History of the World

"IN THE BEGINNING was the WORD, and the Word was with God, and the Word was [also] God. He was in the beginning with God [the Father]. ALL THINGS WERE MADE THROUGH HIM, and without Him nothing was made that was made.... And the Word became flesh [a flesh and blood human being—JESUS CHRIST] and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth…. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through JESUS CHRIST"

— John 1:1-17

As the apostle John points out, in the very beginning nothing else existed except for TWO Beings: God (the Father) and God (the Word). That's right, nothing else existed—no humans, no animals, no plants, no earth, no universe, no angels, nothing! Nothing except for TWO members of the God Family: God (who would later become known as God the Father), and the Word (who would eventually divest Himself of His glory and power as God and become a human being—Jesus Christ—the Son of God).

God has always existed—He was NOT created nor did He evolve.

Eventually, the TWO members of the God Family would decide to create. But what would They create first?

IT IS 4.5 BILLION BC, and God creates the universe, with its trillions of stars, planets, solar systems, galaxies, etc. (including our home—planet Earth).

Upon seeing the universe created right before their very eyes, the angels shout for joy and sing together (Job 38:4-7). They must have been absolutely ecstatic at what they were witnessing! Imagine if you and I would have been alive at that moment in time—what an amazing spectacle it must have been!

Planet Earth

The universe at that time was MUCH DIFFERENT than it is today—as all the planets in our solar system—as well as all the planets throughout the universe—WERE BEAUTIFUL AND HOSPITABLE. It wouldn't be until many years later that they would become terribly marred and no longer capable of supporting life (the way they are today). But even back then—when all the planets were gorgeous and hospitable—one relatively small planet stood out as a special jewel among the many gems—planet EARTH! With its lush green grasses, deep blue skies, beautiful plants, sweet-smelling flowers, dazzling beaches, crystal-clear streams, magnificent waterfalls, scintillating mountains, stunning rainforests, and a brilliant sun with breathtaking sunsets and sunrises—it indeed was a sight to behold.

Angels Live on Earth

After creating the universe, God then decides to allow many of the angels to live on planet Earth. And God chooses a very special, powerful, incredible angel to rule over them—LUCIFER. This amazing angel was no doubt instructed by God to reign over his fellow angels in righteousness as ruler of the Earth. The angels who were chosen to live on Earth must have been thrilled to not only live in such a spectacular new environment but to have such an impressive angel as Lucifer to lead them. So off to Earth they went, with the rest of the angels remaining in heaven with God.

Lucifer Rebels & Becomes Satan

Lucifer and his fellow angels must have started off in their new home in bliss as they had the whole planet to themselves to explore and enjoy. But unfortunately the joy and peace that Lucifer and his angels were enjoying was not to last—as Lucifer eventually became discontented with his home on earth and became greedy and vain—wanting to not only reign over the Earth but wanting to rule over the entire universe (including God Himself)! So Lucifer left his habitation on Earth and stormed into heaven in an attempt to overthrow God!

Lucifer (Hebrew "Heylel," "Shining One," "Brilliant Star," "Morning Star," "Shining Star," "Light-Bearer," "Light-Bringer") had now become Satan, the Devil, the Serpent, the Dragon, the Adversary, the Accuser, the Destroyer. In his REBELLION against God, Satan convinced many other angels to revolt with him (perhaps as many as one third of all the angels; Revelation 12:4)! Satan and the angels that joined him in his insurrection against God had now become FALLEN ANGELS! No longer were they holy, sinless angels. Instead, they had become evil, wicked demons!

"How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground… For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I WILL EXALT MY THRONE ABOVE the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like [or replace] the Most High'"

— Isaiah 14:12-14

Or, as another translation (MSG) puts it: "…I'LL TAKE OVER AS KING OF THE UNIVERSE!"

"Thus says the Lord God: 'You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and PERFECT in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. You were the anointed CHERUB who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, O covering CHERUB, from the midst of the fiery stones. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor…'"

— Ezekiel 28:12-17

"And war broke out in heaven: Michael [the archangel] and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels [demons] fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, WHO DECEIVES THE WHOLE WORLD; he was cast to the earth, and his angels [demons] were cast out with him"

— Revelation 12:7-9

Jesus would later tell His disciples, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" (Luke 10:18).

The Universe Becomes Marred

In Satan's attempted coup against God the universe paid a very heavy price as it became disfigured and terribly damaged. Instead of the planets being beautiful, and capable of supporting life, they now became uninhabitable and horribly marred. Earth was also terribly affected, as all living things on Earth, including both plants and animals (including DINOSAURS), were suddenly obliterated as a result of this titanic battle between good and evil.

The Earth was now an ugly, dark planet, with water covering its entire surface. No longer was it teeming with life, as all plants and animals, that is, all living things (except Satan and his demons), were now dead. Earth was no longer even capable of supporting physical life and had become an empty wasteland.

Satan and his demons would now have to live in this dark watery abyss.

In due time—perhaps millions or even billions of years later—God would look down upon planet Earth and consider what to do. At that time the "Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss" (Genesis 1:2; MSG). Or, as the GNT renders this verse, "The earth was formless and desolate. The raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness, and the Spirit of God was moving over the water."

THEN GOD SAID…

AFTER ADAM AND EVE sinned by obeying Satan and disobeying their Creator (and thereby rejecting God), God decided that He would allow mankind 6,000 years (or six millennial days) to go his own way; that He would for the most part take a hands-off approach to humanity. In other words: He would allow man to build his own societies, governments, educational institutions, religious systems, cultures, etc.—all apart from God. And He would only intervene under certain circumstances.

First Scientific Experiment

God was in essence allowing man to conduct its first scientific experiment, an experiment that would last 6,000 years. God was in reality allowing man to learn by trial and error; to learn firsthand the consequences of rejecting God's way of life (the way of GIVE) and instead choosing Satan's way (the way of GET).

But God knew the outcome already. For He knew that the Devil's way would only lead to vanity, jealousy, greed, arrogance, hatred, corruption, dishonesty, violence, suicide, stealing, coveting, lies, deception, insincerity, anger, drunkenness, drug addiction, gangs, pollution, insanity, psychosis, idolatry, witchcraft, sorcery, foul language, cruelty, pornography, child molestations, adultery, rape, homosexuality and other sexual perversions, injustice, bribery, torture, persecutions, prejudice, racism, discrimination, kidnapping, slavery, murder, war, chemical weapons, biological weapons, nuclear bombs, genocide, and eventually cosmocide—the extermination of all living things from this planet!

Man would have to learn the hard way. He would have to learn through the bitter pill of trial and error that Satan's way of life is NOT a way of life at all—but a way of death. For unless God intervenes to prevent it—that is exactly where we are headed—the death of all life from this planet—as we will eventually unleash our weapons of mass destruction in the next world war—World War III! (Matthew 24:22)

God's 7,000-Year Plan

Knowing all of this is advance, God then set out to make sure that His plan of salvation for mankind would eventually be achieved (which would occasionally require His intervention in the affairs of mankind). In this plan God would allow man six millennial days (that's 6,000 years) to rule himself, but at the end of the six millennial days man would finally rest—as Christ will return to rule this earth during the seventh millennial day (2 Peter 3:8; Revelation 20:6).

So, just as God rested on the seventh day of creation week (Genesis 2:2-3), man will rest from sin on the seventh millennial day, as Christ will reign during this 1,000-year period (Revelation 20; 2 Peter 3:8).

Now, let's get back to our story.

Abel and Enoch

From the time of Adam's creation (approximately 3,973 BC) until the time of Noah's flood (approximately 2,321 BC) 1,652 years had elapsed, and yet the Bible only mentions three men in all that time who obeyed God: Abel (Adam and Eve's second son—who was murdered by his older brother Cain), Enoch (who was born about 619 years after the creation of Adam and Eve (about 3,354 BC), and then Noah.

Noah

During the time of Noah the Bible states: "The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only EVIL continually" (Genesis 6:5). Then it adds: "The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth" (Genesis 6:11-12). Therefore, God says to Noah: "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will DESTROY them with the earth" (Genesis 6:13).

But Noah found grace in the eyes of God, for Noah was a righteous and just man; and he walked with God (Genesis 6:8-9). So God told Noah that he would spare him and his family, but that he would have to build an ark to protect his family from the GREAT FLOOD that would soon come upon the whole earth. So Noah obeyed God and built the ark.

The Great Flood

The ark (i.e. ship) that Noah built was absolutely enormous and took 120 years to build! This gargantuan vessel was huge for a reason—as it would temporarily house at least one male and one female animal of every species on earth in order to protect them from the flood! And just before the barrage of rain commenced, Noah and his family boarded this incredibly large vessel with all the animals. Then for forty consecutive days torrential rains fell upon the earth; and the waters flooded the earth for 150 days (Genesis 7:17, 24), killing both man and beast. The only humans to survive were those that were on the ark—Noah's family of eight (which included Noah, his wife, their three sons and their wives).

Once the water subsided and the ground became dry, Noah and his family (and the animals that were with them) disembarked from the massive ship. The human race would now start all over again with just eight people.

