Bible perplexities, small group leadership

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Why Jews Thought the Messiah Would Be Different

Christians often wonder why so many Jews didn’t recognize that Jesus was the Messiah. As one gal put it, “How could they miss it when it’s so obvious?”

There are a number of reasons, but one was that Jesus wasn’t what the Jews of his day expected. In fact, Jesus surprised even godly Jews like John the Baptist. Here are four ways Jesus differed from expectations, and why these differences are so much better.

1. Jesus’s kingdom was not of this world.

“Messiah” comes from the Hebrew for “anointed one.” It’s one of the titles of the kings descended from David. “Christ” comes from the Greek for “anointed one. “Christ” and “messiah” are synonymous.

God interrupted David’s dynasty when the kings stopped submitting to God as the King of kings. But the prophets who announced the exile that ended their reign also announced that God would bring the exiles back and would send a new king descended from David. This king would rule forever:

Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.

Isaiah 9:7

The Jews expected an immediate reign on earth.

By Jesus’s day, the exiles had long ago returned, but the promised messiah hadn’t appeared. Instead, Rome ruled them. Because of this, most Jews expected a messiah to lead a revolt against Rome and establish an earthly kingdom at once. In fact, others had already declared themselves messiahs and had revolted in vain.

Jesus fulfilled some prophecies about the messiah in his first coming.

Messiah preaching
“Christ Preaching” (La Petite Tombe), by Rembrandt (public domain)

Jesus identified himself as the messiah (John 4:25-26). He was descended from David and was born in Bethlehem. He also performed signs that were expected in the age of the messiah’s rule, such as giving sight to the blind and healing the lame, and he sent word to John the Baptist that this was evidence he was the messiah (Isaiah 35:5-6; Matthew 11:4-5; Luke 5:24; 18:42). He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey colt as the people welcomed him as messiah in fulfillment of prophecy (Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:4-9).

Because of this, Jesus’s disciples expected him to establish an earthly kingdom immediately. That’s why they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). It’s also why John the Baptist was confused when Jesus didn’t rescue him from prison (Matthew 11:2-3).

Jesus did not fulfill all prophecies about the messiah in his first coming.

Jesus did not establish a kingdom on earth at his first coming. Instead, he said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). He also withdrew when people tried to force him to be king. In addition, he explained that the kingdom of God was going to be a different type of kingdom:

Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

Luke 17:20-21

Jesus will fulfill remaining prophecies in the future.

So then, how will Jesus fulfill the prophecies about ruling forever? First, Jesus rules at the Father’s right hand now (Ephesians 1:20-21). But there’s more to come. Jesus said he will return “on the clouds of heaven” and will gather his servants “from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Daniel 7:13-14; Matthew 24:30-31). God will make a new heaven and earth, and the new Jerusalem will descend on it (Revelation 21:1-2). The “throne of God and of the Lamb” will be there and Jesus’s servants will reign with him “forever and ever” (Revelation 22:3-5).

2. Jesus was both messiah and the prophet like Moses.

Jesus fed the crowds who concluded he was both Messiah and Prophet
“The Feeding of the Five Thousand” by Jacobo Bassano (public domain)

In the first century AD, Jews desired the fulfillment of prophecies about both a messiah and a prophet like Moses. That is why when Jesus began teaching and performing miraculous signs, “some of the people said, ‘This really is the Prophet.’ Others said, ‘This is the Christ’” (John 7:40-41).

The expectation of a prophet like Moses comes from this prophecy:

The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen… And the LORD said to me, “… I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.”

Deuteronomy 18:15,17-19

Jesus gave many signs that he was the prophet like Moses. For example, Moses turned water to blood and Jesus turned water to wine. Like Moses, Jesus commanded the sea and it obeyed. With Moses, the people ate manna that miraculously appeared in the wilderness; with Jesus, the people ate bread and fish that miraculously multiplied in the wilderness.

Some Jewish leaders desired neither a messiah nor a prophet.

Painting of Messiah Driving the Money Changers from the Temple
“Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple” by Rembrandt (public domain)

The Jewish leadership consisted of members from two competing Jewish sects: the Sadducees and the Pharisees. The Sadducees were aristocratic and wealthy priests who wanted good relations with Rome so they could stay in power. They hoped for neither a messiah nor a resurrection, partly because they held the five books of Moses in higher regard than other OT books, such as the writings of the prophets.

Jesus presented problems for priests. First, Moses had had authority over even the high priest. Therefore, if a prophet like Moses appeared, the Sadducees would have to give up their authority and status. This was apparent when Jesus drove money changers and sellers out of the temple, thus challenging the priests’ authority to run the temple as they they saw fit (Mark 11:15-18).

Second, they wanted to prevent anyone claiming to be a messiah (king) from gaining followers lest Rome quell not only the rebellion but also the Sadducees’ power.

Many Jewish leaders expected a messiah submissive to them in spiritual matters.

The rest of the Jewish leaders were Pharisees. They wanted a warrior king who would lead a revolt against Rome, but who also would be submissive to them in spiritual matters. They taught that the messiah and prophet were two different people.

Why was it important to Pharisees that the messiah and prophet be different?

The Pharisees had a set of rules that they used to interpret how the law of Moses should be applied. For example, their rules described what could and couldn’t be done on the Sabbath. The problem for them was that Moses had been the ultimate authority for how to apply the law, so a prophet like Moses might threaten their authority. Indeed, that’s what happened.

Jesus rejected the Pharisees’ authority to interpret the law of Moses.

Jewish leaders accuse the Messiah
False witnesses accuse Jesus before the ruling council (José Madrazo, 1803, public domain)

When Jesus healed people, the Pharisees told him to stop doing so on the Sabbath. Jesus told them their reasoning was bad, and he continued healing. He also pointed out that they rejected God’s commands in favor of their rules, which he disparaged as mere “tradition of men” (Mark 7:8-13). That Jesus rejected their traditions about how to apply the law incensed the Pharisees and convinced most of them that he couldn’t be the messiah.

The crowds embraced Jesus as both messiah and prophet.

Unlike the Jewish leaders, the crowds were fine with the messiah also being the prophet like Moses. That’s why they declared him “the Prophet who is to come into the world” and then attempted to make him king (John 6:13-14). But ruling on earth wasn’t part of Jesus’s immediate plan.

Still, when large crowds started following Jesus because of his miracles, the Jewish leaders feared they would lose their power:

So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

John 11:47-48

The Sadducees didn’t care that Jesus rejected the Pharisees’ traditions—they did too. But they cared a lot about losing their waning political power.

3. The messiah was the suffering servant.

Isaiah prophesied about a righteous, suffering servant. But no one thought the messiah and the suffering servant could be the same person. Why? Because the messiah was supposed to rule forever, while the suffering servant had to die:

And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

Isaiah 53:9
Crucifixion of Messiah before Resurrection
“The Crucifixion” by Rembrandt (public domain)

See the problem? The Jews didn’t see how the messiah whom they thought would save Israel from Rome and establish an everlasting kingdom could also be the suffering servant who dies. That is why when Jesus told his disciples that he would suffer, be killed, and on the third day be raised, Peter rebuked him and said this would never happen (Matthew 16:21-22).

That also is why when Jesus told the crowd he would be lifted up from the earth, they surmised that he was speaking of death and replied, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up?” (John 12:34).

Isaiah gave clues that the suffering servant was the messiah.

