Okay, I know it's long! However, this is basically a summary of the entire Bible, and I tried being very deliberate with my choice of words. Because I'm just echoing what Mr. Roberts was saying, I think I can humbly say this blog is worth reading!
(Oh, and if you tried going on the link to recommend a book for my reading list, it is a document which anyone can edit. So, to recommend a book, just click on a new cell and start typing! Thanks!)
God's Big Picture: Tracing the Storyline of the BibleVaughan Roberts
Category: Theology
Reading Time: ~ 7 hours
Ease of Reading: 7.5/10
Theme: Biblical Theology
Other Doctrines: Covenant Theology
Introduction
The Bible is one book, and needs to be understood by Christians as a continuous story. It is a diverse collection of writings, but it essentially has one author, and one subject. It is not a book of quotations, so one must look at the context of each book and the entire Bible to apply. The Old and New Testaments can't be read in isolation; they are different parts of the same story.Its overarching theme is the Kingdom of God, and "God's people in God's place under God's rule and blessing" (21).
The following is an outline showing the continuity of the Old and New Testaments.
The Old Testament
- The pattern of the kingdom
(in the beginning) - The perished kingdom
(after the fall) - The promised kingdom
(through Abraham) - The partial kingdom
(through the law of Moses and the Israelites) - The prophesied kingdom
(through the prophets pointing to Jesus)
The New Testament
- The present kingdom
(made possible through Christ) - The proclaimed kingdom
(delay so that more may come to Christ) - The perfected kingdom
(heaven)
Chapter 1: The Pattern of the Kingdom
Genesis 1-2- God is the author of creation
God created everything and was pleased with what he made. Despite some thoughts that the physical world is evil, "Matter matters because God made it; it is 'good'. He is interested not just in our souls but also in our bodies and the world we live in" (28).
- God is the king of creation
Because God is the perfect king and creator of everything including us, the only proper response is to worship him. [Psalm 95:3-7] Because everything was created by God, it is all less than him, and worship of it is bound to demean him. [Revelation 4:11]
- Human beings are the pinnacle of creation
Unlike the animals, we were made in God's image. We were also given the responsibility to reign over the rest of his creations. [Genesis 1:26-27]
- Rest is the goal of creation
"When a job has been done perfectly, there is nothing more to do. And he wants human beings to live with him in that seventh day, sharing in his 'rest' and enjoying his perfect creation" (31). [Genesis 2:1-3] 1
Also, Genesis 2:4-25 give us an account of the creation which is marked by a series of perfect relationships between:
- God and human beings (He perfectly provides for them and makes an unoppressive law for their good)
- Man and woman (the man is the leader without abusing his power and woman doesn't resist being his helper)
- Human beings and creation (God gave them authority over everything, and it isn't abused)
God's People
Adam and Eve
God's Place
The perfect Garden of Eden
God's Rule and Blessing
God's Word; perfect relationships and communion
[Genesis 1:1-3,26-27,31, Genesis 2:1-3,4-25, Colossians 1:16, Psalm 95:3-7, Exodus 20:4-6,8-11, Revelation 4:11, Matthew 11:28, Hebrews 4:9-10]
Chapter 2: The Perished Kingdom
Genesis 3-11- An act of rebellion
Adam and Eve broke the one law that was set before them: eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Knowledge of good and evil doesn't just represent knowledge, but also law-making. They wanted power to determine what was right and wrong... apart from God. [Genesis 3:1-6]
- Broken relationships between:
- Men and women (Women "desire their husband," which most likely means a longing to take control over him as in Genesis 4:7 [Genesis 3:16], and men now seek harsh rule)
- Humans and creation (the natural world is now a struggle to control [Genesis 3:17-18])
- Humans and God (God seeks after them but they flee [Genesis 3:9])
- The spread of sin and death
We see sin and death continuing throughout generations in Cain and Abel, the genealogies which emphasize death, the flood where God was grieved that he made man [Genesis 6:5-6], and the tower of Babel which is a "vivid symbol of our sinful desire to exalt ourselves and create our own kingdom independently of God" (42).
God's People
None
God's Place
Banished
God's Rule and Blessing
Disobedience and Curse
[Genesis 3:1-11, 17-18, 4:7, Revelation 12:9, 20:2, 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6, Romans 5:12-19, 1 Corinthians 15:20-22]
Chapter 3: The Promised Kingdom
Genesis 12- Amazing Grace
Because the good news of Christ is the story of the entire Bible, hints of it should be seen even in the darkest times, and it is. God pointed to a time when a human being would destroy the evil one. [Genesis 3:15]
Grace is seen all throughout God's Judgment, in Cain's mark of protection [Gen. 4:15], Enoch's escape from the curse of death [Gen. 5:24], and the new gracious restoration after the undoing of the creation with the flood [Gen. 6:18, 9:1-17].
