A Chronological Summary of the Bible Second Edition

By Eric B. Matthews

A Chronological Summary of the Bible Second Edition

by Eric B. Matthews
Copyright 2012 by Eric B. Matthews All rights reserved

"Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org) Scripture references marked (NIV) are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture references marked (KJV) are taken from the KING JAMES VERSION of the Bible

Table of Contents
Part One: God 1. God, Angels, and Heaven Part Two: Man 2. Man, the Universe, and Earth Part Three: The Sin and Fall of Satan 3. Satan, Demons, and Hell Part Four: The Sin and Fall of Man 4. Adam and Eve Part Five: Man is Offered Redemption 5. Adam to Noah 6. Abraham and the Nation of Israel 7. Moses to Jesus Christ 8. Jesus Christ 9. The Holy Spirit and The Church 10. The End of the World 11. The Beginning of Eternity Part Six: Have You Been Redeemed? A. The Big Picture B. The Choice Every Person Must Make

Part One: God

1. God, Angels, and Heaven

To begin, you must start with the fact that God has always existed and will always exist in Heaven.1 He is eternal. At some point in time before God created the Earth, He created angels as helpers and servants.2 Who is God? God consists of God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit (this three-in-one attribute of God is called the Trinity)3 God is everywhere, or omnipresent4 God knows everything, or is omniscient5 God created everything6 God can do anything, or is omnipotent7 God is holy8 God is love9 God is good10 Summary First, God has always existed and will always exist in Heaven. At some point before God created the Earth, He created angels as helpers and servants.

1 2

1 Timothy 1:17, Revelation 1:8, Psalm 90:2, Matthew 6:9b (God is in Heaven) Job 38:4-7 (sons of God is another name for angels and they rejoiced when the Earth was created so they had to be created before the Earth was), Hebrews 1:14a (angels are spirits, not flesh and bones), Psalm 148:2 (praise God), Psalm 103:20-21 (serve God), Luke 1:18-19 (Gods messengers), Psalm 35:5-6 (carry out Gods judgments), 2 Peter 2:11a (have greater power and strength than Man does), Mark 12:25 (dont marry) 3 Genesis 1:26a (Then God said, Let us make man in our image), 1 John 5:7 KJV (the Word is another name for Jesus Christ) 4 Psalm 139:7-10 (Gods home base is Heaven but He is everywhere), Jeremiah 23:23-24, Proverbs 15:3, Hebrews 4:13 5 Psalm 147:5, 1 John 3:20b, Matthew 10:30, Ezekiel 11:5 6 Genesis 1:1, Genesis 1:27, Acts 17:24a, John 1:3 (God created everything through Jesus Christ) 7 Jeremiah 32:17c, Luke 1:37 8 Psalm 99:5, Psalm 5:4, 1 Samuel 2:2, Leviticus 11:45, Revelation 4:8 9 1 John 4:7-8, John 3:16, Romans 8:38-39 10 1 Chronicles 16:34, Psalm 145:9, Psalm 107:21, Psalm 136:1

Part Two: Man

2. Man, the Universe, and Earth

At some point after God created the angels, God decided to create another being and a place outside of Heaven for it to inhabit. God created Man, the heavens (Earths atmosphere and outer space), and Earth in a seven-day process: Day One: God created light and the first day and night11 Day Two: God created the sky12 Day Three: God created the land, seas, and vegetation13 Day Four: God created the Sun, Moon, and stars14 Day Five: God created the animals of the water and air15 Day Six: God created the animals of the land and Man16 Day Seven: God rested17 Who is Man? A closer look at Day Six of the creation process listed above will reveal who Man is. Man was made in God's image18 and was to rule over all the Earth.19 God then formed Man from the dust of the ground,20 made a garden in Eden, and placed Man there to take care of it.21 This was the beginning of Gods relationship with Man. Why did God create the Earth and put Man on it? First, God created all things for Himself and for His pleasure.22 In other words, God is sovereign.23 God didnt need to create Man God doesnt need anything. He wanted to. Second, God created Man to respond back to Him: to know Him, love Him, and honor and obey Him (or collectively, to fellowship with Him).24
11 12

Genesis 1:3-5 Genesis 1:6-8 13 Genesis 1:9-13 14 Genesis 1:14-19 15 Genesis 1:20-23 16 Genesis 1:24-31; 1 Corinthians 15:45a (his name was Adam and he was the first man) 17 Genesis 2:1-3 (God didnt rest because He was tired God doesnt get tired or He wouldnt be God! He rested because His creation was complete.) 18 Genesis 1:26a, 27 (The Bible doesnt specifically explain what this means but certainly it doesnt mean that Man was made in the physical image of God because God doesnt have a body like Man does. Rather, God made Man in His spiritual image by giving him a spirit and a soul which allows Man to respond back to God. Man is the only one of Gods creation made in His image and, thus, able to respond back to God.), John 4:24a (God is spirit, not flesh and bones) 19 Genesis 1:26b 20 Genesis 2:7 21 Genesis 2:8-15 22 Colossians 1:16, Revelation 4:11 KJV 23 Ephesians 1:11b (He works all things according to the council of His will), Job 42:2 24 Philippians 3:10a (know God), Matthew 22:37 (love God), Revelation 4:11 (honor Him), John 14:15 (obey His commandments)

Seeing that animals weren't suitable companions for the man (Adam), God took a rib from Adam and made a woman (Eve) to be his helper and companion.25 Adam and Eve were naked but they weren't ashamed (meaning it wasnt wrong for them to be naked).26 God instructed Adam and Eve to multiply (reproduce) and fill the Earth.
27

Importantly, God instructed Adam and Eve that they could eat the fruit of any tree in the garden except for the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which stood in the middle.28 If they ate from it they would die.29 In doing this God gave Adam and Eve only one rule. If they chose not to eat of the tree they would be obeying God and showing that they wanted to maintain their relationship with Him. But, by eating of the tree they would be disobeying God and going their own way. Summary God created another being, called Man, on a planet called Earth and started a relationship with him. God created Man in His image so that Man could respond back to God and they could have fellowship. God placed Man in a garden called Eden and gave him only one rule to obey. Man had the choice to either follow God and keep their relationship by obeying the rule or turn from God and break the relationship by disobeying the rule.

25 26

Genesis Genesis 27 Genesis 28 Genesis 29 Genesis

2:18-24, Genesis 3:20 (her name was Eve and she is the mother of all the living) 2:25 1:28-30 2:16-17a 2:17b

Part Three: The Sin and Fall of Satan

3. Satan, Demons, and Hell

Back in Heaven, Satan started out as one of Gods top angels named Lucifer.30 Lucifer became filled with pride and decided that he wanted to be as God: he chose not to follow God any longer.31 Angels were created to serve God, and by deciding to serve no longer, Lucifer did what God said not to do, or, did what was wrong. This is called sin.32 Since God knows everything, He knew that Lucifer would break his relationship with Him.33 God is holy and cannot tolerate sin so He renamed Lucifer to Satan and cast him out of Heaven to the Earth.34 One-third of the angels also sinned by deciding to follow Satan and were cast out of Heaven along with him.35 These fallen angels are now called demons (or devils) and are helpers and servants of Satan.36 Some demons were cast to the Earth with Satan but God created a place called Hell as a temporary location of punishment for the rest of the demons to await their eventual and eternal punishment.37 God didnt offer, and at no time has ever offered, Satan and the demons an opportunity to repair their relationship with Him, or, to be redeemed. Their punishment and separation from God was permanent.38