Four Servant Songs proclaim the coming of a righteous, suffering servant: Isaiah 42:1-9; 49:1-12; 50:4-9; and 52:13-53:12. They hint of similarities between the suffering servant and the messiah, for both would

  • be anointed by God’s Spirit (Isaiah 11:2; 42:1);
  • bring justice (Isaiah 9:7; 42:1; Jeremiah 23:5);
  • be righteous (Isaiah 42:6; 53:11; Jeremiah 23:5);
  • make others righteous (Isaiah 53:11; 61:3; Jeremiah 33:15-16);
  • bring peace (Isaiah 9:6-7; 53:5; Ezekiel 34:24-25);
  • participate in bringing Israel back to God (Isaiah 49:5; Jeremiah 23:3-5); and
  • be part of a new covenant (Isaiah 42:6; Ezekiel 34:24-25).

Jesus fulfilled prophecies about the suffering servant.

That Jesus was crucified with the wicked and buried in a rich man’s tomb clearly fulfills prophecy about the suffering servant (Isaiah 53:8-9 cf. Luke 23:32-33,50-53). But the next two verses reveal something remarkable.

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

Isaiah 53:10-11

This passage says that though the servant died, he shall prolong his days! in other words, the suffering servant will come back to life. Moreover, because Jesus conquered death as the suffering servant, he reigns as Messiah forever.

4. The prophet was also the suffering servant.

Ascension of Christ (Messiah) after resurrection
“The Ascension of Christ” by Rembrandt (public domain)

Moses was a type of Jesus. Jesus was not merely a prophet speaking God’s words, he was the Word who was God (John 1:1).

Isaiah’s prophecies about the suffering servant show the servant had similarities to but was far superior to Moses. The Lord God gave the first covenant through Moses, but he gave the suffering servant as the new covenant (Isaiah 42:6-7). The suffering servant fulfilled everything the sacrificial system put in place by Moses could not fully do (Isaiah 53:5-6). He was the light for the nations that Israel failed to become under the law of Moses (Isaiah 49:6). And as suffering servant, Jesus died, arose, and atoned for people’s sin as Moses wanted to do but could not (Exodus 32:30; Isaiah 53:12).

Conclusion

The Jews expected the promised messiah to lead a revolt on earth, but Jesus said his kingdom was not of this world. They thought that the messiah, the prophet like Moses, and the suffering servant were three different people, but Jesus demonstrated he is all three. Because he is the suffering servant who died and rose again, he is Messiah King who will reign forever in the new heaven and earth. As the suffering servant, Jesus fulfilled all to which Moses and the sacrificial system pointed. And because the suffering servant bore our iniquities, we can become God’s children and live in his kingdom with him eternally.

That’s good news!

Because Jesus conquered death as the suffering servant, he reigns as Messiah forever. Share on X
Discovering Jesus in the OT as Messiah

Find out more about Jesus as Messiah in Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament

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These affiliate links lead to books you might like.

  • Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament by me, Pam Farrel, and Karla Dornacher: This Bible study shows how God revealed his plan of redemption in the OT. It combines Q&A, short devotionals, and gorgeous art.
  • Christ from Beginning to End by Trent Hunter and Stephen Wellum: An interesting, easy-to-read book that divides biblical history by God’s covenants.
  • NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible edited by D.A. Carson: If you want a study Bible that traces God’s redemptive plan, this is for you! I’m currently reading this one and it’s my favorite study Bible yet.
  • Typos by Leonhard Goppelt, translated by Donald H. Madvig: For those who enjoy scholarly depth, this look at how the NT interprets the OT typologically is fantastic (the Greek title is pronounced “TWO-poss”).
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5 Things Christians Should Know about Omnipresence

It’s no surprise that when I was a child, I didn’t know the word omnipresence. In fact, I pictured God as a bald man with just a fringe of short dark hair behind his ears. I thought he lived above the sky and occasionally poked his head through the clouds to peek at what was happening in the world.

That’s far from what the Bible teaches us about God! Instead, God is Spirit and innately invisible to human eyes (John 4:24; Romans 1:20). He’s able to “see” everywhere in the universe at once. His ability to do that is what we call omnipresence. But omnipresence is often misunderstood. Therefore, here are 5 things Christians should know about God’s omnipresence.

1) Omnipresence means God’s presence fills the universe.

Omnipresence
Orion

The word omnipresence isn’t in the Bible. But it describes something we do see in the Bible: God is present everywhere. For example, the prophet Jeremiah wrote, “Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:24).

Similarly, David described God’s presence everywhere like this:

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.

Psalm 139:7-12

God is Spirit

Jesus said, “God is spirit” (John 4:24). So he doesn’t have a physical body like we do. Therefore, according to theologian Millard Erickson,

he does not have the limitations involved with a physical body. For one thing, he is not limited to a particular geographical or spatial location.

Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology, 267-8.

Scholars sometimes debate whether omnipresence has more to do with God’s ability to know everything that happens everywhere or with his power to hold all things together (Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3). What matters, though, is what God’s ability to be everywhere means for us.

Omnpresence in Serpens Nebula
Serpens Nebula HBC 672. Credits: NASA, ESA, STSci. Public domain.

What this means for us

God’s omnipresence is frightful for wrongdoers, for the Judgment will miss nothing. In fact, God even knows thoughts and intentions (Psalm 139:2; Hebrews 4:12-13).

But for his worshipers, God’s omnipresence means that he is never out of reach. When those who belong to him pray, he hears. When those who want to know him seek him, he responds. When we suffer, he knows. When we try to please him, he rewards.

2) Creation is not God.

Sometimes people think that if God’s presence is everywhere, creation must be God. In fact, those involved with the new spirituality (or New Age movement) hold this view. Alisa Childers explains:

One of the core principles of the new spirituality is that everything in the universe (including you and me) is made up of the same substance and reality. In other words, there is no separation between you, your dog, and the tree outside that your dog just peed on. This worldview is called pantheism and believes that “God” is a type of divine consciousness or energy that is one and the same with the universe, something we can tap into as we become more “enlightened.”

Alisa Childers, “I’m Not Religious; I’m Spiritual! New Spirituality,” in Mama Bear Apologetics: Empowering Your Kids to Challenge Cultural Lies, ed. Hillary Morgan Ferer, 202.

While creation reflects God, creation is not the Creator. Rather, the Creator made the heavens and earth from nothing (Genesis 1:1; Acts 17:24-25). Moreover, God “is never identical to those created things” (Vern S. Poythress, Theophany: A Biblical Theology of God’s Appearing, 167).

Even though many today embrace pantheism as new spirituality, it is an old idea, as C.S. Lewis pointed out:

Pantheism is congenial to our minds not because it is the final stage in a slow process of enlightenment, but because it is almost as old as we are. It may even be the most primitive of all religions.

C.S. Lewis, Miracles: A Preliminary Study, 84.

That’s not the only reason people find pantheism attractive. The apostle Paul wrote that when humans abandoned God, they “worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:25).

What this means for us

God’s omnipresence does not mean he is identical to creation. Therefore, we worship the Creator, not creation.

God’s omnipresence does not mean he is identical to creation. Therefore, we worship the Creator, not creation. Share on X

3) God has sometimes made his presence known via theophanies.

At certain significant times in history, God revealed his presence in a special way that humans could sense. For example, a cloud descended on the tabernacle and first temple at their dedications (Numbers 9:15; 1 Kings 8:10). These temporary manifestations are called theophanies.

