Margaret Hunter – Page 25 – Amazing Bible Timeline with World History

Posted on September 15, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — 5 Comments

Apocrypha, Bible Timeline and the

Many scholars and historians regard the Bible as the greatest literary masterpiece of all time. This religious book has a history that goes back over 5,000 years and it reveals the nature of God to each generation of people that exists on the Earth. When the Bible was being formed into one book only certain types of manuscripts were considered sacred and authentic.

The 66 books that are contained within the Bible are believed to be inspired books and authentic writings from God-inspired authors. The books were written by individuals who wrote them from first-hand experience. Many biblical authors also had scribes who transcribed the stories for people who were directly involved in a biblical account. Other qualifications for the books included original manuscripts being written in Hebrew for the Old Testament and in Greek for the New Testament. The books also had to be considered sacred to the Jews, inspired by the Holy Spirit and they had to contain doctrine that was identical to the rest of the Bible. These requirements were necessary for preserving and keeping the authenticity of the Bible.

Bible_Timeline_and_ — ‘Early church fathers and rabbis had decided that only 66 manuscripts that were preserved throughout the years met the standards of authentic Biblical doctrine and they now make up the books of a standard Bible. ‘

Early church fathers and rabbis had decided that only 66 manuscripts that were preserved throughout the years met the standards of authentic Biblical doctrine and they now make up the books of a standard Bible. Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant believers all agree that the canonized 66 books are God inspired manuscripts. Orthodox and Catholic believers have also added the Apocrypha to their versions.

Catholic and Orthodox Christian followers typically view the Apocrypha as inspired books that should be included in the Bible with the 66 original manuscripts. Most Protestant denominations do not consider the books to be inspired because they contain inconsistent doctrine and they do not seem to have been created from Hebrew sources. Also, the OT was established during a meeting of Rabbis at Jamnia in 90 A.D. With the exception of Nehemiah and Ezra, all writings that were created or found after this date were rejected. Since the Apocrypha appeared many years later they were not included with the canonized 66 books.

The Apocrypha consists of the books 1 and 2 Esdras, Tobit, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus (Sirach), Baruch, and 1 and 2, Rest of Esther, Song of the Three Children, The Prayer of Manasseh, The Idol Bel and the Dragon and Maccabaeus. Each of these books is included in many Orthodox and Catholic Bibles between the Testaments. The Apocrypha was placed between the Testaments to help explain the 400 years of silence that occurred between these two time periods. The Apocrypha is mentioned on the Biblical Timeline during this time period.

The Roman Catholic Council of Trent established their Bible in the 16th century in order to hold back Protestant heresy. They included the Apocrypha into the Catholic Bible during this time because the council agreed that the books held merit as authentically inspired manuscripts. Some early Protestant believers such as Martin Luther also included the Apocrypha in their biblical variations. However, many Protestant believers began to question the validity of these books and did not include them in later translations that were used by Protestant believers. Many priests and preachers within western society do not preach from Apocrypha books and they are not frequently quoted. The books might be used by some Christian followers, but they are not be held in the same esteem as the canonized 66 books.

References:
http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/apocryph.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_apocrypha
http://www.ecclesia.org/truth/8-rules.htm

Posted on September 14, 2012May 16, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — 19 Comments

Israel and the First Carrying Away by Assyria

The first carrying away occurred about the middle 8th century BC which is where it appears on the Bible Timeline.

God had chosen the people of Israel to be his personal representatives on the Earth. The Lord was going to use these people to reveal his truth to the world and why it is important for all of mankind to follow him. God expected his chosen people to obey his commandments and to live as a holy people set apart for his service. Unfortunately, the Israelites didn’t always live in obedience to God. By the time the Israelites had kings the people were worshipping foreign gods and conducting pagan practices. God had sent many prophets and deliverers to turn the people back from their sins but they didn’t listen. So he decided to use foreign nations to punish his people. The Lord gave some of the ancient enemies of Israel the power to defeat and to enslave them.

The Assyrians were a powerful warlike people who existed in the Middle East from 2400 B.C. to 600 B.C. They once occupied the modern day countries of Iran, Iraq and southern Turkey. When the Assyrians were in power God gave them the ability to become a fierce and conquering kingdom. Around 900 B.C. the Assyrians began to conquer many territories within the Middle Eastern and Mesopotamian region. They dominated many kingdoms and empires such as Egypt, the Hittites and the Persians. By 740 B.C. the Assyrians were used by God to judge Israel for their sins.

Israel_and_the_First_Carrying_Away_by_Assyria — A map showing the deportation of the Jews by the Assyrians

A map showing the deportation of the Jews by the Assyrians

Tiglath-Pileser III was also known as Pur and in 1 Chronicles 5:26 this Assyrian king had carried away the Israeli tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh. He took Israelites from the cities of Ijon, Abelbethmaachah Janoah, Kadesh, Hazor, Gilead, Galilee and Naphtali. Pur had carried away many captives back to his homeland.

