Summary of Old Testament

bible notes OLD TESTAMENT - SUMMARY

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Everyone should learn something about the Bible, regardless of his religious preferences. The Bible presents a historical religion
and is very difficult to read and understand. For these reasons, these Bible Review Notes were written as a compilation of
important points from the viewpoint of a scientist/engineer/researcher. There has been no attempt to discuss or debate these
points, merely to present them in summarized fashion.

SOURCES

The Holy Bible, New Internatonal Version(International Bible Society; The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids,
Michigan; 1991) was used for quoted verses for the great majority of this work: SEE NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT on the title
page. Also The Holy Bible, King James Version (American Bible Society, New York; 1992) was used for some references
that are better known in the wording of the King James Version. When not stated, the verses are from The Holy Bible, New
International Version (NIV ). All verses and references are given in standard form of Book, Chapter: Verse -- as in this
example:

1 Kings 11:5-7


where

     1 Kings = Book
     11 = Chapter
     5-7 = Verses 5 through 7


The Living Bible (Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois; 1972) was also used for reading as an aid in this work,
because of its simplicity in wording/paraphrases.

The 39 books of the Old Testament are reviewed in order of presentation in the NIV in OLD TESTAMENT NOTES --
Book-by-Book. The 27 books of the New Testament are reviewed in order of presentation in the NIV in NEW
TESTAMENT NOTES -- Book-by-Book. Additionally both the Old and New Testaments are reviewed in an overall short
summary.


o.t summary
OLD TESTAMENT NOTES

                                      Short Summary

After Adam and Eve, the Hebrew lineage truly began with Abraham (about 1900 B.C.).



Abraham's Personal Covenant (contract) with God (Genesis 17)

God said that Abraham would be the father of "many nations" and
that Abraham and his descendants should circumsize the male babies on the
eighth day after birth to seal the contract.


From Abraham came Isaac, then Jacob (whose name was changed to ISRAEL), who had twelve sons, giving rise to the
twelve "tribes" of Israel. One of Jacob's sons, Joseph, was sold into slavery in Egypt, leading to Jacob and his family coming to
Egypt and later their descendents becoming slaves in Egypt. Moses (about 1250 B.C.) led the Exodus (freeing of Israelites
from bondage) from Egypt and the Covenant of God with the Hebrew nation was made:


Hebrew People's Covenant (Old Covenant) with God (Exodus 34:27-28)

God gave the people the Ten Commandments for the people of Israel to obey
in order that He be their God.


There were constant problems with the Jewish people believing in idols and other "gods." Finally the people reached the
Promised Land and settled there after Moses' death. "Judges" led the people until about 1000 B.C. when Kings were installed,
yet these were still thought of as people doing God's bidding (not as other nations' kings which had all power being theirs
alone). King David and King Solomon led a united, strong country -- which became divided after Solomon's death:

Southern Kingdom -- called Judah, though consisting of both the "tribes"
of Judah and Benjamin; this group included the city of Jerusalem.
The Southern Kingdom fell to the Babylonians in 586 B.C.

Northern Kingdom-- called Israel, consisting of the other 10 "tribes";
this group included Samaria.
The Northern Kingdom fell to the Assyrians around 722 B.C.

Although the Hebrews rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem in 520 B.C., they never regained strength and were eventually
conquered by Rome.

The struggles of the Hebrew people and their dispersion from their country were thought to be from their belief in idols and
heathen "gods" (mostly resulting from their marrying non-Jews who brought in outside religions). The prophets (including Elijah,
Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel) were spokesmen for God to the people and to their leaders: they often disagreed with the men
in power and had no fear of expressing their messages from God -- generally directing against the idolatry and "false gods."

There are many points of wisdom (Books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job). Poems and hymns of the Hebrew people are
expressed in Psalms. In the latter writings, there was a general belief in the "last days" (of the future around their time or at a
time to come) and of the Messiah who would lead them with great power.

O.T book by book
The Books of the Old Testament


The Old Testament of the Bible covers mostly the time from around 1500 B.C. to 100 A.D. The first five books are
the Pentateuch (or the Books of Moses; or the Torah) and are sacred to three religions -- Jews, Christians, and
Moslems.

           GENESIS     EXODUS      LEVITICUS     NUMBERS    DEUTERONOMY

           JOSHUA      JUDGES        RUTH         1 SAMUEL    2 SAMUEL

           1 KINGS     2 KINGS   1 CHRONICLES    2 CHRONICLES    EZRA

           NEHEMIAH    ESTHER      JOB        PSALMS     PROVERBS

           ECCLESIASTES   SONG OF SOLOMON   ISAIAH    JEREMIAH

           LAMENTATIONS  EZEKIEL    DANIEL   HOSEA     JOEL

           AMOS    OBADIAH    JONAH   MICAH   NAHUM   HABAKKUK

           ZEPHANIAH HAGGAI   ZECHARIAH   MALACHI


                                        GENESIS


GENESIS (means beginning):
At first, God (also called Yahweh or Jehovah) said, "Let there be light" (Genesis1:3). Then... the heavens and earth -- all taking
six days. God rested on the seventh day and declared it holy, giving rise to the observance of a holy day. God created the first
man (Adam) and then the first woman (Eve) from one of the ribs of the man.

First Sin Story (Genesis 2,3): God provided the Garden of Eden, telling Adam and Eve not to eat fruit from the Tree of
Conscience, since it provided awareness of right and wrong, good and bad, and caused eventual death. A snake convinced
Eve to eat the fruit. This act condemned mankind to die and womankind to have painful childbirth, because God's instructions
were not followed.

Lineage of Adam and Eve :
Cain was their first child, followed by Abel. Cain was jealous of Abel and eventually killed him. Adam died at 930 years old.
The oldest man was Methuselah, living to 969.



Noah:
A large population occurred and humans had become wicked, so God told Noah that He was to destroy the life but that Noah
(the truly righteous person of the time) would be saved, along with his family and a pair of each kind of bird and animal and
reptile. Noah built a boat according to God's instruction ([Genesis 6:15] 450 ft. long, 75 ft. wide, 45 ft. high). Noah, at 600
years old, boarded the boat, and it rained for forty days and forty nights. After 150 days, the boat rested upon the mountains of
Ararat. After almost six months more, Noah left the boat to restore the people and animals of the earth. Noah had three sons
(Shem, Ham, and Japheth): from these three sons of Noah came all the nations of the earth. God promised to never send
another flood to destroy the earth.


Tower of Babel (Genesis 11):
A temple-tower was to be built, rising high to the skies, to demonstrate mankind's power. God gave people different languages
to prevent this being built.


Abram/Abraham:
God promised Abram (75 years old at the time -- possibly around 1900 B.C.) that He would cause him to be "the father of
many nations." When Abram was 99 years old, God changed his name to Abraham (meaning Father of Nations) and changed
his wife's name from Sarai to Sarah (meaning Princess). God told Abraham that He would give all the land of Canaan to
Abraham and his children, forever. As part of the contract with God , Abraham was to circumcise every male (cutting off the
foreskin of the penis) [Genesis 17: 10-12] on the eighth day after birth. God then told Abraham that he (at 100 years old)
would have a son with his wife, Sarah (90 years old), and she gave birth to Isaac (meaning "he laughs").

Sodom and Gomorrah (two cities that were wicked): God allowed Lot (a nephew of Abram) and his family to leave while God
destroyed the cities. Lot's wife looked back at the cities, against instructions of God, and was turned into a "pillar of salt"
(Genesis 19:26).

Abraham lived and prospered in the Philistine country. A well named Beersheba ("Well of the Oath") was one of many that he
established.


TEST OF ABRAHAM (Genesis 22): Abraham was asked by God to sacrifice his son, Isaac, and Abraham was willing to
carry out God's wishes. God stopped him from killing Isaac, and Abraham sacrificed a ram to God.

