Wrap-Up

That put a lot into perspective, didn’t it? The broader cultures of vast empires have a deep impact on the local cultures of subjugated people. What we’re beginning to unpack is what the Bible calls “the fullness of time.” God’s people waited for those 400 silent years much as they had during the days of slavery in Egypt. And now, at last, the time for their Deliverer has come. 

But before we can open the Gospels themselves, let’s see what kind of religious groups were in the land and what they were expecting from God.