Understanding The Bible

Understanding the history that is contained in the Bible is necessary in order to understand the teachings in the Bible. There are several important time periods in the Bible and they are as follows...

A. Perfection

1) from eternity past until the creation of the world

2) creation of the world and perfection until the fall into sin and removal from Eden

B. Fall Of Man

1. Adamic covenant (death – promised before sin, enforced after)

3) from the removal from Eden until the global flood

4) from the global flood until Moses and the Levitical Priesthood

C. Global Flood

2. Noahic covenant (no more global flood)

5) Babylon – tongues divided

3. Abrahamic covenant (the land of Canaan/Israel)

6) from the Levitical Priesthood until the kings

D. Ruled By Priests

4. Horeb (Mosaic) covenant (a kingdom of priests, an holy nation)

5. Moabic (Palestinian) covenant

(removal from the land for sinning) Deut. 29:1 {In the Bible, the word “Moab” (not “Palestinian”) is used for this covenant.

Israel was ruled by God, a theocracy >> the priests punished crime and fought wars as well as doing religious duties

E. Ruled By Kings

7) from the kings until the church

Israel was ruled by a king, a monarchy >> the kings now punished crime and fought wars but the kings were forbidden to do the priestly duties

6. Davidic covenant (Messiah through the lineage of David, an eternal kingdom)

Jesus started his church before he died on the cross

F. Church

7. New Covenant

the New Testament (covenant) began with the Lord’s Supper

Matthew 26:28 (KJV) For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20, 1 Corinthians 11:25

The Old Testament (Levitical priesthood) ended when Jesus died on the cross

Matthew 27:51 (KJV) And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

Mark 15:38

G. Rapture

8) from the church until the rapture

9) from the rapture until the end of the 7 year reign of the anti-Christ

10) from the end of the anti-Christ until the 1,000 year reign of Christ

H. Heaven On Earth

11) at the end of 1,000 years to forever, heaven on earth