30

Isaiah 14:12 KJV (his name was Lucifer), Ezekiel 28:12, 14-15a (model of perfection, wise, beautiful, anointed, blameless) 31 I Timothy 3:6 (Lucifer was filled with conceit, pride), Isaiah 14:13-14 (five times he says I will) 32 Psalm 103:21 (angels were created to serve God), Isaiah 14:14 (Lucifer wanted to be God), Ezekiel 28:15 (this was unrighteousness), 1 John 5:17a (and all unrighteousness, or wrongdoing, is sin) 33 1 John 3:20b 34 Psalm 99:5, Revelation 12:9 (his name is now Satan), Ezekiel 28:16 (cast from the mountain of God, or Heaven), Ezekiel 28:17 (sent to the Earth), Luke 10:18 35 Revelation 12:4a (suggests one-third of the angels sinned) 36 James 2:19 (now called demons), Matthew 25:41b (his [Satans] angels, or, helpers) 37 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 1:6 (it would appear by these two verses that all the angels that sinned were not sent to the Earth as Satan was but were sent to Hell to await their eventual, eternal punishment but), Matthew 8:28-34 (it is also recorded that some of the fallen angels are on the Earth and possess men so it would appear that some are in Hell and some are on the Earth with Satan), Luke 16:19-31 (Hell [or Hades] is a place of torment), Revelation 20:10, 14 (Hell is the temporary place of punishment for the demons the Lake of Fire is the eventual and eternal location of punishment for both Satan and the demons) 38 Revelation 20:10 (Satan will be judged, no redemption offered), 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 1:6 (demons will be judged; no redemption offered), James 2:19 (of course, the demons believe in God and shudder), Matthew 8:28-29 (but even with that knowledge they were given no second chance and knew their fate was judgment and torment)

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Who is Satan? Satan is only one being39 Satan can only be in one place at a time40 Satan doesnt know everything41 Satan is a destroyer42 Satan is overpowered by God43 Satan is unholy44 Satan is hate45 Satan is evil46 Summary Back in Heaven, one of the top angels, named Lucifer, chose not to follow God by having pride in his heart and wanting to be as God (this was wrong; a sin). God knew this would happen. God kicked Lucifer out of Heaven and some angels followed him: Lucifer and some angels were sent to the Earth and some demons to Hell, a temporary place created for their punishment. Lucifer and the angels who followed him broke off their relationship with God. Renamed Satan and demons, they were never offered a chance to repair their relationship with God (or, be redeemed). Their punishment, and their broken relationship with God, was permanent. So, on the good side, God and the angels were in Heaven, and on the evil side, Satan and some of the demons were on the Earth and some were in Hell. Now Man, it seems, was squarely in the middle and was faced with the same choice to obey or disobey God that the angels had.

39 40

Matthew 25:41b (the devil, one) Job 1:7, 1 Peter 5:8 41 John 8:44 (he lies about what he does know), Revelation 12:9b (and deceives the whole world) 42 Hebrews 2:14b (power of death), 1 Peter 5:8, 1 Thessalonians 2:18 43 Job 2:1-6 (Satan can only do what God allows), Revelation 20:10 44 Ezekiel 28:15, Isaiah 14:12-15, 1 John 3:8a 45 Luke 22:31, 2 Corinthians 2:11 46 Acts 13:10 (describes Elymas who was evil as a child of, or like, Satan), 2 Corinthians 11:14 (masquerades as an angel of light to hide his evil; to deceive)

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Part Four: The Sin and Fall of Man

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4. Adam and Eve

Back in Chapter Two, remember that God told Adam and Eve they could eat of any tree in the Garden of Eden except for the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil which stood in the middle.47 One day in the garden Eve was standing next to this very tree.48 Satan took advantage of this opportunity and used a serpent to try to deceive Eve so she'd eat of the Tree.49 The serpent (used by Satan) said to Eve, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'"50 Eve replied, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'"51 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."52 The part about their eyes being opened and knowing what was good and evil was true. But when Satan used the serpent to say they wouldnt die; that was a lie. God made it very clear they would die.53 As was noted earlier, Satan is a liar54 and he took the truth and attached a lie to deceive Eve. When Eve saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to Adam and he ate it.55 By eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and broke their relationship with Him.56 Since God knows everything, He knew that Adam and Eve would break their relationship with Him.57 The immediate results of their disobedience As promised, Adam and Eve's "eyes were opened" to what was good and evil.58
47 48

Genesis 2:16-17a Genesis 3:6 (she had to be next to the tree to see it) 49 Genesis 3:1 50 Genesis 3:1 NIV 51 Genesis 3:2-3 NIV 52 Genesis 3:4-5 NIV 53 Genesis 2:17b 54 John 8:44 55 Genesis 3:6 NIV 56 Romans 5:16b (they were condemned; they became morally and spiritually separated from God) 57 1 John 3:20b 58 Genesis 3:7a

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They realized they were naked and hastily made coverings out of fig leaves.59 When God returned to the Garden of Eden He discovered that Adam and Eve had eaten from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.60 God pronounced judgment Simply because Satan used a serpent to deceive Eve, the serpent received punishment. It was cursed and would now crawl on its belly and eat dust.61 Eve received her punishment. She would have increased pain in childbirth and be ruled by her husband.62 Adam received his punishment. The ground was now cursed and, as promised by God, all of mankind would experience death.63 What their disobedience now meant for Man Because Adam and Eve broke their relationship with God, every person born "automatically" starts out separated from God.64 Because of that separation, every person will sin (does what God says not to; does whats wrong).65 Because of that sin, every person must experience death.66 Because of that death, if the relationship with God were never repaired, Man would have to be sentenced to Hell to share eventual punishment with Satan and the demons.67 But fortunately, because God loved Man, He will show Man the way to repair their relationship. Summary Adam and Eve sinned and chose to follow Satan. God knew this would happen. This broke Mans relationship with God. As a result, all of mankind thereafter would be born with the relationship with God broken, would sin in their lifetime, would die, and after death be sent to Hell to eventually be punished permanently along with Satan and the demons. But unlike Satan and the demons, God, out of love, will offer Man a way to repair his relationship with Him during his life and avoid eternal punishment after death.

59 60

Genesis 3:7b,c Genesis 3:8-13 61 Genesis 3:14 62 Genesis 3:16 63 Genesis 3:17-19 64 Romans 5:18a (because of their one sin, every person after Adam will be condemned and be morally and spiritually separated from God), Psalm 51:5 65 Romans 5:19a, Romans 3:23 66 1 Corinthians 15:21a, Romans 6:23a, Romans 5:12, Hebrews 9:27 67 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, 2 Peter 3:9

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Part Five: Man is Offered Redemption

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5. Adam to Noah
Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden.68 Satan was given control of the Earth.69 The way of redemption revealed Now that Man had sinned and broken the relationship with God there was no way Man could fix it. Only God could to do it. Out of love He reached out to Adam and Eve, and thus to all of mankind to follow, and showed them the way to repair our relationship with Him (to be redeemed). It had two parts: The first part was that Man had to have faith in, or trust, God.70 Without faith, Man cannot please God.71 The second part was that Man had to have faith in God that He was going to send a Redeemer (His Son, Jesus Christ) to this Earth and that Jesus Christ would live His life without sin, die, and be raised from the dead (or, resurrected) to pay the penalty for Mans sin in place of Man so our relationship with God could be restored.72 Jesus Christ had to be sinless because only that which has committed no sin can be the substitute and accept the punishment for Man that sinned and deserved punishment (death and separation from God in Hell with Satan and the demons).73 Jesus Christ had to die is because God tells us that only shed blood can pay the penalty for sin.74 But in the meantime, until this Redeemer came to the Earth, God temporarily allowed Man to shed the blood of animals (because they are without sin also) and sacrifice them as a payment for his sin.75 The blood of bulls and goats couldnt ultimately pay for Mans sin; it only served as an illustration of how the Redeemer would later come to the Earth and shed His sinless blood to be the better and final sacrifice for Mans sin, validating these temporary animal sacrifices.76
68 69

