Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas

The Church Age

The Church Age began in Acts 2 around 30-33 AD when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost. Empowered by the Spirit, Peter preached the gospel and 3,000 people were saved that day (Acts 2:41). This marked the beginning of the Christian Church as a spiritual body distinct from Judaism. The early church experienced rapid growth as the apostles continued preaching, performing signs and wonders, and writing Scripture (Acts 2:47). The expansion of the church is fulfilling Jesus’ Great Commission that the gospel be spread to and beyond Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8)

Read More
Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas

The Holy Spirit

In John 14:16-17 Jesus tells his followers prior to his death And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity, alongside God the Father and Jesus Christ. He is God present in the lives of believers, and He works in various ways.

Read More
Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas

The Great Commission and the Ascension of Christ

After the resurrection, Jesus did not immediately return to the Father. Instead, for forty sacred days, He remained with His disciples—teaching, restoring, strengthening, and preparing them for the mission that would soon be placed in their hands. These were holy days filled with divine purpose. Jesus unfolded the truths of the kingdom of God, helping His disciples understand what His death and resurrection had accomplished and what their calling would now require.

Before He ascended into Heaven, Jesus gave His followers a commission that still echoes across history: “You will be My witnesses” (Acts 1:8). He promised them the power of the Holy Spirit—the same Spirit who had filled His own earthly ministry—so that their words, their lives, and even their suffering would testify to the reality of the risen King. In Matthew 28, Jesus grounded this mission in His own authority: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” Every command that followed flowed from that divine authority: go, make disciples, baptize, teach.

Read More
Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas

The Cross and the Empty Tomb

From the very beginning, Satan has opposed God’s redemptive plan. His final and fiercest attempt came at the cross, where he stirred both Jewish and Roman leaders to crucify Jesus—believing, perhaps, that death would silence the Son of God. But what looked like defeat was, in truth, the very path God had ordained to redeem humanity.

Jesus endured unimaginable suffering: scourging, beatings, a crown of thorns, and ultimately death by crucifixion—reserved for the worst of criminals. Yet, even in agony, His words from the cross—echoing Psalm 22—reminded all who heard that this was no ordinary execution. He was fulfilling prophecy, not succumbing to defeat.

Read More
Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas

The Earthly Ministry of Jesus

Jesus’ earthly ministry—though brief in time—forever altered the course of history. Lasting just over three years, His public work began around the age of 30, marked by His baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. As He emerged from the water, the heavens opened and the Father declared, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). It was a divine affirmation that echoed through the ages.

Immediately following this moment, Jesus was led into the wilderness where He fasted for forty days and resisted every temptation Satan hurled at Him. In doing so, He not only demonstrated His sinless nature but modeled spiritual resilience for all who would follow Him.

Read More
Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas

The Early Days of Jesus

Before Jesus stepped into public ministry around the age of 30, His early life quietly fulfilled promise after promise spoken long before His birth. Though His early years are covered in only a few Gospel chapters, they are rich with meaning, divine orchestration, and prophetic fulfillment.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem to Mary, a young virgin engaged to Joseph. This miraculous birth fulfilled Isaiah’s ancient words: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son…” (Isaiah 7:14). His arrival was first announced to humble shepherds and later honored by Magi who traveled far, recognizing in Him the long-awaited “King of the Jews.”

Read More
Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas

400 Years of Silence

When the final Old Testament prophet, Malachi, put down his pen, a remarkable thing happened. For the first time in centuries, the voice of prophecy—the voice that had guided, warned, and comforted God’s people—went quiet.

From the days of Elijah and Isaiah through Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the twelve Minor Prophets, God had spoken through chosen messengers—His navi, or “mouthpieces.” These men and women carried the weight of divine truth, calling Israel and Judah to repentance, justice, and faithfulness to their covenant with God. They were His covenant enforcers, reminding the people that blessing came through obedience and that rebellion led to ruin (Deuteronomy 28).

Read More
Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas

End-Time Prophets

The Bible doesn’t just tell us how it all began—it tells us how it all ends.

From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture reveals not only God’s work in the past and present, but also His plans for the future. Biblical prophecies about the end times offer a powerful, sometimes sobering, but ultimately hopeful picture of what lies ahead: a world shaken, a Savior returning, and a new creation emerging under God’s eternal reign.

Read More
Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas

Prophecy Fulfilled: Old Testament Promises Realized in Jesus Christ

From the very beginning, the story of Scripture has been leading somewhere. Woven into the history, poetry, and prophecy of the Old Testament is a golden thread of promise—a Redeemer was coming. Long before Jesus walked the earth, God was preparing His people, hinting at what was to come through prophecies scattered across the pages of Scripture.

It’s easy to read the Old Testament as a collection of ancient stories, but when seen through the lens of Jesus Christ, it becomes one unified testimony to God’s plan of redemption. From Genesis to Malachi, the Messiah is promised—not in vague hope, but in remarkable detail.

Read More
Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas

Prophets

As Israel’s story unfolded—from triumphs in the Promised Land to spiritual drift during the Divided Kingdom—God did not remain silent. From 931 to 586 BC, the Lord raised up prophets: men and women called to speak His truth to a people losing their way.

The Hebrew word for prophet, navi, means “mouthpiece”—and that’s exactly what these faithful servants were. Whether speaking aloud, writing, acting out God’s message, or receiving visions, they served as living conduits of His heart, His warnings, and His promises.

Read More
Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas

Promised Land, Judges, and Kings

After forty years of wandering, the people of Israel stood on the edge of the Promised Land. What had begun as a journey out of slavery was now entering a new chapter: a home they had never seen, but had been promised generations before. God’s covenant with Abraham—that his descendants would inherit a land “flowing with milk and honey”—was now coming to pass (Genesis 12:7; Exodus 3:8).

