Bible

What does God say in Malachi 3:6?

"I the Lord do not change"

With what questions did Habakkuk wrestle honestly and prayerfully?

"Why does God allow evil, injustice, and wrongdoing?" and "why do the wicked prevail?"

The message of the book of Zephaniah

- God says his decision is "to gather all nations and pout out My burning indignation" - to purify not destroy them - God says "I will purify the lips of the nations also they can call on the Lord" - contains very intense images of God's JUSTICE and LOVE

Differences of the book of Habakkuk

- doesn't accuse Israel - doesn't speak on behalf of God to people - addresses God with his struggle - is God good when there is so much evil and tragedy in the world?

The prophesy of Zechariah

- dreams can explain current events or point to the future - #1 = is it time for the Messianic kingdom in Jerusalem? - #2,7 = Reflection on Israel's past sin that led to exile - #3,4 = New Jerusalem: a beacon to the nations, purified by the scripture -#5,6 = Messianic Kingdom will only coe if the people are faithful to God - The messianic king is depicted as one who enters Jerusalem on donkey, rejected servant - new jerusalem is fathering point for all nations, new garden of eden, with a river of life flowing out of temple

The life of Haggai

- for centuries Hebrew prophets accused Hebrew people for breaking covenant with God (idolatry and injustice) - warned that God would send Babylon to the fake Jerusalem, destroy the temple, and haul people to exile [587 BC] - Hope.... God would bring back remnant to live in the New Jerusalem (Heaven)

The life of the prophet Malachi

- lived about 100 years after the return of Babylonians from exile - message was directed to people who had been living in Jerusalem for some time - temple was rebuilt, but things were not going so well

Life of Habakkuk

- lived during the final days of Southern Kingdom - saw rising threat of Babylon on horizon

The life of Zephaniah

- lived during the final decades of the southern kingdom of Judah - King Josiah tried to bring about positive change in land (remove idols, restore temple, and worship God alone) - they continued worshipping other gods

The life of the prophet Zechariah

- set after return of the exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem - Zechariah and Ezra challenged and motivated the people to rebuild the temple and to look for the fulfillment of God's promises - Jeremiah prophesied that the exile would last 70 years and there would be a new temple build in Jerusalem

Timeline of the book of Haggai

- set in 520 BC (67 years) - Babylonian empire collapsed and ruled by Persians - August 520 BC - accused people of misplacing priorities (rebuilt fancy homes while temple was in ruins) - people responded by rebuilding temples - 1 mo. later - disappointed because it wasn't as good as Solomon's temple which was destroyed - reminds people prophecy future kingdom of God and New Jerusalem - 2 mo. later - Haggai calls the people to covenant faithfulness - encourages people to maintain ritual purity and be faithful to God - obedience leads to blessing and success while faithlessness leads to ruin - 3 mo. later - same day as writing - God says that he will make New Jerusalem the center of His glorious eternal kingdom - From there he will defeat evil among the nations and establish a king from the line of David

Notable verses in the book of Mlachi

-4:2 = "For those who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise, with healing in its wings" -1:4-6 = Torah and prophets = unified story that points to the future when God will send a new Moses and Elijah to restore God's people and heal their hearts.

Challenge from the book of Haggai

-our choices matter - the obedience of God's people is part of God works in the world -this should motivate humility and action

The format of the book of Malachi

-series of disputes - 1 = God makes claims against His people - 2 = His people disagree - 3 = God responds with the final word

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO COMPLETE THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE?

4 YEARS

Around ____ years later at the beginning of the New Testament, __________ the _____________ arrived near Jerusalem, dressed like Elijah and preaching the same message of repentance. Later in the Gospels, Elijah himself appeared with Moses to give his approval at the transfiguration of Jesus Christ. Jesus told his __________ John the Baptist fulfilled Malachi's prophecy about Elijah.

400, John, Baptist, disciples

How many years before the birth of Jesus Christ was the book of Zechariah written?

500 years

When did the people begin rebuilding the temple?

520 BC

When was the book of Haggai written?

520 BC

When was the book of Zechariah written?

520-480 BC

How many verses are in the book of Habakkuk?

