History of Salvation
Bible Reading Program

We have labored that the Holy Scriptures and the books left to us by the Church Fathers be multiplied by means of modern printing techniques and be distributed to all�. O Christians, let us arise and, with the spiritual zeal and earnestness which characterized the Apostles and early Christians, let us labor to lead out brothers and sisters to our Savior Jesus Christ, Who only can give life in its fullest sense! (Haile Selassie I, Address to the World Evangelical Congress, 10/28/66)

A Simple Way to Read the Story of the Bible

Many people want to read and study the Bible, but don't know where to begin. Should they read it straight through, cover to cover? Should they study individual books or passages somewhat randomly? So many people start and stop over and over again in frustration. When they try to read cover to cover, they get confused or bogged down after reading onle a few books. If they study individual books and passages willy nilly, they have trouble fitting the pieces together as a whole.

The Bible is a collection of many books by a variety of authors who lived in different times. Yet the Bible really does fit together into a single, unified story through which Jah reveals Himself by His mighty words and actions. You need to read the right books in the right order to follow and understand the history of salvation.

Here is a chart of the twelve basic periods of the history of salvation:

12 Periods of the History of Salvation
Period	Recounted in	Other books in this period's context
Dawn of Time	Genesis 1-11
The Patriarchs	Genesis 12-50	Job
Israel in Egypt & The Exodus	Exodus & Numbers	Leviticus & Deuteronomy
Conquest of Canaan	Joshua
The Judges	Judges	Ruth
United Kingdom	1 & 2 Samuel	1 Chronicles, Psalms
Divided Kingdom	1 Kings	2 Chronicles, Tobit, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs prophets to Israel: Hosea & Amos prophets to Judah: Habakkuk, Isaiah, Jeremiah & his Lamentations, Joel, Micah, Zephaniah prophets to Assyria: Jonah & Nahum prophet to Edom: Obadiah
Babylonian Exile	2 Kings	Ezekiel, Daniel, Baruch
The Exiles Return	Ezra & Nehemiah	Esther, Judith, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
Maccabean Revolt	1 Maccabees	2 Maccabees, Sirach, Wisdom
The Maschiach's Advent	Luke	Matthew, Mark, John
Maschiach's Church	Acts	Epistles & Revelation
What happened after a.d. 70? Start reading the Church Fathers!

There are 14 books in the "recounted in" column. By reading these 14 books in this order, you get a summary of the basic history of salvation. At an average rate of four chapters a day, you can read the whole basic history in approximately 3 months. After you've done this a few times, you'll be ready to read the other books of the Bible and, using the chart, understand where they fit into the story too.

Don't go too slow, but don't rush yourself, either. Give yourself a convenient, regular time to read four chapters a day. A simple checklist for reading the 14 books summarizing the basic history of salvation is available here. Print and keep this checklist with your Bible, and check off each day's reading.

(This reading program follows the ancient canon of holy Scripture: 46 books in the Old Testament, 27 in the New Testament, 73 books total.)

How to Read

Pay attention when you read. Pray, both before and after you read, for Jah assistance. If you find it helpful, take some notes while you read. Write down passages you want to remember or read again, and write down any questions you have about what you're reading. Do not get frustrated or discouraged if you do not understand everything right away. Allow yourself to be a beginner, even if you have been reading the Bible for years. If you want to know the Bible well, you'll want to read it many more times, and you will probably understand more and more each time. It takes time to read, study, and undertand the Bible. Strive to understand, but give yourself time. Again, feel free to write down your questions and save them for later.

Though you should read the Bible personally, you should not read it only by yourself. The Bible itself gives reasons for this (for example, in Acts 8:27-31 and 2Peter 3:15-16). Iyesus Krystos made His Body, the Church, the "pillar and foundation of truth" (1Timothy 3:15) against which the gates of hell cannot prevail (Matthew 16:15-19), so you should always seek to read and understand the Bible with the Church's knowledge and understanding. Maschiach's Church has been led by Jah Holy Spirit for 2000 years, so you should always be open to her wisdom and help. If you can trust Mashiach, you can trust His Church. Get into the living tradition of roots Christianity by reading the Church Fathers.

Never underestimate the benefits of patient and frequent prayer, especially praying and worshipping together with other members of Maschiach's Church. Your reading comes alive when you pray, and especially when the Church reads and worships together. Be faithful and attentive to Jah, striving always to love Him and your neighbors. Jah will strengthen you. Many discoveries, blessings, and insights await!