10 Critical historical timelines of the Jewish people from the Promised Land to the State of Israel
❶ 1400 BC: Israelites conquer Canaan
The Israelites, God’s chosen people, conquered Canaan, the Promised Land, after the Exodus from Egypt (1446 BC). God renamed Jacob to Israel; he was the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham, with whom God made the first covenant.
Today, their descendants are known as the Israelite Jews. Canaan includes modern-day Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, and parts of Syria and Lebanon.
Unbelieving generation
Around c. 1350 BC, God commanded Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, where they were enslaved. To live and thrive, God gave them the “promised land” of Canaan (Genesis 15:18-21).
However, their disobedience prevented them from fully experiencing God’s blessings (Exodus 31:18; 32:19; 34:1). Despite God’s faithfulness and deliverance, they kept complaining, causing them to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. (Joshua 5:6)
Isaiah prophesied judgment and comfort for Israel. From verses 1 to 66, he wrote the “righteous judgment” against Israel and Judah, Jerusalem’s destruction, the nation’s restoration, and final judgment.
Ancient Canaan and the Philistines
The Philistines settled along the southern coast of Canaan around 1200 BC, establishing cities like Gaza and Ashdod, forming the Philistine Pentapolis, while the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah emerged inland.
The ancient Philistines of Gaza have no connection to modern Palestinians. The Philistines arrived after the Israelites had settled in Canaan, which occurred around 1500 BC. [Ancient History]
King Saul, King David, King Solomon
The Israelites clamored for a “mortal king,” so God gave them Saul, who they thought looked perfect. King David succeeded him, then his son, King Solomon.
These were great leaders, but they also allowed themselves to be corrupted. Just before Solomon’s death, the United Kingdom of Israel began to collapse and divided into two kingdoms after his death.
MAIN REASON WHY JEWS DON’T BELIEVE IN JESUS.
❷ 932 BC: Ancient Israel divided
Rehoboam (Solomon’s son) was the fourth king of a united Israel. Despite advice from elders, he chose to listen to his friends, raised taxes, and placed an even heavier yoke on the people.
Civil rest followed, and the north (Samaria) claimed independence (1 Kings 12:12-17). Jeroboam (Solomon’s servant) was king of the north; Rehoboam (Solomon’s son) was king of the south.
- The northern kingdom (10 tribes) retained the name Israel under Jeroboam.
- The southern kingdom (2 tribes of Benjamin and Judah) retained the name Judah under Rehoboam.
❸ 722 BC: Assyrians conquer the northern kingdom
The Kingdom of Israel destroyed
The northern kingdom had 19 kings, and all did evil in God’s eyes. In 722 BC, the Assyrians conquered them. They were the cruelest people group known to man. God used them to discipline his people.
The “impure” Samaritans
As many as 50 to 100,000 Israelites were exiled to Assyria, and Assyrians repopulated the northern kingdom with other (pagan) foreigners. This led to intermarriage and the emergence of the Samaritans, whom most Jews disdained.
❹ 586 BC: Babylonians capture the southern kingdom
After the split, the worship center remained in Jerusalem (Judah) until the destruction of the second Temple in 70 AD.
The Kingdom of Judah had 20 kings, including 7 “revival kings,” delaying God’s judgment until 586 BC when King Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem and exiled the people, marking the first diaspora following the Babylonian exile. [Chronology of Kings]
The line of Judah preserved
First Diaspora and First Return to Zion
The Babylonian conquest marked the first diaspora, which could have threatened the Jewish race. However, the Babylonians did not repopulate southern Judah, preserving the identities of the tribes of Judah (the fourth son of Jacob) and Benjamin (the youngest).
Remnants of Israelites in Judah did not intermarry with the Babylonians, and God raised leaders like Ezra and Nehemiah to guide His people’s return to the land.
The line of Judah today
The line of Judah today refers to the Jewish people, descendants of the tribe of Judah and Benjamin. Despite centuries of exile, they maintained a solid connection to the land, with many returning, especially when the State of Israel was established in 1948.
Babylons and Assyrians today
Today, the Babylonian and Assyrian people groups are in southern and northern (Ninevah) Iraq.
WHERE IS THE ARK OF COVENANT TODAY.
❺ 70 AD: Jewish Diaspora
The first Jewish diaspora
In 70 AD, Roman forces destroyed the Second Temple in Jerusalem to suppress a Jewish revolt, resulting in the first diaspora occurring. Many fled to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, where they established communities.
Second Diaspora
After the Romans destroyed the Second Temple in 70 AD, the Jewish people were again scattered, marking the beginning of the second diaspora.
Third Diaspora
After Jesus’s resurrection, Jewish Christians faced persecution from their fellow Jews, who saw them as a threat to Judaism.
This led to their dispersion beyond Jerusalem. Some went to other countries, and some went to places like Antioch, which became the birthplace of Christianity.
Empowered by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, they could “speak in tongues,” sharing the Gospel in various languages and establishing churches in different regions.
Shepardic Jews expelled from Spain
In 1492, Spain expelled Shepardic Jews (Spanish Jews) under the Alhambra Decree, which aimed to eliminate heretics, including Muslims, unless they converted to Catholicism. Jews hastily sold their properties, and many died during the exodus.
The Ottoman Empire welcomed Spanish Jews, while other European nations treated them poorly. About 40,000 Jews emigrated, many settling in North Africa, Southern Europe, and West Asia.
The height of discrimination and antisemitism was yet to come for the scattered Jews.
