Category: B2 – God’s Fingerprints

by John Holbrook Jr.
A Biblical View, Blog #044 posted May 8, 2017, edited March 9, 2021.

People in biblical times lacked numbers, which were invented by Hindu mathematicians in the early 1^st millennium AD. In order to express mathematical values, they used the letters of their alphabets. For instance, in counting from 1 to 5, the Hebrews used aleph, beth, gimel, daleth, he,… and the Greeks used alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon,…(click on Hebrew & Greek Alphabets). Thus letters, words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs written in these languages carry numerical values. The existence of these values is real and undeniable. Thus anyone who is reasonably familiar with these languages can calculate them.

Determining the meaning and significance of numerical values and patterns in the Bible, however, is another matter. The study of them is very old and has many names, including gematria, Bible Numerics, and Theomatics. The results of these studies often generate heated opposition and dismissal, because they indicate the presence of a single mind at work in the production of 66 different books by many different authors who wrote over many centuries – if not millennia.

What follows is a merely a brief sampling of what these studies have revealed: [1]

37 appears to be the base number on which all references to Jesus (God-the-Son) are structured

37 x 1 = 37 = God (Daniel 4:2) ^C-188

37 x 1 = 37 = Only Son ^C-188

37 x 1 = 37 = Power ^C-188

37 x 1 = 37 = Only begotten ^C-188

37 x 2 = 74 = A great God (Psalm 95:3) ^C-189

37 x 2 = 74 = Their Redeemer (Jeremiah 50:34) ^C-189

37 x 2 = 74 = Foundation ^C-189

37 x 2 = 74 = Everlasting ^C-189

37 x 3 = 111 = Jehovah God* (Genesis 3:9)

37 x 7 = 259 = Shepherd* (John 10:2)

37 x 10 = 370 = Everlasting righteousness (Psalm 119:142) ^C-188

37 x 10 = 370 = He lives (Isaiah 33:5) ^C-188

37 x 10 = 370 = He rules (Psalm 66:7) ^C-188

37 x 10 = 370 = God (Elohim) is my King of old (Psalm 74:12) ^C-188

37 x 12 =111 x 4 = 444 = Lamb for a burnt offering*[2] (Genesis 22:8)

37 x 14 = 518 = The door (John 7)

37 x 15 = 111 x 5 = 555 = Lord of hosts (1 Samuel 1:3)

37 x 15 = 111 x 5 = 555 = God* (NT)

37 x 15 = 111 x 5 = 555 = The holy one (Acts 3:14)

37 x 24 = 111 x 8 = 888 = I am Jehovah, I change not (Malachi 3:6)

37 x 24 = 111 x 8 = 888 = Jesus  ^A-50

37 x 24 = 111 x 8 = 888 = Her begotten* (Matthew 1:20) ^A-51

37 x 24 = 111 x 8 = 888 = Lord God* (Revelation 15:3)

37 x 24 = 111 x 8 = 888 = Lord of the Sabbath

37 x 25 = 925 = The Messiah* (John 1:41) ^A-63

37 x 26 = 962  = Godhead (Colossians 2:9)

37 x 27 = 111 x 9 = 999 = Lord (NT)

37 x 33 = 111 x 11 = 1,221 = And she will bear a son* (Matthew 1:21) ^A-51

37 x 33 = 111 x 11 = 1,221 = Lord Jesus**[3] (Revelation 22:20)

37 x 36 = 111 x 12 = 1,332 = The child Jesus* (Luke 2:27) ^A-53

37 x 37 = 1,369 = Image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4)

37 x 40 = 1,480 = Christ (NT)

37 x 42 = 111 x 14 = 1,554 = My beloved Son* (Luke 20:13)

37 x 43 = 1,591 = I am the good shepherd* (John 10:11)

37 x 48 = 111 x 16 = 888 x 2 = 1,776 = The lamb in the midst of the throne* (Revelation 7:17)

37 x 54 = 111 x 18 = 1,998 = Name of Jesus* (Acts 5:40)

37 x 57 = 111 x 19 = 2,109 = Worthy is the lamb Who was slain** (Revelation 5:12)

37 x 60 = 111 x 20 = 2,220 = Unto you that fear My name, there shall arise a son of righteousness, with healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2)

37 x 60 = 111 x 20 = 2,220 = Name of Christ* (1 Peter 4:14)

37 x 63 = 111 x 21 = 2,331 = Christ the Lord* (Luke 2:26)

37 x 64 = 2,368 = Jesus Christ

37 x 66 = 111 x 22 = 2,442 = Jesus, the name given by the angel (Luke 2:21) ^A-52

37 x 66 = 111 x 22 = 2,442 = Morning star** (2 Peter 1:19)

37 x 66 = 111 x 22 = 2,442 = Bright morning star** (Revelation 22:16)

37 x 69 = 111 x 23 = 2,553 = The marriage supper of the lamb* (Revelation 19:9)