Genesis 3:22-24 Luke 4:5-6, 1 John 5:19 NIV, Ephesians 2:2 (Satan is called the prince of the power of the air) 70 Hebrews 11:1 71 Hebrews 11:6 72 Genesis 3:15 (Even though this verse is part of the judgment given to the serpent for its role in the deception and sin of Adam and Eve, it is also a prophecy. This verse states that the seed [or offspring] of the serpent [Satan and the demons] will bruise him on the heel, meaning they will deceive, battle, and oppose Man to draw him away from God and unto Satan. However, the seed of the woman [Jesus Christ] will bruise you on the head, striking a fatal blow to Satan by coming to the Earth, dying, and rising from the dead to be the Redeemer for Man and defeating the one who had the power over death, Satan.), Isaiah 53:5 73 2 Corinthians 5:21 74 Hebrews 9:22b 75 Leviticus 17:11 76 Hebrews 10:4, 5-10

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As was explained in the last chapter, Adam and Eve disobeyed God (sinned) and were punished. Man was and is born separated from God and is guaranteed to sin in his lifetime, yet God is holy and sin cannot be with Him. Man also must experience death and when he does he cannot be with God in Heaven because the sin is still there.77 God gave Man the opportunity, if he wanted to repair his relationship with Him, to put his faith in God that He was going to send a Redeemer to die and shed His sinless blood to substitute Himself for the punishment Man should have received for his sin and, until then, shed the sinless blood of animals. God, through Mans faith in Him, accepted the animal sacrifice as payment and forgave (atoned, covered) his sins so when Man died, he could be with God in Heaven because the sin was gone in Gods eyes: Man was redeemed and declared righteous by God (called justification).78 This was demonstrated after Adam and Eve sinned. Adam had faith in God that the Redeemer would come from the offspring of the woman. This would seem to be indicated by the name he gave Eve (means living) which means he trusted God that they wouldnt die right away and that they would procreate.79 God, seeing Adams faith, shed the blood of animals as payment for their sin then used the animal skins to clothe them.80 Cain and Abel Banished from the Garden of Eden, human civilization as we know it began in the new, cursed world. As God had instructed earlier, Adam and Eve started the process of populating the Earth by having children (Cain and Abel were the first two).81 With Cain and Abel, the method of repairing our relationship with God was seen again. Abel had faith in God and obediently offered animal sacrifices as payment for his sins but Cain disobeyed God and tried to offer fruit. God accepted Abels offering and covered his sins but rejected Cains offering so Cain became jealous of Abel and killed him.82 The flood As the Earth became populous, a problem emerged: using his own conscience as his guide, Mans lifestyle and even his thoughts were very evil.83 Man had done nothing but grieve God and He was sorry He created him.84 God was so grieved by Man's evil behavior that He decided to wipe Man (and animals) from the face of the Earth with a flood; except for Noah, in whom God found favor because he did what was right.85 God instructed Noah to build an ark (a very big boat) in which he, his
77 78

Psalm 51:5, Romans 5:19a, Psalm 99:5, Ezekiel 18:4b Romans 4:7-8, Psalm 103:12 79 Genesis 3:20 80 Genesis 3:21 81 Genesis 4:1-2 82 Genesis 4:3-8, Hebrews 11:4 83 Genesis 6:1, Genesis 6:5, 11-12 84 Genesis 6:6 85 Genesis 6:7-9

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family, and some animals would be spared from God's judgment.86 It rained for 40 days and 40 nights, and the Earth was covered with water for 150 days: every living thing not in the ark perished.87 After the waters receded and the flood was over, Noah, who had faith in God, offered animal sacrifices as payment for both his and his familys sins and as worship to God for helping them survive the flood and allowing them to be spared Gods judgment.88 God sent a rainbow as His promise to never flood the Earth again.89 Summary God revealed to Man that, if desired, he could repair his relationship with Himself by having faith in God and trusting that He would send a sinless Redeemer to die and pay the final punishment for his sin that he should have received. Man was to shed the blood of animals (animal sacrifices) as a temporary measure until this Redeemer, Gods son Jesus Christ, arrived. This atoned, or covered, the sins he committed during his life so when he died he could be with God in Heaven instead of being punished for his sins in Hell. But Man followed his own conscience and was so evil that God wiped him from the face of the Earth with a flood, except for Noah and his family.

86 87

Genesis Genesis 88 Genesis 89 Genesis

6:14-22 7:12, 23-24 8:14-20, Hebrews 11:7 9:13-15

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6. Abraham and the Nation of Israel

God decided to use a different approach to show Man that he needed to repair his relationship with Himself. In the last chapter we saw that God showed Man that faith in Him, trusting that a Redeemer was coming, and sacrificing animals until then, was necessary to cover his sin thus repairing his relationship with Him but Man ignored God and followed his own conscience and was evil. So God decided to stop dealing with Man as a whole and to start a nation that He would exclusively possess and reveal Himself to so it would be holy and above all nations. In other words, God wanted this nation to be an example to the rest of the world on how to repair their relationship with Him and to demonstrate good and moral behavior.90 A holy man named Abram (God later renamed him Abraham) was chosen as the "father", or starter, of this holy nation: the nation of Israel.91 God made 3 covenants, or promises, to Abraham: Nation of people with a King: God promised Abraham his descendants would be as numerous as sand on a seashore.92 This nation of Israel would have a government with the Redeemer, the Son of God, Jesus Christ as her King (The Messiah).93 Land: God promised Abraham that He would lead Israel to the land it would possess.94 Blessing: His offspring would be a blessing to all the nations of the Earth.95 Abraham and Sarai (God later renamed her Sarah) had one son, Isaac. Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob.96 Jacob had twelve sons and they became leaders of the twelve "tribes" (groups of descendants) of Israel.97 Joseph led Israel into Egypt One of Jacob's sons, Joseph, was despised by his brothers and they sold him into slavery as a youth. He ended up in Egypt.98 God was with Joseph and helped him interpret dreams. Through this, he learned there would be a widespread famine for
90 91

Deuteronomy 26:18-19 Genesis 12:1-3, Genesis 17:5 (God renamed Abram to Abraham) 92 Genesis 12:2, Genesis 17:6, Genesis 22:17 93 Isaiah 9:6-7, Jeremiah 23:5-8 94 Genesis 12:1, Genesis 12:6-7, Genesis 17:8 95 Genesis 12:3c, Genesis 22:18 96 Genesis 21:2-3, Genesis 25:24-26, Genesis 17:15 (God renamed Sarai to Sarah) 97 Genesis 35:22-26 98 Genesis 30:22-24, Genesis 37:2-36

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seven years and told the Pharaoh of Egypt how to prepare for it.99 The Pharaoh was so pleased he made Joseph second-in-command over Egypt.100 Although mistreated by them earlier, Joseph asked his family to be reunited with him in Egypt to survive the famine. They settled there and became very numerous, already partially fulfilling Gods first promise to Abraham.101 Gods Three Covenants to Abraham: Nation of people with a King (fulfilled in part Messiah not King yet) Land Blessing Summary God decided to use a different approach to show Man that he needed to repair his relationship with Himself, and that life is better when you live a repaired, holy life. Up until now, God had been revealing Himself to, and working with, mankind as a whole but Man turned from God and followed his own conscience and desires. So God chose a man, Abraham, who already loved Him and lived a holy life and used him to start the small nation of Israel. God loved and taught and revealed Himself exclusively to this nation like Man had never seen before so they would become a holy people: an example to encourage the rest of the world to repair their relationship with Him and to show how good life can be when you do what God says is right. God promised this nation would be numerous and have a government and King, possess land, and would bless all the nations of the Earth. After Abrahams family moved to Egypt to survive the famine they became very numerous, already partially fulfilling Gods first promise to the nation of Israel.