When God allowed the Israelites to be captured by the Assyrians he allowed this to happen at different intervals of time. After Pur carried away the first group of Israelites back to his territory the people didn’t repent of their sins. About 20 years later God inspired the Assyrians to enslave them once again. This second deportation of Israel happened because the people refused to listen to God and his prophets.

Shalmaneser had carried out this deportation during the reign of King Hoshea. Sargon II then finished off the Israelites with a siege against the capital city of Samaria. Some of the people were placed in Halon and Harbor by the river Gozan. These areas were located in modern Iran, Iraq and Turkey as well. Assyrian cuneiforms that were discovered from this time period in history reveal that 30,000 captives were taken from Israel during the reign of Sargon II.

History has shown that many of the Israelites never made it back into their homelands since their final deportation. The people of Judah who experienced captivity at the hands of foreigners were able to come back into their homeland. The books of Nehemiah and Ezra in the Bible are historical accounts of their return. Though some Israeli’s were able to make it back home most remained inside of foreing territory for many years.

The Israelites that were able to make it back to their homeland constantly experienced defeat and captivity at the hands of foreigners such as the Greeks and then the Romans. History also points out that the 10 tribes never made it back to their homeland until the modern era. After experiencing the holocaust under the Germans the nation of Israel was formed in 1948 and many Israelites were able to return to their homeland once again.

Biblical Sources:

2 Kings 17: 3 – 6 Shalmaneser sieges Samaria for 3 years before conquering the city.
2 Kings 18: 11 – 12 13 King of Assyria captured Israel; placed them in Halah and Harbor.
1 Chronicles 5:26 Assyria carried away Reuben, Gad and half of the tribe of Manas
2 kings 15:29 Tiglathpilneser, Pul rulers responsible for capturing Israel under Assyria

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assyrian_captivity_of_Israel
http://www.moellerhaus.com/assyrian.htm

Posted on September 13, 2012April 5, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — 1 Comment

Joash King of Israel

King Joash (or Jehoash) ruled Israel during the time Amaziah was king of Judah which is where he appears on the Bible World History Timeline. Joash means that “God has given”. He was the son of King Jehoahaz. When King Joash ruled Israel, he publically promoted the worship of God. However, he inwardly continued the pagan practices of the Golden Calf Cult.

Jehoash_of_Joash,Unrighteous_King_of_Isreal — Jehoash

After Israel had divided into two separate kingdoms, Israeli kings started this religious system as a means to control the masses. They did not want to lose their power by allowing Judah and Israel to reunite into one kingdom. King Joash authorized priests and created shrines to continue this cult.

God was not pleased with his actions. Joash didn’t completely hate God or his followers. There was a group of prophets who lived in Israel and Judah. These prophets were originally led by Elijah, who taught them in the ways of God. After Elijah had been taken into heaven by God, Elisha took his place. The prophet Elisha performed many miracles and spoke many prophetic messages from the Lord during the reign of Joash.

When Elisha was on his death bed, King Joash came to his side. Elisha liked King Joash as well, and the last prophecy that he made in his life was made about the king. Elisha told Joash that he would defeat the Arameans. The Arameans were a group of people that constantly harassed and plagued Israel, and Joash had temporarily subdued them during his reign. When King Joash was ruling Israel, another king named Amaziah ruled the land of Judah.

King Amaziah wanted to defeat the enemies of Judah that had been causing him problems. So he prepared his armies to deal with the threat and he also hired some Israeli mercenaries. A prophet was sent to King Amaziah, who told the king not to use the services of the Israeli army because they will lose the battle. King Amaziah wisely listened to the advice of the prophet. He released the mercenaries, and they were angry. Instead of returning to Israel they decided to attack various towns in Judah after King Amaziah took his troops into battle.

When King Amaziah found about their treachery, he sent a message to Joash challenging him to a fight. King Joash also knew about what the mercenaries had done and told King Amaziah that he would be a fool to fight against him. King Amaziah didn’t listen, and they went to war. King Joash defeated King Amaziah and captured him. Once King Joash captured him, he forced Amaziah to watch as he plundered Solomon’s Temple. He also made King Amaziah watch as he destroyed a section of Jerusalem’s protective wall. King Joash then took some captives and returned to Israel. King Amaziah learned his lesson and never bothered Joash again. Eventually, King Joash had died and was buried with his ancestors in Samaria. His son, Jeroboam then became the next king of Israel.

