 I want to give you something that is a valuable tool, something that will aid you in your study because after all, our goal is to love the word, to learn it and then to live it. Well, we love it so much that we do want to spend time learning it. Sometimes though it might be a little bit difficult so I want to kind of give you a way that you can look at the Bible and just see how things are unfolding. Remember, God is not just giving us these words on a page just for the sake of it, just to kind of fill up space. He didn't just also start dealing with salvation and started dealing with mankind in the New Testament. There's something that was happening prior and there was a reason for all these things to happen. The problem is sometimes the water can get a little bit muddy. It seems like there's so much information, so much to decipher that it can become a little bit tricky. Sometimes you listen to this person, you listen to that person, you lean on this doctrine, this teaching and it may still add more confusion. So I want to give you two things to show you two things that you can either do a screenshot or download, just take a look at it, print it out and use this every time you open the Bible. And I mean every time, every time you open the Bible you want to have this in mind or at least get to the point where you memorize basically the layout of it. And what it really is, it's a timeline of the Old Testament and the New Testament. I've shown many of you the Old Testament chronology. Let me put that on the screen. That's this right here where you'll see how the Bible under the Old Testament it's laid out one in the chronological books. And then just below it you're going to see the complimentary books meaning that there are books that were written to kind of compliment these other books that are more historical. In other words, when you read the Bible, when you read to get a kind of a chronological history you'll go from Genesis to Exodus, Numbers, Joshua, Judges, 1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings, Ezra, Nehemiah. That is the ending where Nehemiah ends is pretty much the ending of the Old Testament. But there are other books that kind of coincide with that that also compliment what's happening there. So for example, in Exodus, we have the law that's being given to the Jews as they're coming out. But then we have these complimentary books such as Leviticus and Deuteronomy, which entail great detail about the law that's been given. Same thing with 1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings. We have 1st and 2nd Chronicles that also gives extra or added detail about 1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings. We've got these wisdom books and so forth, Psalms, Proverbs, Cleasiases, and Psalms, Solomon. But then we also have these prophetic books. And if you'll notice, each prophet is not writing to the same people for the same thing, nor are they writing at the same time. Let's go back and look at it. Here we've got Amos and Hosea. They are prophets to the Northern Kingdom. As we recall, there's a split in the kingdom, the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom, both Israel, but because of their allegiance to different kings, and this is primarily after Solomon's death, we've got two prophets that are prophesying to the Northern Kingdom, that being Amos and Hosea. Again, when you look at it, Hosea is prophesying about how disobedient and how faithful Israel is. Well, this kind of coincides with the Northern Kingdom's action. But then also the Southern Kingdom. More prophets to the Southern Kingdom because you're gonna find that there are more Jews that have kind of left the Northern Kingdom and kind of moved to the Southern Kingdom to Judah, which is kind of where we get this term Jews because those in Judah, all of Israel has become synonymous with Judah. And so let's look at it again. We've got these prophets who are prophesying, Joel, Micah, Isaiah, and they're speaking about where Israel is, but they're also speaking about where Israel is going, this impending judgment that they are going to receive because of their disobedience. Let's go back to it. Then we look at the exile. During the exile, we've got these prophets that are prophesying during the exile. And you'll see a lot from Ezekiel and Daniel speaking about what's going to happen. Some with the Messiah prophetic books, prophecies that will happen that would be fulfilled in Jesus, surely after Jesus. And then even after that, we'll see that. And then we've got those that are prophesying during the restoration. And then we've got three prophets who don't profit to any Jews. They're profits to other nations such as Obadiah, such as Jonah, such as Nahum. Why that is important is because it helps us to kind of see how things are kind of unfolding. God is not just saying things, just to be saying things and then we dismiss these things. God literally means what he says. And so you should read the Bible literally. And if you do so, a lot of the guesswork is taken out because if you follow this timeline and see who's speaking, who they're speaking to, why they're speaking, then you get a good understanding. There have been times where we'll take a passage and we'll take that passage out of context. Or worse, or just as worse, we'll make it apply to ourselves when we shouldn't. For example, Second Chronicle says that my people who are called by my name, if they humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways and seek my face, then they will hear from heaven, I will heal their land. But it's not speaking about us. And so we can't have a primary application us as Gentiles. This is speaking about Israel because it talks about how they'll be taken out of the land if they disobey. Well, what land is that if it's Gentiles? It's not for us. Is there something that we could possibly glean from that? Yes, there is. But again, the