Omnipresence and theophanies
God and two angels visit Abraham in “Abraham and the Angels” by Aert de Gelder, 1680-1685 [public domain]

But here’s the thing. A theophany doesn’t mean that God is present in just the place and time of the theophany. He’s still present everywhere even though he’s manifesting his presence in a special, intense way at a certain time and place (A.H. Leitch, Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Merrill C. Tenney, gen. ed., vol. 4, s.v. “omnipresence”).

Theophanies serve specific purposes. For example, the cloud theophanies at the dedications of the tabernacle and first temple showed people they had a place they could go to meet with God in a special way.

Dr. Poythress puts it this way:

According to biblical teaching, God is present as ruler and Lord in all places and at all times (Jer. 23:24; Rev. 1:8). This universal presence of God goes together with his special presence with the people that are his.

Theophany, 200.

Additionally, the Holy Spirit now indwells all those who belong to God, and their bodies are his temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19).

What this means for us

While God is omnipresent, he is present with his people in special ways.

4) God limits how much his presence is experienced by humans.

C.S. Lewis described why God doesn’t make his presence known more often in his novel, The Screwtape Letters. There, a senior devil named Screwtape writes to his nephew Wormwood to teach him about their Enemy, God.

The Screwtape Letters: Annotated Edition by [Lewis, C. S.]

You must have often wondered why the Enemy does not make more use of His power to be sensibly present to human souls in any degree He chooses at any moment. But you now see that the Irresistible and Indisputable are the two weapons which the very nature of His scheme forbids Him to use. Merely to over-ride a human will (as His felt presence in any but the faintest and most mitigated degree would certainly do) would be for Him useless. He cannot ravish. He can only woo. For His ignoble idea is to eat his cake and have it; the creatures are to be one with Him, but yet themselves; merely to cancel them, or assimilate them, will not serve. He is prepared to do a little over-riding at the beginning. He will set them off with communications of His presence which, though faint, seem great to them, with emotional sweetness, and easy conquest over temptation. But He never allows this state of affairs to last long. Sooner or later He withdraws, if not in fact, at least from their conscious experience, all those supports and incentives. He leaves the creature to stand up on its own legs—to carry out from the will alone duties which have lost all relish. It is during such trough periods, much more than the peak periods, that it is growing into the sort of creature He wants it to be. Hence the prayers offered in the state of dryness are those which please Him best. We can drag our patients along by continual tempting, because we design them only for the table, and the more their will is interfered with the better. He cannot “tempt” to virtue as we do to vice. He wants them to learn to walk and must therefore take away his hand; and if only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with their stumbles.  Do not be deceived Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.

C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, 46-7. Emphasis mine.

What this means for us

We can trust God’s promise to never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) even when we can’t sense his presence.

5) God will one day dwell with humans in a greater way.

God is omnipresent and has at times demonstrated a special presence with his people. Now the Holy Spirit indwells his people. But something more is coming. God will resurrect his people so that they can dwell with him in the new heaven and earth in a fuller, more immediate, and more palpable sense:

Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

Revelation 21:3

They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

Revelation 22:4

What this means for us

Those belonging to God’s kingdom will dwell with him forevermore, his presence with them in a glorious way. Hallelujah!

Want to know more about God’s plan to dwell with humans? Check out my latest book, Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament.

Discovering Jesus in the OT cover
Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament

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3 Things Everyone Should Know about Jesus in the OT

Would you like to know more about Jesus in the OT (Old Testament)? Have you looked up a passage that the New Testament says Jesus fulfilled, but found it confusing? Does understanding the Old Testament seem daunting?

If so, you’re not alone!

Here are three things every Christian should know about Jesus in the OT, including timelines.

1. God Planned to Send Jesus Before He Created People

For my seventeenth birthday, my then-boyfriend Clay gave me a white leather Bible containing both the Old and New Testaments. Until then, I’d had only a paperback New Testament. Not having been raised in a Christian home, I was excited to finally be able to read the rest of the Bible and see what it said.

As I read through Genesis, I thought, So that’s what happened! God created people good, and that was Plan A. But they blew it and disobeyed, so God had to go with Plan B, a flood. Later, I read about God calling Israel to be a nation and giving them commandments. But the Israelites blew it and disobeyed God too. I thought, Israel was Plan C, and Jesus was Plan D! God had to keep starting over because people kept messing up his plans.

Wrong!

I had missed the significance of these verses:

Christ…was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times.

1 Peter 1:19-20

… the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world

Revelation 13:8

God…saved us and called us…because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 1:8-10

In other words, the never-changing God of love knew before he created the world and the first humans that Jesus would one day die for the sins of the world. He knew Satan would deceive Adam and Eve, and he had a plan in place to rescue humankind. There was always just one plan. God revealed that plan over time, beginning in Eve’s lifetime.

2. The Old Testament Points to Jesus in Three Ways

Many people think that the only way the Old Testament points to Jesus is through direct prophecy. But that’s not true. The New Testament tells us of three ways.

Promises about Jesus in the OT

In 2 Samuel 7:11-13, God promised King David an offspring whose rule would last forever. The angel Gabriel told Mary that this promise pointed to Jesus (Luke 1:31-33). The Old Testament contains many such promises, some of which take the form of covenants.

Jeremiah learning from betrayal
“The Prophet Jeremiah” from the Sistine Chapel, by Michelangelo (public domain)

Prophecies about Jesus in the OT

In the Bible, God sometimes revealed things to people that they could not see or understand through natural means. These revelations are prophecies. Most prophecies called people to repent to avoid judgment. But sometimes they predicted a significant future event. That is the case in Isaiah 53, which prophesies the coming of a suffering servant who would die and whose soul would make “an offering for guilt” (Isaiah 53:9-10). First Peter 3:22 cites this passage and tells us it refers to Jesus Christ.

Portents of Jesus in the OT

Portents foreshadow something in the future. Some Old Testament people, institutions, and events foreshadow either Jesus or something significant in Jesus’s service or life. Bible translations use a variety of words to describe people and things that foreshadow the future, including portents, patterns, copies, shadows, and types. Jesus and the apostles frequently identified Old Testament types that Jesus fulfilled. They show us the amazing way that God directed history so that people could see his redemptive plan unfolding throughout the ages.

For example, 1 Corinthians 5:7 reads, “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” Here Paul is saying that the sacrificed Passover lamb that saved the Israelites’ lives in Exodus 12 was a type of Jesus Christ, who now saves our lives through his sacrifice.

3. God Revealed His Plan at Significant Points in History

God revealed his plan to rescue people from slavery to sin and from death gradually. But at crucial historical events, he revealed large parts of the plan all at once. These revelations related to what was happening at the time.

Eve heard of Jesus in the OT
Eve’s Day

Eve’s Day

After Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit, the Lord God promised her a deliverer who would crush the head of the serpent who deceived her.

Abraham had promises of Jesus in the OT
Abraham’s Day

Abraham’s Day

At a time when most people had forgotten God, the Lord called Abraham to journey to a foreign land. There God promised to give that land to Abraham’s descendants so that they could be his people and he would be their God. He promised that Abraham’s barren, post-menopausal wife would bear a child—and she did! Abraham and his son Isaac were both prophets to whom God spoke. The New Testament tells us which of God’s promises to Abraham referred to Jesus. God also instructed Abraham and Isaac to act out an event that foreshadowed something monumental in Jesus’s life. In fact, Paul tells us that “Scripture…preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham” (Galatians 3:8).

