THE OLD & NEW TESTAMENTS

1. Bible History 

a) In this panoramic Bible Story, we present the important events, and gradual development of Bible History, keeping in view, throughout,  the spiritual purpose of divine revelation.

b) It exhibits a part at a time, by being unrolled before the viewer. An unobstructed or complete view in every direction; hence a comprehensive presentation to aid viewer with a better understanding of Bible History.

c) It follows the stream of the Bible narrative, so as to aid viewer in visualizing and grasping the great truths of Bible History.

2. The Bible

a) The Bible History, the purpose and aim helps us t visualize the inspired record as, "a progressive unfolding of divine revelation and truth.

b) The Bible was not given to us in one great cloudburst of revelation, but as a gradual and progressive "unfolding", sometimes centuries elapsing between the revelations given by God to Holy men. Altogether some forty persons, from all walks of life, were engaged in the writing of the sacred oracles. The work covering a period of sixteen hundred years.

c) The name "Bible", is derived from the Greek - biblia, and means "books". The Bible is indeed a book of books. Sixty-six books, yet one harmonious whole, hence, it is refereed to as "the volume of the book".

3. The Old and New Testaments

a) Testament means covenant, or the settled declaration of the will of God, which had its force in the designed death of the great testator, "the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world." (Revelation 13:8). Although the Bible is one harmonious whole, the distinction between the two parts should be noted. The mind of the "self-same Spirit" inspired the writers of both the Old and New, therefore, the whole is one utterance of God, rather than sixty-six voices speaking for Him. The Old Testament is prophetic of the New, while the New is the fulfillment of the Old. By this plan, reading the Old in the light of the New, we may realize all the deep harmonies of the two covenants. The Old Testament tells of "Christ that should come", while the New tells of "Christ that is come", thus the two revelations are one divine whole. The Old Covenant tells of God's dealings and will for man, as nations, and in secular things (things of this present world) principally. The New tells of His dealings and will with men as individuals, and in spiritual and eternal things principally. And as we study its blessed truths we shall be continually conscious of the divine one-ness of the entire sixty-six books, until the whole grows luminous with the glory of God in the face of our Lord Jesus Christ.

b) Jesus said, "In the volume of the book it is written of me". All the lines of history and type, of psalm and prophecy, coverage towards one center, Jesus Christ. And to one supreme event, His death and resurrection. For the convenience of study it might be said, that the Bible deals principally with One Family - Abraham and his seed. One Nation - Israel. One Theme - Salvation. One Person - Christ. One Purpose - John 20:31, "These were written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name.

4. The Original Languages of the Bible

a) When Abram left his native land and came to Canaan, he necessarily ceased to use the old Semitic Babylonian language, and adopted the language of the people amongst whom he had come to settle and to dwell. Just as the language of the Hebrews fell into disuse during the time of their captivity in Babylon, with the adoption of the language of the land, which was Chaldean, or Aramaic.