God’s Big Picture
Tracing the Storyline of the Bible
Introduction
David and Goliath
What application would you draw from David’s actions in killing Goliath?
What if I told the story like this...
One young boy
From Bethlehem
Representing his brothers
In the place of another representative
Defeats an enemy that a whole nation could not face
After decisively defeating the enemy, his brothers participate in the
victory
What do I do with...
Dietary laws
Animal sacrifices
The slaughter of the Canaanites
The Exodus
...just examples (good or bad)?
...just stories?
4
Other Applications
What do I say to someone who has lost someone close to
them?
What do I say to someone who is struggling with depression?
What is the purpose of the church?
What is the purpose of missions?
How do we care for the poor?
What is the relation of the church to the state?
Not a book of quotes
“If we want to understand any
part of the Bible properly, we
must consider where it fits in
that great plan and how it
contributes to it.”
“GOD’S BIG PICTURE”, PAGE 19
Where are we going?
Know the themes of Scripture
Within any text of Scripture, know where it comes
from and where it is going
Discover how each part of the Bible points to Jesus
Christ and the salvation he accomplished
The Bible...
...is one book -- not an anthology
...is a diverse collection of writings
...has one Author and many authors
...has one main subject
...is not a book of quotations
About the whole
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them
you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about
me (John 5:39)
“And [Jesus] said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart
to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not
necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and
enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the
Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the
things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:25–27)
“But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that
his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore,
and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,” (Acts 3:18–
19)
The Theme of Scripture
...God’s people
...in God’s place
...under God’s rule and blessing
GOD’S
KINGDOM
A Bible Overview: The
Kingdom...
•
OT: Promises
Made
1.Pattern
2.Perished
3.Promised
4.Partial
5.Prophesied
NT: Promises Kept
6.Present
7.Proclaimed
8.Perfected
Questions and
Discussion
The pattern of the
kingdom
Chapter 1
The Power of Patterns
Why do we like patterns?
Patterns in Scripture are sometimes referred to as
“typology”
A “type” points to or foreshadows the “antitype”
Limits of Typology
There must be a real, historical, and essential
resemblance or analogy between the type and antitype
The type must be providentially designed to foreshadow
God’s ultimate redemptive activity in Christ. This means
that accidental or even thematic similarity is not enough
to make a type/antitype connection
Unlike a mere symbol, which represents a general truth
or idea, a type by its very nature must look forward to its
specific and greater fulfillment in the anti-type
Michael Lawrence, “Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church”, page 78
God - author of all creation
What did God say after creating all things?
How does this affect how we view the physical
world?
When Adam and Eve sinned, who and what was
affected?
Does God save us spiritually only or does he also
save us physically?
God - king of creation
What is the relationship between God and nature?
Is nature divine?
Does God speak through nature?
Humans - peak of creation
Are humans animals?
How are humans different from the rest of
creation?
What are the implications of saying that humans
are merely animals?
What are the implications of being made in the
image of God?
Rest - the goal of
creation
Why did God rest on the seventh day?
Note the perfection in relationships:
God with humans
Humans with each other
Humans with creation
The Kingdom of God Revealed
The
Kingdom:
Pattern
God’s
people
Adam and
Eve
God’s
place
The garden
God’s rule God’s word;
and
perfect
blessing relationship
Perished
Promised
Partial
Prophesied
Present
Proclaimed
Perfected
Questions and
Discussion
NEXT WEEK: CHAPTER 2, THE PERISHED KINGDOM
The perished kingdom
Chapter 2
A snake in the garden
What are some questions you have after reading
Genesis 3?
Are those questions ever answered in Scripture?
Should we understand Genesis 3 literally?
Rebellion against God
How did God exercise his rule in the kingdom?
How was God’s rule usurped?
Consequences
What did Adam and Eve expect to be the
consequences of their rebellion?
What were the actual consequences?
Genesis 5 contains genealogies. What could be
important about a family tree?
Does man turn around?
The Flood -- waters cover the earth again, as in
Genesis 1:2
The Tower of Babel (Gen. 11) -- creating a
kingdom that doesn’t have God as the king
The Kingdom of God Revealed
The
Kingdom:
Pattern
Perished
God’s
people
Adam and
Eve
No one
God’s
place
The garden
Banished
God’s rule God’s word;
Disobedienc
and
perfect
e and curse
blessing relationship
Promised
Partial
Prophesied
Present
Proclaimed
Perfected
Questions and
Discussion
The promised kingdom
Chapter 3
God’s Eternal Plan
Read Ephesians 1:3-6
Note the scope of time in this passage
In light of what we’ve learned so far, what sort of
questions does this passage raise?
