Periods of Bible History
The Theme or Message of the Bible
by Bryan Gibson
Return to the Teaching Aids
Editor's note: Whether you are a student of the bible or a teacher, an overview of the bible is essential so that we do not get into that proverbial situation where "we cannot see the forest for the trees." For those who are just starting their study of the bible, we recommend that you begin with the New Testament, since that is the part of the bible that currently applies to those living today. The entire bible is God's word, and it is all truth, since most of it is referenced either by Jesus or the New Testament writers, and it was regarded by Jesus as scripture. Also, we cannot fully understand the New Testament without a basic understanding of the Old Testament, so we are not at all discouraging Old Testament study. It is just a matter of prioritizing our time, and learning that which is needed most first. -- Dave Brown
We highly recommend that you view this three-minute video before getting into the listings below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsKwxy9WaBM
The Theme or Message of the Bible
by Bryan Gibson
The Old Testament (Genesis through Malachi)Someone is coming!—that’s the message of the Old Testament. Prophecies of His coming are scattered throughout the Old Testament, starting in Genesis 3:15, after Adam and Eve sinned. A key passage in the Old Testament is Genesis 12:3, where Abraham receives three promises. 1) His descendants will form a great nation (Israel). 2) This nation would be given a land (Canaan). 3) Through Abraham’s seed all nations of the earth would be blessed. This “seed,” or descendant, through whom all nations of the earth would be blessed, is Jesus—a fact made abundantly clear in the New Testament (see Galatians 3:16; Acts 3:24-26).
The First Four Books of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, JohnChrist has come!—that’s the message of these books. Galatians 4:4 says, “When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son…” These books tell the story of His birth, His life, His death and resurrection, and finally, His ascension back to heaven. These books also reveal the reason He came—to save us from our sins (Luke 19:10; Matthew 26:28). If you’re new to the Bible, take one of these books and read it from beginning to end. Read with a humble heart, and you will be impressed with Jesus, impressed enough to devote your life to Him.
The Remainder of the New Testament: Acts through RevelationChrist is coming again!—that’s the message of the remaining books. “This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11, NASV). This is just one of many references to His second coming in these books. We need to read these books carefully, because they tell us how to be prepared for His second coming, and for the judgment that will follow (Acts 17:30-31; 2 Corinthians 5:9-10). Don’t miss the key point—He is coming again, and He will judge us by the words He has spoken (John 12:48; Romans 2:16).
Summing Up: He is coming; He has come; He is coming again—that is the Bible in a nutshell. Why did He come, and why did He have to die on the cross? Because we are all sinners (Romans 3:23), and the penalty for sin is death—eternal death (Romans 1:18; 6:23). God loved us too much to let that happen, so He sent His Son to stand in our place, to bear our sins, to take the punishment that we should have received (Isaiah 53:3-6; 1 Peter 2:24). He was qualified to do that because He was without sin, a “lamb without blemish” (1 Peter 1:19; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Now that He has fully paid the penalty for sin, those who trust in Him—those who submit to His conditions of salvation—can be completely forgiven of their sins (Romans 3:21-26), and receive the hope of eternal life. This is what God meant when He said to Abraham: Through your seed (Christ), all nations of the earth will be blessed.
Periods of Bible History
By Bryan Gibson
One way to better understand the bible is to divide it up into periods of history. What follows is a list of 17 periods of bible history, along with where each period is covered in the bible, and some additional notes to help better understand how the periods link together.
OLD TESTAMENT
1. Before the Flood (Genesis 1-5) - From the time of creation until just before the flood.
So the next period would obviously be…
2. The Flood (Genesis 6-10) - Noah and his family were spared, while the rest of the world was destroyed.
Noah's descendants multiplied, moved to the plain of Shinar, and there built the Tower of Babel. God was not pleased with this building project, and therefore caused a…
3. Scattering of the People (Genesis 11) - A consequence of the Tower of Babel sin.
The descendants of Shem (one of Noah’s three sons) remained more or less in the region of Mesopotamia. From Shem comes our first patriarch, Abraham.
4. Patriarchs (Genesis 12-50) - The stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.
These stories take us the rest of the way through the Book of Genesis. Joseph became a ruler in Egypt and arranged for his family to move there as well. But now that we're through Genesis, the next book (and next period) would be…
5. Exodus (Exodus 1-Numbers 15) - The birth of the nation of Israel.
The Israelites left the bondage of Egypt headed toward the Promised Land. After God made a covenant with the Israelites, they rebelled, and God punished them. Their punishment was…
6. Wandering in the Wilderness (Numbers 16-Joshua 3) - "...every sin and transgression received a just recompense of reward" (Heb. 2:2).
The wandering in the wilderness came to an end with the...
