The 48 Most Important Chapters in the Old Testament

The Old Testament has 929 chapters. The following forty-eight chapters have been selected because of their historical,

prophetical, theological, or practical significance. (Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible)

Genesis

1—Creation of all things

3—Fall of man

6—The universal flood

11—The Tower of Babel

12—The call of Abraham

15—The confirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant

Exodus

3—The call of Moses

12—The Passover

14—The Red Sea crossing

16—The giving of the Sabbath

20—The giving of the Law

40—The completion of the tabernacle

Leviticus

8—The anointing of Aaron as Israel’s first high

priest

23—The feasts of Israel

Numbers

14—The rebellion at Kadesh-barnea

21—The serpent of brass

Deuteronomy

28—Israel’s future predicted by Moses

Joshua

4—Israel enters the Promised Land

Ruth

4—The marriage of Boaz and Ruth

1 Samuel

9—The anointing of Saul as Israel’s first king

16—The anointing of David

2 Samuel

6—Jerusalem becomes the capital of Israel

7—The giving of the Davidic Covenant

1 Kings

8—The dedication of the Temple by Solomon

12—The divided kingdom of Israel

2 Kings

17—The capture of the northern kingdom by

Assyria

19—The saving of Jerusalem by the death angel

24—The capture of the southern kingdom by

Babylon

Ezra

1—The decree of Cyrus and the return to

Jerusalem

Job

1—The confrontations between God and Satan

(see also Job 2)

Psalms

22—The Psalm of Calvary

23—The Psalm of the Good Shepherd

51—The great confession of sin chapter

119—The Psalm of the Word of God

Isaiah

7—The prophecy of the virgin birth

14—The fall of Satan

35—The Millennium

53—The sufferings of Christ

Jeremiah

31—The promise of the new covenant to Israel

Ezekiel

10—The departure of the glory cloud from Israel

28—The prehistorical life of Satan

37—The dry bone vision of Israel’s restoration

38—The future Russian invasion into Palestine

(see also Ezekiel 39)

40—The future millennial temple

Daniel

2—The dream of the future Gentile world powers

(see also Daniel 7)

9—The vision of the seventy weeks

Jonah

2—The great fish and Jonah

Zechariah

14—The Second Coming of Christ

The 53 Most Important Chapters in the New Testament

The New Testament has 260 chapters. The following fifty-three chapters have been selected because of their

historical, prophetical, theological, or practical significance. (Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible)

MATTHEW

1—The baptism of Jesus

4—The temptation of Jesus

5—The Sermon on the Mount

6—The Lord’s Prayer

13—The parable of the sower

16—The promise of the church

17—The transfiguration of Jesus

21—The rejection of Israel by Jesus

27—The crucifixion of Jesus

28—The resurrection of Jesus

LUKE

1—The birth of John the Baptist

2—The birth of Jesus

JOHN

2—The first miracle of Jesus

3—Jesus and Nicodemus

11—The resurrection of Lazarus

13—The Lord’s Supper

14—The Father’s House sermon

15—The abiding chapter

17—The prayer of Jesus

ACTS

1—The ascension of Jesus

2—Pentecost

9—The conversion of Saul

13—The call of Saul and Barnabas

15—The Jerusalem Council

16—The Macedonian vision

ROMANS

5—The justification chapter

6—The sanctification chapter

8—The glorification chapter

11—The dispensation chapter

12—The consecration chapter

1 CORINTHIANS

3—The judgment seat of Christ

7—The marriage chapter

11—Teachings on the Lord’s Supper

12—The gifts of the Spirit

13—The love chapter

14—The tongues chapter

15—The resurrection chapter

GALATIANS

5—The fruit of the Spirit

EPHESIANS

5—The love of Christ for his church

6—The protection of the believer

PHILIPPIANS

2—The Kenosis (emptying) of Christ

1 THESSALONIANS

4—The rapture

2 TIMOTHY

3—Duties of pastors and deacons

HEBREWS

11—The faith chapter

12—The chastisement chapter

JAMES

3—The gossip chapter

1 JOHN

1—The fellowship chapter

JUDE

1—The apostasy chapter

REVELATION

6—Beginning of tribulation

13—The ministry of the antichrist

19—Second Coming of Christ

20—Great white throne judgment

21—New heaven and new earth

Most Important New Testament Events

Gospel Events (Matthew—John)