Moses’s Day

Moses’s Day

After Egypt enslaved Abraham’s descendants, God sent Moses to deliver the Israelites from slavery and take them to the land God promised to Abraham’s descendants. Through Moses, God made a covenant with the Israelites so they could be his people. They built a tabernacle where God’s presence could dwell in a special way. God gave them commandments so they could have blessed relationships with him and others. Moses told the people that one day a prophet like him would arrive, and the people must listen to him. The New Testament tells us that many of the institutions and events in Moses’s day foreshadowed Jesus.

David had promises of Jesus in the OT
David’s Day

David’s Day

Eventually, a king arose who had a heart after God. His name was David. The Lord promised David a descendant whose throne would last forever. David was also a prophet to whom God revealed other things about this future king, some of which David turned into psalms.

The major prophets prophesied about Jesus in the OT
Major Prophets’ Day

The Major Prophets’ Day

Many of the kings that followed David weren’t good. Eventually, kings led the people so far from God that he sent prophets to warn them to come back lest he remove them from the land. For example, the prophet Isaiah told a wayward king about coming judgment and restoration. But Isaiah also spoke of a future righteous king and a suffering servant. Later, God spoke through Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel during tumultuous times that included the people being exiled and the temple destroyed. They talked of a new covenant and a mysterious “one like a son of man” who came “with the clouds of heaven” to be presented before “the Ancient of Days” (Daniel 7:13).

Prophets during the days of the 2nd temple told of Jesus in the OT
2nd Temple’s Day

The 2nd Temple’s Day

After a 70-year exile, several groups of people returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. They remained under foreign rule, though. Yet prophets encouraged them to build a new temple and await the future righteous king.

Jesus in the OT fulfilled

Jesus’s Day

When Jesus came, he explained how the Scriptures spoke of him. The Jews had trouble understanding at first, partly because they didn’t realize that the prophet like Moses, the suffering servant, and the future righteous king were all the same person. They also hadn’t understood how the institutions that Moses put in place pointed to Jesus too.

Today we talk of Jesus in the OT
Today

Today

After Jesus’s death and resurrection, his apostles proclaimed what Jesus taught them. They explained how Jesus wants us to live today, and they told us to look forward to eternity.

Forever

Forever

The New Testament writers urged Jesus’s followers to always remember that eternity in Jesus’s Kingdom awaits. He’ll resurrect our bodies into glorious bodies. There will be no more sorrow or pain. We’ll be in God’s loving presence forever.

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Timelines to Download

I’ve created timelines for you to download and print on the Free Resources and Subscriber Specials pages. They’ll help you see at a glance the events surrounding God’s amazing revelations about Jesus in the OT. They go with chapters in our book, Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament.

Want to Know More about Jesus in the OT?

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10 Things You Want to Know About Heaven But are Embarrassed to Ask

By Jean E. Jones. “10 Things You Want to Know About Heaven But are Embarrassed to Ask” first appeared on Crosswalk.com, August 2017.

Fighting back tears, a young woman confessed to my husband that she was afraid she didn’t want to go to heaven. Since then, as we’ve related that story to others, we’ve discovered many Christians have that fear.

And no wonder! Artists and movie makers depict heaven as a colorless place where the occupants sport wings and halos and have nothing better to do than strum harps and lounge on clouds. Furthermore, skeptics like Mark Twain denounce heaven as unbearably boring and full of hypocritical prudes.

Misconceptions about heaven abound. So let’s clear some of them up. Here are 10 questions that Christians are embarrassed to ask about heaven.

1. Is heaven in the clouds?

Comics and movies typically depict heaven’s occupants as lolling on fluffy, white clouds. But that’s not at all what the Bible depicts. Still, part of the confusion is that the word “heaven” has three meanings:

  1. The sky: “heaven gave rain” (James 5:18)
  2. The physical cosmos containing stars and planets: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1)
  3. The unseen spiritual realm where God’s throne and celestial beings such as angels reside: “The Lord’s throne is in heaven” (Psalm 11:4)

The Bible teaches that on the day of the Lord, the physical cosmos “will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (2 Peter 3:10). Then after the judgment, God will create new heavens and a new earth (Revelation 21:1). Finally, those whose names are in the Book of Life will dwell there with God (Revelation 21:3).

2. Will heaven be plain white?

Will heaven be plain white?

Television, movies, and paintings often depict heaven as all white: occupants with white wings wear white robes and rest on white clouds. Consequently, everything looks sterile.

However, Revelation’s description of the new dwelling place is quite different. Yes, the city gates are of pearl. But the city’s wall is multi-colored jasper and the city itself is gold. Also, the wall’s foundation is bejeweled with jasper, deep blue sapphire, pale blue chalcedony, blue-green beryl, deep green emerald, apple-green chrysoprase, yellow-green chrysolite, yellow-brown topaz, orange-red jacinth, red-and-white striped sardonyx, dark red carnelian, and bright purple amethyst (Revelation 21:18-21). Additionally, in the city flows a river surrounded by a dozen types of fruit-bearing trees (22:1-2).

Moreover, I can’t imagine that the God who created our current heavens and earth with a magnificent rainbow of colors that blaze across the night and morning skies, dance in pansies and daisies, and flash from hummingbirds and orioles, has lost his love for color!

3. Do people become angels in heaven?

In Charles Dickens’ The Old Curiosity Shop, a child says to Little Nell, “Why, they say… that you will be an angel, before the birds sing again.” But is the idea that people who go to heaven become angels a biblical one?

Not at all.

God created the angels before he created the earth (Psalm 148:2-5; Job 38:6-7). Moreover, angels are ministering spirits who serve “those who are going to inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:13-14). People don’t turn into angels when they die; rather, at the end of the age, angels will “separate the evil from the righteous” people (Matthew 13:49).

Further, something more wonderful is in store for God’s children: “The Lord Jesus Christ… will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21). Indeed, it will be an imperishable body, raised in glory and power, a spiritual body that bears the image of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:42-49).

4. Will people have wings and halos in heaven?

"The Ascension of Christ" to heaven by Rembrandt
Rembrandt: The Ascension of Christ

Artists who show humans with wings in heaven are probably thinking that people turn into angels. Most artists give angels wings, although according to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, the Bible nowhere describes angels as winged, though they sometimes fly (Daniel 9:21).

However, the resurrected bodies of those entering the pearly gates will be like Jesus’ resurrected body (Philippians 3:21). When he appeared to his disciples after he rose from the dead, he had no wings. So resurrected humans won’t either.

As to halos, I used to think that came from Daniel 12:3, which says “those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” But I was wrong. It turns out ancient artists placed halos around paintings and etchings of important people and religious figures so they’d stand out. In fact, there’s no mention of halos anywhere in the Bible.

5. Will people in heaven lose their sense of taste, touch, or smell?

Indeed, that was the message of the movie City of Angels (1998). In it, Nicholas Cage stars as an angel named Seth. But Seth can’t taste, touch, or smell. He falls in love with a human (played by Meg Ryan) and gives up eternity so he can make love to her. She dies, but he concludes that smelling her hair and kissing her just once was better than anything an eternity in heaven had to offer.

Certainly, that’s an unappealing heaven! But it’s not what the Bible describes.

Instead, after Jesus was raised from the dead, the disciples touched and hugged Jesus and ate with him (Luke 24:39-43; John 20:17). Additionally, Philippians 3:21 says Jesus “will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body.” If Jesus could taste, touch, and smell, we’ll be able to, too. In fact, our reunion with Christ is called “the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9).

6. Will heaven be full of nerds and prudes?

In high school, I went with my then-boyfriend Clay to the youth group at his church. There, the pastor’s daughter said she wanted to go to hell because that’s where all her friends would be. Indeed, she echoed Mark Twain’s sentiment: “Choose heaven for the climate and hell for the company.”