37 x 72 = 111 x 24 = 888 x 3 = 2,664 = The Lord God is one (Matthew 12:29)

37 x 75 = 111 x 25 = 2,775 = The word became flesh and dwelt among us* (John 1:14)

37 x 78 = 111 x 26 = 2,886 = This child* (Luke 2:17) ^A-53

37 x 80 = 2,960 = Son of man (Matthew 13:37) ^A-47

37 x 81 = 111 x 27 = 2,997 = Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son* (Matthew 1:23) ^A-51

37 x 84 = 111 x 28 = 3,108 = Her begotten of the spirit is holy (Matthew 1:20) ^A-51

37 x 84 = 111 x 28 = 3,108 = Name of the holy child Jesus (Actts 4:30) ^A-53

37 x 84 = 111 x 28 = 3,108 = His eternal power and godhead (Romans 1:20)

37 x 84 = 111 x 28 = 3,108 = The lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world* (John 1:29)

37 x 87 = 111 x 29 = 3,219 = The Lord God almighty* (Revelation 21:22)

37 x 90 = 111 x 30 = 3,330 = Name of the Lord Jesus* (1 Corinthians 5:4)

37 x 90 = 111 x 30 = 3,330 = The great shepherd of the sheep** (Hebrews 13:20)

37 x 93 = 111 x 31 = 3,441 = The one Who created the heavens and the earth* (Revelation 14:7)

37 x 93 = 111 x 31 = 3,441 = The light of the world* (John 8:12)

37 x 96 = 111 x 32 = 888 x 4 = 3,552 = His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel** (Luke 2:21) ^A-52

37 x 102 = 111 x 34 = 3,774 = She bore a son and called the name of Him Jesus** (Matthew 1:25) ^A-52

37 x 102 = 111 x 34 = 3,774 = My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased (2 Peter 1:17)

37 x 102 = 111 x 34 = 3,774 = The God of heaven (Revelation 11:13)

37 x 111 = 111 x 37 = 4,107 = This is my beloved Son* (2 Peter 1:17)

37 x 111 = 111 x 37 = 4,107 = Only begotten Son, Who is in the bosom of the Father (John 1:18)

37 x 120 = 111 x 40 = 888 x 5 = 4,440 = The Lord Christ (Colossians 3:24)

37 x 120 = 111 x 40 = 888 x 5 = 4,440 = The mediator, a man Christ Jesus* (1 Timothy 2:5)

37 x 120 = 111 x 40 = 888 x 5 = 4,440 = God sent his only begotten Son into the world (1 John 4:9)

37 x 135 = 111 x 45 = 4,995 = Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb (Luke 2:21) ^A-53

37 x 144 = 111 x 48 = 888 x 6 = 5,328 = Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God** (Hebrews 10:21)

37 x 146 = 2 x 37 x 73 = 5,402 = For in Him dwells all the fullness of the godhead (Colossians 2:9)

37 x 153 = 111 x 51 = 5,661 = You will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall call the name of Him Jesus (Luke 1:31) ^A-52

37 x 159 = 111 x 53 = 5,883 = And they will call His name Emmanuel, which is being  interpreted – with us God** (Matthew 1:23) ^A-51

37 x 168 = 111 x 56 = 888 x 7 = 6,216 = Yes Lord, I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God* (John 11:27)

37 x 168 = 111 x 56 = 888 x 7 = 6,216 = Entered Jesus, the one having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchisedek (Hebrews 6:20)

37 x 168 = 111 x 56 = 888 x 7 = 6,216 = Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God almighty, Who was and is and is to come** (Revelation 4:8)

37 x 192 = 111 x 64 = 888 x 8 = 7,104 = The power of the most high will overshadow you, and for that reason the holy offspring will be called thew Son of God* (Luke 1:35) ^A-52

37 x 201 = 111 x 67 = 7,437 = But in these last days, he spoke to us through a Son (Hebrews 1:2)

37 x 213 = 111 x 71 = 7,881 = In Him was life, and the life was the light of men (John 1:4)

37 x 219 = 111 x 73 = 3 x 37 x 73 = 8,103 = King of kings, and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15)

37 x 225 = 111 x 75 = 8,325 = His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb (Luke 2:21) ^A-52

37 x 240 = 111 x 80 = 888 x 10 = 8,880 = Behold, a virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call the name of Him Emmanuel, which is being interpreted – with us God* (Matthew 1:23) ^A-51

37 x 288 = 111 x 96 = 888 x 12 = 10,656 = The water which I shall give him shall become in him a fountain of water springing up to life eternal (John 4:14)

153 appear to be the base number on which references to “the redeemed” are structured

153 x 8 = 1,224 = Fishes (Luke 9:13)

153 x 8 = 1,224 = The net (John 21:11)

153 x 20 = 3,060 = Casting a net into the sea (Matthew 4:18)

153 x 37 = 5,661 = I say to you I am the door of the sheep* (John 10:7)

153 x 39 = 5967 = If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in** (Revelation 3:20)

