Through the Bible In 30 Minutes
The Beginnings
When
God
created
the
heavens
and
the
earth,
His
climax
was
the
creation
of
mankind
on
the
sixth
day
in
the
form
of
Adam,
then
Eve
from one of Adam’s ribs, with all their needs provided for.
God
had
instructed
Adam
not
to
eat
of
the
tree
of
knowledge
of
good
and
evil
,
but
a
problem
soon
arose
when
Eve
succumbed
to
Satan’s
persuasion
to
disobey
God’s
instruction,
and
her
subsequent
encouragement
to
Adam
to
do
the
same.
They
were
consequently
expelled from the Garden of Eden, with penalties.
Later,
Adam’s
sons
Cane
and
Abel
brought
their
offerings
to
God,
of
which
Abel’s
was
acceptable
and
Cain’s
wasn’t.
This
rejection
had an adverse impact on Cain, which eventually led him to kill his brother.
In
time,
aided
and
abetted
by
Nephilim,
mankind
became
so
wicked
that
God
chose
to
flood
the
earth
and
start
again
with
righteous
Noah and his family as the new ancestral origin of mankind.
As
the
earth
was
replenished
problems
still
arose,
witnessed
by
the
Tower
of
Babel
episode
and
the
need
for
God
to
confound
their
language to force their dispersion across the earth.
The Patriarchal Period
Abraham
It
would
seem
that
mankind’s
corruption
and
belief
in
false
gods
would
need
to
be
countered
by
the
example
of
a
godly
people,
whose
existence
and
protection
would
demonstrate
there
is
only
one
true
God.
This
was
the
practical
beginning
of
God’s
plan
of
redemption,
played
out
throughout
the
rest
of
the
Bible.
And
so
we
had
the
call
of
Abram
(later,
Abraham),
originally
from
Ur
of
the
Chaldees,
to
be
the
head
of
a
great
nation.
God
entered
an
unconditional
covenant
with
Abram,
ensuring
the
future
of
his
people
and
a
land
of
their
own in which to live, forever, and at peace; a covenant repeated to Isaac and Jacob.
However,
before
the
birth
of
Isaac,
grazing
had
become
insufficient
for
both
Abram’s
and
his
nephew
Lot’s
herds.
Given
the
choice
by Abram, Lot chose to move to the area of Sodom and Gomorrah, eventually making his home in Sodom.
Sarai
(later,
Sarah),
thinking
she
was
unable
to
conceive,
offered
her
handmaiden
Hagar
as
a
concubine
to
Abram.
Hagar
later
gave
birth to Ishmael.
Four
years
later,
God
confirmed
His
covenant
with
Abram,
stating
it
will
be
an
everlasting
covenant,
and
introduced
circumcision
as
the sign of the covenant. At this time God changed Abram’s name to Abraham and Sarai’s name to Sarah.
God
later
punished
Sodom
and
Gomorrah
for
their
wickedness,
but
not
before
Lot,
his
wife
and
two
daughters
were
compelled
by
angels
to
leave
the
city.
Despite
being
warned
not
to
do
so,
Lot’s
wife
looked
back
at
Sodom
and
became
a
pillar
of
salt.
Later,
to
preserve
the
family
name,
Lot
was
made
drunk
by
his
two
daughters
who
then
committed
incest
with
him
and
bore
sons,
Moab
and
Benammi. These two became the fathers of the Moabites and Ammonites who, in time, would become adversaries to the Israelites.
Isaac
Abraham was a hundred years old before Sarah gave birth to Isaac, the ‘son of the promise’.
While
Isaac
was
still
a
young
man,
Abraham’s
faith
was
tested
with
a
command
from
God
to
offer
Isaac
as
a
sacrifice,
but
the
sacrifice was prevented at the last moment and Abraham’s faith proven.
Sarah died soon after, age 127. She was buried in a cave in land purchased by Abraham at Mamre (that is, Hebron).
Jacob
Isaac later married Rebekah (his uncle Nahor’s granddaughter) who gave birth to twins Esau, the eldest, and Jacob.
Esau had no regard for his birthright, demonstrated by him rashly selling a portion of red pottage to Jacob in exchange for it.
When
Isaac
was
approaching
death
and
the
time
came
for
him
to
bless
his
sons,
the
blessing
of
the
firstborn
was
stolen
by
Jacob
through deception and with the help of Rebekah.
Esau became the father of the Edomites, later to be an adversary to the Israelites.
Jacob became the father of the tribes of Israel.
Joseph
Joseph,
Jacob’s
eleventh
son,
was
hated
by
his
brothers
as
their
father’s
favourite,
and
for
the
interpretation
of
his
dreams.
They
sold
him to passing Ishmaelites who then sold him on to Potipher, an officer of Pharaoh.
In
Potipher’s
service,
God
blessed
Joseph
and
all
he
did
was
successful,
as
it
was
in
the
king’s
prison
where
he
was
an
inmate
as
a
result
of
false
accusations
by
Potipher’s
wife.