Amazing Grace
Note the theme of human sin and God’s response
of judgment that runs through Genesis
SIN
JUDGMENT
GRACE
Where do you see God’s grace in Genesis?
What is a Covenant?
Two types: conditional and unconditional
Sealed in blood
A sign as a reminder
Examples of
Covenants
Adamic
Noahic
Abrahamic
Mosaic
New Covenant
Covenant with
Abraham
Read Genesis 12:1-3
What was special about Abraham? Why him?
What was Abraham promised?
Every covenant had a sign. What was the sign of
this covenant?
The Kingdom of God Revealed
The
Kingdom:
Pattern
Perished
Promised
God’s
people
Adam and
Eve
No one
Abraham’s
descendants
God’s
place
The garden
Banished
Canaan
God’s rule God’s word;
Disobedience
and
perfect
and curse
blessing relationship
Blessing to
Israel and
the nations
Partial
Prophesied
Present
Proclaimed
Perfected
Questions and
Discussion
The Sabbath as a Sign
"You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, 'Above
all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between
me and you throughout your generations, that you may
know that I, the LORD, sanctify you. (Exo 31:13 ESV)
Every culture had laws (i.e., the ten commandments and
what followed)
Israel was unique in the reason that all of life stopped on
the Sabbath
In observance of God’s resting after creation
As a witness to those around them that they were in
covenant with God
The Sabbath?
•
Note that in the Hebrew calendar (on which the Christian calendar is based),
the week starts with Sunday and ends with the Sabbath or Saturday (where
according to the Genesis (as described in the Bible) the Lord rested from
creating the world).
•
In medieval times, Catholic Popes have decreed the Sunday to be the official
day of rest, in order to dissociate the Christian from the Hebrew belief.
•
It appears that this actually happened with the Emperor Constantin (sic),
who converted to Christianity but still worshipped the Sun god and therefore
moved the Christian sabbath to the day of the Sun. Nowadays, the Sunday
AND the Saturday are commonly considered (and used as) days of rest,
usually referred to as the "week-end".
•
(from "perldoc Date::Calc")
Why Sunday and not
Saturday?
Worshipping on Sunday has been an early church
tradition even dating back to the New Testament
All four Gospels state that the Lord rose on the first
day of the week, Sunday (Mat 28:1, Mark 16:2,
Luke 24:1, John 20:1
Read Colossians 2:16-22 (also Rom 14:5-6)
Also 2 Cor 3 and all of Galatians
Why Sunday and Not
Saturday?
On what day of the week did Jesus die?
What do you do on the next day, the Sabbath?
What did Jesus say right before he died?
When Jesus finished his work, he entered into God’s Sabbath
rest. We will one day enter into God’s rest through Jesus.
We trust in the finished work of Jesus.
“Our Lord died on the eve of that Jewish Sabbath, at the end of one
of these typical weeks of labour by which His work and its
consummation were prefigured.” (Vos, “Biblical Theology”, p. 142)
The partial kingdom (Part
1)
Chapter 4
Introduction
Long chapter
We’re still in Genesis! (What does this tell you
about Genesis?)
Covering 1000 years of history, from Abraham to
Solomon
Adding a fourth element to the promise of the
Kingdom of God: a King
Purpose of this Chapter
“The aim of this chapter is to see how
God’s promise of the kingdom is partially
fulfilled in the history of Israel.” (pp. 5960)
God’s people
Gen 12 - Ex 18
God’s rule and blessing Ex 19 - Lev
God’s place/land
Num - Jos
God’s king
Jud - 2 Chr
People: Abraham
Abraham is promised a great nation through his children, of
which he has none.
He has a child by Hagar, but this is not the child of the
promise.
“Right at this early stage we are being taught that it will take
a miracle for the gospel to be fulfilled.” (p. 62)
Abraham is asked to sacrifice Isaac.
Example of Abraham’s faithfulness to believe the
promises of God
Not primarily an example of obedience
People: Jacob & Esau
God preserves his people in spite of themselves
Jacob blackmails Esau and tricks Isaac
Romans 9:10-13 explains why Jacob received the
promise despite his deceit
People: Joseph
Sold into slavery by his brothers
Raised to prominence in Egypt
Saves his brothers
Genesis 50:19-20
The Character of God
“Yahweh” - YHWY - Lord - I am who I am
“If we want to know who he is, we must watch him
act in history on behalf of his people.” (p. 65)
“The Bible does not just tell the story of God’s work
of salvation; at the same time it reveals God’s
character. ... Sometimes we miss the point by asking
too quickly, ‘What is it saying to me?’ A good first
question to ask...is, ‘What does this tell me about
God?’...The Bible is, above all, a book about God.”
