Bible Panorama for Kids - Hijos del Altísimo (Children of the Most High)

The "Bible Panorama for Kids" is limited to mentioning the most important events of God's history of Salvation. The intention is not to teach the complete contents of the Bible, but to offer the pupil a reference frame within which he can without difficulty locate the principal characters of the Bible in their historical context and in their place in God's plan of Salvation. The pictures and simple explanations allow using this material with children from about 7 to 8 years on. A teacher of older children might want to add certain details, such as a picture representing king Saul (who is not mentioned here), a complete list of the books of the Bible, the names of the 12 apostles, etc.

	The "wall" of sin represents the separation between God and man.
	The way of God's people (Jews and Christians) - It is recommended to use always the same color for painting the way of the people of Israel, and to use another color for the followers of Jesus.
	Divine intervention in history, or God's calling upon a person.
	The Holy Spirit who lives in the followers of Jesus.

- Begin with a time of praise and prayer.
- Repeat shortly the previous lesson and its memory verse.
- Think of an interesting activity to start with in order to capture the children's attention (see the suggestions in the lesson descriptions).

First tell a story from the life of one of the main persons appearing in the lesson. Use additional visual materials to illustrate the story (pictures, flannelgraph, puppets or drama, etc.) Make an application to the personal life of the children. Then distribute the worksheets and explain the meaning of the pictures. The pupils fill in the blanks (let them copy from the blackboard) and paint the pictures.

Use the worksheets to give an overview of the time period covered in the lesson, with the most important events. Use also photos or drawings of the Biblical sites (Israel, Egypt, the desert, Jerusalem, the Temple, etc.), and maps. Together with this overview, tell a biblical story which is representative for the corresponding time period. Make an application to the personal life of the children.
After the explanation, let the pupils make suggestions about how to fill in the blanks, before giving them the correct solutions. Then let them fill in the blanks, paint the pictures, and add details on their own (faces, clothes, etc.)

Download here the worksheets for your pupils (GIF graphics): These graphics can be printed on A4 sheets (21 x 29.7 cm) at 180 dpi. Most graphics programs can open and print GIF files. (It is NOT recommended to print directly from "Internet Explorer"; this could produce unexpected results.) If you do not have a graphics program, but are using Windows, then you can open "WordPad". Choose "Insert" - "Object" - "From File" and choose the corresponding graphics file. Then you should see the picture inserted in the document. Adjust the picture's size until it fits on the page, and print.
Sheet 1 (71 KB) Sheet 2 (63 KB)	Sheet 3 (61 KB) Sheet 4 (70 KB)	Sheet 5 (58 KB) Sheet 6 (80 KB)

The following suggestions are very brief and are by no means a replacement for a diligent preparation by the teacher.
The whole program can be shortened by combining two lessons into one. It is not recommended to enlarge it over more than ten lessons because that could cause the pupils to loose the general overview.

The Creation: Genesis 1:1 - 2:25, Job 38:4 - 39:30, Psalm 148:1-12
The fall of man and its consequences: Genesis 3:1-24, Is.59:2, Rom.5:12, Rom. 8:19-23

Show a fresh flower: Who made it grow? - Then show a withered flower: What has happened to it? (The flower cannot live without earth and water - in the same way, we cannot live without God.)

Point out some characteristics which show us that the creation is no longer perfect as it was in the beginning (predacious animals, weeds, poisonous animals and plants, illnesses, etc.). Point out characteristics of sin in our own lives.

- "God has the world in his hand."
- Peace between men and animals (the lion together with the rabbit)
- "Everything was very good" (the earth has a happy face)
- The snake tempts man to disobey God; it turns into a path which leads man away from God, and then into a crack which breaks the earth apart (peace between man and between animals is broken). Now there is quarreling, wars, sadness, death ...

(In the rectangle): God promises: "I will send a Saviour."
(On the wall): SIN

Show a broken tool or device: "This is useless; I will have to throw it away." - Humanity had become corrupted in such a way that God had to say: "They are useless, I will have to destroy them."

- God will protect and save you when you do what is right.
- You can trust in God's promise that nature will follow its given order.

- The people decided to no longer follow God; that's why they perished in the great flood (Arrow downwards).
- The rainbow as sign of God's covenant (paint with its proper colors).
- From the sons of Noah descend all races and nations on earth. (Paint the representatives of the nations in different colors, according to the colors of the different human races.)

(in the rectangle): Noah
(under the rainbow): God promises: "Never again I will cause a flood like this."