primary application is for Israel. And so using these little charts like this kind of gives you an idea to kind of help you understand what is actually happening. And just like there's something for the Old Testament, there's also something for the New Testament. In this New Testament timeline, what you can look at is you can see, one, the historical books. And they're not necessarily historical books, but we've kind of laid them out that way because they're given a history of what's happening. Obviously, we have up here the Gospels and we place them in historical books because they're giving history, although they give more than that, it's just not that they're only limited to history. All the books that are historical in nature give more than just a historical accounting. But obviously this is the historical account of Jesus. This is the good news according to these men, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And then you'll also notice this that inside the historical books, you'll also see the book of Revelation as well as a book of Acts. The reason why Acts in there because it is a historical account of the new church being founded and you'll see new people being brought in, introduced to us such as Paul. And obviously Revelation, the last historical account of the world as well as what's happening as it pertains to believers and those that will become believers. Let's go back to it. What you'll also notice is the historical events such as Jesus' ministry. And you see the approximate time that these happen. So from Procling 4 BC to 33 AD, Jesus' life, his ministry, and then his death. We've got Paul's conversion and so forth, the missions and his imprisonments, and then the destruction. But below that, you see the Paulian epistles and the dates. I'll tell you why it's important to know the dates in just a little bit because they are important, especially as we're reading through the scriptures. And then we'll see you've got the general epistles at the time that they were written, James written in 48 AD. And then we've see Hebrews 1 Peter, Jude and so forth. But then notice at the bottom, we've got books that have some doctrinal issues that highlight some doctrinal issues. For example, we've got eschatology being highlighted and spoken about by Paul in 1 and 2 Thessalonians, obviously as well as Revelation, and then soteriological issues that are brought up in 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians and Romans. Does that mean those are the only books that bring up issues relating to salvation? No, all the books in the New Testament, for the most part, bring that up. But these books highlight a lot having to do with soteriology. The same thing can be said about Christology. Philippians, Philippians, Ephesians and Colossians, all the other books bring up Christ as well. But the context in many of the cases in these books are outlined here as well. Same thing with ecclesiology. Paul is speaking to Timothy and Titus relating to developing or planting the church. And then we have these epistles again. And so this is how you can use these to make your Bible sort of your understanding of the scriptures really take off. So what I wanna do is give you a quick example. Couple of these we've covered before, but I just wanna highlight them again. In John 3, we've spoken about this before when Jesus is saying, truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. He can't be saved unless he's born again. And he brings up these elements that we see here. And sometimes they can be confusing with some people because he says he speaks of being born of water and spirit. And some might think, well, this must be baptism. No, Jesus is making a statement to who? To a Jewish person, a Pharisee named Nicodemus. And he says, you a teacher of Israel, don't know this. He's kind of bothered by the fact that you should know this, Nicodemus. Or why should Nicodemus know this? Because this was also brought out in the Old Testament. Where in the Old Testament? Well, in Ezekiel. So if we go to Ezekiel 36, 25, he says, then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean from all your descendants and so forth, all your filthiness from all your idols. Now, the point is not to really go over that much, but I want you to get an understanding of what's happening with Ezekiel. Remember, we've got these timelines to see the events that are kind of surrounding it. And so if we go there, we see that Ezekiel is making this statement during the time of the exile. Why is this important? Well, what did God say he was going to do? Remember, and if we go back, we won't do this for just a second time, but Deuteronomy is where the first time we see God wanted to do something to someone's heart to fix their hearts, to change their hearts. He says it's in Deuteronomy 30. And this is right as the law was being given, which tells us that the law was never going to address someone's heart, but it's looking forward. And then God says that he's going to take them out of their land, bring them back into their land, and then once he does that, then he is going to circumcise their heart. He's going to put his spirit in their heart. And so if we look at Ezekiel, this is being prophesied during the exile, they're going back into their land and then God will start the process of touching their heart. Because again, if we just follow how the pattern is in the Bible, the roadmap, the timeline, it all lays out and makes perfectly good sense. Another example of this, using the Old Testament and New Testament and even using both the timelines, would be going to Romans. Romans chapter 11, really nine, 10 and 11. Paul is speaking about salvation. If we go back to our little timeline again, if we look for Roman, if we talk about soteriology, look at the doctrine of issues under soteriology, we have Romans being spoken of. And so Paul is going to address issues of soteriology. When