99

Genesis 41:1-37 Genesis 41:38-44 101 Genesis 45:1-46:7, Genesis 47:27

100

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7. Moses to Jesus Christ

God promised Abraham the Nation of Israel would have their own land so they couldnt stay in Egypt. Moses led Israel out of Egypt Joseph died and a new Pharaoh came to power that didnt know Joseph.102 The new Pharaoh of Egypt was afraid the numerous Israelites might eventually overthrow Egypt, so he forced them into slavery and ordered that all Israelite boys born be killed.103 To save her son from Pharaoh's decree, an Israelite woman first hid her baby for three months but then floated him down the Nile in a papyrus boat, only to be found (ironically) by Pharaoh's daughter, who decided to keep him.104 They named the boy Moses, and he grew up in Pharaoh's family but, after watching an Egyptian taskmaster beat an Israelite, Moses killed the taskmaster then fled the country to avoid prosecution.105 Moses lived in Midian for a while, but God called Moses to go back to Egypt and lead the Israelites out of the country and deliver them from their brutal slavery.106 God, using Moses and his brother Aaron as His spokesmen to Pharaoh, performed a series of ten plagues against Egypt until Pharaoh let the Israelites go.107 God gave Israel The Law God gave Israel laws, or behavioral guidelines, to help them understand what He considered to be right (holy) and wrong (sin).108 God spoke these laws (the Bible collectively calls them "The Law") to Moses on top of Mount Sinai.109 The core, or moral, portion of The Law is the Ten Commandments, which Moses wrote on stone tablets and are still well known today.110 The ecclesiastical portion of The Law showed the Israelites how to worship God and how to perform the animal sacrifices correctly.111 The civil portion of The Law showed them how to handle personal interactions and many aspects of their society.112 The Law also proved that every Man sinned (because of Adam and Eves sin) and

102 103

Exodus 1:6,8 Exodus 1:7-22 104 Exodus 2:1-10 105 Exodus 2:10b-15 106 Exodus 2:16-4:31 107 Exodus 4:14a (Aaron was Moses brother), Exodus 5:1-14:31 108 Romans 7:7b, Romans 3:20 109 Exodus 20:1-31:18 110 Exodus 20:1-17, Exodus 34:28 111 Exodus 25:1-31:18 112 Exodus 21:1-23:19

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that no Man could be holy and right as God is.113 No one can claim that they dont need to repair their relationship with God.114 Aaron and his sons were ordained as priests to study and administer The Law to the nation of Israel.115 The special, designated place they performed their duties and worshiped God in was a moveable, tent-like structure called the tabernacle.116 Israel took possession of most of their land After wandering in the wilderness for 40 years (led by Moses), Israel approached the land they were to inhabit: the land of Canaan.117 Led by Joshua, Israel conquered many cities, including the city of Jericho, and possessed most the land. This partially fulfilled the second promise of God to Abraham and the nation of Israel.118 Gods Three Covenants to Abraham: Nation of people with a King (fulfilled in part Messiah not King yet) Land (fulfilled in part didnt quite conquer all the land promised to Abraham) Blessing The time of the judges God raised up many leaders, called judges, to rally the Israelite people against those who tried to oppress them.119 Gideon, Samson, and Samuel were a few of the judges.120 The time of the kings When the Philistines wouldn't leave Israel alone, the Israelites asked for a "real" king to lead them, in hopes of defeating the Philistines.121 Samuel appointed Saul as Israel's first king, but Saul turned his back on God and was a big failure.122 David and his son Solomon were the two most notable kings of Israel.123 Solomon built a permanent structure, a temple, for Israel to worship God in, replacing the tent-like tabernacle used back in Moses time.124 The nation of Israel splits
113 114

Romans 7:7, Leviticus 11:44a Romans 3:23 115 Exodus 29:1-46 (consecration of the priests), 2 Chronicles 31:4b 116 Exodus 25:8-9, Exodus 39:32 (also called the tent of meeting), Exodus 40:38 117 Exodus 16:35 118 Numbers 13-Joshua 21:45 119 Judges 2:16, Judges 1-16 120 Judges 6:11-8:35, Judges 13:24-16:31, 1 Samuel 1:20-25:1 121 1 Samuel 8:1-21 122 1 Samuel 9:1-31:6 123 1 Samuel 16:1-1 Kings 2:11, 2 Samuel 12:24-1 Kings 11:43 124 1 Kings 5:3-5, 2 Chronicles 8:16, 1 Kings 8:4 (brought everything in the tent of meeting to the temple)

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Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived and served God for many years, but later in his life he started serving other gods: he even built temples for these gods. 125 As punishment, after Solomon's death, God caused the nation of Israel to be separated into two parts.126 Ruled by Jeroboam, ten of the twelve tribes separated to the North and continued to call themselves Israel.127 Solomon's son Rehoboam was left in the South to rule the two remaining tribes, Judah and Benjamin: they were called Judah.128 The time of the prophets Israel and Judah continued to turn their backs on God and served other gods; especially in Israel where they worshipped Baal.129 God used holy men who grieved over the sins of their people, called prophets, to preach God's laws and turn the people's hearts back to Him.130 Elijah, Jonah, and Isaiah were notable prophets.131 Israel and Judah exiled The prophets had some effectiveness but the people continued to ignore God. God pronounced judgment on His wayward people and punished Israel and Judah swiftly and severely.132 The Assyrians came and overtook Israel then drove them to the northeast into exile. The ten tribes of the North never returned to Israel.133 Nebuchadnezzar, leader of Babylon, came to Judah, captured all its' cities, and plundered and burnt the temple and the holy city Jerusalem. He then drove all the people of Judah into exile in Babylon.134 But, God promised that Judah would return to Jerusalem.135 Judah in Babylonian exile For seventy years, the people of Judah suffered under the reign of foreign kings who didnt honor God.136 It was during that time Daniel was thrown into the lion's den for not worshipping King Darius of Babylon. God honored his faithfulness and helped Daniel to survive.137
125 126

1 Kings 3:9-12, 1 Kings 11:1-8 1 Kings 11:9-13 127 1 Kings 11:31 128 1 Kings 12:17-24 129 1 Kings 12:25-33, 1 Kings 14:21-24, 1 Kings 18:21 130 2 Kings 17:7-13 131 1 Kings 17:1-2 Kings 2:11, Jonah 1:1-4:11, 2 Kings 19:2-Isaiah 66:24 132 2 Kings 17:14-23a 133 2 Kings 17:23b (these tribes are often called The Lost Tribes of Israel but, while true that the ten tribes were assimilated into Assyria and no official decree was ever issued for their return to Israel, it is believed that some did migrate back to the south over time and that these tribes were not permanently lost) 134 2 Kings 24:1-25:21 135 Jeremiah 31:16-17, Jeremiah 32:32-37 136 Jeremiah 29:10, Daniel 3:1-6, Daniel 5:22-23, Daniel 6:6-9 137 Daniel 6:10-23