56

When was Solomon's temple in Jerusalem destroyed?

586 BC

When was the third assault of the Babylonians?

586 BC

When was the second attack by the Babylonians?

598 BC

When was the first invasion by the Babylonians?

606 BC

When was the book of Zephaniah written?

640 - 609 BC

When was the book of Habakkuk written?

645-588 BC

When was the book of Malachi written?

About 430 BC

In ancient times, what was the function of a signet ring?

An official seal when pressed into hot wax on a document

Besides withholding their tithes, how did the people speak against the Lord and what did they complain about?

Arrogantly, how the wicked prospered

Which nation was rising to become the dominant world power?

Babylon

God's answer to Habakkuk was that He would deal with Judah's sin in his time by bringing the ___________ as a form of chastisement and judgment. In turn, he would punish the ___________ for their wickedness.

Babylonians, Babylonians

What kinds of animals did they offer for sacrifices?

Blemished

What does Zephaniah issue in the first prat of the three-chapter book?

Charges and threats

About what did Zechariah go into great detail?

Christ's second coming

Into what had the political and religious leaders fallen?

Corruption

Who was the father of Zephaniah?

Cushi

________, king of ___________, overthrew the Babylonians, and in 538 BC, he allowed 50,000 Jews to go home and rebuild the temple.

Cyrus, Persia

Who was carried into exile during the first invasion by the Babylonians?

Daniel

When King ________ took over ___________, he fostered the various religions in his empire. Darius encouraged the Jews to restore the ___________. God called two prophets to support them: Zechariah and Haggai

Darius, Persia, temple

The _______ of the ________ is ___________, a time of _______________. Not only Judah, but pagan nations would suffer God's punishment.

Day, Lord, coming, reckoning

In the end, from what to what did Habakkuk advance?

Doubt to faith, reaching an understanding of God's purpose

Who was the Old testament's mightiest prophet?

Elijah

Who was captured during the second attack by the Babylonians?

Ezekiel

The book of Habakkuk doesn't nearly explain why God allows evil and injustice, but it does reveal that believers must interpret God's activity in history through eyes of ________.

Faith

Which 4 things ran unrestrained during the time of Habakkuk?

Fear, anarchy, oppression, and persecution

What did God use to punish His people?

Foreign conquerers

Of what does the book of Haggai remind God's people?

God is their first priority in life

What was the significance of the prophecy about the signet ring?

God would honor the line of David through Zerubbabel

What did the people begin to doubt?

God's love

What caused the nation of Judah to be in a perilous state?

God's people were entrenched in sin and apostasy

With what does the book of Malachi end?

God's promise to send Elijah

At the end of the book of Haggai, what did God say Zerubbabel would be like?

God's signet ring Haggai 2:23

Who backed Haggai when he motivated the people to put God first again?

Governor Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua

What is the 4th shortest book in the old testament?

Habakkuk

How is the book of Habakkuk similar to the book of Job?

Habakkuk deals with the problems of evil and injustice in the world

Who were the key characters in the book of Habakkuk?

Habakkuk, the Babylonians, the nation of Judah, and God

What is the second shortest book in the Old Testament?

Haggai

Who was the first prophet after the Babylonian exile?

Haggai

Who were the key players in the book of Haggai?

Haggai, Zerubbabel, Joshua the high priest, Cyrus, Darius

Zechariah and his contemporary______________ urged the people to finish this work to honor the Lord. At the same time, these prophets wanted to rebuild a spiritual ______________, calling their readers to return to God.

Haggai, renewal

With what was Habakkuk's closing prayer filled?

Hope

What two things discouraged them in their efforts to rebuild the temple?

Human and natural obstacles

Who was the grandfather of Zechariah?

Iddo

To what things did the faithless bow down?

Idols and foreign gods

What did Habakkuk wonder?

If God was in control and he truly cared

God's ________ is His passion to rescue His world from human evil and violence

JUSTICE

What city and its temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 598 BC?

Jerusalem

Where was the book of Haggai set?

Jerusalem

Where was the book of Zechariah set?

Jerusalem

To whom was the book of Malachi written?

Jews in Jerusalem and all later readers of the Bible

To whom was the book of Zephaniah written?