Abraham and Sarah were both buried near Hebron in the land of Canaan: this burial place became a prime one for the oldest
persons of Biblical history.


Isaac : Isaac married Rebekah and had two twin sons -- Jacob and Esau . Esau was a very hairy person who liked the
outdoors and hunting. Jacob was not hairy and liked to cook, not to hunt. Isaac favored Esau; Rebekah favored Jacob. Jacob
traded food to Esau for his "birthright," and Jacob and Rebekah tricked Isaac into giving his blessing to Jacob instead of Esau
(Genesis 27). Jacob wore furry material so that his near- blind father would "feel" him to be like hairy Esau.

Jacob left his father to go find a mate to not marry one of "the daughters of the Canaanites." He met Rachel and worked for her
father for seven years to marry her. He was tricked into marrying her sister, Leah, first, and had to work an additional seven
years to marry Rachel. Finally, he left his father-in-law, Laban, and went back to where his brother Esau lived, Edom. Jacob
was given a friendly reception by his brother Esau. Jacob moved to Bethel, where God told him his name would be changed
from Jacob (meaning "he grasps the heel") to Israel (meaning "he struggles with God")[Geneses 35:10]. Rachel, Jacob's wife,
had two sons --Joseph and Benjamin. Jacob had twelve sons in all, leading to the twelve "tribes" of Israel.


COAT OF MANY COLORS :
Joseph, 17, was given a "richly ornamented (i.e., bright-colored) robe" (Genesis 37:3) by his father, Jacob. His brothers were
very jealous of him. They threw him into an empty well, then sold Joseph into slavery (going to Egypt). Joseph's brothers
dipped his robe with goat's blood, convincing his father that he had died. In Egypt, Joseph became a great leader there by
telling the fortunes of several men and eventually the Pharoah. Reading the Pharaoh's dream, he predicted 7 years of harvest
followed by 7 years of famine. The Pharaoh made Joseph leader of the project to prepare for these 14 years. Joseph later met
his brothers when they needed to buy food in the 7 years of famine. He tricked them at first, but later let them all come to Egypt
and live in the land of Goshen in Egypt.


                                        EXODUS



EXODUS (meaning "exit" or "going away from"):
The beginning of 70 of Jacob's family in Egypt grew to a large nation, filling the land of Goshen. So the Egyptians made slaves
of the Israelites (also called Hebrews). One of the sons of Jacob was named Levi . Out of the family of Levi, at a time when
the Pharoah had tried to kill all Israeli babies, the baby Moses was born. He was raised by Pharaoh's daughter. When Moses
was grown, he killed an Egyptian that was beating a Hebrew. Moses then had to leave Egypt to avoid being killed. Moses went
to the land of Midian, where he met Reuel (also called Jethro) and married his daughter Zipporah.


BURNING BUSH (Exodus 3:2): An Angel of the Lord appeared to Moses as "flames of fire from within a bush." Then God
told him to be the person to free the Hebrews from Egypt. Moses begged to not be the person chosen as this spokesman. The
Lord insisted and told him to throw down his staff (i.e, shepherd's rod) onto the ground -- at which point it was turned into a
snake. The Lord told Moses to put his hand into his cloak (i.e, robe); it became "leprous, like snow" and then became all right
when put into the cloak and withdrawn again. The Lord then told him that water would also be turned into blood. These things
would allow the people in Egypt to know that Moses was indeed sent by God to them. Moses begged God further, so God
allowed Moses' brother Aaron to be the spokesman to the people with Moses being the messenger from God.


Moses (80 years old) and Aaron (83 years old) went to Pharoah and requested that the Hebrews be allowed to worship God
for three days in the wilderness. Pharoah did not allow this, so Moses and Aaron had to demonstrate the power of God with
miracles and finally plagues, such as frogs, flies, hail, and locusts. Finally, (Exodus 11) God told Moses that He would send the
"Destroyer" to kill the firstborn (i.e., oldest) sons of all in Egypt, except for those oldest sons of the people of Israel. The
Hebrews were instructed by Moses to kill a lamb and coat the sides and tops of their doorframes with the blood of the lamb,
so that the "Destroyer" would pass over their home (Genesis 12:23) -- hence the celebration thereafter of the Passover
(celebrated forevermore, always around late March or first of April by our calendar). Pharoah let the Hebrews go, after their
430 years in Egypt. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him out of Egypt. Pharoah went after them when he realized that they
were not coming back after their leaving to worship their God. The sea opened up for the Hebrews and they walked on dry
ground, whereas it closed onto the following Egyptians, killing the army of Pharoah. The time of the Exodus from Egypt was
around 1250 B.C.

Two months after leaving Egypt, the Hebrews arrived between Elim and Mt. Sinai. The people griped about their condition, so
God provided them with "manna" ([Exodus 16:31] meaning "what is it?") -- a bread-food that was white and tasted like wafers
made with honey; formed from dew on the ground. At his father-in-law's suggestion, Moses appointed "judges" to administer
justice to the people.

TEN COMMANDMENTS : God issued His Ten Commandments (Exodus 20):

     Exodus 20:3: (1) You shall have no other gods before Me.
     Exodus 20:4: (2) You shall not make for yourself an idol...
     Exodus 20:7: (3) You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God...
     Exodus 20:8: (4) Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy... the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.
     On it you shall not do any work...
     Exodus 20:12: (5) Honor your father and your mother...
     Exodus 20:13: (6) You shall not murder.
     Exodus 20:14: (7) You shall not commit adultery.
     Exodus 20:15: (8) You shall not steal.
     Exodus 20:16: (9) You shall not give false testimony (i.e., not lie)...
     Exodus 20:17:(10) You shall not covet your neighbor's house.... or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

God told Moses the laws that were to be applied to the people. There were twelve tribes of Israel, and altars were arranged to
signify this. God instructed Moses on how to build a Tabernacle and an Ark (Exodus 25:10: of acacia wood, 3 3/4 ft. long, 2
1/4 ft. wide, 2 1/4 ft. high overlayed with gold (inside and out) containing inside the stone tablets engraved with the Ten
Commandments). The Ark would be a place in the Holy of Holies for God to reside. Aaron and his sons were designated as
the priests for God. The requirements for altars, incense, and offerings were described to Moses by God. Moses first went to
Mt. Sinai to get the Ten Commandments and was there for 40 days and 40 nights. Since Moses was gone so long, his brother,
Aaron, at the request of the people built a golden calf that they all worshipped. Moses saw this and, in disgust, destroyed the
stone tablets of the Ten Commandments that God had given to him. He then went back to Mt. Sinai for another 40 days and
40 nights and made a contract (or Covenant) with God to not destroy the people if they would obey the Ten
Commandments. God created the tablets again.


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                                     LEVITICUS


LEVITICUS : God gave Moses specific instruction for sacrificing ox, sheep, goat, birds, or grain to God. Rules for "burnt"
offerings were given. God instructed Moses and Aaron to tell the people what food to eat -- any animal with a split hoof (or
cloven hoof) which chews the cud (Leviticus 11:2-3). This meant that camels, rabbits, and pigs were not to be eaten. Also, it
was all right to eat any that have "fins and scales" (Leviticus 11:9) but no other water creatures. Some birds (eagles, "kites,"
ravens, hawks, owls, gulls, vultures, storks, bats) were also forbidden to eat, along with four-legged flying insects. The laws that
God wished for the Hebrews were told to Moses. Homosexuality was forbidden (Leviticus 18:22). Holy feasts (i.e., festivals)
were given for observing (Leviticus 23). The "Year of Jubilee" was explained as every fiftieth year (Leviticus 25:10), where all
debts were forgiven and all land passed back to the original owners or their heirs. God constantly promises to remember the
promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Leviticus 26: 42) and is often referred to as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Leviticus basically outlines the things that the Lord gave to Moses on Mount Sinai.