Biblical References:

2 Kings 13: 10 -13 Joash took over the throne of Israel after Jehoahaz. He rules for 16 years, and he did what was evil in the sight of God
2 Kings 14: 8 -14 Amaziah challenges Joash to a war after Israeli mercenaries destroy towns in Judah
2 Chronicles 25: 5 -13 Amaziah discharges the Israeli mercenaries, and they destroy the towns in Judah; this is when he issues the challenge to Joash.
2 Kings 13: 14 – 20 Elisha makes his last prophecy about Joash.
2 Kings 14: 16 Joash dies and his son Jeroboam becomes the next king.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehoash_of_Israel
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jehoash_of_Israel.jpg

Posted on September 11, 2012May 4, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — 1 Comment

Menahem of Israel, King

Historians speculate that the House of Gadi that ruled Israel in the 7th century B.C. might have been established through the Israelite tribe of Gad. King Menahem was the first ruler from the House of Gadi to control Israel. He appears on the Biblical Timeline Poster during the 7th century. Menahem took the throne after he assassinated King Shallum after one month in office. Menahem’s name means “counselor” or “comforter” but the life of this ruler revealed that his name didn’t reflect his character.

A rebellion had occurred in the land of Tappuah (Tiphasah) at some point in time during his reign. 1 Kings 4: 24 states the land of Tappuah was previously conquered by King Solomon in the past. So it has been under the control of Israel for some time. After finding out about the rebellion King Menahem sent his forces to bring the city back under control. The people were not trying to cooperate with the king so Menahem destroyed their city. He not only wiped out Tappuah, he also annihilated the surrounding countryside of Tizrah. He killed an entire population of people and the Bible says that he was so cruel that he even slaughtered pregnant women by cutting them open.

Menahem ruled Israel for 10 years and during his reign he led the people in idol worship. The Bible states that he performed the same sins as Jeroboam who started the Gold Calf Cult in Israel. Jeroboam was the first ruler of Israel after the kingdom divided. He created a false religion so that he could keep the people of Israel and Judah divided. This false religion was used as a form of policy by many Israeli kings and God didn’t approve of it at all.

During the reign of King Menahem an Assyrian king named Tiglath-pileser invaded Israel. He was a mighty conqueror and he would have probably easily defeated King Menahem forces in battle. King Menahem decided to save the kingdom of Israel by exploiting the rich people under his rule. He taxed them excessively so that he could pay tribute to King Tiglath-pileser. The money was going to be used to strengthen his position in Israel and to make an alliance with the Assyrian king. Tiglath-pileser was pleased with the tribute and Israel had to become a tributary of Assyria.

King Menahem’s actions forced Israel to pay a yearly tribute to Assyria for many years afterward. This happened for some time until the reign of King Hoshea. When King Hoshea refused to pay tribute to Assyria it caused the might Assyrian army to attack Israel and to carry off most of the people into captivity. God had allowed all of this to happen so he could punish Israel for its sins. Menahem ruled the land for 10 years before he died and when he did he was succeeded by his son Pekahiah who was also considered a cruel king.

Biblical References:

2 Kings 15: 14 Menahem assassinates King Shallum and takes over the throne of Israel
2 Kings 15: 16 King Menahem destroys a rebellion in Tappuah.
2 Kings 15: 17, 18 King Menahem rules Israel for 10 years and he doesn’t turn from his sins.
2 Kings 15: 19, 20 King Tiglath-pileser from Assyria rules attacks Israel and King Menahem taxes the rich people in his kingdom and pays a large sum of money to stop the invasion. Israel becomes a tributary of Assyria.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/374639/Menahem
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Manahen-Menahem.jpg

Posted on September 10, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — 2 Comments

Hosea, Prophet

Hosea was a biblical prophet in the land of Israel and spoke the messages of the Lord. He appears on the Bible Timeline Poster around the 8th century B.C. He prophesied to the people of Israel during the years that Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Kezekiah were kings of Judah and when Jeroboam II was king of Israel. Hosea’s name means “salvation” or “God’s salvation” but many people refer to him as a prophet of doom. Even though Hosea’s prophecies were full of judgment and punishment from God, they were intended to turn the people away from their sins and to restore Israel to their rightful place with the Lord.

God used Hosea’s life in a very unusual way to spread his message to the people. The Lord told Hosea to marry a prostitute so that he could have some children born to him and other men. On the surface, it seems as if God is telling a righteous man to sin, but there is a deep spiritual reason he gave Hosea these instructions. The people of Israel were committing adultery against God by worshipping foreign gods.