153 x 54 = 8,262 = Drew the net to land full of great fishes, a hundred and fifty-three (John 21:11)

153 x 64 = 9,792 = He called them, and they immediately left the boat, and their father, and followed Him (Matthew 4:21-22)

144 appears to be the base number on which references to “the chosen” are structured

144 x 6 = 864 = Saints (Revelation 8:3)

144 x 6 = 864 = Thousands* (Revelation 14:1)

144 x 6 = 864 = Jerusalem (Revelation 3:12)

144 x 7 = 1,008 = The faith (Revelation 14:12)

144 x 7 = 1,008 = The 144 thousands* (Revelation 14:1)

144 x 8 = 1,152 = New Jerusalem* (Revelation 3:12)

144 x 8 = 1,152 = Witness (Revelation 12:11)

144 x 8 = 1,152 = Seven churches** (Revelation 1:20)

144 x 9 = 1,296 = Seven lampstands (Revelation 1:12)

144 x 9 = 1,296 = Come out, My people (Revelation 18:4)

144 x 11 = 1,584 = Priests of God (Revelation 20:6)

144 x 13 = 1,872 = The ones who are clothed in white robes** (Revelation 7:13)

144 x 17 = 2,448 = Ones dying in the Lord (Revelation 14:13)

144 x 27 = 3,888 = The holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven (Revelation 21:2)

144 x 28 = 4,032 = The ones coming out of the great tribulation (Revelation 7:14)

144 x 29 = 4,176 = As many as would not worship the image of the beast** (Revelation 13:15)

144 x 30 = 4,320 = He that endureth to the end shall be saved* (Matthew 24:13)

144 x 31 = 4,464 = Seal the servants of our God* (Revelation 7:3)

144 x 32 = 4,608 = And no one could learn the song except the 144 thousands, the ones purchased from the earth* (Revelation 14:3)

144 x 37 = 5,328 = The one who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy* (Revelation 1:3)

144 x 38 = 5,472 = Blessed are those servants whom the Lord shall find watching when He comes* (Luke 12:37)

144 x 39 = 5,616 = They overcame him by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony (Revelation 12:11)

144 x 52 = 7,488 = Here is the endurance of the saints, who keep the commandments of God and the faith in Jesus* (Revelation 14:12)

144 x 74 = 10,656 = And I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem (Revelation 3:12)

144 x 98 = 14,112 = These have been purchased from mankind as firstfruits to God and the lamb, and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless* (Revelation 14:4-5)

144 x 116 = 16,704 = And behold, the great multitude which to number it no one was able, from every nation, from all tribes** (Revelation 7:9)

276 appears to be the base number on which references to the Satanic kingdom are structured

276 x 1 = 276 = Satan* (Matthew 16:23)

276 x 1 = 276 = In hades** (Acts 2:27)

276 x 3 = 828 = Hell* (Matthew 23:33)

276 x 3 = 828 = Demon possession* (John 10:21)

276 x 4 = 1,104 = According to the operation of Satan* (2 Thessalonians 2:9)

276 x 4 = 1,104 = Power to cast into hell* (Luke 12:5)

276 x 5 = 1,380 = Lie* (John 8:44)

276 x 6 = 1,656 = Beelzebub* (Luke 11:15)

276 x 6 = 1,656 = The dragon* (Revelation 13:4)

276 x 6 = 1,656 = How art thou fallen from heaven, oh Lucifer, son of the morning (Isaiah 14:12)

276 x 6 = 1,656 = Time elapsed from the Fall to the Flood in years

276 x 7 = 1,932 = Hell fire unquenchable** (Mark 9:43)

276 x 8 = 2,208 = The evil one (1 John 5:19)

276 x 9 = 2,484 = Follow Satan* (1 Timothy 5:15)

276 x 13 = 3,588 = The accuser of our brethren (Revelation 12:10)

276 x 14 = 3,864 = I beheld Satan fall from heaven (Luke 10:18)

276 x 15 = 4,140 = He is a liar and the father of lies* (John 8:44)

276 x 15 = 4,140 = The prince of the power of the air** (Ephesians 2:2)

276 x 15 = 4,140 = The ruler of this world is coming* (John 14:30)

276 x 16 = 4,416 = The ruler of the demons (Luke 11:15)

276 x 20 = 5,520 = And He was in the wilderness forty days be  tempted by Satan** (Mark 1:13)

276 x 30 = 8,280 = A king, the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he has the name Apollyon* (Revelation 9:11)

276 also appears to be the base number on which references, not to the law itself, which is perfect[4], but to man’s attempt to keep the law are structured

276 x 2 = 552 = Stone tablets* (2 Corinthians 3:3)

276 x 2 = 552 = The law says* (1 Corinthians 14:34)

276 x 2 = 552 = Religion* (Acts 26:5)

276 x 3 = 828 = Under law** (Galatians 4:21)

276 x 3 = 828 = Name of the beast[5] (Revelation 13:17)