In
prison,
he
interpreted
dreams
of
a
baker
and
butler
which
were
remembered
by
the
butler
when
Pharaoh
had
a
dream
that
no
one
could
interpret.
Joseph
was
able
to
interpret
Pharaoh’s
dream,
and
Pharaoh
realised
that
Joseph had the Spirit of God in him. Consequently, Pharaoh made him ruler of all Egypt, second only to himself.
From this position, Joseph became God’s instrument to rescue his people from a great famine, and provide for them all in Goshen.
The Exodus
and the Invasion of the Promised Land
Generations
later,
a
new
Pharaoh,
who
knew
nothing
of
Joseph,
feared
the
Israelites’
increase
in
numbers
and
began
to
persecute
them,
putting
them
into
slavery
and
contriving
to
eliminate
the
survival
of
newborn
males.
Moses’
mother
ensured
his
survival
by
placing
him
in
an
ark
and
hiding
him
by
the
riverside
where
he
was
then
discovered
by
Pharaoh's
daughter,
rescued,
and
brought
up
as
her own.
Generations
later,
a
new
Pharaoh,
who
knew
nothing
of
Joseph,
feared
the
Israelites’
increase
in
numbers
and
began
to
persecute
them,
putting
them
into
slavery
and
contriving
to
eliminate
the
survival
of
newborn
males.
Moses’
mother
ensured
his
survival
by
placing
him
in
an
ark
and
hiding
him
by
the
riverside
where
he
was
then
discovered
by
Pharaoh's
daughter,
rescued,
and
brought
up
as
her own.
When
an
adult,
aware
of
his
roots,
Moses
intervened
and
protected
a
fellow
Hebrew
from
an
Egyptian,
killing
the
Egyptian
in
the
process
and
having
to
flee
Egypt.
He
took
refuge
in
Midian
where
he
met
the
priest
Jethro,
tended
his
sheep,
married
one
of
his
daughters
and
had
a
son
by
her.
Years
later,
whilst
tending
sheep
near
Horeb,
Moses
saw
a
burning
bush
that
wasn’t
consumed
by
the
fire. From this bush, God instructed Moses to return to Egypt taking his brother Aaron with him to deliver the Israelites out of bondage.
It
took
ten
plagues
inflicted
on
the
Egyptians
before
Pharaoh
gave
in
and
let
the
Israelites
leave.
The
last
was
the
death
of
all
the
firstborn,
Israel’s
own
being
saved
by
the
sacrifice
of
a
lamb
and
the
daubing
on
the
households’
door
posts
and
lintel
with
the
lamb’s
blood; a sign for the angel of death to pass over the house. This event was later to be celebrated as Passover.
They were then able to travel towards Mount Sinai, miraculously passing through the divided waters of the See of Reeds on the way.
At
Mount
Sinai,
Moses
received
the
Ten
Commandments
and
some
laws
from
God.
The
Mosaic
covenant
was
introduced
and
instructions given for constructing the temple.
At
one
point,
Moses
was
on
the
mountain
for
so
long
that
the
people
lost
hope
in
him
and
persuaded
Aaron
to
make
a
golden
calf
and
altar,
which
they
then
used
for
worship
followed
by
partying.
When
Moses
came
down
from
the
mountain
and
saw
their
behaviour,
he
broke
the
stone
tablets
in
anger,
then
administered
punishment
to
them
before
returning
to
the
mountain
to
make
atonement
for
their sin and receive new tablets.
The
component
parts
of
the
tabernacle
having
been
successfully
constructed
according
to
God’s
instructions,
the
tabernacle
was
then
erected.
With
all
the
work
completed,
a
cloud
covered
the
now
permanent
tent
of
the
congregation,
that
is,
the
tabernacle,
and
God’s glory filled it.
It’s
now
a
year
since
the
Israelites
left
Egypt,
the
last
nine
months
of
which
were
in
Sinai.
With
the
erection
of
the
Tabernacle
now
having been completed, the Israelites are given all the laws that are to govern their lives.
A
month
later,
a
census
was
taken
of
all
the
men
of
twenty
years
or
older
who
were
able
to
serve
in
an
army,
the
numbers
being
recorded by tribe.
The
Israelites
now
started
their
journey
from
Sinai
to
Kadesh,
but
within
days
complained
about
the
manna,
kindle
God’s
wrath
and
were plagued.
At
Kadesh,
twelve
spies
were
sent
out
to
explore
the
land,
but
ten
of
them
gave
account
of
the
dangers
they
saw,
specifically
mentioning
the
Nephilim.
This
prompted
the
people
to
rebel
and
to
want
to
return
to
Egypt.
For
lack
of
faith
in
God,
they
were
destined
to wander around the desert for forty years before being permitted to enter the Promised Land.
Moses sent messengers to Edom (Esau’s descendants) to request passage through their land, but this request was denied.
