The Lives and Suffering of the Ancient Israelites, The Book of Revelation, And People's Religious Experiences Today

This is part 2 of 3 in a series about Bible topics. The main themes include the origins of the Jewish race and Old Testament prophecy.

If you're feeling a bit depressed or anxious today, you may find some of the content on some of the pages here particularly upsetting. Section 1 of this website contains self-help articles that it might be best to visit first. Topics covered include depression, life-damaging worry, panic attacks, phobias and OCD, grief, marriage problems, bullying and teasing, raising difficult teenagers, anorexia and self-harm, looking after someone with dementia, and recovery from rape. You can find them and several others here: Free Self-Help to Recover From or Cope With Some Problems.

The Early Old Testament

• Abraham, the First Ever Jew.
• The Story of Abraham's Grandsons Esau and Jacob.
• Jacob's Family.

The Famous Bible Story Of Joseph

• The Suffering of Jacob's Son Joseph and his Rise to Fame in Egypt.
• The Reunion of Joseph and his Brothers and Father, and the Family's Move to Egypt.

The Leadership Of Moses

• The Cruelty Against the Israelites in Egypt, and the Rise of God's Chosen Deliverer, Moses.
• The Rescue of the Israelites from Slavery in Egypt.
• The Israelites' Journey into the Desert After Having Crossed the Red Sea.
• God's Judgment on the Israelites for Disobedience in the Desert.
• More Judgments on the Israelites for Sin; and the Occupation of the Territory of Two Kings.

Some Of The Laws Of Moses

• Laws About Incest and Other Sexual Behaviour; and Social Welfare.
• Laws About Infectious Diseases, and More About Social Welfare.

The Bible, Slavery, and its Alleged Discrimination Against Women:

• Does God condone slavery in the Bible? (Old Testament)
• Does God condone slavery in the Bible? (New Testament)
• Women in the Heart of God.

Should We Obey The Entire Law Of Moses? - What The Old And New Testaments Say

• Harsh Morality Laws.
• Divorce; Observance of the Sabbath; and Strict Personal Hygiene.
• Clean and Unclean Foods and Other Things, and Fasting Rules.
• The Instructions the Jews Were Given About Not Associating With Non-Jews.
• Male Circumcision; More About the Sabbath; and Eating Food Offered to Idols.
• Trying to Become Right With God by Obeying the Law of Moses.
• The Full Significance of the Celebration of the Passover Festival.
• The Claims of Jesus to be God, and the Real Meaning of old Testament Animal Sacrifice.
• Tithing and Giving.
• God's True House, and Holiness.
• God's Standard of Purity.
• The Identity and Responsibilities of God's Modern Priests.
• Holiness and the Real Way to Worship God.
• Prejudice: - Jesus' Parable of the Good Samaritan and the background to it; Other New Testament Teaching; and a Lesson From the Old Testament Story of Ruth.

Some Answers to Sceptics' Claims of Little Errors in the Food Laws of Moses:

• Is the Bible Wrong About a Rabbit Chewing Cud?
• Does the Bible Call the Bat a Bird?
• Is the Bible Wrong About Hares Having Hoofs?

Links To Information About Islam And Stories about Former Muslims Who Became Christians:

• The Story of Walid - Former Palestinian Troublemaker.
• The Story of Adel Mohammed El Naggar.
• Testimony of Abdul Saleeb.
• I Found my Answers.
• Esther's Story.
• Muslim Discovers the Love of Jesus and is Converted.
• The Story of Mohammad.
• Liiban: Somali Martyr.
• Mansur Sang's Testimony.
• Is Islam Really a Peaceful Religion? - What the Koran Says.

Links To Articles Revealing The Wisdom And Significance Of Some Of The Laws Of Moses:

• Foreknowledge of Medical Science in the Bible.
• The Meaning of Passover.

Invasion And Conquest Of The Promised Land, Now Known As Israel - A Punishment From God On The Inhabitants Of The Land

What Moses Said to Prepare the Israelites for Going to War to Capture the Promised Land. Moses' Warnings to the Israelites About God's Punishments for Disobeying God in the Future - War, Famine and Disease. Crossing the River Jordan into the Promised Land; and the First Battles. Conquering the Promised Land.

Is God Immoral for Causing the Suffering of War?

• The Bible God: Cruel, Savage, Deranged, Evil, Barbaric, Intolerant, Insanely Jealous, Vengeful and Bloodthirsty?
  This contains gruesome clips from news articles that some might find very upsetting.