Jews in Judah and all later readers of the Bible

To whom was the book of Zechariah written?

Jews returning to Judah from exile in Babylon and all future readers of the Bible.

For what Kingdom was Habakkuk a prophet?

Judah (southern)

What was landscape in the book of Zephaniah?

Judah, inhabited by God's people, was the subject of the book, but the warnings extended to the Philistines, Moab, Ammon, Cush, and Assyria.

From what kind was Zephaniah a descendant and what did this imply?

King Hezekiah, implying he came from a line of royalty.

Who is listed in the Davidic ancestors of Jesus Christ in Matthew 1:12-13 and Luke 3:27

King Zerubbabel

God's _____ creates a world where everyone can flourish in safety and peace

LOVE

To what tribe did Habakkuk belong?

Levite

Who were the music leaders of the temple?

Levites

Last book of OT?

Malachi

Who were the key characters in the book of Malachi?

Malachi, the priests, disobedient husbands

The __________, Jesus Christ, was coming to save his people from their sins. After doing that, he will come again to wipe out evil from the earth once and for all and to reign forever.

Messiah

What does Malachi mean

My messenger

Who was the King of the Babylonians during this time?

Nebuchadnezzar

About what did Zechariah provide a treasure trove of information?

Of information about the end times

Why is the book of Zechariah difficult to understand?

Packed with symbolism and vivid imagery

Format of the book of Habakkuk

Poems of lament drawing God's attention to injustice - asks how God can use corrupt nation (Babylon) for His purposes - righteous will live by their faith and that he will bring Babylon down - god using corrupt nation does not mean He endorses behavior Woes: 1-2 unjust economics 3 slave labor 4 abuse of alcohol by irresponsible leaders 5 idolatry - pharaoh, like Babylon, is an example of evil and violent humans - But God confront this evil... "you save people and your anointed one" (reference to king from line of David) - Past exodus becomes an image of a future exodus when God will defeat evil, bring justice, and rescue oppressed and innocent

To whom was the book of Haggai written?

Post-exilic Jews and today's Bible readers

What jumps out with crystal clarity in the book of Zechariah?

Predictions about a future savior

What was the task of the remnant of ancient Jews who returned to Israel later the exile in Babylon?

Rebuild the temple

__________________ and ______________________ bring _________________.

Repentance, reformation, restoration

Who opposed the rebuilding of the temple?

Samaritans

What ran rampant in ancient Judah and the nations around it?

Sin

What was King Josiah doing at the time Zephaniah wrote?

Started reforms in Judah

In what did Habakkuk rest?

Submission to God

Who lost interest in rebuilding the temple and turned to rebuilding their own houses and careers?

The Jews

What is the landscape of the book of Habakkuk?

The people of Judah and its kings rejected God, Bablyon was rising as the dominant power which would eventually lead to the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem

The people of Jerusalem had rebuilt the temple as the prophets ordered them, but after that what came more slowly than they wanted?

The promised restoration of the land

What broke the heart of Habakkuk?

The prophet saw the world around him dying

How did they worship?

They went through the motions

Even when human beings cannot comprehend what God is doing, of what is He in control of?

This world

Why does God give His followers wisdom and energy?

To do the work He assigns them

Why did Zechariah write his prophecy?

To inspire the remnant of ancient Jews who returned to Israel after exile in Babylon

To whom was the book of Habakkuk written?

To the nation of Judah and generally to all of God's people everyplace

From a literary standpoint, how is the book of Zechariah divided?

Two parts

Throughout the book of Malachi, what did God level against the Jews?

Withering accusations

God is faithful to his _________. He never _____________ His people. God is __________________ over all and his promises come true.

Word, forgets, sovereign

What did the faithful remnant do when they met at the end of Malachi 3?

Writing a scroll of remembrance to honor the almighty.

Were Josiah's warnings largely ignored?

Yes

Who was captured during the third assault by the Babylonians?

Zedekiah

Who were the key characters in the book of Zechariah?

