CREATION--INNOCENCE

God's Spirit moved on the face of the deep

Creation of the earth, all animals, plants and mankind.

God created the Heavens and the Earth and all living creatures in six days.

THE FALL

Adam and Eve obeyed Satan and disobeyed God. As a result, they were under a curse and became servants of Satan.Whoever you yield yourself as servant to obey, that's whose servant you are.

During this period, people lived much longer than they do now but death cam none the less.

The curse and bondage has been passed on from generation to generation.

The first murder took place.

Evil increased on the earth over time until God was very angry with mankind.

THE FLOOD

2348 BC, God told Noah to build the ark and give him the exact pattern to build it. It took Noah about 100 years to build the ark.

Noah put each kind of animal on the ark, but only those kinds of animals that have breath in their nostrils were included. God gave us no definition of what a kind is.

All mankind and all the beasts of the earth were killed except those preserved in the ark. The wages of sin is death. God will not always strive with man.

2234 BC, The Tower of Babel and the confusion of tongues.

THE MESSIANIC NATION

God's desire has always been that he would have fellowship with his people. He always attemptse to have fellowship with everyone but ends up with those who are willing.

1921 BC, Abraham believes God and goes to the land of promise.

Abraham was father of two great nations, Ishmael, the son of the servant maiden and Isaac, the son for promise. Ismael is a type of the flesh. Esau is a type of the flesh.

God assured that the lineage that would bring forth the Messiah, the Anointed One, was preserved.

Isaac

1760 BC, Esau and Jacob/Israel.

The twelve brothers became twelve tribes.

Joseph is sold into Egypt because of the envy of his brothers, but God uses this to save the entire nation.

1715 BC, Joseph becomes governor in Egypt.

1706 BC, Jacob and all his children move to Egypt.

1635 BC, Joseph dies.

The children of Israel are turned into slaves by a cruel pharaoh.

tretch: normal;"> 1571 BC, Moses is spared destruction as a baby when pharaoh kills all male babies of the Israelites.

1531 BC, Moses grows up in the house of pharaoh, but is forced to flee for his life to the back side of the desert at age 40.

1491 BC, At age 80, God sends Moses back to free Israel from Egypt.

1491 BC, Through Moses, God sends many plagues against Egypt until the pharaoh lets Israel go.

1491 BC, Moses and the Children of Israel cross the red sea with the Egyptians, who had changed their minds, right behind them. God put a pillar of fire between them so His people were kept safe.

1491 BC, After all the Children of Israel were across, God allowed the red sea to close in on the Egyptian army.

1491 BC, The law was given on Mount Sinai.

Moses built a tabernacle according to the pattern that God had shown him.

When the tabernacle was completed according to the pattern, God's glory filled it.

God's people continually broke the law, showing that there is not a just man upon earth who does good and doesn't sin.

When God brought the Children of Israel to the promised land, they were afraid and refused to go in, so God let them wander in the desert for forty years.

1451 BC, After forty years, they went into the promised land. Moses, at 120, was still strong, but God wouldn't allow him to go over Jordan River to the promised land. Joshua took them in.

They had to take the land. God told them to kill every person and to spare none. This is a type of our battle against our own flesh.

Judges were set over the people to rule them. God ruled through the judges.

1394 - 1354 BC, Othniel

1249 - 1209 BC, Gideon

1157 - 1117 BC, Eli

The people drifted away from God and did that which was right in their own eyes.

1117 - 1095 BC, Samuel

Finally, the Israelites asked for a king like the other nations had. They rejected God's rule over them.

1095 BC, God gave them King Saul

1055 BC, King David

1015 BC, King Solomon.

Solomon builtthe Templeaccording to the pattern that God had given to David.

When the temple was completed according to the pattern, God's glory filled the temple.

After Solomon, the kingdom was split into the Kingdom of Judah and the Kingdom of Israel. Other kings followed. Some kings were good and some followed idolatry and all sorts of evil. God judged evil and blessed good.

God sent prophets to warn the Children of Israel, but the Children of Israel wouldn't listen to them.

721 BC, Israel goes into captivity.

587 BC, Judah goes into captivity.

535 BC, God released His people from captivity and they rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem.

516 BC, The temple was dedicated.

458 BC, Ezra

445 BC, Nehemiah

That temple was destroyed.

Herod rebuilt the temple shortly before Christ was born.

God always blessed the Children of Israel when they sought His leading and did as He showed them to do.

Often, they did not obey God, and many times, they did not even try to find out what God wanted them to do.

