A Matter of Life or Death A short history of the world, according to God's records.
ca. 4004 BC, Gen. 1-2: God "creates" everything, has it in full operation in 7 days, "It is good".
Gen. 3: Adam and Eve (mankind) reject God's law (covenant), lose "blessings"
gain "cursings".
Gen. 4: Cain (mankind) rejects meekness, yields to jealousy and anger,
begins to commit murders. (See: "Is An Angry Christian, An Oxymoron?")
Gen. 5-6: All society degenerates to "evil continually", except for Noah (6:9)
ca. 2348 BC, Gen. 6-7: God offers covenant to Noah and his family (6:18),
destroys all other people on the earth (possibly billions of people*).
Gen. 7-9: Noah obeys, is blessed (9:1).
Gen. 9: Evil is renewed by first, post-flood generation, receives "cursings" (9:25).
Gen. 10: Earth is re-populated (possibly 7.2 million people by the time of Noah's death**).
ca. 2254 BC, Gen. 11: Mankind lives in a "global village", with "unrestrained imagination" (11:6).
[Instead of an agrarian society (every man under his own fig tree), man organizes government, industry, labor, manufacturing, and urban society.
This would have resulted (as later history shows) in overcrowding (which leads to war), ("woe to him that joins house to house"), environmental damage (which leads to famine), pollution (which leads to disease), and all of which lead to death, or in other words, premature extermination of mankind.
Today we have worldwide exchange of knowledge and worldwide problems of irreversible environmental damage, famine, overpopulation, wars, pollution (of air, water, soil and food), disease and premature deaths.
Mankind, hoping a "global village" will solve these problems, faces the imminent prospect of the "Tribulation" of Revelation, not as the interference of a provoked God, but as a direct product of man's own greed, lust, vanity, and evil. ("from whence come wars among you?" Jas. 4:1).
To "restrain" (Gen.11:6) mankind from premature extermination, God "broke up" the "global village" by creating an instant multiple-language barrier.
Between the language barriers and man's own human nature (distrust, suspicion, greed, vanity, jealousy, lust, etc) it would take over 4,250 years (to 2000 AD) to again approach the possibility of a workable "global village" (EU, widespread use of English language, metric system, shared knowledge of science and technology, the computer age, etc.) and the prospect of total, human extermination from the earth (multiple options here: overpopulation, disease epidemics, famine, war, terrorism, pollution, global warming, depletion of resources {air, fresh water, topsoil, ocean water}), (Mat. 24:22).
1996-1821 BC, Gen. 11-25: God works with Abram (Abraham), offers covenant to him and his
descendants (15:18).
Gen. 26: God renews the covenant with Abraham's son, Isaac.
Gen. 27: The origin of the Arab/Israeli conflict.
Gen. 28: God renews his covenant with Isaac's son, Jacob.
Gen. 29-30: Jacob's wives and sons, whose family becomes the 12 tribes of Israel (one of which is Judah).
Gen. 31-50: History of Jacob (Israel) and his family from Canaan to Egypt.
1491 BC, Ex. 1-40: God uses Moses to bring the nation of Israel out of Egypt, renews the covenant with "all the people" of Israel (24:3).
Lev. 1-27: Physical laws of the physical covenant, with spiritual implications. Man's sins separate ("cut off") mankind from God. Physical access could be re-established by physical sacrifices involving blood. This was a physical exercise to teach a spiritual lesson. David was one of the few people to understand this. (Psa. 51:1-17, esp. 16-17; Isa. 1:3-6, 11-20).
Num. 1-14: God has Moses organize the tribes before entering the "Promised Land".
Num. 14: Israel's repeated "rebellions"(10 since Egypt) finally result in those over age 20 being banned from the "Promised Land".
Num. 14-27: History of Israel's wanderings in the wilderness for 40 years.
More rebellions. All those over age 20 (at time of Num. 14) die.
Even Moses and Aaron disobey, and are banned.
1451 BC, Deu. 1-33: The covenant is renewed with the next generation before entering the "Promised Land".
1451-1426 BC, Joshua 1-24: History of Israel settling the land of Palestine.
They were told to "drive out all the inhabitants"(Num. 33:50-56).
To "not let them live in the land" Ex. 23:33)
They didn't obey (Jud. 1:19-36).
They were told "not to make treaties with them" (Ex. 23:32; Deu. 7:2).
They did it anyway (Josh. 9; Jud. 2:2).
They were told "not to intermarry with them" (Deu. 7:3).
They didn't obey this command (Jud. 3:5-7).
They were told to avoid "idolatry" (Lev. 19:4; 26:1).
They disobeyed (Josh. 24:23; Jud. 2:17).
[Note: God owns everything including Palestine (Ex. 19:5, Lev. 25:23, Job. 41:11).