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                                     NUMBERS


NUMBERS : The first census of all of the Hebrew men over twenty years old was taken two years after they had left Egypt,
with the total being 603,550, excluding the Levites' 22,273 who were designated to take care of the Tabernacle. Only Aaron
and his sons were designated for priesthood. The people of Israel had a special blessing designed for them to be given by
Aaron and his sons (given in Numbers 6:24-26): "May the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon
you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace." The people were constantly griping about
eating manna and their situation in the desert. Moses sent 12 "spies," one from each tribe, into the land of Canaan, where they
stayed for forty days. They reported that the Promised Land was magnificent but with powerful people there, including giants.
Two of the "spies" (one originally named Hoshea [meaning "salvation"] and later named Joshua [meaning "Jehovah is
salvation"]; one named Caleb ) said that the land could be taken by the Hebrews, for God was with them. The others did not
agree. God was not pleased and stated (Numbers 14: 29) that no-one over twenty at the time of the census would ever enter
the Promised Land, other than Joshua and Caleb. God also stated (Numbers 14:34) that the Hebrews must wander in the
desert for forty years because of their rejection of Him. At one point in their wanderings, the people were rebelling against
Moses and Aaron (as they had done many times) and had no water. God told Moses (Numbers 20: 8) to use Aaron's staff and
to summon the people and talk to a rock and tell it to pour out water. Instead, Moses (Numbers 20:11) "struck the rock twice"
with the staff, and water gushed out. Because of Moses' disobeying God at that place called Meribah (meaning "quarreling" or
"Rebel Waters"), God said that Moses would not bring the people into the Promised Land.

Finally, a new census was ordered for men of twenty or older, with the number being 601,730, not including the Levites with
their number of 23,000; however, none of the men over twenty were in the first census except Joshua and Caleb. God told
Moses (Numbers 27: 12-14) that he could look from the Abarim mountains and see the Promised Land but could not go there
and was to die in those mountains, with Joshua being his replacement as leader. Aaron died on Mount Hor (Numbers 33:
38-39) at the age of 123. God explained to Moses the setting up of the "Cities of Refuge" (Numbers 35:6) where one can be
safe if he killed someone by accident.


                                DEUTERONOMY


DEUTERONOMY : Moses' address to the Hebrews reviewed all the time of the forty years since they left Egypt.

The Ten Commandments are repeated once again (Deuteronomy 5: 7-21).

The setting aside of the tribe of Levi to work for the Lord and not to have land portions in the Promised Land was described
(Deuteronomy 10: 8-9). Once again, what to eat and not to eat are set out (Deuteronomy 14: 3-21). The rule that every 7
years people must "cancel debts" (Deuteronomy 15: 1) was mentioned -- called the Year of Release. Moses' instructions to set
up three Cities of Refuge (Deuteronomy 19:2-3) is as in the Numbers' account. The rule for anyone who is a false witness
against someone was given as: "...life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." (Deuteronomy 19:21).
It was pointed out that cross-dressing was wrong for either sex (Deuteronomy 22: 5). Moses, at 120 years old, was instructed
by God to go to Mount Nebo (the Abirim mountains) in the land of Moab across from Jericho and view Canaan (the Promised
Land), after which he should die. The Lord buried him in a valley near Beth Peor in Moab in an unknown place.



                                        JOSHUA


JOSHUA : Joshua took over after Moses died. At one point, the Jordon River became dry and allowed all the Hebrews to
cross (Joshua 3:12-17).


JERICHO (Joshua 6): God instructed the Hebrew army to walk around the walled city once a day for six days with seven
priests walking ahead of the Ark. On the seventh day, they were to walk around the city for seven times with the priests
blasting on ram's-horn trumpets, finally giving one long, loud blast with all people shouting. This caused the walls of Jericho to
crumble, so that Jericho was defeated.


The taking of the Promised Land by fighting the occupants was described. At one point (Joshua 10: 13-14), the sun and moon
were stopped for a day. Joshua, at 110, died. The final burial of the bones of Joseph that had been carried all the time since the
Exodus from Egypt was reported (Joshua 24:32).


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                                        JUDGES


JUDGES : Several "judges" led the people of Israel, turning them from their worship of "Baal" and "Ashtaroth" idols. The
people often strayed from God and were punished by God -- then directed back to God, then again straying. One female
"judge" was Deborah, said to be a "mother of Israel." Gideon was another judge who led Israel back to God, but, once again,
when he died, they worshiped "Baal and Baal-berith." One of Gideon's sons, Abimelech, was acclaimed "king of Israel," for a
short time, until he was defeated. Heathen gods again were worshipped and again the Hebrews were punished by being beaten
in battle.


SAMSON (Judges 13-16):
Samson was given great strength from God, and became a judge over Israel for 20 years. At one point, (Judges 15: 15),
Samson killed a thousand Philistines with a donkey's jawbone. He fell in love with Delilah, who nagged him into revealing his
secret of his strength -- his uncut hair. She told the Philistines, who cut Samson's hair and then blinded him. His hair grew back,
his strength returned, and he pulled down pillars supporting a temple -- killing many Philistines and himself.


A story (Judges 19-21) of a "horrible deed" of some men of the tribe of Benjamin against the wife of a Levite led to the other
eleven tribes of Israel virtually eliminating the tribe of Benjamin -- all but a small number.


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                                          RUTH


RUTH : Ruth was a loving daughter-in-law of Naomi's. Ruth's caring for her mother-in-law was very deep (Ruth1:16), as she
said (from King James' Version)



"...for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my
God..."



Ruth eventually married Boaz, had a son named Obed, who had Jesse, who had the famous King David.


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                                      1 SAMUEL


1 SAMUEL : Eli was the main priest. Samuel was born to Hannah, a barren woman, after she prayed to God and Eli also
asked God to help her. Samuel was dedicated, by his mother, to God. At one point, the Ark of God was taken by the
Philistines, causing their idol Dagon to fall and be disgraced (1 Samuel 5). Samuel became judge of Israel (1 Samuel 7) when
Israel defeated the Philistines at Mizpah, at a place that Samuel named Ebenezer (meaning "the Stone of Help"). The people
insisted on having a king. Samuel finally picked Saul, the tallest man (1 Samuel 9:2), who was made king at Gilgal (1 Samuel
11:15). Saul made a mistake of personally making a burnt offering instead of letting Samuel do it, thus requiring his dynasty to
end (1 Samuel 13:9; 12-14).


DAVID AND GOLAITH (1 Samuel 16):
A young shepherd, David, was brave, strong, and favored with the Lord. David played the harp for king Saul when Saul had
the "Spirit from the Lord" tormenting him. Golaith was a champion of the Philistines, a giant over nine feet tall. Golaith
challenged for the battle of the Philistines and Hebrews to be a single combat of one Israelite and him. David accepted the
challenge and killed Golaith with a sling and a stone thrown to Golaith's head. (1 Samuel 17:48-51).


David became well known and was honored with a song (1 Samuel 18:7), "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of
thousands," which made king Saul very angry. David became a "blood brother" to Jonathan, king Saul's son, and married
Michal, king Saul's daughter. Saul decided to kill David and pursued him over the land. Twice (1 Samuel 24; 1 Samuel 26),
David spared Saul, when David could have easily killed him. Saul consulted a medium at Endor (1 Samuel 28). On Mt. Gilboa,
Saul was wounded by the Philistines. Saul killed himself and was cremated. (1 Samuel 31:12).