Following
an
incident
with,
and
subsequent
victory
over,
some
Canaanites,
the
camp
headed
south
to
avoid
Edom,
in
the
opposite
direction to the promised land and passing near the Red Sea.
When
they
finally
reached
the
Promised
Land,
Joshua
succeeded
Moses
as
their
leader
and
the
invasion
began.
However,
it
didn't
all
go according to plan with remnants of the inhabitants remaining who, in time, had a bad influence on the Israelites.
The Period of the Judges
A
generation
or
so
later,
there
followed
a
lengthy
period
of
time
throughout
which
the
Israelites
disobeyed
God’s
commandments,
mixed
with
the
Canaanites
and
turned
to
their
gods.
Each
time,
God
raised
a
judge
to
rescue
them
from
their
plight,
but
the
cycle
of
disobedience and rescue repeated itself numerous times.
This period ended with the raising of the prophet Samuel who led the Israelites, ministered to them and ran a school for prophets.
The Monarchy
Saul
In
his
old
age,
Samuel
made
his
sons
judges
over
Israel,
but
they
were
corrupt
and
the
people
asked
for
a
king
to
judge
over
them.
Saul
was
chosen
and
anointed
by
Samuel.
Although
successful
at
first,
in
time,
Saul
displeased
God
when
he
twice
acted
contrary
to
God’s laws, then against His instruction to destroy Amalek. Consequently, David was anointed by Samuel in preparation to succeed him.
Following a battle in which David defeated Goliath, the giant Philistine, he was appointed Saul’s harp player and armour bearer.
David
was
given
Saul’s
daughter
Michal
as
his
wife,
and
was
successful
in
yet
another
battle.
It
became
obvious
to
Saul
that
David
was favoured by God and so treated David as an enemy.
Not
for
the
first
time,
Saul
tried
to
kill
David
with
a
javelin
while
he
was
playing
the
harp
for
him,
but
David
avoided
the
javelin
and
ran
off.
Saul
sent
his
servants
after
David
to
kill
him,
but
he
escaped
with
Michal’s
help
when
she
let
him
down
from
her
window,
then
pretended he was sick in bed while he fled to Samuel in Ramah.
David now spent much time in exile hiding from Saul. This is despite two occasions on which David could have killed Saul, but didn’t.
A
potentially
dangerous
situation
arose
when
David
sent
ten
of
his
young
men
to
request
provisions
from
Nabal,
a
man
rich
in
sheep.
There
was
an
ill-natured
refusal
from
Nabal
which
provoked
David
into
taking
arms
against
him.
However,
Nabal's
wife
Abigail,
a
beautiful
and
intelligent
women,
was
able
to
take
action
to
appease
the
situation.
Nabal
became
ill
and
died
ten
days
later.
David
then
took Abigail as his wife.
Meanwhile, Saul had given David’s wife Michal to another.
Saul’s kingship came to an end when he was defeated in a battle with the Philistines and took his own life.
David
David
then
became
king,
but
for
the
first
seven
years
his
kingship
was
limited
to
Judah,
with
Saul’s
son
Ishbosheth
made
king
over
the
rest of Israel.
Ishbosheth’s
reign
ended
when
he
was
assassinated
by
two
of
his
captains,
after
which
all
the
tribes
of
Israel
accepted
David
as
their king.
After
conquering
Israel
and
twice
defeating
the
Philistines,
David
retrieved
the
ark,
previously
lost
in
battle,
and
returned
it
to
Jerusalem.
When
David
suggested
he
should
build
a
temple
for
God,
he
was
turned
down
as
a
man
of
the
sword
and
the
privilege
was
to
be
given to his son Solomon.
A promise was given from God that the establishment of David’s throne and kingdom will last forever. This is the Davidic Covenant.
From
his
rooftop
one
evening,
David
saw
Bathsheba
washing,
had
her
brought
to
his
house,
committed
adultery
with
her
then
conspired to have her husband Uriah killed in battle. He was reproved by the prophet Nathan and bitterly repented.
Bathsheba was to become Solomon’s mother.
Some
time
later,
David’s
son
Ammon
fell
in
love
with
his
brother
Absalom’s
sister
with
the
tragic
result
that
Ammon
was
murdered
and Absalom estranged from his father.
Absalom
later
rebelled
against
his
father,
and
over
an
extended
period
gained
the
support
of
the
people
and
conspired
to
become
king.
David retreated for a time, but when Absalom later pursued him he was defeated and killed by Joab, David’s Commander in Chief.
There
were
further
conflicts
for
David
including
a
failed
attempt
by
his
eldest
son
Adonijah
to
usurp
the
throne
in
Solomon’s
place.
This attempt was defeated and David ordered the prophet Nathan and the priest Zadok to anoint Solomon as David’s successor.
David
declared
the
site
of
the
threshing
floor
of
Ornan
as
being
the
place
where
the
temple
was
to
be
built.
He
then
told
Solomon
that it will be his responsibility to build the temple and that God will be with him in his task.
