The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

Episode: Introduction to the Return (with Jeff Cavins)
Date: September 24, 2025

Overview

This special episode serves as an introduction to the "Return" period in the Great Adventure Bible Timeline, following the Israelites’ 70-year exile in Babylon. Fr. Mike Schmitz is joined by Jeff Cavins, creator of the Timeline, to discuss the historical, spiritual, and practical significance of the Return era. Together, they explore how this biblical period speaks to themes of restoration, community, and faith—drawing parallels to personal spiritual journeys today.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Transition from Exile to the Return

• A New Hope: The episode opens with excitement about moving from the bleak "exile" period (characterized by loss and suffering) to the brighter, hopeful era of the "return."
  • "Brighter days ahead. And that's the yellow period on the Bible timeline chart. And it is, it's a new beginning..." (Jeff Cavins, 00:53)
• Color-coded Timeline: Jeff Cavins notes how mnemonic devices like timeline colors help listeners visualize Israel’s journey.
• Patterns in Salvation History: The cyclical pattern of exile and return recurs through the Bible (Exodus, Judges, Babylon, and even in Luke 15’s Prodigal Son), and reflects spiritual cycles in personal life. (02:07)

Historical Context: Changes Occurring During Exile

• Rise of the Synagogue: With the loss of the Temple, synagogues and home worship practices (dietary/kosher laws) became central. This shift influenced second-temple Judaism and impacts New Testament events. (02:07)
• Community Transformation: The exile changed Israel's community life, making it more familiar to contemporary forms of worship—gathering for learning and fellowship beyond just sacrifice. (04:43)
• Political Upheaval:
  • Shift from Babylonian to Persian control; Cyrus the Great, moved by God, not only allows but finances the return and the rebuilding of the Temple (05:30).
  • "God moved on Cyrus to allow them to come back and even to finance this. And that should remind you of Israel coming up out of Egypt." (Jeff Cavins, 06:36)

Three Waves of Return

• Key Leaders and Themes:
  • First return (538 BC): Led by Zerubbabel; rebuilding the Temple.
  • Second (525 BC): Led by Ezra; restoring the Word of God.
  • Third (444 BC): Led by Nehemiah; rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls.
• Parallel to Exodus: The process is a kind of reverse-Exodus, freedom from one land back to another. (06:36)
• Not Everyone Returned: Many grew comfortable in exile—a spiritual warning about becoming complacent when separated from God. (06:36, 10:23)

Personal and Spiritual Application

• Generational Gaps:
  • Many returnees had never known Temple worship firsthand; spiritual practices felt foreign (09:18).
  • "70 years... that's grandpa and grandma... they were involved in that temple sacrifice." (Jeff Cavins, 10:07)
• Necessity of Conversion: Both to return and to rebuild, people needed personal and communal conversion—turning their hearts back to God and re-learning ancient practices. (10:23)
• Jeff Cavins’ “Tripod” for Restoration:
  • Sacraments/Temple = Eucharist/worship
  • Word of God/Teaching = Scripture
  • Walls/Community = The Church (12:33–14:55)
    • "When you put these three together, you've got the sacraments, the Word of God, and the Church. That acts as sort of a tripod to rebuild your life." (Jeff Cavins, 14:55)

Obstacles in the Return

• Human Resistance: Even among those who returned, there was reluctance to prioritize God’s house over personal comfort—prophets like Malachi called out these tendencies (10:50).
• Real-World Complexity: Fr. Mike notes that biblical stories sound straightforward until you realize the human drama and temptations involved:
  • "We have Bible stories that we think are really straightforward, duh, of course this is what's going to happen... Then we realize, oh, it was much more complicated..." (Fr. Mike, 15:57)

Prophetic Voices

• Three Prophets of the Return:
  • Haggai: Urges people to rebuild God’s house instead of focusing on their own.
  • Zechariah: Encourages and strengthens the returnees’ faith.
  • Malachi: The last Old Testament prophet; sets the stage for Christ.
• Continuity with New Testament: Malachi prophesies a messenger (Elijah), fulfilled in John the Baptist (Matthew 11:13 & 17:9–13).
  • "So you have this continuity between the return and the prophet Malachi and the beginning of Jesus ministry..." (Jeff Cavins, 19:49)

Memorable Teaching: “Healing in His Wings”

• Malachi’s Prophecy:
  • Talks about the “Sun of Righteousness” rising with healing in its “wings” (kanaph, or garment corners).
  • "When we come to the New Testament, we see that people reached out to grab the hem of Jesus garment, to grab the knaf, the place where the tzitzit, these tassels were attached. And they were healed." (Jeff Cavins, 22:38)
• Direct Link to Jesus: The woman touching the fringe of Jesus’ garment—fulfilling this prophecy (23:33).

Broader Context and Contemporary Relevance

• Wisdom in the World:
  • As Israel rebuilt, Greek philosophers like Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle also arose—a convergence of faith and reason.
  • "There’s wisdom in the world. Yes. But there is one who is wisdom, Jesus Christ..." (Jeff Cavins, 24:27)
• Looking Back to See God’s Hand:
  • As with Israel’s timeline, we should learn to reflect on our lives to see God’s guidance.
  • "God has a plan of sheer goodness. And there is a tapestry that is being woven in your life." (Jeff Cavins, 26:21)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the spiritual pattern of exile and return:

  • "This whole pattern of exile and return, exile and return is really, really important... Not only is this a pattern in the Old Testament, it is a pattern in our own lives as well." (Jeff Cavins, 02:07)

• On the tripod of restoration:

  • "You need the sacraments, the Word of God and the Church. That acts as sort of a tripod to rebuild your life." (Jeff Cavins, 14:55)

• On the reality of spiritual inertia:

  • "I just assumed everyone would want to go back... and then realizing, no, not everyone wants to go." (Fr. Mike Schmitz, 15:10)

• On healing in Jesus’ tzitzit (tassels):

  • "There will be healing in his wings... Malachi is giving us hints of what is going to come. And that is just absolutely beautiful." (Jeff Cavins, 22:49)

• Reflection on personal life and salvation history:

  • "Take some time to look at your own life the way we're looking at salvation history." (Jeff Cavins, 26:21)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Introduction and Context (00:04–01:08)
• Exile Patterns, Synagogue, and Return (02:07–03:48)
• Historical Shifts: Exile to Persian Rule (04:43–07:30)
• Three Waves of Return & Key Figures (07:30–10:07)
• Personal Application & The Need for Conversion (10:23–12:33)
• Spiritual Restoration Tripod (Sacraments, Word, Church) (12:33–15:10)
• Complexity of the Return and Human Resistance (15:10–16:37)
• The Role of Prophets in the Return (18:43–21:49)
• Malachi’s Prophecy & Healing in Jesus’ Garment (21:49–24:04)
• Faith and Reason Unite: Context of Philosophy (24:04–25:01)
• Applying the Story to Our Lives (26:21–27:58)

Final Encouragements

• Reflect on Your Story: Both Jeff and Fr. Mike urge listeners to slow down, reflect, and look for God’s hand in their life stories as Israel had to see in theirs.
• Gratitude and Prayer: Fr. Mike wraps up with appreciation for the team and listeners, assuring ongoing prayers for all participants on this journey. (27:58)

Summary By Section

• The Return period offers a story of hope, rebuilding, and conversion—as true for the ancient Israelites as for each listener’s spiritual journey.
• Key takeaways: Center your life on worship, God’s Word, and community; recognize the cyclical journey from exile to restoration; and trust God’s plan weaving through history and your own narrative.