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                                      2 SAMUEL



2 SAMUEL : David moved to Hebron and became king of the Judean groups (this lasted for 7.5 years). King Saul's son,
Ish-Bosheth, became king of the rest of Israel. There was constant warring between these groups, until Ish-Bosheth's general
Abner was killed. Then, two of Ish-Bosheth's captains killed him, hoping to gain favor with king David. Neither of the deaths of
Abner or Ish-Bosheth pleased king David. He had Ish-Bosheth's captains killed for their deed. David was then crowned king
of all Israel (2 Samuel 5:3) at the age of 37; he reigned for 30 more years. David led troops to Jerusalem, captured the fortress
of Zion, and it became known as the "City of David" (2 Samuel 5:7). The prophet Nathan told David that the Lord was pleased
with David and would make his name famous and that one of his sons would build the Lord a temple.



DAVID AND BATHSHEBA (2 Samuel 11):
King David admired a beautiful married woman, Bathsheba , and got her pregnant. Then, king David instructed his army
general Joab to place her husband, "Uriah the Hittite," in the "front line where the fighting is fiercest" and to pull the men back to
let him be killed. After Uriah's death, king David married Bathsheba (he already had 7 wives before her). The Lord, through the
prophet Nathan, told king David that the Lord forgave him, but that his wives would be given openly to another man and that
his son by Bathsheba would die. Thus, the son of Bathsheba died. She soon had another son -- Solomon (2 Samuel 12:24),
named also Jedidiah which means "loved by the Lord" (or "Beloved of Jehovah").


One of David's sons, Absalom, became powerful and eventually challenged king David for the kingdom. King David had to
leave Jerusalem and went to the Mount of Olives (2 Samuel 15:30) to mourn. Absalom arrived at Jerusalem and fulfilled the
prophesy of Nathan by insulting his father by going into a tent to be "with his father's concubines" (2 Samuel 16:22) -- actually
ten of his young wives (thus king David had many wives now); king David later placed these wives into "virtual widowhood"
until their deaths. Absalom and king David continued to fight this civil war, until the army leader Joab killed Absalom. King
David took a census and found 800,000 men in Israel and 500,000 in Judah. The census was not God's wishes, so David
selected plague as his punishment, hoping that God would be merciful; and (2 Samuel 24:16), when the death angel was ready
to destroy Jerusalem, God stopped it.


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                                        1 KINGS



1 KINGS : After reigning for forty years, king David died. Solomon became king. God gave Solomon a choice of anything he
wanted: Solomon chose wisdom (1Kings 3:9).


SOLOMON'S BABY DECISION (1 Kings 3:16-27):
King Soloman had to decide between two women as to which was the mother of a baby. Solomon said (1 Kings 3:25) to cut
the living child into two halves and to give one half to each mother. When one woman said she would rather give up her claim
than have the child killed, Solomon knew that she was the real mother.


Solomon authored 3000 proverbs and 1005 songs. Solomon built the "Temple of the Lord" in Jerusalem (90 feet long, 30 feet
wide, 45 feet high) -- decorated with cypress and cedar wood as well as gold, taking 7 years to build. Solomon had 700 wives
and 300 concubines, who brought in their "gods" (1 Kings 11:5-7) such as Ashtoreth (of the Sidonians), Milcom (of the
Ammonites), Chemosh (of Moab), and Molech (of the Ammonites). Solomon ruled for 40 years before his death.


The Divided Kingdom : After Solomon's death, around 922 B.C., the Hebrews were divided into two groups:

     The Southern Kingdom (which included Jerusalem and involved the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin)


     The Northern Kingdom (which included the other ten tribes of the Hebrews and was actually called "Israel").


The Southern Kingdom was under the "family of David."

The kings of both Southern and Northern Kingdoms had the worship of the "gods" other than the "Lord God of Israel," leading
to many problems. One king, Ahab of "Israel" (the Northern Kingdom), had a wife, Jezebel , who worshipped the "gods" Baal
(1 Kings 16:29-33) or Baalzebub and Asherah. Jezebel tried to kill the Lord's prophets and encouraged Ahab to do evil.

Elijah was a prophet of the "Lord God of Israel" during this time. Elijah returned a child to life after his death (1 Kings
17:17-23). On Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18), Elijah and prophets of Baal had a showdown to see who would send fire to light their
alters: God lit the fire for Elijah, and the prophets of Baal were killed. Elijah told King Ahab that the dogs would devour Queen
Jezebel's body. (1 Kings 21:23).



                                        2 KINGS


2 KINGS : Elijah parted the Jordan River with his cloak (2 Kings 2:8) and then was carried by a whirlwind into heaven,
following a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11), leaving Elisha as the main priest of "Israel" (Northern Kingdom) and with twice the
prophetic power of Elijah. Elisha was credited with several miracles:

   1.Also parting the Jordan River (2 Kings 2:13-14);
   2.Causing a poor widow to have her olive oil multiplied many times so that she could pay her debts and live normally (2
     Kings 4:1-7).
   3.Enabling a barren woman to have a child (2 Kings 4:14-17) and then bringing the child back to life afer its dying (2
     Kings 4:32-35) -- a story sounding much like modern-day mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
   4.Multiplying loaves and grain to feed 100 men (2 Kings 4:42-44).
   5.Healing a leper, by having him wash 7 times in the Jordan River (2 Kings 5:10;14)
   6.Causing an axhead to float (2 Kings 6:5-7).


Elisha anointed Jehu as king of "Israel," and Jehu had king Ahab's wife, Jezebel, killed and, as prophesied by Elijah, her body
was scattered (2 Kings 9: 30-36). After Elisha died, a man's body was thrown into Elisha's tomb and was revived (2 Kings
13:20-21).

The fall of "Israel" (Northern Kingdom, including Samaria) and the people's exile to Assyria (2 Kings 17:6) around 721 B.C.
was attributed to their not following the Lord. At that point, Judah (the Southern Kingdom, which included Jerusalem) still was
independent. The "gods" from other areas included Succoth-benoth, Nergal, Ashima, Nibhaz, Tartak, Adrammelech,
Anammelech, Molech, Asherah, Nisroch, Topheth, Ashtoreth, Chemosh, Milcom, and Baal; these were being worshipped also
by the Hebrews, angering the Lord. In the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah, Isaiah was the prophet. Isaiah caused time to go
backwards (2 Kings 20:11).

During the reign of Josiah as king of Judah, Hilkiah (the High Priest) discovered a scroll of laws in the temple. Josiah restored
the Lord's Temple and destroyed the shrines to other "gods," but Huldah (the prophetess: 2 Kings 22: 14-20) told Josiah that
Judah would be destroyed because of its worshipping these "gods." Finally, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took over Judah
in 586 B.C. Thus, the Southern Kingdom was independent for 135 years longer than the Northern Kingdom.



                                 1 CHRONICLES


1 CHRONICLES : This book reviews the Hebrew history. From Abraham's son Isaac were two sons -- Esau and Jacob, who
was renamed "Israel." The sons of Israel were the 12 tribes of Israel:

     Reuben
     Simeon
     Levi
     Issachar
     Zebulun
     Dan
     Joseph
     N aphtali
     Gad
     Asher
     Judah
     Benjamin


The last two eventually became the "Southern Kingdom," and the others the "Northern Kingdom."


David was given credit for getting the materials ready for the temple, although not for its construction.



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                                 2 CHRONICLES


2 CHRONICLES : This book continues with the history of the Hebrews with Solomon and his being given great wisdom from
God. The temple construction on the top of Mount Moriah in Jerusalem was described, with the size being 90 ft. long, 30 ft.
wide, and 180 ft. high, with much gold throughout. The "Holy of Holies" was 30 ft. square, overlaid with gold. The Ark was
transferred to this place. The Queen of Sheba's visit and great impression with Solomon was described (2 Chronicles 9).

