Parable of the Talents Matthew 25

This type of study illustrates how you can easily uncover information most people take for granted. We will take a look at a very familiar and often studied parable and list the common interpretation. From there we will look at the Bible to see if the common interpretation agrees with what we have learned.

KJV Matthew 25:15-18
15. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
16. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
17. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
18. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.

Here we have what is commonly referred to as the parable of the talents. When asked, most people insist the talents represent spiritual gifts. How do we know this is an accurate interpretation? The most common answer I receive is, “everyone knows that.” Chances are this is exactly what is going through your mind. This is exactly what went through my mind. I never considered investigating this until someone questioned me on the text.

My first step in researching this type of question is to look at the definition of the word talent. The first step is to look up the Strong’s number for the word. Using the literal translation of the verse locate the Strong’s number for the word number corresponding to the Greek dictionary.

LIT Matthew 25:15
15. |2532| and |3739| to one |3303| indeed |1325| he gave |4002| five |5007| talents. |3739| to one |1161| And |1417| two |9999| {talents}. |3739| to one |1161| And |1520| one |9999| {talent}. |1538| To each |2596| by |3588| the |2398| own |1411| ability, |2532| and |0589| went abroad |2112| immediately.

The word talent is word number 5007. Locate this number in the Greek dictionary. Old Testament words are found in the Hebrew dictionary. New Testament words are found in the Greek dictionary.

Talent is word number 5007:

Strong’s Ref. # 5007 talanton Pronounced tal’-an-ton
neuter of a presumed derivative of the original form of tlao (to bear; equivalent to GSN5342); a balance (as supporting weights), i.e. (by implication) a certain weight (and thence a coin or rather sum of money) or “talent”:

By definition a talent is a sum of money. The next step is to look at other texts the word talent is used to see if it has a spiritual meaning. After reviewing other text I found the word talent is always used in reference to either money or a weight. The word talent simply means money. It has no spiritual meaning or literal connection to gifts. So where did this relationship between a talent (money) and spiritual gifts come from?

While looking at this text one phrase jumped out at me, “according to his several ability.” Since I was already in the literal translation I took a look at the word ability.

Strong’s Ref. # 1411 dunamis Pronounced doo’-nam-is
from GSN1410; force (literally or figuratively); specially, miraculous power (usually by implication, a miracle itself):

The word ability sheds all the light we need on this subject. There is no connection between talents (money) and spiritual gifts. The connection to gifts comes from the word ability which means, “miraculous power or miracle.”

KJV 1 Peter 4:11
11. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

I can see how someone, long ago may have found this connection between our abilities and miracles. I can understand how they would have arrived at a connection between these abilities and spiritual gifts. It may have been more than 100 years ago when the first sermon was preached on the abilities in the parable of talents representing spiritual gifts. It is quite ironic that the origin of this sermon and knowledge of its originator has been lost, yet the sermon has been repeated for many years. Over the years the original sermon may have changed, but the original meaning of the parable has remained intact. Over time, someone changed the meaning of the sermon to indicate the talents represent spiritual gifts and not the abilities. I doubt if anyone has the ability to show how money is connected to spiritual gifts. People began accepting the connection between money and spiritual gifts and it became the accepted interpretation. It turns out the true connection is located in the same parable only a few words away. Maybe there is a message in this arrangement.

From this I can see why preachers refer to spiritual gifts when they teach on the parable of the talents. It is not the talents, or money God is interested in but the ability He is able to develop. Are we using our abilities to the fullest?

It is not the talents or money that represent spiritual gifts, it is the ability that should be the focal point of the sermon. We are given gifts from God. It does not matter if these gifts are physical or spiritual, if we do not use them they will be wasted and taken away. But if we share our gifts with others, we can never imagine the returns we may receive. When we exercise our gifts, God will give us the ability to perform miracles.

KJV Matthew 13:23
23. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Luke 9:27 See the Kingdom of God

Did Peter John and James see Heaven without dying? Jesus said they would see the kingdom of God. Is this the same as Heaven, or is there a difference?

KJV Luke 9:27

27. But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.

Some people think that this verse is saying that Jesus is telling the disciples that some of them will go to Heaven without dying. This verse illustrates one of the rules of Bible interrelation. You can view these rules at the following web site: http://hystar.wordpress.com/category/study-references/ This rules suggests that if the understanding of the verse is difficult, look further in that book of the Bible to see if there is an explanation.

It turns out there is an explanation immediately following.

KJV Luke 9:28-31

28. And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.

29. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

30. And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:

31. Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

Peter and John and James went into a mountain to pray with Jesus where they experienced a vision. In that vision they saw Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah. This is what Jesus referred to as the kingdom of God. Both Moses and Elijah were taken to Heaven. We see the proof in the following text.

