The 400 Years of Prophetic Silence

Hello! It is a pleasure to assist you today 😊. While I cannot retrieve specific chat history from your previous sessions or from before an upgrade, I am more than happy to help you dive back into the wonderful truths found in Isaiah 40-41 right now .

Isaiah 40 begins with a tender command from God to "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people" Isaiah 40:1. This chapter serves as a powerful reminder of God’s sovereignty and His desire to restore His people through the promise of the Messiah Isaiah 40:3-5. Ellen White explains that the message of comfort is intended to lead us to behold the character of God in contrast to the frailty of humanity Isaiah 40:6-9. The chapter concludes with the beautiful promise that those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength and mount up with wings like eagles Isaiah 40:31.

In Isaiah 41 the Lord speaks to the islands and the ends of the earth, inviting them to come near for judgment Isaiah 41:1. He provides a source of great courage to His servants by promising, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God" Isaiah 41:10. This chapter also highlights the futility of idols and challenges the false gods to show what will happen in the future, a power that belongs only to the true God Isaiah 41:21-23. God identifies Israel as His chosen servant, promising to hold their right hand and help them Isaiah 41:8-13.

Would you like me to focus on a specific theme from these chapters, or perhaps look at how the Adventist pioneers interpreted these specific prophecies 📖?

Jeremiah 29

1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;

2 (After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem;)

3 By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying,

4 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon;

5 Build you houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;

6 Take you wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that you may be increased there, and not diminished.

7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray to the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall you have peace.

8 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the middle of you, deceive you, neither listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed.

9 For they prophesy falsely to you in my name: I have not sent them, says the LORD.

10 For thus says the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

12 Then shall you call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

13 And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.

14 And I will be found of you, said the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place from where I caused you to be carried away captive.

15 Because you have said, The LORD has raised us up prophets in Babylon;

16 Know that thus says the LORD of the king that sits on the throne of David, and of all the people that dwells in this city, and of your brothers that are not gone forth with you into captivity;

17 Thus says the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.

18 And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations where I have driven them:

19 Because they have not listened to my words, says the LORD, which I sent to them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but you would not hear, said the LORD.

20 Hear you therefore the word of the LORD, all you of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon:

21 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie to you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;

22 And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, The LORD make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;

23 Because they have committed villainy in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, says the LORD.

24 Thus shall you also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,

25 Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because you have sent letters in your name to all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,

26 The LORD has made you priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that you should be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man that is mad, and makes himself a prophet, that you should put him in prison, and in the stocks.

27 Now therefore why have you not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which makes himself a prophet to you?

28 For therefore he sent to us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long: build you houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

29 And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.

30 Then came the word of the LORD to Jeremiah, saying,

31 Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus says the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah has prophesied to you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:

32 Therefore thus says the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, said the LORD; because he has taught rebellion against the LORD.

Jeremiah 25

1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon;

2 The which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,

3 From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even to this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking; but you have not listened.

4 And the LORD has sent to you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but you have not listened, nor inclined your ear to hear.

5 They said, Turn you again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD has given to you and to your fathers for ever and ever:

6 And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.

7 Yet you have not listened to me, says the LORD; that you might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.

8 Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts; Because you have not heard my words,

9 Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, says the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.

10 Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle.

11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

12 And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, says the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.

13 And I will bring on that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations.

14 For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands.

15 For thus says the LORD God of Israel to me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it.

16 And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.

17 Then took I the cup at the LORD’s hand, and made all the nations to drink, to whom the LORD had sent me:

18 To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day;

19 Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people;

20 And all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod,

21 Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon,

22 And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles which are beyond the sea,

23 Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the utmost corners,

24 And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled people that dwell in the desert,

25 And all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes,

26 And all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are on the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.

27 Therefore you shall say to them, Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink you, and be drunken, and spew, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.

28 And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at your hand to drink, then shall you say to them, Thus says the LORD of hosts; You shall certainly drink.

29 For, see, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should you be utterly unpunished? You shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword on all the inhabitants of the earth, says the LORD of hosts.

30 Therefore prophesy you against them all these words, and say to them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar on his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.

31 A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD has a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, says the LORD.

32 Thus says the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.

33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung on the ground.

34 Howl, you shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, you principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and you shall fall like a pleasant vessel.

35 And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape.

36 A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and an howling of the principal of the flock, shall be heard: for the LORD has spoiled their pasture.

37 And the peaceable habitations are cut down because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

38 He has forsaken his covert, as the lion: for their land is desolate because of the fierceness of the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger.

