11/23/23 CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OF DIVINE REVELATION

11/23/23 CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OF DIVINE REVELATION

Here is the order of the chronology of God's revelation.
(Points designated with asterisks [*]).

This overview of the chronology is not complete, but it is flawless since God protected and communicated His infallible truth in spite of fallible men.

Throughout human history there has been a connection with Divine truth in all cultures, but God chose a line of people through which He would reveal Himself, His truth, His salvation. Human history is the story of God reaching out to fallen mankind, and it is the story of man's response to God's truth.

*God to Adam and Eve;
(Adam's sin brought about the first major break in the line, but God implemented His redemptive purpose and continued His communication).

*Adam and Eve to Cain and Abel;
(Cain killed Abel, then left his home and heritage, causing a second major break in the line).

*Adam and Eve to Seth;
Seth became the next in line after the failure of Cain and the murder of Abel.

*Seth to Enos and his descendants, who "began to call on the name of the Lord."
This produced a godly line, called the sons of God, who married into the rebellious linage of Adam's other children, called the daughters of men. This unequal yoking caused a third major break in the line.

*Enos to his descendant, Enoch;

*Enoch to his descendant, Noah;
The break in the line during the time between Seth and Noah filled the earth with violence, corruption and wickedness, leaving Noah as the only righteous man on the earth.
Noah to Shem, Ham and Japheth;
Noah's descendants turned quickly to paganism, and the Tower of Babel and brought about the fourth major break in the line. A brief description of this break, which has continued until the present time, is found in Romans, chapter one.
Romans 1:18-32
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

*God reached out to Abram (Abraham) in Ur of Chaldea (at the head of the Persian Gulf).
God initiated a relationship with Abraham, which would truly transform the human race. Abraham's family and society worshiped idols, but God called him to come out from his family and heritage. God led Abraham to Syria and southward to Canaan.
God continued His line of truth through Abraham.

*Abraham to Isaac.
Abraham taught truth to Ishmael (the son of Hagar, his concubine) and the sons of Keturah (his wife after Sarah had died), but God's line of revelation and redemption would come through Isaac (his son of promise)

*Isaac to Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel).
Isaac taught truth to his other son, Esau (Edom), but God's line of revelation and redemption would come through Jacob (Israel).

*Jacob (Israel) to his sons, known as the progenitors of the Tribes of Israel.
During the days of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the sojourn of the Hebrews in Egypt, there were accounts and encounters with various people who had a connection with the truth of God, such as...
Melchizedek (the king and priest of Salem),
Job (a righteous, God fearing man),
Abimelech (king of Gerar) (who rebuked Abraham for presenting Sarah as his sister,
The Egyptian Pharaoh (who also rebuked Abraham for presenting Sarah as his sister,
Abimelech (another king of Gerar) rebuked Jacob for presenting his wife as his sister.
Melchizedek was a godly man, outside of Abraham's family, who rightly represented the living God.
Job was a godly man who lived during the same period as Abraham.
Abimelech was probably a title for the kings of Gerar, and we find two of these kings recognizing Divine authority concerning marriage laws, and therefore refusing to take another man's wife.
Pharaoh also recognized the Divine origin and dignity of marriage and did not want to anger the true God by violating Sarah.
All four of these men indicate that the line of God's truth could be found in other people and cultures of the ancient world.
But the plan of God was systematically fulfilled through the chosen man (Abraham), chosen family (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob), chosen linage (the children of Jacob), chosen nation (Israel/Judah).
Eventually the line of truth takes on a broader footprint with the call of Moses.

*Moses to the children of Israel.
The Law came by Moses.
The line of truth became more clearly defined and more openly declared through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

*God continued to reach out to the rest of the world through Israel's laws, prophets, kings, sacrifices, celebrations.
God confronted, rebuked, condemned the blatant paganism and abominable practices of the world, which rejected the revelation, redemption and rule of God.
It was God against the rest of the world, through His people.
It was God reaching out to the rest of the world through His people.
Even when Israel failed to follow God fully, God continued to reveal His truth through the laws, promises, prophecies and ultimately through the redemptive work of His Son, Jesus, the Jew, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

*God's perfect revelation was made through Christ.
*Christ made His truth known through His life and teachings.
*Christ made His truth known to His chosen Apostles.
*Christ made His truth known through the impartation of the Holy Spirit, to His followers.
*Christ made His truth known to His people through the writings of His Apostles.
*Christ makes His truth known to His people today through His God breathed written word and His Holy Spirit.
*Christ makes His truth known to the world today through His church, which is called, "the pillar and support of the truth."
*Christ makes His truth known to the world through the preaching of the gospel through Christians who are built upon His word and are faithful to His word.

If it had not been for God revealing Himself and His will to us, and if it had not been for God establishing a presence with us through a specific people (Israel), then the entire world would have gone the way of the ancient pagans. This was demonstrated in the days of Noah and reiterated at the Tower of Babel and evidenced in microcosm with the Cities of the Plain (Sodom and Gomorrah) and seen in the nations of the ancient world, plus it has been manifested by the corruption, violence, oppression, perversity of modern cultures, societies, religions and countries.

God, His revelation, His intervention, His people, His salvation, His presence through Bible believing, Christ following, Spirit filled believers has been the salt that has preserved us and kept us from total decay and is the light that leads us to deliverance from sin and into eternal life.