Full Circle - a journey into the unfolding Bible story

Now is the time for the fulfilment of Jesus' prayer 'on earth as it is in heaven'. And the Bible story comes full circle with a new beginning as the story steps into God's unfolding plan for eternity with a heavenly city, at its centre the tree of life, with leaves for the healing of the nations.

John is overwhelmed by the heavenly courts. He does his best to describe what he sees. He sees the completion of God's promises to Abraham as 24 elders surround God's throne, those from Israel's 12 tribes and Jesus' 12 disciples.

Through out the Bible the picture of marriage and fidelity has been used. Jesus described himself as the bridegroom and at his last meal with this friends, before his death, he became metaphorically engaged to those who would choose to follow him, his people, his church, his bride. Now John sees the fulfilment of Jesus' promise is to be fulfilled. The invitations have been sent over the centuries, who will have accepted?

Now John sees that the earthly superpowers, which have established themselves in place of God, begin to fall.

This last Bible book is a book of prophecy, which can only be truly understood and revealed by God's spirit and at the time he chooses. But John sees war in both spiritual and natural realms as seven plagues are released on the world.

Now the opposer, the enemy of God and man, sets two beasts on the world stage. The battle for an eternal inheritance rages naturally and spiritually and the whole earth is affected.

As John watches the end of times play out, God appoints two witnesses, prophets to go to Jerusalem. In Hebrew law, the teaching of Moses, two witnesses are always needed to agree and affirm action.

In heaven John sees the beginning of the end of time. He is overwhelmed as the power and authority of God in heaven starts to bring God's judgement on earth.

Now John is taken on a tour of heaven. He is in awe and overwhelmed by all he sees.

In John's vivid vision he is given details of 7 groups of believers, collectively called churches, in the region of modern day Turkey. Each church is faced with issues that hinder their full worship and obedience of God.

Jesus' disciples continue to teach his message of salvation and God's plan for the world and more and more their message is met by persecution and sometimes death. Now an aged John is imprisoned, yet has a series of visions, which he is able to write down.

Welcome to the ongoing story of the Bible. If you've never had chance to read the Bible then this series of Podcasts takes you through the Bible library of 66 books, threading its ongoing story of the world together chronologically. The first Bible story sets up all that is to come. If you miss the set-ups, then you'll miss the pay-offs. Once you start to spot motives and character types, then you can look for pay-offs made through-out the Bible books. You can start to see how the entire story fits together, telling the the world's history over a 7000 year time frame. And you can begin to see where you and I are in the story today as world history steps into the Bible's final prophectic unfolding chapters. In Full Circle, the ongoing Bible story is delivered in short episodes under 12 season titles, which group sections of the Bible story by time and theme. The series is written and produced by Fiona Julian, who has an MA in writing for the media, with a focus on the craft of drama series storytelling, hence the drama series format of Full Circle. Conversations with Fiona's university classmates led to the creation of these Podcasts, to show how the Bible fits together as a whole. The Bible story unfolds over time with the ultimate sequel yet to come, eternity. The Bible's question to the reader is one of freedom of choice. The freedom to choose how they will spend eternity.

Paul arrives in Rome and is kept under house arrest. During this time he corresponds by letter with many of the people he has during his freedom as a believer in Jesus. He also receives visits from others and even gets to meet the local Hebrew community in Rome to explain how Jesus' life, death and resurrection, fulfils the teaching of Moses.

Paul has demanded a trial under the Romans, so now he is transported to Italy. The journey is dramatic and Paul's advice to his captors saves their lives.

The corrupt religious authorities want to kill Paul, but because he has a dual citizenship, he applies his status as a Roman to get Roman military protection. Now, for his safety, he is kept under arrest in a Roman prison in Israel.

With the message of Jesus' ministry and teachings and his resurrection from death spreading around the Mediterranean, now Paul decides to return to Jerusalem for a religious festival. He has had a prophecy warning that he will be walking in to trouble, but he is set on going.

Paul starts to travel widely around the Mediterranean visiting Jewish synagogues and teaching the fulfilment of Moses teachings as well as teaching with intellectuals and everyday folk.

As new believers follow Jesus and accept his Holy Spirit the teaching of Moses and its application is explained and lived out by an unlikely follower. Saul, a learned Jewish scholar, has a miraculous revelation of Jesus and now starts to teach people. This man is a linguist and communicates God's truths from the fulfilment of the law, the teachings of Moses, with new believers in person and by letter.

More people from different cultures start to hear God's good news story and believe. The story, the message and the Holy Spirit is spreading.