- The covenant with Abraham
God sets the precedence in what's called the Abrahamic covenant for the rest of the Bible and creation in Genesis 12:1-3. God's people (Abraham's descendants) will be in God's place (the promised land) under God's rule and blessing, which is in essence a reverse of the effects of the fall (54).
God's People
Abraham's descendants [Genesis 17:7]
God's Place
The land of Canaan [Genesis 17:8]
God's Rule and Blessing
Blessing to Israel and all the nations.
[Ephesians 1:3-6,12,14, Genesis 3:15, 12:1-3, 17:7, Romans 16:20]
Chapter 4: The Partial Kingdom
Genesis 13-Song of SolomonThe promised kingdom of chapter 3 is partially fulfilled in the history of Israel, and Israel serves as a model of God's eternal promised kingdom.
God's People
Abraham begets Isaac through a miracle. Isaac has two children, Esau and Jacob (meaning "the deceiver"). Jacob was younger and essentially a scoundrel, but God chose him, reminding us of how he doesn't choose on merit. Jacob's son Joseph is sold into slavery but ends up saving Egypt and the people from famine, showing God's sovereignty. Jacob's clan joins Joseph and ends up in slavery through their debt, but God (after 400 years) sends Moses to release them. During the tenth plague on Egypt, while the Israelite firstborn deserve to die as well (because they too are sinners), God graciously provides them with a way of escape (blood of a lamb on the doorpost). This illustrates that God saves through substitution (blood of the lamb instead of firstborn). Throughout their escape from Egypt, they are powerless to save themselves, but God intervenes (parting of the Red Sea, closing of the Red Sea, Pillar of Cloud to guide them, etc.). "By his act of salvation he has set them free from the Egyptians and made them his own special people. The 'people promise' has been fulfilled" (67).
God's Place
The Mosaic covenant was established that promised the Israelites that they will be his special people; they, in turn, are commanded to obey his law. God's law was for their good, but when Adam and Eve broke it they couldn't have communion. He can't commune with those who rebel against them, so he blesses them through the law which brings them back under God's rule, making it possible to enjoy a relationship with him. The Israelites know they can't earn this relationship [Exodus 20:2], but it is "required for the enjoyment of blessing within the covenant" (68). The Israelites can now enjoy God's presence within the tabernacle [Exodus 25:22, 40:34-38]. However, the people are still sinful, so blood must be spilt on their behalf for communion with God, so they don't have to die for their sins, which is why the sacrificial system was put in place [Leviticus 17:1]. These sacrifices don't fully deal with sin, however, and only enable some measure of relationship with God. They point to a future perfect sacrifice.
God's Rule and Blessing
In Numbers we learn that Canaan is a land flowing with milk and honey, but also heavily fortified [Num. 13:27-28]. However, this is what God promised them. They doubt and end up stumbling around the dessert for forty years. Deuteronomy 7:6 and 10:12-13 urge those who end up making it to the promised land that the stakes are high and only if they keep the covenant will they prosper. The book of Joshua goes through the conquest of the new land of Canaan, and their driving out of evil that was commanded in Deuteronomy 9:4-5. It ends with saying that all that God had promised to the house of Israel was delivered [Joshua 21:43-45], but also with a warning that they will be expelled upon disobedience, as per the Mosaic covenant [Joshua 23:12-13].
God's King
God also inexplicitly promised them a king (Genesis 49:10, Deuteronomy 17:14-20).2 Before the king came, God rose up "judges" (the book of Judges) or rulers to restore peace to the land after the people turn from God over and over [Judges 3:7-12]. The peace is short-lived, because the judges (Jephthah, Samson) are hardly models of Godly living. However, they are a sign of God's grace despite Israel's disobedience. in 1 and 2 Samuel God brings Saul as a king (after the people's request for one), and then David after Saul's poor rule. David is faithful to God, despite many flaws. The ark is brought into the city to represent God's city, not David's. 2 Samuel 7:9-16 prophesy a king even greater than David, which is partially fulfilled in Solomon in 1 Kings. Essentially, Solomon's reign is the golden age, the peak of Old Testament promises.
- The partial kingdom is dismantled
Solomon marries foreign wives and starts worshipping their gods, they DON'T drive out the evildoers as Deuteronomy 9:4-5 says, and idolatry fills the land. God's judgment comes for breaking the covenant. Civil war breaks out, Israel splits into two regions, and foreigners attack the northern and southern factions. However, this isn't the end. The partial kingdom is a shadow of the perfect kingdom, and while he may have rejected the model, he hasn't forgotten his promises.
