Bible Overview #6

The Promise Fulfilled

So, we have been looking at the Bible as one whole story and the questions I wanted us to focus on. I said at the beginning of this series that these teachings were originally for the girls at our first location in the Philippines. This last teaching actually comes from the end of my Bible overview that I did in my Discipleship Bible School in YWAM (Youth With A Mission). I would still like you to ask the same questions: What is God’s character and nature? What does relationship with God look like?

In last week’s blog, we talked about the captivity of the Israelite kingdoms for turning their backs on God, and how during that time they devoted themselves to studying the scrolls of their history and God’s law. Then we talked about how, after they returned, there were 400 years of silence and other nations took over. This is where we will pick up our story…

From the end of the Old Testament until 400 years later, God is silent. He does not fill the new temple that was built, nor does He fulfill any of the promises of the Messiah. Think about this for a moment. How would you feel if, from this moment on, God never spoke to you again? How would you feel? I have been pondering this thought in my own life. I know I would feel lost and desperate. Is what you know and remember of God enough to get you through life?

Now think of all that and add the history of exile and the promises from God. The Pharisees emerged sometime during these 400 years. They created many additional laws so they would not break God’s law and end up back in exile. I think I understand them now. Do you?

During this time of silence, Rome expanded under the famous military leader Pompey. He is the one who conquered Jerusalem. Herod the Great was the governor over Galilee when Emperor Augustus came to power, and then he was promoted to king over Judea. Even though God was silent, it does not mean He was not involved or did not have a plan. In fact, we can see that during this time He was preparing the world for His Son. Remember how I mentioned the unifying of languages and the building of roads, making travel easier? I see this as God’s way of preparing the world so the gospel could spread quickly.

Now, in God’s perfect plan and timing, all His promises of redemption from sin—through the line of Eve, Abraham, and the Davidic family—are fulfilled when the prophesied King is born of a virgin in Bethlehem, and His name is Jesus. After ordering the babies in Bethlehem to be killed in an attempt to destroy the promised King, Herod the Great died, and his son Herod Antipas succeeded him (this is the one who later kills John the Baptist).

Jesus’ ministry was to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. But what does this mean? This is simply a call back to their history from Moses. God was establishing His Kingdom culture here on earth. Where the Law and the Prophets revealed the sin in people’s hearts, He came to give them new hearts and new spirits—if they would only believe in Him (Ezekiel 36:26). Through this, they would be free from sin and restored to right relationship with God. Because all God ever wanted was for people’s hearts to be devoted to Him. God is the restorer of life.

The religious leaders brought Him before Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea, to have Him executed for breaking the law, blasphemy, and threatening their culture. He was killed on a cross as the perfect, spotless Lamb that God required for atonement of sin. But He did what no lamb could do—He took everyone’s sin and cleansed us forever, if only we would receive the new life He offers through His resurrection from the dead. This is His promised redemption, and He fulfilled it. But He didn’t want it to end there—He gave His disciples His ministry.

Acts 1:8
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Then He ascended into heaven to be with the Father, promising that a Helper would come. He also promised His royal return to judge both the living and the dead and unite everyone in His fulfilled Kingdom.

On the day of Pentecost, God sent the Helper. The Holy Spirit filled the place where the disciples were praying and filled them. They boldly preached, and 3,000 people believed, and the church was born. This was the beginning of Jesus’ disciple Peter’s ministry. The disciples set up different roles within the church so that everyone had what they needed. Stephen (one of the deacons in Acts 6:1–7) helped in this, but he was stoned to death when sharing at the synagogue.

Paul was a man determined to snuff out this threat to Judaism by killing all the Christians. But God stopped him and revealed Himself to Paul, redirecting his zeal by giving him the mission of preaching to the Gentiles, kings, and Jews (Acts 9:19). He began his ministry by preaching in synagogues.

God gave Peter a vision, revealing that He wanted all people to know Him and that Peter should not call the Gentiles unclean when God calls them clean (Acts 10:15). God sent Paul on his first missionary journey, traveling everywhere—first to the Jews, then to the Gentiles. As people were saved, he discipled them and established churches.