With these eight people who survived the great flood the three major races would remain intact. For Noah and his wife had three sons, and these three sons each had a wife; one wife was apparently black, one white, and the other yellow (such as Chinese). [Now some may be wondering how these three different races ever appeared in the first place—since the human race was only started with one couple—Adam and Eve. Apparently, Eve was created differently than the women of today—she must have been created (unlike those who would follow her) with the ability to have children of different races—specifically the three main races: yellow, white, and black.]

Once the flood ended the human race began to proliferate, as Noah's three sons (Japheth, Shem, and Ham) begin to have children. But during this time everyone spoke the same language—and as a result mankind started to progress very rapidly.

Easter

And Easter is no different! The Bible NEVER tells us to celebrate Easter or the resurrection of Christ (though it does tell us to observe His death annually each year at the Passover or Lord's Supper (1 Corinthians 11:20-26). Like Xmas, Easter is also a heathen festival that dates back approximately 4,000 years. This pagan celebration was named in honor of a pagan goddess—Semiramis! The name of this pagan goddess in ancient England was Eastre or Eostre (hence, the name "Easter" today). Of course in other languages she was called by different names (such as Ostara, Austra, Austro, Aurora, Ausos, Astarte, Ashtoreth, Asherah, Ishtar, Isis, Diana, Inanna, Aphrodite, and Venus).

EASTER was considered the goddess of dawn, the goddess of sex (or fertility), and the goddess of spring. Her name as Ausos (in the Proto-Indo-European religion) means "SHINING ONE" (Wikipedia; article: Ausos). This is the exact same meaning of the word "Heylel"—the Hebrew word found in Isaiah 14:12 that is sometimes translated into English as LUCIFER! As a matter of fact some translations of the Bible (such as the YLT and BBE) translate Heylel as "shining one," while others translate it as Lucifer (such as the KJV, NKJV, and RHE)!

Also, in Lithuanian (as "Ausrine") she is considered the goddess of the "morning star" (Wikipedia; article: Ausrine), which is precisely what "shining one" is referring to! As a matter of fact, some translations of the Bible translate the Hebrew word "Heylel" into English as "morning star" (instead of "shining one" or "Lucifer"). "How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn" (Isaiah 14:12; NIV). And some translations render this same verse as "shining morning star" (CSB) or "bright morning star" (NIRV; GNT).

But what "star" are they referring to (in the expression "BRIGHT MORNING STAR")? Well, not a star at all, but a planet—the planet Venus, which was once considered a star. Why Venus? Because (other than the sun and moon) Venus is the BRIGHTEST celestial body in the sky and it appears in the eastern sky in the MORNING (first appearing about an hour or so before sunrise and then disappearing once the sun rises). This is also why it's sometimes referred to as the "light-bearer" or "light-bringer" as it appears to be escorting the sun to the earth each morning.

"Easter" then is synonymous with Lucifer! That is—SATAN the DEVIL! In Hebrew she was known as "Ashtoreth" or "Asherah" (and is sometimes referred to as "the queen of heaven"). The male version of her name is Astaroth—"the crowned prince of hell"; "a very powerful arch-demon" (Wikipedia; article: Astaroth). And in Akkadian (the extremely ancient Babylonian and Assyrian language) this "dawn, spring and sex goddess" was called ISHTAR—pronounced exactly as we pronounce "Easter" today! (The Two Babylons, Alexander Hislop)

Finally, the ancient pagans celebrated Easter in worship of Nimrod & Tammuz, as they believed that Nimrod was reincarnated (or resurrected) back to life as Tammuz. And they also worshiped Semiramis (Easter) on this day—since she was the one who gave birth to Tammuz—therefore she was considered "the mother of god," and "the mother goddess."

As a side note: Nimrod may have died on a Friday, as most people believe that Jesus died on a Friday—when in fact the Bible plainly shows that Jesus was crucified on a Thursday and NOT on a Friday (see Luke 24:1, 13, 20-21). And Tammuz very well may have been born on a Sunday.

Tower of Babel

After discussing Nimrod, the very next thing that the Bible mentions is the Tower of Babel.

Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. Then they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. And they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth." But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, "Now then, these are all one people and they speak one language; this is just the beginning of what they are going to do. Soon they will be able to do anything they want! COME, LET'S GO DOWN AND GIVE THEM DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. THEN THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER." So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. THAT IS WHY THE CITY WAS CALLED BABEL, BECAUSE IT WAS THERE THAT THE LORD CONFUSED THE PEOPLE BY GIVING THEM MANY LANGUAGES, THUS SCATTERING THEM ACROSS THE EARTH.

— Genesis 11:1-9 (NKJV; GNT; NLT)

Do you see the significance of this? Since all the people were speaking the same language it wouldn't be long at all (perhaps just a few hundred years; probably a thousand at the most) before mankind would be able to do most anything (including building nuclear bombs and other weapons of mass destruction)! Therefore, God had to intervene by giving them many different languages in order to drastically reduce their progress. Otherwise, man would have destroyed this earth and wiped out all life from this planet (including himself) a long time ago! But God could not allow this, for God had a 6,000-year plan that required man to exist until the end of six millennium days. Therefore God broke them up and scattered them by giving them many different languages.

Once God caused the people to speak different languages they stopped building the massive tower. They then became dispersed throughout the world, with those who spoke the same language migrating together to the same regions of the earth.

At that time the earth was one giant land mass and was NOT divided into different continents separated by vast oceans (as the Americas were at that time connected to western Europe/Africa, etc.). Therefore, it wasn't long before man was populating most of the earth. But once the different groups of people (who were separated based on a common language) were located where God wanted them, God then decided to divide the earth into the seven different continents (which in effect prevented mankind from easily travelling and associating with each other (Genesis 10:25).

But mankind did not give up the religion (the Babylon Mystery Religion) that Nimrod and Semiramis had founded. On the contrary, each group of people, no matter where they relocated, carried this corrupt and perverted religion with them. Of course now that they were speaking different languages the names of their gods were also different, and yet they were the same false gods.

As a result Nimrod became know as Osiris to the Egyptians, Cronus (or Ninus) to the Greeks, Saturn to the Romans, Marduk to the Babylonians, Zoraster to the Persians, Chemosh to the Moabites, Molech to the Amonites, and Baal (or Bel) to the Phoenicians and Canaanites. But regardless of his name, he was still the same false god. He was still considered the sun-god; the god of fire; the god of agriculture (along with Tammuz); the king of the universe; the father-god. {Side note: Marduk and Bel were associated (and often pictured) with a "great dragon or serpent [Satan the Devil!], which they of Babylon worshiped"! (See Wikipedia articles: "Marduk," "Mushussu")}

And Semiramis became known as Astarte to the Phoenicians, Venus to the Romans, Diana to the Ephesians, Aphrodite to the Greeks, Inanna to the Sumerians, Ashtoreth or Asherah to the Israelites, Isis to the Egyptians, Ishtar to the Babylonians and Assyrians, and Eastre to the English. But regardless of the name that she was called by, she was still the goddess of dawn; the sex goddess; the spring goddess; the queen of heaven; the queen mother; the virgin MOTHER goddess; the mother of god.

And Tammuz, her SON, became known as Horus to the Egyptians, Zeus (as well as Adonis) to the Greeks, Jupiter to the Romans, Krishna to the Hindus, Deoius to those in western Asia, and Ishvara (or Iswara) to those in India.

As time went on mankind became more and more depraved, even to the point of sacrificing their own children to their detestable gods! Since their god was also considered the god of agriculture, they thought sacrificing human beings to him would please him, and therefore he would bless them with abundant crops. So to the fire they went, roasted alive, as drummers pounded away on their drums to silence the agonizing screams of the innocent little children; while everyone else rejoiced and sang praises to their god!

So, was their god really pleased with this sacrificial offering? Absolutely! Because in reality their god was NOT really Nimrod, Baal, or Saturn; or Semiramis, Ishtar, or Venus; or even Tammuz, Horus, or Jupiter; but Satan the Devil—the god of this age—the one who deceives the whole world! (2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 12:9) And Satan loves when we hurt and destroy ourselves (as he is the one who inspires such depravity).

As a result Nimrod became know as Osiris to the Egyptians, Cronus (or Ninus) to the Greeks, Saturn to the Romans, Marduk to the Babylonians, Zoraster to the Persians, Chemosh to the Moabites, Molech to the Amonites, and Baal (or Bel) to the Phoenicians and Canaanites. But regardless of his name, he was still the same false god.

Finally, after the children were roasted, the priests of Baal would eat the dead children! And this is where the word "cannibal" comes from (canni = priest; bal = Baal; combined: "priest of Baal").

So does Satan really have the power to bless and increase our harvests? Of course NOT! Only the true God—the Creator of the universe—Almighty God—only He can bless us with healthy and plentiful crops. And He most certainly does NOT require human sacrifices!

But Satan deceived the people back then (just as he deceives us today) with his sick, disgusting and perverted lies! And as a result, the people paid a very heavy price, with the horrible death and atrocious suffering of their precious little children.