Clay points out that in heaven, “There will be murderers (such as Moses), adulterers (such as David), and prostitutes (such as Rahab). But they will all be repentant. Hell, on the other hand, will also be full of rapists, whiners, cowards, liars, and many a Pharisee, but none of them will be repentant” (Why Does God Allow Evil?, 165).

Furthermore, C.S. Lewis explained that every person “may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would strongly be tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such that you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare” (The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses, 45).

7. Will we recognize loved ones in heaven?

People who have lost loved ones are often concerned about whether they’ll see and recognize those dear to them in heaven. Certainly, part of this concern arises from misunderstanding Isaiah 65:17: “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.”

But the prior verse says that God says “the former troubles are forgotten and are hidden from my eyes.” In the Bible, when God says he will no longer remember something, he doesn’t mean he gives up his omniscience. Rather, he means he will no longer remember it for the sake of punishing it. So Isaiah 65:17 is saying God won’t remember our past sins against us in the new heaven and earth.

Also, Revelation 14:13 says our deeds will follow us, which can’t be done if we don’t remember them! Moreover, other passages show the dead remembering their earthly life: Luke 16:25; 2 Corinthians 1:4; Revelation 6:9-11.

8. Will there be sadness in heaven over unsaved loved ones?

Won’t knowing unsaved loved ones are in hell make heaven miserable? Philosopher Adam Pelser argues that the saved may at times feel somberness over the lost, but that will not diminish joy (Paradise Understood, 131). For instance, even on earth, somberness and joy can coexist (James 1:2).

Also, at the judgment, God will expose every deed, thought, and motive of those who refuse to turn from wrongdoing and turn to Jesus Christ as Lord. When we see how those who have rejected Jesus’ gift of eternal life “really are,” we won’t miss being with them.

Additionally, the unsaved won’t exist as we knew them. For example, C.S. Lewis wrote, “What is cast (or casts itself) into hell is not a man: it is ‘remains’… To be an ex-man or ‘damned ghost’—would presumably mean to consist of a will utterly centred in the self and passions utterly uncontrolled by the will” (The Problem of Pain, 113-114). If Lewis is right, then seeing ex-humans with uncontrolled wills will do much to help us understand why they are lost.

9. Will shame keep us from enjoying heaven?

Some people worry that remembering terrible things they did on this earth would be too painful. Although they know the Bible says that those who believe Jesus is the Son of God who died for their sins will receive eternal life, they still feel ashamed.

But God wants us to let go of shame after we repent from and confess our sin. To not accept his forgiveness suggests that we think our standards are higher than God’s! Yet Scripture assures us that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). It also tells us if we forget God has cleansed us, we won’t mature spiritually (2 Peter 1:9).

Those overcome with shame often think they’re worse than other people. But at the judgment, they will see that many others shared their sins, just as 1 Corinthians 10:13 says. So if they never succeeded in fully realizing God’s complete forgiveness and cleansing on this earth, they will see it with their own eyes in heaven.

10. Will heaven be boring?

Bored cherubs in heaven in Sistine Madonna by Rafael [Public Domain]
Rafael: Bored cherubs in Sistine Madonna

For instance, in Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer said that Miss Watson “went on and told me all about the good place. She said all a body would have to do there was to go around all day long with a harp and sing, forever and ever. So I didn’t think too much of it. But I never said so.”

The idea that we’ll do nothing in heaven but sing comes from a misunderstanding of Revelation 4:8, which describes “four living creatures” with six wings who “day and night… never cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’” But “never cease” means they sing this regularly, not that they sing forever in a loop. Indeed, they give commands (Revelation 6:1-2), sing different songs (14:3), and distribute bowls to angels (15:7).

Of course humans will worship God. But our primary occupation will be reigning with Christ forever in the magnificent new heavens and earth (Revelation 22:5).

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6 Things Every Christian Should Know About the Minor Prophets

An earlier form of this article on the Minor Prophets first appeared on Crosswalk.com on 1/19/2017.

By Jean E. Jones

Many Christians find the last 12 books of the Old Testament—known as the Minor Prophets—well, boring! Why? First, they don’t see how the books relate to today. Second, they don’t know what was going on at the time. And third, the prophets address a lot of unfamiliar people and places.

Prophet Malachi in Minor Prophets

“Prophet Malachi” by Duccio di Buoninsegna

Some Christians even skip reading the Minor Prophets. That’s a shame because they tell us a lot about social injustice and what God thinks about the rich and powerful taking advantage of the poor and weak—a topic certainly relevant to our times! Plus, they give us insights into what everyday life was like during Old Testament times. They also show us how God deals with evil—then, now, and still to come.

Here I’ve put together some interesting facts about the Minor Prophets that will help you make sense of them.

1. “Minor” means short, not unimportant.

In ancient days, the books of the Bible were copied onto scrolls. The longer prophetic books required their own scrolls, but the 12 shorter prophetic books fit together on a single scroll. So the Major (“long”) Prophets were grouped together first, and the Minor (“short”) Prophets followed them.

2. The Minor Prophets are also called the Book of Twelve.

Twelve writers wrote the books in the Minor Prophets, the same number as there were tribes of Israel and apostles of Jesus. Four writers wrote the five books in the Major Prophets, the same number of writers who wrote the Gospels.

3. A prophet prophesies prophecy.

“Prophesy” is a verb meaning to communicate a message from God. “Prophecy” is a noun referring to a divine message.

4. The Minor Prophets are clustered around three events.

Jonah in Minor Prophets

“Jonah and the Whale” by Pieter Lastman [Public domain]

The Minor Prophets are basically chronological except for Joel and Obadiah (although some scholars think they are, too). Here’s the background to them that every Christian needs to know.

The Background to the Minor Prophets

The Old Testament is the story of God calling the Israelites to be his people so they could show all nations how to come to him. When Moses rescued the Israelites from Egyptian enslavement and brought them to the promised land, he warned them that if they ever forsook God, God would drive them out of the land into exile.

The kingdom was at its greatest under the reigns of David and his son, Solomon. But after Solomon died, the united kingdom of Israel split into two kingdoms: Israel to the north and Judah to the south. Israel abandoned God right away, descending into violence, injustice, oppression of the poor, sexual promiscuity, idolatry, and child sacrifice (horrific, but true). Judah had times of faithfulness but eventually turned to the same corruption.

Hosea in Minor Prophets

“Prophet Hosea” by Duccio di Buoninsegna [Public domain]

When the nations abandoned him, God sent prophets to warn the people to return to him lest he drive them out. When they refused to repent, the prophecies changed to judgments. Yet the prophets also promised restoration.

The 3 Time Periods of the Minor Prophets

Chronologically, the Minor Prophets come after the reforms of Elijah and Elisha (which ended about 800 BC). They’re clustered around three time periods:

  1. Israel’s end (722 BC): The first six books (except perhaps Joel and Obadiah) are from the time leading up to and surrounding Israel’s exile. Isaiah also prophesied in this time period.
  2. Judah’s end (586 BC): Books seven to nine are from the time around Judah’s fall. Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel also prophesied in this time period.
  3. The restoration (538-430 BC): The last three books are from the building of the second temple to the end of Ezra’s and Nehemiah’s reforms.