Since the time that the kingdom of Israel split into separate territories, the people had been worshipping false gods. So God used Hosea’s life as an example of their unfaithfulness. The Lord told Hosea to have a child by his adulterous wife who was named Gomer. They ended up having a son that God told Hosea to name Jezreel. King Jehu murdered some people at Jezreel, and God was using Hosea’s life to illustrate the fact that he was going to punish Jehu‘s dynasty for this sin. He also decided to break the military might of Israel in the Jezreel Valley. Gomer gave Hosea another child, and it was a girl. God told Hosea to name the child Lo-Ruh amah because she would be used to show how God would no longer to show love to the people of Israel. God said that he would love Judah and free them from their enemies. Gomer gave Hosea another son and his name was Lo-Ammi, and his name means “not my people”. God explained that he no longer considered the people of Israel to be his servants and that he is not their god. It was in this context that Hosea’s prophecies were spoken to the people.

Hosea 2

Hosea points out that God considered Israel, an unfaithful wife. He explains to the people turned their backs on him no matter how good he treated them and chased after other lovers. Verses 14 to 23 of chapter 2, points out that God’s love for Israel is still strong for them regardless of their sins.

Hosea 3

God commands Hosea to redeem his wife from her lover even though she loves adultery. Hosea obeys the Lord and buys back Gomer from her adulterous lover. Hosea then told Gomer that she must live in his house for many days without committing adultery. God uses this incident in Hosea’s life to point out that Israel wouldn’t have a king or be able to offer sacrifices for many years. They wouldn’t even be able to offer sacrifices to their idols. God goes on to say that in the last days that the people would come back to him trembling and ready to receive his good gifts.

Hosea 4

God goes into details about Israel’s sin, and he uses the illustration of adultery and prostitution to point out the unfaithfulness of his people. Hosea also points out how the people are committing adultery spiritually and literally.

Hosea 5

God condemns Israel’s leaders and priests for not being responsible enough to lead the people in the right way. Once again he uses the theme of adultery and prostitution to point out the unfaithfulness from the leaders and priests.

Hosea 6 – 10

Hosea pronounces many judgments against Israel, and he states that God is going to destroy Israel’s statues and idols. God also destroyed Israel’s fortresses as a part of his punishment for his people. Hosea goes back and forth between judgments and the call of repentance between chapters 11 and 14. Ultimately, God used Hosea to give the people of Israel his hope for salvation or rescue from destruction.

Biblical References:

Hosea 1: 1 Hosea’s background.
Hosea 1: 2 – 11 God tells Hosea to marry a prostitute and have children that will be used to illustrate his judgments against Israel.
Hosea 2 God treats Israel like an unfaithful wife.
Hosea 3 God tells Hosea to buy back his adulterous wife from her lover, and he did this to illustrate how the people of Israel would no longer have a king or to be able to worship false gods.
Hosea 4 – 14 The remaining chapters of the book of Hosea outlines God’s judgments and his call to repentance for the nation of Israel.

References:
http://bible.org/seriespage/hosea
http://www.essortment.com/hosea-prophet-42615.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Duccio_di_Buoninsegna_063.jpg

Posted on September 9, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — 8 Comments

Amos a prophet of Israel

Amos is a Hebrew name and it means “to carry” or “carried”. This name was given to Amos who carried the messages from God to the people of Israel. He appears on the Biblical Timeline Chart around 750 B.C. He was shepherd from the town of Tekoah in Judah. God called Amos to prophesy during the reigns of King Uzziah of Judah and Jeroboam II of Israel. There was an earthquake in the land of Judah and two years before this quake had happened God sent Amos to warn the people about their sins and his judgment.

Amos 1 God Punishes Israel’s Neighbors

Amos begins his messages to Israel by explaining to them that God is shouting loudly from his Temple on Mount Zion. He tells them that God says that he is going to punish Israel’s neighbors for their sins against his people and against him. Damascus, Gaza, Tyre and Edom have all done something cruel and wrong to the Israelites and God had punished them in different ways according to the sins they had committed.

Amos 2 God Judges Judah and Israel

Amos says that God will punish his people because they refuse to obey his commandments and follow his instructions. He says that God will destroy the fortresses in Judah and he explains why God is so angry with Israel. Amos also points out that the Israelites run over helpless people, pervert justice, steal and sell honest people into slavery.

Amos,Prophet_of_Isreal_and_Judah — Painting of Amos

Can Two People Walk Together?

In chapter 3 verse 1 in the book of Amos there is a famous verse which asks the question “Can two people walk together, except they be agreed?” God uses Amos to present this question to Israel so that they can take a good look at their relationship with him. The Lord wants Amos to tell the people that he is not going to be with them unless they follow his direction.

Amos 3 Witnesses against Israel

Amos tells the people of Israel that God usually sends a warning for people before he exercises judgment against them. He lets the people know that God has sent prophets to turn the people back to God. He then goes on to say that God will punish Israel by destroying the homes of the wealthy, allowing the Israelites to be taken captive by foreigners and destroying the pagan altars at Bethel.

Amos 4 to 6 More Judgments from God

The prophet Amos explains some more judgments to the people from God and in chapter 5: 1 -17 he calls for the people to repent before going back and pronouncing more punishments from the Lord.