Then, out of this perverse, corrupt world, God decided to call a man, a man who would trust and obey Him, a man whom God could use in His plan to save mankind, a man by the name of…

Years later (Genesis 24), when Isaac is forty years old (Genesis 25:20), Abraham sends one of his servants to Haran (Genesis 27:43)—to where his relatives are living. (This is the same place that Abraham and his family had lived for twenty years while they traveled from Ur to Canaan.) Abraham instructs his servant to find a wife for Isaac among his relatives (for he did not want him to marry a Canaanite woman).

So the servant travels to Haran where he runs into REBEKAH, the granddaughter of Nahor (Abraham's brother). After talking to Rebekah and her family (her mother, her father Bethuel and her brother Laban), it is agreed that Rebekah will travel to the land of Canaan to marry Isaac. Upon leaving, a blessing is bestowed upon Rebekah, "may you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands; and may your descendants possess the gates of those who hate them" (Genesis 24:60).

Upon arriving in Canaan, Rebekah (who is very beautiful—Genesis 24:16) meets Isaac. She then becomes Isaac's wife, and Isaac loves her very much (Genesis 24:67).

About twenty years later (1816 BC and 2,157 years after the creation of Adam and Eve), when Isaac is 60 years old (Genesis 25:26), Rebekah has twin sons, Esau (later called Edom), and Jacob (Genesis 25:21-26).

When Esau and Jacob are teenagers their grandfather Abraham dies at 175 years old (Genesis 25:7-8). Afterwards, Esau sells his birthright (of being the firstborn) to his brother Jacob for a mere bowl of stew (Genesis 25:27-34).

The Promises Pass to Isaac

Shortly after Abraham's death God appears to Isaac and tells him, "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your Seed [the Messiah, Jesus Christ] all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws" (Genesis 26:2-5; Galatians 3:16).

So all the covenant promises that God first made to Abraham (many years before) are now passed on to Isaac (and NOT Ishmael). And God blesses Isaac exceedingly (Genesis 26:12-14), just as He had blessed Abraham. Later, God reaffirms His promises to Isaac: "And the Lord appeared to him… and said, 'I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham's sake'" (Genesis 26:24).

Then years later, when Isaac is old and blind, Jacob and Rebekah DECEIVE Isaac into pronouncing a blessing upon Jacob instead of Esau (Genesis 27:1-40). Isaac tells Jacob (in Genesis 27:28-29), "may God give you of the dew of heaven, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, and let your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be those who bless you!"

So not only has Jacob taken away Esau's birthright but he has taken away his blessing as well! After finding out about this Esau laments, "Is he not rightly named Jacob [supplanter]? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing!" (Genesis 27:36). Esau is furious over this new turn of events and pledges to kill Jacob (Genesis 27:41)! As a result, Rebekah tells Jacob that he should flee to her brother Laban in Haran (Genesis 27:42-45). She then tells Isaac that Jacob should not marry a Canaanite woman (but a woman from her family back in Haran).

"Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, and said to him: 'You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to… the house of Bethuel your mother's father; and take yourself a wife from there of the daughters of Laban your mother's brother. May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may be an assembly of peoples; and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and your descendants with you, that you may inherit the land in which you are a stranger, which God gave to Abraham.' So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Laban the son of Bethuel, …the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau" (Genesis 28:1-5).

The Promises Pass to Jacob

It is now the year 1745 BC (and about 2,228 years have passed since the creation of Adam and Eve) and Jacob is 71 years old. While Jacob journeys to Haran, ESAU (who already has several wives) marries Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael (Genesis 26:34, 28:9).

As Jacob travels to Haran, God appears to him in a dream and says: "I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your Seed [the Messiah, Jesus Christ] all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you" (Genesis 28:13-15). Therefore, all the covenant promises that God had first made with Abraham, and that had passed down to Isaac, have now passed down to Jacob (and NOT Esau)!

Jacob then arrives in HARAN and meets Laban (Rebekah's brother) and his family. He falls madly in love with Laban's youngest daughter RACHEL, who is very beautiful. He then agrees to work for Laban for seven years in exchange for marrying Rachel. But at the end of the seven years he is tricked by Laban into marrying Leah, Laban's oldest daughter. Jacob then works another seven years for Rachel, and therefore he has two wives, Leah and Rachel (Genesis 29:1-30).

Leah eventually has four sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah (Genesis 29:31-35), but Rachel is barren. Therefore, Rachel gives her maid Bilhah to Jacob to have children for her. Bilhah then has two sons, Dan and Naphtali (Genesis 30:1-8). But when Leah notices that she is no longer getting pregnant she gives her maid Zilpah to Jacob to have more children for her. Then Zilpah has two sons, Gad and Asher (Genesis 30:9-13). But then Leah has two more sons, Issachar and Zebulun (Genesis 30:17-20). Finally, Rachel gets pregnant and has a son, Joseph (Genesis 30:22-24).

During his stay at Haran Jacob becomes extremely wealthy, with very large flocks of sheep and goats, female and male servants, as well as herds of camels, donkeys, and cattle (Genesis 30:25-43, 32:5, 7, 13-15). He then decides to return to the land of Canaan with his family and possessions.

Jacob Renamed Israel

So after spending twenty years in Haran (the same amount of time that his grandfather Abraham had also spent in Haran), Jacob journeys back to the Promised Land, the land of Canaan (Genesis 31 & 32). On his way back, God (that is—the Word—Jesus Christ) meets him one evening and actually wrestles with him! (Genesis 32:24-32) God then tells him, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel ["struggles with God"]; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed" (Genesis 32:28)!

Jacob (now called Israel) finally arrives in Canaan, where he is warmly welcomed back by his brother Esau (Genesis 33).

Later on, God blesses Jacob, and confirms the covenant that He had made with him many years earlier. But this time God mentions that "a nation" AND "a company of nations" [assembly of nations–CSB; community of nations–NIV] would come from him, and that some of his descendants would be KINGS.

"'Your name is Jacob; your name shall NOT be called Jacob anymore, but ISRAEL shall be your name.' So He called his name ISRAEL. Also God said to him: 'I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation AND a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land'"

— Genesis 35:9-12

Sometime later Rachel dies while giving birth to another son, Benjamin (Genesis 35:16-20). So Jacob (that is, Israel) now has TWELVE SONS (Genesis 35:22).

Jacob eventually settles down near his father Isaac. And after some time Isaac dies at the age of 180 years old (Genesis 35:27-29). And just as Abraham's two sons (Ishmael and Isaac) buried Abraham, Isaac's two sons (Esau and Jacob) bury Isaac (Genesis 25:7-10, 35:29).

After the death of Isaac, ESAU takes his family, his servants, his herds, his flocks, and all his goods, and travels some distance away. He then makes his home at Mount Seir. Eventually his descendants would become known as Edomites, and the nation that he founded would be called EDOM (Genesis 36).

AFTER THE DEATH OF JOSEPH "the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.

"Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, 'Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.'

"Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel. So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor" (Exodus 1:7-14).

Regardless of what the Egyptians did, the Israelites continued to grow and multiply. Therefore, Pharaoh ordered that all male children born to Israelite women be thrown into the Nile River to die! (Exodus 1:22).

The Birth of Moses

It was at this time that an Israelite woman from the tribe of Levi (one of the twelve sons of Israel) bore a son. But instead of throwing him into the river, she instead puts him in a basket and places it among the reeds along the edge of the river (Exodus 2:1-3).

"And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, 'This is one of the Hebrews' children.'

"Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, 'shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?' And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, 'Go.'

"So the maiden went and called the child's mother. Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, 'Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.'

"So the woman took the child and nursed him. And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, 'Because I drew him out of the water'" (Exodus 2:4-10).

Moses Flees From Egypt

After being raised in the household of Pharaoh (and being trained and educated accordingly) Moses would grow up into a fine young man. But one day, at the age of forty, Moses (knowing that he was an Israelite and not an Egyptian) decided to visit his fellow Israelites. Seeing their heavy burdens, Moses was not pleased. The he noticed an Egyptian beating an Israelite. So he struck the Egyptian and killed him. Then he fled for his life, escaping into the land of Midian (Exodus 2:11-15).

For the next forty years Moses would live in the land of Midian, where he would become a shepherd, marry, and raise a family (Exodus 2:16-22, 7:7).

"Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them" (Exodus 2:23-25).

God Appears to Moses

So one day, while Moses was shepherding his flock, God appeared to him in a burning bush, and told him to return to the land of Egypt, that he would free the Israelites from slavery and lead them to the PROMISED LAND, a land flowing with milk and honey, the land of Canaan (Exodus 3).

So Moses returned to Egypt, and with his older brother Aaron, he explained to the leading men of Israel that God was about to free them and take them to the Promised Land (Exodus 4:27-31).

God Punishes Egypt

Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him that God wanted the Israelites to leave Egypt. But the king of Egypt refuses to let them go (Exodus 5). So God turns the Nile River into blood. But Pharaoh still refuses to let the Israelites go (Exodus 7:14-24).