[Genesis 12:2, 22, 27, Exodus 3:14, 5:2, 6:7, 12, 19:4-5, 25:22, 40:34-38, 1 Corinthians 5:7, John 1:29, Matthew 22:37,39, 26:19, John 1:29, 19:31, Colossians 2:15, Leviticus 11:44, 17:11, 22, Mark 15:58, Hebrews 10:19-20, 1 John 2:2, Numbers 10:11-12, 13:27-28, 14:3, 1 Corinthians 10:6, Deuteronomy 7:6, 9:4-5, 10:12-13, 17:14-20, Joshua 21:43-45, Judges 3:7-12, 1 Samuel 8:5, 13:14, 15:23, 17, 2 Samuel 7:9-11,12-16, Luke 11:31, 1 Kings 4:21,25, 8:21,56, 10:1-13, 12:28, 2 Kings 17:7, Psalm 137:1, Joshua 23:12-13]
Chapter 5: The Prophesied Kingdom
Isaiah-Malachi* Note on Prophets
The prophets spoke God's word and were there to enforce the covenant, urging them to obey and reminding them of the blessings that followed obedience and the curses that followed disobedience. They prophesied much about God's judgment (which was holy, just and necessary, considering he promised he would if they disobeyed), and also of hope (in the unconditional3 covenant God made with Abraham). They also proclaim the future Israel, and how there will be a new exodus, covenant, nation, Jerusalem, temple, king, and creation.
God's People
Jeremiah 16:14-15 describes the new exodus or rescue of a new people, which is described in Isaiah 10:20-21 as a remnant that will be preserved and return to the Mighty God. The new exodus will be achieved by a "servant," who will rescue the people by his death [Isaiah 49:5-6, 52:13-53:12]. Also, all people will benefit from this, not just Jews [Isaiah 49:6]4.
God's Place
Ezekiel prophesied of a new temple, greater and more magnificent than the first. There will also be an entirely new creation of the heavens and earth [Isaiah 65:17-18].
God's Rule and Blessing
A new covenant is prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31, which will fulfill God's promises to bless his people while still punishing the Israelites'5 sins for disobeying him, and the covenant will be unbreakable [Ezekiel 31:33, Ezekiel 36:26-27, Joel 2:28-32]. A new king is also prophesied in Isaiah 9:6-7, who is essentially God, so it will be God's reign [Psalm 110:1]. Great Blessing also comes with the return of peace and prosperity of Eden [Amos 9:13-14, Isaiah 11:6].
- Ending...?
2 Chronicles (the end of the Hebrew arrangement of the Old Testament) ends with a promise that the exile of God's people will soon be over, meaning the spiritual exile they experience from God. Malachi 3:1 insists that God's king will come preceded by a messenger (which we know as John the Baptist).
Chapter 6: The Present Kingdom
Matthew-JohnGod's People
Where Adam and Eve failed, Jesus Christ succeeded. "He is what the people of God were meant to be, the true Adam and the true Israel" (109). If we trust him we enter into a new humanity headed not by Adam, but by Jesus, the righteous new Adam [Romans 5:19].
God's Place
Jesus is the true tabernacle [John 1:14], and he's the true temple [John 2:19, 21]. "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him" [John 7:37-38, direct fulfillment of Ezekiel 47].
God's Rule and Blessing
The new covenant is introduced by Jesus. "He perfectly obeys its demands, and therefore, uniquely, does not need to face the curse of judgment that must be met by all law-breakers. But on the cross 'Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us'. He dies to take the penalty we deserve so that we may receive the blessings of the covenant through faith in him" (112-113) [Galatians 3:13-14]. Because of this, the requirements of the law are met through Christ. We give him our sin and judgment so that we can have his righteousness and fulfill the covenant [2 Corinthians 5:21]. "Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance - now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant" (Hebrews 9:15). The new king is Christ! He is also the source of God's blessing by bringing us rest [Matthew 11:28].
- The Cross: Salvation through Substitution
When Jesus died on the cross, it wasn't a failure of the present kingdom. "It is a triumphant success. God's kingdom could come no other way... He could not simply stop being angry; if he did that, he would cease to be God" (114). God is just and can't simply turn a blind eye to evil. However, in God's grace, he sent his own Son to take the punishment in our place. This is the perfect sacrifice to which the sacrifices in the Old Testament pointed. With God back in our lives which is made possible by this substitution, "Our lives will make sense and will begin to produce beautiful music again, bringing praise to God" (119).
