Genesis 12-50: A Brief Summary

Patriarchs→(period in the Old Testament – after Beginnings – Genesis 12-50) It begins with Abraham (& Sarah) and his call and continues through Isaac, Jacob and his 12 sons. The sons and Jacob are taken to Egypt by Joseph who becomes a leader during the famine. Genesis closes with the death of Joseph. Talks of the ancestors of the Jewish people. (Patriarch→Any of the early Biblical characters regarded as fathers of the human race.)
Exile (captivity)→Fall of Jerusalem (Babylonian captivity of the Southern Kingdom).
Covenant→An agreement between 2 or more parties or people, usually with described benefits, responsibilities, and consequences.
Persian Empire→(between the Testaments) Time when Persians controlled Judah. Jews were allowed to
Banking & financial centre.
Are lukewarm→neither warm (healing) nor cold (refreshing)→a stern warning.
Are poor, wretched & blind.
Are being rebuked→in love.
If they overcome, they will sit with God on the throne.
Preterist→Focus on the 1st Century. All events in Revelation have already occurred during the days of the Roman Empire....
Futurist→Describes future events which will accompany the end times (tribulation).
Historicist→Revelation is a symbolic story of the church from the beginning until Christ’s return.
Idealist→(or Allegorical) Believe Revelation does not describe actual events, but is strictly symbolic of the constant struggle between good & evil. The final result will be the final triumph of Jesus vs. Satan.
Rapture→All believers/saved will suddenly disappear to meet Christ. They are air lifted to heaven – all non believers are left behind.

The “Beast” →2 beasts in Revelation:
1. Beast out of the Sea
10 horns & 7 heads – description of body parts.
Blasphemes God – given power to wage war.
All people will worship beast – call for patient endurance on the part of the saints.
2. Beast from Earth
Forces people to worship him.
Power from 1st
The Antichrist will rule the world until overthrown by the Second Coming of Christ.
Tribulation→Seven years of widespread persecution (debate as to whether the rapture will be before or after the tribulation).
Armageddon→The place of the last decisive battle – nations will kill each other until Christ intervenes.
Premillennialism→Christ will literally return before the millennium (1000 year reign). The first resurrection will occur – either before or after the tribulation. The 1000 year reign of peace will occur. After this, Satan is loosened – fire from heaven will destroy Satan and his followers; believers will stand before God for judgement.
Amillennialism→No literal 1000 year reign of Christ on earth. Rather, a spiritual reign which began at the time of Christ’s resurrection and will continue until his second coming.
Postmillennialism→Millennium is a specific period of peace and prosperity which will end with Christ’s return, the resurrection of the dead, and the final judgement.
Babylon→A city that gets destroyed in the foretelling of Revelation. It seems to represent every kind of evil. May symbolise the Roman