he gets to chapter nine, 10 and 11, he is going to bring up soteriology or salvation as it relates to Israel. One specific passage I want to highlight for you, and that'll kind of show you how we can use these little timelines is in chapter 11, verse, let's start in, let's start in verse 25. He says, speaking of Israel not being saved, he says, before I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery so that you will not be unwise, or you will not be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel. Important, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. So all in Israel will be saved. And look what he says. He focuses or he highlights a passage. He quotes something. He says, for the deliverer will come from Zion, he will remove ungodliness from Jacob. This is my covenant with them when I take away their sins. Now he's also focusing on another passage. I won't go to the other passages that he references in Isaiah, Jeremiah. So I won't go there, but I want you to notice where he's originally quoting from. Go back up to here, this deliverer in Zion. This is actually quoting from Isaiah 59-20. Well, before we go to 59-20, let's start in Isaiah 59 verse 15. And let's see what's happening. He says, yes, the truth is lacking and he who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey. Now the Lord saw it and it was displeasing in his sight that there was no justice. Now, before we continue, let's recall who is speaking. This is Isaiah. Where is Isaiah prophesying to? He's a prophet to the Southern Kingdom. What's getting ready to happen to the Southern Kingdom? Just like the others, they are getting ready to go into exile. God is going to punish them. That is the problem that God has had with them, their sin, they have no justice in them. And so let's go back and see what he's going to say and see why Paul is quoting Isaiah relating to salvation in regards to Israel. He says, and he saw that there was no man and was astonished that there was no one to intercede for who, intercede for Israel. Then his own arm brought salvation to him, meaning brought salvation to Israel, who's on arm? God's own arm. And his righteousness upheld him, upheld Israel. He put on righteousness like a breastplate and a helmet of salvation on his head. And he put on garments of vengeance for clothing and wrapped himself with zeal as a mantle. According to their deeds, so he will repay wrath to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies, to the coastlands, he will make recompense. So they will fear the name of the Lord from east to west. This is looking forward to the future. And remember, a lot of what Isaiah talks about is looking forward to the future, what God is going to do and also what Israel is going to do. Think about Isaiah 53. It's obviously a prophecy about Jesus, but he uses past tense verbiage, meaning that Israel at some point in time is going to say he was bruised for our, he was chastised, he was this, he was that. Why? Because the time is gonna come when they'll look back and see what Jesus did for them. But let's continue. He says, so they will fear the name of the Lord from east to west and his glory from the rising of the sun, for he will come like a Russian stream which the wind of the Lord drives. Look who says, now here's what Paul quotes, Our redeemer will come to Zion and to those who turned from transgression in Jacob declares the Lord. And he says, for this is my covenant with them, says the Lord, my spirit which is upon you and my words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth nor from the mouth of your offsprings. So we'll just stop there. But the point is, if you can see what's happening, you can do so by looking at these different timelines. You can look at this particular timeline, the Old Testament timeline, as well as the New Testament timeline to get an idea of what's going on. The reason why these are helpful is because no longer can someone say, well, this is happening here. You can look for yourself. Isaiah says this, Jeremiah says that. Habakkuk says this. Well, who did they say it to? When did they say it as well? Where did they say it? Those things are important. They matter. It's this big, gigantic Holy Oceal story that's important for us. It helps us to get a good understanding. And so again, I believe that we should be consistent as we read and doing this helps us to do so. So guys, I hope that this little tool will help you that can kind of increase your understanding in your Bible study. That can even make it even more enjoyable. That can open up things, that can kind of open your eyes and see, hey, I see this now. The same thing happened with me when I, as I began looking at this thing, someone may say, I had an example of someone saying that Paul, in his dealing with women, changed. See, in one book, Paul says that I don't, I forbid a woman to teach. But then in one of the later books, he says that no, there's no male nor female. And the person had the audacity to say that Paul evolved. But then we go back and look at the timeline of the New Testament. We see that when Paul makes his statement, Paul makes this statement to Timothy after he says that there are no male or female. So Paul didn't evolve as this person wants to say it because this person doesn't understand the chronology of the Bible. Nor does he actually even understand doctrine. That's a whole separate thing. But this should be able to help guys. So I hope this is useful to you. Feel free, if you want to, to go ahead and share this with others. Share the video if you want to, but also share the little downloads, the timelines, take a snap screenshot, whatever you want to call that, print it out, share with others. Put it on Facebook, put it on Instagram, put it somewhere, put on a t-shirt, put it on the billboard, put it somewhere, but more importantly, put this word and this understanding in your heart. Amen.