Archaeological Evidence of the Israelite Conquest of Canaan and Discussion of their Exodus from Egypt:

• On the Evidence of Jericho.
• Doesn't the archaeological record in Palestine totally contradict (and hence, disprove) the Bible's claims about Joshua's "Conquest" of the Land?!
  (for those especially interested, since it's long)
• The Exodus: Numbers and Logistics.

Links to Information On Hinduism And Stories From Former Hindus Who Became Christians:

• Information About Hinduism From a Christian Perspective.
• Death of A Guru: the Story of Rabi Maharaj.
• The Choice: to Follow Jesus Christ. The Price: to go Alone With the Lord.

The First Centuries In The Promised Land

• War on Israel - A Punishment for Disobeying God, and the Victory of Gideon.
• The Early Years of the Respected Prophet Samuel; and the Defeat of Israel by the Philistines.
• Victory Over the Warring Philistines; the Israelites' Request for a King, and the Anointing of Saul, the First King.
• God's Rejection of King Saul for Disobedience and His Choice of David as A Replacement, and Saul's First Plots to Have David Killed.
  This Includes David's Famous Encounter With the Formidable Philistine Goliath.
• David on the Run from King Saul.
• David's Last Years on the Run, and the Predictions of the Death of King Saul.
• The Death of King Saul, and the Reign of King David.
• Rebellion Against King David - a Predicted Punishment From God for His Adultery and Murder.

Old Testament Stories That Illustrate How Seriously We Should Take God's Commands To Obey Him

• Warnings from the Old Testament Books of Joel and Jonah.
• The Consequences of One Disobedient Act of Moses and of One Man Taking Valuables that the Israelites Had Been Instructed to Destroy; and the Gibeonites.
• A Trivial Misdemeanour that Brought About Severe Punishment; the Revolt in the Time of King Solomon's Successor; and the Deceived Prophet.

The Claims That Christianity Caused Most of the Wars and Oppression of the Last Millennium:

• The Crusades.
• Darwinism and the Nazi race Holocaust.
• Nazis planned to exterminate Christianity.
• Was Hitler a Christian?
• Japan, war and evolution.
• The Real Murderers: Atheism or Christianity?
• A True History of Christianity (book review).

The Kings of Israel and Judah, and Disaster and Prosperity Brought on the Two Kingdoms According to Their Obedience or Disobedience to God

• The Reign of David's Son Solomon, and the Gaining of Independence by Northern Israel by his Successors as a Punishment From God.
• Disgrace Brought by God on the Kings of Israel, and Victories Against the Odds Over Aggressor Nations for Judah.
• Treachery Against the Kings of Israel and Famine Brought on the Land as a Punishment From God; and the Miracles in the time of the Prophet Elijah.
• Battles With the Syrians; Judgment Pronounced on the Dynasty of King Ahab; and the Israelites Supernaturally Enticed to go to War, to Lose.
• A Great Defeat for Judah's Invaders; God's Judgment on the Kings by Death, Disease and Shipwreck; the Death of Elijah, and the Life of his Successor Elisha.
• The Syrian Commander Miraculously Healed; Supernatural Relief From the Syrian Army and Famine; and God's Judgment on the King of Israel.
• Assassination of the Israeli Royal Family; the New Dynasty; Oppression by Enemies; Sin and Treachery in Judah; and Judah's Power Under King Uzziah.
• The Last Years of the Monarchy in Israel; the Assyrian Conquest - Retribution From God; and More War on Judah.
• Judgment by Wild Beasts on People from Other Lands Resettled in Israel; King Hezekiah of Judah; and the Assyrian Threat to Jerusalem.
• Kings Manasseh and Amon of Judah; and the Deeds of King Josiah Who was Faithful to God.
• The Last Years of the Kings of Judah; and God's Call of Some of the Prophets Who Predicted the Disasters That Came on the Two Kingdoms.

Links To Stories Of People Who Found God And His Forgiveness After Searching:

• My Search for Truth.
• From Atheism to Buddhism to Christ.
• From Tradition to Truth.

The Predictions Old Testament Prophets Gave Of Total Disaster At The Hands of Invaders As A Punishment From God For Sins

• God's Call of the Prophet Isaiah; Condemnation of Sins Including Selfishness With Wealth, Oppression of the Poor and Injustice; and Warnings of Disaster.
• Condemnation of Sins Including Idolatry, Murder, Violence, Sexual Immorality and Sexual Abuse; and Predictions of Invasion.
• Condemnation of Sins Including Drunkenness and False Prophecy; Predictions of Destruction; and Advice on How to Live in Order to Please God.
• Condemnation of Sin and Predictions of Destruction; and the Persecution of the Prophet Jeremiah.
• Predictions of Disaster Befalling Other Countries as a Punishment From God for Sins.
• Condemnation of Sins Including Worshiping Other Gods, Human Sacrifice and Stealing; and Predictions of the Destruction of the Temple and Suffering.
• Condemnation of Sins Including Abandonment of God, Deceit, Betrayal and Backbiting; and the Warning Predictions Come Near to Being Fulfilled.
• Jeremiah is Mistreated Because of his Prophecies; and the Invasion of Jerusalem Looms Nearer.
• God's Loathing for Sin and Mercy on Those Who Give it Up; and the Imprisonment of Jeremiah.
• The Capture of Jerusalem; Advice for the Captives; and More Prophecies, Including Predictions of the Destruction of Babylon and the Rise of a New Emperor.