David assigned the Levites their various temple duties and organised Israel’s civil government.
The government was formally passed to Solomon and he was given the design and instructions for building the temple.
Solomon was then anointed by David and made king for the second time, then all Israel submitted themselves to Solomon.
David passed away after reigning over Israel for forty years.
Solomon
When
Solomon
succeeded
his
father,
God
granted
him
his
request
for
wisdom
to
judge
his
people,
but
also
granted
him
riches
and
honour.
Solomon
built
the
temple,
undertook
many
other
building
projects,
became
famous
throughout
the
known
world
and
very
wealthy
through trading.
He
had
a
considerable
income
and
made
extravagant
use
of
it
to
increase
the
magnificence
of
his
court.
His
riches
exceeded
that
of
all other kings of the earth.
His
extravagance
included
his
many
women
who
were
now
taken
from
other
nations,
which
wasn’t
lawful
for
an
Israelite.
He
had
seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines, as well as princesses.
Solomon’s
eventual
downfall
was
that
in
his
old
age,
many
of
his
women
began
to
turn
his
heart
away
from
God.
He
worshiped
other
gods
and
built
places
for
his
wives
to
worship
their
gods.
For
these
sins,
God
told
Solomon
his
kingdom
would
be
lost,
but
not
until
his
son became king.
A Divided Kingdom
When
Solomon’s
son
Rehoboam
succeeded
him,
the
people
asked
for
their
taxes
to
be
reduced.
When
this
request
was
denied,
the
people rebelled and returned to their homes and, with the exception of Judah and Benjamin, made Jeroboam their king.
Jeroboam
created
a
system
of
idolatrous
worship,
forbidding
Levites
and
priests
from
carrying
out
their
duties.
Rehoboam’s
position
was
strengthened
when
Levites
and
priests,
followed
by
others
from
all
tribes
seeking
to
worship
God,
came
to
Jerusalem.
It’s
by
this
migration of peoples that the northern ten tribes of Israel has been preserved.
The Northern Kingdom (Israel)
In the northern kingdom, most kings were sinful and succession by murder was not uncommon.
Nineteen kings reigned in turn from seven families for over 200 years.
It
was
during
the
reign
of
the
sixth
king,
Ahab,
that
Elijah
the
prophet
arrived
on
the
scene.
He
performed
eight
major
miracles,
including proving Jehovah, not Baal, was the true God by having a sacrifice first soaked in water then consumed by fire from Heaven.
Elijah
was
taken
to
heaven
and
succeeded
by
Elisha
who
performed
sixteen
major
miracles,
with
most
of
his
acts
being
those
of
healing. He mixed more with the people and became known as the prophet of Israel, an office he held for around sixty years.
With
all
the
wickedness
going
on
in
the
land,
prophets
began
to
reprove
Israel
and
foretold
their
approaching
judgments.
Despite
the
warnings,
and
after
many
years
of
idolatry,
God
allowed
Israel
to
be
taken
into
captivity
by
Assyria,
a
captivity
from
which
they
never
recovered
because
of
the
practice
of
the
Assyrians
in
transplanting
some
of
their
captives
to
other
parts
of
the
empire,
causing
them
to
lose
their
identity.
Those
remaining
in
the
old
northern
territories
would
become
known
as
Samaritans
and
considered
to
be
half-Jews.
The Southern Kingdom (Judah)
In
the
southern
kingdom,
twenty
kings
reigned
in
turn,
but
unlike
the
northern
kingdom
they
were
all
of
one
dynasty:
the
line
of
David.
However,
they
were
not
much
better
than
the
northern
kings,
except
there
were
some
good
kings
who
from
time
to
time
brought
about
a reformation. They were Asa, Jehoshaphat, Azariah, Jotham, Hezekiah and Josiah, Josiah being the last and greatest reformer.
The southern kingdom lasted some 100 years longer than the north, but the warnings from the prophets were again of no avail.
Consequently,
God
allowed
the
Babylonians
to
take
them
into
captivity,
a
captivity
that
was
prophesied
by
Jeremiah
to
last
seventy
years.
Israel’s Exile
Jeremiah,
Daniel
and
Ezekiel
continued
prophesying
into
the
period
of
Israel’s
exile
(sometimes
referred
to
as
‘captivity’)
following
the
final fall of Jerusalem.
Daniel
had
been
taken
captive
in
605
B.C.,
before
the
siege
of
Jerusalem
in
586
B.C.
He
and
three
of
his
companions
were
among
those
selected
for
training
in
preparation
to
serve
king
Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel,
wanting
to
abstain
from
the
king’s
provisions,
gained
approval
for
him
and
his
companions
to
live
on
water
and
pulse
for
ten
days.
When
the
ten
days
were
up,
the
four
young
men
appeared
in
better
health
than
those
eating
the
king’s
meat
and
their
abstinence
was
accepted.
Following
three
years
training,
the
king
judged
them to be ten times more knowledgeable than all the magicians and astrologers in his realm.