God next plagues the land with frogs, millions and millions of frogs, but the king of Egypt still stubbornly refuses to let the Israelites go (Exodus 8:1-15). God then plagues the land with gnats, then flies, but Pharaoh still refuses to let the Israelites go (Exodus 8:16-32).

Next, God kills all the livestock belonging to the Egyptians, and He plagues the Egyptians with boils, hail, locusts, and darkness, but Pharaoh still refuses to let the Israelites go (Exodus 9 and 10).

God Passes Over Israel

Finally, God tells Moses, that on the 14th day of that month (which God tells him is the first month of the year) that He will kill all the firstborn in Egypt. But God says He will pass over the Israelite homes and not destroy their firstborn as long as they kill a lamb and put some of its blood on the outside of their door—and then when God sees the blood on their door He will pass over that particular home (Exodus 11 and 12).

So the Israelites do exactly as God instructed them to do: They kill a year-old male lamb (that has no defects or blemishes) at the beginning of the 14th day of the first month (just after sunset). Then they roast it over a fire. After it is cooked they eat it with unleavened bread (bread made without yeast) and bitter herbs. Then at midnight God kills all the firstborn of Egypt (all except those Israelites who followed God's command, as God passes over their homes and does not kill them).

Finally, in the morning—as they weren't allowed to leave their homes until morning (Exodus 12:22)—the Israelites (million of them!) pack all their things together and prepare to leave Egypt. "All the Egyptians [then] urged the people of Israel to get out of the land as quickly as possible, for they thought, 'We will all die!'

The Ten Commandments

Later on God would write the 10 Commandments on two tablets of stone with His own fingers (Exodus 32:15-16, 19; 34:1-4). Plus, He would give the Israelites several more annual festivals besides the Passover and Festival of Unleavened Bread.

Annual Observances

As I mentioned earlier, the New Year occurs each year in the SPRING. It takes place at the first new moon after the spring equinox—when the very first NEW (very small yet visible) crescent moon appears in the western sky shortly after sunset.

Then on the 14th day of this first month of the year is the Passover (Leviticus 23:5), followed by the Festival of Unleavened Bread. This feast takes place from the 15th day of the first month through the 21st, with both the 15th and 21st designated as annual holy days or ANNUAL Sabbath days (Leviticus 23:6-8).

Next, we have the Festival of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15-21). This feast is determined by first counting off seven full WEEKS from the first Sunday that occurs after the 14th day of the first month. And then on the next day after the seven weeks are completed is when this festival takes place (the 50th day). This day always occurs on a Sunday since it always occurs on the day after the seventh weekly Sabbath day. This day is the third ANNUAL holy day of the year. This observance is also called the Festival of Harvest because this is when the first produce (called the firstfruits) of the wheat is harvested each year (Exodus 23:16; 34:22). Another name for this ANNUAL Sabbath day is Pentecost (meaning "fiftieth day")—Acts 2:1.

The next ANNUAL HOLY DAY that occurs each year is the Day of Trumpets. This day takes place on the seventh new moon of the year—that is—the 1st day of the seventh month (Leviticus 23:23-25). This is the fourth ANNUAL Sabbath day of the year.

Next, we come to the Day of Atonement. This ANNUAL HOLY DAY occurs on the 10th day of the seventh month and represents the fifth ANNUAL Sabbath day of the year (Leviticus 23:26-32).

Finally, we come to the Festival of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-43). This celebration begins on the 15th day of the seventh month and lasts for seven days (from the 15th through the 21st). The 15th day marks the SIXTH ANNUAL HOLY DAY of the year. But then one more day (an eighth day) is added to this joyous seven-day celebration (Leviticus 23:39). This eighth day (which occurs on the 22nd day of the seventh month) is sometimes called "the last Great Day" (John 7:37) and is the seventh and final ANNUAL Sabbath day of the year. Another name for the Festival of Tabernacles is the Festival of Ingathering (Exodus 23:16) because this feast occurs at the end of the growing season, when all the crops from the field are gathered in.

These annual observances, when properly understood, outline God's plan of salvation for all mankind. They show not only what God has done in the past but also what He plans to do in the future. And when truly understood, they reveal an absolutely astonishing plan! Things that almost no one understands. I will be discussing these incredible eye-opening truths later in this book!

Animal Sacrifices

Another thing that God would institute at this time would be animal sacrifices. These sacrificial offerings were to be made twice every day—in the morning and in the evening: "The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, the other lamb you shall offer in the evening" (Numbers 28:4).

These animal sacrifices would remind the Israelites on a daily basis the severity of sin—that the penalty of sin is death (Romans 6:23)—as these lambs had to be killed because of their sins. They would also be reminded that the only way for our sins to be forgiven would be through the shedding of blood.

Of course these animal sacrifices were incapable of ever cleansing them from their sins, therefore they foreshadowed the sacrifice of Jesus Christ—the true Lamb of God—who would one day take away the sins of the world through His shed blood (John 1:29; Revelation 7:17).

God then appointed the Levites (that is—men from the tribe of Levi) to serve as priests and to administer and handle all religious matters (including all the work related to the Tabernacle, Ark of the Covenant, the Temple, Offerings, Sacrifices, etc.). No one from any other tribe was allowed to perform any of these religious responsibilities. This was to be a fulltime and permanent position for the sons of Levi. And in exchange for their service to God they were to receive tithes, firstfuits, offerings, etc. from all the other tribes in order to help support them (Numbers 18).

Joshua Leads the Israelites

It is now 1450 BC and 2,523 years have gone by since God first created Adam and Eve. With the death of Moses, it would now be left to Joshua to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land.

"After the death of Moses the LORD's servant, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' assistant. He said, 'Now that my servant Moses is dead, you must lead my people across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. I promise you what I promised Moses: 'Everywhere you go, you will be on land I have given you—from the Negev Desert in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River on the east to the Mediterranean Sea on the west, and all the land of the Hittites.'

"No one will be able to stand their ground against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. Be strong and courageous, for you will lead my people to possess all the land I swore to give their ancestors.

"Be strong and very courageous. Obey all the laws Moses gave you. Do not turn away from them, and you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of the Law [the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy] continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed.

"I command you—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go'"

— Joshua 1:1-9; NLT

So Joshua leads the people across the Jordan River into the Promised Land (Joshua 3). With the help of God, Joshua would spend the rest of his life conquering the land of Canaan and expelling its inhabitants (Joshua 4-13).

The Land is Divided Up

Once the Israelites had control of the land it was then divided up among the twelve tribes of Israel, with the tribe of Joseph getting a DOUBLE portion: one for the descendants of Ephraim (Joseph's son) and one for the descendants of Manasseh (Joseph's other son) (Joshua 13-21).

With Ephraim and Manasseh getting their own separate inheritance equal to that of the other tribes, there were now really thirteen separate tribes of Israel (instead of just twelve): Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin. [But remember, the extraordinary promises that God had made to Israel were destined to be fulfilled in just THREE of these tribes: the tribe of JUDAH (the promise of kings and the ultimate King—Jesus Christ), the tribe of MANASSEH (the promise of becoming a great, magnificent nation), and the tribe of EPHRAIM (the promise of becoming a great community of nations)].

As the years rolled by "the LORD had given the people of Israel rest from all their enemies. Joshua, who was now very old, called together all the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel.

Joshua's Farewell Speech

"He said to them, 'I am an old man now. You have seen everything the LORD your God has done for you during my lifetime. The LORD your God has fought for you against your enemies. I have allotted to you as an inheritance all the land of the nations yet unconquered, as well as the land of those we have already conquered—from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. This land will be yours, for the LORD your God will drive out all the people living there now. You will live there instead of them, just as the LORD your God promised you.

"So be strong! Be very careful to follow all the instructions written in the Book of the Law of Moses. Do not deviate from them in any way. Make sure you do not associate with the other people still remaining in the land. Do not even mention the names of their gods, much less swear by them or worship them. But be faithful to the LORD your God as you have done until now. For the LORD has driven out great and powerful nations for you, and no one has yet been able to defeat you. Each one of you will put to flight a thousand of the enemy, for the LORD your God fights for you, just as he has promised. So be very careful to love the LORD your God.'"

— Joshua 23; NLT

Joshua's Final Warning

"But if you turn away from him and intermarry with the survivors of these nations remaining among you, then know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive them out from your land. Instead, they will be a snare and a trap to you, a pain in your side and a thorn in your eyes, and you will be wiped out from this good land the LORD your God has given you.

"Soon I will die, going the way of all the earth. Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the LORD your God has come true. Not a single one has failed! But as surely as the LORD your God has given you the good things He promised, He will also bring disaster on you if you disobey Him. He will completely wipe you out from this good land He has given you. If you break the covenant of the LORD your God by worshiping and serving other gods, His anger will burn against you, and you will quickly be wiped out from the good land He has given you'"

— Joshua 23; NLT

"Then Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance. Soon after this, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110. They buried him in the land he had inherited… in the hill country of Ephraim" (Joshua 24:28-30; NLT).

