A KISSed History of Beliefs

[GWH]

Keeping history simple is making every thing agree with God's Word.

A KISSed correct understanding of history does not disagree with a correct interpretation of GW,
and after conducting a review of the HOB, in post #194 I began boiling it down or sifting it finer,
in order to identify the most significant people we might want to commit to memory.

I cited God, then A&E, and now I cite the Sumerians as significant,
because their culture was among the earliest polytheistic civilizations
out of which Abraham was among the earliest monotheists, and this
theological watershed has been a major part or influence in the HOB.

As always, I welcome any helpful comments, such as what you just shared.

 

[NightTwister]

A KISSed correct understanding of history does not disagree with a correct interpretation of GW,
and after conducting a review of the HOB, in post #194 I began boiling it down or sifting it finer,
in order to identify the most significant people we might want to commit to memory.

I cited God, then A&E, and now I cite the Sumerians as significant,
because their culture was among the earliest polytheistic civilizations
out of which Abraham was among the earliest monotheists, and this
theological watershed has been a major part or influence in the HOB.

As always, I welcome any helpful comments, such as what you just shared.

TMA. Grace and Peace.

 

[GWH]

A KISSed correct understanding of history does not disagree with a correct interpretation of GW,
and after conducting a review of the HOB, in post #194 I began boiling it down or sifting it finer,
in order to identify the most significant people we might want to commit to memory.

I cited God, then A&E, and now I cite the Sumerians as significant,
because their culture was among the earliest polytheistic civilizations
out of which Abraham was among the earliest monotheists, and this
theological watershed has been a major part or influence in the HOB.

As always, I welcome any helpful comments, such as what you just shared.

Next we can cite Abraham as significant for being the first known monotheist, whose faith in One God (Rom. 4) paved the way for

Moses, who was significant for promulgating a plethora of laws that effectively separated the Hebrews from the rest of humanity
(Deut. 32) so they would be the heritage that would produce the Messiah, whereby humanity would be blessed, as God promised
to Abraham (Gen. 12:3, 17:3-5).

Other commentary?

 

[GWH]

Next we can cite Abraham as significant for being the first known monotheist, whose faith in One God (Rom. 4) paved the way for

Moses, who was significant for promulgating a plethora of laws that effectively separated the Hebrews from the rest of humanity
(Deut. 32) so they would be the heritage that would produce the Messiah, whereby humanity would be blessed, as God promised
to Abraham (Gen. 12:3, 17:3-5).

Other commentary?

None? Okay, next I will cite

David for composing Psalms that foreshadow salvation and Messiah (e.g., Psa. 2:2-7, 19:1-4 & 22:1-18), and

Isaiah for prophesying Messiah (Isa. 53), perceiving God's Holy Spirit (Isa. 42:1, 63:9-10) and that God's plan of salvation
potentially includes everyone (Isa. 42:6, 49:6).

 

[GWH]

The Greeks could be cited for several things from the science of Thales to the math of Pythagoras and the philosophy of Socrates-Plato, but the humanist atheism of Protagoras was most significant in the HOB as the opposite of biblical monotheism.

Hinduism-Buddhism is cited as significant for its doctrine of reincarnation or karmaism, because it sought to provide a rationale for morality, even though supporting evidence is scant.

Romanism is significant as representing the importance of political power in the HOB, because seeking hegemony (aka playing "king of the hill" or KOTH) is still ongoing.

 

[GWH]

Christianity is cited for being most significant in the HOB, because it does not persecute people with other beliefs
or increase because of promoting prolific procreation and because its hope for salvation from mortality and immorality
is most persuasive due to evidence including fulfilled prophecy and the resurrection of Jesus. The NT belief is that the
Christian Gospel fulfilled and superseded the Old Law or Jewish Covenant (per Hebrews 7:18-10:1).

 

[GWH]

After Christ, we can cite a pseudo-Christ and an anti-Christ as significant competitors and antagonists in the HOB.

The church at Rome gained influence because of support by Emperor Constantine, but it became corrupt as it transformed
from being persecuted to persecuting different denominations and people for not supporting its papacy.

Then Mohammed founded Islam, describing Jesus as a prophet for Christians and Moses for Jews but himself as Allah's prophet
for Muslims, and he forcibly converted people his soldiers conquered. Thus, there were three legalistic religions opposed to the Gospel of Christ (cf. Rev. 21:6-8 & 22:13-15).

