Bible Study

*Just for your thoughts*

*Two Silent Periods of God*
God is always at work. He is never inactive. However, there are certain periods in history when the Bible does not give us a clear record of God’s activities. We cannot know from Scripture all the details of what happened during those periods. Such periods may be described as “God’s Silent Periods.”
From the creation of the world onward, there appear to be at least two significant periods in biblical history when there was no clearly recorded prophetic revelation or written Word of God.
1. The Period of the Israelites in Egypt
The first such period was the time when the Israelites lived in Egypt and later suffered under slavery.
God had already foretold this to Abraham:
“Your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them; and they will afflict them four hundred years.”

— Genesis 15:13
Exodus 12:40 states that the Israelites lived in Egypt for 430 years. Therefore, the 400 years mentioned in Genesis 15:13 refers particularly to the period associated with their affliction and oppression.
During this long period, the Bible does not record any continuing prophetic revelation or the appearance of prophets among the Israelites.
But the fact that God appeared to be silent does not mean that He had forgotten the Israelites.
On the contrary, at the end of that period we read:
“So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.”

— Exodus 2:24
After this, God called Moses and revealed His plan to deliver the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt.
Therefore, God’s silence did not mean that God was inactive. He was working out His plan.
2. The Period After Malachi
The second major “silent period” began after the time of the prophet Malachi and continued until the appearance of John the Baptist.
After Malachi’s prophecy, there was a period of approximately four hundred years before the beginning of the New Testament era during which there was no recognized prophetic revelation recorded in the biblical canon.
Many historical events took place during this period. However, these events were not recorded as prophetic revelation in the Old and New Testament books of our Bible.
Therefore, this period is commonly called the “Intertestamental Period”—the period between the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Some writings produced during this period were later regarded differently within various Christian traditions. In the Protestant biblical tradition, these writings are generally called the “Apocrypha” and are not included in the authoritative canon of Scripture.
After Malachi’s prophecy, the prophetic voice remained silent for a long period.
But that silence eventually came to an end.
When John the Baptist appeared, the voice of God’s Word began to be heard clearly again.
John came to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus:
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.’”

— Matthew 3:3; Isaiah 40:3
Jesus Himself said concerning John:
“Among those who are born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.”

— Matthew 11:11
Therefore, there was a long period of silence between the end of the Old Testament prophetic era and the beginning of the New Testament revelation.
But the Situation Is Different in the New Testament
When we look at these silent periods in the Old Testament, we may sometimes feel that God is silent in our own lives as well.
Sometimes our prayers may not receive an immediate answer. Sometimes the solution to our problems may seem far away.
We may ask:
“Does God care about me?”

“Does God see my situation?”

“Is God with me?”
But the truth is different.
The fact that God appears to be silent does not mean that He has left us.
There Is No “God’s Silent Period” in the Believer’s Life
The New Testament gives us a tremendous blessing.
The Holy Spirit dwells within us.
Jesus said:
“He dwells with you and will be in you.”

— John 14:17
And the Lord promised:
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

— John 14:18
The Holy Spirit guides us:
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

— Romans 8:14
In addition, God has given us His Word:
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

— Psalm 119:105
Therefore, when we surrender ourselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and submit ourselves to the Word of God, we can be assured that God continues to work in our lives.
We Are His Temple
There is an even deeper truth in the New Testament.
We are the temple of God.
“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”

— 1 Corinthians 3:16
Furthermore:
“Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God.”

— 1 Corinthians 6:19
Therefore, although in certain periods of the Old Testament it may appear that God’s revealed Word was silent, in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit dwells within every person who has been born again.
From the day we are born again until the day we complete our earthly journey, God does not leave us. He remains with us.
Jesus gave us this promise:
“And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

— Matthew 28:20
Therefore:
There Is No Silent Period of God in Our Lives
God may appear to be silent.
He may seem to delay answering our prayers.
We may feel that God is not intervening in our circumstances.
But He has not left us.
He is with us.
He dwells within us.
He guides us through His Word.
He leads us through the Holy Spirit.
And He continues to work in our lives according to His divine plan.
Therefore, even when God appears to be silent, we should never conclude that God is not working.
God is working even where we cannot see.
God is speaking even when we cannot hear.
God is fulfilling His plan even in circumstances we cannot understand.
This is one of the important differences between the silent periods of the Old Testament and the age of the New Testament, in which the Holy Spirit dwells within believers.
In the Service of God