Israel Turns From God

Once Joshua dies, it wouldn't be long before the Israelites would disobey God and do wicked things—even worshiping pagan deities! (Judges 2:1-3, 3:5-6) "The Israelites did what was evil in the LORD's sight. They forgot about the LORD their God, and they worshiped the images of Baal and the Asherah poles" (Judges 3:7; NLT).

These "poles" may very well have been obelisks. But what are obelisks and what were they used for? Let's let Ralph Woodrow explain: "Diodorus spoke of an ancient obelisk 130 feet high that was ERECTED BY QUEEN SEMIRAMIS IN BABYLON…. But it was in Egypt (an early stronghold of the Babylon mystery religion) that the use of the obelisk was best known….

"Originally, the obelisk was associated with sun-worship, a symbol of "Baal" (which was a title of Nimrod). The ancients—having rejected the knowledge of the true Creator—seeing that the sun gave life to plants and to man, looked upon the sun as a god, the great life giver.

"To them, the obelisk also had a sexual significance. Realizing that through sexual union life was produced, the phallus (the male organ of reproduction) was considered (along with the sun) a symbol of life…. In order for the obelisk to carry out their intended symbolism, they were placed upright—erect. Thus they pointed up—toward the sun. As a symbol of the phallus [erect penis], the erect position also had an obvious significance" (Babylon Mystery Religion, Woodrow, 1986, pages 39-40).

Today, interesting enough, ROME is considered "the obelisk capital of the world" (Wikipedia; article: obelisk). There is even a 320-ton obelisk at the entrance of St. Peter's in Rome. But obelisks are not just confined to Rome—they are all over the world, including London and New York City. But the tallest (and perhaps the most famous obelisk) is located in Washington DC—the Washington Monument!

But regardless if these "poles" were really obelisks or not—the fact remains that the Israelites had gotten into idolatry and were worshiping pagan gods! Therefore God punishes them, and as a result they fall subject to foreigners (Judges 3:8).

Solomon Becomes King

David would rule RIGHTEOUSLY (though not perfectly) for forty years over Israel, and then at the age of seventy he would die, and Solomon (one of David's sons) would become the next king of Israel.

It is now the year 1013 BC and 2,960 years have passed since the creation of Adam and Eve. Solomon is now the newly appointed KING of Israel, and he (like his father David) is from the tribe of Judah.

Then one evening "the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream… and God said, 'Ask! What shall I give you?' And Solomon said: 'You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore give to Your servant an UNDERSTANDING heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?'

Solomon Given Great Wisdom

"The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. Then God said to him: 'Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself UNDERSTANDING to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days" (1 Kings 3:5-14).

A short time later "two women who were harlots came to the king, and stood before him. And one woman said, 'O my lord, this woman and I dwell in the same house; and I gave birth while she was in the house. Then it happened, the third day after I had given birth, that this woman also gave birth. And we were together; no one was with us in the house, except the two of us in the house. And this woman's son died in the night, because she lay on him. So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your maidservant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. And when I rose in the morning to nurse my son, there he was, dead. But when I had examined him in the morning, indeed, he was not my son whom I had borne.

"Then the other woman said, 'No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.' And the first woman said, 'No! But the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.' Thus they spoke before the king.

"And the king said, 'The one says, 'This is my son, who lives, and your son is the dead one'; and the other says, 'No! But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.'' Then the king said, 'Bring me a sword.' So they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, 'Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.'

"Then the woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for she yearned with compassion for her son; and she said, 'O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!' But the other said, 'Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him.'

"So the king answered and said, 'Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him; she is his mother.'

"And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice" (1 Kings 3:16-28).

Israel Becomes Mighty

At this time the people of Israel "were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They were very contented, with plenty to eat and drink. King Solomon ruled all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far south as the border of Egypt. The conquered peoples of those lands sent tribute money to Solomon and continued to serve him throughout his lifetime….

"Solomon's dominion extended over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza. And there was peace throughout the entire land. Throughout the lifetime of Solomon, all of… ISRAEL LIVED IN PEACE AND SAFETY. And from Dan to Beersheba, each family had its own home and garden…. God gave Solomon GREAT WISDOM and understanding, and knowledge too vast to be measured. In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Egypt. He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite and Heman, Calcol, and Darda—the sons of Mahol.

"His fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations. He composed some 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs. He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall. He could also speak about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish. And kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon" (1 Kings 4:20-34; NLT).

The Temple is Built

In the fourth year of Solomon's reign he begins to build the TEMPLE of the LORD (1 Kings 6:1). And after seven years the building of the temple is completed (1 Kings 6:38). And it is absolutely MAGNIFICENT (1 Kings 6-8)! The Ark of the Covenant (a wooden box containing the 10 Commandments, as well as other things) is then placed in the Temple (1 Kings 8:1-6). Then at the dedication of the temple the people rejoice for fourteen consecutive days. Afterwards they all return home, "joyful and glad in heart for all the good things the LORD had done for His servant David and His people Israel" (1 Kings 8:62-66; NIV).

Elijah the Prophet

Elijah, a prophet of God, also lived during this time period. He would warn Israel (including king Ahab and queen Jezebel) night and day, and exhort them to repent. God backed up Elijah's preaching with many incredible miracles. Some of these miracles included bringing a dead boy back to life and stopping the rain for 3½ years (1 Kings 17-18; James 5:17). But perhaps the greatest miracle of all occurred when he confronted Ahab and the prophets of Baal:

"'So it's you, is it—Israel's troublemaker?' Ahab asked when he saw him. 'I have made no trouble for Israel,' Elijah replied. 'You and your family [especially queen Jezebel] are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the LORD and have worshiped the images of Baal [the sun-god Nimrod, the god of FIRE] instead. Now bring all the people of Israel to Mount Carmel, with all 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah [the goddess of sex—Semiramis/Easter], who are supported by Jezebel.'

Elijah Challenges Baal

"So Ahab summoned all the people and the prophets to Mount Carmel. Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, 'How long are you going to waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!' But the people were completely silent.

"Then Elijah said to them, 'I am the only prophet of the LORD who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets. Now bring two bulls. The prophets of Baal may choose whichever one they wish and cut it into pieces and lay it on the wood of their altar, but without setting fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood on the altar, but not set fire to it. Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by setting FIRE to the wood is the true God!' And all the people agreed.

"Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, 'You go first, for there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls and prepare it and call on the name of your god. But do not set fire to the wood.' So they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. Then they called on the name of Baal all morning, shouting, 'O Baal, answer us!' But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced wildly around the altar they had made.

Elijah Mocks Baal

"About noontime Elijah began mocking them. 'You'll have to shout louder,' he scoffed, 'for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or he is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or he is asleep and needs to be wakened!'

"So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out. They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no reply, no voice, no answer.

"Then Elijah called to the people, 'Come over here!' They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been torn down. He took twelve stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel, and he used the stones to rebuild the LORD's altar. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons. He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood. Then he said, 'Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood.' After they had done this, he said, 'Do the same thing again!' And when they were finished, he said, 'Now do it a third time!'

"So they did as he said, and the water ran around the altar and even overflowed the trench. At the customary time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, 'O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O LORD, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God and that You have brought them back to Yourself'" (1 Kings 18:17-37; NLT).

God Sends Fire From Heaven

"Immediately the fire of the LORD flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the ditch! And when the people saw it, they fell on their faces and cried out, 'The LORD is God! The LORD is God!'

"Then Elijah commanded, 'Seize all the prophets of Baal. Don't let a single one escape!' So the people seized them all, and Elijah took them down to the Kishon Valley and killed them there. Then Elijah said to Ahab, 'Go and enjoy a good meal! For I hear a mighty rainstorm coming [for at Elijah's command it hadn't rained for 3½ years!].'

Elijah Prays for Rain & It Rains!

"So Ahab prepared a feast. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and fell to the ground and prayed. Then he said to his servant, 'Go and look out toward the sea.' The servant went and looked, but he returned to Elijah and said, 'I didn't see anything.' Seven times Elijah told him to go and look, and seven times he went. Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, 'I saw a little cloud about the size of a hand rising from the sea.'

"Then Elijah shouted, 'Hurry to Ahab and tell him, 'Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don't hurry, the rain will stop you!'' And sure enough, the sky was soon black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel" (1 Kings 18:38-45; NLT; see also James 5:17-18).

Daniel

It was during this time that Daniel arose on the scene as one of God's greatest prophets. It was Daniel whom God gave visions concerning future world-ruling empires (which will be covered later in this book). God also revealed to Daniel that from the year in which a decree to rebuild Jerusalem was issued (457 BC) that it would take 490 years for the MESSIAH (Jesus Christ) to come, to set up His eternal kingdom and to fulfill all that the prophets had written about Him. Furthermore, God revealed that the Messiah would be killed 483 years after this decree was issued, leaving only seven years remaining—for a total of 490 years (Daniel 9:24-27; Ezra 7:7-26).

So God plainly told Daniel WHEN the Messiah would arrive (and die)! And about 500 years later the Messiah did come (and die) just as all the prophets had foretold. This is absolutely AMAZING! God revealed the EXACT year (even centuries beforehand!) in which the Messiah would arrive—and then die!