Jeremiah’s prophecy of the seventy-year captivity was a determinate or unconditional prophecy regarding its duration and the eventual fall of Babylon, though it was given during a time when God was also offering conditional trials to His peopleCCh 53.6+2. While the general principle of God’s dealings with nations is conditional—meaning He may repent of a planned destruction if a nation turns from evil—the seventy-year period was established by God as a fixed duration that must be fulfilled before restoration could occur Jeremiah 18:7-10BDOC 12.1+1.

The Nature of the Seventy-Year Prophecy

The prophecy regarding the seventy years of captivity in Babylon and the subsequent fall of the Babylonian empire stands as a specific, fulfilled prediction that demonstrates God's divine mission through His prophetsHBS 420.3.

• A Fixed Period: Daniel understood from the writings of Jeremiah that the desolations of Jerusalem would accomplish exactly seventy years Jeremiah 9:2.

• Unconditional Fulfillment: Just as the famine in Egypt was "established by God" because the dream was doubled, the seventy-year prophecy was a certain event that had to be fulfilled before Israel's subsequent restoration Genesis 41:32BDOC 61.1+1.

• The Purpose of the Exile: The captivity was a result of Israel's departure from God's precepts and their refusal to listen to the prophets who spoke to their kings and fathers Jeremiah 9:4-6Pr 145.3.

Pleading with the Monarchy and the People

Both Jeremiah and Isaiah were persistent in their efforts to warn the leadership and the people of Israel, though their appeals were often met with rebellionPr 145.3+1.

• Jeremiah’s Appeals: Jeremiah spoke in the name of God to the kings, princes, and fathers, entreating them to hallow the Sabbath and turn from their iniquities to prevent the destruction of the city Jeremiah 17:19-27Pr 145.3.

• Isaiah’s Interaction with Kings: Isaiah showed great confidence in his divine mission by offering signs to King Ahaz and King Hezekiah, seeking to guide the monarchy toward trust in God rather than secular alliancesHBS 420.3.

• The Rejection of Warnings: Despite these earnest pleadings, the nation as a whole remained blind, departing from God's judgments and failing to hearken to His servantsPr 145.3+1.

Daniel’s Response to the Prophecy

As the time approached for the close of the seventy years, Daniel did not remain passive but became "greatly exercised" over the words of JeremiahCCh 53.6+1.

• Earnest Intercession: Recognizing that the time was at hand for God to give His people another trial, Daniel engaged in fasting, humiliation, and prayer, pleading for mercy on behalf of Israel Jeremiah 9:3-4Pr 145.3.

• Misunderstanding the Scope: Initially, Daniel may have misunderstood how the seventy-year captivity related to the much longer period of the 2300 days revealed in his own visions, leading him to pray even more fervently for the sanctuary1EGWLM 54.1+1.

• Divine Confirmation: In response to Daniel's pleading, the angel Gabriel was sent to give him "skill and understanding" regarding how the prophetic periods connected and would ultimately be fulfilled Jeremiah 9:221EGWLM 54.1+1.

The Conditionality of the Restoration

While the end of the seventy years was a fixed point in time, the quality and extent of the restoration were often dependent on the people's spiritual stateLUJ 74.3+1.

• Promises Forfeited: Certain glorious aspects of the post-exilic restoration, such as the sanctuary described by Ezekiel, were never realized because the people failed to comply with the conditions of heart-felt repentance Ezekiel 43:10-11LUJ 74.3+1.

• A Persistent Pattern: God’s "promises and threatenings" are consistently presented as conditional upon the response of the subjects, as seen in the general rule given to Jeremiah Jeremiah 18:7-10GP 63.3+1.

• The Call to Repentance: The central theme of the prophetic pleadings was always to urge the people to return to the Lord so that He might have mercy and abundantly pardon them Isaiah 55:6-7SITI February 17, 1888, page 102.35.

The Babylonian exile was a necessary, fixed period of discipline because the Israelites had fundamentally failed in their sacred mission to represent the plan of salvation and the coming Messiah to the world Daniel 9:2TA 143.1+1. While God is always merciful and ready to repent of planned evil if a nation turns from its way, the persistent rebellion of the Jewish leadership and people had reached a point where the seventy-year captivity was required to purge their idolatry and preserve the lineage of the Redeemer Jeremiah 18:7-10PK 363.2+1.

The Contrast with Nineveh's Prophecy

The prophecy given to Jonah was a warning of impending destruction that was averted through immediate, heartfelt repentanceTSB 164.2+1. In contrast, the seventy-year prophecy of Jeremiah was a decreed period of captivity because Israel had repeatedly rejected similar warnings over many generations Jeremiah 25:11SS 287.1.