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Judah returns to Jerusalem Cyrus, king of the Persian Empire, allowed the people of Judah to return to their land, as God had promised.138 King Cyrus gave back the objects Nebuchadnezzar originally took from the temple and organized its rebuilding in Jerusalem.139 Once the people of Judah (commonly referred to as Jews) returned to Jerusalem, they rebuilt the temple and dedicated it to God.140 When the temple was completed, the Jews rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem, restoring it as the capital of the Jewish nation.141 Still waiting for their King and His Kingdom The nation of Israel was numerous and after returning from exile they were back in the land God promised they would possess. But they were still waiting for the other promises that God made to Abraham to be completely fulfilled the promise of a government with the Messiah (Jesus Christ) as her King, to possess all the land promised to Abraham, and to be a blessing to all nations of the Earth. Through the prophets, God gave Israel a timeline of how they would be fulfilled when the Messiah arrived: First, the Messiah would be born.142 Second, the Messiah would die for the sins of Man, to redeem him.143 Third, the Messiah would ascend to the right hand of God.144 Fourth, God would pour out his wrath on the nations, especially the nation of Israel for their disobedience and idolatry, for a seven year period.145 Fifth, the Messiah would return to the Earth and defeat those who oppose Him, the godless nations of the Earth.146 Sixth, the Messiah would set up His Earthly kingdom and become the King. This kingdom would finally include all the land promised to Abraham. The nation of Israel, favored by God again, would go back out to the world and be the example of how to repair the relationship with Him and live morally (and thus, be a blessing).147 Summary To further help Israel be an example to the rest of the world God gave Israel "The Law" so they would know what sin was. This allowed them (for their own benefit) to avoid sin and behave properly toward God and their fellow Man, but it also proved that every Man sinned (because Adam and Eve sinned) and that no Man could be
138 139

Ezra 1:1-3 Ezra 1:7, Ezra 1:4 140 Ezra 3:1-6:17 141 Nehemiah 1:1-6:15 142 Isaiah 7:14 143 Isaiah 53:1-12 144 Psalm 110:1 145 Daniel 9:24-27, Ezekiel 20:34-38 146 Zechariah 14:4, Malachi 4:1-6 147 Daniel 7:13-14, Ezekiel 47:13-14, Isaiah 49:6, Zechariah 8:20-23

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holy and right as God is (re-affirming that repair with God is necessary for all). Priests helped administer The Law to the people of Israel in a special, designated place called the tabernacle (later they built a permanent temple). God partially fulfilled the second promise to the nation of Israel by leading them to, and helping them possess most of, the promised land the land of Canaan. Israel was still waiting for the promises of a government and a King, possessing all their land, and blessing the nations of the Earth to be fulfilled. About 400 years passed, and then

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8. Jesus Christ
Mary, while only engaged to Joseph, was conceived of the Holy Spirit [see next chapter for more about the Holy Spirit]. This meant she became pregnant with the baby Jesus Christ but was still a virgin.148 In what we know as the Christmas story, Jesus Christ was born in a manger in Bethlehem (this fulfilled the first item on the Jewish timeline).149 Jesus started His public ministry when He was about 30 years old by changing water into wine at a wedding.150 Jesus chose 12 men, called disciples (or apostles), to be His closest followers.151 Jesus ministered to the people through teaching and preaching, healing, and miracles.152 Jesus claimed (correctly) to be one with God and the promised King of the Jewish nation.153 The spiritual leaders of the day (chief priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians) didn't like Jesus because they felt (wrongly) He spoke blasphemy by claiming to be the promised King, claiming to be God, and going against the ways of The Law.154 But Jesus spoke against these spiritual leaders because they were hypocritical: on the outside, they were over-zealous in their obedience to The Law so others would see them as religious, but on the inside they didn't really care about God.155 Jesus became very popular and the spiritual leaders felt threatened because He embarrassed them by publicly exposing their hypocritical ways, so they plotted to kill Him and waited for just the right time.156 The break they were looking for came when one of Jesus' own disciples, Judas Iscariot (into whom Satan had entered), came to the spiritual leaders and offered to hand Jesus over to them for money. They paid him 30 silver coins to do so.157 While Jesus was praying with His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas led a gang of people sent by the spiritual leaders to arrest Jesus, armed with swords and clubs.158 Jesus was arrested, falsely accused of blasphemy, and sentenced to death.159 Judas Iscariot felt so guilty about betraying Jesus that he returned the 30 silver coins to the spiritual leaders and hung himself.160 The nation of Israel rejected Jesus Christ as her King. They mocked Jesus, nailed Him to a cross,
148 149

Matthew 1:18-25 Luke 2:1-21 150 Luke 3:23, John 2:1-11 151 Luke 6:13-16 152 Matthew 5:1-7:29, Matthew 8:2-17, 23-27 153 John 10:30, Matthew 27:11 154 John 7:28-32, Matthew 12:1-14 155 Matthew 23:1-39 156 Matthew 26:3-5 157 Matthew 26:14-16, Luke 22:3 158 Matthew 26:36-56 159 Matthew 26:57-66, 27:1 160 Matthew 27:3-5

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then crucified Him until He died (the holiday Good Friday is a remembrance of this and this fulfilled the second item on the Jewish timeline).161 In what we know as the Easter story, three days later Jesus Christ rose from the dead (was resurrected by God).162 He spent 40 days with His disciples and taught them, then ascended into Heaven.163 Jesus now sits at the right hand of God (this fulfilled the third item on the Jewish timeline).164 Why did God send His only son Jesus Christ to die on the Earth? Out of love, God sent Jesus Christ to this Earth as the promised Redeemer to die and accept the punishment that Man should have received for his sin. The animal sacrifices that shed the blood of bulls and goats were only a temporary method of payment because it couldnt cover the sin of Man. Jesus Christ never sinned so only His sinless blood could be used to permanently cover the sin of Man once and for all; to be the last and better sacrifice.165 Jesus Christ also came to defeat the work of Satan. Satan has sinned from the very beginning: he sinned against God in Heaven while he was still an angel, he spread his sinful ways to Man by deceiving Adam and Eve, and he continues to influence Man by propagating sin and evil at every opportunity.166 Jesus Christ came to this Earth to reverse, or defeat, the works of Satan: He propagated holiness and goodness to Man and, in His death and resurrection, gave Man an opportunity to "take out" all of the sin and evil that Satan "brought in".167 Jesus came to fulfill Gods promise to the nation of Israel by becoming her King and setting up His kingdom and government but the Jewish people rejected Him. They didnt recognize Him for who He was.168 God put on hold His exclusive relationship and timeline with the nation of Israel and allowed the Gentiles (all non-Jews) to know God, repair their relationship with Him, and be an example to the world of moral living just as the Jews were.169 Jesus Christ superseded The Law. His words became the New Law that we, the Gentiles, should live by and will be judged by.170

161 162

Matthew 27:11-50 Matthew 28:1-7, Acts 5:30 163 Acts 1:3-11 164 Ephesians 1:20 165 John 3:16, Hebrews 10:4, 10, 1 John 3:5, Hebrews 7:22 166 1 John 3:8b, Revelation 12:9b (deceiveth the whole world) 167 1 John 3:8c, Hebrews 2:14 168 Acts 13:27 169 Romans 11:11-12, Romans 10:12 170 Hebrews 8:7, 13, Hebrews 1:1-2, Galatians 6:2, John 1:17, Galatians 3:24-25

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Who is Jesus Christ? Jesus is fully God: He has all the attributes of God171 Jesus was fully Man: He was human flesh and blood172 Jesus is our Savior (saves us from our broken relationship with God caused by the sin of Adam and Eve)173 Jesus is our Propitiation (accepted the punishment for our sins that we deserved)174 Jesus is our Justification (if we believe He died for us, His shed blood covers our sins)175 Jesus is our Priest (offered a sacrifice, Himself, for the sins of the people)176 Jesus is a Prophet (one who speaks for God to mankind)177 Jesus is our Mediator (between us and God)178 Jesus is our Example (we should live our lives as He did)179 Jesus will later be accepted by the Jews as the King of the Jewish nation180 Summary To accept the punishment for Mans sins, out of love God sent His Only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the Earth to be the better and final sacrifice. Only His sinless blood, not the blood of bulls and goats, was sufficient to cover Mans sins once and for all. Jesus Christ came to Earth to defeat the work of Satan. Also, Jesus Christ came to Earth to be the promised King of Israel but Israel rejected Him as her King. This rejection put on hold Gods exclusive relationship and timeline with Israel and He allowed the Gentiles to know Him as the Jews did. Finally, Jesus Christs words superseded The Law and became the new standard of human conduct and judgment.