Daniel and His Three Friends

Daniel was taken into captivity along with all the other Jews when he was just a young man. He had three close friends: Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who were also taken captive at the same time. Their names would later be changed to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego by the king of Babylon (Daniel 1:6-7).

One day the king of Babylon declared that everyone in his kingdom must worship a golden image that he had set up. When Daniel's three friends refused to obey, they were cast into a fiery furnace. But God performed a miracle, and even though the fire was extremely hot (so hot that it killed the men who threw them into the fire), God protected Daniel's three friends. And even though they were in the flames, they didn't burn! As a result, the pagan king of Babylon decreed that no one in his kingdom could say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—the true God—the Creator of heaven and earth (Daniel 3).

Daniel Thrown Into Lion's Den

Many years later, the Persians would defeat the Babylonians and take control of the Babylonian Empire. The new king (Darius) would promote Daniel to the top position in his government (Daniel 6:1-3). But other government officials became jealous of Daniel and tricked the king into signing a decree making it illegal for anyone to pray to any god except the king. As a result of this decree Daniel is arrested and thrown into a den full of lions! (Daniel 6:4-16)

But God is with Daniel and the ferocious beasts don't touch him! Later, the king orders Daniel to be removed from the lion's den and his accusers to be thrown in instead! "And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions—them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den" (Daniel 6:24).

Judah Returns to the Promised Land

About this time Cyrus king of Persia makes a decree that the Jews could return to the Promised Land (Ezra 1). So many Jews leave Babylon and return to Jerusalem (Ezra 2). Once there they rebuild the Temple which had been totally destroyed by the Babylonians. During this time Ezra the Scribe rises on the scene as a leader of the people, teaching them once again the Law of God (Ezra 7:10).

But the walls of Jerusalem are still in ruins, so a man by the name of Nehemiah seeks permission from king Artaxerxes to return to Jerusalem to rebuild its walls. Once permission is granted, Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem and begins to rebuild the city's walls. (It is from this decree that the prophecy that Daniel received—concerning the arrival of the Messiah—begins to be fulfilled!) Though many people tried to stop them, the walls are finally completed—in record time—just 52 days! (Nehemiah 6:15)

Once the walls are finished, Ezra gathers all the people together and reads to them the law of Moses. As they listen to him read, day after day, they are convicted of their sins and repent, and the whole nation begins to change for the better; and they covenant with God to OBEY Him (Nehemiah 8-10, 13).

The Old Testament is Completed

The last books of the Old Testament are written about this time. The scriptures are now complete and will not be added to for nearly 500 years.

Greece Conquers the World

During this time GREECE begins to rise as a world power, and ALEXANDER the GREAT eventually conquers the known world. Greek then becomes the common language of the world. It is during this time (around 250 BC) that the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament) are translated for the first time into another language—Greek. This Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures is called the Septuagint.

It is now about 3,700 years since the creation of Adam and Eve. Alexander the Great has died and his empire has been divided among four of his generals. The descendants of these four generals will rule for the next few hundred years. But eventually ROME would conquer all—and the Roman Empire would rule the world.

Roman Empire Conquers the World

Many more years pass and God would not communicate again with mankind until John the Baptist arrived on the scene about 500 years later!

It is now 4 BC and the ROMAN EMPIRE has conquered the known world. By this time about 3,969 years have elapsed since the creation of Adam and Eve. The Jews are back in the Promised Land but they are subject to ROME. They anxiously await their Messiah who they hope will free them from Roman oppression. But the Messiah would not come to free them—at least not at this time—though someday He will.

This is an ideal time for a Savior to appear! For not only is the world united (under the Roman Empire), but there is also a universal language that most people can speak (i.e. Greek). This would facilitate the spread of the gospel, as Jesus's disciples would be able to travel more easily throughout the world in order to tell the nations about Jesus Christ (since it was all one empire), and they would be able to communicate to them in a common language (Greek).

Baby Jesus Worshiped & Adored

Several months later "after Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him'" (Matthew 2:1-2; NIV).

After meeting with Herod the king, the Magi are told to go to Bethlehem, and they obey. "After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child [not "baby"] was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house [not "manger"], they saw the child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route" (Matthew 2:9-12; NIV).

Jesus as a Boy

Afterwards, Mary and Joseph (and the child Jesus) flee to Egypt as an evil king named Herod was searching for Jesus in order to kill Him. But once Herod is dead they return to the Promised Land and settle in a town called Nazareth (Matthew 2:13-23; Luke 2:39). Jesus would live in this city for nearly thirty years.

"Every year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover [and the Festival of Unleavened Bread]. When He was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. After the Feast was over, while His parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking He was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for Him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find Him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for Him.

"After three days they found Him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. EVERYONE WHO HEARD HIM WAS AMAZED AT HIS UNDERSTANDING AND HIS ANSWERS. When His parents saw Him, they were astonished. His mother said to Him, 'Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.'

"'Why were you searching for me?' He asked. 'Didn't you know I had to be in My Father's house [i.e. the temple]?' But they did not understand what He was saying to them.

"Then He went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men" (Luke 2:41-52; NIV).

John the Baptist

About eighteen years later, God spoke through a man named JOHN (the Baptist), who was about six months older than Jesus. John had a very unique message, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matthew 3:2).

For the Jews, this was absolutely incredible news, as they believed that the Messiah would soon appear and save them from the yoke of the Romans, and perhaps that was one of the reasons why John the Baptist was immensely popular—as he was the first prophet of God to appear in nearly 500 years!

And John's message of repentance was right on target, as the people were full of greed, envy, and covetousness. Many were also religious hypocrites—acting religious, but not really obeying God—putting on a big religious show—but without any true faith.

John was preaching repentance, and the people were repenting. And when they repented, John would baptize them by immersing them underwater as a sign of their repentance. "Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River" (Matthew 3:6; NIV).

John Rebukes the Religious Hypocrites

"But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees [the religious leaders] coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: 'You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? PRODUCE FRUIT IN KEEPING WITH REPENTANCE. And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

"'I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor, gathering His wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire'" (Matthew 3:7-12; NIV).

Jesus is Baptized & His Ministry Begins

It is now the year 27 AD (and about 4,000 years have passed since the creation of Adam and Eve) and Jesus Christ (at the age of 30; Luke 3:23) comes to John to be baptized. John, realizing that Jesus was the Messiah—the Son of God—tries to deter Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and do you come to me?" But Jesus answers and tells him, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." After hearing this John obeys and baptizes Jesus (Matthew 3:13-15; NIV).

"And when Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on Him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased'" (Matthew 3:16-17; RSV).

"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be TEMPTED BY THE DEVIL. After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. The TEMPTER came to Him and said, 'If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.' Jesus answered, 'It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.''

"Then the devil took Him to the holy city and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple. 'If you are the Son of God,' he said, 'throw yourself down. For it is written: 'He will command His angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'' Jesus answered him, 'It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.''

"Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 'All this I will give you,' he said, 'if you will bow down and worship me.' Jesus said to him, 'Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'' Then the devil left Him, and angels came and attended Him" (Matthew 4:1-11; NIV).

Jesus Begins Preaching

It is now 27 AD and Jesus (at about the age of 30) begins His ministry. He preaches, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15).

In His first sermon Jesus declares who He is as He reads a passage in the Old Testament that was written about Himself:

"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD"

— Luke 4:18-19 (Isaiah 61:1-2)

"Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, 'Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing'" (Luke 4:20-21).

Why Did Jesus Die?

What does the death of Jesus do for us? It pays the penalty of our sins! We have all sinned against God and incurred a debt that can ONLY be paid by death. "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Therefore, either we must pay the penalty for our sins (i.e. we die for eternity), OR someone else pays the penalty for us.

But only God Himself is valuable enough to pay for all of the sins of all of mankind! And that is exactly what Jesus did—He paid our debt in FULL—so that we don't have to pay it! As it says in Colossians 2:13-14: "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us ALL our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, NAILING IT TO THE CROSS" (NIV).

But the blessings don't stop there: For not only can we be forgiven of all our sins because of Christ's death, but we can also live forever if we repent, accept Christ's payment for our sins through faith, and become obedient to God! As Romans 6:23 continues: "…but the GIFT of God is ETERNAL LIFE in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Jesus is Resurrected Back to Life

But, the story doesn't end here, as Jesus would rise from the dead! Three days and three nights after being placed in a grave, Jesus was resurrected back to life—as the FIRST human being ever to be born as an immortal Son of God! But at this point He was not the ONLY begotten Son of God, for He had already been begotten when He was first conceived in His mother Mary. Now He was BORN of God—born into God's family as an immortal SPIRIT being! "And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, THE FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD, that in all things He may have the preeminence" (Colossians 1:18).

Jesus was in the grave three days and three nights (72 hours). He was placed in the grave just before sunset on a Thursday (he was crucified on a Thursday—NOT a Friday). Therefore, He was resurrected to life three days (72 hours) later—just before sunset on a Saturday (the Sabbath)! At this time NO ONE was present! NO ONE was there when the stone was rolled away and Christ emerged! His resurrection took place Saturday afternoon just before the sun set!

