10 Historical Events Every Christian Should Know

1. The When, Where, and How of the Beginning

“In the beginning—” not more than ten thousand years ago, “God (Elohim— Father, Son, and Spirit) created (bara…made things from nothing) the heavens and the earth … The Spirit of God moved over the surface of the waters.”

 The Spirit of God stirred the waters of the deep like He now stirs our hearts. God spoke and separated light from darkness. The Word tells us He called the light “day”, and the darkness “night”. “And there was evening and there was morning, one day.” The creation process continued for five twenty-four-hour days as outlined in the first chapter of Genesis, all with the historical account—"There was evening and there was morning, one day” (Genesis 1).

In these last days, Satan still attempts to sledgehammer cracks in God’s foundation of truth. And many, like thoughtless minions, trudge behind this convicted enemy, attempting to blend evolution, or replacement theology, or anything other than Scripture’s record of God’s historical truth.

“For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth … all things have been created by Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16).

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2. A Nation Carried Away

For 814 years, God repeatedly warned Israel. Their forefathers had seen Him descend on the mountain. They heard His voice thunder in their ears, experienced His deliverance, prosperity, and judgment with their eyes; yet they refused to obey His law.

Israel was ready to enter the land God promised to Abraham. God gave new tablets of stone, written by His own hand, to Moses, instructing him to gather the people between Mount Gerizim—the mountain of blessing, and Mount Ebal—the mountain of cursing— one final time before they entered this land of promise (Deuteronomy 10). Two groups of priests stood, one group on each mountain, and declared blessings if the people obeyed God, and cursing if they disobeyed (Deuteronomy 28). But the psalmist said their hearts were wicked and deceived. 

In 722 B.C. God sent King Shalmaneser V of the Assyrian Empire to take the ten northern tribes of Israel captive. Never to return, at least not yet! In 586 B.C. God used King Nebuchadnezzar to storm Jerusalem, break down the walls, burn the city, and carry Judah and the things of the temple captive to Babylon for seventy years—just like the prophets told the people. Why? The people chose to disobey. God is patient and ready to forgive, but judgment always follows unrepentant rebellion.

“If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

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3. A Life-Death-Life Event that Changed the World

From the 3rd Chapter of Genesis, God recorded a future event that would forever change His creation. And in 4 B.C., about three thousand years later, the historic event the prophets foretold took place in Bethlehem. 

The Spirit of God overshadowed a young Jewish virgin. She conceived the long-awaited Holy Seed and gave birth to the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Branch from the root of David, the Messiah who would save His people from their sins. But His people denied and crucified Him, just as Scripture prophesied. Yet three days later, just as Jesus told them, God rolled the stone away and restored life to His Only Son and stamped The Book of Life “Paid in Full.” But the story doesn’t end there—God was not finished with either Israel or the Gentiles.

 In 70 A.D. the Roman emperor, Titus, destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, again, as Jesus said. His disciples and His followers scattered and grew in number—Jews and Gentiles, in one body in Christ with a mission and purpose to carry the truth of Jesus’ birth, life, crucifixion, and resurrection to all who would believe He is The Christ.

“Then it will happen on that day that the Lord will lift up the standard for the nations, and will assemble the banished ones of Israel, and will gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11: 11-12).

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4. America's Declaration of Independence - 1776

God’s Word tells us He instituted governments for the protection of their people. Our first thirteen colonies each had a different form of government—all required to pay exorbitant taxes to the British crown. And the colonists balked at taxation without representation. But our forefathers united with one purpose, albeit loud and boisterous. On July 2, 1776, Thomas Jefferson penned the first draft of what would become our forefather’s clarion cry…we would be a sovereign nation. A nation that, until the last fifty years, proclaimed “In God We Trust”. A nation God blessed beyond measure.

But will He continue to bless this nation when the citizens announce independence from Him? When that nation chooses to bow to idols? And when that nation delights in perversion and sexual immorality abounds? We need look no further than Israel’s history to determine the answer and outcome to those questions.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” 

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5. The Emancipation Proclamation - 1865

With the proclamation and executive order of January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln ordered freedom for all slaves of the ten state Confederacy. On December 18, 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery and involuntary service in our nation was signed into law.

However, the 11 o’clock hour on Sunday morning remains the most segregated hour in America. Being from the deep South and raised in the 50’s, the defeat of racial prejudice has been a priority of my heart … but Satan loves to stir anger and conflict and he’s still doin’ a good job, sadly in the church as well.

God’s Word is clear. Jesus purchased for God, with His blood, men from every tribe, tongue, people, and nations (Revelation 5:9). And I seriously doubt there will be a Baptist, Church of Christ, Presbyterian, or any other myriad of sects or skin color sections before the Eternal Throne of our God.

