OVERVIEW OF BIBLE HISTORY IN 22 STEPS
	1. One True God created everything. Genesis chapters 1–2 God created the sky and the earth, all living things. Adam, the first man and Eve, his wife, enjoyed fellowship with their Creator. At that time, everything was good.
	2. Adam and Eve commited the original sin. Genesis chapter 3 Satan entered a serpent’s body and deceived Eve. She disobeyed God and led Adam to disobey. So God cursed the earth and told them they would die. But God promised that a descendant of Eve would defeat the serpent, giving Adam and Eve hope. From then on, Adam’s descendents have done evil and deserve to die.
	3. God punished mankind with a huge flood. Genesis, chapters 6–9 God had Noah build a great box-shaped boat, to save two of every kind of beast, Noah and his family. All other beasts and humans perished in a flood of water. Thus, all humans are a single race.
	4. Proud men built a tower. Genesis chapter 11 The humans built a city and a high tower, hoping to reach the heavens to avoid being scattered. God confused their languages, causing many different nations to be born. However, all those nations worshiped false gods.
	5. God made a pact with Abraham. Genesis, chapters 12–15 God made a covenant with Abraham who believed God, promising many descendants, a land for them, and a descendant by whom all races would be blessed. God renamed Abraham’s grandson Jacob as Israel, through whom God would fulfill his promise. Because Israel showed favor to his youngest son Joseph, his eleven brothers envied him and sold him to be a slave in Egypt.
	6. The Israelites became slaves in Egypt. Exodus, chapters 1–18 Famine drove Israel’s descendants to Egypt, the land of pyramid tombs, to buy food. Their enslaved brother Joseph had risen to high office there and protected them. The Israelites prospered and multiplied in Egypt for 400 years. Later, oppressors enslaved them.
	7. God freed Israel from Egypt. Exodus, chapters 12–15 When Moses prayed, God sent plagues that forced Egypt’s king to free his Israelite slaves. An angel slew all firstborn, except wherever they splashed lamb’s blood one the doorway. God divided a sea to let the Israelites escape from Egypt’s army. God decreed the Feast of Passover to remember these miracles. Moses led the newly born nation, which had no laws.
	8. God gave Moses laws for Israel. Exodus, chapters 18–20 On Mount Sinai, God gave Moses ten commandments carved on stone tablets. However, the Israelites broke God’s laws, so that He let them wander in a desert 40 years. As God had promised Abraham, He led a new generation of Israelites into their promised land. However, the land was full of hostile tribes.
	9. Joshua conquered Canaan. Book of Joshua Moses assistant, Joshua, was devout and brave. He led Israel’s army into the Canaan, their promised land, and divided it among their 12 tribes. The Levite tribe served as priests and helped govern. However, after Joshua died, the Israeleites violated God’s laws.
	10. God raised up leaders to rule. Book of Judges God raised up righteous warriors, called judges, who enforced His Law and led the Israelites. When Israelites worshipped idols, God would let pagan nations oppress them. When they repented, God would raise up another judge to free them. Later, the Israelites wanted a king, to become like pagan nations.
	11. Kings ruled over Israel. Books of 1 & 2 Samuel Starting with Saul and later David, God gave kings who united Israel’s 12 tribes. They crushed foreign enemies, and the nation prospered. God promised to give David an heir who would rule forever (Jesus). David wanted to build God’s temple, but had shed too much blood. However, God let David gather materials to build a great temple.
	12. Solomon built God’s temple. 1 Kings chapters 1–11 David’s son, Solomon, taxed the people heavily to build the temple in Jerusalem, and other projects. God blessed his temple by sending into it the glory of His presence. Priests slew animals as blood sacrifices to cover sins. Israel thrived until Solomon’s son became king. Rehoboam taxed Israel even more heavily.
	13. Northern tribes rebeled, dividing the kingdom. Kings chapter 12–22 Civil war broke out. The other tribes formed a second kingdom, called Israel. Both kingdoms grew weak, Israel in the north and Judah in the south; many folk worshipped idols. God’s prophets warned them to repent lest God make them captives in a foreign land.
	14. Israel and Judah went into captivity. 2 Kings chapter 25 Unjust kings and idolatrous Israelites rebelled against God, rejecting His prophets’ warnings. God lifted His protecting hand and let the pagan nation Assyria take Israel captive. Later Babylonia’s king took Judah captive. However, in time, God’s punishment brought His people in exile to repent.
	15. Exiles, renewed in faith, returned to rebuild. Ezra and Nehemiah. A repentant remnant of Judah returned to their land and rebuilt Jerusalem. Malachi wrote the last Old Testament book. Judah never again fell into idolatry, but religious legalism and hypocrisy became widespread. As a result, God again brought judgment on His people.
	16. Foreign powers ruled Israel. (No Bible books were written.). History recounts how, starting from 586 BCE, one after another, the empires of Persia, Greece, Syria, Egypt and Rome dominated Judah, collecting tribute and taxes. All that time, devout Jews waited for their promised Messiah to come liberate them.
	17. The Son of God lived on earth. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Jesus was born of a virgin. He defeated demons, sickness and sin. He made his followers ‘fishers of men.’ He began a spiritual kingdom, even while Rome ruled politically. When his followers called Jesus “King”, they angered envious rulers.
	18. They crucified Jesus. Luke chapter 23 Jealous religious leaders arrested Jesus for blasphemy, because he had let others recognize Him as the Son of God. Roman soldiers crucified Him. He died because of our sins, and they put his body in a tomb.  Jesus was perfectly holy and without sin. God’s eternal law decrees that the righteous will live.
	19. Jesus rose from death and ascended to glory. Luke chapter 24 Jesus rose from death on the third day, and he has promised to raise to life all who repent and trust in Him. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit in his place, telling his disciples to wait in Jerusalem to receive power from on high. When Jesus ascended to Glory, the New Testament era began. Jesus’ disciples waited as he had said.
	20. The Holy Spirit came to dwell in us believers. Acts chapter 2 When the Holy Spirit came during the feast of Pentecost, Jesus’ disciples heard a noise and saw tiny flames in the form of tongues above them. They began proclaiming the Good News with power. 3,000 Jews heard them and repented. The Holy Spirit gives believers boldness to testify for Christ.
	21. Faith in Jesus spread rapidly. Acts chapters 8–28 Filled with the Holy Spirit, believers spread the Good News widely. God’s Word multiplied like grain, as Jesus said it would. All New Testament books were written during this era. Although many faithful believers died as martyrs, for three centuries, the church spread and had great vitality.
	22. Jesus’ followers make disciples. No more Bible Books written Missionaries and businessmen are taking the Faith to every cultural group on earth. Even where authorities prohibit open evangelism, secret little churches are multiplying. This fulfills what Jesus said would happen before He would return. Thus, believers are watching for Jesus’ return to set up his worldwide Kingdom.