KJV Jude 1:9

9. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

KJV 2 Kings 2:11

11. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

Peter and John and James did not see Heaven but they were allowed to see Moses and Elijah. Moses represents all of those that will be risen from the dead to enter Heaven. Elijah represents all those that will go to Heaven while they are still alive.

KJV 1 Corinthians 15:51-54

51. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

KJV Romans 6:5

5. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

A Study into the Number Four

Four

To often I see the number 4 interpreted only as light. It is simple to see the number 4 being a representation of light. But God made the Bible to be under stood down through the ages. With a greater part of the light to be given in these last days of earth’s history.

It is true that 4 does represent light. But it goes so much further then that. It also answers the question, what is this light. And what is the purpose of that light? Who has this light?

To dig deep into the Bible, the guide book from God, answers all of these questions. The Bible was written to be read, and read again. Studied from cover to cover. To be the bread of life. The beginning of all understanding. The living water. A guide to the very throne of God. His purpose, His plan, His love and understanding.

The Bible reveals the way God works in all of our lives. And so very much more. It tells of the personal relationship God wants to have with each one of us. And with the aid of the Holy Spirit, each verse is tailor written for each individual.

Creation

KJV Genesis 1:14-19

14. And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

15. And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

16. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

17. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

18. And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

19. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

The lights (there were 2 of them) were given to this world on the 4th day. Now notice that there were 2 lights given. One to rule the day. The other to rule the night. There is some symbolic meaning to each. Revelation 21:25. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. Is this linked to the fact there will be no night on earth in the new City of Jerusalem when Christ comes down from Heaven?

The Temple Design

KJV Exodus 25:12

12. And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.

KJV Exodus 26:31-32

31. And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:

32. And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of Shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.

KJV Exodus 27:1-2

1. And thou shalt make an altar of Shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits.

2. And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass.

KJV Exodus 27:16

16. And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework: and their pillars shall be four, and their sockets four.

KJV Exodus 28:15-21

15. And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.

16. Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof.

17. And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row.

18. And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.

19. And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.

20. And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings.

21. And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.

Is it by chance that so many aspects of the Temple were designed using the number 4? The ark and the table of shew bread used 4 golden rings. The vail was supported by 4 hooks of gold. Psalms 119:127. Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. Proverbs 8:17. I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. 18. Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. 19. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. 20. I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: 21. That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures. Gold often represents the commandments of God. Gold also represents knowledge and understanding of God. In so many ways the temple is a sign if Christ and His sacrifice. If the temple is a sign of Christ, could the number 4 be a sign of Christ?

The number 3 is the sign of the trinity. What number or sign would most likely follow the sign of God?

One interesting point about the temple. Consider for a moment the 4 pillars at the entrance to the court. There are 4 pillars. Between those 4 pillars there would have been 3 openings. One each for the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

KJV 1 Kings 6:1

1. And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord.

KJV 1 Kings 6:37

37. In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the Lord laid, in the month Zif:

The number 4 here is also used to indicate the beginning of the building of Solomon’s temple.

Relationship to 12

KJV 1 Kings 18:33-34

33. And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.

34. And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.

We see that Elijah commanded that 4 barrels be used to soak the sacrifice with water. This was done 3 times for a total of 12 barrels. The same number as the tribes of Israel. Elijah also repaired the alter of the Lord. In Exodus Moses builds an alter out of 12 pillars. Joshua also builds a monument to the crossing of the Jordan using 12 stones.

Earth

KJV Isaiah 11:12

12. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

KJV Ezekiel 7:2

2. Also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God unto the land of Israel; An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land.

KJV Ezekiel 37:9-11

9. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

10. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

11. Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.

Three times the number 4 is mentioned in reference to the earth. Or the wind upon the earth. I have also seen the number 4 used as a symbol of the earth based on these verses.

Ezekiel uses the 4 winds in reference to the resurrection. And makes it clear that the bones represent the whole house of Israel. Not only in reference to a certain time, or even the land of Israel, but the whole house of Israel.

4 in Heaven

KJV Ezekiel 1:5-6

5. Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.

6. And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.

KJV Ezekiel 1:9-11

9. Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.

10. As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.

11. Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.

KJV Ezekiel 1:14-17

14. And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

15. Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.

16. The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.

17. When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.

KJV Revelation 4:6

6. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

KJV Revelation 5:6

6. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

KJV Revelation 5:14

14. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

These are 2 of the strangest scenes in the Bible. Ezekiel’s vision of Heaven with the 4 creatures and John’s revelation of the 4 beasts in Heaven. Imagine being in the place of Ezekiel or John. Seeing things that no one has ever seen before. Being in the very presence of God and the holy angels. How would you describe this. Or a better question may be, is how did those that have translated the Bible envision these things? Neither one of them seemed to be able to clearly explain what these creatures actually were or what they stood for. In Ezekiel the 4 faces seem to be a reference to Christ. Christ has been symbolized as the son of man, a lion and an eagle. The ox were also used in the design of the temple of Solomon. But these creatures are seen by John in front of the Lamb, Christ. Why would Christ be surrounded by 4 creatures symbolizing Him? Could these beasts rather be symbolizing fallen man? A constant reminder in Heaven of man and his struggles?

