The Old Testament - the Scriptures

Torah - The Law   Laid out like Pasture
1. Genesis - beginnings - From 4018 BC to 1649 BC - Lives of Adam (4018-3088) Enoch (3396-3031) Noah (2962-2012) Abraham (2010-1835) Isaac (1910-1730) Jacob (1850-1703) and Joseph (1759-1649).
2. Exodus - going out (of Egypt) - From 1585 BC to 1505 BC - Israelites in Egypt. First 80 years of life of Moses, their "divinely" handsome leader see Acts 7:20, Hebrews 11:23 ☺. First year of freedom from Pharaoh's hand. The Law at Mt Sinai.
3. Leviticus - the priests (intermediaries to God) via Aaron's family in Levi - 1504 BC - The laws & sacrifices that reveal God's heart (via the priests) & separate Israel from other nations.
4. Numbers - census (of the people) - From 1504 BC to 1465 BC - Israel in the wilderness - from Egypt to Canaan.
5. Deuteronomy - repetition of the law - 1465 BC - Moses recounts the law to the new generation.

Nevi'im - 12 Major Prophets   Shine Forth before the occurrence
1. Joshua - From 1465 BC to 1435 BC - Joshua leads the people into Canaan, taking the land for God.
2. Judges - administrators of justice - From 1435 BC to about 1100 BC - Times of deliverance and failure. Gideon, Samson. Attributed to Samuel.
   • Ruth - about 1200 BC - Story of a Gentile woman coming to Israel and to God. Attributed to Samuel. (Possibly combined with Judges by Josephus.)
3. 1 Samuel - From 1100 BC to 975 BC - Story of Eli, Samuel the prophet, King Saul, David the shepherd boy. Attributed to Samuel, Nathan and Gad.
   • 2 Samuel - From 975 BC to 935 BC - Reign of King David. Attributed to Nathan and Gad.
4. 1 Kings - From 935 BC to 815 BC - Reign of King Solomon, King Ahab, Elijah the prophet. Attributed to Jeremiah.
   • 2 Kings - From 815 BC to 480 BC - Elisha the prophet and the defeat of both kingdoms by Assyria and Babylon. Attributed to Jeremiah.
5. 1 Chronicles - From 4018 BC to 453 BC - Genealogy from Adam to return from Babylon. Recap of King David. Attributed to Ezra.
   • 2 Chronicles - From 935 BC to 453 BC - Recap of events from King Solomon to return from Babylon. Attributed to Ezra.
6. Ezra - 453 BC to 417 BC - Return from Babylon, temple rebuilt, story of Ezra the priest.
   • Nehemiah - 404 BC - Rebuilding the walls, story of Nehemiah. Attributed to Ezra from journals kept by Nehemiah.
7. Esther - about 390 BC - Story of a Jewish woman who married the King of Persia and saves her people. Attributed to Mordecai.
8. Job - about 2000 BC - Story of Job, a man who suffers much, and receives a deeper revelation of God
9. Isaiah - prophet in Judah - From 685 BC to 615 BC - Israel (northern kingdom) overthrow by Assyria, prophecies on Babylon, Cyrus and Christ
10. Jeremiah - prophet in Judah - From 545 BC to 478 BC - Judah (southern kingdom) overthrow by Babylon
    • Lamentations of Jeremiah - 505 BC - Deep suffering because of the destruction of Israel and Jerusalem (possibly combined with Jeremiah by Josephus)
11. Ezekiel - a prophet in captivity - From 512 BC to 491 BC - Jerusalem's overthrow and then prophecies on coming kingdom of Christ
12. Daniel - a prophet in Babylon - From 523 BC to 450 BC - His life and his prophecies of coming kingdoms and the kingdom of Christ
13. Twelve Minor Prophets
    1. Hosea - a prophet in Israel - From 701 BC to 642 BC - Prophecies to Israel regarding her unfaithfulness
    2. Joel - a prophet to Judah - Possibly about 720 BC - Short prophecy regarding Judah's coming overthrow
    3. Amos - a prophet to Israel, Judah & surrounding nations - About 720 BC - Prophecies concerning results of sin
    4. Obadiah - a prophet to Edom (a country east of Judah) - possibly 765 BC - Short prophecy regarding overthrow of Edom
    5. Jonah - a prophet to Nineveh (capital of Assyria) - possibly 670 BC - Prophecy that enabled them to repent and avert judgment
    6. Micah - a prophet to Israel & Judah - From 673 BC to 614 BC - Prophecy as both nations became more openly rebellious to God
    7. Nahum - a prophet to Nineveh (capital of Assyria) - possibly about 620 BC - Short prophecy on Nineveh's coming destruction
    8. Habakkuk - a prophet to Judah - about 547 BC - Prophecy on Judah's overthrow by Babylon and then Babylon's coming destruction
    9. Zephaniah - a prophet to Judah - about 542 BC - Prophecy on Judah's utter desolation but coming restoration
    10. Haggai - a prophet in Judah - about 437 BC - Encouragement over the need to rebuild the temple
    11. Zechariah - a prophet in Judah - about 437 BC - Encouragement regarding the restoration and coming Christ
    12. Malachi - a prophet in Judah - about 430 BC - Encouragement to follow the Lord faithfully