5. The Minor Prophets call Israel and Judah by many names.

Most of the prophecies in the Minor Prophets are poems that use figures of speech, including large doses of synecdoche. Synecdoche is using a part of something to represent the whole or vice versa (for example, newscasters saying “Moscow” may be referring to all of Russia). Here are names the Minor Prophets use for Israel and Judah:

Names that refer to Israel

  • Samaria (capital city)
  • Ephraim (major tribe)
  • Bethel (temple site)
  • Jacob, Joseph (prominent people)
  • House of Jeroboam, Omri, Ahab, Jehu (prominent kings)

Names that refer to Judah

Micah in Minor Prophets

“Micah Exhorts the Israelites to Repent” engraving by Gustave Doré [Public domain]

  • Jerusalem (capital city)
  • Judah (major tribe)
  • Zion (temple site)
  • House of David (prominent king)

After the northern kingdom fell in 722 BC, the prophets sometimes used the names “Israel” and “Jacob” to refer to both kingdoms. After Judah fell, neither kingdom existed—only provinces under various foreign emperors—and the names “Israel” and “Jacob” often referred to all Jews.

6. Here are interesting facts about the Minor Prophets.

Every Christian should know at least one interesting fact about the Minor Prophets! Here are 12 from which to choose.

The Time of Israel’s End

  1. In Hosea, God commands the prophet to marry a prostitute and likens their relationship to his relationship with Israel.
  2. Joel’s prophecy about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (2:28-32) was fulfilled on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came on Jesus’ followers (Acts 2:17-21).
  3. Martin Luther King, Jr., quoted Amos 5:24 in his “I Have a Dream” speech: “No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until ‘justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.’”
  4. Obadiah is the shortest Old Testament book (292 Hebrew words).
    Zechariah in Minor Prophets

    “Zechariah” watercolor by James Tissot [Public domain]

  5. Jesus likens his temporary burial in the earth to Jonah’s temporary burial in the belly of a huge fish (Matthew 12:40). Bonus fact: the huge fish that swallowed Jonah is never identified as a whale.
  6. The U.S. Library of Congress uses Micah 6:8 over its religion alcove: “What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

The Time of Judah’s End

  1. In Jonah’s day, the Ninevites (Assyrians) repent, but by Nahum’s time they’ve returned to cruelty. So, God tells them through Nahum that their destruction is certain and imminent.
  2. Habakkuk asks why God allows evil and God tells him punishment is on the way. But Habakkuk initially protests the means. Later he understands God’s plan to eradicate evil and responds by rejoicing in the Lord.
  3. Zephaniah was probably written by a black Jew (his dad’s name is Cushi, suggesting dad’s mom was from Cush—modern day Sudan).

The Time of the Restoration

  1. Haggai encouraged rebuilding the temple, which ushered in the time period known as Second Temple Judaism. (That era ended when Rome destroyed the temple in AD 70.)
  2. The Gospel accounts of Jesus’ suffering and death quote Zechariah six times (that’s second only to Psalms). Here are the stories: Jerusalem’s king riding on a donkey; 30 pieces of silver; looking at him whom they pierced; strike the shepherd and the sheep scatter.
  3. Malachi reads like a courtroom trial about broken contracts. The people are restored to the land, but are still breaking their contracts with God. Therefore, they shouldn’t expect God’s blessings till they hold up their part of the agreement.

A prayer to learn from the Minor Prophets:

Lord, may we learn from your Word the importance of following you closely and embracing your ways. May we comprehend how you are ending evil and bringing your people into your Kingdom, where evil cannot exist. Thank you for the Minor Prophets that teach us these things. May we learn to respond to your plans as Habakkuk did:

“Though the fig tree does not bud And there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stall, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (Habukkuk 3:17-18)

Amen.

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Discovering Hope Scripture Art: What to Use

Psalm 51 Scripture art

I used Prismacolor Premier pencils first in this Psalm 51 Scripture art, and then added a silver metallic gel pen on “clean” and “God,” a green pen on “right spirit,” and a red pen around the outside of the heart.

Many people are asking what to use to color the gorgeous Scripture art that Karla Dornacher created for Discovering Hope in the Psalms. I’ve followed the advice of Karla and other artists on what to buy, and I like the results.

Karla recommends the Prismacolor Premier Soft-core Pencils 72-count. These run around $25 today. You can get as many as 150, or as few as 24. Prices change often, especially before Christmas. I started with 24 and mixed colors (the lavender in the Psalm 51 Scripture art is a mix of pink and blue). Later I bought a bigger set–no more mixing required. The light grays and multiple blues in the Psalm 23 Scripture art are from the new set and weren’t possible in the small set.

Karla offers a terrific free color chart here: www.karladornacher.com/free-colored-pencil-color-chart-and-coloring-tips. I started out keeping a color chart at the back of my book, but when I bought more pencils, I downloaded and used her chart. I love it.

The pencils require a pencil sharpener made for soft cores. A sharpener that holds the shavings and has two hole sizes runs about $5 (I could find only two packs when I wrote this). Many sellers bundle the pencils with an eraser and sharpener, but the bundles often aren’t a good deal. Plus, sometimes they combine Premier pencils with Scholar sharpeners, and vice-versa. (The Prismacolor Scholar pencils have a harder core.)

There’s also a nice Prismacolor 7-piece Accessory Kit. This includes a small sharpener, two erasers, a colorless blender, a solvent blender, an ebony pencil, and a pencil extender. It’s usually under $7. Note that color pencil marks can’t be fully erased, so use erasers to lighten marks. The colorless blender allows you to put down one or more colors lightly and then blend them so that the color goes into the little valleys in the paper. The solvent blender dissolves pencil marks so they look like watercolors (see the water on the Psalm 23 picture).

Psalm 23 Scripture art

I used a solvent blender on the water in this Psalm 23 Scripture art. Gel pens outline “Lord” and “my Shepherd.” Everything else is Prismacolor Premier pencils.

Coloring over the words in Scripture art washes them out, but you can use gel pens to trace the words and make them stand out again. You can see what I mean in the Psalm 23 picture, where I left most of the words muted so they looked like they were part of the water and grass. I bought 100 GelWriter gel pens at Costco before Christmas and like them. Many are metallic and glitter–see the Psalm 51 picture. They’re running $30-$40 on Amazon, but 140 Smart Color gel pens are $20 today. I haven’t tried them, but the reviews look good. Be sure to let the page dry when you use these.

Or you can go over the words with Pigma Micron pens. This set has 6 colors for $11. I use them in my Bible because they don’t bleed. Karla uses the black ones for outlining her illustrations.

For applying watercolors, water brush pens are easy to use. A set of 3 are about $9. The brushes work with watercolor pans, watercolor pencils, and inks. Use as little water as possible to keep the paper from warping.

For instructions and ideas, the book, Complete Guide to Bible Journaling, features Karla Dornacher and other Christian artists. It has lots of examples of Scripture art, art and words to trace, and stickers. Finally, the book’s website has lots of links to free tutorials: www.DiscoveringHopeInThePsalms.com/Extras.

So what are your favorite supplies for Scripture art? Comment below and share photos in the Facebook group, Discovering Hope in the Psalms.

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6 Bibles, Books and Study Guides for Understanding the Old Testament

In my last post, I offered seven free tools to help you understand the Old Testament. Here I’ll review Bibles, books, and study guides that help with that, too. Some are for those who are new to reading the Bible, and some are for seasoned Bible readers.

I end each review with an excerpt that shows how each explains Isaiah’s promise to King Ahaz to trust God to deliver him, and Ahaz’s refusal (Isaiah 7). That should let you know if the depth is what you’re looking for.

Bibles

If you’ve read the New Testament before and are ready to dive into the Old Testament, these two Bibles will help you understand it.

