5 = Elijah
Did this messenger come as God promised?
Luke 1:13, 17 = Yes, Elijah came back as John the Baptist

Religious writings not accepted as divinely inspired (not in canon)
Old Testament canon defined by rabbis at Jamnia in 90 AD
Produced and circulated during period of 200 BC - 100 AD
Contain various historical references and stories
Recommended by Jerome & Luther for ethical but not doctrinal teaching
Many apocryphal New Testament writings also exist, such as:
Gospel of the Infancy, Gospel of Thomas, ... Nicodemus, ... Bartholomew
Acts of John, ... Paul, ... Peter, ... Andrew, ... Philip, ... Thomas

Apocrypha = Greek for hidden things
Contain ideas that disagree with Protestant doctrine
Purgatory, masses for the dead, good works earn merit with God
Roman Catholics accept 12 of these 15 books as Deuterocanonical
Accepted at Council of Trent in 1546 in response to reformers
Eastern Orthodox accept all but 2 Esdras as canonical
1 & 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Additions To Esther, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch,
Letter of Jeremiah, Song of the Three Young Men, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon,
Prayer of Manasseh, 1 & 2 Maccabees

Pseudepigrapha = Greek for false authorship
Falsely claimed to be written by a well-known ancient figure
Given even less credence than apocrypha
Called Apocrypha by Roman Catholics
Eastern Orthodox accept 3 & 4 Maccabees as canonical
Enoch, Psalms of Solomon, Books of Adam and Eve, Martyrdom of Isaiah,
Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs

Aramaic became common language while in captivity (replaced Hebrew)
Cyrus conquered Babylon and allowed exiles to return
Temple and city walls were rebuilt, God's Law was reinstated
Jewish high priest was appointed as head of church & state
Artaxerxes III assassinated by Bagoas (his minister of state)
A's son Arses set up as puppet king by Bagoas
Arses replaced by Darius III (Codomanus) when he disagreed with Bagoas

Strong Greek military developed by Philip of Macedon (358-336)
Alexander took rule after his father Philip was assassinated
Conquered the eastern world to build Greek empire
Defeated Persians in 333 BC at Issus
Established Alexandria in Egypt in 331 BC
Died soon after returning to Babylon in 323 BC
Greek empire was divided between his 4 generals
Ptolemy - Ruled Egypt, Capital at Alexandria in Egypt
Seleucus - Ruled Babylonia, Capital at Antioch in Syria

Ptolemies (323-198)
Egypt flourished under the 15 Macedonian kings called Ptolemies
Government patterned after pharaohs instead of Greeks
Ptolemy wrestled Palestine control away from Seleucus
Palestine changed hands numerous times in this period
High priest served as top administrator of Judea, line of Zadok (David's priest)
Pentateuch (Torah) served as Judea's constitution
Sanhedrin served like a senate & supreme court
Septuagint made during prosperous reign of Ptolemy II (Philadelphus)
72 elders translated Hebrew Pentateuch into Greek (6 per tribe)
Cleopatra's son by Julius Caesar, Ptolemy XV, was the last Ptolemy
Murdered with mother by Octavian's orders in 30 BC

Seleucids (198-165) = Named after Seleucus or his son Antiochus
Pushed Hellenism & built Greek cities throughout empire
Hellenism - Greek thought, customs, lifestyle
Intended to unify diverse peoples and cultures
Threatened Jewish faithfulness to God and His Law
Antiochus III recaptured Palestine from Ptolemy V in 198 BC
Gave Jews right to make their own laws, Donated to temple
Antiochus IV forced unity (Hellenism) & expansion (heavy taxation)
Selfnamed Epiphanes (Manifest) = Said Zeus was manifest in him
Nicknamed by his subjects Epimanes (madman)
Sold high priesthood to highest bidder, then deposed & resold
Plundered & desecrated the temple - altar to Zeus (167-164 BC) & sacrificed pig
Forbade circumcision, Sabbath, festivals, Torah - punishable by death