7. Invasion and Conquest of Canaan (Joshua 4-24) - From the crossing of the Jordan into Canaan until Joshua's death.
After Joshua's death, another generation arose that did not serve the Lord. When God punished them by sending enemy nations against them, the people repented, and cried out for deliverance. God responded to their cries by sending…
8. Judges (Judges-1 Samuel 9) - From Othniel through Samuel.
Samuel was the last judge. When Samuel became old, the people asked for a king.
9. United Kingdom (1 Samuel 10-1 Kings 11; 1 Chronicles 10-2 Chronicles 9) - The 40 year reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon.
After the death of Solomon, the kingdom was split into two separate kingdoms. There was no longer a united kingdom, but a…
10. Divided Kingdom (1 Kings 12-2 Kings 17; 2 Chronicles 10-29) - Two kingdoms: Israel in the North, and Judah in the South.
When Israel was taken into captivity by the Assyrians, this left…
11. Judah Alone (2 Kings 18-25; 2 Chronicles 30-36)
Judah remained the lone kingdom until they were taken into…
12. Captivity (Ezekiel and Daniel)
The people of Judah remained in captivity until the…
13. Return (Ezra, Haggai, Zechariah, Esther, Nehemiah, Malachi)
When God's people returned to the land, they continued to be unfaithful to God. God had no further revelation for them until the time of Christ. The absence of any revelation from God resulted in what we will call the…
14. Years of Silence - The 400 years between Malachi and Matthew.
The years of silence were brought to an end when God began to reveal Himself again, this time through the…
NEW TESTAMENT (see Hebrews 1 and 10)
15. Life of Christ (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) - From slightly before his birth until a short time after his resurrection.
After His death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus fulfilled a promise He made earlier—that He would build His church.
16. History of the Early Church (Acts) - A key transition book that enables us to relate the gospels to the letters.
God did not make all of His will known during the life of Christ. He continued to reveal His word through the book of Acts and then ...
17. Letters to Churches and Individual Christians (Romans-Revelation) - These letters give us total insight into the issues and doctrines of the first century church that was under the guidance of the Holy Spirit through the apostles and the first century prophets. If we follow the guidance of these commands and examples we can be totally sure that it will meet with God's approval today. Any additions to it must, of necessity, be the work of man.
The New Testament is also referenced as the gospel of Jesus Christ, and it contains all that we need to learn about and obtain our salvation as God's gift to us. The bible is totally sufficient in this regard.
What are the conditions of salvation given by Jesus?
Return to the Teaching Aids
Editor's note: Whether you are a student of the bible or a teacher, an overview of the bible is essential so that we do not get into that proverbial situation where "we cannot see the forest for the trees." For those who are just starting their study of the bible, we recommend that you begin with the New Testament, since that is the part of the bible that currently applies to those living today. The entire bible is God's word, and it is all truth, since most of it is referenced either by Jesus or the New Testament writers, and it was regarded by Jesus as scripture. Also, we cannot fully understand the New Testament without a basic understanding of the Old Testament, so we are not at all discouraging Old Testament study. It is just a matter of prioritizing our time, and learning that which is needed most first. -- Dave Brown
We highly recommend that you view this three-minute video before getting into the listings below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsKwxy9WaBM
The Theme or Message of the Bible
by Bryan Gibson
The Old Testament (Genesis through Malachi)Someone is coming!—that’s the message of the Old Testament. Prophecies of His coming are scattered throughout the Old Testament, starting in Genesis 3:15, after Adam and Eve sinned. A key passage in the Old Testament is Genesis 12:3, where Abraham receives three promises. 1) His descendants will form a great nation (Israel). 2) This nation would be given a land (Canaan). 3) Through Abraham’s seed all nations of the earth would be blessed. This “seed,” or descendant, through whom all nations of the earth would be blessed, is Jesus—a fact made abundantly clear in the New Testament (see Galatians 3:16; Acts 3:24-26).
The First Four Books of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, JohnChrist has come!—that’s the message of these books. Galatians 4:4 says, “When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son…” These books tell the story of His birth, His life, His death and resurrection, and finally, His ascension back to heaven. These books also reveal the reason He came—to save us from our sins (Luke 19:10; Matthew 26:28). If you’re new to the Bible, take one of these books and read it from beginning to end. Read with a humble heart, and you will be impressed with Jesus, impressed enough to devote your life to Him.
The Remainder of the New Testament: Acts through RevelationChrist is coming again!—that’s the message of the remaining books. “This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11, NASV). This is just one of many references to His second coming in these books. We need to read these books carefully, because they tell us how to be prepared for His second coming, and for the judgment that will follow (Acts 17:30-31; 2 Corinthians 5:9-10). Don’t miss the key point—He is coming again, and He will judge us by the words He has spoken (John 12:48; Romans 2:16).
