For hundreds of years the Scriptures had been translated into the Greek language, then widely spoken throughout the Roman Empire. The Jews were scattered everywhere, and their expectation of the Messiah's coming was to some extent shared by the Gentiles. Among those whom the Jews styled heathen were men who had a better understanding of the Scripture prophecies concerning the Messiah than had the teachers in Israel. There were some who hoped for His coming as a deliverer from sin. Philosophers endeavored to study into the mystery of the Hebrew economy. But the bigotry of the Jews hindered the spread of the light. Intent on maintaining the separation between themselves and other nations, they were unwilling to impart the knowledge they still possessed concerning the symbolic service. The true 34 Interpreter must come. The One whom all these types prefigured must explain their significance.

Gennem århundreder var Skriften blevet oversat til det græske sprog, der dengang blev talt vidt og bredt i hele romerriget. Jøderne levede spredt viden om, og deres forventning om Messias' komme blev til en vis grad delt af hedningerne. Blandt dem, som jøderne gav navn af hedninger, fandtes der mænd, som havde en bedre forståelse af de skrifter, der omtalte Messias, end Israels lærere havde. Der fandtes nogle, der håbede på hans komme som en befrier fra synden. Filosoffer forsøgte at sætte sig ind i den hebraiske husholdnings hemmelighed, men jødernes snæversyn hindrede udbredelsen af lyset. På grund af deres vilje til at vedligeholde adskillelsen mellem dem selv og andre folkeslag var de uvillige til at meddele andre den viden, de stadig var i besiddelse af med hensyn til den symbolske gudstjeneste. Det var nødvendigt, at den rette fortolker kom. Han, som alle disse forbilleder symboliserede, måtte forklare deres betydning.