Disputes About the Archaeology of Ancient Israel:

• Is There Archaeological Evidence that Supports the Bible?
• Ancient Tablet Echoes Bible Passage.
• Palestinians Spar With Jews Over Archaeological Claims to Holy Land.
• Understanding the Destruction of the Temple Mount.
• Archaeology and the Babylonian Captivity.

After The Babylonian Conquest

• The Suffering of the Victims of the Babylonian Conquest; and Some of the Psalms.
• The Fate of the People Left Behind in Jerusalem, and Prophecies Against Them and Other Nations.
• Prophecies About the Return of the Israelite Exiles From Babylon and the Punishment Decreed by God in His Anger Against Their Enemies.
• More Prophecies About the Return of the Israelite Exiles From Babylon and the Punishment Decreed by God in His Anger Against Their Enemies.

Links To Stories Of People Who Left Sinful Lifestyles To Come To Christ:

• Still Changing Lives!
• My STD Story from a Former Escort.

The Book Of Revelation - Prophecies Of Coming Disaster

• The First Chapters of Revelation - the Last Book in the Bible.
• More of the Book of Revelation, and Other Prophecies.
• The End of the Book of Revelation, Some Old Testament Prophecies, and an Old Testament Illustration of the Importance of Not Deviating From God's Commands.

To read a view of the book of Revelation which argues that the prophecies are mostly not prophecies of future events but were actually fulfilled in the first century around the time that the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70, visit: Dating and Interpreting Revelation.

God's Final Judgment The End of the World, the Power of God and Sin. Will Good Atheists go to Hell? I wrote this article in response to questions about what the Bible says about atheists and whether God will send them to hell even if they've lived good lives.

The Truth About Hell - The Original Meanings of the Words Used - Is It Eternal, and What's the Real Nature of the Punishment?

• Is It All GREEK to You?
• Honor and Pain - A Refocus on the Atonement and Eternal Punishment.

Note: Sorry if anyone's sensibilities were offended by the gruesomeness of a few of the Bible passages in the previous sections. Mine too! I did consider disowning my site! But it does begin to get better from hereon in, for the most part!

Can God be Good when there is so much Suffering and so many people will go to Hell?:

• Is God cruel or schizoid really?
• Why didn't God stop the process before it started, if He knew of the massive amounts of suffering that would befall many of His creatures??
  (This article is mainly about hell. Much of it is based on speculation, so some things may be incorrect; but overall it provides a worthwhile insight.)

The Success Of Some Of The Jewish Exiles

• The Wisdom and Success of Daniel in the Court of the Rulers of Babylon.
• More About Daniel; and the Rise to Royalty of the Jewish Young Woman Esther.
• A Threat to the Jews From a Prime Minister Who Wanted to Destroy Them in the Time of Queen Esther.

Links To Stories Of Jews Who Escaped From Persecution:

• A Memoir of God’s Grace in the Life of Anna Shmaiger Kinovsk.
• I Believe.

The Book Of Job - Counterbalance To The Rest Of The Old Testament

• The Suffering that God Allowed to be Brought on the Good Man Job.
• Some of the Misguided Criticism and Advice Given by Job's Friends, and his Justification of Himself.
• Job is Given More Advice, God Intervenes, and Job is Finally Restored to Health and Prosperity.

Rebuilding Jerusalem The Return of Some of the Israelite Exiles and Their Rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem that the Babylonians Destroyed. Rebuilding the Walls of Jerusalem. The Sins in the Temple in Later Years; and Jesus Teaches and Predicts the Destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem Again, Another Punishment From God. (History books say that Jerusalem and its Temple were destroyed by the Romans in AD 70.)

Links To Stories Of People Who Left Immoral Lifestyles To Follow Jesus:

• The Testimony of Eric & Melanie Barger.
• Boyhood Dream Almost Ate His Soul!
• Freedom (Escape from) a Life of Violence.
• Charles Barry Mayson's Testimony.
• Shoplifting - breaking free. There is hope!

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