One other reference to the number 4 in Ezekiel is the 4 wheels. Notice that one wheel is upon the earth. That would leave 3 in Heaven. Is this the indication that the number 4 is a representation of the connection between God and man? A connection between Heaven and earth?

The connection between God and Man

KJV Daniel 3:25

25. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

Did you ever wonder, where was Daniel during all of this? Sure, the king calls every noble out of every corner of his kingdom to attend this service. But the number 2 guy in charge of all this is some how missing. Now we all know that if Daniel was present, they would have been casting 4 people into the oven. And they would have seen 5 people walking in the fire. But no! God arranges things so that that there are 4 people walking in the flames. And the fourth is Christ. Our savior and intercessor to God. Our faith and our salvation. The only way to heaven is the belief in Christ and His sacrifice. Christ is our connection between man and God.

Angels

KJV Zechariah 6:1-8

1. And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass.

2. In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;

3. And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses.

4. Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord?

5. And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.

6. The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country.

7. And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth.

8. Then cried he upon me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country.

KJV Matthew 24:31

31. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

These 2 verses refer to the angels of Heaven that aid the people of this earth. Here again the number 4 is used to represent, the angels, or spirits and then again man, the elect.

The Resurrection

KJV John 11:39

39. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

There were other reasons for Jesus waiting until Lazarus was dead 4 days before raising him from the dead. But is this a connection or link to the resurrection?

A Call To All Men

KJV Acts 10:11

11. And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:

This is Peter’s vision that confirmed that the gospel was to go out to all the world. That was God’s original plan. To save the whole world so that not one was lost. But God’s plan was lost to tradition. Laws of men were taught instead of the simple law of God. Those that were given the commission to take the word of God to the world were to obsessed in keeping up their social status to worry about the true nature of God’s laws. After all. The easiest way for the leaders to elevate their status was to make the people believe that they were much lower. Many times God uses the measuring line as a symbol. That measuring line is the law. The only one to keep that law in full has been Jesus. So He alone holds the right to claim the position of High Priest. The Jewish priests liked to think that they were that measuring line. But in this we can only see how much the ways of men differ from the ways of God. The Jewish priests could only feel comfortable by keeping their followers as many notches below them as they could. But Christ does everything in His power to raise us up higher. Closer to the measuring line He has set. We can never reach the same mark set by Christ. But when the time of judgment comes, there He is standing in our place.

The deception.

KJV Daniel 2:40

40. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.

KJV Daniel 7:3

3. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

The 4 beasts if Daniel came up from people. Revelation 17:15. And he said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the harlot is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. How can anything from man represent what Heaven has done? In 4 attempts to conquer the world man has failed. A study of each of these results in nothing more then a list of weaknesses that man time and time again has fallen victim to. There is a saying that goes something like this. If we do not learn from history we are doomed to repeat it. How many of our leaders today are making the same mistakes each of these world conquerors has made?

KJV Daniel 7:17

17. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.

KJV Daniel 8:8

8. Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.

KJV Daniel 11:4

4. And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.

KJV Amos 1:13

13. Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border:

KJV Amos 2:4

4. Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the Lord, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked:

KJV Revelation 6:7-8

7. And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

8. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

To follow a false connection with Heaven. To follow a false redeemer can only lead to one result. Death and Hell. These deceptions live in the heart of every human. There is only one release from them. The truth. The true Redeemer. Jesus and the free gift of eternal life He holds out to each of us.

KJV Revelation 8:12

12. And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.

To follow any one of these false sacrifices is to walk in darkness. The return of Jesus is sure and certain. The work of salvation is His and His alone. A man can not change his own heart. For there is no good that a man knows, except for what has been given by the Father.

KJV Revelation 9:13-15

13. And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,

14. Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.

15. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

KJV Revelation 15:7

7. And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.

KJV Revelation 16:8-9

8. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.

9. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

A misunderstanding of God is what makes man blame God for everything that goes wrong. To often it is far to easy to try and think you have total control of a situation. Only to have your plans go along for a while and then, before your very eyes, have everything crumble. How often do you take the time to look back and pray about your actions? I am always surprised when I look back and pray about situations that did not work out. I am always reminded of the story of Job. Job lost more then I ever will. But in the end, after all the talking and speculation was over. And look close. They did blame a lot of what happened on God. Well okay, they spent how many chapters blaming God for everything. But where was God in all this? Where was God when Job really needed Him? Well the last few chapters answer that question. God was right there. He heard everything. And how did God react to all this? And don’t forget, God was being blamed for everything. God taught Job the secrets of the universe. God showed Job things he had never imagined. Through every trial we face. God is always there. And through every trial God will give us knowledge to over come our trials. God doesn’t want us making mistakes. And He especially doesn’t want to sit by and watch us get hurt by the same thing a second time. An understanding of God will show us our mistakes. And return to us blessings beyond what we could possibly imagine. His forgiveness is always there for us. All we need to do is ask. And listen with an open heart to the lessons He really wants to teach us.

It always seems with every study I do, that for every sign, symbolic meaning, and hope that God gives us, to lead us back to Him, there is a deception. Satan reads the Bible. He knows to well all of the ways God is going to try and reach each of us. And Satan is always hard at work making a number of counterfeits for each of the truths God has. False sacrifices. Fasle worship. Self pride and relience on yourself are only some of the tricks Satan has devised. But each of these deceptions lead only to death, destruction and the breaking of God’s law. When we learn the truth about God and the plan He has for us, we can easily spot these deceptions. We understand why we face trials. And we come out of these trials much stronger. With the help of Christ we draw much closer to God.

Conclusion:

We see that the number 4 was given significance at creation. And at creation God created light on the fourth day. If we take the light given to us by the Bible we can see the connection shown to us through the temple design given to Moses during the Exodus. Through the temple we can see a promise of a Savior and a relationship between God and man. Christ is the one intercessor between God and man. And His holy angels are the connection between us and Heaven. The number 4 shows that connection between God and man. The light. The living water. The Commander of the angels in Heaven. And the Lord of our resurrection.

A few notes:

The lamp design used in the temple had 7 lamps. It does not matter from which side you start counting from, the number 4 is always in the center.

Also, the 10 commandments written by the finger of God were written on 2 sides of 2 tablets of stone. Four sides in all. Why? So that no matter which side you face them, no matter which side you lay them down, the law is still facing you.

Jesus in the Old Testament

KJV Genesis 3:14-15

14. And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

KJV Genesis 49:10

10. The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

KJV Numbers 6:13

13. And this is the law of the Nazarite, when the days of his separation are fulfilled: he shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:

KJV Judges 13:5

5. For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no rasor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

KJV Psalms 18:1-7

1. I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.

2. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

3. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

4. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.

5. The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.

6. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

7. Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.

KJV Psalms 19:4-5

4. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,

5. Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.

KJV Psalms 22:1

1. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

KJV Psalms 22:10-31

10. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly.

11. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

12. Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.

13. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

14. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

15. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

16. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

17. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.

18. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

19. But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.

20. Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.

21. Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

22. I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

23. Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.

24. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.

25. My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.

26. The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.

27. All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

28. For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and he is the governor among the nations.

29. All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.

30. A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

31. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

KJV Psalms 30:1-3

1. I Will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.

2. O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.

3. O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

KJV Psalms 35:10-27

10. All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?

11. False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.

12. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.

13. But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

14. I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.

15. But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:

16. With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.

17. Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.

18. I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.

19. Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.

20. For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.

21. Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.

22. This thou hast seen, O Lord: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.

23. Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.

24. Judge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.

25. Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.

26. Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.

27. Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.

KJV Psalms 41:9

9. Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.

KJV Psalms 69:20-21

20. Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.

21. They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

KJV Psalms 78:1-7

1. Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

3. Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

4. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

5. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:

6. That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:

7. That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

KJV Psalms 78:20

20. Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?

KJV Psalms 89:25-28

25. I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.

26. He shall cry unto me, thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

27. Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.

28. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.

KJV Psalms 91:11-15

11. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

14. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

15. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

KJV Psalms 110:1

1. The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

KJV Psalms 110:4

4. The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

KJV Psalms 118:19-24

19. Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord:

20. This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter.

21. I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.

22. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

23. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.

24. This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

KJV Isaiah 7:14-15

14. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

15. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

KJV Isaiah 9:6

6. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

KJV Isaiah 11:1-5

1. And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

2. And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;

3. And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

4. But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

5. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

KJV Isaiah 11:10

10. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

KJV Isaiah 28:16

16. Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

KJV Isaiah 40:3-5

3. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

4. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

5. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

KJV Isaiah 40:11

11. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

KJV Isaiah 42:1-7

1. Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

2. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

3. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

4. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

5. Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

6. I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

7. To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

KJV Isaiah 42:21

21. The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.

KJV Isaiah 49:16

16. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

KJV Isaiah 49:22

22. Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

KJV Isaiah 50:6

6. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

KJV Isaiah 52:3

3. For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.

KJV Isaiah 52:13-15

13. Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

14. As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:

15. So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

KJV Isaiah 53:1-12

1. Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

2. For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

3. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

6. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

8. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

9. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

10. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

12. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

KJV Isaiah 61:1-3

1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

2. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

3. To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

KJV Isaiah 65:9

9. And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.

KJV Jeremiah 4:31

31. For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.

KJV Jeremiah 23:4-6

4. And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord.

5. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

6. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

KJV Jeremiah 31:15

15. Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.