(p. 65)
People: Salvation by
Substitution
God is teaching both the Israelites and us what it
means to be saved
Salvation is by substitution
Salvation requires the shedding of blood
Example: The Israelites were to sacrifice a lamb
and put the blood over their doors.
People: Salvation is by
conquest
The Israelites crossed the Red Sea with Egyptians
closing in. God conquered their enemies.
God revealed himself to be more powerful than
human authorities.
R&B: The Law
What was life like for Adam and Eve when they
were obedient under God’s law?
What was life like after they rebelled?
What does it mean that the Israelites are now given
the law and the tabernacle?
“[The Law] is not intended to be the means by
which anyone gets right with God. The Israelites
are already God’s people through his grace.” (p.
68)
R&B: The Tabernacle
Look at the diagram on page 71
What do we learn about God by looking at the
tabernacle?
What took place daily in the tabernacle? Yearly?
Did these sacrifices really atone for sin? (See
Hebrews 10)
What was the ultimate purpose of the tabernacle?
R&B: Summary of
Sacrifice
A sacrifice for a man: Abraham and Isaac
A sacrifice for a family: the Passover
A sacrifice for a nation: the Day of Atonement
A better sacrifice for the world: the death of Jesus
The Kingdom of God Revealed
The
Kingdom:
Pattern
Perished
Promised
Partial
God’s
people
Adam and
Eve
No one
Abraham’s
descendants
The
Israelites
Canaan
Canaan (and
Jerusalem
and the
temple)
Blessing to
Israel and
the nations
The law
God’s
place
The garden
Banished
God’s rule God’s word;
Disobedience
and
perfect
and curse
blessing relationship
Prophesied Present Proclaimed
Perfected
Questions and
Discussion
The partial kingdom (Part
2)
Chapter 4
God’s Place - Partial
Fulfillment
The Promise: “To your offspring I will give this land”
(Gen 12:7).
God’s people - check
God’s rule and blessing - check
God’s place - ???
Place: Numbers
Will they go into God’s place?
1 Cor 10:6
Place: Deuteronomy
Moses: “If you fully obey the Lord your God and
carefully follow all his commands that I give you
today, the Lord your God will set you high above all
the nations on earth” (Deut 28:1).
The curses for breaking the covenant were as
horrible are the blessings for keeping it were great.
Will the Israelites keep the Mosaic Covenant?
Place: Joshua
The Promised Land - the land of the Kingdom of
God -- is not vacant
God orders the slaughter of the Canaanites. How
do we believe in God in light of such an order?
The Israelites take the land...or do they?
Their taking of the land was both a blessing and a
warning. Which will it be?
King: Judges
What was the people’s part of the Mosaic
covenant?
Given the tenor of Judges, are the people fulfilling
their part of the Mosaic covenant?
“In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as
he saw fit” (Judges 21:25).
God’s King
Were the Israelites supposed to have a King in
Canaan?
King: 2 Samuel
Is David the serpent-crusher of Genesis 3:15?
Is David the great ruler of Judah promised in
Genesis 49:10?
2 Samuel 7:12-16
King: Solomon
“Not one word has failed of all the good promises
he gave through his servant Moses (1 Kings 8:56).
They are God’s people in God’s place enjoying
God’s rule and blessing.
And then Solomon got married. A lot.
Judgment followed after Solomon died.
Kings: the other kings
The kingdom splits: the northern kingdom (“Israel”,
with its capital Samaria) breaks away from the
southern kingdom (“Judah” with its capital
Jerusalem)
Israel immediately becomes steeped in idolatry are
were taken over in 722 B.C.
136 years later, Judah also abandoned the Mosaic
covenant and were taken over in 586 B.C.
A broken model
The history of Israel is a model of what God is doing
Rescue from slavery in Egypt points to rescue from slavery of
sin
God’s presence by the tabernacle points to God’s presence
of the Holy Spirit through the work of Jesus
The sacrifices were reminders through which God worked,
but it was only through Jesus that sins were and are forgiven
The kings were of some value, but Jesus is the great King
The model has been rejected, but God has not forgotten his
promises. This is the message of the prophets...
The Kingdom of God Revealed
The
Kingdom:
Pattern
Perished
Promised
Partial
God’s
people
Adam and
Eve
No one
Abraham’s
descendants
The
Israelites
Canaan
Canaan (and
Jerusalem
and the
temple)
Blessing to
Israel and
the nations
The law and
the king
God’s
place
The garden
Banished
God’s rule God’s word;
Disobedience
and
perfect
and curse
blessing relationship
Prophesied Present Proclaimed
Perfected
Questions and
Discussion
The prophesied
kingdom
Chapter 5
What is a prophet?
