|
TIMELINE OF THE
BOOKS OF
SAMUEL, KINGS & CHRONICLES |
|
1107 |
1011 |
971 |
931 |
853 |
722 |
586 |
|
1Samuel |
2Samuel |
1Kings |
1Kings |
2Kings |
|
31 |
1-4 |
5-10 |
11-20 |
21-24 |
1-11 |
12-22 |
1-17 |
18-25 |
|
1Chr
10 |
|
1Chr
11-19 |
|
1Chr
20-29 |
2Chronicles
1-9 |
2Chronicles
10-20 |
2Chronicles
21-36 |
|
Legend:
B.C. dates at
top of timeline are approximate. Note that 931BC marks the
division of the Kingdom into Southern Tribes (Judah and
Benjamin) and Ten Northern Tribes. To avoid confusion be aware
that after the division of the Kingdom in 931BC, the
Southern Kingdom is most often designated in Scripture as "Judah"
and the Northern Kingdom as "Israel." Finally, note
that 1Chronicles 1-9 is not identified on the timeline because
these chapters are records of genealogy. |
Summary of First and Second Chronicles...
I. Selected
Genealogical History of Israel (1Chronicles 1–9)
II. Israel’s United Kingdom Under Saul (1Chronicles 10),
David (1Chr 11–29), Solomon (2Chr 1–9)
III. Judah’s Monarchy in the Divided Kingdom (2Chronicles
10–36:21)
IV. Judah’s Release From Seventy Years of Captivity
(2Chronicles 36:22, 23)
(Adapted from
MacArthur Study
Bible-now online)
1 Chronicles
covers the same period of time as 2 Samuel and both describe
the reign of David (See the Timeline above) whereas 2
Chronicles covers the same period of time as 1 Kings
and 2 Kings and both describe the time from Solomon to the
Babylonian Captivity. In Chronicles the kings of Israel (See table
below where Jeroboam I identifies first of the kings of the
10 Northern tribes) are not mentioned unless they do something that
relates to the kings of Judah. Note that the word "chronicle"
means "a continuous and detailed account of historical events
arranged in order of time." In First and Second Chronicles God has
given us a very accurate history so that we can know all that He
wants us to know about the period of the kings.
Thomas Black writes:
This simple chart will
help clear up a ton of Old Testament confusion. From the top to
bottom it is a time line starting with the kingship of Saul, David
and Solomon. Then the kingdom splits (931BC). Judah's kingdom is
represented on the left while Israel's 10 tribes are represented on
the right. Next to each king is the length of his reign. The
darkened squares indicate kings who for good or evil greatly
influenced the course of the nation. Next to many of the kings you
will see the names of the prophets - this is to indicate when and to
which kingdom the prophet primarily served. Finally on the right you
see a continuum of the four historical books of the kings indicating
in a very rough manner where the kings in question are discussed. (Thomas
Black - Kings and Prophets @ Truth is Still Truth)
Related Resource:
Old Testament Timeline
W A Criswell
writes that Chronicles was...
Originally entitled "the
words of the days" (divre hayyamim, Heb.), meaning "journals" (cf.
27:24), and compiled as a single book. 1 and 2 Chronicles were
separated by the translators of the
Septuagint
circa 180
B.C. and named "things omitted" (paraleipomena, Gk.), to
indicate that they contain things omitted from the Books of Samuel
and Kings. Although the author and date are not stated, the Talmudic
tradition that the Chronicles were penned by Ezra may be correct.
Nevertheless, it is customary to speak of the author simply as "the
chronicler." Written from a priestly perspective, the main emphasis
centers on the temple in Jerusalem, the Levitical priesthood, and
the theocratic lineage of David. The genealogies and narrative of 1
Chronicles span the period from Adam to the end of the life of
David. Second Chronicles recounts the downfall of the Davidic
dynasty from Solomon to the Exile. Chronicles mentions the northern
kingdom (Israel) only incidentally and contains the most complete
statistical lists found in the entire Bible. The final verses of
Chronicles (2Chr. 36:22, 23) are repeated in Ezra 1:1-3. The style,
substance, and thrust of the Chronicles are carried on through Ezra
and Nehemiah. Many believe Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah had the
same author. If not, the latter two still serve as a fitting sequel.
Chronicles follows the people of God into Exile; Ezra and Nehemiah
follow them out of Exile and prepare Israel for the coming of the
Messiah.
The Chronicles were
written to the returned remnant who were rebuilding Jerusalem
following their seventy-year Babylonian captivity. The history
of the Southern Kingdom (Judah) is presented in such a way as to
help restore its religious and national heritage by showing its
unbroken connection with the patriarchal beginnings. The primary
historical theme centers about the priestly worship of Judah, from
the time of Saul until the return of the Jewish nation to the land
following the decree of Cyrus (538 B.C.). This religious history
depicts the faithfulness and promises of God to His people, the
power of the Word of God, and the central role of worship in the
lives of God's people. In order to underscore these elements, the
genealogies point to the forthcoming Messiah and are completed by
those recorded in the New Testament (cf. Matt. 1:1-16; Luke
3:23-38).