276 x 4 = 1,104 = Tablets of the covenant (Hebrews 9:4)

276 x 4 = 1,104 = The letter killeth** (2 Corinthians 3:6)

276 x 5 = 1,380 = The inhabited earth* (Revelation 16:14)

276 x 6 = 1,656 = The first covenant (Hebrews 9:15)

276 x 6 = 1,656 = By works of the law*** (Galatians 2:26)

276 x 7 = 1,932 = Mystery of the woman[6] (Revelation 17:7)

276 x 8 = 2,208 = The Sabbath day (Luke 13:14)

276 x 9 = 2,484 = All things written in the law** (John 10:24)

276 x 10 = 2,760 = For through the law comes a full knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20)

276 x 11 = 3,036 = The customs which Moses delivered*

276 x 13 = 3,588 = The law in commandments in ordinances (Ephesians 2:15)

276 x 17 = 4,692 = Cursed is everyone who dos not abide by all things written in the law* (Galatians 3:10)

276 x 18 = 4,968 = The righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees** (Matthew 5:20)

666 appears to be the base number on which references to the world system (the integration of commerce and hierarchical, coercive government) are structured

666 x 1 = 111 x 6 = 666 = Adversary* (1 Peter 5:8)

666 x 1 = 111 x 6 = 666 = Wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9)

666 x 1 = 111 x 6 = 666 = In the world* (John 1:9)

666 x 1 = 111 x 6 = 666 = Merchants of the earth (Revelation 18:3)

666 x 1 = 111 x 6 = 666 = The kingdom* (Revelation 17:17)

666 x 1 = 111 x 6 = 666 = Where the harlot sits* (Revelation 17:15)

666 x 2 = 111 x 12 = 1,332 = The kingdoms of the world (Luke 4:5)

666 x 2 = 111 x 12 = 1,332 = Kings of the inhabited earth* (Revelation 16:14)

666 x 2 = 111 x 12 = 1,332 = Merchandise* (2 Peter 2:3)

666 x 3 = 111 x 18 = 1,998 = Elements of the world** (Galatians 4:3)

666 x 3 = 111 x 18 = 1,998 = Mouth of the dragon** (Revelation 16:13)

666 x 3 = 111 x 18 = 1,998 = Blasphemy against God** (Revelation 13:6)

666 x 3 = 111 x 18 = 1,998 = Those who had received the mark of the beast* (Revelation 19:20)

666 x 5 = 111 x 30 = 3,330 = The whole world wondered after the beast[7] *** (Revelation 13:3)

666 x 5 = 111 x 30 = 3,330 = The beast which carries her [the whore of Babylon] (Revelation 17:7)

666 x 6 = 111 x 36 = 3,996 = The man of sin, the son of perdition* (2 Thessalonians)

666 x 6 = 111 x 36 = 3,996 = The great city[8] having a kingdom over the kings of the earth** (Revelation 17:18)

666 x 6 = 111 x 36 = 3,996 = Those who worship the beast and its image Revelation 14:11)

666 x 6 = 111 x 36 = 3,996 = Whoever receives the mark of its name* (Revelation 14:11)

666 x 6 = 111 x 36 = 3,996 = According to the operation of Satan with all power and sings and wonders** (2 Thessalonians 2:9)

666 x 7 = 111 x 42 = 4,662 = Ruler of this world (John 16:11) ^A-47

666 x 8 = 111 x 48 = 5,328 = And the woman that you saw is the great city having a kingdom over the kings of the earth (Revelation 17:18)

666 x 9 = 111 x 54 = 5,994 = The men who bore the mark** (Revelation 16:2)

666 x 12 = 111 x 72 = 7,992 = Children, it is the last hour; and just as you hear the antichrist is coming* (1 John 2:18)

666 x 12 = 111 x 72 = 7,992 = And the dragon gave to it its power and its throne and great authority** (Revelation 13:2)

666 x 13 = 111 x 78 = 8,658 = Then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth (2 Thessalonians 2:8)

666 x 15 = 111 x 90 = 9,990 = The one therefore having wisdom, let him calculate the number of the beast: for it is the number of man, and it is six hundred and sixty-six (Revelation 13:18)

666 x 16 = 111 x 96 =10,656 = And it provides that no one should be able to buy or sell, except the one who has the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of its name (Revelation 13:17)

666 x 40 = 111 x 240 = 26,640 = It causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or forehead** (Revelation 13:16)

I believe that God inspired the authors of the Bible to write exactly what they wrote – down to every letter, word, phrase, sentence, and paragraph – that he embedded in their work numerical meanings and patterns for our instruction, and that to ignore them – or worse, to deny them – is both foolish and offensive to him.

© 2016 John Holbrook Jr.
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[1] References are as follows: (A) Theomatics by Del Washburn, (B) Theomatics II by Del Washburn, (C) Beginnings – The Sacred Design by Bonnie Gaunt.

[2] * indicates that the numeric value of the text is one more or one less than the total to the left.

