Between Malachi and Matthew lie four hundred years the Bible passes over in silence — but not God. This section sketches the world into which Jesus was born, and gathers reference material to help you study.

Empires rise and fall, synagogues and expectations form, and the stage is set for the fullness of time. Two pages carry it: the four hundred silent years, and the moment they end.

What you will find in this section

• The Four Hundred Years — What happened in the gap between Malachi and Matthew
• The Fullness of Time — One sentence holds the whole gap — and tells you how to read what comes next

Begin with The Four Hundred Years.

The study helps that used to sit in this section now live under The Bible: Feasts and Festivals and Names of God.