Nebuchadnezzar
had
a
dream
that
troubled
him,
but
he
forgot
what
it
was
about.
Only
Daniel
was
able
to
interpret
this
unspecified
dream
which
was
of
a
great
image
representing
future
kingdoms.
It
was
this
interpretation
that
got
Daniel
promoted
to
rule
over
the
whole province of Babylon, and to be chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.
Later,
there
were
the
episodes
of
the
fiery
furnace
from
which
Daniel’s
companions
miraculously
escaped,
Nebuchadnezzar’s
humiliation
for
seven
years,
the
handwriting
on
the
wall
that
announced
Belshazzar’s
defeat,
and
the
Lion’s
den
from
which
Daniel
was
preserved.
Daniel’s
prophecies
included
the
rise
and
fall
of
empires,
the
inter-testament
period
surrounding
the
Maccabean
revolt,
Jesus’
triumphal entry into Jerusalem, His death, and events relating to the end-times.
Israel’s Return
After
seventy
years
of
exile,
Cyrus
made
a
proclamation
permitting
the
Jews
to
return
to
Jerusalem
under
Zerubbabel
(the
appointed
Governor over Judah) and rebuild the temple. Ezra was among a total of nearly 50,000 people who returned on this occasion.
Ezra
later
went
back
to
Babylon
to
encourage
more
Jews
to
go
with
him
to
Jerusalem,
this
time
under
the
decree
of
Artaxerxes
and
with his financial support.
Some
eleven
years
after
Ezra,
Artaxerxes
gave
Nehemiah,
his
cup
bearer,
also
to
become
Governor
of
Jerusalem,
permission
to
go
to
Jerusalem
to
rebuild
the
city
and
complete
the
walls
and
gates.
It
was
from
the
date
of
this
decree
that
Daniel’s
prophecy
concerning
Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem was based; the first 69 of the seventy week prophecy given to Daniel by the angel Gabriel.
It was during these post-exile years that the prophets Haggai, Zechariah and Micah were active.
Looking
back
to
the
time
when
the
first
wave
of
people
returned
to
Jerusalem
under
Zerubbabel,
and
before
the
second
wave
with
Ezra,
Ahasuerus,
king
of
Persia,
had
held
a
great
feast
for
all
the
dignitaries
of
his
kingdom.
Queen
Vashti
refused
his
request
to
appear
unveiled
and
was
consequently
deposed.
A
new
queen
was
sought
and
twelve
months
later
Esther
was
chosen.
From
her
position
as
queen, she was able to foil a plot by Haman, King Ahasuerus’ chief officer, to exterminate the Israelites, resulting in Haman’s execution.
Because
their
law
did
not
allow
a
decree
to
be
cancelled,
a
new
decree
was
made
giving
the
Israelites
authority
to
defend
themselves and even to slay those that rose against them, enabling them to survive the plot.
This is celebrated today by the Jews as the festival of Purim.
Between the Testaments
Although
it
is
generally
said
that
the
400
year
period
between
the
Old
and
New
Testaments
are
the
silent
years
in
which
God
didn't
communicate
with
his
people,
we
do
get
some
history
from
Daniel
in
the
form
of
a
prophecy.
The
focus
was
on
the
period
after
the
death
of
Alexandra
the
Great
in
323
B.C.
when,
having
no
issue,
his
empire
was
divided
between
his
four
generals.
Israel
effectively
became
a
buffer
state
between
the
regions
to
its
north
and
south
and
was
caught
up
in
the
150
years
of
incessant
wars
between
the
two.
The
purpose
of
this
prophecy
would
seem
to
be
identification
of
the
event
when
Antiochus
Epiphanes
invaded
the
temple,
placed
an
image
of
Jupiter
Olympus
on
the
Altar
of
God
and
sacrificed
a
pig
on
it.
This
was
the
nature
of
the
‘abomination
of
desolation’
referred
to by Jesus during his Olivet Discourse, and the key event in Revelation’s tribulation week.
Jesus’ Ministry
We now come to the New Testament and the arrival of our Lord Jesus; the promised Messiah.
Following
his
baptism
by
John
the
Baptist,
a
forty
day
fast
and
subsequent
temptations
by
the
Devil,
Jesus
began
his
ministry
and
message
to
Repent:
for
the
kingdom
of
heaven
is
at
hand
.
Along
with
this
message
was
the
promise
from
Jesus
that
anyone
who
believes
on
him
will
be
saved
and
have
eternal
life.
The
authority
of
this
message
and
promise
was
demonstrated
in
actions
in
the
form
of
healings
(as
promised
in
Isaiah),
exorcisms
and
miracles,
all
of
which
demonstrated
God’s
sovereignty
had
come.
These
messages
and
supporting
actions
Jesus
took
throughout
Galilee,
then
later
in
Judea
and
in
and
around
Perea
before
going
to
Jerusalem
for
the
last time.