Summing Up: He is coming; He has come; He is coming again—that is the Bible in a nutshell. Why did He come, and why did He have to die on the cross? Because we are all sinners (Romans 3:23), and the penalty for sin is death—eternal death (Romans 1:18; 6:23). God loved us too much to let that happen, so He sent His Son to stand in our place, to bear our sins, to take the punishment that we should have received (Isaiah 53:3-6; 1 Peter 2:24). He was qualified to do that because He was without sin, a “lamb without blemish” (1 Peter 1:19; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Now that He has fully paid the penalty for sin, those who trust in Him—those who submit to His conditions of salvation—can be completely forgiven of their sins (Romans 3:21-26), and receive the hope of eternal life. This is what God meant when He said to Abraham: Through your seed (Christ), all nations of the earth will be blessed.
Periods of Bible History
By Bryan Gibson
One way to better understand the bible is to divide it up into periods of history. What follows is a list of 17 periods of bible history, along with where each period is covered in the bible, and some additional notes to help better understand how the periods link together.
OLD TESTAMENT
1. Before the Flood (Genesis 1-5) - From the time of creation until just before the flood.
So the next period would obviously be…
2. The Flood (Genesis 6-10) - Noah and his family were spared, while the rest of the world was destroyed.
Noah's descendants multiplied, moved to the plain of Shinar, and there built the Tower of Babel. God was not pleased with this building project, and therefore caused a…
3. Scattering of the People (Genesis 11) - A consequence of the Tower of Babel sin.
The descendants of Shem (one of Noah’s three sons) remained more or less in the region of Mesopotamia. From Shem comes our first patriarch, Abraham.
4. Patriarchs (Genesis 12-50) - The stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.
These stories take us the rest of the way through the Book of Genesis. Joseph became a ruler in Egypt and arranged for his family to move there as well. But now that we're through Genesis, the next book (and next period) would be…
5. Exodus (Exodus 1-Numbers 15) - The birth of the nation of Israel.
The Israelites left the bondage of Egypt headed toward the Promised Land. After God made a covenant with the Israelites, they rebelled, and God punished them. Their punishment was…
6. Wandering in the Wilderness (Numbers 16-Joshua 3) - "...every sin and transgression received a just recompense of reward" (Heb. 2:2).
The wandering in the wilderness came to an end with the...
7. Invasion and Conquest of Canaan (Joshua 4-24) - From the crossing of the Jordan into Canaan until Joshua's death.
After Joshua's death, another generation arose that did not serve the Lord. When God punished them by sending enemy nations against them, the people repented, and cried out for deliverance. God responded to their cries by sending…
8. Judges (Judges-1 Samuel 9) - From Othniel through Samuel.
Samuel was the last judge. When Samuel became old, the people asked for a king.
9. United Kingdom (1 Samuel 10-1 Kings 11; 1 Chronicles 10-2 Chronicles 9) - The 40 year reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon.
After the death of Solomon, the kingdom was split into two separate kingdoms. There was no longer a united kingdom, but a…
10. Divided Kingdom (1 Kings 12-2 Kings 17; 2 Chronicles 10-29) - Two kingdoms: Israel in the North, and Judah in the South.
When Israel was taken into captivity by the Assyrians, this left…
11. Judah Alone (2 Kings 18-25; 2 Chronicles 30-36)
Judah remained the lone kingdom until they were taken into…
12. Captivity (Ezekiel and Daniel)
The people of Judah remained in captivity until the…
13. Return (Ezra, Haggai, Zechariah, Esther, Nehemiah, Malachi)
When God's people returned to the land, they continued to be unfaithful to God. God had no further revelation for them until the time of Christ. The absence of any revelation from God resulted in what we will call the…
14. Years of Silence - The 400 years between Malachi and Matthew.
The years of silence were brought to an end when God began to reveal Himself again, this time through the…
NEW TESTAMENT (see Hebrews 1 and 10)
15. Life of Christ (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) - From slightly before his birth until a short time after his resurrection.
After His death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus fulfilled a promise He made earlier—that He would build His church.
16. History of the Early Church (Acts) - A key transition book that enables us to relate the gospels to the letters.
God did not make all of His will known during the life of Christ. He continued to reveal His word through the book of Acts and then ...
17. Letters to Churches and Individual Christians (Romans-Revelation) - These letters give us total insight into the issues and doctrines of the first century church that was under the guidance of the Holy Spirit through the apostles and the first century prophets. If we follow the guidance of these commands and examples we can be totally sure that it will meet with God's approval today. Any additions to it must, of necessity, be the work of man.
The New Testament is also referenced as the gospel of Jesus Christ, and it contains all that we need to learn about and obtain our salvation as God's gift to us. The bible is totally sufficient in this regard.
What are the conditions of salvation given by Jesus?
Return to the Teaching Aids