Amos 7 Visions

In chapter 7 of the book of Amos God gives him a series of visions and the first vision was about locusts destroying Israel’s land. God decided not to destroy Israel with this judgment and decided to use fire to burn up the land. Once again the Lord held back this judgment. He then explains to Amos about the vision of the plumb line to test his people faithfulness and declares that he will destroy the pagan temples and altars in Israel.

King Amaziah of Judah told Jeroboam of Israel that Amos was planning to remove him from the throne and send the people into exile. King Amaziah told Amos to leave. Before Amos left he told King Amaziah that his wife would be a prostitute and that his children would die in the city. He also said that the king would die in a foreign land and that his land would be divided up. Amos pronounced these judgments on the king because he refused to listen to God’s word.

Amos 8 and 9

Amos pronounces some more harsh judgments and he relays the vision of ripe fruit that God had given him. The vision of ripe fruit was used to illustrate how the people of Israel were ready for judgment from God. Amos tells them that many people were going to be carried out of the city and that many others would die. The people didn’t want to listen to Amos and turn from their sins. In the last chapter of Amos, God says that one day he was going to restore his people and not wipe them out. This illustrates the point that Israel will always be God’s chosen people.

References:

Amos 1: 1, 2 Explains how Amos became a prophet.
Amos 1 God punishes Israel’s neighbors.
Amos 2 God judges Judah and Israel.
Amos 3: 1 Popular scripture about people believing in the same thing.
Amos 3 God explains that he sends warning before judgment.
Amos 4 – 6 Judgments from God with a brief call of repentance in chapter five.
Amos 7 God gives Amos visions about the terrible ways he planned on destroying Israel
Amos 8 – 9 More judgments from God with the hope for restoration.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://hypertextbible.org/amos/amos/people/amos.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amos_(prophet)

Posted on September 8, 2012March 29, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Jonah and the Whale

Jonah was the son of Amittai, and he is a prophet who lived in Israel in the 8th century B.C., which is where he appears on the Bible Timeline Chart. His name means “dove”. There is a book in the Bible that bears his name and he also appears in 2 Kings as a prophet from Gath-Hepher. And he predicts that King Jeroboam II would take back lands that were previously lost to Israel. God had called Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh so that he could send them a message of repentance. The people of Nineveh were wicked and God wanted them to repent, but Jonah didn’t want to deliver this message. Nineveh was an ancient city that was a part of the Assyrian empire. The Israelite’s constantly had problems with the people of Nineveh and Jonah would have rather watched these people suffer for their sins than to warn them about turning away from their transgressions.

Jonah had run in the opposite direction of God because he wanted to get away from the Lord. He then boarded a ship to place called Tarshish which used to be located in modern day Lebanon. While he was sailing away, God sent a huge storm against the ship to sink it to the bottom of the sea. Jonah was asleep at the bottom of the ship while the storm was raging against the vessel. The sailors who were on board the ship began to pray to their gods to stop the storm, but it didn’t work. The captain went down to the bottom of the ship and woke Jonah up and had him pray to his god to make the storm stop. The sailors then cast lots to see who handled the storm and Jonah were the guilty one. Jonah then explained to the sailors why he was running from God, and they eventually threw Jonah into the sea at his request to stop the storm. The sailors began to pray and offer sacrifices to God once they threw Jonah overboard. They did this because God had immediately stopped the storm after they got rid of Jonah. God created a giant fish to swallow Jonah after he was thrown the ship overboard. Once Jonah was inside of the fish he prayed to God. His prayer was for God to save him from the fish because he realized that he was wrong for not obeying the Lord. After Jonah prayed this prayer, the giant fish spit him up on the beach. God spoke to Jonah again about delivering a message of repentance to Nineveh and this time around Jonah obeyed him. Once Jonah arrived in the city, he told the people that in 40 days God was going to destroy the place. The people believed his message, and they began to repent of their sins by wearing sackcloth and fasting. Their king also told all of his people that they had to wear sackcloth and pray to God for forgiveness. God saw that the people did have a change of heart, and he withheld his judgments from the people.

Jonah became very angry with God for allowing the people of Nineveh to repent. He knew that God would spare them from judgment once they turned from their evil ways. Jonah would have wanted the people to receive God’s punishment instead of mercy and grace. Jonah was so angry that he was depressed. Jonah then went to the eastern side of the city to see if anything bad would happen. While he was there, he built a shelter and God allowed a plant to grow to cover him from the sun. The next day God sent a worm to eat the plant’s root, and Jonah lost his shade. God then sent a hot wind against Jonah and the sun made him so uncomfortable that he wished to die.