KJV Daniel 11:45

45. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

KJV Hosea 11:1

1. When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

KJV Micah 5:2

2. But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

KJV Zechariah 6:12-13

12. And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The Branch; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord:

13. Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

KJV Zechariah 8:22-23

22. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord.

23. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.

KJV Zechariah 9:9-10

9. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

10. And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.

KJV Zechariah 12:10

10. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

KJV Zechariah 13:1

1. In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.

KJV Malachi 2:4-7

4. And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.

5. My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.

6. The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.

7. For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.

KJV Malachi 3:1-4

1. Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.

2. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:

3. And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

4. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

Bible 101

There are as many ways to study the Bible as there are translations. Please forgive me if I miss your favorite method. I do not consider myself an expert on Bible study or a theologian by any measure. I will try to compile a short list here that will supply a couple of different alternatives.

Regardless of what type of study you choose there is one law of study that remains true. Bible study must always begin with prayer. Only the Holy Spirit can reveal the hidden treasures of the Bible. An open heart seeking after God will always receive a blessing no matter what method is used. The Bible is the living word of God. The God of the universe control every sun, planet and their courses. The Lord controls every atom. If God wants you to find a truth the Lord will find a way to present that truth to you. It is your decision to spend the time seeking the truth and your decision on what to do with that truth when it is found.

KJV Joel 2:28-32

28. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

29. And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

30. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

31. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.

32. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.

Symbolic Word Study

This is a study approach that recognizees spiritual words within the Bible and uses the Bible to explain these terms. Spiritual words can often be found in scripture when the subject text does not agree with physical laws.

KJV Daniel 8:5

5. And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.

As we know it is not physically possible for a goat to fly, we can determine that this goat is a spiritual symbol. We are only able to find the spiritual meaning of this goat by comparing Biblical scripture with scripture.

KJV Daniel 8:21

21. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

See Seven Steps to Doing Your Own Bible Studies, Word Studies, Parable of the Sower Explains how to Study the Bible and EZ Bible Study for detailed examples.

Reading the Bible

This is by far the oldest and simplest method of Bible study. The Bible may be read from cover to cover over any span of time or system. Bible study should not be completed on a tightly regulated schedule which resembles a strict diet. Otherwise the goal of reading through the Bible will generally fail like any aggressive diet. You need to be able to forgive yourself, take a break, fall behind and catch up if you wish. Do not fall behind in your reading schedule and attempt to catch up by flying through a few chapters. The key to studying the Bible through scheduled reading is not seen the first or second time through the Bible. The results are seen only after repeated readings. That is when you will begin to see comparisons between text that help to explain the Bible. As you gain experience reading the Bible you will begin to see more and more of the Bible explained by itself. As you continue to read your mind will be constantly going back over text that will help to reveal a deeper meaning to the text you are reading. You will develop the ability to see deeper into sermons that use Bible text as references. When the preacher states a text or two to reinforce a point your mind will be recalling another four text to drive home the point and make an impression on your heart and mind.

You may also read the Bible at random. Read through an entire book in a day or two. Open the Bible at random and read a few chapters at a sitting. Any method of reading gets these text off of the pages into your memory. You can also use any combination of a structured or random study.

Study Group

Joining a study group may be what some people need to motivate themselves. Often times a study group may meet for a set amount of time to study doctrine and that is it. This may seem good on the surface but this does not fit the term study. This is more like teaching. There is a difference. A Bible study must be entered into without a predetermined result being the goal of the study. Often times Bible studies are given with a predetermined result established before the study begins. How does this leave the door open for the Holy Spirit to come in and have a real influence on the subject of the participants?

A group study can use different methods to study as long as the study is not done to verify a point a originator wants to prove. Subjects should be chosen that the students are seeking answers for and not confirmation. The mind and heart need to be open to what the Spirit reveals.

Subject Study

Any subject can be studied in the Bible by simply searching the Bible by the use of a concordance or by using a search program on a computer. Once the text are gathered they can be reviewed, rearranged and studied. Some of these subjects may include the sanctuary, Bible characters, events, prophesy, salvation, law, sin, the flood or any other subject that interests you.

Following is a list of subjects you may consider for study.