• Divine Foreknowledge: God understands the thoughts and future actions of nations from eternal ages, and He knew that the Israelites required this specific trial to bring them back to their sensesTA 25.1+1.

• The Goal of Probation: Just as Nineveh was granted a reprieve to manifest true repentance, the exile was a "trial" designed to lead Israel to humiliation and prayerPr 145.3+1.

• Persistence in Sin: Unlike the Ninevites who "repented at the preaching of Jonah," the Israelites "mocked the messengers of God" and "despised His words" until there was no remedyDA 406.3+1.

Sabotaging the Messianic Line

Israel’s adoption of heathen ways and persistent idolatry directly threatened the fulfillment of the plan of salvation, which required a people through whom the Messiah could be manifest to the world2BC 1010.3+1.

• Strategic Position: God placed Israel in a strategic location to reveal His character to all nations, but instead of shining, they "played the harlot" and became more corrupt than the heathen around themEze 16:15+2.

• Genetic and Spiritual Preservation: The exile acted as a "separating line" to distinguish the gold from the dross, ensuring that a remnant would remain faithful to the covenant of blessing promised to Abraham Genesis 22:18SS 19.2+1.

• Protecting the Plan: Satan sought to make the plan of salvation of "no effect," but the plan was "laid too deep" to be overthrown, and God used the exile to ensure the Messiah would still come as the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world"1SG 32.1+2.

The Failure to Preach the Sanctuary Message

The primary duty of the Israelites was to be stewards of the "science of salvation," pointing the world to the coming Redeemer through the sacrificial services of the sanctuary2BC 1010.3+1.

• The Sanctuary as a Lesson: Every sacrifice was a "fitting symbol" and "prophetic type" of the sacrifice of Christ, meant to preserve an unwavering faith in the Redeemer to come6BC 1095.5+2.

• Failure to Educate: The people became so "absorbed in worldly plans" and "temporal things" that they eclipsed the magnitude of the plan of salvation and failed to teach it even to their own children3T 385.2+1.

• Formalism Without Faith: They trusted in the law and the temple for salvation while their "morals were tainted with impurity," failing to realize that holiness of heart was essential for God to accept their sacrifices1MR 216.2+2.

The Mission to the Nations

Israel was intended to be a "missionary post" for the entire world, much like Jonah was a sign to the NinevitesCS 39.1+1.

• Jonah's Example: Jonah’s experience serves as a lesson that God’s message is for the "salvation of the world," and His representatives are sent to those in need of divine help and guidanceHDL 11.4+1.

• Failure of Witness: While Jonah eventually fulfilled his commission to warn the heathen, the Israelites "dealt treacherously" with God and refused to let the light of the truth shine forth to their neighbors Jeremiah 3:203T 385.2+1.

• The Great Work: The "great work" of bringing sinners to repentance was the original purpose for the chosen nation, a work they largely neglected until the discipline of the seventy years brought them to seek God with all their heartsPr 145.3+2.

The period of roughly four hundred years between the close of the Old Testament and the birth of Christ is known as the "period of silence" because the voice of prophecy was hushed in IsraelHBS 14.3+1. During these "dark ages," no direct revelations or oracles from God were given because the nation had repeatedly slighted Heaven’s invitations and done despite to the Spirit of graceHBS 14.3+2.

The Nature of the Silent Period

This era followed the time of the prophet Malachi and lasted until the Christian eraSDP 181.1+1. Because Israel had persistently refused to respond to the invitation to repent and had chosen to walk in the atmosphere of the first great apostate, God allowed them to have their choice and withdrew the manifest presence of His SpiritRH June 29, 1897, par. 9. This resulted in a state where there was no remedy for their condition, as they had committed what is described as the unpardonable sin by closing their eyes to evidence and devoting themselves wholly to evil4MR 360.1+1.

• A Lack of Canonical Prophecy: While the old literary instinct of the nation remained, resulting in works like the Apocrypha, these writings lack the canonical authority of direct prophecyHBS 14.3.

• The Fruit of Rebellion: The silence was a consequence of the nation being "joined to idols" to the point where the Spirit was told to "let him alone" Hosea 4:17SITI April 21, 1887, page 246.9.

• Spiritual Darkness: By denying the light God had previously given, the heart of the nation became so hard that the Spirit could make no impression upon it, leaving them in great darknessCCh 81.1+1.