Priest Mattathias killed official demanding pagan sacrifice & began revolt
Fled to hills with sons & others, organized an army
Destroyed altars, killed Hellenized Jews, circumcised Jewish boys
Mattathias killed within 3 months, succeeded by son Judas
Nicknamed Maccabee = hammerer (for great might as a warrior)

Judas Maccabeus led surprise attacks against Seleucids & won independence
Temple was cleansed & rededicated (celebrated at Hanukkah)
Skirmished around Palestine & Galilee to bring scattered Jews back to Jerusalem
Killed in political battle against Seleucid army

Jonathan followed brother Judas and gained power with shrewd politics
Awarded role of high priest although not of Zadokite line
Taken prisoner and killed by Trypho under Antiochus VI

Simon took title of great high priest and commander and leader of the Jews
Qumran community was established in protest (Dead Sea Scrolls)

John installed as Priest-Prince after father Simon was killed by son-in-law
Took name of John Hyrcanus I (Descendants were called Hasmoneans)
Defeated by Antiochus VII, Won freedom & Samaria from Demetrius II
Two parties emerged during John Hyrcanus I
Pharisees - Focus on obedience to God's Law (study, apply, develop)
Descended from Hasideans
Opposed Judas Maccabeus' efforts to win political freedom
Content with cleansing of Temple and reestablishment of Jewish worship
Sadducees - Priests & nobles opposed Pharisees to protect privileges

Aristobulus (son) called himself king (instead of ethnarch)
Imprisoned brothers & mother to protect reign
Alexander Jannaeus (brother) expanded borders to include David's territory
Power-hungry, hated by his own people
Alexandra Salome (widow) brought time of peace & prosperity
Aristobulus II and Hyrcanus II (Salome's sons) fought for leadership
Rome intervened and Palestine became part of the Roman Empire
Pompey imprisoned Aristobulus II & appointed Hyrcanus II high priest

Julius Caesar took Syria from Pompey in 47 BC
Appointed Hyrcanus as ethnarch & high priest, Antipater as procurator
Antipater's sons as governors - Herod over Galilee, Phasael over Jerusalem
Herod married Hyrcanus' granddaughter after Antipater was killed
Parthians gained power over Syria after Julius Caesar was killed in 44 BC
Parthians helped Aristobulus's son Antigonus become high priest
Hyrcanus exiled to Babylon, Phasael commit suicide, Herod ran to Rome

Herod the Great won favor of Mark Antony & Octavian, named King of the Jews
Took over 3 years later after Romans executed Antigonus
Reported directly to Rome, a Hellenist at heart, not accepted by Jews
Became paranoid, killed some of his wives & kids to protect throne
Matthew 2:16 = Ordered murder of babies to kill potential threat
Used heavy taxation for a lavish building program (inc. 2nd Temple)
Herod's territory was divided between his 3 remaining sons when he died
Herod Archelaus ruled Judea 10 years and was replaced by procurators
Pontius Pilate was the fifth procurator (26-36 AD)
Herod Antipas ruled Galilee, Jesus' homeland
He killed John the Baptist and was in Jerusalem when Jesus died

Hour Glass - Galatians 4:4-5 = When the time had fully come
Greek Empire
Sword = World brought together by conquests of Alexander the Great
Greek Pillar = Cultural barriers removed by spread of Hellenism
Greek Letters = Common language allowed unhindered communications
Roman Empire
Golden Eagle = Roman rule & unity prevented power struggles
White Flag = People lived in security under Pax Romana (Roman Peace)
Roads to Coliseum = Network of roads was built for army response
Manuscript = Hebrew Traditions and Dispersions
Jews longed for coming of the promised Messiah
Earlier exiles carried Hebrew message throughout the world
Three Figures = Mankind desperately needed God's intervention
Clasped Hands = Foreign gods & philosophy led to spiritual confusion
Bowed Head = The Roman way of life was filled with moral corruption
Upraised Arms = Many searched for decency and justice