When God would send a judge or a prophet, the people would rebel against that man of God.

God's judgments were always to separate good from evil. Only those called to an office could perform the functions of that office. When God said he wanted it a certain way, doing it any other way brought judgment.

God repeatedly brought about miraculous deliverance. Every recorded word is useful for us today. Much of what actually happened in those days was a type of those things of which we must now partake. Many of the prophecies were given then to point to things that are yet to come. Many of the prophecies have been fulfilled already.

In April of 1998, a hoax was circulated on the internet, stating that the value of pi had been adjusted to be exactly 3 in response to religious groups. This hoax was perpetrated to try to promote a secondary hoax, the idea that I Kings 7:23 would contain an error in mathematics. Here is the correction to that Secular Humanist error.

THE MESSIAH

God's order was established. Church universal under apostles and deacons to those apostles.

See, sayeth He, that you do all things according to the pattern that I showed you.

4 BC, Birth of Christ.

26 AD, Christ begins his earthly ministry.

29 AD, Christ was Crucified. He died.

29 AD, Christ arose from the dead in three days, on a Sunday.

29 AD, Christ showed Himself alive to over 500 eye witnesses, many of whom would not deny it even when given a chance to escape death because of persecution.

29 AD, Christ ascended into heaven.

4 BC, Birth of Christ.

26 AD, Christ begins his earthly ministry.

29 AD, Christ was Crucified. He died.

29 AD, Christ arose from the dead in three days, on a Sunday.

29 AD, Christ showed Himself alive to over 500 eye witnesses, many of whom would not deny it even when given a chance to escape death because of persecution.

29 AD, Christ ascended into heaven.

Opposition by the ruling religious class who had grown away from God into two distinct sects.

The Pharisees were the equivalent of today's fundamentalists, very orthodox. They depended on the natural mind to understand Scripture rather than seeking God. They depended on rationalized speculation to interpret the Word of God. Unlike most fundamentalists, they believed that they could achieve goodness and God's acceptance through their own works.

The religious leaders killed Christ because of envy. They followed the dead letter of the Word, never really hearing from God. "The letter killeth" 2 Corinthians 3:6 They became concerned with money, power, and prestige. The church of today should take warning from this.

The Sadduccees were the equivalent of today's liberals/progressives. They were naturalists and materialists, not believing in the resurrection, angels, the eternal spirit of man, or evil spirits. They didn't believe that God was actively involved in their lives. Like most liberals/progressives, they believed that they could achieve goodness and God's acceptance through their own works. They killed Christ because of envy.

FIRST CENTURY--THE PATTERN GOD GAVE

• At first, the pattern that God had given was followed:
• The first apostles were set directly by Christ. Others were set by them later. There was no chief apostle, but apostles shared a single office, being led by the Holy Spirit in unity..
• Local churches under local elders (plural) and local deacons (plural) who were set by the apostles. There was no chief elder or lone elder, but two or more elders shared a single office, being led by the Holy Spirit in unity.
• 70 AD, All the books of the New Testament were completed before 70 AD.
• 90 AD Jews confirm the canon of the Hebrew Scriptures, and Christians accept the same canon.

SECOND & THIRD CENTURIES--MAN-MADE PATTERNS CREEP IN

• Gnostic texts were written some time after 150 AD based on the paganism of Rome and Greece.
• Pagans infiltrated the church. Rather than making sure that they followed the pattern set by God, the Christians reacted to the pagan infiltration by replacing God's patterns with worldly patterns, which the Christians erroneously supposed would be stronger than God's ways. Creeds were established. Church hierarchy began to develop into a church monarchy. Apostles stopped laying hands on every member for gifts of the Spirit. The Body of Christ lost the ability for every joint to supply, each speaking the truth in love. Prophecy dried up. The glory of God largely departed. Eventually, even the baptism of the Holy Spirit was lost.

FOURTH CENTURY, GOVERNMENTAL FAVOR BRINGS DARKNESS

• The enemy of our souls changed his tactics from persecution to favor. The church was largely lulled to sleep. Constantine favored Christianity, but it's doubtful that he ever experienced a true conversion.

MIDDLE AGES--DECENT INTO DARKNESS

• The decent into darkness continued. Worship of martyrs, relics widespread, and the Virgin Mary grows. The church became part of the political machine during this time. Compromises were made to keep political unity. Paganism, mysticism, and magic were allowed to enter the church.
• Though there was great darkness, God never let the light of the church go fully out.
• There was a false church as there is today. Many called themselves Christians, but they had no experience with Christ. Many of them were even involved in pagan religion.
• There was a true church made up of those who had touched God.