❻ 1349: Massacre of Jews in Europe
When the Black Plague in Europe killed millions of people, they blamed the Jews for spreading it. The Jews practiced hygiene and ate healthy food. Thus, they were less affected by the spread of the disease.
The Jews were accused of poisoning the public well. The hatred stemmed from their business ethics, wealth, and success. In 1349, 2,000 Jews were burnt alive in Strasbourg by Christians, 3,000 in Mainz and Cologne, 510 communities were destroyed, and their properties looted.
Today, a new wave of antisemitism is perpetuated by some US-leftist democratic politicians.
❼ 1917: Balfour Declaration
In 1917, The Balfour Declaration of the British government supported the return of the Jews to their homeland. It resulted in displaced people living in the area known as Palestine.
However, very few Jews supported the return until WW2, when they had had enough of the antisemitism in Europe. The Holocaust was the unintended part of fulfilling the prophecy of the return of God’s people to Israel.
WHY ISRAEL HAS THE RIGHT TO EXIST.
❽ 1941-1945: The Holocaust
Between 1941 to 1945, six million Jews were systematically murdered by the Nazis. After the UN partitioned Palestine (as the British called them), Jews returned to claim a portion of their land but faced new persecution.
Their neighboring Muslim countries saw it as an invasion of their land. Hours after Ben Gurion declared Israel a nation on May 14, 1948, the Arab nations surrounded them.
The Israelites won many wars against neighboring countries with no army and resources, which swore to destroy them.
The Holocaust FULFILLED A prophecy.
❾ 1948: The promised land restored
Mark Twain describes Israel
Mark Twain visited Israel in 1867 and described the once mighty kingdom as utterly desolate, dry, and burnt.
The Prophet Isaiah (27:6) prophesied that Jacob (Israel) would blossom and fill the world with fruit. Today, Israel is the “fruit basket of Europe” and continues to experience God’s divine protection.
The British Mandate
The British Mandate (1920-1948) administered Palestine following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and WWI. The League of Nations established it to prepare the region for self-governance and create a Jewish national home.
The State of Israel
In 1948, the nation of Israel was reborn. Many Jews returned to their homeland, even if it was only a desolate portion. It ended the Jewish diaspora.
How can a nation, scattered for 2,500 years and once non-existent, be reborn? No other people in history have achieved what the Jews did, which can only be attributed to a divine plan.
- No Jews would intentionally return to a desolate land, but the Holocaust was enough reason to realize they would never be safe until they returned to their promised land.
- Scattered, the Jews were able to resurrect their dead Hebrew language and become a strong, unified nation.
- Israel was desolate in 1948, but today, it is a thriving city where the desert blooms.
The Hebrew language
The Jews were scattered in many countries, connected through their tradition. Shortly after 70 AD, their native Hebrew became no longer a common language.
Thus, the ‘Masoretic Hebrew’ reintroduced in 1915 had been a “dead language” for 1,700 years. Today, more than a million people speak the Hebrew language of the Bible.
The Third Temple of Jerusalem
The Babylonians destroyed the first Temple, built by King Solomon, in 586 BC. Herod restored it in 20 BC, but the Romans destroyed the Second Temple in 70 AD. Plans to rebuild the Temple and reinstate Old Testament practices are underway, with Israel restored.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF ISRAEL.
❿ 1948: The Palestine conflict begins
Israel regains land, creating a buffer zone
Israel faced numerous aggression from neighboring Arab nations. The most significant conflict was the 1967 Six-Day War, where Israel swiftly defeated a coalition of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, gaining critical and historic territories like the West Bank, Gaza, and Golan Heights, reshaping its borders to protect itself from subsequent attacks.
List of Arab attacks on Israel:
- 1948 Arab-Israeli War – Arabs rejected Israel’s creation and invaded it immediately.
- 1956 Suez Crisis – Israel fought against Egypt’s nationalization of the Suez Canal, jeopardizing international shipping.
- 1967 Six-Day War – Israel preemptively struck Arab nations, gaining key territories.
- 1973 Yom Kippur War – Egypt and Syria attacked Yom Kippur to reclaim lost land.
- 1982 Lebanon War – Israel invaded to stop PLO attacks.
- 2006 Lebanon War – Israel fought Hezbollah after cross-border raids.
- Gaza Conflicts (2008–present) – Ongoing clashes with Hamas over Gaza rocket attacks.
- 2023 Gaza War – Israel retaliated against Hamas in Gaza after the Jewish genocide on October 7.
- 2024 Lebanon, Iran War– Israel retaliated against Hezbollah in Lebanon and retaliated against Iran’s missile launched on Tel Aviv.
WHERE IS THE ARK OF COVENANT TODAY?
The Future of the Jewish People
Salvation of the Jewish people
According to John Macarthur, the Church (Body of Christ) is distinct from Israel, which has a unique role in God’s plan. Israel’s future glory is yet to be revealed.
God has taken and will continue to take extraordinary measures to preserve the Jewish people, demonstrating His faithfulness to His covenant with them.
Jewish remnants
The 144,000 in Revelation 7:4-8 refers to “sealed Jews,” with 12,000 from each tribe, symbolizing God’s chosen remnant. They are believed to have a special mission during the end times that will evangelize the world, leading to the salvation of millions.
God’s eternal promise to the Israelites
Paul referred to the generation down the line as the “unbelieving Israel.” Despite many of them turning their back, they remain to be “God’s beloved for the sake of the fathers” (Romans 11:28).