God’s mouthpiece
Covenant enforcer or lawyer
Themes of the
prophets
What were two themes of the prophets?
What were these themes based upon?
God’s people
A remnant
A new exodus
The servant
The inclusion of the nations
God’s place
New temple
New creation
God’s rule and blessing
The new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
The new king (Dan 7:13-14, Isaiah 9:6-7)
Great blessing
Return from Exile
Israelites return from exile in Babylon
Is this the fulfillment of the prophecies?
Will they enjoy the blessings of the covenant?
Have they met the conditions of the covenant?
The Promise of
Fulfillment
The people are still disobedient
God’s King has not yet come
Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare
the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek
will suddenly come to his temple; and the
messenger of the covenant in whom you delight,
behold, he is coming, says the LORD of
hosts.(Malachi 3:1 ESV)
The Kingdom of God Revealed
The
Kingdom:
God’s
people
God’s
place
Pattern
Adam and
Eve
The garden
Perished
No one
Banished
Promised
Abraham’s
descendants
Canaan
God’s rule God’s word;
Blessing to
Disobedience
and
perfect
Israel and the
and curse
blessing relationship
nations
Partial
Prophesied
The
Israelites
Remnant of
Israel;
inclusion of
nations
Canaan
(and
New temple;
Jerusalem
new
and the
creation
temple)
The law
and the
king
New
covenant;
new king;
great
blessing
Present
Proclaimed
Perfected
Questions and
Discussion
The present kingdom
Chapter 6
The time has come
Jesus began his ministry by saying, “The time has
come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and
believe the good news!” (Mark 1:14-15)
Imagine you are there when Jesus spoke. A Jew
next to you asks, “What’s he talking about?” How
would you explain Jesus’ words?
Fulfillment
How should we view the State of Israel?
Should we be anticipating the rebuilding of the
temple?
God’s People
What does it mean that Jesus is the true Adam?
What does it mean that Jesus is the true Israel?
God’s place
How is Jesus the true tabernacle? the true temple?
Consider Ezekiel 47:1-8
Read John 7:37-38, Rev 22:1-2
God’s rule and blessing
Jesus introduces the new covenant
What was the old covenant?
What was wrong with it?
Is the old covenant just set aside?
Matthew 5:17
Gal 3:13-14
Romans 8:4
2 Cor 5:21
Heb 9:15
God’s rule and blessing
Jesus is the new king (son of David, son of God)
Jesus is the source of God’s blessing
Note how Jesus announced the kingdom
Luke 4:16-21
Matthew 11:1-10 (also Luke 7)
Note the cross references in the ESVSB
Salvation by Substitution
Could there have been a way other than the cross?
What would it say about the nature of God if sin
were not punished?
The Four Gospels
Matthew: Jesus is the Christ of the OT Scriptures
Mark: Jesus is the Suffering Servant
Luke: Jesus is the Savior of the world
John: Jesus is the Son of God who gives eternal
life
The Kingdom of God Revealed
The
Kingdom:
God’s
people
God’s
place
Pattern
Adam and
Eve
The garden
Perished
No one
Banished
God’s rule God’s word;
Disobedience
and
perfect
and curse
blessing relationship
Promised
Abraham’s
descendants
Partial
The
Israelites
Prophesied
Present
Remnant of
Jesus
Israel;
Christ: new
inclusion of Adam; new
nations
Israel
Canaan
Canaan
Jesus
(and
New temple; Christ: true
Jerusalem
new creation tabernacle;
and the
true temple
temple)
Blessing to
Israel and
the nations
New
covenant;
new king;
great
blessing
The law and
the king
Jesus
Christ: new
covenant;
rest
Proclaime
d
Perfected
Questions and
Discussion
The proclaimed
kingdom
Chapter 7
We live in the
proclaimed kingdom
Why does the author call this chapter “The
proclaimed kingdom”?
How is the proclaimed kingdom the “already” and
the “not yet?”
What was the sign of the Spirit at Pentecost?
What specific curse did that reverse?
What is the work of the
Spirit?
He brings new birth - John 3:3
He equips us to serve Christ - 1 Cor 12:7
He produces holiness - Rom 8:13
The kingdom of God
God’s people: “The new Israel is the church, all
those who trust in Christ” (p. 131).