Angel

Anoint

Ark

Baptism

Babylon

Blood

Bread

Christ

Commandments

Death

Devil

Forgiveness

God

Heaven

Lamb

Light

Lion

Love

Prophet

Prophesy

Resurrection

Chronological Study

There have been many chronological studies completed on the Bible. This type of study requires a great deal of organization, a solid back ground on history and an impeccable memory.

Reference Chain Study

Did you ever notice those little references in the middle or bottom of the page? These are verse references that tell you other text that are related to the same subject. You can go from reference to reference in a form of a study to see where it leads you.

What materials will you need to conduct Bible studies? Number one you will need a Bible. The only other book that you will need is a Concordance for the Bible translation you are using. A Concordance is a collection of every word in the Bible that lists every verse that the word is used in. The Concordance also contains Hebrew and Greek dictionaries where you can check on the original definition of a word. You can use the Concordance to look up a word that you do not understand in a verse. If the dictionary does not help you understand the meaning of the text you can look at other text that use that word and see if these other text help explain the meaning of text in question. This is a simple word study.

You may also want to use a Bible computer program to quickly look up, copy, collect, study and file text. Over the past 20 years I have compiled over 300 studies. That is nearly one study a month. Before the computer came along it used to take hours or days to compile a single study. With the use of a computer the time to do a study has been greatly reduced. Where text used to be copied by hand, text can now be quickly copied by a few strokes and clicks of a mouse. The program I use costs about $10 and has a special feature that allows me to highlight the text I want to copy, click on an icon at the bottom of the screen and not only the text, but the Book title, chapter and verse are placed at the top of the text. All that information is placed in a text document that can be opened, copied and placed in your word document program. Please contact me if you want more information about this product.

Your comments on other types of Bible Study are welcome.

Revelation 1 A Word Study

Revelation 1:
1.  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

The words here specify who this testimony comes from.  It was given to Jesus Christ from God and delivered unto John by an angel and from John to the servants of Jesus.  The text also specifies that these things will come to pass shortly, after John’s time.

2.  Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
3.  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Here again the words are repeated, that the Revelation of Jesus Christ is at hand.

4.  John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

Seven

Here is introduced one of many times that the number seven is used in Revelation.  The one most significant use of the number seven is found in the story of creation.  KJV Genesis 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.  This day held so much significance that it is also mentioned in the law of God.  KJV Exodus 20:10  But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11.  For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.  The number seven is mentioned numerous times in the festivals handed down to Israel.  (Exodus 23:11, Deuteronomy 16:3, Deuteronomy 16:13)  The number seven was also used as the day of release.  (Deuteronomy 15:9)  And in the fall of  Jericho there were 7 priest blowing 7 trumpets marching around the city for 7 days.  What other source could all these references to the number seven be pointing to other then the seventh day, the seal of the Lord.

Giving the promise of the seven spirits at the beginning of Revelation also has it’s significance, because the sprit of God is understanding and knowledge.  KJV Exodus 31:3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,KJV 1 Samuel 10:6 And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.  KJV Proverbs 20:27 The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.  KJV Isaiah 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2.  And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;

4.  John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
5.  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6.  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

In verse 4 John is introducing the first and second members of the Trinity, God and the Holy Spirit.  John is ensuring the seven churches that  grace is being given to “them from Him which is… And from the seven Spirits.”  Verse 5 also begins with the word “and” to pull the three together.  Verse 5 then mentions Jesus by name and by deed.  Jesus the one third of the Godhead that came down to this earth to tell this world about the Father.  It took the very death of Jesus to show the world the true character of God.  KJV John 3:16  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.

6.  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
7.  Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. 8.  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Behold He cometh denotes an action that is to happen in the future.  Because Jesus has not yet come, then neither has every eye seen Him.  In other words all of those that are dead have not yet seen Jesus.

9.  I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Here is simply given the location of the vision John had received.  In addition to the location given (this was written from a Roman prison) the fact that John was a fellow sufferer ( brother and companion) of persecution is also made clear.  Notice that John has made it clear that this letter was written on the Isle of Patmos.  That he was there “for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.”  This explains the insight John had in understanding why he had to suffer in prison while serving God.  Without experiencing the same trials the people of the day were facing, how could John properly relate to them, or those of future generations.

10.  I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

Spirit

What does it mean to be “in the Spirit”?  John was not the only one in the Bible to be in the Spirit.  Here is what Isaiah says about the Spirit.  KJV Isaiah 61:1  The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2.  To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3.  To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.
According to Isaiah, to be in the Spirit of the Lord is to bring hope and happiness to all those that believe.  Why is it that Revelation is written about so much as the book of woe?  Is it that truth does not sell?  Does taking these words of God and putting the interpretations of man upon them make them more interesting?  Is it far more exciting to read of the anguish and destruction of others?  Do we only want to see the negative spin that man has put on the word of God?  Are we all becoming once more like the Jews?  Writing rule after rule for 10 simple commandments of God and volumes that scarcely describe what God is really trying to say to us?   In my eyes the book of Revelation is not a book of woe, but a book of hope.  The final book of the promise of God.