The disciples teaching of good news is not good news to the corrupt religious authorities. And some of Jesus' disciples have to learn that the message is for all people. That God is fulfilling his promise to bless all people through the blood line of Abraham. Through Jesus, who is 100% man - a descendant of Abraham - 100% God - conceived by a virgin through the Holy Spirit - and 100% perfect, has always existed, but chose to live and die as a man to identify completely with his creation by identifying with humanities' sin and thus pay its price, death.

Now with the reassurance and guidance of the Holy Spirit, Jesus' disciples start to teach and perform miracles in his name. Gradually the message, the good news, that Jesus was God's promise through Abraham and the fulfilment of all the teaching of Moses is now being heard.

Now Jesus' disciples had a power beyond their own strength with which to live. The Holy Spirit leads and guides them. Though they are often afraid and are wanted by corrupt religious authorities, they seek the Holy Spirit's help to keep teaching all that Jesus had said.

Jesus spends several weeks with his disciples after his resurrection. But now again his friends are alone. Jesus has been taken into heaven miraculously and they have been told that he will return in the same way. But, meantime it is the anniversary of God giving teaching to Moses in the desert and people are in Jerusalem to celebrate. But Jesus has told his friends to wait there, because he is going to send his Holy Spirit.

Welcome to the ongoing story of the Bible. If you've never had chance to read the Bible then this series of Podcasts takes you through the Bible library of 66 books, threading its ongoing story of the world together chronologically. The first Bible story sets up all that is to come. If you miss the set-ups, then you'll miss the pay-offs. Once you start to spot motives and character types, then you can look for pay-offs made through-out the Bible books. You can start to see how the entire story fits together, telling the the world's history over a 7000 year time frame. And you can begin to see where you and I are in the story today as world history steps into the Bible's final prophectic unfolding chapters. In Full Circle, the ongoing Bible story is delivered in short episodes under 12 season titles, which group sections of the Bible story by time and theme. The series is written and produced by Fiona Julian, who has an MA in writing for the media, with a focus on the craft of drama series storytelling, hence the drama series format of Full Circle. Conversations with Fiona's university classmates led to the creation of these Podcasts, to show how the Bible fits together as a whole. The Bible story unfolds over time with the ultimate sequel yet to come, eternity. The Bible's question to the reader is one of freedom of choice. The freedom to choose how they will spend eternity.

Jesus disciples are in shock. In less than 24 hours their world has been turned upside down. Jesus is death and their hopes and dreams with him. But, as his friends go to his tomb, three days after his burial, they are met by an amazing sight.

In a nightmare string of events, Jesus is convicted by corrupt religious authorities, who having no power to administer the death penalty, take Jesus to the ruling Roman authorities and now accuse him of treason. A crime, under Roman law, punishable by death.

In a few short hours, a celebration supper leads to an horrific chain of events. Under cover of darkness, an act illegal by the teaching of Moses, Jesus is arrested and beaten by corrupt religious leaders. In fear many of his friends desert him. How could this be happening to the man who is meant to lead the people as a king?

It's now the time in the Hebrew calendar when the people celebrate their great escape from Egyptian slavery. Jesus and his friends are in Jerusalem to celebrate the feast. But at dinner with his friends, Jesus starts to bring the traditional dinner alive as he breaks bread and wine, he identifies his own body and blood with these elements.

Jesus' life has not looked anything like most people had expected. His followers are expecting him to lead a rebellion to overturn authorities and take rule in Jerusalem. But Jesus destiny lies in the fulfilment of Moses teachings. And this fulfilment is not in the way anyone has expected.

With Jesus' cousin John executed by King Herod, tensions continue to mount in the region. Religious authorities start to plot against Jesus in an attempt to protect their own interests.

As tension mounts in the region, Jesus' cousin John, the child miraculously conceived in his mother's old age, who goes ahead of Jesus, teaching and preparing the hearts of the people, is now arrested because his words of truth offend the ruling puppet king.

Again and again, Jesus is fulfilling ancient Hebrew prophecy in unexpected way. Even his followers don't understand fully who he is.

Though Jesus doesn't seek political or military power, his influence is causing much controversy with the Hebrew people's religious elite, who have now become politicised. They recognise the truth he is teaching and feel threatened by it, so Jesus is safer in the regions outside of Jerusalem, where his teaching is spreading.

Jesus is in the royal blood line of King David, both by his mother Mary and his adopted father Joseph. But he is not the political and military ruler that people have imagined, yet he is astonishing people with his wisdom and his supernatural power to heal and deliver people.

When Jesus steps into the Bible story, although he is fulfilling God's promises, he is not at all what people had expected.

For hundreds of years, though exile and occupation, the Hebrew people have been holding on to promises made by God to their ancestors, that through them all people's on earth would be blessed. Now the people's perception of what God's promised rescuer king will look like and how he will fulfil that promise are at odds with the way God's plan is unfolding.