God’s place: God dwells in us by the Holy Spirit
and also in the Church
God’s rule and blessing: the law is written on our
hearts, and by the Spirit, we actually want to obey
and can be obedient
Our experience in the last
days
We live with a foot in each world
We long for holiness
We are frustrated with sin
The Kingdom of God Revealed
The
Kingdom:
God’s
people
God’s
place
Pattern
Adam and
Eve
The garden
Perished
No one
Banished
Promised
Abraham’s
descendants
Canaan
Partial
Prophesied
Present
Proclaimed
The
Israelites
Remnant of
Israel;
inclusion of
nations
Jesus
Christ: new
Adam; new
Israel
The new
Israel: Jew
and Gentile
believers in
Christ
Canaan (and
Jesus
The
Jerusalem New temple; Christ: true
individual
and the
new creation tabernacle; believer; the
temple)
true temple
church
God’s rule God’s word;
DisBlessing to
The law and
and
perfect
obedience Israel and the
the king
blessing relationship and curse
nations
New
covenant;
new king;
great
blessing
Jesus
Christ: new
covenant;
rest
New
covenant;
Holy Spirit
Perfected
Questions and
Discussion
TELL RICHARD TO
START RECORDING!!!
The perfected kingdom
Chapter 8
What about...
Revelation: When will
these things take
place?
When?
...in the past
...since Jesus
and continues till
Jesus
...not yet -- it’s
all future
View
Examples
Preterist
hyperpreterism,
partial preterism
Amillenarianism, covenant
Historicist
theology
Futurist
Dispensationalism
CREATION
GARDEN OF
EDEN
ABRAHAM
NATION OF
ISRAEL
JESUS: GOD
WITH US
ALREADY, NOT
YET
DAY OF THE
LORD
}
}
THE PATTERN OF THE KINGDOM
THE PERISHED KINGDOM
THE PROMISED KINGDOM
THE PARTIAL KINGDOM
THE PROPHESIED KINGDOM
THE PRESENT KINGDOM
THE PROCLAIMED KINGDOM
THE PERFECTED KINGDOM
What is it about Revelation?
John uses figurative language
We want to know the future
Is there anything we can learn?
Blessings and comfort
“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the
words of this prophecy, and blessed are
those who hear, and who keep what is
written in it, for the time is near.”
(Revelation 1:3)
“At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a
throne stood in heaven, with one seated
on the throne.” (Revelation 4:2)
Babylon
Rome? New York? Baghdad? Tehran?
Roxboro?
Why is Babylon describe as a prostitute?
“She represents non-Christian society
organized without reference to God: ‘the
world’”. (p. 143)
What parallels are there between our lives
today and the exile of the Jews in Daniel’s
day?
The Beast and the False
Prophet
The beast: “represents worldly antiChristian powers”
The false prophet: “worldly antiChristian ideology”
What is the end of Babylon, the beast,
and the false prophet?
Brave new world?
The quest for Utopia
Did sin affect us spiritually, physically, or
both?
Just as our bodies must be destroyed
and recreated, so must all of creation.
Heaven is communion with others
We will not be isolation, but in community.
Community will be “from every nation, tribe,
people and language” (Rev. 7:4-9) -- the
curse of Babel is undone!
Everyone whose name is written in the
Lamb’s book of life will be there.
What is significant about the number
144,000?
Heaven is communion with God
What was the purpose of the temple in the
OT?
What is the temple in heaven?
What is the significance of the new city
being described as a cube?
“I did not see a temple in the city, because
the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are
its temple” (Rev 21:22).
Heaven is...
...God’s people
...in God’s place
...under God’s rule and
blessing
“Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20)
The Kingdom of God Revealed
The
Kingdom:
God’s
people
God’s
place
Pattern
Adam and
Eve
The garden
Perished
No one
Banished
God’s rule God’s word;
Disand
perfect
obedience
blessing relationship and curse
Promised
Partial
Prophesied
Remnant of
Abraham’s
Israel;
descendant The Israelites
inclusion of
s
nations
Canaan
Blessing to
Israel and
the nations
Present
Proclaimed
Perfected
Jesus
Christ: new
Adam; new
Israel
The new
Israel: Jew
and Gentile
believers in
Christ
Multinational
family of
God
New
Canaan (and
Jesus
The
creation,
Jerusalem New temple; Christ: true
individual
new
and the
new creation tabernacle; believer; the
Jerusalem,
temple)
true temple
church
new temple
The law and
the king
New
covenant;
new king;
great
blessing
Jesus
Christ: new
covenant;
rest
New
covenant;
Holy Spirit
Throne of
God and the
Lamb;
perfect
blessing
Questions and
Discussion