Eden to Heaven

 

   Here is a bible overview which I have used to help understand the basic outline of the Bible story. It certainly  isn’t exhaustive, there is much left unsaid. I have chosen to follow the basic theme of Sin-Salvation.

  If its any help, use it;  if not, discard it!

God’s Creation- Eden

God creates the universe, all things point to him and are for him. Man is the pinnacle, made in God’s image

The Fall: Mankind rebels against God and his Kingship. God promises that sin will be dealt with and that Satan- the deceiver of this world and enemy of God- will be crushed by a man.

God’s People- The Line of Abraham

God makes a covenant with a man- Abraham. Through Abraham’s descendants mankind will be blessed. God grants Abraham and his sons and grandsons a strong faith in his promises.

God’s Nation- Israel’s Journey

God renews his covenant with Abrahams descendants- now a multitude, albeit in captivity- and frees them from slavery to the Egyptian Pharaoh. God gives the Israelites a special name to call him, Yahweh, the Lord. He shows his holiness by giving them the Law.

The Israelites lack trust in God and regularly reject him and disobey him. They want to return to Egypt and are scared of continuing their journey into the land that God has promised them. God shows his mercy towards them by giving them a system of sacrifices, whereby an innocent lamb could be slain to atone for their sins.

God’s Nation- The Kingdom of Israel

Under God’s command, the Israelites capture Canaan, a land of milk and honey. The Israelites seek a man to be their King, God allows them one- with a warning about human pride. Israel has a King, a Royal City, a Temple, a High Priest with sacrifices and a Land (all God’s promises appear to have been fulfilled). While they continue to worship God, he protects them from their enemies.

As God warned, the Kings lead the people into wickedness and sin. They reject God and God’s laws. Enemies, both old and new, arise. This Kingdom cannot be the fulfilment of the Lord’s promises. Eventually, God sends the Israelites into exile amongst their enemies, but he promises that they will return one day. He also says that they will be a blessing to the places where they are exiled.

God’s Promises- The Exile

Even while in Exile, some of  the Israelites (or Jews) are given positions of responsibility and power in government. The Lord promises to establish a great new nation, with a great royal city, ruled  by a wonderful King. He also tells of someone who will be a sacrificial lamb, who will atone for the Israelites sins once and for all.

Judea (previously Canaan) comes under Greek and Roman control. God restores his people, partially, to Judea. The Temple is rebuilt and sacrifices restart, although much less grand than before. The people and their leaders lack real conviction or trust in God’s promises. They are bullied and crushed by Roman oppression.

God’s Salvation- Messiah

The man promised by God comes! He is the Son of God, the ‘Messiah’ (or anointed one). He is the sacrificial lamb, who will atone for the sins of Israel. The Lord Jesus Christ described himself as the way, the truth, the life. He is the fulfilment of the sacrifices, the temple, the high priest and the King. He died on cross, thus paying the punishment deserved by his people. He then proved that he was God, by rising from the dead and going to Heaven.

God’s people are a new ‘Holy Priesthood’ who spread the good news of Jesus Christ and the salvation of God. The promises to Abraham about ‘the whole world’ being blessed is fulfilled, as many non-Jews enter the Church (the spiritual family of which all believers and followers of Christ are part). Satan continues to attack them, but ultimately Jesus has won and Satan will be crushed, as was promised in Eden.

God’s Kingdom- Heaven

The Lord promises to return and judge the world. After this he will create the promised new and literal Kingdom (which already exists spiritually). He will rule over his people for all eternity from his royal city. This is the certain future in which we hope. We know that Christ will return in power and glory and will perfect all things.

 

Amen.