[3] ** indicates that the numeric value of the text is two more or two less than the total to the left.

[4] 700 = 7 x 100 = The law (Ephesians 2:15)

[5] The beast-out-of-the-earth symbolizes false religion.

[6] The whore of Babylon recalls Semiramus,, the stunningly beautiful prostitute who became the wife of Nimrod, the founder of Babylon. She seduces the unwary with appeals to “…all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life…” (KJV1 John 2:16).

[7] The beast-out-of-the-sea represents the world system – the integration of commerce and hierarchical, coercive government.

[8] Babylon the Great, another name for the beast-out-of-the-sea.

by John Holbrook Jr.
A Biblical View, Blog #007 posted August 29, 2016, edited March 9, 2021.

I will argue that the Bible is not just another book, that, in fact, it is unique because it is God-breathed. I shall marshal three main arguments to make my case: the internal evidence, the external evidence, and presumption.

THE INTERNAL EVIDENCE

First, the Bible’s attributes reveal its divine nature.

Its self-description – It claims to be divine revelation and refers to itself as the Word of God, the Oracles of God, and the Sword of the Spirit.

Its honesty – It presents a realistic and unflattering view of the people whom it chronicles. What Gentile king would have permitted a chronicler to describe his murderous and adulterous behavior as did the revered Hebrew King David?

Its unique teaching –

God: It presents God as eternal, infinite, sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, immutable, flexibly just, and absolutely holy. No other god in all of human history compares with him. Moreover, unlike other gods, the God of the Hebrews does not indulge his people. Rather he blesses them if they are obedient and curses them if they are disobedient. In consequence of the latter case, he has caused them to be subjugated, massacred, and plundered by their enemies and then dispersed throughout the world.

The World: It condemns the world as an evil thing because it hates and opposes God.

Mankind: It also presents man and all his doings as inherently evil – a picture that had to have had a divine rather than human origin.

Sin: Man regards sin as a mistake or a misfortune and seeks to minimize its severity and significance. The Bible describes sin as lawlessness and open defiance against the Creator of Universe, and it strips man of all excuses and emphasizes his culpability.

Punishment of Sin: Just as he minimizes the importance of sin, so man attempts to minimize the punishment for sin – witness the objections to capital punishment for murderers, rapists, etc. But God asserts that, from his point of view, eternal punishment for sin is just, and he will judge the world according to the prescriptions and proscriptions in his Word (e.g. the Ten Commandments).

Salvation: Just as he wants to minimize the importance and consequences of sin, so man wants control over the expiation of sin: he will counterbalance the vice of his sins with the virtue of his good intentions and good works. But God asserts that “There is none that doeth good, no, not one.”[1] Every man is depraved and cannot save himself. He can only accept salvation as a free gift from a God of mercy and grace.

 Saviour: The person, character, and work of the Lord Yeshua (Jesus in English) is without parallel in the whole realm of man’s literature.

Its significance – It deals with the character and fate of the world and all its inhabitants in both time and eternity.

Its omniscience – It reveals the end from the beginning. It contains countless prophecies that were made centuries and even millennia prior to their fulfillment.

Its unity is astonishing in view of the fact that it consists of 66 books written in three languages by at least 44 writers over thousands of years.[2]

Its completeness – It tells us everything we need to know. Nothing is left out.

Its adapability – It can be translated into any language and yet retain its power to enthrall, convict, convert, sanctify, etc.

Its hidden attributes – It contains a startling phenomenon, of which most of its readers are unaware. Neither the Hebrews nor the Greeks had numerals. Instead, each letter of their alphabets carried a numerical value. As a result, not only every letter, but every word, phrase, sentence, paragraph, chapter, and book in the Bible carries a numerical value. Over the millenia, the study of these numerical values has been called by various names. In ancient times, it was called gematria by the Jewish rabbis. In modern times, it was called Bible numerics by Christians such as E.W. Bullinger (1837-1913), an Anglican theologian, and Ivan Panin (1855-1942), a Russian mathematician. It is called theomatics by Del Washburn, an American architect who took the investigation into numbers in the Bible to a new level by using the computer. In addition, it is called the Bible code by Dr. Eliyahu Rips, an Israeli mathematician who discovered patterns of letters which form names and sentences that describe current and possibly future events thousands of years after they were put down on paper. Regardless of the nomenclature or nature of the investigation, these studies have revealed that extraordinary numerical patterns and their associated meanings are running throughout the Bible – from Genesis to Revelation. Of course this phenomenon has generated much controversy among scientists and scholars; to admit that it exists identifies God as the author of the Bible, because the chance of the phenomenon occurring without divine direction is zero.

THE EXTERNAL EVIDENCE

Second, the Bible’s effects reveal its divine nature

Its universal appeal – It touches people of all races, all cultural backgrounds, all geographical areas,

Its freshness – No matter how often one reads it, one experiences familiar delights and new insights.

Its inexhaustible depth – If approached with appropriate reverence and prayerful expectations, each reading plumbs new depths.

