​THE BIBLE’S UNIQUE DESIGN

Ten Reasons to Trust the Bible –

​Reason 1

The Bible has a “unique” design. Indeed, it is one-of-a-kind — like no other book that has ever been written. There is nothing like it and it has no equal. This can be seen in a number of ways:

1. It Was Fifteen Hundred Years in the Making
From the composition of the first biblical book until the last, a period of about fifteen hundred years elapsed. The Old Testament was written between 1400 and 400 B.C. The books of the New Testament were written from approximately A.D. 40 to A.D. 90.

Thus, we have about fifteen hundred years from the writing of the first book to the composition of the last book.

2. The Bible Was Written by Many Authors from Various Occupations
Thousands of years ago, God chose certain men to receive His divine Words and then record them for humanity. In total, over forty different human authors wrote the books of the Bible. These writers came from a variety of backgrounds and occupations.

These people included shepherds, Hosea and Amos, fishermen Peter and John, a former tax collector, Matthew, a doctor, Luke, and a military general, Joshua. At least four of the writers lived in the royal household: the kings, David and Solomon, a prime minister, Daniel, and a cupbearer, Nehemiah.
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Only a few of them, such as Paul, Luke, Daniel and Moses, received the finest education of their time. In sum, each of these authors had unique experiences and each one of them was different in their character or makeup.

3. Scripture Was Written in Different Literary Forms with Different Writing Styles
The Bible consists of a number of different literary forms. Scripture is a collection of letters, sermons, laws, poetic descriptions, narratives of historical events, prayers, praise, practical sayings and the warnings of the prophets.
The sixty-six books also contain a wide array of writing styles that express the entire range of human emotions.

Therefore, what we find in the Bible is a wide range of literary forms as well as different literary ability on the part of the authors.

4. The Biblical Books Were Written upon Three Continents
The books of the Bible were composed upon three different continents—Africa, Asia and Europe. For example, the writings of Ezekiel were composed in Babylon (Asia); Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible in the Sinai desert (Africa); and the Apostle Paul wrote the letter to the believers in Philippi while in Rome (Europe).

5. Scripture Was Composed in Different Physical Circumstances
There were a variety of circumstances in which the Biblical books were composed. Moses, for example, wrote while leading the children of Israel through the wilderness. Jeremiah penned his book while in a dungeon in Israel. Ezekiel composed his work while a captive in Babylon.

The Apostle Paul wrote several of his letters while in a Roman prison. John the evangelist wrote the Book of Revelation while banished to the island of Patmos. Obviously, there was not one particular place or circumstance in which all of the biblical books were composed.

Though many other religions had a certain place where the ‘divine word’ was revealed, this is not the case with the Bible. The God of the Bible was able to reveal Himself in many different places and over an extended period of time.

6. Three Different Ancient Languages Were Employed in the Writing of Scripture
The Bible was written in three different ancient languages. The Old Testament was written mostly in Hebrew with some parts composed in Aramaic—a language similar to Hebrew. The New Testament was originally written in Greek.

7. There Are Many Different Subjects Covered in the Bible
The Bible also covers a variety of diverse subjects. Some of these subjects were historical, what has happened in history, while some of the subjects were prophetical, what will happen in the future. These subjects include such things as: the existence and nature of God, the creation of the universe, how human beings originated, the meaning of human existence, the purpose of our existence, the final destiny of humankind and the planet earth.

8. They Wrote about the Unknown Future
Many of the biblical writers wrote about events that were to happen in the future. These events were unknown to humans, but known to God. While not every biblical author addressed events in the future, many of them did. Therefore, the Bible is a book that contains a number of different predictions of future events from a variety of different writers.

9. The Biblical Writers Received Their Message in Different Ways
There is also the fact that the writers of Scripture received their messages in different ways. God directly told some writers what to say. Others were given their message in visions and dreams. Still others were given divine inspiration when they wrote.

And finally, there were others whom God directed to record historical events as well as God’s interpretation of the events. The point is this: the writers of Scripture received God’s Word in a number of different ways.

The writer to the Hebrews noted this when he wrote:
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. (Hebrews 1:1-2)
God spoke at different times, in different ways and to different people.

10. Most Authors Did Not Know One Another
Because the Bible was written over a period of fifteen hundred years, most of the writers did not personally know the other writers of Scripture. Neither were they familiar with their writings. For example, the Old Testament authors would have been unfamiliar with the New Testament writers and writings. Indeed, it was not composed until 400 years after the Old Testament was completed.

Therefore, since most of the writers were separated from one another by both time and space, and were not personally acquainted with each another, there is no chance that they could have conspired together.