 

[GWH]

From the founding of Islam until the Protestant Reformation an argument might be made for citing Mongol emperor Genghis Khan (d.1227), founder of the largest empire in world history that at its height stretched from the Pacific Ocean to Eastern Europe and from southern Siberia to northern India, as the most important adherent of Tengrism, which worshipped the sky deity Tengri but was tolerant of other religions, including Buddhism, Christianity and Islam, although the Mongols killed millions of people during their conquests.

However, Tengrism also may be viewed as the eastern counterpart of Romanism. Thus, Martin Luther is cited as representative of reformed Roman Catholicism, known as Protestantism, which developed various denominations of a more Bible-based Christianity from 1517 in Europe through the evangelistic First Great Awakening in 1736 in the American colonies.

 

[GWH]

As part of the Protestant Reformation, we might note the significance of the printing press for proliferating beliefs, of John Calvin and John Wesley for representing two main branches of Protestant beliefs regarding salvation, and of Joseph Smith for founding a pseudo-Christian cult in 1830.

As an outgrowth of the secular side of the Renaissance, we cite Immanuel Kant and George Hegel as representing two aspects of secular philosophy that believed human reason contradicted the NT myth. Such anti-Christian beliefs culminated in the militant communism of Karl Marx in 1848.

 

[GWH]

The HOB seems to have culminated in a climactic spiritual war between those who believe in the NT God/Christ
and atheists/Marxists/globalists and anti-Christian Muslims, who seek to subjugate humanity (and even to create trans-humans).

It is good to have a historical perspective regarding this impending climax, so we realize that God revealed Himself and His Will/Word first as Creator (Rom. 1:20) and then as moral law/requirement perceived via conscience (Rom. 2:12-16), which are called general revelation. Then Abraham became conscious of God and was saved because of his faith about 2000 B.C. before Moses promulgated laws about 1200 B.C. and was followed by Psalms and prophets who understood that the Gentiles were included in God's plan of salvation (POS). Meanwhile most of humanity only had the opportunity to perceive God/God's moral will via general revelation.

Finally, in the fullness of times Christ fulfilled the OT law and Messianic prophecies by sacrificing himself for humanity's sins and then resurrecting to begin the church era as evangelistic efforts by the apostle Paul and then others slowly spread the Gospel to Europe and then to its colonies and other nations via missionaries, although there are still pockets of the globe where it is only vaguely revealed if at all. However, we who have knowledge of the Gospel are able via the internet to discuss Scripture and explore how the OT law and NT grace are related to each other and to the current political crisis.

 

[GWH]

A song about the HOB:

Lord of the Dance​

E
1. I danced in the morning when the world was begun;
I danced (A) in the moon and the stars (B7) and the sun,
I came (E) down from heaven, and I danced on the earth;
At Beth- (A) lehem (B7) I had (A) my birth (E).

Refrain: Dance, dance (c#), wherever (g#) you may be (A),
I (E) am the Lord (g#) of the dance (B), said He (B7),
And I’ll lead (E) you all (c#), wherever (E) you may be (g#),
And I’ll lead (B) you all (B7) in the dance (A), said He. [E c# A B7]

2. I danced for the scribes and the Pharisees,
But they would not dance, and they wouldn’t follow me;
I danced for the fishermen—for James and John.
They came with me, so the dance went on. (Refrain)

3. I danced on the Sabbath when I cured the lame,
The holy people said it was a shame;
They whipped and they stripped and they hung me high;
And they left me there on a cross to die. (Refrain)

4. I danced on a Friday and the sky turned black;
It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back;
They buried my body and they thought I’d gone,
But I am the dance and I still go on. (Refrain)

5. They cut me down and I leapt up high,
I am the life that’ll never, never die;
I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he. (Refrain)

[Repeat to keep dance going on; then end with E c# A E]

 

[GWH]

Song of My People​

[G] G e C D
1. Abraham, Abraham, where are you coming from, Abraham?
I’m coming (e) from the land of darkness (D), Lord. I’m coming (C)
D D7 G e C D G (etc.)
to you my God . Abraham, Abraham, I will be your God.

2. Israel, Israel, why have you strayed from me, Israel?
You say you don’t need my guiding hand,
You say you don’t want my love, Israel, Israel, I will be your God.