The next morning (Sunday morning, just as the sun was coming up), some of Jesus' female followers arrived at the grave—but Jesus was NOT there—He had risen the day before—while it was still the Sabbath! And the stone had already been rolled away! Jesus was NOT resurrected on a Sunday morning—but on Saturday—before sunset—just before the Sabbath had ended!

Now many people say that Jesus was only in the grave two nights (Friday night and Saturday night). But if that were the case Jesus would have lied (which is impossible). For Jesus said "as Jonah was THREE days and THREE nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be THREE days and THREE nights in the heart of the earth" (Matthew 12:40). Clearly He said THREE nights and NOT two nights!

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

That same day (Sunday) Jesus appears to some of His disciples—and not just once but several times. The first to see Him were some of His female followers (who were at the tomb that morning). And later that day Jesus appeared to some of His male followers as they were walking along a road (Luke 24).

Then "on the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!'

"After He said this, He showed them His hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

"Again Jesus said, 'Peace be with you! As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you.' And with that He breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.'

"Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord!' But he said to them, 'Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe it.'

"A week later His disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!' Then He said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.' Thomas said to Him, 'My Lord and my God!' Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen Me, you have believed; BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN AND YET HAVE BELIEVED'" (John 20:19-29; NIV).

Jesus Returns to Heaven

For the next 40 days, Jesus continues to appear to His disciples and followers, instructing them about God's Kingdom (Acts 1:1-3). And over 500 people actually saw the risen Christ during this period (1 Corinthians 15:6)!

Then, after His 40 days on earth, as His disciples stood around Him, Jesus ascended up into the sky, until a cloud took Him out of their sight. Suddenly, two angels appeared to them and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so COME in like manner as you saw Him GO into heaven" (Acts 1:9-11)!

Jesus is now sitting at the right hand of God the Father in heaven, waiting for the day when He will return to earth to rule over all nations as King of kings and Lord of lords (Daniel 7:14; Matthew 24:30; Hebrews 1:1-4, 10:12).

Saul's Conversion

But one day, God stopped Saul in his tracks! "Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way [the early Church], whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

"As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?'

"'Who are you, Lord?' Saul asked. 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' He replied. 'Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.'

"The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

"In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, 'Ananias!' 'Yes, Lord,' he answered.

"The Lord told him, 'Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.'

"'Lord,' Ananias answered, 'I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on Your name.'

"But the Lord said to Ananias, 'Go! This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.'

"Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.' Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

"Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, 'Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?' Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ" (Acts 9:1-22; NIV).

Saul would eventually change his name to PAUL, and would become the most renowned of all the apostles, writing most of the New Testament, performing incredible miracles, and travelling across the Roman Empire—spreading the gospel.

Paul Performs Miracles

God performed many wonderful miracles at the hands of Paul. Let me share with you one of them:

"In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, 'Stand up on your feet!' At that, the man jumped up and began to walk" (Acts 14:8-10; NIV).

He also raised a man from the dead: "Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. 'Don't be alarmed,' he said. 'He's alive!' … The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted" (Acts 20:9-12; NIV).

Paul Shipwrecked

Paul's life was constantly in danger. Once on a voyage to Rome he was shipwrecked on an island. While he was there building a fire a poisonous viper came out and bit him. But God saved Paul as he shook the viper off and was not harmed (Acts 28:1-6).

Paul Greatly Suffers for the Cause of Christ

Paul's life as an apostle was a life of trials, hardships, and sufferings. He and the apostles lived very difficult lives, as he describes in one of his letters:

"To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world"

— 1 Corinthians 4:11-13; NIV

"Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked"

— 2 Corinthians 11:24-27; NIV

Paul's Warning

But despite all of his hardships, Paul continued to press on—until the very end. And he also used his letters to WARN the Church, as he wrote in his letter to the Galatians:

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to A DIFFERENT GOSPEL—which is really NO GOSPEL AT ALL. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to PERVERT the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!"

— Galatians 1:6-9; NIV

A False Christianity Arises

So even while the apostle Paul was still alive, a different gospel—a counterfeit gospel, a perverted Christianity—was beginning to emerge. And it was this FALSE Christianity that would eventually become the Christianity of the world today! This FALSE Christianity would absorb and adopt the Babylon Mystery Religion, with its triune godhead (the trinity), the wearing of crosses (a symbol of Tammuz), Sunday worship (the day of the sun), Xmas (in honor of the birthday of Tammuz—the sun-god, the god of fire), and Easter (in honor of the sex goddess Semiramis/Ishtar).

And what's even worse, this perverted religion—this counterfeit Christianity—would also reject and abolish God's Sabbaths and annual observances (the ones that outline God's plan of salvation for mankind). Instead, they would embrace Sunday and the heathen holidays of Easter and Xmas!

The New Testament is Completed

It is now about 100 AD. All of the original apostles have now died. All have been martyred except the apostle John (who died of old age). The apostle John finished writing the last book of the Bible, Revelation, about 95 AD. The Bible is now complete. It will never be added to again!

The Other Lost Tribes of Israel

But what about the other "lost" tribes of Israel? Where did they go? Where are they today?

After the ten northern tribes of Israel (including Manasseh and Ephraim) were taken captive by the Assyrians to the southern shores of the Caspian Sea (around 722 BC), they lived there for many years. Eventually though, the Israelites would leave (around 600-500 BC) and migrate north and west—heading for Europe.

These early Israelites, after departing the southern shores of the Caspian Sea, were known by many names as they crossed over the Caucasus Mountains and began migrating toward Europe. Names like "Sakae" (the Assyrian name for the house of Isaac), "Gimira" (the Assyrian name for the Israelites), "Sacasene" (the Greek name for the Israelites), "Scythians" (the name given to them by the Greeks when they first appeared in the early 7th century BC), "Gauls" (the name given to them by the Romans), "Celts" (a Greek word meaning "secret people"), "Cimmerians," "Germani," etc.

But the name that stuck more than any other was the name "SAXON," derived from "sons of Isaac!" Isaac's sons = I-Saac-sons = Saxons! (Note: since Ishmael was a son of Abraham through Hagar the Egyptian maid, and since only Isaac was a son of Abraham through Sarah, "Isaac" refers exclusively to all of Jacob's descendants.)

The Ten Tribes Settle in Europe

Eventually these Israelites would settle in northwestern Europe, with each tribe forming its own nation or settling in a particular region of Europe. The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh would eventually settle in the British Isles, and eventually some of their descendants would migrate to the United States, Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

Here now is a general listing of which tribes settled where:

Since many of the same people from one tribe settled in more than one country (such as several tribes sharing the British Isles, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, etc.), many of the countries mentioned above share people from more than one tribe. The listing above simply gives a general outline of where each of the tribes settled—with the main body of Reubenites going to France, the main body of Naphtali going to Sweden, etc.

The Lost Tribes Are NOT Really Lost

So the ten tribes of the northern Kingdom of Israel (that became "lost" after being taken captive by the Assyrians around 722 BC) are NOT really lost at all! Instead, they are the nations of northwestern Europe, the British Commonwealth, and the United States of America (which is primarily composed of people from the tribe of Manasseh)!

And interestingly enough—it was the descendants of these "lost" Israelites—called by God—who would later go on to take the gospel to the rest of the world!

SIDE NOTE: The name "British" (of the British people and the British Isles) is derived from two Hebrew words: "beriyth" (pronounced ber-eeth'), meaning "covenant," and "iysh" (pronounced eesh), meaning "man." So "British" (beriythiysh) means "covenant man." And the name of the islands on which the tribe of Ephraim primarily settled—the British Isles—literally means the "Covenant Man Islands"!

Germans are NOT Israelites

But are ALL EUROPEANS Israelites? The answer is NO. For example, the Germans are NOT Israelites! The ancient ASSYRIANS—those that took the Israelites captive—eventually migrated to Europe and became the German people! If you study the customs and character of the ancient Assyrians you will notice a very similar character to the Germans! They love discipline and order—are a very smart, diligent, industrious, creative, and inventive people—have a love for high quality, advanced engineering, intricate design, inventions, and music—and can be very aggressive and warlike!

Furthermore, the Romans are NOT Israelites either. And neither are the Greeks, the Russians, the Spanish, the Portuguese, and many others. Though in many cases, some Israelites have mixed in with these people, as have Jews (such as those who settled in Spain, etc.).

IT IS 603 BC and God gives Daniel a dream that foretells the rise and fall of GENTILE (non-Israelite) world-ruling empires, from the time of ancient Babylon all the way down to the return of Christ.

Daniel answered and said: "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him.

"I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of You, for You have made known to us the king's demand"

— Daniel 2:20-23

Daniel Interprets the Dream

Daniel then approaches the king and explains to him his dream and the interpretation of the dream:

"You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. This image's HEAD was of fine GOLD, its chest and arms of SILVER, its belly and thighs of BRONZE, its legs of IRON, its feet partly of iron and partly of CLAY. You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

"This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king"

— Daniel 2:31-36

Babylon Represented by Head of Gold

"You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all—YOU ARE THIS HEAD OF GOLD"

— Daniel 2:37-38

So the head of gold represents BABYLON (the Babylonian empire), the world-ruling empire at that time under king Nebuchadnezzar. And this head of gold (Babylon) would rule the world from 625-539 BC (or 86 years).