As the Gentiles came to faith, confusion began because the Christians were still following Jewish customs, but the Gentiles knew nothing of these laws or traditions. So some prominent leaders of the churches in Jerusalem formed the Jerusalem Council to resolve this conflict. They concluded what was essential and sent a letter of encouragement to the Gentile churches.

Then Nero became the new emperor of Rome. He hated the Christians and made a sport of killing them. He even burned Rome and blamed it on the Christians. False teachers were infiltrating the churches, and persecution grew worse. But God used even persecution to spread the gospel. As Christians fled, the gospel spread into surrounding areas.

Paul began writing letters to the churches he had established, encouraging them to stay strong and not be influenced by false teachers. He reminded them of the truth and addressed sin, urging them not to return to their old ways. Paul went on two more missionary journeys, bringing Timothy along on the second as his disciple. Toward the end of his third journey, he began saying goodbye, knowing he might not return. He went to Jerusalem, where he was arrested and stood trial before many kings.

I realized this is actually very important. Because of the way Paul was arrested and because of the customs, his court testimony literally became the gospel. This also fulfilled the calling God gave him—to be His witness even before kings.

Paul and Peter were the first missionaries to the Gentiles, and they too became martyrs. Because of the hatred and conflict between the Jews and Romans, the tension eventually resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem. Not long after, Emperor Domitian came to power. He was known to be just as bad or worse than Nero. He also persecuted the Jews.

God used His disciple John to impact many people. John wrote letters to the churches, urging them to stay firm in the truth. God revealed secrets of His coming, showing that through Jesus—victor over sin, death, and the devil—we, as His followers, will receive our reward. That reward is living with Him forever. So be strong, persevere, continue in the faith, and be a shining light to the nations, for He invites everyone into this, saying:

“Come.”
Let anyone who hears say, “Come.”
Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.
(For Jesus is that restoring life.) — Revelation 22:17

And everything ends with this:

“He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’”
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus. — Revelation 22:20

Through all these times and all these people, God is so intentional and detailed that He uses every victory, every mistake, and every trial to show that He reigns. He is better than all other gods, all power, and all knowledge. He is the best option. He has our best in mind. His love is both healing and refining. And He longs for all peoples to have relationship with Him—not to appease or manipulate Him, but to walk with Him through life as He shows us what the best life actually looks like.

He was willing to suffer for us, so how could we not fall at His feet and give Him our all? Even if that means sacrificing so that others will know Him like we do. Or even calling it an honor, as the martyrs did.

I have learned so many things, but this is the one thing I want most: to be the first one sold out to the One I am falling in love with.

As you have read through this Bible overview, what are some things you might see differently? What did you notice when asking the same questions throughout the six weeks of blogs? Is there anything you would like to do differently in your relationship with God? Have you caught a fresh glimpse of God—His character and His nature? How will you let it change your perspective and your walk with Him?

I think one thing I see is how beautiful God is—how all His characteristics mesh together. It makes me want to learn how to act in mercy and grace more, but also in justice. God’s definition of justice calls us to care for those in need and not ignore or take advantage of them. I think in America it is too easy to turn a blind eye.

Also, as you can tell from what I wrote in this blog, when I did my school a year ago, the thing that stood out the most was His intentionality and His detail. As a human being made in His image, this gave me such delight because these are pieces of Him that He gave to me. It gave me such peace knowing that these gifts are not meant to get in my way or cause me to get stuck in the weeds. They are things I can use for His glory, and He loves when I use them. It is a great reminder to me even now, reading this through again.
God is so amazing, is He not?

Please make sure to share your thoughts with us. I can’t wait to see what God is showing you. And again—don’t just take what I said. Read it for yourself. I put references all throughout the six teachings so you can look up where I found things and see the details in the stories for yourself. Read along with the overview; all I did was summarize. Read the stories for yourself.