But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages Where we begin

What is God up to? What is the Bible all about?

The political landscape For thousands of years, the Jewish people were primarily subject to foreign rule (Egyptian, Syrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman, etc.), with only brief periods of independence. Romans ruled the Mediterranean area known as Palestine (modern day Israel), where Jesus was born and lived

Why God? If the Hebrews were God’s chosen people…why do we find most of their history under the rule of gentiles?

Lands of the Bible Continents & Land Masses INDEX © EBibleTeacher.com Southern Europe Middle East Asia Minor Northern Africa Mediterranean Sea Continents & Land Masses

© EBibleTeacher.com Rome Macedonia Babylonian Empire Canaan & Israel Egypt Medo Persian Mediterranean Important Ancient Lands Greece 7 Churches of Asia Lands of the Bible Important Ancient Lands INDEX

Tower of Babel INDEX Tower of Babel © EBibleTeacher.com Mediterranean Israel(Future) Egypt TowerofBabel

Abraham’s Journey INDEX Abraham’s Journeys © EBibleTeacher.com Mediterranean Egypt Haran & Ur of the Chaldeans (Iraq) Canaan

Abraham in Canaan INDEX Mediterranean Sea Canaan Sodom Abraham’s pastures Lot’s pastures Hebron

Jews on Mission 2000 BC Abraham in promised land Then There is a famine in the land that impacts his descendants…off to Egypt

Egypt Nile Nile Delta Mediterranean Sea Sinai Canaan © EBibleTeacher.com Joseph’s Journey to Egypt Joseph sold to caravan Potiphar & Pharaoh Joseph’s Journey to Egypt INDEX

God rescued Israel from Egypt for his glory Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works... but rebelled by the Sea, at the Red Sea. Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make known his mighty power. (Psalm 106:7-8)Psalm 106:7-8

“Let My People Go” Exodus between 1600 and 1400 BC God reveals His power to Egypt and His love to the Jews.

God raised Pharaoh up to show his power and glorify his name: For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.” (Romans 9:17)Romans 9:17

Egypt Nile Delta Delta Great Sea (Mediterranean) Red Sea Canaan Mt. Sinai Traditional Route of the Exodus NASA Photo © EBibleTeacher.com SinaiPeninsula

Jew on Come and See 1000 BC the Kingdom of David and then the building of the first Temple.

Solomon’s Israel Phoenicia Israel Jerusalem Dead Sea Galilee Jordan River © Solomon’s Israel Shechem Mediterranean Philistia INDEX

The Glory days Wisdom counsels The Law is written God’s presence is in the Temple Coverts in Africa and other lands

God called Israel for his glory: You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified (Isaiah 49:3).Isaiah 49:3 I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the Lord, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory. (Jeremiah 13:11)Jeremiah 13:11

But there comes bad Kings A bad King is one who…. Worships pagan god’s and idols By their actions bring bad attention upon God.

Ezekiel 36:22–23 22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. 23 And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.

Phoenicia Philistia Israel Ammon Moab Judah Jerusalem Dead Sea Galilee Jordan River © Divided Kingdom Edom Syria Samaria Mediterranean Divided Kingdom of Israel INDEX

824 BC 640 BC Assyrian Empire Judah © EBibleTeacher.com Egypt Assyrian Empire INDEX

“You are really messing up…so go” Off to Babylon 600 BC

Judah Babylonian Empire MedianEmpire(Medes) Mediterranean © EBibleTeacher.com Egypt Babylonian Empire INDEX

Persian Empire INDEX © EBibleTeacher.com Persian Empire PersianEmpire Judah Egypt Mediterranean

Let my people go God reveals His power to Babylon God reveals His love to the Jews

God restored Israel from exile for the glory of his name: Thus says the Lord God, It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, butfor the sake of my holy name.... And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name.... And the nations will know that I am the Lord. (Ezekiel 36:22-23; cf. v. 32)Ezekiel 36:

Glory Days The Temple is rebuilt 500 to 450 BC Again worship of God is as prescribed by God.

Alexander the Great INDEX © EBibleTeacher.com Judah Alexander The Great The Empire of Alexander India Mediterranean Egypt

Glory days 200 BC –The Maccabees (Hasmoneans) revolt against the Hellenistic Empire led by Judah Maccabee, resulting in victory and installation of the Hanukkah holiday.MaccabeesHasmoneansJudah MaccabeeHanukkah 150 BC –Hasmonean dynasty establishes

The Roman Empire spread from Great Britain to Israel and included Spain and Asia Minor. Roman Empire © EBibleTeacher.com Roman Empire Rome Judah BritainBritain INDEX

The Childhood of Jesus Nazareth Egypt Jerusalem Bethlehem Sea of Galilee Dead Sea Jordan River Mediterranean NASA PHOTO © eBibleTeacher.com Jesus’ Childhood Israel Childhood of Jesus INDEX

2000 years BC God has revealed Himself His love for His people. His power before to the world’s people. His moral law revealed and by doing so revealing to the people of the world their need for a savior.

Did it work? Some evidence The wise men…Magi were from Persia and knew of Daniel’s prophecy concerning a coming “King.” The Eunuch that Phillip baptized…From Ethiopia, worshiped the God of the Hebrews and was reading the prophet Isaiah. Beta Israel in Africa are descendants of Jews.

This is where we enter the story The life of Christ. 70 AD Herod’s temple is destroyed and the Hebrews scattered without a nation. Almost 2000 years pass and then in 1948…Jews home again.

Converts to God 2000 BC a single family 1000 BC a single nation 1 AD less than 1% of the world worshiped the one true God AD. 33% of the world worships the one true God and His son Jesus.

Followers of God 2000 years before Jesus….less than 1%. Only a fraction of the world converts 2000 years after Jesus…over 33% of the earth’s population.

Colossians 1:27Colossians 1:27 ESV To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

The culmination of the ages This is where we find Jesus…between the 2000 years of the Hebrews and the 2000 years of Jesus Church. Hebrews 9:26 But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.