Rabbi Natasha Mann

Background of Malachi Time:  Persian Period (Post-Exile) Place: Yehud Kings:  None. Ruled by High Priest (Joshua) + Governor (Zerubavel) Political Backdrop: ·        Just a little later than Zechariah and Haggai: the Temple has been rebuilt! ·        We’re back from exile! Step 1: Assyrians are the Big Bad: Northern Kingdom falls (722BCE) Step 2: Babylonians take over as the Big Bad: Southern Kingdom goes into exile (586BCE)             Exile period… 539BCE: Neo-Babylonian Empire falls to Cyrus the Great (Perisan Empire) Step 3: The Persian Empire sends us home! (538BCE) Primary Themes of Malachi: ·        The generation of the Second Temple are just as bad as their ancestors! o    The exile didn’t change anything… ·        Set up a series of disputes between Israel and God ·        God feels the people have abandoned proper religious practice; the people feel that God is not just and that there is no benefit to serving God.

Background of Zechariah Time:  Persian Period (Post-Exile): 520BCE Place: Yehud Kings:  None. Ruled by High Priest (Joshua) + Governor (Zerubavel) Political Backdrop: ·        Same timing/backdrop as Haggai ·        We’re back from exile! Step 1: Assyrians are the Big Bad: Northern Kingdom falls (722BCE) Step 2: Babylonians take over as the Big Bad: Southern Kingdom goes into exile (586BCE)             Exile period… 539BCE: Neo-Babylonian Empire falls to Cyrus the Great (Perisan Empire) Step 3: The Persian Empire sends us home! (538BCE) Primary Themes of Zechariah: ·        The necessity to rebuild the Temple – and to do better than the previous generations so that it won’t be destroyed again ·        Strong messianic themes ·        Israel’s sin = injustice, bad religious leadership (especially from false prophets) ·        Elements of apocalyptic literature o    Angelic guide o    Messianic imagery – eschatology? o    L