Although the prophet Amos said God would be silent
• Amos 8:11 "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord GOD, "That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the LORD. NKJV
there is no direct or indirect reference to any 400 years of silence in the Bible. Interestingly Ezekiel bring an unexpected light on the Amos’ verse. Right from the beginning of his priesthood Ezekiel was given an absolutely clear mandate. He would be sent among his brothers Israelites as a prophet and would have to tell them that their ways were doomed:
• Ezek 2:4 and you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD.' NKJV
• Ezek 2:7 You shall speak My words to them NKJV
• Ezek 3:1 and go, speak to the house of Israel. NKJV
• Ezek 3:4 "Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with
My words to them.
• Ezek 3:11 … and speak to them and tell them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD NKJV
• Ezek 3:18 When I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you
give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his
wicked way, NKJV
Ezekiel was not allowed to refuse God’s call. No matter what, he would be accountable should he fail to relay the appropriate warning to the wicked:
• Ezek 3:20 because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. NKJV
As we can see from the previous references, Ezekiel was reminded again and again that he would have to talk to his people. But then, just when Ezekiel should have started to fill his assignment, the most unexpected thing happened. Ezekiel was asked to go and shut himself in his house (Ezek 3:24). And the Spirit deliberately stuck Ezekiel’s tongue to the roof of his mouth to incapacitate the prophet in such a way that it became impossible for him to orally communicate with others:
• Ezek 3:26 I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute and not be one to rebuke them
And guess how long the prophet was silent? A total of 430 days (i.e. 390 days while he lie on his left side and 40 more days while he lie on his right side.) This 430 days represents 430 years.
• Ezek 4:6 I have laid on you a day for each year. NKJV
Ezekiel, in his role of a prophet, was a substitute for God therefore one can say that he was portraying a “silent” God for 430 years. If the number is accurate, and there is no raison to doubt it, we should be able to pinpoint when it started and when it ended?
I spent years researching the chronology of the Bible and I found that there are only two events that perfectly bookmark the period of silence. The first event is represented by the creation of the Jewish feast of Purim.
In the amazing book of Esther, the author highlighted a string of incredible coincidences whose outcome culminated with the unexpected salvation of the Jewish people at the exact time they were supposed to be slaughtered. Then why, in spite of God’s perceptible involvement in every circumstance or people’s action described in the story, did the author choose to never explicitly mention the Divine name? (Esther is the only book of the Hebrew Bible that doesn’t mention God. According to the Jewish sages there is a play of words using the name Esther in Hebrew that could mean ‘hiding of the face’).
And there is more, the story starts with the king exposing in every possible way the wealth of his kingdom even going so far as ordering his wife to exhibit herself in front of everybody. Later he takes a new wife, Esther, who hides her true identity; finally it is all the Jewish people who will wish to hide because Haman wanted to kill all of them.
Even though the story culminates with the days of triumph it doesn’t stop at that point. The second half of Esther 9 tells us that Mordecai sent letters everywhere in the kingdom asking the Jews to commemorate the days of Purim (14th & 15th Adar) every year. Under Mordecai’s insistence this new festival, featuring a ‘theme’ of concealment, was thus initiated. One tradition that has survived to this day is to disguise and wear a mask.
According to the Jewish belief, after the Megillat Esther there were no more prophets, no more miracles, no more communication from God, “only silence”
Could there have been a divine but hidden agenda put in motion at that very same time of that first Purim? I say ‘yes’ to that. Given that the absence of the name of God is a major characteristic of the book of Esther it is not unreasonable to assume that the 430 years of silence portrayed by Ezekiel had its true origin right at the time of the first day of Purim (the turning point of the Megilat Esther story).
And what circumstance brought to an end the 430 years of silence? The start of Yeshua’s ministry of course. I cannot go over all the chronological details to show that the 430 years perfectly fits between Purim and the start of the ministry of Christ but the next few verses show how this ministry, based on teaching, proclaiming the good news and healing, mark a real change in the divine decree.
• Luke 4:18,21 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. ---"Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
• Luke 3:22-23 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased." Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age..
• Luke 4:24 Then He [Yeshua talking about himself] said, "Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. NKJV
The following verses bookend the First Purim with the start of Ministry.
A) Esther brought Mordecai to the king’s attention. (ref Est 2:22)
B) Est 3:2 But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him [Haman] honor. NIV
C) Est 3:6 he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to
destroy all Mordecai's people the Jews NIV
D) Mord.. a father figure to Esther Est 2:7
D’) God a father figure to Yeshua Matt 3:17
C’) Gal 1:3-4 our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself [died] for our sins, that He might
deliver us from this present evil age,
B’) Matt 4:9 "if you [Yeshua] will bow down and worship me [Satan]." NIV
A’) John brought Yeshua to the nation’s attention (ref Luke 3:16, John 1:15).
A last thing, the 62 week of Daniel (62 * 7 = 434 years) goes from First Purim to the crucifixion.
Among many proofs of this affirmation see how these two perfectly complementary periods combine to overlap Daniel 434 years.
430 years of silence (Purim to start of ministry)
4 year of ministry (proclaiming the good news until the crucifixion)
If you are interested to read more, please go to my website EzekielMastrerKey.com and read my book
EZEKIEL 4. The Master key to unlock the Bible's chronology
