The Strand Study Bible

SIMPLE REVIEW OF THE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

Third World Empire – BABYLON (612 – 539 BC) BABYLON (under Nabopolassar and his son Nebuchadnezzar) destroys ASSYRIA in 612 BC and becomes the next world power. Babylon then invades Southern Judah and Jerusalem on three different occasions: 1. The first time (605 BC) they took Daniel and the rich people captive *The religion of Atheism (Thales of Miletus) begins in Greece (c. 600 BC) 2. The second time (597 BC) they took Ezekiel and all the middle class people captive 3. The third time (586 BC) they destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, leaving Jeremiah and the poor people to fend for themselves. Jeremiah writes Lamentations (586 BC). Fourth World Empire – MEDO-PERSIA (539 – 331 BC) MEDO-PERSIA (under King Cyrus II – 559-529 BC) destroys BABYLON in 539 BC and becomes the next world power. According to the Bible, there were three separate decrees given by Medo-Persian rulers allowing the captive Jews to return to Jerusalem: 1. The first decree was under King Cyrus II (536 BC) Zerubbabel led this expedition (Ezra 1:1-3) and was used of God to eventually rebuild the Temple. He started the rebuilding process in 535 BC, but got sidetracked for the next 15 years (from 535-520 BC). Then in 520 BC, God raised up two prophets to admonish Zerubbabel to finish the rebuilding of the Temple: Haggai (520 BC) Zechariah (520-518 BC) Zerubbabel finished the rebuilding of the Temple in 516 BC *The religion of Buddhism begins in India (c. 500 BC) *The philosophy of Confucianism begins in China (c. 497 BC) Around forty-seven years later (473 BC) Esther was used of God to save her people from certain destruction. 2. The second decree was under King Artaxerxes (458 BC) Ezra led this expedition (Ezra 7:1-6) and was used of God to rebuild the people. 3. The third and final decree was given by King Artaxerxes (444 BC). Nehemiah led this expedition (Neh 2:1-6) and was used of God to rebuild the walls. The last prophet of the OT is Malachi (c. 425 BC) The main character of Malachi is the nation of Israel. *The philosophy of Humanism (Socrates) begins in Greece (c. 400 BC) Six months later (585 BC), somewhere in Judah, Obadiah writes about the fall of Edom. *The theory of Evolution (Anaximander of Miletus) is spawned in Greece (c. 550 BC)

Fifth World Empire – GREECE (331 – 146 BC) Sixth World Empire – ROME (146 B.C. – AD 476)

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