Christian ReligionAll About Christianity

Here are the five steps. Study or teach 1. The Biblical Principles 2. The Order 3. The Overlap 4. The World 5. The Why

The Principles: Most of us know the stories included in the Bible are there to teach us principles. Unfortunately we often just grab a story when we need to teach or learn a principle and just go for it. But we miss the larger picture. We’re so busy teaching principles we don’t put them in God’s larger viewpoint. We don’t even know simple things like when Ruth lived compared to Esther or Daniel to Solomon? Even after years of Bible study.

That’s where a Bible timeline comes in to play. And a Biblical timeline chart with World history is even more useful. Your study and teaching have more meaning when you see how it all fits into God’s plan for man on earth. Let’s start with first things first.

The Order. Where do people and events fit into the overall picture? Even better what is the overall picture? Using a timeline that shows us events from Adam to today makes it visual. We see the long foundation building of God’s plan during the 2500 years from Adam to Moses with a short hop to Solomon and then an intermediate length of a 1000 years to Christ. And another long slow building up of events to today as long foretold prophecies come to pass.

The overlap. What can we get from that? How many people know that Methusaleh, the longest living human, died the year of the flood? Or that Shem, Noah’s son, was still alive when Isaac was born. Or even more exciting is realizing that Noah was still living when Abraham was born. Is it possible Abraham and Isaac were told stories of the flood from a person who lived through it? When we actually see, using a timeline, that Enos, grandson of Adam lived until Noah was in his 90′s suddenly we make that leap. The leap that tells us Abraham, or members of his family, may have known Noah and Noah knew Adam’s grandson. Talk about your six degrees of separation story.

When we discover that Daniel and Confucius lived at the same time, or that the Greek poet Homer and Solomon lived in the same century, we begin to connect all those bits of history into a solid map in our minds. These aren’t isolated events happening “somewhere in time.” History is a series of connected events. More than that – they are a quilt of events all interconnected. All under God’s direction.

When we discover that Homer and Solomon lived during the same century, or that Daniel and Confucius lived at the same time, the history of the world becomes one grand picture rather than little bits. These aren’t isolated events happening “somewhere in time.” History is a series of connected events – all under God’s direction.

Why. We see God’s hand dealing with all of His children, the descendants of Noah, scattered across the globe to bring about the saving of the human family through Jesus Christ. That’s your why. We see His hand orchestrating major events to bring about prophetic promises of blessing or cursing. Especially now during the wrapping up years as the entire world is in contact and relationship with each other. Now we see His hand played out on a world stage, all of that history coming together into one grand finale. A Bible World History Timeline gives us that whole world view of God’s plan.

There are your five steps. 1. Teach or study your principle. 2. Orient the story in time. Place it in order on the timeline. 3. View the overlap and what that tells us. 4. Consider other events going on in the world at the same time. 5. Why. See it all as part of the God’s great plan for man.

Now that’s how to add power and excitement to your Bible study and teaching.

Related posts:

1. A Bible timeline chart and lecturing Scripture
2. Who Were The Original Apostles?
3. Genesis and Science Agree
4. How the Bible Got It’s Vowels and Punctuation
5. Eight Steps for the Beginning Hebrew Student