Outside Perspective
“Many have asked the question and yet, so few have ever fully understood why. Those who claim they know, sound silly! And of course they should, they would have to possess knowledge from outside of life itself, for what we question to be known, we would have to know the unknowable, to comprehend the incompressible…but don’t be fooled to misinterpret impossible for complexity, our question is answerable. It is as if a cup in a cupboard declares that it has special knowledge of the mysteries outside the cupboard and kitchen. The other dishes mock and laugh, they taunt the cup with silly questions and examine the cup’s statements to what they know. Silently the cup listens and allows them to continue with their mockery, until finally one day they ask the cup ‘how is it possible for you to know the secrets of outside the cupboard and kitchen?’ The cup just answers, ‘I am his travel cup, I go where the master goes.”
Author Unknown
To be a Christian and have such a connection to the only being who was outside of time, who is currently in and out of time and who will be after time is a remarkably quick way to find yourself asking for a headache. And yet that is where the Christian is, they have been given the extraordinary opportunity to understand the reality of how it all began and how it will end. It baffles me when I hear Christians ask the simple questions of “how did this all begin?” or “does anyone know what is going on with the world?” or “how will it end for us?” The Bible has a clear outline for us on how this will all go about. Today’s post is the clear but unique look at the timeline of the Bible, and inconsequentially the timeline of human history. However, rest assured today’s philosophical topic is rooted in Biblical truth!
For centuries people have incorrectly been taking the Bible and turning it into two parts, Old Testament and New Testament. When in reality the Bible can be dived into three simple parts. However, before we discuss the three sections, we need to first lay out some ground rules into how we are to move forward. First off, God was before time, and is after time, “Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God” Psalm 90:2. Second that God does not change, “For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.” Malachi 3:6. God is all knowing, “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure” Psalm 147:5. Yes, God is all powerful and is everywhere (omnipotent and omnipresent), however those two characteristics of God are not actually needed for displaying the outline of the humanity. We are discussing the sections within historical progression of time, not God’s complete capacity to do whatever He wants when He wants and at any time in history or this exact moment. We are keeping within man’s perspective. We are keeping our understanding of God limited in this study so as not to lose sight of our objective, to outline the Bible and subsequently human history.
Now that we have that out of the way, we can finally start with the meat of the subject today!
As stated before, the Bible can be taken into three categories. The first category we can call the Credits. Now before we continue, we need to understand something, the first category is actually in two segments and begins with Genesis 1:1 through Genesis 11:32. This first segment can best be seen as God’s opening narrative to the play or movie. This is all about how the world gets created and goes upside down. The second segment picks up at the end of the Bible at Revelation chapter 20 through the end of the Book. This segment, just like the first, is about God telling how it all ends and what happens to all the different characters. In both segments God is providing information that would not be normally known to us, for instance we know there is something outside of time, yet we have never seen it. We know of Justice and Love and Mercy, yet we have never seen it in its purity. From the Credits we can tell that God has informed us of such information. When reading the Bible in these particular sections, we need to recognize the necessary need to read it as it was meant to be read.
Allow me to digress for a minute, picture in your head the last movie you watched. Now before it began there were “credits” telling who made the movie, who produced it, and if its older they might even have who is in it. At the end of the movie you see the same information and more details on who helped to make the movie. At any point in the credits do you read the name, for example “Frank Sinatra” and say, “oh we need to spiritualize it?”. No, you take it as it says and assume Frank Sinatra is in the film. When you see the iconic Disney castle at the beginning of the film, you do not say “oh boy, I can’t wait to see this Sony picture?” nonsense! Doesn’t that sound absurd? So why would anyone read and attempt to spiritualize the credits in the Word of God? There are several aspects in the credit category found in Genesis and Revelation that should be read symbolically and those are abundantly clear, two examples are “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” Genesis 3:15 and “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.” Revelation 22:14. Nevertheless, Christians have taken liberty in spiritualizing or blatantly taking out of context much of the Credits to the point that the rest of the Bible does not make sense. It would be like seeing “George C. Scott as General Patton” it’s obvious he isn’t the real General Patton but the person next to you in the theater is all excited to see the real General Patton walk on stage. God wrote His Bible for us to take and read comprehensively and accurately so we should do just that. “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;” Proverbs 2:6.
Moving forward, the first category needs to have its characteristics explained. It is not a standalone work and should be read with equal value to the other two categories. In these verses God is dealing with the world as a whole. At this point He is interactive with the whole world! He creates the universe, man sins, He curses the universe, He floods the world, He deals with wicked man and deals with the righteous man, He makes a new universe. So, when reading these parts take this into consideration, chances are it is literal, and God is interacting on a large scale.
Now we come to our second category, or commonly known as the Old Testament. And just like the Credits it can be split into two groups. First in Genesis 12:1 to Acts 1:8, then it picks up again in Revelation 4:1 and continues through Revelation 19:21. During the Old Testament we can see God is directly dealing with a specific group of people. These people, depending on where you are reading in the Old Testament, are either, one man (i.e. Abraham) or a nation being Israel. The Old Testament is a very misleading name, it signifies something in the English language which the text does not actually mean.
