Author

It is very likely that Ezra was the author, and it has been suggested that 1 & 2 Chronicles and the books of Ezra and Nehemiah were originally written to be one consecutive work.

Date

Probably between 450 and 425B.C.

Audience and Purpose

1 & 2  Chronicles have many topics in common with 1 & 2 Kings, however Chronicles deal mostly with the Kingdom of Judah alone, and was written to the Jews returning from exile to rebuild Jerusalem. 

Also, whereas Kings was written from the prophetic perspective, Chronicles is written from the priestly viewpoint. Rather than judgements, it offers hope.

Major Themes

• Redemption.
• The Construction of The Temple.
• The Davidic Lineage of Kings.

Key Scriptures in 1 Chronicles

• 1 Chronicles 28:4-5 — “Yet the Lord God of Israel chose me from all my father’s house to be king over Israel forever. For he chose Judah as leader, and in the house of Judah my father’s house, and among my father’s sons he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel.”

Key Scriptures in 2 Chronicles

• 2 Chronicles 7:1 — “As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.”

• 2 Chronicles 36:19 — “And they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all its palaces with fire and destroyed all its precious vessels.”

Outline of 1 Chronicles

• 1 Chronicles 1:1-9:44 — Genealogy of Tribes of Israel
• 1 Chronicles 10:1-20:8 — Reign of King David
• 1 Chronicles 21:1-29:30 — David Prepares to Build the Temple

Outline of 2 Chronicles

• 2 Chronicles 1:1-7:22 — Solomon Builds the Temple
• 2 Chronicles 8:1-9:31 — Reign of King Solomon
• 2 Chronicles 10:1-36:23 — Reigns of Judah’s Kings in the Divided Kingdom
  • 2 Chronicles 10:1-12:16 — Reign of Rehoboam
  • 2 Chronicles 12:1-14:1 — Reign of Abijah
  • 2 Chronicles 14:2-16:14 — Reign of Asa
  • 2 Chronicles 17:1-21:1 — Reign of Jehoshaphat
  • 2 Chronicles 21:2-22:12 — Reign of Jehoram and Ahaziah
  • 2 Chronicles 23:1-24:27 — Reign of Joash
  • 2 Chronicles 25:1-28 — Reign of Amaziah
  • 2 Chronicles 26:1-23 — Reign of Uzziah
  • 2 Chronicles 27:1-9 — Reign of Jotham
  • 2 Chronicles 28:1-27 — Reign of Ahaz
  • 2 Chronicles 29:1-32:33 — Reign of Hezekiah
  • 2 Chronicles 33:1-20 — Reign of Manasseh
  • 2 Chronicles 33:21-25 — Reign of Amon
  • 2 Chronicles 34:1-35:27— Reign of Josiah
  • 2 Chronicles 36:1-4 — Reign of Jehoahaz
  • 2 Chronicles 36:5-8 — Reign of Jehoiakim
  • 2 Chronicles 36:9-10 — Reign of Jehoiachin

• 2 Chronicles 36:11-14 — Reign of Zedekiah
• 2 Chronicles 36:15-21 — Destruction of Jerusalem and Captivity of Judah
• 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 — Restoration

• Gospel Summary

The books of 1 & 2 Chronicles show very clearly how God, through many trials, sins, and global events, upheld His promise of a Messiah King who would be a son of David. The genealogies and stories of family lines show that the seed of David remained in tact, even in years of exile.

2 Chronicles, especially, outlines both the building and destruction of Solomon’s Temple – representative of God’s presence as the center of Jewish life and culture. Jesus Himself would later prophecy the destruction and rebuilding of God’s Temple. This time, however, it would not be with stones! His body would be the Temple broken down, rebuilt through His resurrection, and expanded  through the establishment of His church (see John 2:19 and 1 Corinthians 3:16).

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© Anthony Scott Ingram 2020. All Rights Reserved.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

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