171

Ephesians 1:22-23 (everywhere), John 16:30 (knows everything), John 1:1-3 (created everything; the Word is another name for Jesus Christ), Matthew 28:18 (can do anything), Hebrews 7:26 (holy), Romans 8:39 (love), Acts 10:38 (good) 172 John 1:14a (was flesh), Matthew 21:18 (hungry), Matthew 9:36 (compassionate), John 4:6 (tired), John 9:35 (Son of Man), Hebrews 4:15 (tempted in every way) 173 Luke 2:10-11, John 3:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:9 174 2 Corinthians 5:21, Matthew 20:28, Romans 3:25 175 Romans 4:25, Galatians 2:16 176 Hebrews 3:1, Hebrews 7:23-27 177 Matthew 21:11 178 Romans 8:34, John 17:11, 20-23 (prays to God for us) 179 Philippians 2:5 180 Matthew 27:11, Daniel 7:13-14

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9. The Holy Spirit and The Church

The Holy Spirit, the third part of the Trinity, was active in the Old Testament period (the time before Jesus Christ).181 However, Jesus promised that God would send the Holy Spirit (also called Comforter and Helper) after He left the Earth.182 Soon after Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven, The Holy Spirit was given (arrived) on the day of Pentecost (a Jewish festival) in a house where the disciples and many believers were meeting together in Jerusalem. After this occurred, the disciple Peter preached to the people about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and about three thousand people chose God that day.183 Now when a person chooses to repair their relationship with God, they "automatically receive" the Holy Spirit and can enjoy all of the benefits of the Holy Spirit in their lives.184

181 182

Genesis 1:2, Genesis 41:38, Judges 14:6, Ezekiel 2:2, Psalm 51:10-11 John 14:26, John 7:39, John 16:7 183 Acts 2:1-4, Acts 2:41-42 184 Ephesians 1:13, Romans 8:9b

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Who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit convicts Man of his sinful state (helps him understand that he is sinful because of Adam and Eve and that he must repair his relationship with God to correct this)185 The Holy Spirit enters into every person who chooses to repair his or her relationship with God186 Possession of the Holy Spirit is a seal (confirmation) that we have chosen God, and a guarantee that we'll inherit Heaven and all of the things that God has promised187 The Holy Spirit helps us understand the truths about God188 The Holy Spirit helps us to live lives that are right, not filled with sin189 The Holy Spirit distributes spiritual gifts (aids to help us serve God with our lives) to those who have chosen Him190 The Holy Spirit gives power, strength, and renewal to those who choose God
191

The Holy Spirit is our Comforter/Counselor192 The Holy Spirit prays to God for those who have chosen Him193 The Holy Spirit drives out evil spirits (also known as demon possession)194 The Holy Spirit inspired the writing of the Bible195

The beginning of The Church "The Church" is the collective term for the organization and coming together of all those who have chosen God by having faith and believing that the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ was the final sacrifice to allow mankind to be cleansed of the sin it inherited from Adam and Eve.196 Jesus Christ foretold the formation of The Church by telling the disciple Peter that He (Jesus) would be the foundation (or starter) of The Church and even the forces of Hell wouldn't overcome it.197 The giving of the Holy Spirit signified the start of The Church. The disciples and those who had already chosen to follow Jesus Christ, the three thousand from the day of Pentecost, and the many people who were being added to their number every day, were the first members.198 The members of The Church in Jerusalem were soon persecuted
185 186

John 16:8-11 John 14:17, I Corinthians 6:19 187 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Romans 8:9b, Ephesians 1:13-14 188 John 16:13, John 14:26, 1 Corinthians 2:10-11, 13 189 Galatians 5:22-23, Romans 8:1-8 190 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Hebrews 2:4 191 Acts 1:8, Ephesians 3:16, Titus 3:5 192 John 14:26a, Romans 8:26a 193 Romans 8:26b-27 194 Matthew 12:22, 28 195 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21 196 Acts 2:22-33, Acts 2:46-47 197 Matthew 16:18, 1 Corinthians 3:11 (Jesus Christ is the foundation), 1 Peter 2:4-7 (and the cornerstone) 198 Acts 2:41-47

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by Saul, a Jew that didnt believe Jesus was the Messiah, and forced to scatter all over the civilized world (which, at the time, was only the Middle East and parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia). Since these believers continued to preach about Jesus Christ as they scattered, the persecution actually caused the message about Jesus Christ to become more widespread and churches began to form all over the world. 199 Not only did many of the disciples leave Jerusalem and travel to these new churches all around the world to strengthen them and help them grow, but the very man who started the persecution against The Church, Saul, chose God (maybe more appropriately God chose him), became known as Paul, and made four extended trips as well.200 As mankind expanded its civilization of the Earth, these churches likewise continued to grow and expand in scope. The result is the present-day churches with which we are familiar today. In the Old Testament period, Jews were the chosen people of God: now in the New Testament period (the time after Jesus Christ), anyone who has chosen God, whether Jew or Gentile (non-Jewish), is part of The Church.201 The better way of redemption In the Old Testament period, the way to repair Mans relationship with God, or be redeemed, was to have faith in God and trust that He would send a sinless Redeemer to die and pay the final punishment for Mans sin that he should have received. Man was to shed the blood of animals (animal sacrifices) as a temporary measure until this Redeemer, The Messiah, arrived. Because the Redeemer has now arrived the method has changed. We still must have faith in God but all we have to do now is believe that Jesus Christ died and shed His sinless blood, was buried, and rose again from the dead the third day to be the better and final sacrifice for our sins. If we have faith and put our trust in the sinless shed blood of the Redeemer that came, our sins will be covered and our relationship with God repaired.202 Since Jesus superseded The Law we are no longer bound by it. Now we live in a time of grace (unmerited favor).203 This is the time period we live in right now but God will eventually restart and complete the timeline for the nation of Israel, fulfill all the promises to Abraham, and bring the Earth to an end... Summary After Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven, as promised, God sent the Holy Spirit to be our Comforter and Helper. Now to repair our relationship with God and be redeemed all we have to do is have faith and believe that Jesus Christ died and shed His sinless blood, was buried, and rose again from the dead the third day to be the better and final sacrifice for our sins. We are no longer bound by The Law and live in a time of grace. This is the time period we live in right now but God will
199 200

Acts 8:1-4, Acts 11:19-21 Acts 16:5, Acts 9:31, Acts 8:14, Acts 9:32, Acts 9:1-20, Acts 13:4-15:4 (1st trip), Acts 15:40-18:21 (2nd trip), Acts 18:23-21:11 (3rd trip), Acts 27:2-28:16, 30 (4th trip) 201 Romans 1:16, Acts 10:1-48, Acts 11:18 202 Hebrews 10:4, 10, Hebrews 11:1, John 3:16, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, 203 Romans 6:14, Ephesians 1:6-7 (the Beloved is Jesus Christ)

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eventually restart and complete the timeline for the nation of Israel, fulfill all the promises to Abraham, and bring the World to an end...