The story of King Jehoshaphat of Judah (Southern Kingdom) and his alliance with King Ahab of Israel (Northern Kingdom)
and their consulting Micaiah the prophet is described in detail (2 Chronicles 18; see also 1 Kings 22). King Jehoram of Judah,
a "wicked" king, died of what-appeared-to-be bowel cancer (2 Chronicles 21:18-19). King Uzziah of Judah got leprosy by
entering the forbidden sanctuary. King Hezekiah of Judah restored the Temple of the Lord God and had burnt offerings and sin
offerings for the nation: young bulls, rams, lambs, and goats were sacrificed for the sin offering (2 Chronicles 29:20-24). Much
celebration occurred with this re-dedication of the Temple at Jerusalem. The finding of the scroll of the laws of God by Hilkiah
and King Josiah's destroying the idols and altars to "gods" such as Baal was described (2 Chronicles 34). The end of the
independence of the Southern Kingdom of Judah occurred when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took over and destroyed
Jerusalem -- around 586 B.C.

                                           EZRA


EZRA : After the takeover by Nebuchadnezzar, eventually King Cyrus of Persia came to power, and he decided to help the
Jews to return to Jerusalem (around 520 B.C.) and to rebuild the Temple of Jehovah, the God of Israel and of Jerusalem. The
temple was rebuilt with a height of 90 ft. and a width of 90 ft. Ezra, high priest, dedicated the temple but was not happy with
the priests marrying heathen wives, or intermarriage --mixed marriages of Jews and non-Jews.


                                     NEHEMIAH


NEHEMIAH : Nehemiah, the Jewish cupbearer for King Artaxerxes of Persia, returned to Jerusalem and led the rebuilding of
the city wall. He told of Ezra, the Priest, reading the law of God to the people of Jerusalem. Nehemiah also told of the Jews
pledging not to marry non-Jewish people, to honor the Sabbath, to refrain from working the land and to cancel debts between
Jews every seventh year (Nehemiah 10: 31), to give the oldest son to God (i.e. to the priests), and to bring a tithe of all
produced to the Levites (Nehemiah 10: 37) for the use of the Temple and priests.


                                        ESTHER


ESTHER: This is the story of a Jewish girl, Hadassah who was also called Esther , who became queen of Persia with King
Xerxes (or Ahasuerus), who did not know she was a Jew. Her cousin, Mordecai, guided her and was a gatekeeper for the
king. Haman, the prime minister, disliked the Jews and asked the king to kill them all. Queen Esther persuaded the king to kill
Haman and grant Mordecai the king's "signet ring" and the right to save the Jews. The Jewish celebration of "Feast of Purim" is
for the saving of the Jews by Esther.


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                                            JOB


JOB : This story is about Job (from the land of Uz), a good man who feared God and stayed away from evil and who was
quite wealthy. Satan (the Accuser) requested that God test this man Job by having him suffer. Job lost his children and his
wealth. Job replied (Job1:21), "...The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the Name of the Lord be praised." Job
then lost his health and wished he had never been born. Three of Job's friends tried to convince him that he must have sinned
terribly to be in his condition. Job denied that he had done anything to deserve his pain but he questioned God, saying that his
"Advocate" (i.e., possibly guardian angel) should witness his innocence (Job 16:19). Job said of wisdom (Job 28:17), "Neither
God nor crystal can compare with it, nor can it be had for jewels of gold." And (Job 28:28), he said that to fear the Lord is true
wisdom and to forsake evil is true understanding. A new, young friend pointed out that his questioning God itself was wrong
and that man could never understand God. God spoke to Job of the creation and of powerful creatures (Job 40 and 41),
"behemoth" (possibly the elephant) and "leviathan" (with fire from its mouth and smoke from its nostrils -- like a dragon), thus
showing His power and showing that man should not question God. Job repented for questioning God and was given twice the
wealth as before and lived to very old age (140 years beyond this testing). The story points out that suffering or wealth should
not be directly related to sin/evildoing: or, sometimes good people suffer and sometimes bad people prosper.


                                        PSALMS


PSALMS :
The Psalms is a collection of religious points (poems, hymns, prayers) of the Jewish people, some from King David. In Psalm 1,
the good people are said to be like trees planted by streams of water whose leaves never die, whereas evil people blow away
like chaff before the wind and are not safe on "Judgment Day." Other important points:

   1."For the Lord is righteous, He loves justice; upright men will see His face." (Psalms 11:7).
   2."...He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, ..." (Psalms 18:16-17).
   3."You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light." (Psalms 18:28).
   4."My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?..." (Psalms 22:1).
   5."The Lord confides in those who fear Him; he makes His covenant (i.e., agreement; promises) known to them." (Psalms
     25:14).
   6."Into Your hands I commit my spirit..." (Psalms 31:5)
   7."Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to You while You may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will
     not reach him." (Psalms 32: 6).
   8."From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth --
     He Who forms the hearts of all, Who considers everything they do." (Psalms 33:13-15).
   9."Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it."
     (Psalms 34:13-14).
  10."Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked;" (Psalms 37:16).
  11."You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a
     breath. Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: he bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not
     knowing who will get it. But now, my Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in You." (Psalms 39:5-7).
  12."He alone is my Rock and my salvation; He is my Fortress, I will never be shaken." (Psalms 62:2).
  13."For a thousand years in Your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night." (Psalms 90:4).
  14."They will sing before the Lord, for He comes, He comes to judge the earth." (Psalms 96:13).
  15."Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in His commands." (Psalms 112:1).
  16."It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes."
     (Psalms 118:8-9).
  17."This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it ."(Psalms 118:24).
  18.Expression of predestination: "Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your
     Book before one of them came to be." (Psalms 138: 16).


The most remembered Psalm is the 23rd Psalm (from King James' Version, verses 1-6):

   1.The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
   2.He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.
   3.He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His Name's sake.
   4.Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy
     staff They comfort me.
   5.Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth
     over.
   6.Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.


                                     PROVERBS

PROVERBS : This book is short sayings of wisdom, some from King Solomon. These words to the wise are are essentially
ethics. Some main points are:

   1."The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools (i.e., morally deficient) despise wisdom and discipline."
     (Proverbs 1:7).
   2."In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:6).
   3."Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost you all you have, get understanding." (Proverbs 4:7).
   4."Say to wisdom, 'You are my sister (i.e, part of your family),' and call understanding your kinsman;" (Proverbs 7:4).
   5."Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth." (Proverbs 10: 4).
   6."Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous (i.e., morally right and just) will thrive like a green leaf." (Proverbs
     11:28).
   7."A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent (i.e., wise) man overlooks an insult." (Proverbs 12:22).
   8."In the way of righteousness there is life; along that path is immortality (i.e., endless life)." (Proverbs 12:28).
   9."Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life." (Proverbs 16:31).
  10."Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent -- the Lord detests them both." (Proverbs 17:15).
  11."The heart of the discerning (i.e., persons who detect things) acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it (i.e.,
     knowledge) out." (Proverbs 18:15).
  12."Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel." (Proverbs 20:15).
  13."Better to live in the desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife." (Proverbs 21:19).
  14."A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver and gold." (Proverbs 22:1).
  15."A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength." (Proverbs 24:5).


Proverbs councils against visiting prostitutes, countersigning notes, and being conceited. Proverbs advises to accept criticism,
save for the future, work hard, be patient, and trust in the Lord. In one section (Proverbs 8 and 9), "Wisdom" is treated as a
person who was with God when He made the world. Seeking wisdom is the main concept of Proverbs.



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                                 ECCLESIASTES


ECCLESIASTES : This, in general, is a pessimistic book -- with statements that history merely repeats itself and nothing is
new, and there is no reason to think of what might have been.


The most famous section is Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (from King James' Version):

   1.To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
   2.A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
   3.A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
   4.A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
   5.A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from
     embracing.
   6.A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
   7.A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
   8.A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.