Its prophecies fulfilled – Again, it reveals the end from the beginning. For instance, there are at least 44 prophecies regarding the Messiah (Christ in Greek) recorded in the Tenakh (Old Testament) which Yeshua fulfilled during His life. That is how His disciples, who were familiar with the Tenakh, knew that He was, is, and ever will be the Messiah, the Holy One of Israel.

Its power to change lives – It stimulates conviction, conversion, and sanctification through doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness.

Its influence – on individuals, families, churches, and states, as well as on the arts, such as literature, painting, sculpture, music, etc., and on sciences and technology, where its has inspired and guided countless scientists and engineers in the search for understanding

Its indestructibility – It has been ridiculed, banned, and burned by countless opponents through the centuries, but it is now more widely translated, transmitted, taught, trusted and treasured than ever before in history. This indestructibility is nicely captured in a poem entitled The Anvil – God’s Word by Anonymous.

Last eve I passed by a blacksmith’s door,
And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;
Then, looking in, I saw upon the floor
Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.

“How many anvils have you had,” said I,
“To wear and batter all these hammers so?”
“Just one,” he said, and then, with twinkling eye,
“The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.”

And so, thought I, the anvil of God’s Word,
For ages skeptic blows have beat upon;
Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,
The anvil is unharmed – the hammers gone.

PRESUMPTION

Lastly, the Bible has presumption in its favor. In assessing the Bible, one cannot ignore the testimony of literally billions of people whose lives have been transformed by what lies between its covers. Surely common sense must tell you that something unique lies there. Surely curiosity must prompt you to ask, why do so many people regard the Bible as Holy Writ, as divinely inspired, as bearing the authority of God? Consider the testimony of just seven of them:[3]

Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727), one of history’s greatest investigators into the mysteries of both Bible and Universe, said, “There are more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history.”

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), one of history’s greatest thinkers, said, “The existence of the Bible, as a book for the people, is the greatest benefit which the human race has ever experienced. Every attempt to belittle it is a crime against humanity.”

George Washington (1732-1799), one of history’s greatest statesmen, said: “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.”

Sir Frederick William Herschel (1738-1822), one of history’s greatest scientists, said, “All human discoveries seem to be made only for the purpose of confirming more and more strongly the truths contained in the Sacred Scriptures.”

Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881), one of history’s greatest social commentators, said, “The Bible is the truest utterance that ever came by alphabetic letters from the soul of man, through which, as though a window divinely opened, all men can look into the stillness of eternity, and discern in glimpses their far-distant, long-forgotten home.”

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), another of history’s greatest statesmen, said, “I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from the Saviour of the world is communicated to us through this book.”

Henry Jackson Van Dyke (1852-1933), a gifted writer, teacher, and diplomat, said with heart-warming and poetic eloquence, “Born in the East and clothed in Oriental form and imagery, the Bible walks the ways of all the world with familiar feet and enters land after land to find its own everywhere. It has learned to speak in hundreds of languages to the heart of man. Children listen to its stories with wonder and delight, and wise men ponder them as parables of life. The wicked and the proud tremble at its warnings, but to the wounded and the penitent it has a mother’s voice. It has woven itself into our dearest dreams; so that Love, Friendship, Sympathy, Devotion, Memory, Hope, put on the garments of its treasured speech. No man is poor or desolate who has this treasure for his own. When the landscape darkens, and the trembling pilgrim comes to the Valley of the Shadow, he is not afraid to enter; he takes the rod and staff of Scripture in his hand; he says to friend and comrade, ‘Goodbye; We Shall Meet Again’; and, confronted by that support, he goes toward the lonely pass as one who walks through darkness into light.”

*     *     *

Given the internal evidence, the external evidence, and presumption based on the testimony of billions of your fellow men and women, you must allow for the possibility that the Bible is the Word of God written, of which the Savior said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My Word shall not pass away” (emphasis mine).[4]

 © 2016 John Holbrook Jr.

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[1] Romans 3:12.

[2] Forty-four books of the Bible were written by known authors; twenty-two, by unknown authors.

[3] See “Notable Sayings About the Bible” in Halley’s Bible Handbook (1927), Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids MI, 1965, pp. 18-19.

[4] Mathew 24:35, Mark 13:31, and Luke 21:33.

by John Holbrook Jr.
A Biblical View, Blog #002 posted July 25, 2016, edited March 9, 2021.

Preamble

One of the intriguing aspects of the Scriptures is their use of a word for the first time – first in the Bible as a whole and then in a particular book of the Bible. The word’s first use invariably points to someone or something important. There is no more important word in the Bible than “love,” for it is identified with God himself, as in “God is love” (John 1:8,14). To whom in the Bible do the first uses of the word “love” point?

Genesis

The first use of the word love in the Old Testament occurs when God addresses Abraham: “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of” (KJV Genesis 18:2).

Here God is asking Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son to serve God’s purposes, which God will later do with his own Son. Abraham the father is a prefigurement of God, and Isaac the son is a prefigurement of Jesus.