Lord’s Day

Here is a point of controversy.  Some may say that the “Lord’s day”  is speaking of the first day of the week.  No where else in the Bible is the first day of the week refereed to as the Lord’s day.  Letting the Bible explain what the “Lord’s day” is best done by the prophet Isaiah.  Just to include a few verses where the day of the Lord is mentioned.

KJV Isaiah 13:6.  Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7.  Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt: 8.  And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. 9.  Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. 10.  For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.

KJV Isaiah 27:1  In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.

KJV Isaiah 34:8.  For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion. 9.  And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. 10.  It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.

Without reservation I would conclude that the Lord’s day is the day of His return.  No where does the Bible mention that Sunday is the Lord’s day.  There may be a bit of controversy regarding the events surrounding the day of the Lord.  Some text may tend to lean towards the day Jesus returns to take home His followers.  Others may with out a doubt indicate the day that evil is forever vanquished from the earth.  That in itself would be a lengthy study that could lead down many roads.  The best approach in that situation is to simply remind ourselves, that not a single one of us has seen that day.  And once we are all there, we will know the truth concerning that matter.

11.  Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

We now have mention of the seven churches.  Because Revelation is a book of prophesy, the names of these churches could have many meanings.  They all do have a significant physical meaning because each church at the time Revelation was written the seven churches were all facing significant persecution at the hand of Roman Empire.  And John is instructed to send a copy of these letters to each of the seven churches.  They could also have a historical meaning.  Each church may hold a key to a time prophesy.  Or each letter could also hold a parable meaning.  In which case each letter would carry warnings and promises that would hold a different, yet significant meaning for each individual or church, throughout the ages.

We also see a description similar to that given in verse 4 (him which is, and which was, and which is to come) but here the words are I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.  John is using different words with the same meaning.  In verse 4 the words must refer to God because verse 5 introduces Jesus by name.  Verse 18 explains who is actually being referred to in verse 11.  18.  I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.   This of course can describe no other then Jesus.  KJV Hebrews 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;  KJV Revelation 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
So why a different set of words to use the same description for both God and Jesus?  Are they in fact one of the same?  Is Jesus indeed “God among us”?

12.  And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
13.  And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 14.  His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 15.  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 16.  And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 17.  And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 18.  I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. 19.  Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; 20.  The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Here we see none other then Jesus walking among the 7 candles and also holding the seven stars which are the spirits of the seven churches.  Are all of these sevens to draw our minds back to the seven days of creation and remember that God did create the world and holds the power to once again, make all things new.

Sword

Now here is another interesting symbol, the two edged sword.  What does the Bible have to say about a sword?

KJV Deuteronomy 33:29.  Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.  Here we see that the Lord is the shield of Israel, His people.  And the question is asked of them.  “Who is your sword”?  We also see that the enemies will be found to be liars.

KJV Psalms 55:21.  The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.  KJV Psalms 57:4.  My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.   In Psalms, David explains that the words and the tongue are symbolized by a sword.

KJV Ephesians 6:17.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:  KJV Hebrews 4:12.  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  Can the Bible be any clearer than this?  The sword is the word of God.  Take the time while reading the Bible to put this symbolism into other text.  When the Lord destroys with the sword, is it a sword in the hand of the Lord, or a person sent by God?  Or is it the truth, the word of God that destroys the people?

Candlestick

The seven churches and the seven angels that watch over them are a promise from God for hope for the future in all generations.  That is why Jesus is seen among the candle sticks (churches).

So what is the meaning of the candle sticks?  Why use a candle stick to symbolize a church?  KJV Exodus 35:14  The candlestick also for the light, and his furniture, and his lamps, with the oil for the light,  Plain and simple enough.  A candlestick is for light.  But the light itself is a symbol.  KJV Matthew 5:15.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.  It makes perfect sense to see Jesus walking among the candlesticks.  Jesus needs to be among them so that it is His light that shines forth.  How else can the churches show the light of Jesus, unless He is among them?

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Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink Matt 20:22

KJV Matthew 20:22-23
22.  But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. 23.  And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

What is the cup Jesus is referring to?  Jesus is making this comment in reference to the question posed by, “the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons”.  She asked if her sons could sit at Jesus’ side in the kingdom.  We know this is not the cup Jesus offered at the last supper but we will take a look at that cup also.  This cup must have a spiritual meaning, to find that spiritual meaning we need to look at how the word cup is used in other text within the Bible.

KJV 1 Corinthians 10:21
21.  Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.