The Commission of National Sin

The inhabitants of Israel had reached a point where there was no possibility of reformation, and like trees that bear only thorns, they were cut off as cumberers of the groundSITI April 14, 1887, page 230.7. This period was characterized by:

• Blasphemy and Apostasy: The leadership often used their talent of speech to abuse the truth, attributing the power of God to satanic agencies, which is the very definition of the sin against the Holy Ghost4MR 360.1+1.

• Preference for Darkness: They loved darkness rather than light and chose to exist apart from the atmosphere of the Father and the Son John 3:19RH June 29, 1897, par. 9.

• The Close of Probation: Their persistent refusal to yield to the strivings of the Spirit meant that for four centuries, they were left to their own devices until the coming of the world's RedeemerSITI April 21, 1887, page 246.9+1.

Apocrypha, Value of.—The voice of prophecy was utterly hushed in this period [between the Testaments], but the old literary instinct of the nation asserted itself; it was part and parcel of the Jewish traditions, and would not be denied. Thus in this period many writings were produced, which although they lack canonical authority, among Protestants at least, still are extremely helpful for a correct understanding of the life of Israel in the dark ages before Christ. a. The Apocrypha.—First of all among the fruits of this literary activity stand the apocryph...— HBS 14.3 (1922)

(2.) These books were written not in Hebrew but in Greek, and during the “period of silence,” from the time of Malachi, after which oracles and direct revelations from God ceased till the Christian era— ETI Apocrypha.4 (1897)

In every case where the judgments of God have been brought upon people, it was because there was no possibility of their reformation; they had, in short, committed the unpardonable sin. This was the case with the antediluvians, the Sodomites, the wicked inhabitants of Canaan (see Gene...— SITI April 14, 1887, page 230.7

“The last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so,” said Jesus, “shall it be also unto this wicked generation.” There are none so hardened as those who have slighted the invitation of merc...— DA 324.2 (1898)

... love darkness rather than light, you love the atmosphere that surrounded the first great apostate. You choose this atmosphere rather than the atmosphere that surrounds the Father and the Son, and God allows you to have your choice. But let no soul be discouraged by this presentation of the matter. Let no one who is striving to do...— RH June 29, 1897, par. 9 (1851)

During the specific four-hundred-year period between the Old and New Testaments, there were no prophets in Israel, as the voice of prophecy was utterly hushedETI Apocrypha.4+1. This era, extending from the time of the prophet Malachi until the birth of Christ, is defined as a "period of silence" because direct revelations and oracles from God had ceasedETI Apocrypha.4+1.

The Prophetic Timeline and the Silence

Because this was a time when God’s manifest presence through the prophets was withdrawn, there is no list of prophets for these four centuriesETI Apocrypha.4+1. The timeline is established by the following markers:

• Malachi (approx. 400 B.C.): He was the final prophet of the Old Testament era before the silence beganETI Apocrypha.4. He appealed to the Jewish nation to return to God's law before the "great and terrible day of the Lord" Malachi 4:4-5.

• The Period of Silence (400 B.C. – 4 B.C.): This is the historical gap where no prophet was sent to the monarchy or the peopleSDP 181.1. It is often described as the "dark ages" before Christ because the nation lacked divine guidanceHBS 14.3.

• John the Baptist and Christ: The silence was finally broken at the beginning of the Christian era when the message of the coming Messiah was once again proclaimedETI Apocrypha.4+1.

Interaction with Apocryphal Writers

There is no record of any prophet speaking directly to an Apocryphal writer during this timeETI Apocrypha.4+1. The books of the Apocrypha were written specifically during this "period of silence" when there was no prophet in IsraelETI Apocrypha.4+1. These writers were often Alexandrian Jews or others seeking to comfort their people during persecutions, but their works lack canonical authority and were not dictated by direct revelationETI Maccabees, Books of the.2+1.

Describing the "Dark Ages" and Choice

While the term "Dark Ages" is frequently used for the medieval period of papal supremacy, it is also applied to this intertestamental period of spiritual obscurityHBS 14.3+1. The Bible describes periods of trial and separation through specific time-prophecies:

• Affliction and Sojourning: The term of 400 years is first seen in the promise to Abraham, where his seed would be strangers in a land not theirs and suffer affliction Genesis 15:13. This period ended at the Exodus, but it serves as a type of the trials Israel faced when they departed from God's lightGSAM 42.1+1.

• The Result of Choice: The silence of 400 years was the result of Israel’s own refusal to hear the Lord's messengers, leading to a state where the people were "joined to idols" and left to their own waysST July 19, 1899, par. 1+1.

• A World in Darkness: By the time Christ was born, worldliness had usurped the place of religion, and the ruling passion for earthly wealth had corrupted the humanity of menCS 142.3.