Persia Represented by Chest & Arms of Silver

"But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours"

— Daniel 2:39a

Then another kingdom would arise—represented by the chest and arms of silver. This second world-ruling empire was the PERSIAN empire. The Persians conquered the Babylonians in 539 BC and ruled the world until 330 BC (or 209 years).

Greece Represented by Belly & Thighs of Bronze

"then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth"

— Daniel 2:39b

Then a third kingdom would rule the world—represented by the belly and thighs of bronze. This third world-ruling empire was GREECE, the Greco-Macedonian empire under Alexander the Great. The Greeks conquered the Persians in 330 BC. After Alexander died in 323 BC (at the young age of 32), his kingdom was divided among his four generals (Ptolemy, Seleucis, Lysimachus, and Cassander). And it was their descendants (and empires) that would rule the world until the ROMANS conquered them in 31 BC. So the Greeks ruled the world for about 299 years.

Rome Represented by Legs of Iron

"And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others"

— Daniel 2:40

Next was a fourth world-ruling empire—represented by two legs of iron. This fourth world-ruling empire was ROME! And like two legs, the Roman empire eventually divided into an eastern leg and a western leg. The western leg was eventually overrun by barbarians in 476 AD; but the eastern leg (known as the Byzantine Empire) would continue until 1453 AD when the Turks brought it to an end. Rome then ruled the world for over 500 years—from 31 BC to 476 AD (507 years)—and the eastern leg continued for 977 more years!

Revised Roman Empire Represented by Feet of Iron and Clay

"Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay"

— Daniel 2:41-43

Notice what happens next. The two legs of iron turn into two feet of iron mixed with clay. This represents a REVISED Roman Empire—with ten toes—representing ten KINGS (or kingdoms). This still-future empire will be composed of ten nations (with TEN KINGS) who will unite into one European superpower. I say "European" because the Roman Empire was located in Europe. So the revised Roman Empire (which I call the United States of Europe) will also be located in Europe. And like the two legs, these ten nations will probably be subdivided into an Eastern and Western grouping of five nations (five kings) each.

But this END-TIME union of ten European nations (unlike the original Roman Empire which was represented by legs of pure iron) will have some weaknesses (as the feet is composed partly of iron and partly of clay)—some of the nations will be strong (like iron) while others will be weak (like clay). And unlike the original Roman empire that was a stable and lasting empire—this final union of nations, because of its inherent weaknesses—will NOT last very long! And as Daniel prophesied, it will only be in existence for a short period of time, for shortly after it arises on the scene it will be destroyed by Christ at His return.

SO WHAT'S GOING to happen in the NEAR FUTURE? How much longer do we have before Christ returns? And what's going to happen until then? Let's find out. And let's start by reading what Jesus told His disciples nearly 2,000 years ago!

Signs of the Times

"Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?'

"And Jesus answered and said to them: 'Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

"For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows'"

— Matthew 24:3-8

Persecution of the Saints

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. AND THIS GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM WILL BE PREACHED IN ALL THE WORLD AS A WITNESS TO ALL THE NATIONS, AND THEN THE END WILL COME"

— Matthew 24:9-14

Abomination of Desolation

"Therefore when you see the 'ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath"

— Matthew 24:15-20

Great Tribulation

"For then there will be GREAT TRIBULATION, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. AND UNLESS THOSE DAYS WERE SHORTENED, NO FLESH [no human being; no physical life at all] WOULD BE SAVED [alive]; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened"

— Matthew 24:21-22

Return of Jesus Christ

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. THEN THE SIGN OF THE SON OF MAN WILL APPEAR IN HEAVEN, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will SEE THE SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN WITH POWER AND GREAT GLORY. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other"

— Matthew 24:29-31

No One Knows the Day or Hour

"But of that day and hour NO ONE KNOWS, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be…. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming…. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect"

— Matthew 24:36-44

So Jesus tells us that NO ONE knows the exact day or hour of His return—not even the angels or Jesus Himself! Only God the Father knows the day and hour.

But even though we don't know the exact day or the exact hour—we should be able to know the general time frame of Christ's return. Jesus expects us to discern the signs of the times, as He said to the Pharisees and Sadducees: "You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky [in order to forecast the weather], but you cannot interpret the signs of the times" (Matthew 16:3; NIV).

So let's now examine the SIGNS OF THE TIMES (in a little more detail) so that we can know just where we are on God's timetable.

6,000 Years Almost Up

As I mentioned before, God has given man six millennial days (6,000 years) to do things his own way, and then God will usher in the seventh millennial day (in which Christ will reign for 1,000 years). Well, how much time do we have left? The answer is: NOT MUCH! For man's six millennial days (6,000 years) are almost up!

And we should also expect the following: At the end of the 6,000 years (which apparently is not too far off), and after the "abomination of desolation" is set up in the temple—THE GREAT TRIBULATION should begin! But how long will the great tribulation last?

The Great Tribulation Will Last 3½ Years

The great tribulation will last 3½ years (Daniel 7:25, 12:7; Revelation 11:2-3, 12:6, 12:14, 13:5). (Note: 3½ years = 42 months = 1,260 days = "a time, times, and half a time.") And the BEAST POWER (the European superpower) will be on the scene during these 3½ years (Revelation 13:5).

The great tribulation will also be the time period in which the "BEAST" and "FALSE PROPHET" will be at the height of their power: deceiving the world, persecuting the saints, and performing counterfeit miracles and wonders.

Two Witnesses

At this time God will also send TWO WITNESSES to prophesy and witness to the people of the world, telling them to REPENT, warn them of God's impending punishment, and announcing the SOON-COMING RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST!

"And I will give power to My two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days [3½ years], clothed in sackcloth…. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire"

— Revelation 11:3-6

The Two Witnesses Are Killed

"When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified [Jerusalem]. Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth"

— Revelation 11:7-10

The Two Witnesses Are Resurrected

"Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, 'Come up here.' And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them"

— Revelation 11:11-12

Seventh Trumpet – Christ Returns!

"Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!'"

— Revelation 11:15

As this seventh and last trumpet sounds, Jesus Christ returns to this earth and all the saints are resurrected to immortal life! This is the time of the FIRST RESURRECTION!

Battle of Armageddon

As Christ returns to this earth, the armies of the world will be gathered together to fight against Him at a place called ARMAGEDDON (Revelation 16:16). But their efforts will be futile, as Christ will easily defeat them!

"Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS"

— Revelation 19:11-16

Beast & False Prophet Cast Into Lake of Fire

"Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh"

— Revelation 19:20-21

Satan Bound for 1,000 Years

"Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while"

— Revelation 20:1-3

The First Resurrection

As Jesus Christ returns to this earth the FIRST RESURRECTION occurs! All true Christians—both those who have already died as well as those who are still alive—will be instantly changed into immortal spirit beings!

"Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality"

— 1 Corinthians 15:51-53

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord"

— 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

"And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years"

— Revelation 20:4-6

So all true Christians (those who obeyed God during their physical lives) will be RESURRECTED at this time. They will be transformed into immortal spirit beings! They will never die again! And they will reign WITH CHRIST for 1,000 years!

AFTER THE MILLENNIUM, several very important events will take place that will affect every human being that has ever lived!

Satan Released

At the end of the millennium, Satan will be released from his prison for a short while.

"Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever"

— Revelation 20:7-10

The Great White Throne Judgment

After Satan is cast into the lake of fire, the GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT will occur. This is when ALL people who have ever lived (and who were NOT in the first resurrection) will be resurrected back to physical life! This is when they will be given their first real opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and to receive eternal life!

"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books"

— Revelation 20:11-12

This is when the BILLIONS of people who never had a real chance to accept Jesus Christ will finally be given their opportunity! People like the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Chinese, Japanese, Indians, Africans, Native Americans, etc.—as well as all the babies and children who died before they were old enough to understand—will all be resurrected and given their chance to accept Jesus Christ and receive eternal life!

This is also when all the people who thought they were Christians (but who were deceived by a counterfeit Christianity) will be given their chance. They too will be resurrected and given the opportunity to accept the REAL Jesus Christ and His TRUE gospel—the gospel of the Kingdom of God!

The Second Death

But what happens to those who REJECT God's offer of salvation? What happens to those who REFUSE to repent and accept Jesus Christ?

"The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire"

— Revelation 20:13-15

Those who reject God will be thrown into the lake of fire and will be burned up! They will NOT burn forever (as some teach), but will instead be CONSUMED by the fire! They will die the SECOND DEATH—a death from which there is no resurrection!

"But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death"

— Revelation 21:8

New Heaven & New Earth

After the second death, God will create a NEW HEAVEN and a NEW EARTH! And God the Father will come down to the earth and dwell with His children forever!

"Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away'"

— Revelation 21:1-4

All Things Made New

"Then He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' And He said to me, 'Write, for these words are true and faithful.' And He said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son'"

— Revelation 21:5-7