1. His birth (Lk. 2:1–7)

2. The adoration by the shepherds (Lk. 2:8–20)

3. The dedication in Jerusalem (Lk. 2:21–38)

4. The worship by the wise men (Mt. 2:1–12)

5. Flight into Egypt (Mt. 2:13–23)

6. Temple visit at age twelve (Lk. 2:41–50)

7. His baptism (Mt. 3:13–17)

8. His temptation (Mt. 4:1–11)

9. Introduction by John the Baptist (Jn. 1:29)

10. First Temple cleansing (Jn. 2:13–25)

11. Conversion of Nicodemus (Jn. 3:1–21)

12. The choice of the twelve (Mt. 10:1–4)

13. Imprisonment and execution of John (Mt. 14:1–12)

14. Peter’s great confession (Mt. 16:13–20)

15. The transfiguration (Mt. 17:1–13)

16. His triumphal entry (Mt. 21:1–11)

17. Weeping over Jerusalem (Mt. 23:37–39; Lk. 19:41)

18. In the upper room (Jn. 13–14)

19. In Gethsemane (Jn. 18:1–11)

20. His arrest and trials (Jn. 18:12–19:15)

21. The crucifixion (Jn. 19:16–18)

22. The resurrection (Mt. 28:1–7)

23. The ten appearances

24. The ascension (Lk. 24:51)

Early Church and Epistle Events (Acts—Revelation)

1. Pentecost (Acts 2:1–4)

2. Sermon of Peter (2:14–40)

3. Healing of a lame man (3:1–11)

4. Death of Ananias and Sapphira (5:1–11)

5. Election of the first deacons (6:1–8)

6. Martyrdom of Stephen (7:1–60)

7. Conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch (8:26–39)

8. Conversion of Saul (9:1–19)

9. Conversion of Cornelius (10:1–48)

10. Establishment of the Antioch church (11:19–26)

11. Deliverance of Peter (12:1–19)

12. Paul’s first missionary trip (13:2—14:28)

13. The Jerusalem Council (15:1–35)

14. Paul’s second missionary trip (15:36—18:22)

15. Paul’s third missionary trip (18:23—21:16)

16. Paul’s imprisonment in Rome (28:30)

17. The exile of John to Patmos (Rev. 1:9)

The Most Important Old Testament Events

1. Creation of Adam and Eve (Gen. 1:26, 27; 2:7, 21,

22)

2. Institution of marriage (Gen. 2:23-25)

3. Fall of man (Genesis 3:6)

4. Promise of the Redeemer (Gen. 3:15)

5. Universal flood (Gen. 6–8)

6. Institution of human government (Gen. 9:1-19)

7. Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1-9)

8. Conversion and call of Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3)

9. Giving of Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:7; 13:14-17;

15:1-21)

10. Abraham’s marriage to Hagar (Gen. 16:1-16)

11. The birth of Isaac (Gen. 21:1-8)

12. The flight of Jacob (Gen. 28)

13. The selling of Joseph into Egyptian slavery (Gen.

37)