He has the option of giving it to whomever he chooses (Deu. 4:1, Ec. 2:26, Dan 4:17, 25, 32).
The Canaanites and others in the land committed evil and idolatry and God chose to give the land to Israel (Lev. 18:1-30, Deu. 9:5).
The natives had the option of leaving alive, or dying (Ex. 23:28-30; 33:2; Lev. 26:6-8).
If we think God is unfair, then we presume to be more righteous than he is and we make ourselves to be fools (Job 40:8; 42:2-3).]
1426-1155 BC, Judges 1-21: History of repeated cycles of disobedience and idolatry (e.g. Jud. 3:7) resulting in invasion and oppression by foreign nations (Jud. 3:8), followed by cries for deliverance (Jud. 3:9). God provides a "deliverer" (called a "Judge"), Israel is delivered and blessed (Jud. 3:9-11), and soon reverts back into idolatry (Jud. 3:12), resulting in oppression (Jud.3:13-14).
[Note: The "Judges" were usually local, did not "reign" as "kings", and had no national government organization and no standing army. Not all of them were appointed by God and therefore, some were evil (1 Sam 2:12-17, 22; 3:13; 4:18; 8:1-3].
1171-1055 BC, 1, 2 Samuel: Samuel was a righteous prophet who judged Israel. But his sons,
whom he appointed as judges, were evil (1 Sam.8:1-3). Using this as an excuse, Israel demanded that Samuel appoint a king "to judge us like all the nations." (vs.4-5). Rather than address the cause of their problems (sin), they further rejected God ("they have rejected me", v. 7).
[The existence of temporary, human "Judges" was a direct result of the people's sins(Jud. 2:14-16). From the time Israel was at Mt. Sinai, God had offered to rule directly over Israel, without a "middleman" organization of bureaucrats, either civil or religious ("I", Ex. 6:5-8; 20:-21; 29:45-46).
The Levitical priesthood was to teach and to offer sacrifices, not to rule (Ex. 28:1; Lev. 9; 10:8-11).
The "captain" system was for communication, organization in moving the camp, and to resolve minor disputes. It was not to make laws, create a bureaucracy, or become a profession within itself (Deu. 1:15-18; Ex. 18:13-26). The "captain" system expired when Joshua fulfilled his commission ("settle Israel in the land", Num 28:18-23, Deu. 1:38; 3:38; 31:3, 7) and retired from public life (Josh. 11:23; 18:3; 24:28). There was no immediate successor to Joshua (Jud. 2:6-3:9, ca. 1426- 1409 BC).
Beginning at Sinai, the people, out of fear, had refused to listen directly to God, but asked for a "go-between" ("let not God speak with us", Ex. 20:19). Now, instead of drawing closer to God, they wanted to increase the distance, and to be "like all the [pagan] nations" around them. Instead of having faith in God to fight their battles (Deu. 1:30), they wanted a visible, human king and a standing army to defend them (1 Sam. 8:20).
God explained to them the costs of having a human "government": the military draft, a civil draft, government ownership of (previously) private property, the power of "eminent domain", property taxes, an organization of bureaucrats, the expense of producing war materials, nepotism, politicians becoming rich at your expense, and a minimum tax of 10 % of your gross income.
God said that they would become the King's "servants". (The average American worked 122 days in 2001 just to pay their taxes alone. That's 24.5 weeks of the year, more than it takes to pay for food, clothing and shelter combined. (According to the Tax Foundation, as reported by Reuters, Friday, April 13, 2001.) God prophesied that they would "cry out" because of "government oppression".
"Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;" (1 Sam. 8:19).
The tribe of Judah did this on both a civil and religious level. As the nation became more frequently and increasingly reprobate, the law was actually "lost". Twice in their history, the Jews had no knowledge that the law even existed!!! After the time of Ezra/Nehemiah the priesthood again drifted completely away from teaching. The "scribes" (copyists of the scrolls) began teaching, and out of this group, the political Pharisees eventually developed. God had prohibited anything from being added to his law (Deu. 4:2, 12:32 ), but eventually, the scribes's notes, commentaries, opinions and interpretations were written and codified (i.e. the Talmud(s), Megilliot, Mishna, etc. These "traditions" (oral at first, written later) were what Christ condemned as "burdens" upon men ( Mat. 23:1- 33).
We are all "oppressed" financially and legally by various forms of civil governments (by which we also enjoy benefits), but many also are "oppressed" (sometimes voluntarily) by "religious" bureaucracies or 'rulers' calling themselves "churches".