Gospel of Matthew

The first use of the word love in the New Testament and in Matthew’s Gospel occurs during Jesus’ baptism: “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (KJV Matthew 3:16-17).

Later in Matthew’s Gospel, when Jesus, Peter, John, and James are up on the Mount of Transfiguration, God again identifies Jesus as his Son: “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” (KJV Matt 17:5).

On both occasions, God is identifying Jesus as his beloved son, who will be sacrificed to serve God’s purpose – the redemption of the faithful.

Gospel of Mark

The first use of the word love in Mark’s Gospel occurs during Jesus’ baptism: “And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” KJV Mark 1:10-11).

Later in Mark’s Gospel, when Jesus, Peter, John, and James are up on the Mount of Transfiguration, God again identifies Jesus as his Son: “And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him” (KJV Mark 9:7).

Again, on both occasions, God is identifying Jesus as his beloved son, who will be sacrificed to serve God’s purpose – the redemption of the faithful.

Gospel of Luke

 The first use of the word love in Luke’s Gospel occurs during Jesus’ baptism: “Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased” (KJV Luke 3:21-22).

Later in Luke’s Gospel, when Jesus, Peter, John, and James are up on the Mount of Transfiguration, God again identifies Jesus as his Son: “While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. 35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him” (KJV Luke 9:34-35).

Again, on both occasions, God identifies Jesus as his beloved son, who will be sacrificed to serve God’s purpose – the redemption of the faithful.

Gospel of John

The first use of the word love in John’s Gospel occurs when Jesus says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (KJV John 3:16-17).

Conclusion

Clearly, the first use of the word “love” in the Bible as a whole and in particular books of the Bible is being used to point us toward Jesus, God-the-Son, who went to the cross to pay for the sins of all those who would acknowledge him as their Savior and Lord.

Moreover, here is a profound indication of God’s authorship of the Bible. The first use of the word love in Genesis 22:2 is located in Genesis’s Chronicle 7 – The Generations of Isaac (see the Appendix below). Thus the six persons who wrote Genesis’s chronicles 1-6 during the 4^th and 3^rd millenniums BC avoided using the word “love” entirely. Then Isaac, who wrote his chronicle c. 1695 BC, used it first in connection with a father sacrificing his beloved son. Moses then incorporated Isaac’s chronicle in Genesis, which he wrote c. 1435 BC. Then Matthew (the tax collector), Mark (probably the young son of a Jerusalem woman in whose house Christians met for prayer), Luke (a physician), and John (probably a fisherman) wrote their Gospels between 33 and 70 AD. What possessed these 12 men, from different backgrounds and professions, writing in different times over nearly 4,000 years [1] to either avoid the use of the word “love” altogether or use it first to describe the love of a father for a son whom he was going to sacrifice to God? The only reasonable answer to these two questions is, the Holy Spirit.

I hope that you will agree: the Bible is truly God-breathed.

APPENDIX: THE DIVISIONS OF GENESIS

Genesis is the first book of the Bible. It is an historical account of the first two and a half millennia of world and human history, commencing with Creation in 0 AM = 3977 BC and ending with the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt in 2513 AM = 1464 BC.

Genesis is divided into twelve segments, which I call chronicles because of their historical nature, by eleven toledoths, which are verses that contain the phrase “…the generations of….”

For many years, I regarded and taught that toledoths mark the ends of the chronicles – that they are like signatures. In this I was following the arguments of Henry Morris in his commentary on Genesis,[2] as well as the arguments of many others. I surmise that this view arose naturally because the first toledoth – “these are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens” (Genesis 2:4) – so neatly summarizes the chronicle that precedes it (Genesis 1:1-2:3), which I call the Creation Chronicle.

Despite the foregoing, I was never entirely comfortable with the idea that toledoths are signatures. First, viewing Genesis 2:4 as a signature makes no sense to me. The Creation Chronicle should be signed by God, because he is the only person who knows what happened before the first human was created. Second, in a number of cases, the so-called signature falls in the chapter following the chronicle and the final signature even falls in the next book (Exodus). Third, this last case does not use the phrase “…the generations of….” Fourth, regarding toledoths as signatures results in attributing lengthy and important chronicles to minor figures – e.g. attributing Genesis 11:27-25:11 to Ishmael rather than to Terah – which makes little sense to me.

Recently I encountered the idea that toledoths mark the beginnings of chronicles – that they are like titles. It was proposed by Jonathan D. Sarfati in his commentary on Genesis.[3]  That makes sense to me. Moreover Sarfati persuaded me to follow him in giving the number zero to the Creation Chronicle because it lacks a toledoth. In its place is Genesis 1:1, which let us know that God created everything – seen and unseen.