Welcome to the ongoing story of the Bible. If you've never had chance to read the Bible then this series of Podcasts takes you through the Bible library of 66 books, threading its ongoing story of the world together chronologically. The first Bible story sets up all that is to come. If you miss the set-ups, then you'll miss the pay-offs. Once you start to spot motives and character types, then you can look for pay-offs made through-out the Bible books. You can start to see how the entire story fits together, telling the the world's history over a 7000 year time frame. And you can begin to see where you and I are in the story today as world history steps into the Bible's final prophectic unfolding chapters. In Full Circle, the ongoing Bible story is delivered in short episodes under 12 season titles, which group sections of the Bible story by time and theme. The series is written and produced by Fiona Julian, who has an MA in writing for the media, with a focus on the craft of drama series storytelling, hence the drama series format of Full Circle. Conversations with Fiona's university classmates led to the creation of these Podcasts, to show how the Bible fits together as a whole. The Bible story unfolds over time with the ultimate sequel yet to come, eternity. The Bible's question to the reader is one of freedom of choice. The freedom to choose how they will spend eternity.

The world superpower is now Rome. The Hebrew people live under occupation, but believe in an ancient prophecy that a king will come to rescue them. Someone from the royal bloodline of King David and an ancestor of Abraham, who God had made an unbreakable promise to over 2000 years before.

Israel is the centre of the region, a cross roads of trade routes and the pathway of warring armies. Now a new world power rises and once again the land is occupied by new forces.

With the Greek culture permeating all society in the region, even the Hebrew priesthood starts to merge its traditions for political and social gain. The Greek authorities now outlaw Hebrew religious practices under threat of death. But there are those who join together to keep their faith and customs alive.

The culture of Greece is soon prevalent in the region, yet its rulers fail to unite and subdivide as foretold in both Nebuchadnezzar's and Daniel's dreams. Now more of the dreams unfold as a new world power mounts.

With a plan for world power the nation of Greece starts to invade and seize power. The goal is to Helenize the world, to unify its culture and suppress its peoples, but will one ruler be able to do all this?

As foretold in dreams to the ancient Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar and the court official and Hebrew exile Daniel, the ruling power in the region shifts from one empire to another.

As the rebuild of Jerusalem and its temple are underway friction develops between some of the people who have been living in the land, while the Hebrews were in exile. These people had been placed their by the invading rulers and their beliefs are at odds with the returning Hebrews. In order to thwart matters they make accusations about the Hebrews to the Persian authorities.

With the support of Persia more Hebrew exiles are returning to the land of Israel. Now in the groups Persian authorities have sent Hebrew priests who can teach the people about the teaching of Moses and God's ways.

The nation of Israel is united under King Solomon, but trouble is brewing. We now travel through around 200 years of history as the 12 tribes divide into two kingdoms, north and south.

With a royal decree given to kill all the Hebrew people, the plot to destroy a blood line and halt God's promise to Abraham centuries earlier, looks as though it will succeed. But one woman's valour will surprise everyone.

Welcome to the ongoing story of the Bible. If you've never had chance to read the Bible then this series of Podcasts takes you through the Bible library of 66 books, threading its ongoing story of the world together chronologically. The first Bible story sets up all that is to come. If you miss the set-ups, then you'll miss the pay-offs. Once you start to spot motives and character types, then you can look for pay-offs made through-out the Bible books. You can start to see how the entire story fits together, telling the the world's history over a 7000 year time frame. And you can begin to see where you and I are in the story today as world history steps into the Bible's final prophectic unfolding chapters. In Full Circle, the ongoing Bible story is delivered in short episodes under 12 season titles, which group sections of the Bible story by time and theme. The series is written and produced by Fiona Julian, who has an MA in writing for the media, with a focus on the craft of drama series storytelling, hence the drama series format of Full Circle. Conversations with Fiona's university classmates led to the creation of these Podcasts, to show how the Bible fits together as a whole. The Bible story unfolds over time with the ultimate sequel yet to come, eternity. The Bible's question to the reader is one of freedom of choice. The freedom to choose how they will spend eternity.

Some of the Hebrew exiles have returned to the land that God has promised their ancestors, while others remain in Persia where they have made their home. But now an old enemy rises, a hatred of the Hebrew family and one man sees his chance to gain power and remove the remnant of exiles permanently. But God's solution will arrive though love.

The Hebrew people have been living in exile under the Babylonian super power and now the new ruling empire Medo-Persia. But the new ruler has honoured and ancient prophecy and granted the return home to Jerusalem of some of the captives and funds to rebuild the city's temple.

With a new superpower ruling in the region and the Hebrew people living in exile, a new leader is going to fulfil words written by a Hebrew prophet many years earlier.