Christian Pilgrim History
Books:
Foundations: The First 2,000 Years of History
Jesus Christ: The First Thirty Years
Church History Re-evaluated
Timeline of History:
Year 0 to 2000
All the information that we have of the first 2,000 years of history is found in the first eleven chapters of Genesis. This covers the period between the creation of the world and the life of Abraham. Here, we have a very accurate timeline. We can deduce from this, for example, that Noah's flood occurred in the year 1596 after Creation. And that Abraham lived between the years 1888 and 2063 (he died agee 175 years (Genesis 25:7))
Year 2000 to approx. 4000
This was the period in which the Old Testament was written. During this time, God separated a people unto Himself, the Israelites. The Scriptures of the Old Testament were to be written and kept by them:
Romans 3:1,2 "What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God"
They also had many other privileges given to them, not least the fact that the Saviour of the world was going to come through them:
Romans 9:4,5 "Who are Israelites, to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises: Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen."
But their own Old Testament gives the sad history of their rebellion against God, until they became worse than the nations around them, and God destroyed their Temple in Jerusalem and sent them into exile in Babylon.
Only a remnant returned seventy years later to rebuild the Temple.
approx. Year 4000 to 4033
The Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ, was born from anongst these Israelites. He mostly lived an obscure life in the backwater of Nazareth, before starting His public ministry in the year approx. 4030.
His ministry lasted three and a half years before He was put to death because the world could not abide Him.
approx. Year 4034 to 4070
The New Testament was written during this time, giving details about the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ, together with His teachings. The last book of Scripture to be written was the book of Revelation, written by the apostle John. After this, the God-given Scriptures were complete, and God gave them to the Christian "church" for safekeeping:
1 Timothy 3:15 "....the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."
After the completion of Scripture, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple in AD70, never more to be rebuilt. The Messiah had come, so there was no more need of it.
Matthew 23:38 "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate"
Year 4070 to the present day (6000+)
As soon as the whole of Scripture had been completed, just like the Israelites of old, the Christian "church" strayed far from God. And it has been going further and further away ever since.