Review: NIV Zondervan Study Bible

Edited by D. A. Carson

Audience: Thoughtful Christians wanting historical, archaeological, and theological insights

Reading level: college

If you want a Bible with articles, charts, timelines, color photos, book introductions, and notes, this five-pound beauty is the way to go. This is the third edition of the NIV Study Bible that I own, and it’s the best of the three. It includes two dozen articles covering overarching topics such as “The Story of the Bible: How the Good News About Jesus Is Central” and “Prophets and Prophecy.” The introductions to each book are fabulous. (The link above is for leather, but there are less expensive options. I don’t recommend the Kindle version–I purchased that for version 2 and regret it. The pictures are too small and the hyperlinks overlap, making some unworkable.)

This Bible would overwhelm a new Christian. But for the thoughtful Christian wanting depth, this is the Bible to invest in. Here’s an excerpt from the Introduction to Isaiah (1308):

In ch. 7 Isaiah issues King Ahaz a challenge to trust Yahweh, not Assyria’s power. Ahaz refuses the challenge, and much of Judah’s history between that point (734 BC) and the destruction of Sennacherib’s army in 701 BC revolves around the results of Ahaz’s refusal. A burning question unites chs. 7-39: Will Israel trust Yahweh or the surrounding nations? Chs. 7-12 not only give the answer (no) but also give the answer’s implications.

Review: The One Year Chronological Bible NIV

Edited by Steve Benson

Audience: Anyone wanting to read the Old Testament and New Testament chronologically

Reading level: high school

Old Testament in chronological order

The One Year Chronological Bible: New International Version

I read the Bible in chronological chunks fairly often, so I made things easier by buying a chronological Bible. In the table of contents, I color coded the prophets so I could see at a glance how they relate (see figure). I seldom read from this Bible, but I use its table of contents to guide my reading in other Bibles. The editors provide short italicized segues when switching between texts, but not a lot of historical notes. Here’s the transition from histories (2 Kings and 2 Chronicles) to Isaiah 7 (799):

Isaiah encouraged King Ahaz to trust in the Lord when Rezin and Pekah marched against Jerusalem. Through these prophecies of Isaiah, the Lord also gave Ahaz a sign of coming salvation—the coming of the Messiah.

Books

Review: Kingdom of Priests: A History of Old Testament Israel

By Eugene H. Merrill

Audience: Thoughtful Christians wanting to understand Old Testament history

Reading level: graduate

This superb book is my number one recommendation for thoughtful Christians who have read and studied the entire Bible and aren’t put off by academic works. Merrill divides Old Testament history into 15 parts and examines each thoroughly, weaving in historical documents from surrounding nations and archaeological finds. He keeps the overarching purpose of God establishing a kingdom of priests clearly in mind. His analysis of the ministry of the prophets is illuminating.

This is an academic work that carefully examines dating problems and apparent contradictions. His goal for this second edition was “to take on the task of bringing the narrative up to date so that the message of the Old Testament as not only a theological but also a historical work can resonate more clearly and relevantly with a new generation of readers” (11).

The book contains numerous chronological tables and maps, as well as both Scripture and subject indexes. Here’s an excerpt (420):

Ahaz had paid a staggering price for survival not only in monetary terms but especially in the moral and spiritual compromises his bargaining had required. As the Chronicler notes, in the final analysis, Tiglath-pileser gave Ahaz trouble and not help (2 Chron. 28:21). Ahaz had had to loot the temple to pay the heavy protection fees that Tiglath demanded, and as an act of thanksgiving, Ahaz offered sacrifices to the gods of Assyria, whom he credited for his salvation. He also installed their shrines throughout the land. It is little wonder that Isaiah the prophet chastised Ahaz in the bitterest terms and predicted the day when Judah also would come to know the awful Assyrian scourge (Isa. 7:17).

Review: The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People

Selections from the New International Version

Audience: Churches desiring to teach the entire congregation the main story of the Bible and willing to use supplemental supporting material

Reading level: youth and adult versions are available

The Story divides selections of text from the NIV Bible into 31 chapters arranged mostly chronologically. Short italicized segues summarize skipped material and add a few historical notes. Simple timelines begin the book; some use increments of thousands of years, others decades. The back material includes discussion questions and a character list.

Zondervan intended for churches to use The Story as part of Sunday sermons, adult small group studies, youth studies, and children’s materials. They provide DVDs, curriculum to go with the DVDs, and other support materials, including a church resource library. I offer a companion study guide (see below).

The Story highlights a dozen or so kings and includes only five excerpts from Isaiah. It skips King Ahaz and Isaiah 7, so here’s the first transition between histories and Isaiah (224):

The greatest of the writing prophets, Isaiah, began his work in Jerusalem (capital of Judah, the southern kingdom) in 740 BC, shortly before King Uzziah died. Isaiah achieved prominence during Hezekiah’s reign, helping the king to stand-down the Assyrian threat by relying on God alone. Such a strategy must be founded on rock solid faith, and this kind of faith Isaiah clearly practiced and developed. His call to service came in a powerful vision—an apt start to a prophetic vocation that would span nearly 60 years.

Study Guides

The first of these is ideal for new Christians; the second is good for those who have read a bit of the Bible already and are willing to put in 31 weeks of daily study.

Review: Seamless: Understanding the Bible as One Complete Story

By Angie Smith

Audience: Women’s Bible study groups with a mix of new and mature Christians wanting to understand how the Old Testament and New Testament relate

Reading level: high school

The women at my church just finished going through Seamless: Understanding the Bible as One Complete Story, by Angie Smith. It’s terrific, funny, and touching. Those who had never read the Old Testament before felt it made sense of the Bible. Those who have read the Bible many times loved the clarifying way Smith laid out the stories. I had a brand new Christian in my group who had never gone to church until a few months ago, and she kept up fine.

Icons that represent major events adorn the footer and make the story easy to follow and review. The back cover folds out with the icons in order and linked by a thread. My group loved turning to the back cover to review the icons together. In the margins, Smith provides a dozen-word summary of every book of the Bible.

The women loved the book and videos, and they had tons of questions every week (which shows how engaging they found the material, but also shows the need to have someone around to answer questions). Some had trouble following the chronology of Week 4: The Kingdoms & the Prophets, so I recommend supplying a few timelines (feel free to use the ones I provide in 7 Free Tools for Understanding the Old Testament).

Covering the entire Bible in six chapters, Smith broadly summarizes Israel’s history. In this excerpt, she introduces some of the prophets, including Isaiah (104):

Several prophets preached in Judah before and during its destruction: Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Jeremiah, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah. Isaiah and Micah overlapped our division of times. They lived and preached in Judah both during the Divided Kingdom—the same time as Hosea and Amos—and after the Northern Kingdom was destroyed. See how this all fits together?

Review: The Story Personal Journal and Discovery Guide

By Jean E. Jones

Audience: Thoughtful Christians with some Old Testament understanding who want an in-depth Bible study guide to accompany The Story

Reading level: high school; languages: English & Korean

Free Download here

Picture of 'The Story: Personal Journal & Discussion Guide'

The Story: Personal Journal & Discussion Guide

I wrote this companion to The Story for my church and later updated it for Zondervan’s church resource library. It explains historical details and has ten timelines to keep the events in perspective. Practical application questions apply the Bible’s message to the reader’s life. It’s written so that people can read a chapter in The Story, and then answer questions from their Bible. Headings summarize what’s happening, and there are plenty of footnotes with additional details for those who want them. You can get it free from my website (see the link above) or Zondervan’s church resource library.