Along
with
some
chosen
disciples,
Jesus
travelled
to
Galilee
where
his
ministry
commenced.
It
was
at
Cana
where
Jesus
had
been
invited to a wedding, that he performed his first miracle by turning water into wine.
A little later, he travelled to Jerusalem for Passover where he confronted and expelled the merchants from the temple.
Whilst in Jerusalem, Jesus performed some miracles resulting in many people beginning to believe in him.
When
back
in
Galilee,
where
he
used
Capernaum
as
his
base,
Jesus
healed
a
demon-possessed
man
in
the
synagogue,
after
which
his fame spread throughout Galilee.
Multitudes came from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and beyond the Jordan to hear Jesus speak and to be healed.
According
to
Matthew,
it
was
early
in
Jesus’
ministry
when
he
taught
his
disciples,
with
a
great
crowd
listening,
how
they
should
live
their
lives
and,
in
so
doing,
be
a
witness
to
all
around
them.
This
teaching
we
know
as
the
Sermon
on
the
Mount;
a
challenge
to
all
believers in that we are taught what it means to be a true follower of Christ, and the high standard that we are all expected to live by.
Jesus
continued
performing
miracles
and
healing
many
people
until,
in
time,
there
were
a
great
number
of
people
in
need
of
his
ministering.
Jesus
gathered,
what
is
by
now,
his
chosen
twelve
disciples
(in
reality,
now
apostles),
and
commissioned
them
to
go
and
preach
the
kingdom
of
heaven
is
at
hand
,
but
only
to
the
lost
sheep
of
the
house
of
Israel.
They
were
given
authority
to
heal
the
sick,
cleanse the lepers, raise the dead and to cast out demons.
Initially,
the
Pharisees
challenged
Jesus
when
he
healed
on
the
Sabbath,
claiming
this
to
be
work,
which
was
unlawful
on
the
Sabbath.
In
time,
they
became
more
and
more
troubled
by
Jesus’
teachings
and
what
seemed
to
be
a
challenge
to
their
authority
and
status.
After
twice
accusing
him
of
exorcising
evil
spirits
in
the
name
of
the
devil,
Jesus
chose
to
continue
his
teaching
through
parables
so that only the discerning would understand. The subsequent parables are referred to as the Kingdom Parables.
When
Jesus
later
returned
to
Nazareth
to
teach
in
the
synagogue,
the
people
questioned
how
the
son
of
a
carpenter
could
possibly
attain such abilities. Because of their unbelief, Jesus no longer ministered in Nazareth.
Hearing
of
his
cousin
John’s
death,
Jesus
crossed
the
sea
by
ship
to
a
quiet
place,
but
the
crowds
caught
up
with
him.
Filled
with
compassion
for
them,
he
healed
their
sick.
When
evening
came,
5000
men
plus
women
and
children
were
miraculously
fed
from
just
five loaves and two fishes.
Later,
on
a
mountainside
by
the
Sea
of
Gaililee,
great
multitudes
of
people
came
and
many
sick
people
were
healed
over
a
period
of
three
days.
Jesus
then
fed
four
thousand
men,
besides
women
and
children,
again
by
the
multiplication
of
food
as
with
the
five
thousand.
At
the
region
of
Caesarea
Philippi,
Peter
acknowledged
Jesus
as
the
Christ,
the
Son
of
the
living
God
.
From
this
point
on,
Jesus
began to explain that he must go to Jerusalem where he will be killed and will rise again on the third day.
Six
days
later,
Peter,
James
and
John
witnessed
Jesus’
transfiguration
and
meeting
with
Moses
and
Elijah.
The
three
were
told
by
Jesus not to mention what they had seen to anyone until after his resurrection.
Jesus
sent
seventy
of
his
disciples
out
to
preach
the
gospel.
They
later
returned
with
joy
reporting
the
success
they
had
experienced, including being able to exorcise spirits.
Jesus’
ministry
continued
with
healing
and
teaching,
including
confrontations
with
the
Pharisees,
later
to
move
on
in
and
around
Perea.
As the final days of Jesus’ ministry approached, he made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, as prophesied to the day by Daniel.
Whilst
in
Jerusalem,
having
cleansed
the
temple
of
the
money
changers
and
dumbfounded
the
rulers
with
his
responses
to
their
questioning, Jesus berated the scribes and Pharisees with seven woes spoken against them.
On
leaving
the
temple
with
his
disciples,
he
prophesied
its
destruction
and,
in
response
to
questioning
by
his
disciples,
foretold
the
period we call the End Times in what we know as the Olivet Discourse.
The
rulers
planned
to
have
Jesus
killed
and
enlisted
the
help
of
Judas
who,
after
Jesus’
last
supper
with
his
disciples,
betrayed
him
with a kiss. Jesus’ trial and crucifixion quickly followed.
His
resurrection
on
the
third
day,
the
subsequent
appearances
to
his
followers,
then
ascension
to
heaven,
preceded
the
birth
of
the
church when his followers received the Holy Spirit.
