The Bible Old Testament | Animated

Sixty years had passed since the kingdom of Israel was torn in two by Jeroboam and Rehoboam. King Ahab now ruled with his wife, Queen Jezebel, who insisted on the worship of her god, Baal. To remind the people of the one true god, he sent the prophet Elijah and condemned Israel to a three-year drought as punishment for worshiping Baal. In response to Elijah's warning, King Ahab and Queen Jezebel ordered his death. But by the time their soldiers started to search for him, God had already told Elijah that it was time to hide. After three years of drought and hiding, God instructed Elijah to return to Israel and to gather the Baal priests and people to Mount Carmel in order to prove that his god was the true god. The challenge would involve offering two bowls, one given to the Baal prophets and the other to Elijah, who would sacrifice them and place them on an altar as an offering to their gods. The god who responds by burning the offering with fire would be proven as the one true god. Elijah allowed the Baal priests to go first, who chanted and called for their god. But after a full day of trying, their god did not answer. Then it was Elijah's turn. Elijah was so confident that he even drenched his offering in water before calling out to God, and he answered with a lightning strike that made the altar burn. The people were shocked and angry with the Baal priests, who ran away full of fear. And as God promised, he ended the drought, and the rain began to fall at last. Many years passed, and Elijah had gained a successor called Elisha. He had become a close friend of his and insisted on joining him on his final journey to Jordan. When they arrived at the Jordan River, Elijah threw his cloak into the river, revealing dry ground for him to walk on. Before Elijah leaves, he turns to Elisha, Is there anything you want to ask before God takes me away? Yes. How will I ever inherit your type of spiritual power? Only God can grant you that. If you are able to see what God has planned, then your question will be answered. For a moment, all is still between them, until a ball of light appears, and a chariot of fire carries Elijah away. Elisha is left having witnessed God's power, and now he must carry on Elijah's work by himself. When Elijah asked Elisha if he would follow in his footsteps, little did he know the impact that he would have. With jars of oil, he kept a family safe from the evils of slavery. He purified dirty wells, providing safe water for the people, and even cured a man of leprosy. These were just a handful of the miracles that God performed through Elisha. Just north of Israel was their archenemy, the kingdom of Aram, whose king was planning to invade Israel. God told Elisha this, and to warn his king immediately. Angered by the news, the king of Aram took an army to arrest Elisha, who was waiting and praying to God. God answered his prayers, and suddenly a dazzling light beamed from the sky, to reveal chariots and warriors ready to battle. And then suddenly, they could see nothing. With the heavenly brightness, God had taken away their sight. Now blind, Elisha guided Aram's army into the Israeli kingdom, where they feared they'd be taken in as helpless prisoners. But instead, their eyesight was returned to them. Elisha told his king to present Aram's soldiers with bread and water, and to send them back home with a message of just how powerful Israel's king and God were. However, even with this warning, the war continued. One day, Aram's armies had Israel surrounded, with their food supplies cut off. Elisha promised his king that God would provide for Israel by the next day. And as promised, it was discovered that Aram's army had vanished suddenly from their camps in the night, leaving all their food and resources for the Israelis to feast upon. One of Elisha's final instructions from God was to send a prophet to go and anoint a man named Jehu as God's new king of Israel. This would spark a bloody purge, since Jehu would wipe out all those who worshipped the Baal gods and idols. One day, the prophet Jonah was sent a message from God to visit the city of Nineveh and to tell the people that they must turn away from their sins, or else suffer the consequences. However, Jonah disagreed with God's commands and thus disobeyed them. Nineveh was known to be a corrupt city, therefore he had no intention to go and set sail in the opposite direction. God was angered with Jonah's decision, so he hurled a great storm at his ship. The storm raged fiercely, and out of desperation, the sailors drew straws to find out who provoked the wrath of God. And of course, it was Jonah. The sailors were enraged and pushed him overboard. Almost immediately, Jonah was consumed by a sea monster. The sea was now calm, and the sailors were safe. Surprisingly, Jonah was not killed. He survived in the monster for three days and three nights, giving him plenty of time to think about how he disobeyed God and almost drowned. God heard Jonah's cries and regret, and had the monster spit him up onto the shore. Having learned his lesson, Jonah marched directly to Nineveh to encourage them to change their destructive ways. Isaiah was a very important prophet. He, along with the rest of the people of Judah, witnessed the fall of Israel when the Assyrians attacked. After ten years of resistance to Assyrians, the king Hezekiah was dying. Isaiah came to him and told him that God had given him fifteen more years to guide his people to victory due to his trust and faith in God. Some time after, Hezekiah was visited by some strangers that traveled from the land of