“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20).

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6. The Miracle of Dunkirk - 1940

World War II was a battle against evil and on May 26, 1940, when things appeared desolate for the Allies, George VI called Britain to a National Day of Prayer. 400,000 Allied troops were pinned down on the beaches and dunes of Dunkirk. Enemy forces were closing in. Defeat and disaster loomed. But Britain’s citizens turned out in masses to repent and ask God to rescue these Allied troops. 

The government of Great Britain called for owners of small boats to join the Navy’s rescue. Then, two supernatural events followed: A violent storm developed over Dunkirk and grounded the Luftwaffe, and a great calm descended on the Channel between the beaches of Dunkirk and the mainland. Over 700 small vessels made the thirty-nine-mile crossing, together with the larger naval ships. And to everyone’s amazement, 338,000 troops were rescued and brought back to Britain.

George VI proclaimed June 9, 1940 a day of Thanksgiving for his nation. A reminder to us today, great things happen when God’s people repent and pray! 

“If ever a great nation was on the point of supreme and final disaster, and yet was saved and reinstated it was ourselves … it does not require an exceptionally religious mind to detect in all this the Hand of God” (Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr. H.A. Wilson).

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7. The Fig Tree Blossoms - 1948

Promises abound throughout the Word that God isn’t finished with Israel. No, the church hasn’t replaced Israel; another lie aimed at those who don’t have the appetite to know or understand God’s Word. Jesus told us to keep our eyes on the fig tree. (Always illustrative of Israel in the Word). 

“Now learn a parable from the fig tree; when its branch has already become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; even so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door” (Matthew 24:32-33).

In 1948, a massive immigration of Jews returned to the Holy Land and an independent Israel was reborn. There have been major conflicts with others who’ve laid claim to the land. But God’s promises are true. Today, forty-three percent of the world’s Jewish population resides in Israel. It would seem Isaiah’s prophecy is materializing before our eyes. “The wilderness and the desert will be glad, and the Arabah will rejoice and blossom” (Isaiah 35:1).

"Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Matthew 24:34).

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8. Prayer and the Word Kicked to the Curb - 1963

Fifty-seven years ago, a woman by the name of Madeline Murray O’Hare filed a lawsuit that made its way to the United States Supreme Court where an 8-1 decision in Murray’s favor kicked God, His Word, and prayer out of our public school system and changed the course of this nation forever—unless God intervenes.

We wonder why our public schools are such a mess? It all goes back to the principle of Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal; a nation cannot obtain God’s blessings then turn and thumb it’s noses at the Sovereign God of the Universe. There will always be consequences and judgment for rebellion.

The one dissenting vote came from Justice Potter Stewart, who said: “This decision led not to true neutrality with respect to religion, but to the establishment of secularism.” And the church sat silent in 1972 when Humanism was declared a religion by United States Congress. 

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance” (Psalm 33:12).

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9. America's National Right to Infanticide - 1973

In a 1973 ruling in the case of Rowe v. Wade, a case still widely debated, the Supreme Court of America decided in a 7-2 ruling that a woman, under the 14th Amendment, had the right to choose to abort her baby.

Thank goodness, the church found it’s voice, but many lawsuits have been swept aside to favor infanticide. It is estimated well over 60 million babies have been snatched from their mother’s wombs since 1973. My heart grieves for mothers who’ve made that choice, repented, and have been forgiven by God. But the fact remains Americans abide under the curse that the shedding of innocent blood pollutes our land. And God’s promise that because of this pollution, the land will spew you out.

Infanticide is one of the sins causing God to send Israel and Judah into captivity. They sacrificed their children in the fires of false gods. Will He wink at America’s legal slaughtering of their offspring, yet judge Israel and Judah for the same thing? 

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

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10. Will This be America's Fatal Sin?

In a 5-4 decision on June 26, 2015, Justice Anthony Kennedy sided with those opposing God’s law and marriage is no longer just between a man and a woman, but between whomever you choose—two men, two women—whatever, and this is now the law of the land. And we’re back to that 14th Amendment. God’s law, these five Justices infer, violates this nation’s 14th Amendment.

Justices Scalia, Roberts, Alito, and Thomas dissented. But Satan did a happy dance along with those who’ve joined in this abomination before God.

I find it heartbreaking that so many of our young people are being swept into the tsunami currents of Secularism and Humanism which say, it’s all right to do whatever you please, as long as you have a good reason for doing it. But public schools began teaching this nonsense over forty years ago and we live in the consequences of that reasoning.

“For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (Romans 1:25).

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