Here are the twelve chronicles with my comments on them:

• • Chronicle 0 – The Creation Chronicle – – It starts in Genesis 1:1 and ends in Genesis 2:3. It describes the entire Creation Week (0 AM = 3977 BC). It must have been dictated to Adam by God. 
  • Chronicle 1 – The generations of the heavens and the earth – It starts with the toledoth in Genesis 2:4 and ends in Genesis 4:26. It describes (a) the entire Edenic Era in 0 AM = 3977 BC and (b) the Antediluvian Era from its beginning in AM 0 = 3977 BC to Enos’s birth in 235 AM = 3742 BC. It was probably written by Adam (0-930 AM = 3977-3047 BC).
  • Chronicle 2 – The generations of Adam – It starts with the toledoth in Genesis 5:1 and ends in Genesis 6:8 – It describes the period from Enos’s birth in 235 AM = 3742 BC to Noah at age 500 in 1556 AM = 2421 BC. It was probably written by Adam (0-930 AM = 3977-3047 BC).
  • Chronicle 3 – The generations of Noah – It starts with the toledoth in Genesis 6:9 and ends in Genesis 9:29 – It describes the period from Noah at age 500 in 1556 AM = 2421 BC to the ark’s landfall in 1657 AM = 2320 BC, when (a) Noah offered a sacrifice to the Lord, (b) the Lord issued the Noahic Covenant, and (c) Noah prophesied concerning his sons and their descendents. It was probably written by Noah (1056-2006 AM = 2921-1971 BC).
  • Chronicle 4 – The generations of the Sons of Noah – It starts with the toledoth in Genesis 10:1 and ends in Genesis 11:9. It describes the period from the ark’s landfall in 1657 AM = 2320 BC to the destruction of Babel and its tower c.1907 AM = 2070 BC. It was probably written by Noah (1056-2006 AM = 2921-1971 BC) or Shem (1558-2158 AM = 2419-1819 BC).[4]
  • Chronicle 5 – The generations of Shem – It starts with the toledoth in Genesis 11:10 and ends in Genesis 11:26 – It describes Shem’s descendents from Arphaxad’s birth in 1658 AM = 2319 BC to Terah at age 70 in 1948 AM = 2029 BC. It was probably written by Noah (1056-2006 AM = 2921-1971 BC) or Shem (1558-2058 AM = 2419-1819 BC).
  • Chronicle 6 – The generations of Terah – It starts with the toledoth in Genesis 11:27 and ends in Genesis 25:11. It describes the period from Terah at age 70 in 1948 AM = 2029 BC to Abraham’s death in 2183 AM = 1794 BC. It was probably written by Isaac (2048-2288 AM = 1929-1689 BC).[5]
  • Chronicle 7 – The generations of Ishmael – It starts with the toledoth in Genesis 25:12 and ends in Genesis 25:18. It describes Ishmael’s descendents from Ishmael’s birth in 2094 AM = 1883 BC to Ishmael’s death in 2231 AM = 1746 BC. It was probably written by one of Ishmael’s sons.
  • Chronicle 8 – The generations of Isaac – – It starts with the toledoth in Genesis 25:19 and ends in Genesis 35:29. It describes the period from Isaac’s birth in 2048 AM = 1929 BC to Jacob’s death in 2315 AM = 1662 BC. It was probably written by Jacob (2168-2315 AM = 1809-1662 BC) or Joseph (2259-2369 AM = 1718-1608 BC).
  • Chronicle 9 – The generations of Esau “who is Edom” – It starts with the toledoth in Genesis 36:1 and ends in Genesis 36:8. It describes the period during which Esau moved his tribe from Canaan to Mount Seir in Edom sometime after Isaac’s death in 2288 AM = 1689 BC. It was probably written by Esau (b. 2168 AM = 1809 BC) or one of his descendents.
  • Chronicle 10 – The generations of Esau as “the father of the Edomites” – It starts with the toledoth in Genesis 36:9 and ends in Genesis 37:1. It describes Esau’s descendents for several generations c. 2200-2300 AM = 1777-1677 BC. It was probably written by Esau (b. 2168 AM = 1809 BC) or one of his descendents.
  • Chronicle 11 – The generations of Jacob – It starts with the toledoth in Genesis 37:2 and ends in Genesis 50:26. It describes the period from Joseph at age 17 in 2276 AM = 1701 BC to Joseph’s death in 2369 AM = 1608 BC. It was probably written by Joseph (2259-2369 AM = 1718-1608 BC) or one of his descendents.[6]

© 2016 John Holbrook Jr.
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[1] i.e. from Adam’s later years to the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple.

[2] Morris, Henry, The Genesis Record, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids MI, 1976.

[3] Sarfati, Jonathan D., The Genesis Account, Creation Book Publishers, Powder Springs GA.

[4] The period described by this chronicle contains an importance event, the Division of the Land into continents, which probably occurred in 1756 AM = 2221 BC, when Peleg was in his mother’s womb.

[5] The period described by this chronicle contains an important event, the Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, which probably occurred in 2107 AM = 1870 BC.

[6] The period described by this chronicle contains an important event, the First Trial of Job, which probably occurred in 2310 AM = 1667 BC.