God then explained to Jonah that he didn’t do anything to make the plant live but that he wanted to die because it no longer provided him shade. God said he felt the same way about the people of Nineveh and their animals even though they were no longer serving their purpose to the Lord by worshipping him. The book of Jonah ends without anybody knowing if Jonah was still angry with God or if the prophet finally saw things from God’s perspective.

Biblical References:

Jonah 1 God tells Jonah to go to Nineveh and get the people to repent. A large storm appears and sailors throw Jonah overboard to stop the storm. Jonah is swallowed by a whale.
Jonah 2 Jonah says a prayer of repentance and the whale spits him up on a beach.
Jonah 3 Jonah finally goes to Nineveh to tell them about God’s judgment if they don’t repent. The people listen and they are spared from God’s wrath.
Jonah 4 Jonah is angry with God for sparing the people of Nineveh and he wants to die. God explains to Jonah that he cares for all of the people that he has created and did not want to damn anybody.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://bible.org/seriespage/jonah
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pieter_Lastman_-_Jonah_and_the_Whale_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chartres_Saint-Aignan804.JPG
http://pixabay.com/en/churning-troubled-water-ocean-536850/
http://pixabay.com/en/desert-drought-dehydrated-clay-soil-279862/

Posted on September 7, 2012March 30, 2020 by Margaret Hunter — 8 Comments

Elisha, Prophet

Elisha was an important prophet that led the prophets of God during the turbulent time of the kings in Israel’s history. He appears on the Biblical Timeline with world history during the 8th century BC. This prophet actively performed miracles and prophesized through the reign of four kings. Elisha performed his service for God over the course of 60 years. Elisha’s name means “my God is salvation”.

Elisha was the son of Shaphat who resided in Abel-meholah, and he was a farmer by trade. When Elijah found him, he was plowing a field with a team of oxen. Elijah had been on the run from Queen Jezebel because he had publically humiliated her god Baal. Jezebel was married to the wicked King Ahab, and she sent Elijah a message that she was going to kill him. When Elijah heard this message he wanted to die but God told him to find Elisha. Once he located Elisha he told him that he placed his cloak on his shoulders. Elisha knew right away that he needed to go away with Elijah, but he cooked a meal and said goodbye to his parents before he departed.

ElishaProphet_of_Isreal_and_Judah — Elisha

Elisha spent many years training under Elijah before the old prophet was taken up into heaven. God decided to take Elijah into heaven instead of allowing him to experience death. Elisha and Elijah were traveling toward the Jordan River near the end of his time on Earth. While they were walking there were a group of prophets who would run up to Elisha and tell him “the Lord is going to take your master away” and he would reply “I already know.”

The duo reached the Jordan River, and Elijah used his cloak to part the waters. They walked across, and Elisha had asked Elijah if he could be the next leader of the prophets. Elijah told him he would be able to lead the prophets if he was able to see him being taken away by God. They started to walk again and as they did a chariot with a horse made out of fire passed in between them, and it took Elijah into heaven. Once the prophet was taken away, he dropped his cloak and Elisha picked it up. Once again he used the cloak again to divide the waters of the Jordan River before crossing back over to the other side. There was a group of prophets who were watching from a distance and witnessed this miraculous event.

Elisha was now established as the leader of the prophets, and he had become known to the people all throughout Israel and Judah. The Bible then records certain events from his life that displayed the many miracles that God performed in his life. The first miracle that he did was to restore the waters that surrounded the city of Jericho. The waters were apparently poisoned, but Elisha added salt to it and then told the people that God made the water safe for them to drink. From that day on, no one died or became ill after drinking the water near Jericho.

Elisha used to travel throughout the region of Israel and Judah performing his duties as the leader of the prophets. Sometimes he passed through a region called Shunem and when he did he was shown great hospitality by a wealthy woman and her husband. They had fixed up a room for Elisha and his servant Gezhi in their home so he could have a decent place stay. Because of their hospitality, Elijah told the woman that she would have a son in her old age, and she eventually had a child. The child died, and the Shunemite lady told Elisha what had happened. Elisha brought him back to life by laying on him three times and breathing into his mouth.

Elisha saved a group of prophets from an early death by transforming poisonous stew into an edible substance. He fed 100 people with 20 loaves of bread at Baal Shalisha.

God also used Elisha to give prophesies to kings and to establish new monarchs on the thrones of Israel and Syria. When King Jehoshaphat of Judah and Joram of Israel went to war against the Moabites, they asked Elijah to prophesy about the outcome. Even though Elijah despised King Joram for his wicked deeds, he told them the Lord said that they would be victorious. He told a Syrian man named Hazael that he would be king of Syria and he sent one of his prophets to a military commander of Israel named Jehu to inform him that he would be the next ruler to govern the land.

Eventually, Elisha became seriously ill in his old age, and he was visited by King Jehoash. The king was upset at the fact that Elisha was about to die. Elisha performed one last prophetic message and used a bow and arrow to illustrate the fact that King Jehoash was going to defeat the king of Aram in battle. Elisha then passed away and was buried.