FOURTEENTH CENTURY--NEW LIFE BURSTS FORTH

• Restored through Badwardine and Grosetete then Wycliffe: God alone is able to save men from their sins by His sovereign grace. A light began to dawn across Europe. Scripture first above all human teaching. Bible translated into the language of the common people.
• Corrected:
• Loosening the grip of the worldly government/church system. Errors and abuses of that system were pointed out.

FIFTEENTH CENTURY--PREPARING THE WAY

• Accomplished: Paved the way for the move that came in the following century. The Lollards swept through the country teaching the common people that Scripture was the ultimate authority over the church and sufficient for government of the world. They also taught the common people that salvation is by grace. Hus left a legacy that spoke to the heart of Martin Luther in the following century.

SIXTEENTH CENTURY--THE REFORMATION

• Restored through Luther, Munzar, Calvin, Zwingli, and Tyndale: The just shall live by grace through faith. Salvation is a gift from God, not of ourselves. The Bible translated into the language or the common people. Accomplished: Further released the people from oppression of an corrupt government/church system. Many false conceptions abandoned.

SEVENTEENTH CENTURY--CONTINUED RESTORATION

• Restored: The local church operating under the direct leadership of Christ. Believers baptism by immersion. Revitalization of religious piety. Much was gained in understanding of Scriptural principals. Weakness: Weakness developed in actually standing in the presence of the One who gives life. A coldness and formalism took the place of the personal relationship with the living Christ.

EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

• Restored through John and Charles Wesley, George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Finney: Salvation by faith with an inner witness. Heart purity and sanctity of walk. A break from the religious scholasticism that suggested that it was necessary to be formally educated to be right with God and commissioned by Him. Understanding that a building, such as a cathedral, is not necessary; services could even be held in the open air.

NINTEENTH CENTURY

• Restored in the Brethren movement: The sufficiency of the Word of God in church affairs and daily walk. The Body of Christ composed of believers. The priesthood of believers. Weakness: Doctrine without the anointing of the Holy Spirit becomes dead letter. "The letter killeth" 2 Corinthians 3:6
• Restored in the 1859 outpouring, the Keswick movement:
• Evangelistic fervor and missionary enterprise.Under General Booth, the social implications of the gospel and the believers union in death and resurrection. Weakness: Lack of unity. Each group had a part, but each group thought that they had the whole.A great worldwide missionary movement started.

TWENTIETH CENTURY--THE HOLY SPIRIT

• Restored in the Welch revival: The Welch revival taught that the Spirit can use the whole Body of Christ rather than just one man. Thousands were born into the Kingdom of God. The morals or the entire country changed.
• Restored in the Pentecostal movement:
• The Pentecostal movement brought the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Supernatural gifts were exercised. A great world-wide missionary movement. Weakness: Lack of depth in the Word of God. Some had a superior attitude or pride. A feeling that they had it all. Failure to move on with God
• Restored in the world-wide move of 1948:
• The vision of the coming together of the Body of Christ. The nine gifts of the Spirit given by the laying on of hands of the presbytery. The five-fold ministry. The biblical order of the church service, where one has a song and another a prophecy, and all being led and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Singing in the Spirit. Prophecy. The order of elders and deacons. The vision of the manifestation of the sons of God.
• The Enemy's Tricks:
• Every gift of the Spirit and ministry is being counterfeited. Much disorder came from those who rejected the orders and patterns of the Scripture. False apostles sprung up. Several Spirit-filled ministries chose their own ways instead of continuing to walk humbly before the Lord and in submission to the offices and ministries set by God. In addition, many good Christians are unable to accept the Scripture and have reverted to speculation and scoffing.

TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY--PRESSING TOWARD THE MARK

• Throughout the ages, God has worked with a remnant, a small group, rather than the majority. As in any age, there are many reactions to the call of God. Many, in the church are pressing toward the mark with all their might. There are many levels of maturity, but God is orchestrating everything according to His plan. There are many who are working against God. Neo paganism has crept into the church and many are deceived by it. Much of the church is still stuck in cold formalism, and many have been swept along with Naturalism and materialism. There seems to be a large body of dissatisfied Christians, some of whom have left the organized church. At the same time when many are coming to the Lord or coming closer to the Lord, there is a growing hate for Christ and for Christians throughout the earth.