Introduction of Abraham, Genesis 12 (KJV):
- Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee:
- And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
- And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
- So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
Note Abram originally came from Ur of the Chaldees.
A short biography after the introduction of Abram, leading up to the Jewish Dispensation. God changes Abrams name to Abraham and his wife Sarai to Sarah, Genesis 17: (KJV). They have a son Isaac who in time has two sons Esau and Jacob. The lineage of Christ is passed through Jacob. Jacob who in time has twelve sons.
God changes Jacob name to Israel and eventually as time passes over the course of 500 years the twelve sons become the twelve tribes of Israel.
The Jewish Dispensation occurs around 500 years after the introduction of Abraham. Judaism probably begins in the book of Exodus 19:3, where Moses goes up on Mount Sinai, after 400 years of
captivity in Egypt.
From Moses and the start of the Jewish Dispensation and its end to the beginning of the New Testament church, A.D. 32 is around 1500 years.
To be noted, The Lord predicts the end of the Jewish Dispensation shortly after its beginning, Deuteronomy 31:16-17 (KJV):
- 16 “This people will arise and play the harlot with the strange gods of the land, into the midst of which they are going, and will forsake Me and break My covenant” which I have made with them.
- 17 “Then My anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide My face from them, and they shall be consumed, and many evils and troubles shall come upon them; so that they will say in that day, Is it not because our God is not among us that these evils have come upon us?
Israel splits into two houses, House of Israel and House of Judah. God because of their disobedience first allowed the Assyrians to carry the House of Israel away and later the Babylonians the House of Judah.
Cyrus, king of Persia, over runs Babylon and allows the Jews to return to Israel, after 70 years in captivity a remnant returns, the second temple is built.
Alexander the Great around 331 B.C. with his conquests came the rise of Greece one of the four world powers in history.
Because the Greek language was spoken in these conquered countries of which Israel was one Greek became a dominant language. Around 285 B.C. the Jews are using the Septuagint a Greek translation of the old testament.
The Hellenistic period lasted from around 331 B.C. to 63 B.C. when it was conquered by the Roman Empire. When the Roman Empire took control of Israel in 63 B.C. they installed their own governor, but had much trouble controlling the population eventually destroying the temple in 70 A.D.
Christ lived during the Jewish Dispensation, the events of his life and his teachings are recorded in the gospels of the New Testament.
Upon his crucifixions and death the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, Mark 15:37-39 (KJV).
- 37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
- 38 And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
- 39 And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.
With the death of Christ ended the 1500 years of the Jewish Dispensation. The Roman Empire an evil nation soon tired of Jewish rebellions expelled them from the land of Israel and that conquered country became a land of few people until 1948.
A country was formed then and named Israel, but it was not the Israel of 2000 years ago. It is now a democratic country and an ally of the U.S. with many religions in its borders.