Can You Pass This Bible Timeline Quiz?

1. Which came first: Abraham or the tower of Babel?
2. In what period of Israel’s history did Samson live?
3. Which catastrophic event for God’s people did the prophet Jeremiah predict and lament?
4. Who came first: Joseph (son of Jacob) or Moses?
5. Was the Israelite monarchy divided before, during, or after King Solomon’s reign?
6. In what period of Israel’s history did Elijah live?
7. Which of the four Gospels was written last?
8. Was the event at the Mount of Transfiguration before or after Christ’s resurrection?
9. Which came first: Jesus feeding the 5,000 or turning water into wine?
10. In what period of Israel’s history did Jonah live?

Now, before I provide the answers to this quiz, think about those questions—were they hard for you to answer, or did the answers come quickly and easily? Because most Bibles aren’t laid out in chronological order, many Christians struggle to understand how the events, people, and places in Scripture fit together. That’s where a chronological approach to understanding the Bible comes in.

When you understand the Bible in sequential order, it comes to life even more.

When you understand the Bible in sequential order, it comes to life even more. You can easily grasp the grand narrative of Scripture (redemption from sin) and see God’s divine hand sovereignly guiding all of history, climaxing in the death and resurrection of the long-awaited Messiah, Jesus.

This over-arching theme of Jesus throughout the Bible is sometimes called the “scarlet thread.” Once we understand biblical chronology, it’s easy to see how the Old Testament is a grand announcement that “the Savior’s coming,” while the New Testament is a record of how he came, what he did, how we should live our lives in light of his coming, and the promise that he’s coming again.

Why is this important? Well, knowing the biblical timeline is so much more than knowing key dates and acing a test on Bible trivia. It’s about seeing the grand narrative of Scripture in a powerful way that opens the Scriptures up to you so you can understand that it’s all—from Genesis to Revelation—about Jesus.

Studying the Bible in chronological order isn’t just something for adults. It’s an exercise the entire family can benefit from, even the youngest children.

And studying the Bible in chronological order isn’t just something for adults. It’s an exercise the entire family can benefit from, even the youngest children. That’s why Answers in Genesis’ Bryan Osborne, a former Bible history teacher in the public school system, and Avery Foley, a speaker and writer with AiG, have produced Building Blocks for Answers TV.

This fun program (which is a video supplement for our popular chronological Bible curriculum, Answers Bible Curriculum for Homeschool) is designed to help families, particularly those with younger children (preschool through upper elementary), discover the Bible in chronological order. With object lessons, a giant interactive timeline, and chronological teaching, kids and their parents will discover the Bible in sequential order, seeing Jesus from Genesis onward, learning the attributes of God, practical Christian living, theology, doctrine, and apologetics, and more. It’s a wonderful resource for your family!

You can stream Building Blocks Years 1 and 2 (Year 3 is coming 2023 and Year 4 in 2024), which covers Genesis through the Assyrian captivity, today on Answers TV with a free seven-day trial. And this is just one of the shows on Answers TV—there are over 5,000 videos hosted on this platform now! And at only $4.99 a month (or $39.99 for the whole year), you’ll love the value and wonderful, biblically based content. Subscribe today at Answers.tv. And Answers.TV also has many Spanish and Arabic programs as well as great programs from some other like-minded Christian organizations.

Now for the quiz answers! How did you do?

1. The Tower of Babel.
2. The period of the Judges.
3. The fall of the Kingdom of Judah, the city of Jerusalem, and the destruction of Solomon’s Temple at the hands of the wicked Babylonian empire.
4. Joseph.
5. After, during the reign of his son, Rehoboam.
6. During the divided monarchy.
7. John.
8. Before.
9. Turning water into wine.
10. During the divided monarchy, prior to the Assyrian captivity.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.