This excerpt is on Isaiah approaching King Ahaz:

God sent the prophet Isaiah to encourage Ahaz king of Judah not to be afraid, for he wouldn’t let [the kings of Israel and Aram] overthrow him. He told Ahaz to ask for any sign as proof. But Ahaz refused and instead sought Assyria’s help. He voluntarily became a vassal to Assyria’s king, paid him a large tribute, and set up shrines to Assyria’s gods in Jerusalem.

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6 Bibles, books & study guides to help you understand the Old Testament Share on X

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7 Free Tools for Understanding the Old Testament

My church’s women’s Bible study just completed Angie Smith’s Seamless: Understanding the Bible as One Complete Story. It was perfect for small groups that have a mix of new believers and mature Christians (more on that next week). Several women told me they’d love to understand the Old Testament even better, especially where the prophetic books fit in with the histories. They also wanted to dive deeper into their understanding of the entire story of the Bible. So I’m offering a two-part series on tools to help you do just that.

Old Testament timeline of Daniel

Timeline: Daniel in Exile 620 to 530 BC

Here I offer

  • A link to a free downloadable Bible outline
  • A link to six timelines to help you understand the Old Testament
  • Tips on using those tools to read the Old Testament chronologically
  • A short explanation of how the Old Testament prophetic books fit with the books of history

Old Testament and New Testament Outline

The Bible’s books are arranged by genre. You need to know a book’s genre to understand what you’re reading. If your Bible’s table of contents doesn’t outline the books for you, go to my Free Resources page and click the link to Subscriber Specials. There you’ll find a downloadable  Bible outline you can use to add headings to your contents page.

Old Testament Outline

Bible Outline

As the Bible Outline shows, the Old Testament books of Joshua through Esther are histories. Reading the histories chronologically gives us a better understanding of what happened. The histories are listed chronologically with three exceptions:

  • Ruth takes place somewhere within Judges.
  • 1,2 Chronicles were written around the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, but they chronicle King David’s reign and the reigns of his descendants.
    • Chapters 1-9 are genealogies starting with Adam. Part of chapter 9 goes with Nehemiah 11.
    • The rest of 1,2 Chronicles goes with 1 Samuel 31 to the end of 2 Kings.
  • Esther goes with Ezra 4:6.

How to Read 1,2 Chronicles Chronologically

Saul, David, and Solomon reigned over all of Israel. After Solomon, the kingdom split into two kingdoms: Israel to the north and Judah to the south. David’s descendants ruled over the south. While 1,2 Kings summarizes the reigns of both kingdoms, 1,2 Chronicles summarizes only the reigns of David and his descendants. Therefore, to read Kings with Chronicles, use two bookmarks. When you finish reading about David, Solomon, and any king of Judah, hop over to Chronicles and read about the same king.

Timelines for Reading the Old Testament Prophets with the Histories

Timelines that show historical events and when the prophets ministered will help you understand what events the prophets were talking about. They’ll also help you coordinate reading the histories and prophetic books together.

How the Prophetic Books are Arranged

The books of the prophets are divided into two groups:

  • The Major Prophets ministered over decades so their books are longer (“major” means long)
  • The Minor Prophets ministered for shorter times so their books are shorter (“minor” means short).

How to Read the Prophetic Books with the Histories

NIV Old Testament timelines

NIV Timeline showing the prophets’ ministries (Zondervan)

To read the prophetic books with the histories, keep timelines at hand. My NIV Zondervan Study Bible has timelines that show key historical events, the kings’ reigns, and the ministries of the major prophets and half the minor prophets. I wrote five additional minor prophets’ names on the timeline approximately where they go (see figure).  Two prophetic books are missing from this timeline: Lamentations, which Jeremiah wrote so it belongs with Jeremiah’s ministry on the timeline, and Joel, whose date is unknown. If your Bible has timelines, use the figure to the right to fill in any missing prophets.

Free Timelines

I often create additional timelines that zoom in on time periods that have a lot of related material. Over on the Free Resources page, click the link for Subscriber Specials to find six timelines I created for The Story: Personal Journal and Discussion Guide  (the guide is there, too). The timelines show you at a glance where the main prophets fit within the histories.

  • 1 Kings Of Israel and Judah 930 to 850 BC
  • 2 The Beginning of the End 750 to 680 BC: The fall of Israel and the prophetic ministries of Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah
  • 3 The Kingdoms Fall 655 to 570 BC: The fall of Judah and the prophetic ministries of Jeremiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel
  • 4 Daniel in Exile 620 to 530 BC: Shows Daniel’s chapters chronologically
  • 5 The Return Home 540 to 470 BC: The return from Exile, Esther, and the prophetic ministries of Daniel, Haggai, and Zechariah
  • 6 Rebuilding the Walls 480 to 430 BC: Esther, rebuilding the walls under Ezra and Nehemiah, and the prophetic ministry of Malachi

Understanding How the Prophetic Books and Histories Relate

The key to understanding how most of the prophets and histories relate is this cycle:

  1. When Moses brought the Israelites to the Promised Land, he warned them that if they ever turned away from God and started committing the sins of the current inhabitants (such as sacrificing children to idols), God would drive them out of the land.
  2. Whenever the people went astray, God sent prophets to call them to repent and return to God lest God drive them out of the land.
  3. Eventually the people quit listening to the prophets, so the prophets’ message changed to one of impending judgment via exile followed by grace; the messages of grace talked about a new King who would one day rule righteously.

The northern kingdom of Israel quit listening to the prophets first, so God sent Assyria to deport them from the land. Later, the southern kingdom of Judah quit listening to the prophets and God sent Babylon to deport them. After 70 years, God allowed the people to return to the land, but they were ruled by foreign powers. There they awaited the new anointed King, the Messiah. The New Testament tells us about him: Jesus Christ.

Tips About the Major Prophets

NIV Zondervan Study Bible with Old Testament Notes

NIV Zondervan Study Bible (affiliate link to Amazon)

Here are a couple helpful points about the major prophets.

  • All the major prophets are from Judah (the southern kingdom)
  • Isaiah prophesied around the time of the fall of Israel (the northern kingdom); the rest prophesied around the time of the fall of Judah
  • Judah’s exile happened in three stages, resulting in 3 prophets speaking from diverse places
    • Daniel went to the Babylonian king’s palace in the first deportation; he served in government and showed God was in charge
    • Ezekiel went to Mesopotamia in the second deportation; ministered to exiles
    • Jeremiah stayed in Jerusalem until the third deportation and Jerusalem’s fall; he helped the people who ignored his warnings mourn
  • Only Ezekiel is chronological

Tips About the Minor Prophets

  • The Minor Prophets are clustered around 3 events:
    • The time leading up to and surrounding Israel’s exile: The first 6 books except Obadiah and perhaps Joel (Joel’s date is unknown)
    • The time leading up to Judah’s exile: Books 7-9 plus Obadiah
    • Between Judah’s restoration and the end of Ezra’s and Nehemiah’s reforms: The last 3 books
  • They tell us a lot about social injustice and what God thinks about the rich and powerful taking advantage of the weak
  • Want to know more? Here’s an article I wrote for Crosswalk: 6 Things Every Christian Should Know About the Minor Prophets

Next week I’ll review Bibles, books, and study guides that are helpful for understanding the Old Testament.

The key to understanding how the Old Testament prophetic books relate to the histories Share on X

Free Bible outline and timelines Share on X

How to read the Old Testament chronologically (not as hard as you think!) Share on X

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