Babylon. After finding this out, Isaiah made the prediction that Babylon would be the downfall of Judah. After years of battle, the Assyrian forces were closing in on Judah. Out of desperation and a final bout of hope, king Hezekiah turned to God and prayed for his help. That night, God had listened to his prayers and sent the people of Judah an angel. An angel that destroyed the Assyrian forces in order to save Judah. After fifteen years, king Hezekiah eventually died and the city once again fell into destruction and corruption. Isaiah tried his best to speak up against what was happening to the city, but he was just one voice in a sea of many. That's when Isaiah would make his most important prophecy yet. A young prophet named Jeremiah was once visited by God and shown a vision of an army invading and destroying the city of Judah. At a similar time, the young king of Judah, king Josiah, was looking around the temple of Jerusalem which was undergoing repairs. The young king and his men came across a scroll hidden in the debris. They were horrified when they realized that this was the document God had given to Moses and they had broken almost every law in it. Josiah went to the prophetess Huldah who made it clear that God would judge Josiah and the people of Judah for their disobedience. As punishment, Judah would be destroyed but Josiah would be spared due to his humble heart. To try and redeem Judah, Josiah and Jeremiah joined forces and worked for years to eliminate the wrongdoings that had been committed. They served God and the kingdom with all their heart and soul. Josiah also began to worry about the growing power of the Egyptians. And despite Jeremiah's urges to concentrate on the threat from Babylon, Josiah decided to take Egypt to war anyway. Jeremiah knew the Egyptians were too strong. And sadly, king Josiah was killed in battle by the pharaoh of Necho. Jeremiah was heartbroken by his king's death and knew that this was the beginning of the end for Judah as Egypt placed a new king on the throne, therefore leading the people away from God. Years later, just as Jeremiah had predicted, Babylon conquered Egypt and forced Judah to surrender. To Jeremiah's dismay, he remembered all the times he warned the people that this would happen if they did not listen. And thus, Judah's destiny to fall was fulfilled. Eventually, Babylon gave Jerusalem a new king, King Zedekiah. However, Zedekiah started to consider a rebellion. When Jeremiah heard of his plans, he went to the king carrying a yoke on his back and warned him that if he threw the yoke of Babylon away, then he would be crushed and any prophet who tells him otherwise is lying. The king, however, did not listen. Suddenly, another prophet grabbed the yoke from Jeremiah and smashed it against the wall, claiming that God had told him that Babylon would be destroyed in two years. Jeremiah told the prophet that his words were not true and because of his lies, he would be dead within the year. Jeremiah continued with his warnings, but the king and his advisors grew tired of him, so they locked him in a well, leaving him to starve to death. Eventually, as the battle continued and his people started to starve, the king grew afraid. He released Jeremiah and asked him what was going to happen. Jeremiah advised him to surrender or else suffer a painful fate. But the king was more concerned about his pride and decided to join forces with the Egyptians. For two and a half years, the war raged on, but the Babylonian forces were victorious. Jerusalem was burnt to the ground and the king was taken as a prisoner, where he was blinded and tortured. Jeremiah, on the other hand, was freed by the king of Babylon due to his faith in his God and the fact that he tried to stop the rebellion. The king offered him wealth and comfort if he came back to Babylon with him, but Jeremiah thanked him and refused, since he felt he needed to stay to help his people heal and rebuild. Daniel was a noble youth from Jerusalem who was taken into captivity by Babylon and governed under their kings and successors due to his loyalty and capability. He had also experienced miraculous dreams shown to him by God, and it was three of Daniel's countrymen that survived the fiery furnace as ordered by King Nebuchadnezzar. While King Nebuchadnezzar had made mistakes, he had grown to respect and honor God through Daniel. His successor, on the other hand, Belshazzar, had no idea how Daniel quietly kept the kingdoms running and had offended God with his behavior and disrespect. One evening while he was partying, three words appeared on his wall, numbered, measured, divided. Belshazzar called Daniel to ask him what this meant. Belshazzar, however, did not listen, and almost immediately Persian soldiers entered and seized the kingdom. Daniel, of course, was not surprised since God had warned him of this in a dream of four beasts, each representing a kingdom, but God's kingdom would come after and would last forever. Now, under the rule of Persia, Daniel earned himself a respectable reputation, which had allowed him to become the top trusted advisor to the new Persian king, Darius. This caused the other officials to resent him, and so they decided to set up a trap. Knowing that Daniel's faith in God was strong, they convinced the king to create a new law in which the king has the utmost honor, with no one praying or honoring any god or man apart from him for 30 days. Daniel, of course, prayed to his god, and the other officials told the king, The king tried to find a way to change this, but Persian laws cannot be broken, and so he reluctantly sent Daniel to the