A printable color brochure that gives a broad overview of the timeline of parallels between Church history and the Old Testament from beginning to end. The back side gives a summary of each of the pictured parallels on the front.
Church History Follows the Old Testament
Amazingly, the history of the Catholic Church is prefigured by the history of Israel in the Old Testament, in the same chronological order! The events of Catholic Church history, since the time of Christ, mirror the events of the Old Testament from the beginning to the end. The below graphic gives an overview of how the actual historical dates of Church history correspond to the stories in the Old Testament, book by book. The level of detail also present is astonishing, and gives great insight into the current crisis afflicting the Catholic Church today!
The eight major periods of Church and Old Testament history are color coded. Each represents a major and distinct period of Church and Old Testament history. The events (both major and minor) of Church history and Old Testament history are paralleled with each other inside each of the eight color coded time periods shown above. Here are some of the more important and notable examples.
God Founds His People on the Twelve
Church History: 1 AD to 60 AD
Old Testament: Genesis
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Joseph was the chosen of the 12 sons of Israel. He was given a ring by Pharaoh, who changed Joseph's name. He was made ruler of all Egypt. His 11 brothers bowed to him. He brought his people to Egypt.
St. Peter was chosen of the 12 Apostles of Christ. He was given the Keys by Jesus Christ, Who changed St. Peter's name. He was made ruler of the Church, having authority over the other 11 Apostles. He brought the Church to Rome.
God Delivers His People
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The Israelites were brought to Egypt by Joseph, where they grew rapidly. Egypt enslaved the Israelites. The Israelites were
delivered by Moses. Egypt was struck with 10 plagues before the Israelites were freed.
Church History: 60 AD to 300 AD
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The Church was brought to Rome by St. Peter. In the Roman Empire, Christianity grew quickly. Rome soon persecuted
the Church. Constantine legalized Christianity. There were 10 Roman persecutions before Christianity became legal.
Old Testament: Pentateuch
Constantine was a prince of Rome although his mother was a Catholic, St. Helena. He was driven to exile in Britain. He came back and legalized Christianity. Christians were
definitely free when Maxentius and his army drowned in the Tiber River.
Moses was a prince of Egypt although his mother was an Israelite. Moses was driven to exile in Midian. He came back to free the Israelites. Israel was definitively free when Pharaoh and his army drowned in the Red Sea.
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Established in Their New Land
After the Israelites were freed from slavery, they entered the land of their own. The Judges arose at different times and places to defend Israel from enemies and to bring them back to worship of the True God.
Church History: 300 AD to 700 AD
After Christianity was made legal, the Church obtained official status. The Church Fathers arose at different times and places to defend the Church from many heresies, and to bring back belief in the True Faith.
Old Testament: Judges, Joshua, Ruth
During the period of the Church Fathers, a powerful Frankish King named Clovis converted to Catholicism. His wife, St. Clotilda, helped him convert.
Because of his
conversion, Charlemagne arose later to found the Holy Roman Empire.
During the period of the Judges, a Moabite woman named Ruth converted to the God of Israel. She married a powerful landowner named Boaz. King David descended from Ruth and
Boaz. King David started
the great dynasty of Israel.
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The Kingdom of God's People
King Saul was the first king of Israel. He fought against the Philistines, but was killed by them. God told Samuel to anoint a new king because Saul did not obey God's command.
Church History: 700 AD to 1500 AD
The Byzantine Empire was the first guardian of Christianity. They fought against the Muslims but were defeated by them. The pope crowned a new Emperor
because the Byzantine
Empire was not obeying the papacy.
Old Testament: 1, 2, 3 and 4 Kings
Charlemagne was crowned Emperor even when there was already a Byzantine Emperor. He obeyed the pope. He founded the Holy Roman Empire. His descendants ruled over the Empire
until it was conquered by
Napoleon. His dynasty strongly promoted Gregorian chant.
King David was anointed even when Saul was still king. He was not proud like Saul, but obeyed God. He founded the great dynasty of kings. His descendants ruled over the kingdom of Israel until the kingdom was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar. King David wrote the psalms, the liturgical holy music of Israel.
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The Holy Roman Empire (and other western kings) ruled the Christian world after the defeat of the Byzantine Empire. It was still alive, but very weak. The crusades were fought, and defended Christendom. Mighty militant orders like the Knights Templar won amazing victories.