“Testament is an old English word that means, “covenant,” or “agreement between two parties.” It was derived from the Latin testamentum. This term was used to translate the Greek and Hebrew words for covenant; berit in Hebrew and diatheke in Greek. Hence the Old and New Covenants became the Old and New Testaments. This is the ancient meaning of the term
However, the two parts of Scripture are not “testaments” in the modern sense of the word a last will and testament. Rather, the term speaks of an agreement, covenant or contract. Consequently, it is unfortunate that the English word “testament” is still used to describe the Old and New Covenants that God has made with His people.”[1]
Do not get confused with our goal of understanding the categorical markings of the Biblical outline of human history and the Universe with the covenants in the Bible, the Lord makes several with different people which He upholds. If this category was to be renamed, it should be something to the larger aspect, giving the proper perspective on God and Israel and their unique relationship. A personal proposal would be Teleiosis Ioudaios or Fulfillment of the Jew. This entire category of the Bible is directed around the Jewish nation and people. Genesis 12:1, God calls Abraham in order to create a nation. This story continues with this interaction until the promise Messiah Jesus Christ who is born of a virgin, lives a perfect life, dies on the cross, three days later resurrects, and then ascends into Heaven in Acts 1:8. During this entire time God is dealing with Israel, this does not mean that others do not have a special part to play, Ruth, a gentile, was part of the line of Jesus Christ heritage. There are many gentiles that were found righteous throughout this section of the Bible. However, moving forward in the Bible we come to the second section of the Fulfillment of the Jew. Revelation 4:1 God’s direct interaction with Israel begins again. Sadly, there are many in the Christian world today who will deny this, however the book of Daniel specifically discusses the final seven years that God has set aside for Israel.
So, moving forward, the second category needs to have its characteristics explained. It is not a standalone work and should be read with equal value to the other two categories. When reading consider how God has a special relationship with Israel, however this does not mean He does not care about the world. In fact, this special relationship is specifically designed to show God’s orchestrated plan to save the world. Salvation is still the same, the belief that God would send a sacrifice for our sins. Time wise you would have to believe that it would either come one day or that it has already come. The power of faith is timeless, and the justification found in Jesus Christ is priceless. Abraham was justified by faith, while the 144,000 will be saved in like manner, and belief in Messiah Jesus Christ.
Our final category is the New Testament, and yes just like the Old Testament, the name should reflect what the time is. A better name would be the Age of the Church. This category, unlike the Credits and the Fulfillment of the Jew, is all in one piece. It starts at Acts 1:9 and goes until Revelation 3:22, and can be summed up like this,
The Age of the Church can be described as the historical account of the adoption of the gentile believers into the family of God, while preparing them to be the bride of the Messiah.
Two things to take away from this category. Paul makes it clear that the gentile has not replaced the Jew, but rather through God’s love and mercy have grafted in the gentile believers with those Jews who also believe in Jesus Christ. Second. “But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.” Romans 11:13-21
While the Age of the Church is a specific time for mainly gentiles, there are many Jewish people who are born again. Yet, this does not mean the gentile is to incorporate themselves into Judaism or to be bound to the law of Moses. Rather they should be liberated to love God and seek Holiness, for He is Holy.
So, moving forward the third category needs to have its characteristics explained. It is not a standalone work and should be read with equal value to the other two categories. Should be read seriously, where it is literal read literal, and where it is symbolic read symbolically. Take the same vigor as you would with the other sections to find the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the scripture you are reading. Finally, if there is a question regarding a specific verse or statement, go back to the Credits or the Fulfillment of the Jew to seek an answer. The glorious thing about the entire Bible is that it will answer and vindicate itself.
So now we come to the final “so what factor” with all of this, while yes, I know that we today have ran across several areas and have covered the entire Bible in one quick post. Nevertheless, I want to commend you for sticking with it! The Bible, when addressed with genuine desire to learn, will show you how quickly God will jump out at you from within His word. These three categories The Credits, Fulfillment of the Jew, and The Age of the Church are all unique in their own aspects.
Remember if you are asked by anyone where this is all this going, feel free to take them to the Credits, if someone asks you why does God care take them to The Age of the Church, and if they ask why did God have to do it that way take them to the Fulfillment of the Jew. God gives us the reason for the universe, He gives us the reason for existence, He gives us the reason we have the hope that we do. God is a very personable God; He is just eager to show us the answer to these deep-thinking questions. However, none of this is possible unless you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, we must be the travel cup if we are to find these answers. That relationship is not built on good works, it is not built on being good, its not built on being religious. It is built on a relationship with Jesus Christ. Salvation is that Jesus Christ being whole God and whole man, was born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, died for our sins on a cross, and on the third day rose victoriously from the grave being the final sacrifice needed for man. All we must do to accept His sacrifice is acknowledge that we are sinners, believe that Jesus Christ, being whole man and whole God, living a perfect life, died and rose again for us personally, confess with our mouths that He is Lord, and follow Him.
I understand the danger that people might take this lightly and simply restate that they believe and are saved, I would encourage you to read Romans 10:9-10, Acts 16:31, Acts 2:21, Romans 5:7-8. So as you crack open your Bible and start to read of this cosmic story that is underway just remember that the same God has given you the chance to see outside of the cupboard and the kitchen for a chance to be His as well.
Hold until relieved, Our blessed Hope is coming
JL
[1] Don Stewart, Blue Letter Bible, 2020 https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/stewart_don/faq/bible-special/question4-why-old-and-new-testament.cfm