lion's den. After a long and sleepless night for Darius, he rushed to order his men to open the den and was shocked to find Daniel was alive and well. God had protected Daniel by shutting the lion's mouths and protecting him. The king was overjoyed and sent for the officials who plotted against Daniel to be thrown to the lions, and they were devoured immediately. The Persian empire was now a powerful force that had been ruling Babylon for years, with Xerxes as its king and Esther as queen. However, Esther was Jewish, which she needed to keep secret. One evening in the palace, her adoptive father, Mordecai, overheard two servants plotting to kill the king, so he told Esther immediately. And of course, she told the king. The king sentenced the servants to death and asked Esther how she found out such information. Esther told him about Mordecai, and he ordered to meet him at once. The king thanked him and promised to reward him soon. One day, Mordecai was in the palace gardens. One of the king's top princes of court, Haman, entered, and everyone bowed except for Mordecai. Haman asked his servant why he did not bow. The servant explained that he was Jewish, and Jewish people do not bow to anyone. Haman is angered by this and later tricked the king into creating a law that would get rid of all those who would not bow down to him, therefore condemning all Jewish people. The people were devastated when they heard of this law, and Mordecai went to Esther to urge her to tell the king to spare their people. Esther was heartbroken by the news and afraid to approach the king without his invite, for this was against the law. Mordecai encouraged her to be brave, for she was a queen now and her people needed her. Even though she was afraid of punishment, she knew what she had to do. Due to his adoration for the queen, the king forgave her uninvited request and asked her what was wrong. At the last moment, Esther lost her confidence and invited the king and Haman to a party in her personal gardens instead. While the king was pleased, he knew there must be more going on. Before the party, the king also remembered that he needed to reward Mordecai for saving his life, and so he arranged for Haman to parade Mordecai around the city, wearing the best robes in order to let the people know how respected he was. Haman was jealous and enraged, which worsened when Mordecai still would not bow. He could not wait for him to be sent to death. After the parade, Haman went to attend the queen's party with the king. Esther finally plucked up the courage to ask the king to spare her and her people's lives to save the Jewish people. The king was shocked to hear that her Esther pointed at Haman, revealing it was down to his law. Haman was shocked to hear that Esther was Jewish, and the king was enraged at him for putting his queen's life in danger. As punishment, the king sent for Haman to be sentenced to death. Esther turned to her king and pleaded for him to undo the law, but of course, Persian law can never be revoked. So, the king decided to create a new order, one that meant every Jewish person had the right to a weapon in order to protect themselves from any harm. This way, the people knew that the king was on their side, and Esther could sleep well knowing that she had helped save her people. From then on, the Jewish people would rejoice on this day and celebrate the Feast of Purim. After many years living in exile, the Jewish-Israeli population were welcomed back to their homeland in Jerusalem by the king Cyrus in order to build a new house for God. The people rejoiced that they were allowed back to their promised land. When they had left, Jerusalem was in flames, and upon returning, they realized just how much needed to be rebuilt. However, even amid a ruined Jerusalem, the people were thankful and celebrated with a feast for the first time in many years. However, the noise of their celebrations attracted the Samaritans to come and investigate. They decided to offer to help rebuild Jerusalem. However, the Jewish people felt it was important that they do it themselves since they were once punished by God for relying on other people's help instead of trusting God alone. Unfortunately, the Samaritans were deeply angered by this and so they decided to go to King Cyrus. The Samaritans told him that the people of Jerusalem have always been rebellious, so if he allowed them to rebuild the temple, they would eventually revolt. Feeling threatened, the king ordered them to stop. The Jewish people obeyed these orders for several years, even after Cyrus' death. Yet still, the temple was not built. One day, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah reassured the people that God was with them, and so the temple of Jerusalem was finally rebuilt. However, after 80 years, the city was still in ruins and the worship of God had still not been reinstated. One day, the priest Ezra arrived to help the people, and under his guidance, the city was resurrected and God's word was once again worshipped. Eventually, a wall to protect the city from enemies was also built under the advice and eyes of Nehemiah, who came to Jerusalem for this reason. Because of this, Jerusalem became a strong nation led by Ezra and Nehemiah. As time moved on, the Persian Empire eventually would fall, Alexander the Great came and went, and the beginning of the Roman Empire took place. In 63 BC, the Romans took Jerusalem and appointed a man named Herod as the king. While he was of Jewish background, he was a cruel and crafty man. The people of Jerusalem couldn't help but wonder when God would finally intervene, but God