C e C D
Gather ‘round, listen now to the words of a carpenter,
Who walked (G) the earth working miracles (e),
Who died (G) for us on a cross (D).
C e C D D7
“Take my hand, walk with me. I will be your God.”

3. Sons of men, sons of men, where are you coming from sons of men?
We’re coming to you out of darkness, Lord.
We’re coming to you, our God.
Sons of men, sons of men, //I will be your God.// (Repeat //)

 

[GWH]

Studying the HOB has revealed it to be punctuated by conflict, which continues on CC.

 

[GWH]

The Roman Republic gained control of the Italian peninsula in 270 when it annexed the Greek cities in the southern tip. Carthage dominated the western Mediterranean and soon was fighting Rome over the islands of Sicily, Sardina and Corsica in a series of battles called the Punic Wars from 264 until 202, when Rome finally won. During this time in Alexandria, about seventy Jewish scholars created the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Scriptures.

Rome defeated Philip V (who had supported Hannibal’s invasion of Italy from Spain in 218) in 197. Then Rome attacked the Seleucid king, Antiochus III (who had provided Hannibal refuge in Antioch after he was defeated by Scipio in 202), when he tried to invade Greece in 192, and forced him to surrender his navy and most of Asia Minor. His successor, Antiochus IV or Epiphanes (“god manifest”) tried to conquer the Ptolemaic Empire in 167, but he was intercepted by a Roman envoy, who drew a circle on the ground around Antiochus and demanded that he promise to withdraw before stepping outside of it. Antiochus promised. Later that same year, Antiochus’ response to civil unrest in Jerusalem was vicious. He endeavored to suppress Judaism by outlawing circumcision, observance of the Sabbath, and possession of the OT Scriptures. An altar to Zeus was erected in the temple, and on it unclean animals such as swine were sacrificed.

This abomination provoked a rebellion, which is described in the apocryphal books of 1st and 2nd Maccabees. Judas Maccabeus (“the hammer”) led a guerilla group that captured Jerusalem in 164, cleansing the Temple, which is commemorated by the festival of Hanukkah. His brother Simon proclaimed himself head of a Jewish state in 142, thus establishing the Hasmonean dynasty. The supporters of the Hasmonean priesthood eventually became the party known as the Sadducees, and another group (called the Hasidim or pious ones) resisted Hellenization of the Jewish culture and eventually became the Pharisees and Essenes. These two groups struggled for domination until Rome made Palestine a province in 63.

In 146 Rome burned Carthage, massacred its inhabitants and sewed the ground with salt. That same year Rome also destroyed Corinth and conquered Greece. In 133, Asia Minor became Rome’s eighth province. However, at the same time the Roman Republic was gaining wealth and territory, it was becoming morally and politically corrupt. Between 133 and 121 two Gracchus brothers tried to institute reforms that would return land to the plebians, but they were killed by members of the patrician senate. Civil war broke out between the General Assembly led by Marius and the Senate led by Sulla, who prevailed in 82.

When Sulla stepped down in 79, a period of unrest followed until a triumvirate of consuls (Pompey, Julius Caesar and Crassus) established order in 60. After Crassus was killed while leading his army in Asia, Pompey influenced the Senate to disband Caesar’s army in 49. Instead, Caesar led it across the Rubicon River into Italy, so Pompey fled to Greece and then to Egypt, where he was killed by Ptolemy XIII, and Caesar became dictator until he was murdered in 44 by a conspiracy that wanted to return to the republican form of government. Caesar’s son, Octavian, and Mark Antony defeated the conspirators and ruled jointly for ten years.

They proclaimed Herod of Idumea (Edom) king of Judea in 40 and sent Sosius to recapture Jerusalem for him. When it appeared as if Mark Antony intended to establish an independent empire with Cleopatra in Egypt, Octavian attacked and defeated their navies at the Battle of Actium in 30, whereupon they committed suicide. Octavian took the name Augustus and ruled as the first Roman emperor. This began a period of peace and prosperity known as the Pax Romana, which continued until the death of Marcus Aurelius in 180 A.D.

When Herod died in 4 B.C., his will divided the kingdom between his sons Archelaus in Judea and Samaria, Antipas in Galilee and Perea, and Philip in the area north and east of Galilee. The stage was set for the most important event in the history of the world, the central piece of the puzzle surrounded by this framework. It was the “fullness of time” (Gal. 4:4, Eph. 1:10). The people God had chosen to provide the physical ancestry of Messiah were located at the geo-political center of the world. The OT canon had been completed. This area of the world had one language, koine Greek, in which to communicate the gospel. And the Pax Romana provided a favorable political climate for the growth of the Christian church.

