The Intertestamental Period

By Ernest L. Martin Ph.D., To many people, the teachings of the New Testament seem so foreign to those found in the Old Testament. In fact, it seems on the surface that the authors of the New Testament books almost lived in a different world than the prophets, kings and priests who composed the Old Testament writings. And in one way of looking at it, this is true. The types of writings which make up the New Testament are of a fundamentally different kind than those of the earlier Testament. However, all the writings of Scripture originate from the same source and both sections were inspired by the Spirit of YHWH. It is most important to understand that both the Old and the New Testaments complement one another and their full messages cannot be comprehended without both sections relying totally on each other. But, in order to blend the two together in a compatible way, the 400 year span known as the "Intertestament Period" must be studied and understood. Once this is done, it will be seen how sensible the New Testament teaching really is and how dependent it is upon that of the Old Testament. As the apostle Paul said, even the doctrines which comprised "the Mystery" (given to Paul and others only after 63 B.C.E.), are founded on "the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone" (Ephesians 2:20).