Ecclesiastes states that people should enjoy themselves and the fruits of their labors. The pessimism is most pronounced when
considering man and animals returning to dust, and not knowing where their spirits go (Ecclesiastes 3:18-21). A few other
points:

   1."Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is
     meaningless." (Ecclesiastes 5:10).
   2."... to accept his lot and be happy in his work -- this is a gift of God..." (Ecclesiastes 5:19-20)
   3."Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite (i.e., dreaming). This too is meaningless, a chasing after the
     wind." (Ecclesiastes 6:9).
   4.On predestination: "Whatever exists has already been named, and what man is has been known; no man can contend
     with One who is stronger than he (i.e., can fight with God)." (Ecclesiastes 6:10)
   5."...the day of death better than the day of birth." (Ecclesiastes 7:1)
   6."...all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun...man cannot discover its meaning. Even
     if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it." (Ecclesiastes 8:17)
   7."Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good." (Ecclesiastes 9:18).
   8."Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap (i.e, if you want perfection, you
     won't do anything.)." (Ecclesiastes 11:4).
   9."As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand
     the work of God, the Maker of all things." (Ecclesiastes 11:5)
  10."...the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will
     bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).


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THE SONG OF SOLOMON : This is a love poem between a bride and groom; it also has been interpreted where God is the
Groom, and Israel is the bride.


                                         ISAIAH

ISAIAH : A prophet of Judah around 740 B.C., Isaiah, for around fifty years revealed many of his thoughts and visions. Some
of these can be interpreted as having implications for the future of the time of Isaiah or even possibly yet to come now. In the
"last days," Jerusalem would be the main attraction:

   1."And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
     and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."
     (Isaiah 2:4, from King James' Version).
   2."The Lord Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled),"
     (Isaiah 2:12).
   3."The people walking in darkness have seen a great Light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a Light has
     dawned." (Isaiah 9:2).
   4."See, the day of the Lord is coming -- a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger -- to make the land desolate and destroy
     the sinners within it. The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened
     and the moon will not give its light." (Isaiah 13:9-10).
   5."Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the Lord Almighty, in
     the day of His burning anger." (Isaiah 13:13).
   6."So will it be on the earth and among all the nations...gleanings are left (i.e., a few people will remain)...They raise their
     voices, they shout for joy...singing: 'Glory to the Righteous One'..." (Isaiah 24:13-16).
   7."In that day the Lord will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below...the Lord Almighty
     will reign on Mount Zion in Jerusalem..." (Isaiah 24:21-23).
   8."He will swallow up death forever...." (Isaiah 25:8).
   9."...the deaf will hear...the eyes of the blind will see...the humble (i.e., meek) will rejoice...ruthless will vanish..." (Isaiah
     29:18-20).
  10."...with your own eyes you will see them (i.e., your Teachers)." (Isaiah 30:20).
  11."The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter ..." (Isaiah 30:26).
  12."All the stars of heaven will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves
     from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree." (Isaiah 34:4).
  13."Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue (i.e., person that can't speak) shout for joy..." (Isaiah 35:6).
  14."...the ransomed of the Lord...will enter Zion with singing...Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing
     will flee away." (Isaiah 35:10).
  15."You who bring good tidings to Zion...say...'Here is your God!'...with power, and His Arm rules for Him..." (Isaiah
     40:9-10).
  16."...the Lord will be your everlasting Light, and your days of sorrow will end." (Isaiah 60:20).
  17."Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to
     mind." (Isaiah 65:17).
  18."The wolf and lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent's food. They will
     neither harm nor destroy..." (Isaiah 65:25).
  19."For with fire and with His sword the Lord will execute judgment upon all men..." (Isaiah 66:16).

Isaiah refers to the Messiah:

   1."Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a Son, and will call
     Him Immanuel [meaning 'God with us']." (Isaiah 7:14).
   2."For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given...will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
     Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6).
   3."A Shoot (i.e., offspring)... from the stump of Jesse...a Branch...will judge the needy...will give decisions for the poor of
     the earth...The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat...In that day (possibly Judgment Day)
     the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for all peoples; the nations will rally to Him..." (Isaiah 11:1-10).
   4."...My Chosen One...will bring justice to the nations...will not falter or be discouraged until He establishes justice on
     earth..." (Isaiah 42:1-4).
   5."...My Servant will act wisely...His appearance was so disfigured...His form marred...so will He sprinkle many nations
     (or, 'so will many nations marvel at Him')...But He was pierced for our transgressions...the punishment that brought us
     peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed...and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity (i.e, sins) of us
     all...was led like a Lamb to the slaughter...After the suffering of His soul, He will see the Light of Life..." (Isaiah
     52:13-15; Isaiah 53).

Praising the Lord on Judgment Day appears to be the intent of Isaiah 12. Everlasting life is the thought of Isaiah 26:19:

     "But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy...the earth will give
     birth to her dead."

Isaiah caused time to go backwards, reported in Isaiah 38:8 as well as in 2 Kings 20:11. Isaiah told the Hebrews that they
were God's chosen people, and that God was always with them (Isaiah 9-20; 48:12-13; 66:22). However, Isaiah, speaking for
the Lord, said that the Hebrews had rebelled and that His "servants" will be called by another name (Isaiah 65). Isaiah often
uses the description of the Potter (God) with the people of earth being the clay turned into pots or jars (Isaiah 29:16; 45:9;
64:8).

Isaiah stated these words from God about God:

     "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."
     (Isaiah 55:9).


Isaiah also told of God's interest in the Gentiles (non-Jews):

     "Let no foreigner who has bound himself to the Lord say, 'The Lord will surely exclude me from His people'...foreigners
     who bind themselves to the Lord to serve Him...these will I bring to My Holy Mountain (i.e., Jerusalem)...for My house
     will be called a house of prayer for all nations." (Isaiah 56:3-8).


     "...They will proclaim My Glory among the nations." (Isaiah 66:19).


Other important points from Isaiah:

   1."The righteous (i.e., good people) perish and no one ponders it in his heart...Those who walk uprightly enter into peace;
     they find rest as they lie in death." (Isaiah 57:1-2).
   2."...if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the
     darkness, and your night will become like the noonday." (Isaiah 58:10).
   3."If you keep ...the Sabbath (the holy day, i.e., Saturday for Jews; now Sunday for most people, generally) ...holy...then
     you will find your joy in the Lord...ride on the heights...feast on the inheritance..." (Isaiah 58:13-14).
   4."They have chosen their own ways, and their souls delight in their abominations (i.e., bad things)." (Isaiah 66:3).

     
                                     JEREMIAH

JEREMIAH : Around 625 B.C., Jeremiah was the prophet of Judah. On predestination, related to Jeremiah himself:

     "The Word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew (or chose) you, before you were
     born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.'" (Jeremiah 1:4-5).