Under Joshua’s leadership, the Israelites crossed the Jordan River—again miraculously, as the waters parted at flood stage—and stepped into their inheritance. Their first battle came at Jericho, where God brought down walls with nothing but their obedience and a shout. Along the way, redemption stories emerged too—none more beautiful than Rahab, a Canaanite woman of questionable past, who protected Israel’s spies and was folded into God’s story, even becoming part of the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5).

Read More
Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas

Wandering in the Wilderness

After walking through walls of water on dry ground, the Israelites found themselves free—delivered by the hand of God from the grip of Pharaoh. What lay ahead was not just a path through the desert, but a journey of transformation, as God began shaping His people for the land He had promised.

About 50 days after the exodus, the people arrived at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:1), where they would remain for almost a year. Here, God gave Moses the Law—the covenant that would define their identity and relationship with Him. He also gave detailed instructions for building the Tabernacle, a visible reminder that God would dwell among them.

Read More
Ed Thomas Ed Thomas

The Law and the Leader: God’s Covenant with Moses

The story of Moses is one of rescue, obedience, and covenant. Born around 1526 BC during a time of great oppression in Egypt, Moses was miraculously preserved when Pharaoh ordered all newborn Hebrew boys to be killed. Found in a basket among the reeds of the Nile, he was raised in Pharaoh’s household but never forgot his Hebrew identity. After killing an Egyptian taskmaster, Moses fled to the wilderness of Midian where he lived for forty years tending sheep and raising a family.

Read More
Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas

Abraham, His Descendants, and the Abrahamic Covenant

Abraham, originally named Abram, was born around 1951 BC in Ur of the Chaldeans, a descendant of Shem, son of Noah. His journey of faith began when God called him to leave his homeland and promised three blessings: land (Canaan), seed (a great nation through his descendants), and blessing (Abraham and his lineage would bless all nations). This promise, recorded in Genesis 12:1–3, is foundational in both Old and New Testament theology.

Despite his and his wife Sarah's old age, God assured them they would have a child. This miraculous promise was fulfilled 25 years later with the birth of Isaac, through whom the covenant would continue. Abraham’s faith in God's promise was counted to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6), establishing the pattern of salvation by faith.

Read More
Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas

The Tower of Babel and the Disbursing of Nations

After 370 days Noan and his family depart the ark from the global flood, God commands them in Genesis 9:7 “But you, be fruitful and multiply; spread out over the earth and multiply on it.” However, Noah and his family did not follow God’s command. Genesis 8:4 informs us that the ark after the flood came to rest on the mountains of Ararat, likely in the region of modern-day eastern Turkey.  Noah and his entire family migrated eastward, where they settled in a plain in the land of Shinar, which is now southern Mesopotamia, corresponding to parts of modern-day Iraq, particularly near Babylon. After approximately 100-150 years the people, unified in a single language and staying in the same location, decided to build a city and a tower "with its top in the heavens" to make a name for themselves and prevent their dispersion over the earth. Genesis 11:4 states, "And they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of all the earth.'"

Read More
Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas

Noah and the Flood

The Bible story of Noah is filled with faith, perseverance, and promise. Noah was a man who found great favor in God's eyes. The entire population of mankind during the 1656 years since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden had become evil and wicked and God decided to bring a global flood to the earth to destroy everyone but Noah and his family.

Noah is warned of the flood and given directions for building the ark. (Genesis 6:12-21) God told Noah his purpose to destroy the wicked world by water. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, Psalm 25:14. “The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.” It is with all believers, enabling them to understand and apply the declarations and warnings of the written word.

Read More
Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas

Plan of Redemption

In the Garden of Eden disobedience (Genesis 3:6-7) caused humans to be separated from God. From there humanity plunged into a state of total depravity (Jeremiah 17:9Psalm 51:5Romans 5:12–21). Our entire being—mind, body, will, and spirit—has been corrupted by the power of sin.

Sadly, humans lost what God had given them-- dominion, divine part of the image of God (righteousness and holiness), the personal relationship with God, and eternal life on this earth--death is instituted.

Read More
Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas

Satan and the Fall of Man

God gave Adam the responsibility to be fruitful and multiply, to subdue the earth and have control and dominion over it (Genesis 1:28). In essence, God handed over the title deed to this earth to Adam and Eve. The Fall, described in Genesis chapter 3, happens after humans were tempted by Satan to eat a fruit. This seems fairly innocent and does not rank on our radar of crime. However, it was a deliberate choice to disobey God which was a sin and separated them from God.

Read More
Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas

Creation of Humans

On our tiny planet many scientists theorize that a human with 37.2 billion cells in his/her body and highly developed brains came through billions of years of evolution. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Copilot describes the theory of evolution as follows:

“Humans started as simple, single-celled organisms like amoebas in primordial seas, evolving into complex, multicellular life forms over billions of years from simple bacteria to fish, then amphibians, reptiles, and eventually mammals. Each step was shaped by natural selection and environmental changes. Feels a bit sci-fi, right?”

(You will find AI’s last sentence above is exactly where reality lands. Even AI questions this manmade theory as sci-fi.)

Read More
Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas Journey Through the Bible Ed Thomas

Creation of the World

The very first verse in the Bible is Genesis 1:1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”. The Hebrew word for create “bara” in Genesis means to make something out of nothing. Using a faith-based literal interpretation of Genesis, 4004 BC is the most commonly cited date for the creation of the world.

A vast number of scientists, astronomers, and cosmologists believe the “Big Bang Theory” was the beginning of our universe with a current estimate of 200 billion trillion stars and planets. (They also put this theory in the context of an understandable “something”.)   Artificial Intelligence (AI) Copilot describes it as follows…

Read More