“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son” – Galatians 4:4
400 Years…..
Biblical scholars and writers say that is the span of time between the closing of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament.
Perhaps no new prophecies were revealed during this time, but life continued.
The Jews were no longer under captivity to Babylon, but they were not free either. They were under the rule of various kingdoms over the period – but not a king of their own. What had once been a community that followed the spiritual leadership of the priest, adhered to one belief and worshipped the One True God was now becoming more culturally, politically and religiously diverse. Many other changes came about as well. The religiously powerful, more politically focused Sadducees, and the minority religious leaders — the Pharisees — both rose to prominence during period. The Old Testament scriptures were translated from Hebrew to Greek and became more widely available. The Jewish people suffered under the rule of foreigners. The priest also suffered, were humiliated and many of them died because of their beliefs; and the temple was defiled.
It would seem that the people of Israel were people without hope. But there was indeed hope, for God had promised by the prophet Isaiah, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14(ESV). After a long period of silence, the window of Heaven would finally open and the fulfillment of that promise was drawing near. And everyone, even those who would not believe, would see the promised Messiah with their own eyes.
What a blessing it is to live on this side of that fulfilled promise of the coming Savior. Yet how similar is our current situation to that of the people of Israel in that 400-year period of silence. We live in a time where governments compete for power and position in the world. The Bible is available in more languages than ever before, and accessible through multiple types of media. The Body of Christ is bombarded with demands made by those who do not Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord to accept and even embrace values, beliefs, and secular and religious opinions contrary to the Bible’s teaching. We witness the persecution of Christians throughout the world.
But we too have hope — the hope of His return as promise in the book of Revelation, “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen”. Revelation 1:7 (NKJV).
The King is coming in the fullness of time! Everyone will see the King with their own eyes. Are you ready?