There is a cup of the Lord and another cup that is the devils.  To understand the spiritual meaning of these two cups we need to find text describing each.  First we will look at the cup of the Lord and then we can compare what we have learned to information we find describing the cup of the devil.

KJV Mark 14:23-25
23.  And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. 24.  And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. 25.  Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.

In the book of Mark we first see the cup used at the last supper that contains, “my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.”  Jesus told he sons of Zebedee that they will drink of His cup.  Since Jesus died preaching the gospel does this mean that they will also die for the gospel?  This is a very common perception of this text, but is it supported by the Bible?

KJV Mark 14:36
36.  And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.

Mark goes on to show us that this was a very difficult cup for Jesus to accept.  Is this the same cup Jesus was referring to with the disciples?  This may be why Jesus may have been reluctant to pass this cup onto the sons of Zebedee?  Is it significant that they asked for this cup?  Is there are factors we need to consider based on the fact it was their mother that made the request?  Based on the text examined thus far it would appear that the cup represents trials faced when preaching the gospel.  This would not be far from the truth.  Looking back at Mark 14:24 we see that the cup contained the, “blood of the new testament, which is shed for many”  We also need to look for a verse that provides a deeper understanding.

KJV Psalms 116:13
13.  I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.

Psalms calls it a cup of salvation.  The cup that the disciples were to share in was the salvation made possible by the blood shed by Jesus.  Notice that  Jesus offered the disciples the cup containing His “blood of the new testament, which is shed for many” at the last supper.  The mother of Zebedee’s children asked for special positions in the kingdom for her children.  We know that this was on the hearts of all the disciples, whether or not they verbally asked for it.  At the last supper, “there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.”  KJV Luke 22:24   The study of the cup also shows that this path will not always be an easy one to follow.  The question is, how many of these trials are we bringing upon ourselves?  The fact remains, even if we did turn to God with all our hearts and all our minds, we would be a special target for Satan.  The conflict we are involved in explains a lot about the trials we face and those we do not face.

Since we have found that the cup of the Lord represents salvation we can now have the Bible show us what the cup of the devil represents.  The best place to begin is at the most widely known verse.

KJV Revelation 17:4-6
4.  And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 5.  And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6.  And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

When we consider the fact that the cup of the Lord represents salvation we can realize a very significant detail of this verse in Revelation.  The woman’s cup is filled with, “abominations and filthiness of her fornication” and not the blood of the saints.  It does not give us any details of how the woman drank the blood of the saints.  We have to remember the drunkenness is of a spiritual nature and therefore requires attention to detail.

KJV Psalms 11:6
6.  Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.

Once again Psalms will give us a vivid explanation of the contents of the devil’s cup.  The books of Psalms and Proverbs contain a vast number of key word descriptions.  As you study you will find it easier to recognize verses that contain the spiritual meaning to key words.  It takes time and practice.  That is the key to Bible study, becoming familiar with the books, verses, writing styles and history contained within the Bible.  This is all information God wants us to retain.  God created us as eternal being.  We still have the capacity to retain more information than what many of us give ourselves credit for.  The fact is we will live for all eternity and we may have the opportunity to visit other planets.  As vast as the solar system is and considering God would not want us to ever forget one single detail is proof enough that we have the capability to retain much more knowledge than we could ever consider possible.

KJV Matthew 23:25-27
25.  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26.  Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27.  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.

What do you think Jesus meant when He made this statement to the Pharisees?  Do you think He was referring to the evil contents of the devil’s cup.  Can that cup be washed?  Consider the spiritual application of water.  Think of the physical aspects of this text.  Would you eat from a bowl that is washed only on the outside?  What would this be saying to your senses of sight, smell and touch?  Every time you would use that bowl it would become more and more disgusting.  Isn’t that what sin really is, building one little thing upon another?

Clay Psalms 31:12

KJV Psalms 31:12
12.  I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.

I have long wondered how man can be a broken vessel, and still be reformed like clay.  When a vessel of clay is fired, there is no power on earth that can make it soft again, so that it can be reformed.  Of course, all things are possible with God the creator.

But then this thought finally occurred to me.  We are formed vessels, all of our lives.  And we can be cracked and broken.  And we can also be reformed.  We are tried through the fire.  And we are not tried by no other then through the watchful eye of the Lord.  That is where we are hardened.

Before we are hardened by the fire, we are offered the living water the word of God.  When we accept this water, it will soften the clay.  Allowing the potter to reshape us.  It is after we are shaped in his image, that we enter the fires.

KJV Job 10:9
9.  Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?

KJV Job 33:6
6.  Behold, I am according to thy wish in God’s stead: I also am formed out of the clay.

KJV Isaiah 64:8
8.  But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

KJV Jeremiah 18:4-6
4.  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
5.  Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
6.  O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

KJV Romans 9:21
21.  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?