Chapter 7: The Proclaimed Kingdom
Acts-Jude- The Last Days
This is the period of time between Christ's first and second coming [2 Timothy 3:1, James 5:3]. The kingdom is a present reality and is possible for any to enter it [Matthew 12:28, 19:14], but it is still a future kingdom for which we must wait for Christ's return [Matthew 25:34]. The reason for the delay is so that more people may come to Christ! [2 Peter 3:8-9]. It is called the proclaimed kingdom because we are commanded to proclaim the good news of Christ's sacrifice and the new covenant to all the nations [Luke 24:46-49].
- The Sending of the Spirit
The Holy Spirit is an incredible gift given to us to brings new birth, giving us the ability to repent and put our trust in Christ (because of our rebellious natures, this is impossible without Him) [John 3:3]. He also convicts us of our sin [John 16:7-11], and reminds us of Jesus, the only remedy for our sin. He does this through the Word of God [Ephesians 6:17]. He also equips us to serve Christ by telling others of the good news of Christ and testifying about Him [Acts 4:8]. Finally, He produces holiness. While we are already saved from the penalty of sin, we won't be saved from the presence of sin until we are glorified to Heaven. However, the Holy Spirit saves us from the power of sin, and helps us pursue Christ-likeness while on Earth.
God's People
"The new Israel is the church, all those who trust in Christ" (131) [1 Peter 2:9]. Salvation by faith alone, and by "circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code" [Romans 2:28-29].
God's Place
God's people act as His holy temple [1 Corinthians 6:19-20]! Not only individually, but as a community [Ephesians 2:20-21, 1 Peter 2:4-5].
God's Rule and Blessing
"We have the presence of the Spirit within us to help us live up to God's standards: 'now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code' (Romans 7:6)" (132).
- Christian experience in the last days
We should be full of joy [1 Peter 1:8-9], but we aren't in heaven yet, and must suffer [1 Peter 1:6]. We'll continue to struggle with sin, but we should be so excited to experience the blessings God has given us a taste of in their fullest in the perfect kingdom!
Chapter 8: The Perfected Kingdom
Revelation- Out with the Old & In with the New
"God cannot introduce the new creation he has promised until all that spoils the old one has been removed… Revelation 17-20 uses picture language to describe how God will destroy this power at the end of time, and thus make it possible for him to create a new world, completely free of evil" (143). The perfected kingdom will also be physical [1 Corinthians 15:35-49]. It will be a city on a new earth where we are no longer isolated from each other or God, and where nothing that currently spoils life exists [Revelation 21:4].
God's People
Believers from all ages and countries will be there. The kingdom will be complete; no one will be missing. [Revelation 7:4-9]
God's Place
His presence will be with us always. The entire kingdom will be their temple! "I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple" (Revelation 21:22).
God's Rule and Blessing
"They will all submit to God's rule and therefore know his perfect blessing" (150) [Revelation 22:1-2]. Prosperity and blessing flow to everyone.
Questions and Reflections
1 Rest is the goal of creation? Really?! I guess I've never thought of it like that. Any thoughts? The scripture he uses doesn't necessarily prove that, but the rest of his book really jives with this idea.
2 So when I first read this I was just like "um... no. False." After the people ask Samuel to appoint them a king and Samuel goes to God, 1 Samuel 8:7 says "And the LORD said to Samuel, "Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them." But anyway, the way he explains it is interesting. He says "They want a king instead of God rather than a king under God. In their desire to be like the other nations they are rejecting God's kingship over them, which made them unique. They wanted a monarchy instead of a theocracy" (80). His scripture in Genesis 49:10 and Deuteronomy 17:14-20 is also pretty convincing of this point. Sorry, I just thought that was interesting.
3 So different covenants are either unconditional or conditional. Sometimes God just said "I'll do this," and other times he said "I'll do this only if you do this." The Noahic Covenant, the promise not to destroy creation with a flood again, is unconditional. The Abrahamic Covenant, which is essentially what the entire Bible is about, is unconditional. However, the MOSAIC Covenant, the promise that the Israelites will be his special people, is CONDITIONAL, only if they obey his law! What blows my mind about this is that even when the Mosaic Covenant was broken, God was still planning on fulfilling the Abrahamic Covenant! That's why he created the New Covenant, to fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant while fulfilling the Mosaic Covenant (which only Christ fulfilled). CRAZY! By the way... what would y'all say that the New Covenant is?
4 This also TOTALLY blows my mind! Isaiah 49:6 says "He says, 'It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.'" Is this not incredible?
5 I'm assuming the Israelites in "Israelites' sins" are actually all of God's people. Just think of the implications if it means God's people. Without the new covenant all of us would be bound to the Mosaic Covenant, and just like Israel did we have violated the Mosaic Covenant. However, God must punish us for that while still fulfilling the Abrahamic Covenant. So because Christ is the only one that didn't violate the Mosaic Covenant, and God punished him as if he had for all of the sins, he is fulfilling both of them! BLOWS MY MIND!