Blindfold the children and let them follow a long string tied along the room. At the end of the string there are some candies or fruits for them. - We can compare this experience with the journey of Abraham who had to leave his country without knowing where he was going.

Out of all the nations descending from the sons of Noah, God chose one nation to establish a special friendship with them. From then on, the Bible focusses especially on the history of that nation, Israel, and God's way of acting with Israel.

Israel in Egypt: Exodus, chapter 1
The Passah and the exodus from Egypt: Exodus, chapter 12
The 10 Commandments: Exodus 20:1-17, Deut. 5:1-21
The journey through the desert: Numbers chapters 10-14, 16-17, 20-25
The arrival in the Promised Land: Numbers 32, Deut. 34, Joshua chapters 1-11
Calling of the Judges: Judges 2:11-19

Choose a story from the life of Moses or of Joshua. - The introductory activity and the application depend on the story chosen.

- The map shows in a simplified way the journey of the people of Israel from Egypt unto the Promised Land.
- The figures right of the map represent the judges called by God to govern his people.

(in the circle, in Egypt): People of Israel
(in the rectangle): Moses
(right of the tables of the Law): 10 Commandments
(outside the rectangle, on the line): Judges

Many Biblical books speak of this period: 1.-2. Samuel, 1.-2. Kings, 1.-2. Chronicles, Psalms (most of them), Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Minor Prophets until Zephaniah.

Prophecy to David: 2. Sam.7:8-16, Ps.89:20-37
Prophecy of the exile: Jer.27:1-11, Ez. chapter 4, 5, 12, Amos 2:6-16 and chapter 5 and 6
Prophecy of the return from the exile: Is.51:11-14, Jer.30:8-11, 31:8-13
Prophecies about the Saviour (Messiah): Is.9:2-7, 11:1-12, 42:1-4, 53:1-12, Jer.31:31-34, 33:15, Mi.5:2-4

(for the story of David) Show a crown made of golden paper. ("What is the meaning of a crown? Who wears a crown?")

- Anointing of David, 1. Sam.16:1-13
- David returns the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and receives God's promise, 2. Sam.6:1-23 and 7:1-17
- Eliah and the priests of Baal, 1.Kings 18:20-40 (or another story of a prophet confronting the idolatrous people).

The prophets reveal (make visible) God's truth (figure pointing upwards), discover the heart of man (figure pointing towards the reader), and predict future events (figure pointing ahead).

(in the rectangle): King David
(on the lines): Kings (above), Prophets (below).

Books and prophets after the exile: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther; Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.

The exile: Ps.137, 2.Kings 25, 2.Chron.36:17-21
The return: Ps.126, 2.Chron.36:22-23, Ezra 1.
Rebuilding of the Temple: Ezra chapter 3-6 / of the walls: Neh. chapter 1-6
The 4 kingdoms ruling over Israel: Dan.2:27-45, 7:1-18

Introductory Activity: Drama. A group of teenagers or children is planning to do something forbidden or dangerous (for example to rob somebody, or to take drugs). One of them refuses to be part of this, although the others mock him and threaten him. - How would you feel in this situation?
Bible Story: Daniel chapter 1, 3, or 6 (Examples of being faithful to God, in the midst of a people who serves other gods.)
Memory Verse: Proverbs 29:25
Application: We should not do what "everybody" does, but what God desires. Then God will also help us and protect us against the others.

Introductory Activity: Did you ever build something and then somebody destroyed it? (for example a hut to play in, a sand castle, a house of cards, etc.) So you can imagine how the Israelites felt when the wall of Jerusalem was destroyed, and their enemies tried everything to prevent them from building it up again.
Bible Story: Rebuilding of Jerusalem (Neh. chapter 1-4)
Memory Verse: Neh.2:20a, Neh.8:10b
Application: A small group can achieve great goals when God helps them and they work together.

The path of Israel leads downwards (the exile). Then it rises again (the return), but not to the same level as before (Israel is no longer an independent state.)

God becomes man in Jesus Christ: Matth.1:20-23, John 1:1-3 and 14, Phil.2:6-8
His life: The four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
The meaning of His death: Matth.26:28, Joh. 3:16, Rom.5:8, 1.Peter 1:18-19 and 2:21-24
His resurrection: Matth.28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John chapter 20-21, 1.Cor.15:3-22
His ascension to heaven: Mark 16:19, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:4-11, Phil.2:9-11

Introductory Activity: Imagine you are observing ants. You want to help them to buld their ant-hill, but they are afraid of you and run away. - Now imagine you can become an ant yourself. Then you could talk to the ants and help them. They would understand you and would no longer run away. - Before God, we all are like little ants. But God became a man like ourselves, so He could be near to us and help us.