It is heartening to know that even during periods of silence, God is still preparing the way for greater light to shine upon His peopleST August 7, 1879, par. 5+1.

(2.) These books were written not in Hebrew but in Greek, and during the “period of silence,” from the time of Malachi, after which oracles and direct revelations from God ceased till the Christian era. (3.) The contents of the books themselves show that they were no part of Sc...— ETI Apocrypha.4 (1897)

Apocrypha, Value of.—The voice of prophecy was utterly hushed in this period [between the Testaments], but the old literary instinct of the nation asserted itself; it was part and parcel of the Jewish traditions, and would not be denied. Thus in this period many writings were produced, which although they lack canonical authority, among Protestants at least, still are extremely helpful for a correct understanding of the life of Israel in the dark ages before Christ— HBS 14.3 (1922)

...the Old and the New Testament. Its telling work as a nation was done during the time when there was no prophet in Israel, the period between Malachi and Christ, hence the book of Daniel is the only portion of the Bible which deals with this nation. The histor...— SDP 181.1 (1901)

...ophets” Matthew 5:17, “the old covenant” 2 Corinthians 3:14 R.V.). There is a break of 400 years between the Old Testament and the New. (See APOCRYPHA.— ETI Bible.3 (1897)

...dquo;shall come forth out of thine own bowels.” Now the Lord begins to reveal to him that the final work of his seed is not to have an immediate accomplishment. He said to Abraham, “Thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years.... And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.” 14Gen...— GSAM 42.1 (1905)

There is no specific prophecy in the canonical Old Testament that explicitly foretold a four-hundred-year period of silence or the writing of the Apocryphal books. Instead, this period is recognized as a historical "period of silence" that began after the time of Malachi and lasted until the Christian era, during which direct revelations and oracles from God ceasedETI Apocrypha.3+1.

The Period of Silence

The cessation of the prophetic voice was a historical reality rather than a fulfillment of a specific time-prophecy.

• Hushing of Prophecy: Between the closing of the Old Testament and the birth of Christ, the voice of prophecy was utterly hushedHBS 14.3.

• Malachi to Christ: This interim period, often called the "dark ages" before Christ, followed the ministry of Malachi and continued until the message of the Messiah was proclaimed in the New Testament eraHBS 14.3+1.

• The Role of Daniel: While there were no active prophets in Israel during this time, the Book of Daniel is the only portion of the Bible that deals with the historical rise of nations like Greece that filled this gapSDP 181.1.

The Emergence of the Apocrypha

The Apocryphal writings were not the result of direct divine command or prophecy, but rather the result of a national literary drive.

• Literary Instinct: Even though direct revelations had ceased, the old literary instinct of the Jewish nation asserted itself, leading to the production of these fourteen booksHBS 14.3.

• Lack of Canonical Authority: These writings, such as the Books of Maccabees, Esdras, and Wisdom, were written in Greek during this "period of silence" and were never once quoted by New Testament writersHBS 14.3+1.

• Helpful for Understanding: Although they lack canonical authority, they remain helpful for understanding the life and problems of Israel during those dark centuriesHBS 14.3.

Clarifying the "Four Hundred Years"

It is important to distinguish between the intertestamental silence and other prophetic periods of similar length mentioned in Scripture.

• The Egyptian Affliction: The most famous "four hundred year" prophecy in the Bible refers to the period during which Abraham’s seed would be strangers and afflicted in a land not their own Genesis 15:13+1.

• Timing of Fulfillment: This specific prophecy was fulfilled at the Exodus, when God judged the nation that oppressed His people and delivered them with great substance Genesis 15:14SH 33.1+1.

• The Difference in Context: While the silence between the Testaments lasted roughly four hundred years, it is characterized by the absence of mention in prophecy, whereas the Egyptian bondage was explicitly predicted centuries in advanceCIHS 79.1+1.

Later Insights on the Apocrypha

While no ancient prophecy foretold the writing of the Apocrypha, later revelations provided guidance on how these books should be viewed in the last days.

• The Hidden Book: The Apocrypha has been described as the "hidden book," and it is noted that the wise of these last days should understand it1EGWLM 183.3+1.

• Upholding the Standard: Even with this insight, the Bible remains the standard book by which all will be judged at the last day, and it is seen as pure and unadulterated1EGWLM 195.2.

• Historical Treatment: For centuries, these books were included in separate sections of Protestant Bibles until the early nineteenth century, and they were never used to establish doctrine in the early Christian church1EGWLM 183.3+1. 🌿

I hope this clarifies the distinction between historical silence and the specific prophecies recorded in the Word of God! If you have more questions about these periods, I am here to help. 📖