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Interesting Facts

OLD TESTAMENT BOOKS

Law – five books
Historical – twelve books
Poetical – five books
Prophetical – seventeen books (Major Prophets – five; Minor Prophets – twelve)

NEW TESTAMENT BOOKS

The New Testament was written to reveal to us the character and teaching of Jesus Christ, the mediator of the New Covenant, by at least eight men, four of whom – Matthew, John, Peter and Paul – were apostles; two of whom – Mark and Luke – were companions of the apostles; and two of whom – James and Jude – were brothers of Jesus. The books ere written at various times during the second half of the first century.

The books in the New Testament may be grouped thus:

  1. Gospels – four books
  2. History – one book
  3. Prophecy – one book
  4. Epistles – twenty one books (Pauline – thirteen books; General – eight books)

God, humanity, sin, redemption, justification, sanctification, glorification:

  1. In two words – grace, glory
  2. In one word – Jesus

Christ quotes from twenty two Old Testament books:

  1. In Matthew – nineteen times
  2. In Mark – fifteen times
  3. In Luke – twenty five times
  4. In John – eleven times

The book of Hebrews quotes the Old Testament (quotations or allusions) eighty five times

Revelation quotes the Old Testament – two hundred forty five times.

The King James Version (KJV) contains these interesting elements:

  1. Number of verses – 31,102
  2. Number of words – 775,693
  3. Longest chapter – Psalm 119
  4. Shortest chapter – Psalm 117
  5. Longest verse – Esther 8:9
  6. Shortest verse – John 11:35
  7. Longest book in the Old Testament – Psalms
  8. Longest book in the New Testament – Luke
  9. Most chapters in the New Testament – Matthew

Old Testament – Principal Places:

  1. Eden – (Genesis 1-3)
  2. Ararat – (Genesis 8:4)
  3. Babel – (Genesis 11:1-11)
  4. Ur of the Chaldees – (Genesis 11:28 – 12:3)
  5. Canaan ( with Abraham) (Genesis 12:4-7)
  6. Egypt (with Joseph) (Genesis 37-45; especially 41:41)
  7. Sinai (Exodus 19:16 – 20:21)
  8. Wilderness (Numbers 14:26-35)
  9. Canaan (with Joshua) (Joshua 1:1-9)
  10. Assyria (captivity of Israel) (2 Kings 18:9-12)
  11. Babylon (captivity of Judah) (2 Kings 24:11-16)
  12. Canaan (Palestine – return of the exiles) (Ezra 1:1 – 2:70)

As you build the story of the Bible around these places you see the whole history in chronological order.

Still another way to think through the Bible is by following the great facts in order.

Old Testament – Principal Facts:

  1. Creation (Genesis 1:1 – 2:3)
  2. Fall of man (Genesis 3)
  3. Flood (Genesis 6-9)
  4. Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)
  5. Call of Abraham (Genesis 11:10 – 12:3)
  6. Descent into Egypt (Genesis 46-47)
  7. Exodus (Exodus 7-12)
  8. Passover (Exodus 12)
  9. Giving of the Law (Exodus 19-24)
  10. Wilderness Wanderings (Numbers 13-14)
  11. Conquest of the Promised Land (Joshua 11)
  12. Dark ages of the chosen people (Judges)
  13. Anointing of Saul as king (1 Samuel 9:27 – 10:1)
  14. Golden age of Israelites under David and Solomon – united kingdom (2 Samuel 5:4-5 and 1 Kings 10:6-8)
  15. The divided kingdom – Israel and Judah (1 Kings 12:26-33)
  16. The Captivity (2 Kings 17:25)
  17. The Return (Ezra)

New Testament – Principal Facts:

  1. Early life of Christ (Matthew 1:18 – 2:23 and Luke 1-2)
  2. Ministry of Christ (Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)
  3. Church in Jerusalem (Acts 1-2)
  4. Church extending to the Gentiles (Acts 10-11 and 13-20)
  5. Church in all the world (Romans 10-11 and 15; and Ephesians 2:22-23)

Principal Periods:

  1. Period of the patriarchs to Moses (Genesis)
    • The godly line – leading events
      • Creation
      • Fall
      • Flood
      • Dispersion
    • The chosen family – leading events
      • Call of Abraham
      • The descent into Egypt – bondage
  2. Period of great leaders – Moses to Saul (Exodus to Samuel)
    • Exodus from Egypt
    • Wanderings in wilderness
    • Conquest of Canaan
    • Rule of the Judges
  3. Period of the kings – Saul to the captivities (Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, the prophetical books)
    • The united kingdom
      • Saul
      • David
      • Solomon
    • The divided kingdom
      • Judah
      • Israel
  4. Period of foreign rulers – Captivities to Christ (Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Prophecies of Daniel and Ezekiel)
    • Captivity of Israel
    • Captivity of Judah
  5. Christ (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)
  6. The Church (Acts and the Epistles)
    • In Jerusalem
    • Extending to the Gentiles
      • In all the World