Bible Story: The children will already be familiar with many stories from the life of Jesus. - It might be recommended in this lesson to tell about Jesus' ascension to heaven. This makes it clear that Jesus is still alive and that He is Lord over everything. (Memory Verse: Mark 16:19)

- When God became man, He "broke down" from His side the wall of separation: He came into our world in a visible way.
- The small figures besides Jesus are His disciples. They are not yet drawn "shining" beause the Holy Spirit has not yet come over them.

The destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the people of Israel among all nations:

- prophesied by Jesus in Luke 19:41-44, 21:5-6 and 20-24
- The Bible does not tell us about the fulfillment of this prophecy, but other ancient historians wrote about it (for example Flavius Josephus, "The Jewish War").

Show first a picture or photo of a sad face (the Apostles before Pentecost); then a happy face (the Apostles filled with the Holy Spirit). - What made the difference?

- For children who are not yet believers: When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, the Holy Spirit will also come to you to live inside you.

- For believing children: The Holy Spirit can give you strength and joy for talking to your friends about Jesus.

Picture: (Sheet 4, right half)
- The Holy Spirit comes to the Apostles.

- Israelites following Jesus: paint them with the color you are using to represent the way of Israel.
- Followers of Jesus from the other nations: paint them with the colors you used to represent the different human races in Lesson 2.

(right side on top): Jesus says: "I reign over heaven and earth. Therefore go and tell all nations about me, so they can be my disciples. I will be with you every day, until the end of the world."
(Matthew 28:18-20 paraphrased)

The two ways: Matth. 7:13-14, Mark 16:16
Repentance (Asking for forgiveness of sin): Acts 2:37-42, 10:39-43, Rom.2:1-11, 1.John 1:5-10
Faith in Jesus: Rom.3:21-18, 5:1-2, 5:6-11, John 1:12

You could, for example, show the well.known picture "The Broad and the Narrow Way". Which way do you want to go?

Choose a biblical person who decided to accept Jesus as Lord; for example: Zacchaeus (Luc.19:1-10), the official from Ethiopia (Acts 8:26-38), the jailer in Philippi (Acts 16:15-34)

- The large rectangle represents the present time (from Pentecost until the second coming of Jesus). This is a time of decision: Every person on earth must decide if he/she wants to be saved by Jesus or not.
- The open door: Through Jesus, we can return into the presence of God. (The presence of God is represented symbolically by beams of light; the musical notes represent praise and worship for God.)

(next to the door): Yes, I accept!		(Every child marks
(on the other way): No, I do not accept.		his/her decision.)
(on the wall): SIN

- Prophecy of the return of Israel from all nations: Deut. 30:3-5, Is.11:11-12, 60:9, Ez.34:11-14
- The Last Days: Matth.24, 2.Thess.2, Rev. chapter 6-22

- For younger children: "Think of something you like very, very much." (for example eating ice cream or candy; going to the beach; etc.) - Heaven will be much more beautiful than the most pleasant thing you can imagine right now!
- For older children: You can prepare a puzzle with large pieces and let the children put it together; each piece has a biblical prophecy about the last days written on it.

- The New Jerusalem (Revelation chapter 21 and 22:1-5)
- A parable about the second coming of Jesus (Matth.25, Luke12:35-46)

Application: We should be prepared to receive the returning Lord Jesus every day.

- The return of Israel to their land in 1948 marks the beginning of a new era, because it is the first time since the destruction of Jerusalem that undoubtedly a biblical prophecy about the last days was fulfilled.
- The picture does not indicate an exact time for the "rapture" of the believers and their union with the Lord, since there is a theological controversy about this point and the Lord himself told us we are not to know the day or time in advance (Acts 1:7).
- The believers can get to the other side of the wall (i.e. into the presence of God and the new earth), while the unbelievers experiment the destruction of this earth (2.Peter 3:10-13). The picture does not contain more details about the Last Judgment.

When all the sheets are filled in and painted, they are put together in the following way:

1. Fold each sheet along the dotted line, then fold the remainder in the middle:
2. Paste the sheets together in order, covering the number in the top right corner of each sheet by the edge of the following sheet:
3. Fold a cover of thick paper or cardboard, size A4 (21 x 29.7 cm), in the following way: The children draw a biblical scene on the front cover and write the title: BIBLE PANORAMA
4. Paste the edge of the last page inside the back cover:

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