The Early Church
Having
received
the
Spirit,
the
apostles
were
able
to
preach
daily,
healing
the
sick,
casting
out
demons
and
converting
many.
This
angered the Jewish rulers - primarily Sadducees - who unsuccessfully attempted to silence them with imprisonment and threats.
With
the
growth
of
the
church,
it
became
necessary
to
appoint
seven
deacons
to
assist
the
apostles.
One
of
those
was
Stephen
who
preached in the synagogue with such authority that the rulers were angered and he was martyred by stoning.
A
great
persecution
of
the
church
followed
in
which
Saul
of
Tarsus
played
a
major
roll.
With
the
exception
of
the
apostles,
this
persecution scattered the church abroad.
Philip,
another
of
the
chosen
seven,
preached
in
Samaria
for
a
time,
then
travelled
towards
Gaza
where
he
preached
Jesus
from
Scripture to an Ethiopian eunuch, then baptised him in nearby water.
During
his
zealous
persecution
of
the
church,
Saul,
the
notable
witness
at
Stephen’s
stoning,
was
challenged
by
Jesus
on
the
way
to
Damascus.
He
lost
his
sight
and
spent
three
days
without
food
or
drink
before
his
sight
was
restored
by
Ananias,
who
was
sent
by
God
to lay hands on him. Saul was then filled with the Holy Spirit.
Saul
now
preached
Christ,
but
his
life
was
threatened
by
the
Jews
and
he
escaped
and
went
to
Jerusalem.
After
initial
concerns
because
of
Saul’s
reputation,
the
disciples’
minds
were
put
to
rest
when
Barnabas
confirmed
his
conversion.
However,
the
Hellenistic
Jews were unconvinced and planned to kill him, so he fled and returned to his home at Tarsus.
The churches, now being free from persecution, were edified, walked in fear of the Lord and multiplied.
Peter
took
the
gospel
to
Lydda
where
he
healed
a
man
of
the
palsy,
an
act
which
brought
about
the
conversion
of
all
at
Lydda
and
the district of Saron.
Farther on at Joppa, he raised Tabitha from death, bringing about the conversion of many at Joppa.
Whilst
at
Joppa,
Peter
learned
through
a
dream,
and
consequent
conversion
of
a
centurion
and
his
household
at
Caesarea,
that
the
gospel was also to be preached to the Gentiles.
Paul’s Ministry
Hearing
that
the
gospel
was
now
being
preached
to
the
Gentiles
at
Antioch,
the
Jerusalem
church
sent
Barnabas
to
investigate.
Confirming
their
faith,
he
decided
to
fetch
Saul
from
Tarsus.
The
two
spent
a
year
together
in
Antioch
teaching
people
about
Christ.
It
was here that converts were first called Christians.
Through
prayer
and
fasting,
the
Holy
Spirit
appointed
Saul
and
Barnabas
from
among
the
teachers
at
Antioch
to
go
and
preach
to
the Gentiles.
This
was
the
first
of
three
missionary
journeys
Saul
undertook.
This
first
journey
took
Saul,
Barnabas
snd
Barnabas’
nephew
Mark
through Cyprus, where we read Saul was now to be known as Paul.
From
Cyprus
they
sailed
north
to
Perga,
where
Mark
decided
to
leave
them
and
return
home.
From
there
they
travelled
north
to
Antioch
of
Pisidia,
then
east
to
Iconium
and
on
to
Lystra,
and
Derbe,
all
the
while
meeting
with
opposition
from
the
Jews,
including
inciting
the
stoning
of
Paul
at
Lystra.
They
then
retraced
their
steps
back
through
Lystra,
Iconium
and
Antioch
of
Pisidia,
confirming
the
disciples and ordaining elders in every church before returning to Antioch in Syria, where they then remained for a long time.
For
his
second
missionary
journey,
Paul
chose
to
revisit
the
churches
planted
during
his
first
journey,
this
time
taking
Silas
with
him.
He
first
travelled
to
the
churches
at
Derbe
and
Lystra,
and
then
Iconium
where
Timothy,
respected
among
the
churches,
was
invited
to
join them.
After
twice
wanting
to
divert
to
other
areas
of
Asia
Minor,
each
time
being
prevented
by
the
Holy
Spirit,
Paul
arrived
at
Troas
where
he was directed by a vision to cross the sea to Macedonia. It was at Troas that Paul was joined by Luke before making the crossing.
Churches
were
planted
at
Philippi,
Thessalonica
and
Berea,
though
not
without
an
overnight
stay
in
prison
at
Philippi
and
opposition
from
the
Jews
who
incited
a
mob
at
both
Thessalonica
and
Berea.
Paul
was
compelled
to
leave
Berea
and
travelled
to
Athens
having
left
Luke at Philippi and Silas and Timothy at Berea.
Paul
opposed
idolatry
at
Athens
and
gained
some
converts
before
moving
on
to
Corinth.