Jeremiah speaks and prays directly to God. God reveals his dislike of the worship of Baal, the "Queen of Heaven" (Ishtar), and
idols by the Hebrews. Jeremiah warned the people not to use idols such as totem-pole-like "gods" (Jeremiah 10:2-5). Jeremiah
described the "Portion of Jacob" (i.e., the one God of Jacob) as the Maker (or Creator) ,whose name is "The Lord Almighty"
(Jeremiah 10:16). Jeremiah is concerned about why wicked men seem prosperous (Jeremiah 12:1-4). The Lord, through
Jeremiah, states that He will scatter the Hebrews "like chaff driven by the desert wind" (Jeremiah 13:24; and similarly in 18:17;
19:11). God states that one should not trust mortal man (or be like a "bush in the wastelands") but should trust the Lord (and be
like a "tree planted by the water") -- Jeremiah 17:5-8. Like Isaiah, Jeremiah used the comparison of Potter (God) with clay (the
people God created) -- Jeremiah 18:6. Importantly, it is revealed that God can change His mind (Jeremiah 18:7-10; 26:3), or
that the direction of things (destiny) can be altered. Jeremiah warned against "false prophets" that do not speak for God
(Jeremiah 23:16-17). As Isaiah did, Jeremiah warned of the future around his time (or even possibly yet to come now) of the
"last days:"

   1."...'I am calling down a sword upon all who live on the earth, declares the Lord Almighty.'" (Jeremiah 25:29).
   2."'The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth, for the Lord will bring charges against the nations; He will bring
     judgment on all mankind and put the wicked to the sword'..." (Jeremiah 25:31).
   3."At that time those slain by the Lord will be everywhere -- from one end of the earth to the other..." (Jeremiah 25:33).
   4."How awful that day will be!(i.e., initial horror at what happens)...they will serve the Lord their God and David their
     King, whom I will raise up for them...'So do not fear...'...the city (i.e., Jerusalem) will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the
     palace will stand in its proper place...'So you will be My people and I will be your God.'" (Jeremiah 30).
   5."...'He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over His flock like a shepherd.'...'This is the covenant (i.e.,
     New Covenant, or New Agreement ) I will make with the house of Israel after that time...I will put My law in their minds
     and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people." (Jeremiah 31:10;33).


Much of Jeremiah's concern is of the taking of Judah and Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple by Babylon, specifically by
King Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 27:6; 52:12,13). Jeremiah tells the Hebrews that they will be taken captives by Babylon and
held for a long time, yet "You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13). Jeremiah
believed that everyone is rewarded according to his life and deeds (Jeremiah 32:19), not his father's life and deeds. Jeremiah
warned of God's tremendous displeasure with people worshipping other "gods" (Jeremiah 44:2,3). Jeremiah gave a review
(Jeremiah 46-50) of what, in the future, would happen to the foreign peoples of his time -- the Egyptians (with their "god"
Amon and others), Philistines, Moabites (with their "god" Chemosh), Ammonites (with their "god" Milcom), Edomites,
Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, Elam, and Babylon (with their "gods" Marduk and Bel). The prophet stated that idols are nothing;
"He who is the Portion of Jacob (i.e. the one God) is not like these, for He is the Maker of all things, including the tribe of His
inheritance (Israel, His nation) -- the Lord Almighty is His name." (Jeremiah 51:19).

Jeremiah refers to the Messiah:

     "'The days are coming,' says the Lord, 'when I will raise up to David (or, up from David's line) a Righteous Branch...'
     ...'This is the name by which He will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness .'" (Jeremiah 23:5-6).


     "'In those days and at that time I will make a Righteous Branch sprout from David's line...The Lord Our
     Righteousness'...'David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel...'" (Jeremiah 33:15;17).
     and states that, when He comes, the Jews will be back in Israel (Jeremiah 23:7-8).


AMENTATIONS : This is an outpouring of sadness over the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon. "...The Lord has
...summoned an army...to crush My young men. In His winepress the Lord has trampled the Virgin Daughter of Judah (i.e., His
beloved city)." (Lamentations 1:15).


                                       EZEKIEL

EZEKIEL : Ezekiel was a priest living with the Jewish exiles in Babylon after the taking of Judah and Jerusalem by Babylon,
around 580-600 B.C. Ezekiel has visions of God appearing like a Man, yet glowing and dazzling with fire; and, of angelic
beings with four faces, wings, hands, and WHEELS within WHEELS that contained all-seeing eyes (Ezekiel 1 and 10; also 8).
Like other prophets, Ezekiel says that God is very dismayed by worship of idols and "gods" and at "false prophets" and
hypocrites (for example, Eziekiel 7:3; 14:10). Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel believed that the old doctrine of children being punished
for their father's sins was wrong (the old doctrine, stated in King James' Version , Ezekiel 18:2 -- "...The fathers have eaten
sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge."). So, Ezekiel was saying that "...a righteous man who does what is just
and right...he will surely live." (Ezekiel 18:5-9). And, Ezekiel, speaking for God, said "I will judge you, each one according to
his ways (i.e., his own actions)." (Ezekiel 18:30; and, similarly in 33:20). As seen by Ezekiel, "If a righteous (i.e., good)
man...does evil, he will die...And if a wicked man turns away from his wickedness..., he will live..." (Ezekiel 33:18-19). Ezekiel
was told to warn the people, so that if the people then did not repent, Ezekiel would not be responsible. (Ezekiel 33:9). The
view of God as the Shepherd seeking lost sheep and bringing them home again is presented (Ezekiel 34:11-16). Ezekiel taught
the feeling of a "new heart" and "new spirit" that will be given to the people who will be cleansed of their sins (Ezekiel 36:26)
and of the return of God's people to Israel (Ezekiel 36:28; 35), where God said "you will be My people, and I will be your
God." Ezekiel's most remembered story:

VALLEY OF THE DRY BONES (Ezekiel 37):
In a vision, Ezekiel was carried to a valley of old, dry bones, and Ezekiel spoke the Words of the Lord, whereby the bones
came together, became covered with skin, and became alive again. This was a symbol of the Hebrews, with all hope seeming
to be gone, returning once again to their own land and thriving.

As Isaiah and Jeremiah, Ezekiel warned of the "last days" -- the future around his time (or even possibly yet to come now):

   1." I will bring you from the nations...I will execute judgment upon you." (Ezekiel 20:34-35).
   2."...'Wail...' For... the day of the Lord is near -- a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations." (Ezekiel 30:2-3).
   3."...every creature that moves...all the people on the face of the earth will tremble...The mountains will be overturned, the
     cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground...I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur..."
     (Ezekiel 38:20-22)


Ezekiel implies that Gog (representing all forces of evil) from the land of Magog will be finished "in the latter years of history."

Ezekiel refers to the Messiah:

   1."And I will set up One Shepherd over them (i.e., all God's people), and He shall feed them, even My servant David; He
     shall feed them, and He shall be their Shepherd." (Ezekiel 34:23 from King James' Version).
   2."And I will raise up for them a Plant of Renown..." (Ezekiel 34:29 from King James' Version).

Ezekiel compared the Southern Kingdom (including Jerusalem and the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin) and the Northern
Kingdom (including the other ten tribes, and called "Israel") to prostitutes because of their idol worship that led to their
destruction (Ezekiel 23). However, when the Hebrews were brought back to Jerusalem, Ezekiel felt that all the twelve tribes of
Israel would be united with a new Temple in Jersualem (this vision given in Ezekiel 40-48), with priests from the sons of Zadok
of the tribe of Levi and with no foreigner able to enter the sanctuary of the Temple, a strict Hebrew belief, probably from
Ezekiel being a priest.


                                         DANIEL


DANIEL : After King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had taken over Jerusalem, some of the young Hebrews were educated as
counselors to the king -- particularly four:

     Daniel (Babylonian name was Belteshazzar [after King Nebuchadnezzar's "god" -- thus this Book uses Daniel for his
     name])
     Hananiah (Babylonian was Shadrach )
     Misha-el (Babylonian was Meshach )
     Azariah (Babylonian was Abednego )


Daniel was the best in understanding visions. Of God, Daniel said (Daniel 2:22), "He reveals deep and hidden things, He knows
what lies in darkness, and Light dwells within Him."

Two well-known stories from Daniel:

THE FIREY FURNACE (Daniel 3):
When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship a golden idol of King Nebuchadnezzar, they were thrown into a
flaming furnace, yet were untouched due to God's deliverance.

THE LION'S DEN (Daniel 6):
When Daniel prayed to God against King Darius' orders, he was thrown into a den of lions but was untouched. Those who
plotted against him were then thrown into the lion's den and were killed.


