ON THE SILENCE OF THE PROPHETS
During this intertestamental period they knew they did not have any prophets. Note:
1 Maccabees 4:46
"So they pulled down the altar and laid down the stones in the mountain of the house, in a convenient place, until a prophet should come and decide (as to what should be done) concerning them."
1 Maccabees 9:27
"And there was great tribulation in Israel, such as was not since the time that a Prophet appeared unto them."
1 Maccabees 14:41
"And the Jews and the priests were well pleased that Simon should be their leader and high priest forever, until a faithful prophet should arise."
"From Artaxerxes to our own time the complete history has been written but has not been deemed worthy of equal credit with the earlier records, because of the failure of the exact succession of the prophets." Josephus, Against Apion 1.8.
"This statement is both correct and in accordance with our books. For in the latter it is recorded that Nebuchadnezzar, in the18th year of his reign, devastated our temple, that for fifty years it ceased to exist, that in the second year of the reign of Cyrus the foundations were laid, and lastly, that the second year of the reign of Darius it was completed."
Josephus, Against Apion 1.21.
These passages show that the Jews knew the difference between a true prophet of God and the false prophet. They knew that there were no true prophets from the time of Malachi to the time of the New Testament. So, the appearances to Zacharias and Joseph are significant.
Note: Apparently Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, was the first to have been spoken to by God over this 400-year period of silence. He was the one who was serving in the temple, and the one who tarried in the temple. It is somewhat unusual he would do this, because the people waited outside for a blessing. They believed that he was in the presence of God and those he blessed (immediately after coming out of the temple) would receive a special benefit. This is a good foundation for the fact that John the Baptist was so popular.
The Jews believed there were several mediums
through which God spoke to men:
1. Casting lots (Prov 16:33).
2. Urim and Thummim (Ex 28:30). These stones, kept under the breastplate of the High Priest, were promises that God was going to communicate to his people. The Hebrew words mean "lights and illuminations," indicating that God was going to cast light on the question His people were asking him.
3. Dreams and visions. This was the most common. Dreams occur when a person is sleeping, visions when the person is awake.
By Matthew’s saying this took place in a dream shows that it was a recognized form of revelation from God. This is miraculous, God’s involving Himself in the lives of the people. Notice that Joseph is considering this, but has drifted in sleep and has a dream and the angel releases his anxiety. "Do not be afraid.” Afraid of what? There are two things Joseph might be afraid of:
1. The ridicule from without - by accepting a woman who is an adulteress.
2. By marrying a woman who might be untrue (again).