After
Silas
and
Timothy
joined
him,
he
taught
the
Jews
that
Jesus
is
the
Christ,
but
was
opposed
and
so
turned
his
attention
to
the
Gentiles.
Encouraged
by
God,
Paul
remained in Corinth for eighteen months.
From Corinth, Paul made his way, via Ephesus, to Jerusalem for Passover before returning to Antioch.
After
spending
some
time
back
at
Antioch,
Paul
then
left
for
his
third
journey,
travelling
through
Galatia
and
Phrygia,
strengthening
all the disciples.
He
arrived
at
Ephesus
where
he
preached
in
the
synagogues
for
three
months,
but
many
opposed
him
and
he
left
the
synagogue
then
spent
the
next
two
years
preaching
daily
in
the
school
of
one
Tyrannus.
From
there,
the
news
of
the
gospel
spread
to
both
Jews
and Gentiles throughout Asia.
Paul
then
travelled
through
Macedonia,
preaching
along
the
way,
and
on
to
Greece
where
he
spent
three
months
before
intending
to
sail to Syria.
Hearing
that
Jews
would
be
laying
in
wait
for
him,
he
changed
his
route
and
returned
back
through
Macedonia
before
heading
for
Jerusalem.
Paul’s imprisonment
In
Jerusalem,
Paul
was
encouraged
to
go
with
four
men
in
a
purification
process
to
show
he
was
compliant
with
Moses’
law,
but
was
later
accused
of
taking
Gentiles
into
the
temple.
In
the
tumult
that
followed,
Paul
escaped
a
scourging
ordered
by
the
chief
captain
when he announced he was a Roman citizen.
To
avoid
a
conspiracy
to
have
Paul
killed,
the
chief
captain
sent
him
to
Caesarea
where
he
was
imprisoned
by
Felix
the
governor
of
Judea, although allowed access to his companions.
After
two
years,
Festus
replaced
Felix
who
asked
Paul
if
he
would
be
willing
to
go
to
Jerusalem
to
be
tried.
He
refused
and
appealed
to
Caesar,
as
was
his
right
as
a
Roman
citizen.
Following
later
hearings
before
Agrippa,
Festus
and
Agrippa
agreed
that
Paul
could
have
been set free, but having appealed to Caesar, then to Caesar he must go.
Following
a
perilous
voyage,
Paul
and
his
company
were
shipwrecked
on
the
Isle
of
Melita
(now
Malta)
where
Paul,
having
healed
the
governor’s sick father, stayed for three months.
They then set off again and Paul finally arrived at Rome where he was delivered to the captain of the guard.
Paul
was
placed
under
house
arrest
where
he
remained
for
two
years.
During
this
time
he
was
able
to
preach
the
Gospel
unhindered
to all who came to him.
From
his
pastoral
letters
to
Timothy
and
Titus,
we
learn
that
Paul
was
released
from
prison.
He
was
later
imprisoned
in
far
worse
conditions
as,
by
that
time,
Christians
were
subject
to
severe
persecution.
From
this
prison,
he
wrote
his
second
letter
to
Timothy,
which was also to be his last letter.
Revelation
Having
heard
the
last
from
the
Bible
concerning
the
early
church,
we
are
now
in
what
is
known
as
the
church
period.
The
history
of
mankind,
as
told
in
the
Bible,
from
the
Fall
to
the
present
day,
can
perhaps
be
described
in
a
single
phrase:
God’s
plan
of
redemption.
It
would
not
be
unreasonable
then
to
want
to
know
when
and
how
this
plan
would
come
to
fruition.
The
‘when’
we
are
not
told;
the
‘how’ we are. This is what Revelation is about.
At
some
time
in
the
future,
there
will
be
a
period
when
Jesus
will
unleash
events,
announced
by
undoing
the
seals
of
a
seven-seal
scroll,
that
will
precede
judgements
and
the
implementation
of
God’s
wrath
on
mankind,
including
the
battle
of
Armageddon.
This
will
be a seven-year period, the last half of which was referred to by Jesus during his first coming as the ‘great tribulation’.
At some point Jesus will gather his saints, the church, in order that they do not have to face God’s wrath.
After
this
seven
year
period,
Jesus
will
reign
and
bring
peace
to
the
Earth
for
a
thousand
years,
during
which
time
Satan
will
be
bound
and
his
influence
made
ineffective.
After
the
thousand
years,
Satan
will
be
released
to
deceive
the
nations,
recruiting
supporters
before
the
final
battle
between
good
and
evil
in
which
the
loser
will
be
Satan,
his
demons
and
human
followers.
There
will
then
be
a
judgement
of
all
of
mankind
with
those
whose
name
is
written
in
the
‘book
of
life’
receiving
the
gift
of
eternal
life
in
a
new
heaven
and
a new earth.
The
importance
of
Revelation
is
that
it
tells
us
what
to
expect
in
these
end
times
and,
consequently,
how
we
should
prepare
for
them in our present lives and educate the next generation in these respects.