Bible References:

1 Kings 19: 19 – 21 Elijah chooses Elisha to become the next leader of the prophets.
2 Kings 4:17 performed the same miracles with the oil as Elijah. So a widow of one of the sons of prophets could pay her debts and sustain her family.
2 Kings 4: 8 – 36 Resurrected a Shunemite widow’s child after he prophesying that she would have one.
2 Kings 4: 38-41Transformed a poisonous soup into edible foods for the prophets in Gilgal.
2 Kings 7: 1-20 Hazael would be made king, but he was going to kill Ben Hadad (suffocate) to take the throne and cause Israel to suffer. Elisha then told one of his prophets to anoint Jehu to King by destroying Ahab’s house.
2 Kings: 1 – 19 Elisha cures a Syrian military commander Naaman from leprosy.
2 Kings 3 Predicts that Israel, Judah, and Edom would defeat the Moabites.
2 Kings 7: 1 – 20 Hazael would be made king, but he was going to kill Ben Hadad (suffocate) to take the throne and cause Israel to suffer. Elisha then told one of his prophets to anoint Jehu to King by destroying Ahab’s house.
2 Kings 13: 14 – 19 Elijah tells King Jehoash that he would defeat the Arameans before he passed away.
2 Kings 13: 20 -21 a man brought back to life through Elisha’s body

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amos_(prophet)
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Elisha.html
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elisha-Eliseus.jpg

Posted on September 6, 2012March 29, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — 11 Comments

Elijah, Prophet

The prophet Elijah lived in Israel and Judah during the 8th century B.C., which is where he appears on the Bible Timeline. This particular prophet was used by God to teach many about the Lord and to confront the evil rulers in the land of Israel and Judah.

Elijah’s life was full of many challenges, miracles and adventures that were given to him by God.

The Widow and Elijah

King Ahab and Queen Jezebel were Elijah’s greatest Earthly enemies during his life. They were wicked rulers who reigned over the land of Israel. One day God told Elijah to tell King Ahab that a famine would come to the land of Israel, and it did. God then sent Elijah to a widow to Zarephath and the woman had a son. When Elijah discovered who the widow was he wanted to eat a meal with her. She told him that she was going to cook the last of her food before she and her son would die. Elijah told her to make him some bread first and that there would be enough left over for her and her child. Elijah then prophesies to the woman that God will always provide her with enough flour and oil to eat. The Lord said that he would perform this miracle up until he decided to send rain again to the land.

Prophe-elijah — ‘Prophet Elijah and the Widow of Sarepta’

‘Prophet Elijah and the Widow of Sarepta’

The widow’s son became sick while Elijah stayed with them, and the Prophet brought him back to life by lying on top of him three times and crying out to the Lord. Many people use this particular story from Elijah to explain how God will meet the needs of his people and the great miracles that God can do to help people out in life.

Elijah vs. Baal

During the reign of King Ahab, many followers of God were persecuted for their beliefs. King Ahab allowed Jezebel to kill off God’s prophets, and the situation was so bad that they had to go into hiding just to survive. God eventually had enough of this situation and sent Elijah to stop Jezebel from slaughtering his people.

Prophet_Elijah_King_Ahab — ‘ELIYAH VISITS KING AHAB AND THE BA’AL PROPHETS’

‘ELIYAH VISITS KING AHAB AND THE BA’AL PROPHETS’

Obadiah was a follower of God who served King Ahab. There was a famine in the land at the time, and King Ahab told Obadiah to go and find some suitable cattle and horses. While Obadiah was out fulfilling his duty he ran into Elijah. The prophet told Obadiah to tell Ahab that he was going to stop Jezebel and her minions. Obadiah was reluctant and fearful to carry out this command, but he ultimately relented to Elijah because he was a godly prophet. So Obadiah told King Ahab that Elijah had issued a challenge to Baal and his followers. King Ahab and the prophets met Elijah on Mt. Carmel where they performed a contest to see who had the strongest god. Baal’s priests lost the competition, and they were slaughtered by the people. King Ahab was angry, and Jezebel wanted to destroy Elijah for the damage that he had done to her false religious system. God had used Elijah to avenge his followers deaths.

Elijah on the Run

Elijah had to run into the wilderness because Jezebel wanted to spill his blood for discrediting her God. He then encountered God while he was out in the wilderness. Elijah was fed up with fighting against evil, and he wanted to die, but God encouraged him to continue. God then uses a windstorm, an earthquake, and fire to teach people how God speaks. The verses tell us that God was not in those three, but afterward he spoke to Elijah in a still, small voice. God then sent Elijah to Elisha so that he could make him the next leader.

