OVERVIEW
OF SCRIPTURE

THE STORY

God created the Heavens and the Earth. After which He created man, and placed him on Earth. Man disobeyed God, building a partition between them, and went on his own, becoming the ward of the power of this earth, Satan. God promised redemption.

Later, He chose Abraham as the father of a long line of people that He would deal with throughout time in order to keep His promise of redemption, and to define a people as HIS, distinct from every other people. Abraham had two sons. Ishmael, by an Egyptian servant, and Isaac, by his wife. God choose Isaac to receive the birthright promises. Consequently, the line of Gods people came through Isaac. God promised Ishmael that he would be the father of a great people also. The Arab nations are the descendants of Ishmael. Thus, both the Jews, and the Arabs claim Abraham as their father.

Generations later He made a pact with His chosen people. They agreed to live a life of strict obedience to the law that He gave them, and in return, they would have the promised redeemer come through their lineage, who would redeem them back to God away from Satan. He provided them prophets to make His presence and desires known to them and to foretell of future events so they would know what to expect from Him in future times, and how to recognize the redeemer when He arrived. [Today, these people are known as Jews, their homeland is Israel] 

Not long after making the pact, these people rebelled against God and went off on their own again. God was furious with them, and told them so through the prophets.

In time, God decided to divide these people, and the promises that He made to them. He split them into two segments. The ten tribes, known as the house of Israel [the descendants of the sons of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel], and three tribes [also sons of Jacob], known as the house of Judah. To Judah went the kingship, and the law making. To the ten tribes went the birthright promises.

Then He judged Judah separately as a people. He promised them nothing but death in every way possible unless they repented and came back to the pact.

Then He scattered the ten tribes, telling them that no longer would they be known as His people, and He would show no mercy towards them. He actually issued them a "Bill of Divorcement".

The prophets continue to warn Judah about their ways, and continue to tell of future things that will be their destiny. Finally, the Redeemer for whom they have been waiting for many generations, arrives on the scene, and they don't recognize Him. They reject Him and kill Him.

God initiates His "fail safe" program. He unveils what had been a mystery to these people. He tells Paul about the Church. The body of believers to be assembled, to whom He will give, as a gift of Faith, without work, the reward promised to the chosen people for their strict obedience. He grafts on to the tree of the root of Abraham, the wild olive branches known as the Church -- The Christians. God now turns away from the Jews, and His pact with them, reserving a time in the future to return and conclude his dealings with them.

Ironically, some of the scattered tribes turn out to be a part of the Church, but this is overview, and that's a subject on its own.

The age of the old pact [Old Testament] is set aside, not closed, and the age of the new pact [New Testament] is open. This age will continue until the prophecies concerning its end come to pass, and how at that time, The Lord Jesus will return to keep His promise of resurrection and rapture to those who accepted and participated in the new pact. 

Following this, God returns His attention to the Jews and completes His dealing with them.

He tells of a great deception that will make them think that the redeemer they have been waiting for is on the scene. Only this person turns out to be a false deliverer. He turns on them, and again someone tries to wipe out the Jews. But, God promised to save a remnant of them.

Before they are turned upon, He sends them twelve thousand from each of their tribes to warn them of their impending fate.

Finally, the false deliverer shows his true color, defiles their temple and goes on a rampage against them, and their god.

God responds, gathers them together at Megiddo, sends His wrath, and The Lord Jesus and His people destroy them. Jesus then sets up His Kingdom on Earth.

Thus begins a new age on earth. One thousand years of rule under The Lord Jesus, after which a short final round with Satan, and eternity is ushered in on an earth made new again where God will finally abide with perfected man as He first intended.

So, In a nutshell, that's the story told in the Bible.  And, because the story has an "End Times", let's focus on whether "Our Time" are these "End Times".

As stated, "End Times" is defined as that time in history described in the book of Daniel The Prophet, and generally known as the 70th week of Daniel.

Daniel was a prophet of the Jews.

I wish it were common knowledge that the prophecies concerning this time are directed only towards the Jews. It is important that you keep this in mind during this study.