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10. The End of the World

These events will bring the World to an end: The Rapture: Jesus Christ will appear suddenly in the air and this will mark the beginning of the end for the World. Those who repaired their relationship with God after Jesus Christ came to the Earth (The Church), first those who have already died then those who are alive at His appearing, will be changed and receive new bodies and will be resurrected to re-unite with their souls. They will ascend in the air to meet Him and enter Heaven together.204 The Judgment Seat of Christ: Now in Heaven, Jesus Christ judges the works (not the sin) of each person in The Church and gives rewards accordingly.205 The Tribulation: God deals with those who remain on the Earth (those who havent repaired their relationship with Him) by sending judgment in the form of disasters and plagues called Seals, Trumpets, and Vials (or bowls). For their rejection of Jesus Christ, The nation of Israel will pass under the rod during the second half of this seven-year tribulation (called the Great Tribulation) so that, in their misery, they will finally accept Him as their Redeemer when He appears (this fulfilled the fourth item on the Jewish timeline).206 The Second Coming of Christ: The armies of the world approach Jerusalem (the capital of Israel) for a final assault but Jesus Christ returns to Earth on the Mount of Olives (just east of Jerusalem) and destroys the armies in the Battle of Armageddon. Jesus Christ is, once again, revealed to the world as King (this fulfilled the fifth item on the Jewish timeline).207 The Judgment of the Living Nations: Jesus Christ gathers the Gentile survivors of the Tribulation and judges them according to the way they treated the nation of Israel during the Tribulation. Those who treated Israel well will be spared, those who didn't will enter into eternal punishment.208 Satan is bound: The angel that holds the key to the bottomless pit will cast Satan into it and keep him there for a thousand years.209 The Marriage Supper of the Lamb: Theres a blessed celebration on Earth of the earlier marriage in Heaven (right after the Rapture) between the "The Lamb, Jesus Christ, and His "Bride, The Church (the final consummation of

204

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 Corinthians 15:51-55, Matthew 24:3, 36 (no one knows when this will happen) 205 2 Corinthians 5:10, Romans 14:10-12, 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, 2 Timothy 4:8 (rewards like the crown of righteousness) 206 Revelation 6:1-16:21, Ezekiel 20:34-38, Zechariah 12:10, Isaiah 66:8 (after this time of travail the nation of Israel will be reborn) 207 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, Zechariah 14:4, Revelation 16:13-16, Revelation 19:11-21 208 Joel 3:1-2, Matthew 25:31-46 209 Revelation 20:1-3

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The Church promised to Peter by Jesus).210 The Millennium (The Kingdom): Now that Satan is bound and those who didn't repair their relationship with God have been set aside, Jesus Christ sets up His kingdom and begins His thousand year reign on Earth as King of all nations. Israel accepts Jesus Christ as King, occupies all the land promised to Abraham, becomes the head nation, and is a blessing to the rest of the world. This is Israels final consummation with their King and completely fulfills all the promises made to Abraham and completes the Jewish timeline. This will be a blessed time of holiness and peace.211 Satan loosed: After the thousand years have passed, Satan is released and immediately deceives the nations until he has a huge army of followers. They attack Jerusalem once more, but, for the final time God consumes them with fire from Heaven and destroys them.212 Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire: Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire where hell be punished forever. The demons end up here as well, even though we aren't told specifically when this happens.213 The Great White Throne of Judgment: All of the dead who didn't repair their relationship with God will be resurrected and judged by Him. Theyll be sent to the Lake of Fire to be punished forever with Satan and the demons.214 The Earth and heavens are destroyed: During the Great White Throne of Judgment, the Earth (cursed since the sin of Adam and Eve) and the heavens (Earths atmosphere and outer space) are destroyed by fire.215

210

Revelation 19:7-9 (The invited guests are the angels, martyrs from the Tribulation that were resurrected [Revelation 20:4-6], and those that repaired their relationship with God in the Old Testament period [Daniel 12:1-3]) 211 Revelation 20:4-6, Daniel 7:13-14, Isaiah 14:1-2, Isaiah 2:2-5 212 Revelation 20:7-9 (Although the Kingdom period starts out with only people that have chosen to repair their relationship with God, children will be born in the Kingdom period and not all of them will make the same choice to follow God. These are the ones that Satan deceives when he is loosed and they join him in one final attack against God.) 213 Revelation 20:10, Matthew 25:41b 214 Revelation 20:11-15 215 Revelation 20:11, 2 Peter 3:10-12

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Closure During the process of ending the World, God brings closure to the following: The Earth and the heavens are destroyed Satan is punished in the Lake of Fire forever The demons are punished in the Lake of Fire forever All of mankind who didn't choose to repair their relationship with God is punished in the Lake of Fire forever

The nation of Israel finally accepts Jesus Christ as her King, completing Gods promises to, and the timeline for, Israel The Church unites with Jesus Christ in Heaven All of mankind who chose to repair their relationship with God will live with God and the angels in Heaven forever

Summary When Jesus Christ appears in the air that will signal the beginning of the end for the World. God completes His dealings with the nation of Israel and The Church. The Earth and the heavens will then be destroyed: all relationships will be final. Satan, the demons, and mankind who didn't choose to repair their relationship with God will be punished in the Lake of Fire forever. Mankind who chose to repair their relationship with God will live with God and the angels in Heaven forever.

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11. The Beginning of Eternity

A new Earth and heavens appear.216 A new Holy City, Jerusalem, comes down out of Heaven from God.217 The new Earth, heavens, and Jerusalem represent the beginning of a new kingdom and reign by God: a final existence without sin; the way it was in the very beginning with God and His angels before Lucifer (Satan) committed the first sin.218 Now those who chose to repair their relationship with God will spend eternity with Him in Heaven.219 It is done.220 What will the new Jerusalem be like? Itll shine with the brilliance of God221 Itll have secure walls with angels as guards222 Itll be about 1,500 miles high, wide, and deep (a large cube)223 Itll be built with materials that are precious and very beautiful224 It won't have a temple (a designated building for worship) because God's presence will fill the city225 Itll be lighted by God: therell be no night226 Itll have pure water and trees that bear fruit227 Itll be a place of eternal service to God228

216 217

Revelation 21:1, 2 Peter 3:13, Isaiah 65:17-25 Revelation 21:2 218 Revelation 22:3 219 Revelation 21:3 220 Revelation 21:6a 221 Revelation 21:11 222 Revelation 21:12-14 223 Revelation 21:15-17 224 Revelation 21:18-21 225 Revelation 21:22 226 Revelation 21:23-25 227 Revelation 22:1-2 228 Revelation 22:3

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What will Heaven be like? Therell be time with God229 Therell be fellowship with others230 Therell be worship231 Therell be glory232 Therell be holiness233 Therell be rest234 Therell be no death, mourning, crying, or pain235 Summary A new Earth, heavens, and Jerusalem will be created by God and those who chose to repair their relationship with Him will spend eternity with Him in Heaven. It is done.

229 230

Revelation 21:3 Hebrews 12:22-24 231 Revelation 19:1 232 2 Corinthians 4:17 233 Revelation 21:27 234 Hebrews 4:9 235 Revelation 21:4

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Part Six: Have You Been Redeemed?