Kethuvim - The Writings   Songs to God and precepts for life
1. Psalms - praise hymns Attributed to Moses, David (the majority), other writers, with Rabbinic literature ascribing Psalms 5, 19, 24 and 92 back to Adam.
2. Proverbs - parables - about 900 BC Attributed to Solomon.
3. Ecclesiastes - the preacher - perhaps 900 BC - the results of seeking wrong things Attributed to Solomon.
4. Song of Songs - about 900 BC - True Satisfaction found in a relationship of Love Attributed to Solomon.

The four world empires recorded in Daniel 2: 31-45, 7: 1-28

Empires — Defined by their Monetary Systems or so-called wealth.

"The seven heads on which the woman sits are seven mountains" — Rome famously sits on seven hills — "and seven kings/emperors".
First emperor was Augustus 27 BC - 14 AD, 2. Tiberius 14 - 37 AD, 3. Caligula 37 - 41 AD, 4. Claudius 41 - 54 AD.
5. Nero 54 - 68 AD Last emperor of Julio-Claudian dynasty. Killed his mother and his first two wives. Held responsible for setting Rome on fire in 64 AD which he blamed on Christians, Peter as well as Paul being executed during his reign. Ordered that the Jews be crushed when they rebelled in 66 AD. Then, as other provinces rebelled, with the aid of a secretary, committed suicide by driving a dagger into his throat in 68 AD. He was just 30 years old.
6. Vespasian 69 - 79 AD First emperor of the Flavian dynasty, had invaded Judaea in 67 AD and brought Galilee under control.
7. Titus 79 - 81 AD His son, who set Jerusalem on fire in 70 AD, reigned now for 2 years, then caught an infection and died.
In Revelation 17:11, an 8th emperor, the coming beast is one of those initial 7 emperors, one who'd had a deadly head wound from a sword, but is resurrected. See Revelation 17:8. Declared in early church writings to be the fifth emperor Nero, due to the "666" in the addition of the letters of his name in Hebrew records. The English equivalent letters are N-R-W-N Q-S-R, and thus 50+200+6+50+100+60+200 adds up to 666. With the resurrection of another beast known as the false prophet — see Revelation 13:11, ten national rulers hand over their power — their failed monetary systems to the beast, and in hatred, destroy the prostitute by fire — see Revelation 17:12-16.

But before all this, click here for an excellent large map of the Roman Empire around 400 A.D. With the advent of the emperor Diocletian, then Constantine, then Christianity becoming the approved religion of Rome, click here for details, the political and economic power of the empire shifted eastwards to Byzantium, (a city renamed as Constantinople and, since 1930, Istanbul).

474 AD The Roman Empire splits with Julius Nepos, a man appointed in 474 AD to be emperor of the west by the eastern emperor, but rejected and deposed by the Roman Senate in Ravenna. Similarly the outward kingdom of heaven splits into east and west, click here for details, as it fills with hypocrisy (yeast) rather than with care. See Luke 12:1-3, Matt 13:33. At the same time, the unifying influence of a worldwide Christian calendar spreads everywhere, click here for details, based around the birth of the Lord.

Today, due to historic, political and economic reasons, there are five significant nations in the west :- America, Britain, France, Germany and Italy and there are five significant nations in the east :- Russia, Japan, India, China, and interestingly and increasingly the youngest nation Australia (currently has the fifth-most widely traded currency in the world after the US dollar, the euro, the yen and the pound sterling). Within each, Iron and clay i.e. Power and weakness - Rich and poor - Right-wing, Left-wing mix but are unable to stick together (see this picture in the 10 toes of the feet Daniel 2:42-43). The world population has grown almost seven-fold since 1800 — 1 billion in 1800, 2 billion in 1927, 3 billion in 1959, 4 billion in 1974, 5 billion in 1986, 6 billion in 1999, then 6.7 billion (click here) in 2008. The pressure of war and trade can be seen everywhere. A significant portion of the earth is devastated, as many die hopelessly daily.
While through the power of the Holy Spirit in faithful believers, Christ the true king who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24) continues to build his church, his kingdom. As we long for his return.

Click here for reconciliation of differences with Jewish calendar that commences 3761 BC.
Click here for a brief history of Jerusalem since 63 BC.
Click here for how our universal calendar (months,seasons,years) became BC and AD.
Click here for further thoughts on current events.

End of Article Note: Hebrew Old Testament scriptures based on well known Masoretic Text, compiled from ancient Hebrew sources written in the Assyrian script. Click here for further info.