Conclusion:
We Would Expect Chaos to Result from These Diverse CircumstancesHence, the Bible was written over a period of fifteen hundred years by forty different human authors from various backgrounds who wrote in different languages, upon different continents, in different circumstances, upon different subjects, including the unknown future, and in different literary forms. These authors, for the most part, did not know each other. With all of these contrasts, one would expect something chaotic and disjointed when their writings were assembled into one book.

The Amazing Thing: There Is One Unfolding Story in Scripture
Yet the Bible is a unity; one unfolding account from beginning to end in complete harmony and continuity.

The Old Testament is incomplete without the New Testament, and yet the New Testament does not make sense without the Old Testament. Together the two testaments give a harmonious account of the dealings of God with humanity without any contradiction. Jesus made this clear when He said the following:

Scripture cannot be broken. (John 10:35)
There is one system of teaching, and one plan of salvation.
Scripture Is Christ-CenteredThere is more. The main theme of the Bible is the Person of Jesus Christ. Both the Old and New Testaments testify to Jesus Christ as the Lord of Glory.

Jesus Himself told the religious rulers of His day that the Old Testament Scriptures spoke of Him.

The Gospel according to John records Jesus saying the following:
You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me... If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. (John 5:39,46)According to Jesus, Old Testament history is His story.

He is the theme of the Old Testament.
On the day Jesus rose from the dead, He walked alongside two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus. During their conversation, the Bible records Jesus explaining how the Old Testament spoke of Him.

We read:
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. (Luke 24:27)The resurrected Christ explained that the Old Testament predicted His coming.

Later on that day, Jesus said the following to His disciples:
This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms. (Luke 24:44)
Thus, according to Jesus, the Hebrew Scripture is all about Him.
As we shall see, the evidence demonstrates Jesus’ claim to be true.
The Old Testament—Preparation for the Christ: the Promise of His ComingAfter the creation and fall of humanity, God promised to send a Savior. He established an elaborate system of sacrifices that looked forward to the coming of the Savior or Deliverer.

The Old Testament prepares for the coming of the promised Deliverer—also known as the Messiah. The prophet Isaiah spoke of this. He wrote:
A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3)
The theme that runs throughout the entire Old Testament is the establishment of the kingdom of God through the reign of the Messiah. The Old Testament looks forward to His coming.

The Gospels’ Manifestation of the Christ: the Proof of His ComingThe gospels record the manifestation of the predicted Messiah. The New Testament testifies of the arrival of the One promised in the Old Testament.

We read John saying about Jesus:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1,14)

The Messiah came as promised.
John the Baptist testified that Jesus was the One who would take away the sins of the world.

The Bible says:
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy regarding the promised Savior.

Acts—the Propagation of Jesus’ Message: His Message Goes Out to the Entire WorldThe Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, came into the world as had been predicted in the Old Testament. However, Christ was not accepted by His people. The Bible tells us that Jesus died on a cross for the sins of the world and three days later rose from the dead. Forty days after His resurrection, He ascended into heaven.

Before returning to heaven, Jesus told His disciples the following:
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)
They were instructed to tell others the gospel, or good news, of His death and resurrection. The propagation of the message of the risen Christ is recorded in the Book of Acts.

Paul—the Explanation of Jesus’ Coming: the Two Comings of Christ Explained
Why did the Christ, or Messiah, have to die when He came into the world?
Was this something that the Old Testament had predicted?
Yes, it was. In his letters, the Apostle Paul, gives the explanation of the two comings of Christ.

He wrote to the Colossians:
I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness-- the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:25-27)
The “mystery” or “sacred secret” has now been revealed. The Old Testament Scripture actually spoke of two different comings of Christ into the world. The Christ, or Messiah, would come the first time to die. Jesus fulfilled this prediction at His first coming. Scripture records how He died for the sins of the world but then rose from the dead three days later. Later He ascended into heaven.

However, our world will see Jesus again. Indeed, the Bible says that He will come a second time to the earth. The same Jesus who was crucified and rose from the dead will return to our earth to rule over it. This is what the Old Testament also predicted. The Apostle Paul was the man chosen by God to explain these two comings of Christ.

Paul emphasized that Christ now resides in those who believe in Jesus by means of the Holy Spirit. This promise is given to everyone who believes in Him. This includes Gentiles (non-Jews) as well as Jews.

Revelation—the Consummation of All Things in Christ: Jesus Christ Will ReturnFinally, we come to the Book of Revelation, which records Christ coming back to rule and reign upon the earth. The Bible says:
“Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen. (Revelation 1:7)
All things that have been predicted in the Old and New Testament will be consummated in the return of Jesus Christ.