14. The enslavement of Israel in Egypt (Ex. 1)

15. The call of Moses (Ex. 3:1-10)

16. The ten plagues (Ex. 7-12)

17. The institution of the Passover (Ex. 12)

18. The appearance of the glory cloud (Ex. 13:21, 22)

19. The Red Sea crossing (Ex. 14)

20. The giving of the manna (Ex. 16:4)

21. The institution of the Sabbath (Ex. 16:29)

22. The giving of the Law (Ex. 20:1-17)

23. The completion of the tabernacle (Ex. 40:33, 34)

24. The anointing of Aaron (Lev. 8:1-12)

25. The unbelief at Kadesh-barnea (Num. 14)

26. The death of Moses (Deut. 34:5-8)

27. The Jordan River crossing into Palestine (Josh. 3)

28. The victory over Jericho (Josh. 6)

29. The death of Joshua (Josh. 24:29)

30. The marriage of Ruth to Boaz (Ruth 4)

31. The capture of the ark by the Philistines (1 Sam. 4)

32. The rejection of Samuel by Israel (1 Sam. 8:1-9)

33. The anointing of Saul (1 Sam. 9, 10)

34. The rejection of Saul (1 Sam. 15:23)

35. The anointing of David (1 Sam. 16:13)

36. The capture of Jerusalem by David (2 Sam. 5:9)

37. The recovery of the ark by David (2 Sam. 6:15, 16)

38. The giving of the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7:8-17)

39. The anointing of Solomon (1 Ki. 1:39)

40. The completion of Solomon’s Temple (1 Ki. 6:38)

41. The Israeli civil war (1 Ki. 12)

42. The deliverance of Joash from murderous Queen

Athaliah (2 Chron. 22:10-12)

43. The Assyrian captivity of the northern kingdom (2

Ki. 17:6)

44. The deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrians

(2 Ki. 19:32-35)

45. The death of Josiah (2 Ki. 23:29, 30)

46. The departure of the glory cloud (Ezek. 10:18)

47. The destruction of the Temple of Solomon (2 Ki.

25:8, 9)

48. The Babylonian captivity of the southern kingdom

(2 Ki. 25:11)

49. The return under Cyrus’ decree (Ezra 1)

50. The completion of the new Temple under

Zerubbabel (Ezra 3)

51. The salvation of the Jews by Esther (Est. 4-7)

Old Testament Basic Stages

MAIN ACTORS MAIN ACTION

From the undated past up to 2165 B.C.

CREATION STAGE

GENESIS 1-11 Adam, Abel, Enoch, Noah Creation

Flood

Fall

Tower of Babel

2165-1804 B.C.

PATRIARCHAL STAGE

GENESIS 12-50

JOB

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph

Job, Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, Elihu

Beginning of Hebrew Nation

Giving of Abrahamic Covenant

Jews Move into Egypt

God Allows Satan to Test Job

1804-1405 B.C.

EXODUS STAGE

EXODUS

LEVITICUS

NUMBERS

DEUTERONOMY

Moses, Aaron, Miriam, Eleazer

Korah, Balaam, Phinehas

Deliverance from Egypt

Building of the Tabernacle

Giving of the Law

The Failure at Kadesh-Barnea

1405-1382 B.C.

CONQUEST STAGE

JOSHUA Joshua, Caleb, Rahab, Achan Invasion of the Land

Subjection of the Land

Division of the Land

1382-1043 B.C.

JUDGES STAGE

JUDGES

RUTH

1 SAMUEL 1-7

Ehud, Barak, Deborah, Gideon,

Jephthah, Samson

Ruth, Naomi, Boaz

Hannah, Eli, Samuel

The Ministry of 12 Military

Reformers

The Marriage of a Moabite Girl

The Prayer of a Mother

The Death of a Priest

1043-931 B.C.

UNITED KINGDOM STAGE

1 SAMUEL 8-31

2 SAMUEL

1 KINGS 1-11

1 CHRONICLES

2 CHRONICLES 1-9

PSALMS

PROVERBS

ECCLESIASTES

SONG OF SOLOMON

Saul, David, Solomon, Joab,

Abner, Absalom, Goliath, Zadok,

Bath-Sheba, Witch of Endor,

Nathan, Jonathan, Queen of

Sheba

The Threefold Anointing of

David in Bethlehem by

Samuel in Hebron by 2

Tribes in Hebron by All 12

Tribes

The Capture of Jerusalem by

David

The Bringing of the Ark into

Jerusalem

The Giving of the Davidic

Covenant

The Construction of the First

Temple

Old Testament Basic Stages (2)

931-605 B.C.