remained silent for many years. The mighty Roman Empire rules Palestine, the home of God's people, the Jews. The Romans have appointed Herod to govern Palestine for them. Herod is clever, but he is also cruel. The Jews hate him and the Roman officials who work for him. The Jews implore God, as he has promised them a savior for many, many years, but they have heard nothing but silence from him. And then, one day out of nowhere, the fearsome angel, Gabriel, appears in front of Mary. Do not be afraid, he says, as God has chosen you to be the mother of his son. His name will be Jesus, and he will rule a kingdom that will never end. Mary cherishes this secret in her heart, but she doesn't dare tell anyone about the angel's promise. Joseph, the man she's engaged to, is a good man, but if people find out she is pregnant, she could be killed. The carpenter, Joseph, is then visited by the angel in his sleep. He is told to take Mary as his wife, as in her womb she carries the Holy Spirit, a baby that shall be named Jesus, meaning savior, and he will be the one who saves people from their sins. Joseph marries Mary, and, shortly after they leave, they hear news of a new census by the Romans, and must therefore go back to their hometown to be counted. Even though Mary's baby is due any day now, they travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem, where she will give birth to someone that will change the world forever. Then one night, shepherds and wise men who have been following a star in the sky are led to a stable, where an exhausted Mary and Joseph are staying in order to bring the Son of God into the world. They greet the shepherds who have come there to worship him and accept the gifts of the rich foreigners who have traveled for days in order to see him. The Son of God is born. Mary and Joseph escape to Egypt, where Jesus spends the first years of his life, until news reaches them of King Herod's death. With that, the time to return home has arrived. One day, back in Jerusalem, after thinking Jesus has become lost during the feast, Mary finds him at the temple. After all, that's his father's house. The teachers are impressed with him, as he asks difficult questions, yet also gives great answers. Jesus returns to Nazareth, and there he grows wiser and stronger, becoming more pleasing to God and to other people each day. Miles away in the wilderness, another young man follows God's plan, but he doesn't hear God's call in the temple. He hears God in the desert. Just as with Jesus, while not the Son of God, John's birth was also announced by the angels. He wears the fur of a camel and lives off what he can find in the desert. Impatient with those who ignore God and live in luxury, he preaches forcefully about the teachings of the scriptures to the people on the Jordan River. Stop sinning. God's kingdom is near. Oh, you think that just because you are Jews you will be allowed in God's kingdom? You must repent first. If you have extra clothes, share with someone who has none. If you have extra food, give it away. These are some of John's teachings to the crowds that come to see him. Sometimes John is asked if he is in fact the Savior that God has promised, but John knows he is not. He baptizes with water, while the Savior will do it with the Holy Spirit. And then one day, said Savior appears in front of him, asking to be baptized. John is hesitant at first, as he believes it is he who should be baptized by Jesus. But Jesus insists, as God has chosen John to introduce him to the world. John baptizes Jesus in the river, and God's Spirit appears in the form of a dove to communicate his approval. After this, Jesus walks into the desert to be tested. Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Forty days pass while he stays in the desert, fasting and waiting in the wild. When Jesus is tired and hungry, he suddenly hears a voice, the voice of the devil. If you're really the Son of God, put these rocks into bread. The devil speaks enticingly, seeking to tempt Jesus. Man must not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Unsatisfied, the devil takes him to the highest place in all of Jerusalem. There he tempts Jesus to jump, as the scripture says he'll be protected by angels. But once again, Jesus says no, replying, it is also written, do not test your Lord God. Jesus remains unswayed, so the devil makes one attempt more. He takes Jesus to a very high mountain and shows him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor, promising them to him if he falls down and worships the devil. Jesus replies, go away Satan, for it is written, worship the Lord your God and serve him only. The devil leaves him and angels come to serve him. In Bethany, across the Jordan, a small crowd gathers where John is baptizing. When Jesus approaches, John recognizes him as the one he had been heralding, the Savior and Son of God. After witnessing his anointing, Andrew and John, two of the Baptist disciples, decide to follow Jesus. But first, Andrew searches for his brother Simon to receive God's deliverance as well. Jesus gives Simon a new name, Peter, meaning rock, as faith like his would be the rock-solid foundation on which Jesus would build his church. Before leaving Galilee, Jesus meets another of his apostles, Philip. When invited to follow Jesus, Philip brings his brother Nathanael, who is doubtful. Jesus then reveals he knows of Nathanael's honorable character, having seen him earlier under the fig tree. Now knowing that Jesus is in fact the Son of God, Nathanael decides to follow him too. And Jesus, along with his apostles, sets course for the city of Canaan.