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A. The Big Picture

God First, God has always existed and will always exist in Heaven. At some point before God created the Earth, He created angels as helpers and servants. Man God created another being, called Man, on a planet called Earth and started a relationship with him. God created Man in His image so that Man could respond back to God and they could have fellowship. God placed Man in a garden called Eden and gave him only one rule to obey. Man had the choice to either follow God and keep their relationship by obeying the rule or turn from God and break the relationship by disobeying the rule. The Sin and Fall of Satan Back in Heaven, one of the top angels, named Lucifer, chose not to follow God by having pride in his heart and wanting to be as God (this was wrong; a sin). God knew this would happen. God kicked Lucifer out of Heaven and some angels followed him: Lucifer and some angels were sent to the Earth and some demons to Hell, a temporary place created for their punishment. Lucifer and the angels who followed him broke off their relationship with God. Renamed Satan and demons, they were never offered a chance to repair their relationship with God (or, be redeemed). Their punishment, and their broken relationship with God, was permanent. So, on the good side, God and the angels were in Heaven, and on the evil side, Satan and some of the demons were on the Earth and some were in Hell. Now Man, it seems, was squarely in the middle and was faced with the same choice to obey or disobey God that the angels had. The Sin and Fall of Man Adam and Eve sinned and chose to follow Satan. God knew this would happen. This broke Mans relationship with God. As a result, all of mankind thereafter would be born with the relationship with God broken, would sin in their lifetime, would die, and after death be sent to Hell to eventually be punished permanently along with Satan and the demons. But unlike Satan and the demons, God, out of love, will offer Man a way to repair his relationship with Him during his life and avoid eternal punishment after death. Man is offered redemption God revealed to Man that, if desired, he could repair his relationship with Himself by having faith in God and trusting that He would send a sinless Redeemer to die and

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pay the final punishment for his sin that he should have received. Man was to shed the blood of animals (animal sacrifices) as a temporary measure until this Redeemer, Gods son Jesus Christ, arrived. This atoned, or covered, the sins he committed during his life so when he died he could be with God in Heaven instead of being punished for his sins in Hell. But Man followed his own conscience and was so evil that God wiped him from the face of the Earth with a flood, except for Noah and his family. God decided to use a different approach to show Man that he needed to repair his relationship with Himself, and that life is better when you live a repaired, holy life. Up until now, God had been revealing Himself to, and working with, mankind as a whole but Man turned from God and followed his own conscience and desires. So God chose a man, Abraham, who already loved Him and lived a holy life and used him to start the small nation of Israel. God loved and taught and revealed Himself exclusively to this nation like Man had never seen before so they would become a holy people: an example to encourage the rest of the world to repair their relationship with Him and to show how good life can be when you do what God says is right. God promised this nation would be numerous and have a government and King, possess land, and would bless all the nations of the Earth. After Abrahams family moved to Egypt to survive the famine they became very numerous, already partially fulfilling Gods first promise to the nation of Israel. To further help Israel be an example to the rest of the world God gave Israel "The Law" so they would know what sin was. This allowed them (for their own benefit) to avoid sin and behave properly toward God and their fellow Man, but it also proved that every Man sinned (because Adam and Eve sinned) and that no Man could be holy and right as God is (re-affirming that repair with God is necessary for all). Priests helped administer The Law to the people of Israel in a special, designated place called the tabernacle (later they built a permanent temple). God partially fulfilled the second promise to the nation of Israel by leading them to, and helping them possess most of, the promised land the land of Canaan. Israel was still waiting for the promises of a government and a King, possessing all their land, and blessing the nations of the Earth to be fulfilled. About 400 years passed, and then To accept the punishment for Mans sins, out of love God sent His Only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the Earth to be the better and final sacrifice. Only His sinless blood, not the blood of bulls and goats, was sufficient to cover Mans sins once and for all. Jesus Christ came to Earth to defeat the work of Satan. Also, Jesus Christ came to Earth to be the promised King of Israel but Israel rejected Him as her King. This rejection put on hold Gods exclusive relationship and timeline with Israel and He allowed the Gentiles to know Him as the Jews did. Finally, Jesus Christs words superseded The Law and became the new standard of human conduct and judgment.

40

After Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven, as promised, God sent the Holy Spirit to be our Comforter and Helper. Now to repair our relationship with God and be redeemed all we have to do is have faith and believe that Jesus Christ died and shed His sinless blood, was buried, and rose again from the dead the third day to be the better and final sacrifice for our sins. We are no longer bound by The Law and live in a time of grace. This is the time period we live in right now but God will eventually restart and complete the timeline for the nation of Israel, fulfill all the promises to Abraham, and bring the World to an end... When Jesus Christ appears in the air that will signal the beginning of the end for the World. God completes His dealings with the nation of Israel and The Church. The Earth and the heavens will then be destroyed: all relationships will be final. Satan, the demons, and mankind who didn't choose to repair their relationship with God will be punished in the Lake of Fire forever. Mankind who chose to repair their relationship with God will live with God and the angels in Heaven forever. A new Earth, heavens, and Jerusalem will be created by God and those who chose to repair their relationship with Him will spend eternity with Him in Heaven. It is done.

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God created Man for fellowship: In the beginning there was God Angels Heaven

Satan Demons Earth/Hell

In the end there will be God Angels Heaven Man

Satan Demons Lake of Fire Man

God wants to fellowship with Man, and in the end in Heaven, God will end up with only those who want to fellowship with Him in return.

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B. The Choice Every Person Must Make

Only you can make this choice for yourself. Do you want to repair your relationship with God? If you do, heres how to do it:

First, you must pray (talk) to God and tell Him you want to choose Him (or, accept Jesus Christ as your Personal Savior).236 The prayer itself does not repair your relationship with God: its your faith that only the shed sinless blood of Jesus Christ can cover your sins.237

HERE'S A SAMPLE PRAYER: "Dear God, today I want to choose You for my life. I accept Jesus Christ as my Personal Savior. I realize that because Adam and Eve sinned against You, all of mankind inherited their sin, including me. I am a sinner. Since sin cannot be with You, our relationship was broken. But I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross and accepted the punishment I should have received, and I put my faith in His sinless blood to cover my sin. Now that my relationship with You has been repaired, I know that I will be with You in Heaven eternally after my time on Earth is over. Thank You for saving me. In Jesus name, Amen."

Second, you need to be baptized (the act of immersing, not sprinkling, one in water). This parallels the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and symbolizes how we die to our sinful ways and how we are raised to live a new, holy life.238 Third, after you've chosen God it's very important to find, and then become a member of, a good church that believes and teaches the Bible. The help and support of other Christians is vital.239 Fourth, you need to understand your faith in God by studying the Bible. You must know what you believe and what the Bible says before you can apply it to your own life, and before you can share it with others (this book is meant to aid in that understanding).240 Fifth, grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ by getting to know Him and by living your life, not according to sin, but set apart according to the behavioral guidelines set forth in the Bible (called sanctification). To help us,

236 237

John 14:6, Romans 10:13 Ephesians 2:8, Hebrews 11:6, Ephesians 1:7 238 Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:2-4 239 Hebrews 10:25 240 1 Peter 3:15, 2 Timothy 2:15c

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we should do these things daily: Study the Word of God (the Bible)241 Pray to God242 Meditate upon the things of God243 Sixth, share your choice of God with others.244

What just happened? If you just repaired your relationship with God: You realize you didnt choose God: He chose you first245 You were just declared righteous by God (justified)246 You just passed from spiritual death (separation from God because of Adam and Eves sin) to spiritual life (relationship with God restored)247 You were just adopted into the family of God and became a child of God248 You just received the Holy Spirit249 God keeps a list of everyone who has repaired their relationship with Him in the Book of Life: your name just went in it250 The angels are rejoicing! 251

241 242

Acts 17:11, Psalm 119:105, Psalm 119:11, 2 Timothy 3:16 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Philippians 4:6, 1 John 5:14 243 Psalm 1:2, Psalm 63:6, Psalm 77:12 244 Mark 16:15 245 Ephesians 1:4-6, Romans 8:29-30 246 2 Corinthians 5:21 247 John 5:24 248 John 1:12-13 249 John 14:17 250 Revelation 20:12 251 Luke 15:10

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