CHAOTIC KINGDOM STAGE

1 KINGS 12-22

2 KINGS

2 CHRONICLES 10-36

OBADIAH (850-840)

JOEL (841-834)

JONAH (785-750)

AMOS (760-753)

HOSEA (760-700)

ISAIAH (739-681)

MICAH (735-700)

NAHUM (650-620)

ZEPHANIAH (640-620)

JEREMIAH (627-575)

HABAKKUK (609-606)

LAMENTATIONS (586)

Northern Kings: Jeroboam, Omri,

Ahab, Jehu, Jeroboam II,

Hoshea

Southern Kings: Rehoboam, Asa,

Jehoshaphat, Uzziah, Ahaz,

Hezekiah, Manasseh, Josiah,

Jehoiakim, Zedekiah

Oral Prophets: Elijah, Micaiah,

Elisha

Various Figures: Jezebel,

Naaman, Athaliah

Amaziah

Gomer, Jezreel, Lo-Ru-Ha-Mah,

Lo-Am-Mi

Baruch, Gedaliah, Ishmael,

Johanan

Israel’s Tragic Civil War

The Capture of the Northern

Kingdom by the Assyrians

The Salvation of Jerusalem

from the Assyrians

The Great Preaching Ministry

of the Oral Prophets

The Great Preaching Ministry

of the Writing Prophets

The Giving of the New

Covenant

The Capture of the Southern

Kingdom by the Babylonians

605-538 B.C.

CAPTIVITY STAGE

DANIEL (605-536)

EZEKIEL (593-560)

Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar,

Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego,

Belshazzar, Darius

Personal Deliverance of Daniel

and His Friends

Destruction of First Temple

Description of the Future

Millennial Temple

A Panorama of Gentile World

Powers

A Preview of Israel’s Future

The Fall of Babylon

538-400 B.C.

RETURN STAGE

EZRA (438-440)

ESTHER (478-463)

NEHEMIAH (445-415)

HAGGAI (520-504)

ZECHARIAH (520-488)

MALACHI (427-400)

Cyrus, Joshua, Zerubbabel, Ezra

Ahasuerus, Esther, Mordecai,

Haman

Nehemiah, Artaxerxes, Sanballat

The Decree of Cyrus

The Construction of the

Second Temple

The Rebuilding of the Walls

The Deliverance of the Jews in

Persia

NEW TESTAMENT BASIC STAGES

MAIN ACTORS MAIN ACTION

GOSPEL STAGE 5 B.C.–A.D. 30

MATTHEW

King and Lionlike

MARK

Servant and Oxlike

LUKE

Perfect Man and Manlike

JOHN

Mighty God and Eaglelike

Twelve Apostles

Mary and Joseph

Mary and Martha

Pilate and Herod

John the Baptist

Nicodemus

Lazarus

Mary Magdalene

Birth

Flight into Egypt

Temptation

Choosing the Twelve

Upper Room Event

Trials and Death

Dedication

Temple Visit at Age Twelve

Introduction as Lamb of God

Transfiguration

Gethsemane

Resurrection

Wise Men Visit

Baptism

First Temple Cleansing

Triumphal Entry

Great High Priestly Prayer

Ascension

EARLY CHURCH STAGE A.D. 30–A.D. 68

ACTS Peter, Philip, Stephen, Paul,

Barnabas, Silas, James

Pentecost

Death of Ananias and Sapphira

Selection of the First Deacons

Martyrdom of Stephen

Conversion of Ethiopian Eunuch

Conversion of Saul

Conversion of Cornelius

Establishment of Antioch Church

Deliverance of Peter

Three Missionary Journeys of

Paul

Jerusalem Council

Paul’s Macedonian Vision

Paul’s Arrest and Trip to Rome

EPISTLE STAGE 45–A.D. 100

James (45)

Jude (68)

Galatians (49)

1 Thessalonians (51)

2 Thessalonians (61)

1 Corinthians (56)

2 Corinthians (56)

Romans (57)

Ephesians (60)

Colossians (61)

Philippians (61)

Philemon (62)

1 Timothy (62)

Titus (66)

2 Timothy (67)

Hebrews (59)

1 Peter (68)

2 Peter (66)

1 John (96)

2 John (95)

3 John (95)

Revelation (95)