Prophet_elijah_elisha — ‘The prophet Elijah − the 17th-century icon, provenance − Weremień. Now in the Historic Museum in Sanok, Poland’

‘The prophet Elijah − the 17th-century icon, provenance − Weremień. Now in the Historic Museum in Sanok, Poland’

The Cloak of Elijah

Elijah was nearing the end of his journey on Earth and God told him to make a man named Elisha the next leader. Elijah found Elisha plowing in a field and placed his cloak over his shoulders. Elisha then left his family and friends in order to serve the Lord. Elijah had taught Elisha many things about serving God since their initial encounter and eventually the Lord was ready to take Elijah to heaven. God told Elijah to travel to three places before he took him up to heaven. These places were Bethel, Jericho and the Jordan River. Every time that Elijah traveled to one of these places some prophets of God would run up to Elisha and tell him that the Lord is going to take Elija into heaven and each time he would tell them to be quiet because he already knew.

Once Elijah reached the Jordan River, he used his cloak to divide the water in order to cross to the other side. Elisha asked Elijah if he could be the next leader, and Elijah told him he could be the leader if he could see him when God takes him away to heaven. If he doesn’t see him while he is being drawn up to heaven, then he could not be the next leader. So the two men started to walk again and then a chariot from heaven appeared and carried Elijah away. Elisha then cried out “My father! My father! The chariots and charioteers of heaven” before he picked up Elijah cloak to become the next leader of the prophets. Many Jewish and Christians believe that Elijah never experienced death, and he was expected to come back to the world right before it ends.

Bible References:

1 Kings 17 Elijah and the widow.
1 Kings 18 Elijah challenges the priest who serve Baal.
1 Kings 19: 1-13, 1 Kings 19: 19 – 21, 2 Kings 2 Elijah passes on his mantel of leadership.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Elijah.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SaintIliaFromRilaMonastery.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Frederick_Leighton-_Elijah_in_the_Wilderness.jpg

Posted on September 4, 2012March 28, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — 9 Comments

Jeroboam II son of Jehoash, Israelite King

Jeroboam II was the son of King Jehoash of Israel and he ruled Israel a total of 41 years. He appears on the Bible Timeline in the same time frame as Amaziah and Uzziah Kings of Judah. Jeroboam’s name means “God increases the people” or “he increases the people”. Jeroboam II was an evil ruler and he goverened the land in the same manner as the original Jeroboam who was the first king of the divided kingdom.

Jeroboam_II,King_of_Isreal,son_of_Jehoash — Jeroboam II

The original Jeroboam who ruled the kingdom of Israel after it had split in two parts started a Golden Calf Cult so that he could maintain political power in Israel. This cult was designed to keep the people of Israel divided from the people of Judah through religious differences. Jeroboam didn’t want the Israelite’s going into the land of Judah to worship at Solomon’s Temple; otherwise they might have reunited with the people of Judah under one ruler.

Jeroboam II continued this same practice so that he could control the people. He also encouraged the people to worship foreign gods such as Baal. Many rulers after him made the Golden Calf Cult a part of their policy for governing the land. Jeroboam II ruled the land of Israel during the time of the prophets Jonah, Hosea, Joel and Amos. Jonah’s prophecies are primarily told in the book of the Bible that bears his name but God had also used him to inform Jeroboam II that he would restore the lands of Lebo Hamath to the sea of Arabah. Israel had previously lost these lands to Judah during a war. Joel, Amos and Hosea spoke prophecies to the people of Israel during Jeroboam’s reign. God used these men to try and turn the people from idolatry and to pronounce judgment.

The prophet Amos states that God had stirred up other nations to bring against Israel for their disobedience. During the reign of Jeroboam II the people were suffering from the tyranny of the king of Aram and his son. God had allowed these rulers to harass Israel for many years because they turned away from serving him. Jeroboam II became a deliverer for his people when God used him to stop the kings of Aram from troubling the Israelites. The Bible also indicates that Jeroboam II was a mighty king who fought in many battles and wars. He apparently had restored a lot of lost territory to Israel and he also beat back enemies besides Aram that caused problems for Israel. He eventually died and his son Zechariah became the next king in his place.

Bible References:

2 Kings 14: 16 Jeroboam II was son of Jehoash
2 Kings 14: 23 – 29 Jeroboam reign
24 He ruled the kingdom in the same way as the original Jeroboam.
25 Jeroboam the II restored lands that God had given to Israel and mentions that Jonah prophesized that he would. In reference to Amos 6: 14, God stirs up a nation that oppressed Israel from Lebo Hamath to the valley of the Arabah.
26, 27 The people in Israel were suffering and God used Jeroboam II to save them
28 He recovered Israel from Damascus and Hamoth
29 Succeeded by Zechariah

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/ http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0011_0_10084.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jeroboam_II.jpg