Myer Pearlman writes..
Though "Kings" and "Chronicles" show great similarity in the matter
of their contents, they are written from different viewpoints, the
former being written from the human viewpoint, the latter, from the
Divine. To illustrate:
1Kings 14:20 recording the death of Jeroboam, tells us that he
"slept with his fathers." That is the human viewpoint.
2Chronicles
13:20, recording the same event, tells us that "the Lord struck him
and he died." That is the divine viewpoint.
Dr. A. T. Pierson:
While much contained in
the Books of Kings is repeated or restated in the Chronicles, much
is omitted because foreign to the author's purpose. But whatever
bears on the temple, its preservation and restoration, the purity of
its worship, the regularity and orderliness of its services;
whatever makes idolatrous rites or relics hateful, or lifts God to
His true throne in the hearts of the people, is here emphasized.
J Sidlow Baxter
writes about those genealogies...
Nine chapters of
genealogical table I hate waste of space! Nay, rather, what
blindness to think part of the Chronicles is more important. Such
lines of descent were of sacred importance to all godly Jews, and
rightly so, for they knew that their nation, besides being the
repository of a special Divine revelation, was the possessor of
wonderful Divine promises reaching on to unborn generations. The
chronicler himself knew well enough that these genealogies reveal
the selective process of Divine election right from Adam downwards,
and that the covenant line of redemptive purpose was to culminate in
the Messiah. Especially did the preservation of the trunk and main
branches of Israel's family tree become vital after the Babylonian
exile (when the Chronicles were written). Families had been uprooted
by the thousand. Connections had been broken. Many records had been
lost (see for instance Ezra 2:59), and Judah's archives must have
become largely disintegrated even where not actually destroyed. Our
chronicler's lists link the pre-Exile with the post-Exile period;
for (as should be clearly grasped) 1Chr 9:2-34 concerns the
resettlement in Judaea after the Exile. The break is marked by the
first verse of that chapter, which should really be the last verse
of the preceding chapter. The Angus Bible Handbook remarks: "These
tables give the sacred line through which the promise was
transmitted for nearly 3,500 years, a fact unexampled in the history
of the human race." (Explore the Book)
DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN
KINGS & CHRONICLES |
SAMUEL &
KINGS |
FIRST & SECOND
CHRONICLES |
Prophetic Perspective:
Message of Judgment |
Priestly Perspective:
Message of hope |
Prophetic authorship:
Emphasizes the prophetic ministry
and moral concerns |
Priestly authorship:
Emphasizes the priestly ministry
and spiritual concerns |
The Fortunes
of the Thrones |
Continuity
of the Davidic line |
More Negative:
Rebellion & Tragedy |
More Positive:
Apostasy, but hope in face of tragedy |
Record of both
Israel and Judah |
Record primarily
of Judah |
|
Man's Failings |
God's Faithfulness |
|
Morality |
Redemption |
Emphasizes the throne
of earthly kings |
Earthly throne (temple)
of the heavenly King |
Emphasizes Kings
and Prophets |
Emphasizes the Temple
and the Priests |
Political
and kingly |
Religious
and priestly |
Compiled by authors
soon after the events |
Compiled by by a priest:
Ezra many years after the events |
Written shortly after
the
beginning of the captivity in Babylon |
Written shortly after
the return from the captivity |
|
Adapted Wilkinson's Talk thru the Bible & Jensen's Survey of
the OT |
J Sidlow Baxter
observes that...
beginning with
1Chr 11 (Ed: See following table), the whole of the
remaining nineteen chapters of 1 Chronicles are occupied with the
reign of David. In these chapters there is no repeating the familiar
tale of David's romantic adventures, or of his reign at Hebron, or
of his grief over Saul and Jonathan, or of his sin against Bathsheba
and Uriah, or of the revolt of Absalom (these, not to mention
others, are some of the significant major omissions); but, on the
other hand, we are given with great fulness the following matters
which are not mentioned in Samuel and Kings - David's abundant
preparation of material in advance for the temple (1Chr 22), his
preparatory numbering and distributing of the Levites and the
priests (1Chr 23-24), his appointment and arrangement of singers and
players and porters (1Chr 25:1-26) - all in anticipation of the
temple (these, not to mention others, are some of the significant
major additions). (Ibid)
John MacArthur
observes that...
Two basic principles
enumerated in these two books prevail throughout the OT, namely,
obedience brings blessing, disobedience brings judgment. In the
Chronicles, when the king obeyed and trusted the Lord, God blessed
and protected. But when the king disobeyed and/or put his trust in
something or someone other than the Lord, God withdrew His blessing
and protection. Three basic failures by the kings of Judah brought
God’s wrath: 1) personal sin; 2) false worship/idolatry; and/or 3)
trust in man rather than God.
(The
MacArthur Study Bible or
Logos
or