Daniel, analyzing a dream, foretold that King Nebuchadnezzar would go insane for seven years and eat "grass like the cows,"
after which his kingdom would be restored (Daniel 4). For another king (Belshazzar), Daniel read the writing on a plaster wall
by a mysterious "hand," indicating that the king would be killed (Daniel 5).

Daniel described God's throne in a manner like Eziekiel, as fiery and on flaming wheels, with God having clothing white as snow
and white hair with millions of angels (Daniel 7:9-10) -- coming to judge as "The Books" were opened.

As Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Eziekiel, Daniel spoke of the "last days" -- the future around his time (or even possibly yet to come
now):

   1.Gabriel (an angel from heaven) told Daniel, "..the vision concerns the time of the end." (Daniel 8:16-17)
   2."...Then Michael , one of the chief princes (i.e., of the heavenly army), came to help me...to explain...the future, for the
     vision concerns a time yet to come." (Daniel 10:13-14)
   3."At that time Michael...will arise...everyone whose name is found written in the Book -- will be delivered. Multitudes
     who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt." (Daniel
     12:1-2)
   4."...until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge." (Daniel 12:4)


Daniel refers to the Messiah:

   1."...one like a Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven...He was given authority, glory and soverign power; all
     people, nations and men of every language worshiped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass
     away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed." (Daniel 7:13-14).
   2."After the sixty-two 'sevens' (i.e., a time of 434 years), the Anointed One will be cut off (i.e., killed) and will have
     nothing (i.e., will not have His kingdom)..." (Daniel 9:26).

Many of the dreams and visions of Daniel are of stange creatures (lion with eagle's wings; leopard with four heads; a
multi-horned animal with one horn that had eyes and a mouth), whose meaning is uncertain.


HOSEA : Hosea, a prophet of the Northern Kingdom (Israel), tells about his wife Gomer, who was a prostitute. Hosea sees
that Isreal has also acted like a prostitute, serving their "gods," yet God still loves the Jews, who will return to the Lord in the
"last days" (Hosea 3:5). When the people believed in Baal or Baal-peor, Hosea said, "They sow the wind and reap the
whirlwind." (Hosea 8:7).

JOEL : Joel warns, "...The day of the Lord is great (i.e., awesome); it is dreadful..." (Joel 2:11). At that time, the "sun will be
turned to darkness and the moon to blood...everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved..." (Joel 2:31-32).
However, Joel stated that, since the Day of the Lord (or Judgment Day) was near, people should "Beat your plowshares into
swords and your pruning hooks into spears..." (Joel 3:10; reversal of Isaiah 2:4: perhaps Joel thought of before the day and
Isaiah after or on the day.).

AMOS : Amos, a herdsman, had a vision of God roaring like a lion from Mount Zion in His Temple (in Jerusalem), saying that
He would test the Hebrews with a "plumb line" and will scatter Israel across the world. Amos did see that Israel and the
Hebrews would eventually have their fortunes restored.

OBADIAH : This book tells of the land of Edom and its fall, along with other nations: "...As you have done (implied -- done to
Israel), it will be done to you..." (Obadiah 1:15).


                                         JONAH

JONAH : This story is well known:

JONAH AND THE WHALE (Jonah 1-2): Jonah was appointed by God to tell the people of Ninevah of their destruction
because of their wickedness. Jonah was afraid and hid from God on a ship. When a storm occurred, the seamen threw Jonah
overboard to please God, and the seas calmed. Jonah was then swallowed by a "great fish" (whale) for three days and then
was "vomited" up onto dry land.

Jonah then delivered the message to the people of Ninevah, they prayed to be saved, and they were saved from destruction
(i.e., God changed His mind about destroying them). Jonah was angry about these people being saved, and God illustrated to
Jonah that Gentiles (non-Jews, like the people of Ninevah) can be important to God.


                                         MICAH

MICAH : Micah said that God is coming to earth, speaking of the "last days" -- the future around his time (or even possibly
yet to come now):

   1."...The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (i.e, Jerusalem will rule in the end)..." (Micah 4:2)
   2."...They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will not take up sword
     against nation, nor will they train for war anymore." (Micah 4:3; note similarity to Isaiah 2:4)
   3."In that day...I will gather the lame...the exiles...those I have brought to grief...The Lord will rule over them in Mount
     Zion from that day and forever." (Micah 4:6-7).

Micah refers to the Messiah:

   1."But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me One who
     will be Ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times (or -- from days of eternity)." (Micah 5:2).
   2."...His greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And He will be their peace." (Micah 5:4-5).

Micah says that all God wants of man is: "To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)

NAHUM : Regarding Ninevah/Assyria, Nahum tells them God said, "...I will prepare your grave..." (Nahum 1:14). Nahum
says that God is good and knows all who trust Him, and He knows His enemies, who will be destroyed.


HABAKKUK : The prophet, Habakkuk, pointed out:

   1."For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it
     will certainly come and will not delay." (Habakkuk 2:3)
   2."For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." (Habakkuk 2:14).


EPHANIAH : Zephaniah spoke of the "last days" -- the future around his time (or even possibly yet to come now):

   1."'On the day of the Lord's sacrifice I will punish the princes and the king's sons and all those clad in foreign clothes."
     (Zephaniah 1:8)
   2."...Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord's anger." (Zephariah 2:3)
   3."On that day they will say to Jerusalem...The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight
     in you...will quiet you with His love...will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:16-18)

HAGGAI : The prophet, Haggai, delivered his message to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah (Southern Kingdom, including
Jerusalem) encouraging the rebuilding of the Temple. Haggai said that future "splendor" of the Temple would be greater than in
the past.

                                    ZECHARIAH

ZECHARIAH : Zechariah told of his visions, some with Angels on horses, golden lampstands, and chariots. Zechariah said that
the Lord is coming to earth from heaven (Zechariah 2:13), speaking of the "last days" -- the future around his time (or even
possibly yet to come now):

   1."'Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become My people. I will live among you and you will
     know that the Lord Almighty has sent Me to you." (Zechariah 2:11)
   2."On that day I will destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem...They will look on Me, the One they have pierced, and
     they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child..." (Zechariah 12:9,10)
   3."A day of the Lord is coming...On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost...plague with which the Lord will strike
     all the nations that fought against Jerusalem..." (Zechariah 14:1,6,12)

Zechariah refers to the Messiah:

   1."Listen, O high priest Joshua...I am going to bring My Servant, the Branch...seven eyes on that one Stone...I will remove
     the sin of this land in a single day." (Zechariah 3:8,9)
   2." ...Joshua ...Tell him this is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Here is the Man whose name is The Branch, and He will
     branch out from His place and build the Temple of the Lord.'" (Zechariah 6:11-12)
   3."Rejoice greatly...your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a colt, the foal of a
     donkey." (Zechariah 9:9)
   4."...for His flock, the house of Judah...will come the Cornerstone, from Him the tent peg, ...the battle bow, ...every ruler."
     (Zechariah 10:3,4)

                                      MALACHI


MALACHI : The prophet Malachi said that God will be honored "among the nations" (i.e., by the Gentiles). (Malachi 1:11, 14)
Malachi speaks against divorce, saying that God makes the two into one with marriage. (Malachi 2:15) Malachi also spoke of
the "last days" -- the future around his time (or even possibly yet to come now):

   1."...A Scroll of Remembrance was written in His presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored His name.
     'They will be Mine...in the day when I make up My treasured possession. I will spare them...'" (Malachi 3:16-17)
   2."'Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble (i.e., waste)...'"
     (Malachi 4:1)

Malachi refers to the Messiah:

     "'But for you who revere My name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings. And you will go out and
     leap like calves released from the stall...'" (Malachi 4:2)


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