Warning: STOP Ignoring This Page Of Your Bible, NOW!
About two-thirds of the way through the Christian Bible, there’s a blank page. That page represents a period of 400 years between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament. Christians who ignore this page and what it means are responsible for terrible misinterpretations. If you’re making this mistake when you study the Bible, here’s a warning! You’re ignoring “The Most Dangerous Page in the Bible.”
This post is Part 1 of a year long podcast/blog series on the Gospel of Matthew. It is an examination of Jesus of Nazareth and Matthew’s claim that this man was more than just a rabbi or teacher. He is the resurrected Messiah of Israel. New episodes/posts are released every Sunday. SUBSCRIBE HERE.
From the Pilgrims to Donald Trump
Use your sanctified imagination for a minute. Go back to your 4th grade elementary classroom. Your teacher just finished telling you all about the first Thanksgiving. You learned about the pilgrims, Plymouth Rock, and their struggles to escape religious persecution. And after months of fighting off death, they have somehow survived. They have hope for a future.
Now, your teacher tells you to go to the next chapter in your history textbook. And as you turn the page, the next story is about the 2020 Presidential election. You’re reading about Dominion Voting Systems. Ballot Boxes. The US Supreme Court. And probably even a little COVID-19, just for fun.
Would any of this make sense? Can you really understand the story of the United States of America if you skip more than 400 years of its history?
It’s almost so absurd, that nobody would consider it a serious question.
Between the Testaments
There’s a 400 year gap between the last page of the Old Testament and the first page of the New Testament. That’s a really good reason for that blank page in most Bibles. When you come to it, you should stop what you’re doing and ask, “why is this here?” But many Christians completely ignore this. It’s why publishers should put a special warning page in the Bible before the Book of Matthew.
The New Testament is not a separate story from the Old Testament. These two sections are part of a Greater Story.
During this period of time, three empires have risen and fallen, and now the Romans hold an iron grip on the land promised to Abraham. In fact, the man on the throne of the land of Israel who is being called the “King of the Jews,” isn’t even ethnically Jewish; he’s Idumaean. A new gathering place called a “synagogue” has become common among the Jewish people. New religious factions are vying for control of the loyalties of the Jewish people who have continued to trickle into the the area. Meanwhile, political movements have arisen that are constantly leading riots and rebellions against the Romans.
Without understanding these and many other changes, we really have very little chance of understanding the historic, geographic, religious and cultural context of the Gospel of Matthew and the rest of the New Testament.
A Prophet Like Moses
One of the most important ideas that developed during this 400 years gap is a figure who became known as “The Prophet.” John opens his gospel with this idea front and center:
Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed—he did not deny but confessed—“I am not the Christ!” So they asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not!” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No!” Then they said to him, “Who are you? Tell us so that we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” John said, “I am the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” (John 1:19-23 NET)
Look a little closer at those verses. The religious leaders questioned John the Baptist, asking him if he was “The Christ” or “The Messiah.” He adamantly denied it. Then they asked if he was Elijah, who was foretold would come to announce the arrival of the Messiah. He also denied that. Finally, they asked John if he was this figure they were looking for, known as “The Prophet.”
Over the centuries, the Jewish Sages concluded that a figure was going to come in their future who would fulfill the Torah. (This is something we’ll have to devote an entire episode to later in the series). This figure would follow in the footsteps of Israel’s greatest leader, Moses.
The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you—from your fellow Israelites; you must listen to him. This accords with what happened at Horeb in the day of the assembly. You asked the LORD your God: “Please do not make us hear the voice of the LORD our God anymore or see this great fire anymore lest we die.” The LORD then said to me, “What they have said is good. I will raise up a prophet like you for them from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth and he will speak to them whatever I command. And I will personally hold responsible anyone who then pays no attention to the words that prophet speaks in my name. (Deuteronomy 18:15-19 NET)
Who Is “The Prophet?”
We know that John the Baptist wasn’t “The Prophet.” So, who was? And in what ways will he be similar to Moses?
Moses came out of Egypt. He declared freedom from bondage and redemption for the Children of Israel through the blood of the Passover lamb. After this freedom was purchased, Moses led the captives out of this slavery and through the waters of the Red Sea. On the other side of this sea came a period of testing in the wilderness for forty years. And of course, you can’t tell the story of Moses without the giving of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.
As a young child, Jesus was taken to Egypt. As He started His ministry, Jesus was baptized in the waters of the Jordan River. After that, He spent forty days being tempted in the wilderness. And when that testing was over, Jesus went up a mountain and gave His interpretation of the Torah. Finally, Jesus became the Passover Lamb who was sacrificed at the very moment required.
But Jesus was not just a prophet like Moses. He is THE Prophet GREATER THAN Moses.
Moses led a single nation out of physical bondage. Jesus leads all of humanity out of spiritual bondage. Moses taught Israel a set of laws and commandments that were written upon tablets of stone. Jesus writes His perfect Torah on our hearts. Moses saved Israel from physical death at the hand of an evil pharaoh. Jesus saves the entire world from physical and spiritual death, and brings them into eternal life.
So What?
This is only one of many instances we will see where New Testament authors reimagine the Hebrew Scriptures this way. We’re going to see ideas like the “Son of Man,” the “Passover Lamb,” the “Temple” and more take on much greater meaning throughout this series.
But we won’t see the Bible clearly, if we fail to heed this warning. The New Testament is not a separate story from the Old Testament. These two sections are part of a Greater Story. And as we begin looking at the Gospel of Matthew in its context, we will experience a deeper understanding of this story and love for its hero: Jesus of Nazareth.
NEXT: A United Opposition
The Gospel of Matthew highlights two major factions who are battling each other for control of the future of the Jewish people. These two groups hated each other. In fact, the only thing that could unite them was their hatred for the radical Rabbi from Nazareth: Jesus.