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David became king after Saul died, although Saul still had weak descendants. David fought many wars and defended Israel from all the enemies. David had mighty men who won amazing victories against great odds.
The Crusades secured Christendom from enemies. The Renaissance followed the Crusades, and was marked by learning, art, architecture and
wealth. At the end of the
Renaissance, there was much
corruption. Some popes lived very opulent lives. Indulgences were sold to build St. Peter's Basilica.
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David secured Israel from enemies. His son, Solomon reigned. His rule was marked with great wisdom, art,
architecture and wealth. At the
end of his reign, he became
corrupted. He taxed Israel to
support his opulent life and to build the Temple.
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God's People are Divided
Church History: 1500 AD to 1800 AD
Old Testament: 3 and 4 Kings, Tobit, Jeremiah
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King Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem. It was a work of architectural and artistic wonder. The Temple was a symbol of Israelite identity but came at great cost. Hiram of Tyre crafted much of the Temple.
St. Peter's Basilica was built at the end of the Renaissance. It is a work of architectural and artistic wonder. It is the symbol of Catholic identity, but it was built at great cost. Michelangelo designed and crafted much of the Basilica.
Jeroboam led the 10 northern tribes of Israel in revolt against the King. He was opposed to the high taxes, an abuse of kingly power. Jeroboam changed the religion of the 10 northern
tribes. He opposed the
sacrifice in the Temple and created a new priesthood for his new religion.
Martin Luther led northern Europe in revolt against the papacy and the Church. He was opposed to the abuse of the sale of indulgences. Luther changed the religion of northern Europe. He was opposed to the Sacrifice of the Mass. He replaced ordained priests with "ministers".
The Kingdom is Conquered
Church History: 1800 AD to 1930 AD
Old Testament: 4 Kings, Daniel, Ezekiel, Jeremiah
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After the northern tribes apostatized, they were dispersed and lost. The southern tribe of Judah remained autonomous until they were conquered by the Babylonians. The King of Judah
was deposed and the Jews
were brought into exile in Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, took two kings of Judah into exile. At the end, King Nebuchadnezzar confessed belief in the God of Israel.
After northern Europe lost the Catholic Faith, the Protestant religions fragmented and fractured. Catholic kingdoms remained autonomous until the French Revolution. The French
king was deposed, and France
became secular. Napoleon, the emperor of Europe, took two Popes into exile. At the end of his life, Napoleon confessed the Catholic Faith and received the Sacraments.
Return to Their City
Church History: 1930 AD to 1958 AD
Old Testament: Esdras, Esther
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The Jews had their land taken by the Babylonians. The Persians conquered the Babylonians. After being in exile for 70 years, the Persian King Cyrus let the Jews go back to Jerusalem which became a city-state.
The Church had the papal states taken by the Italian King. The Facists took control of the Italian government. After 70 years
without any land, Mussolini
signed the Lateran Treaty which gave the Church the city-state of Vatican City.
Some Jews chose to remain in Persia. Haman, a Persian prince, made a law that all must bow in his presence. He was given the power to make any law in the Persian Empire. He vowed to kill all the Jews in the Persian Empire. In the end, he died and his 10 sons were hung.
Shortly after the Lateran Treaty, Hitler rose to power in Germany. He made a law that all must salute him in his presence. He was made into a dictator by Parliament. He vowed to wipe out the Catholic Church in Poland. In the end, he died and 10 of his senior staff were hung after the Nuremberg Trial.
The Holy Religion is Changed
Church History: 1958 AD to Present
Old Testament: Maccabees
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The Greeks, led by Alexander the Great, conquered the Persians. Alexander died suddenly and his empire was divided into 4 parts. One of the 4 Greek partitions, the Seleucid Kingdon, invaded the
Temple in Jerusalem.
Greek loving Jews welcomed the Greek invaders. They put up a second altar in the Temple and outlawed the traditional Jewish Temple Sacrifice. Faithful Jews fled for the hills. The Maccabees fought to bring the traditional Jewish religion back to the people.
The Allies, led by Franklin Roosevelt, conquered the Fascists. Roosevelt died suddenly and Germany was divided into 4 parts. One
partition, the Soviets,
infiltrated the Catholic Church. The Modernists welcomed the Communists. A second altar was erected in every church and the Traditional Mass was outlawed. Traditional Catholics formed the SSPX in the Alps. They brought back the Traditional Catholic Faith and religion back to the people.