Zerubbabel, Joshua the high preist

The format of the book of Zephaniah

collection of Zephaniah's poetry means "The Day of the Lord is near" - Part 1 = Judgment on Jerusalem - Part 2 = Judgment of the nations and Jerusalem - Part 3 = Hope for the nations and Jerusalem

In spite of an abundance of evil in the world, God is in __________. God ha s a plan and he does not ignore sin. He will bring about justice in his way and in his time.

control

The ______ of the __________ is ___________, said the book of Zephaniah, because God's patience has a limit when it comes to sin.

day, Lord, coming

Bible scholars __________ the meaning of the term "The Day of the Lord." Some say the day of the Lord describes God's ongoing_______________ across hundreds or even thousands of years. Others say it will culminate in an abrupt, sudden even, such as the __________ __________ of Jesus Christ. However, both sides agree the ______ of God's __________ is caused by _________.

debate, judgment, second coming, fury, wrath, sin

The book of Habakkuk is a ____________ between the prophet Habakkuk and God that begins with a series of difficult questions expressing Habakkuk's deep doubts and concerns over the unchecked evil in his society.

dialogue

Zephaniah called the people out on their _______________ in an eerie _______________ of society today.

disobedience, forshadowing

Zephaniah, and other prophets, foretold that the ______ in Babylon did not last long. The Jewish people eventually came home, rebuilt the temple, and enjoyed some measure of prosperity, fulfilling the second part of the prophecy.

exile

What were men doing to the poor and helpless?

exploiting them

God remains _____________ even when his people do not.

faithful

God calls us to put Him __________

first

Malachi serves as a sort of ____________________ of the prophecies of Christ's second coming. Jesus will _______ forever.

foreshadowing, reign

Zechariah ________________ with uncanny accuracy the coming of a Messiah who would save the world from its sins

foretold

Chastisement

getting punished for doing something wrong

God's offer of ________ and _________________ extends to all nations, not just the Jews. He calls everyone to turn away from false gods.

grace, salvation

Building God's kingdom can seem overwhelming, but God's power is _________________. When we step out, he provides the resources we need to get the job done.

invincible

God is ___________ for his followers' faithfulness. He demands exclusive worship, condemning idolatry in every form. Prophets often warn against false teachers.

jealous

God values _________________. He will punish disobedience and destroy the wicked.

justice

After punishment would come restoration. God's __________ on Israel was a common theme among the prophets.

mercy

Rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem was a step in God's _________ of salvation. God empowers his people to do things that are not humanly possible.

plan

God scolded the ___________ for improper teaching and rebuked the men for divorcing their wives so they could marry pagan women.

priests

He wants to be our first _______________. TO help us carve out time for him, he stirs up our hearts with his love.

priority

Haggai _____________ his countrymen for living in "paneled houses" while the Lord's house had fallen into disarray. He also pointed out when the people turned away from God, their needs were not met, but when they honored God, they prospered.

scolded

We can trust in God's ____________ plan in out lives and in this world

sovereign

First we learn that God doesn't mind dealing with out _________, _____________, and __________. God loves when his people earnestly and honestly seek him, desiring to know and understand him better.

struggles, questions, doubts

In the book of Zechariah, chapters 9-14 differ in __________ from the first eight chapters, but scholars have reconciled those variations and conclude Zechariah is the author of the _____________ book.

style, entire

Apostasy

to go back on a comitment

Habakkuk wrestled to understand why God could allow such wickedness, until he realized that __________ and __________ in God would supply the answers he sought. Like Habakkuk, we can pour out our hearts to God when our circumstances become unbearable, knowing he cares and will do what is right.

trust, faith

The eight night ________ in chapters 1-6 are especially challenging, but a good study Bible or commentary can help unravel their meaning, such as ________________ upon the _____________, the _________ of God, and individual responsibility. Chapters 7 and 8 follow the visions with ________________, or encouragement.

visions, judgment, wicked, spirit, exhortation

Zephaniah _____________ his readers they were on the brink of punishment. He delivered the same threat as other prophets, a promise carried over into the New Testament as well: The ______ of the ________ is _______.

warned, day, Lord, coming

The book of Malachi continues the ___________ of earlier prophets, but also sets the stage for the ______ Testament, when the Messiah will appear to save God's people.

warnings, new

In what did the people trust instead of God?

wealth