So, in fulfillment of prophecies by Malachi (4:5) and Isaiah (40:3), John the Baptist began to preach as the last prophet of the Old Covenant (Matt. 3:1, Luke 3:1-3, John 1:6&15). The theme of his preaching was simply “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near”, referring to the coming of Messiah/Christ, which many view as the climax of history, because it has dominated the history of beliefs ever since. The New Testament teaches that Messiah’s vicarious atonement/death and resurrection/ascension to heaven is the culmination of God’s plan of salvation. The Mosaic sacrificial laws were fulfilled when Jesus was slain as the sacrificial Lamb for the sins of humanity (Rev. 5:5-14, 13:8).

 

[Inquisitor]

Because he dreamed previously per GN 28:12 & 31:10-11.

I did not see a date for the start of Egypt?

 

[GWH]

I did not see a date for the start of Egypt?

True, I should have mentioned that in post #1. Egypt is deemed to have been founded about 3100 BC when pharaoh Menes unified Upper and Lower Egypt and began a dynasty, although the Nile Valley culture had existed prior to the dynastic periods.

 

[Inquisitor]

The purpose of this thread is to provide a succinct history of humanity's beliefs as context for the Christian faith, incorporating secular and scientific beliefs.

Beginning at the beginning, scientific research indicates the universe began when energy in a “singularity” exploded with a “big bang”. Science attempts to explain how the physical world operates, whereas the Bible focuses on why the world was created and how humanity should operate.

The Genesis account of creation (GN 1) portrays God as speaking the universe into existence, so that both the world and inspired scriptures manifest God’s Word, and then creating humanity in His image, who migrated from Babel after the flood during the lifetime of Noah (GN 11).

Secular histories of mankind commonly begin with the civilization near Babel at the Sumerian city-state of Ur in Mesopotamia, where archaeologists have found the earliest written language (pictographs on clay tablets) and wheeled vehicles.

Our study will continue from this point, trying to KISS the history as much as possible.

Some of your early history is not up to date.

Secular histories of mankind commonly begin with the civilization near Babel at the Sumerian city-state of Ur in Mesopotamia, where archaeologists have found the earliest written language (pictographs on clay tablets) and wheeled vehicles.

They have multiple cradles of civilization now not just the Fertile Crescent.

Nile Valley Egypt, Indus River Valley, North China Plain, etc.

 

[Inquisitor]

True, I should have mentioned that in post #1. I will add it soon. Thanks!

Egypt is deemed to have been founded about 3100 BC when pharaoh Menes unified Upper and Lower Egypt and began a dynasty, although the Nile Valley culture had existed for millennia prior to the dynastic periods.

It was further back in time.

As far back as 10,000 years BC.

 

[GWH]

Some of your early history is not up to date.

Secular histories of mankind commonly begin with the civilization near Babel at the Sumerian city-state of Ur in Mesopotamia, where archaeologists have found the earliest written language (pictographs on clay tablets) and wheeled vehicles.

They have multiple cradles of civilization now not just the Fertile Crescent.

Nile Valley Egypt, Indus River Valley, North China Plain, etc.

Yes, I mention these on the uno what, but not on this thread, because they do not seem significant for the history of beliefs.
Thanks for the double-check though.

 

[Ouch]

The purpose of this thread is to provide a succinct history of humanity's beliefs as context for the Christian faith, incorporating secular and scientific beliefs.

Beginning at the beginning, scientific research indicates the universe began when energy in a “singularity” exploded with a “big bang”. Science attempts to explain how the physical world operates, whereas the Bible focuses on why the world was created and how humanity should operate.

The Genesis account of creation (GN 1) portrays God as speaking the universe into existence, so that both the world and inspired scriptures manifest God’s Word, and then creating humanity in His image, who migrated from Babel after the flood during the lifetime of Noah (GN 11).

Secular histories of mankind commonly begin with the civilization near Babel at the Sumerian city-state of Ur in Mesopotamia, where archaeologists have found the earliest written language (pictographs on clay tablets) and wheeled vehicles.

Our study will continue from this point, trying to KISS the history as much as possible.

End result, who do you believe HIS word or men.