1017-590 BC, 1, 2 Kings: History of Israel as a united kingdom, then as a divided kingdom (Israel and Judah). David and Asa were "righteous" kings, the other 40 rulers were righteous and became unrighteous, or did both righteous and unrighteous works, or were totally evil continually.
ca. 4004-588 BC, 1, 2 Chronicles: A second witness of mankind from Creation to 588 BC, when the tribe of Judah was taken captive to Babylon.
536-433 BC, Ezra/Nehemiah: The history of part of the tribe of Judah returning to Palestine from Babylon, rebuilding part of the temple and re-instituting the sacrifices. The people neglected the temple, the Levites neglected the sacrifices, and many, including the priests, intermarried with the local non-Israelites. Ezra and Nehemiah corrected the people, got the wall built, had most put away their "pagan" wives, and led the people in renewing the covenant.
800-397 BC, (The "Minor" Prophets) God sends 12 prophets to warn Israel and Judah of the consequences of breaking the covenant. Part of these prophecies had (now) historical fulfillment, part have both historical and future fulfillment, and part have only a future fulfillment. Four other prophetic books are addressed to gentile nations and deal with God's judgment upon them for their acts against God and against Israel/Judah.
433 BC- 4 BC, (Between the Testaments) No scriptural coverage but Jewish writings and other secular history give us many details.
Except for a brief period of independence under the Maccabees (165-37 BC), Judah was continually oppressed by the Syrian empire from the north, or the Egyptian empire to the south.
After "Simon the Just" (High Priest 300-291 BC), the priesthood declined in quality and morality. Many were corrupt; some were just incompetent. Leadership of the nation was often combined in the office of "King and High Priest". Possession of this office was usually achieved by politics, intrigues, treachery and armed violence.
Attempts were made to "cleanse" the offices, the temple worship and the nation, but these were temporary at best and usually overshadowed by personal ambitions and power struggles. The office of civil ruler became a puppet of foreign governments. The office of High Priest sometimes
went to the highest bidder. The Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots and Herodians were political parties in the fullest and most modern sense of the term. (See related calendar article, "I Hate Your Feasts")
ca. (Fall of) 4 BC - 6 BC, Christ is born.
33 AD - 100 AD, The New Testament (= "New Covenant") era.
[A "testament" or "covenant" is a contract or agreement. Whenever one of the parties involved dies, any contract or "covenant" becomes void (until and unless there is an eternal God who can resurrect the dead). God's covenant with Abraham was broken by his descendants (Israelites) who disobeyed the terms (obedience to the laws of God).
Since God is eternal, his promises (or covenants) can be eternal. Since men are physical, their part in any covenant is limited to their physical lifetime (or future as a resurrected spiritual being). . Humans can't enter into any covenant agreement prior to their existence. They cannot fulfill any terms after they are dead.
So, with every human generation, God's eternal covenant with Abraham, can be re-newed. Thus, it is a "new" covenant. While it is the same "old" (eternal) covenant to God, it is a "new" covenant for every new generation which has the opportunity to enter into it (Deu. 29:15).]
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John: Four, eye-witness accounts of the life, death, resurrection and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Christ explains that the physical laws of God also have spiritual requirements.(Mat. 5:17-48) For the reprobate descendants of Judah, this is a "new" teaching or commandment (John 13:34).
Acts: An account of the acts of Christ's disciples ("students") after Christ's ascension to God's throne.
Paul's epistles ("letters"): Letters to encourage, correct, inspire and instruct.
Some use them as "interpretations" of Christ's teaching, saying that Christ could not have literally meant what he actually said.
Includes Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Phillipians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, Philemon, and probably "Hebrews".
Epistles by James, Peter, John, and Jude: Letters to encourage, correct, inspire and instruct the followers of Christ
"Revelation of Jesus Christ", as divinely revealed to John, to encourage and correct the "churches", and to reveal the events at the "end of the world" (i.e. the end of man's rulership without God's law {covenant}). Mankind will no longer be allowed to freely practice evil and idolatry. Mankind will be free to chose life or death, but not evil. God shall rule, not man. Righteous men shall rule with GodFootnotes:
* There were 15 generations from Adam to Noah (and the Flood). The average life span was 787 years (without the special exceptions of Noah and Enoch). If each couple averaged only 12 children, there could have been as many as 10.3 trillion people alive at the time of the Flood. If they only averaged 7 children, there could have been as many as 1.7 trillion people. If only half survived birth, childhood, disease, wars and violence, there still could have been 850,000,000,000 (850 billion) people.World population in 2000, with an average life span of only 70+ years, was approximately 6,000,000,000 (six billion).
**Noah lived after the Flood for 350 years (Gen. 8-9). Life spans, for Shem's descendants still ranged from 205 to 438 years. At a birth rate of only 7 children per couple, the three sons of Noah could have generated a population of 7.2 million people in the ten generations before Noah's death.
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