The Book of Malachi
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 ...