To sum up, the Old Testament records the preparation for the coming of Christ while the Gospels record His coming or manifestation. The Book of Acts chronicles the propagation of the gospel (the good news) concerning Jesus Christ and the letters of Paul explain the two comings of Christ as well as the implications of the gospel for our lives. The Book of Revelation describes the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His eternal kingdom. Again, it is all about Him!

The Bible glorifies Jesus Christ and centers on Him. It provides one harmonious message from beginning to end, and this message is all about the Lord Jesus.

A Challenge to Duplicate the Unity of the Bible in Modern Times
Those who do not consider the harmony of the Bible as something amazing should accept the following challenge:
Locate twenty people, all living at the same time, who all speak the same language, who have the same amount of education and come from the same social background. Put them in separate rooms and ask them to write their opinion on only two controversial subjects, such as the nature and existence of God and the purpose of life here on earth.

Would you expect their writings to agree? Would you find one unfolding account from beginning to end with no contradictions or distortions? Not at all! You would expect to get about twenty different opinions.

Then how can we explain the unity of the Bible?
The Bible consists of forty authors, not twenty, writing over a fifteen hundred year time span, not writing at the same time, writing from different educational backgrounds, in different languages, from different cultures and writing on many different subjects (including the unknown future).

Yet, they write with complete unity and harmony. The way that the Scriptures have been composed argues against their unity, yet we find that there is an intelligent design throughout the pages of Scripture.

Conclusion: There Is One Author Who Is Behind All of the Books; God HimselfThe explanation that the Bible gives for its remarkable unity is that God has divinely inspired the process.

The one author of the books of the Bible is God the Holy Spirit. The Bible says the following:
All Scripture is God-breathed, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)
The claim is that all Scripture is “God-breathed.” This means the authority of God is ultimately behind the composition of each book.

Peter wrote about how all of Scripture is divinely inspired. He said:
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:20-21)

Ultimately, the Scriptures are not of mere human origin.

Hence, the harmony of the Bible can be understood by realizing that the ultimate author behind the books is God. This fact puts the Bible in a class by itself.
It is evidence like this that led the great archaeologist, W. F. Albright, to make the following conclusions with respect to the Bible:
The Bible towers in content above all earlier religious literature; and it towers just as impressively over all subsequent literature in the direct simplicity of its message and... its appeal to men of all lands and times.
(W.F. Albright, The Christian Century, November, 1958)

Therefore, the unique design of the Bible is truly a wondrous thing. It is different from all other books that have ever been written. Throughout its pages, it clearly shows that an Intelligent Designer is behind each and every Book.


Summary – Reason 2

The Bible’s Unique DesignThe Bible has a unique makeup. It is different from any other book that has ever been composed. Over forty different authors wrote the various books over a period of fifteen hundred years. These authors came from all walks of life with different experiences, different levels of education and different personal makeup. They include fishermen, shepherds, a doctor and a former tax collector. These differences are reflected in their writing styles.

The biblical authors lived on three different continents—Africa, Asia and Europe. They also wrote under a number of different circumstances—including persecution and prison. The authors of Scripture wrote in three different languages—Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. The Bible was written in a number of different literary forms such as narrative, poetry and law.

The writers of the various books cover many different topics such as the existence of God, the creation and purpose of humankind, the explanation for the origin of evil and the coming of the Savior. They also wrote about the unknown future.

In addition, the writers received their messages in a number of different ways including dreams, visions and direct revelation. Also, the writers of Scripture, for the most part, did not even know one another.

Yet when their writings are put together there is one harmonious account from beginning to end with Jesus Christ as the main character. What is the best explanation for this feature? It is the one that the Bible gives about itself—it is the Word of the living God.

In fact, Jesus Himself testified to the unity of the Scripture. He said that the Old Testament was all about Him. While it looked forward to His coming, the gospels record the fulfillment of these promises.

​The Book of Acts records the message of Jesus going out to the world. The New Testament letters provide the explanation of the two comings of Christ while the Book of Revelation records the consummation of all things in Christ.

Consequently, when we examine the Scripture, we find clear evidence of intelligent design from beginning to end. This unique design of the Bible is a true wonder.

May 7th, 2022 

'On the evening of May 7, residents of China's port city Zhoushan pressed the panic button as the city skies suddenly turned blood red, confusing locals and causing people on social media to declare an apocalypse. The videos – taken on May 7 and spread on Chinese social media platforms show confused onlookers gazing at the unusual sky. According to the Zhoushan Meteorological Bureau, the glow was caused by the lights from fishing boats in the local port.'

 "When weather conditions are good, more water in the atmosphere forms aerosols which refract and scatter the light of fishing boats and create the red sky seen by the public," the bureau told Global Times.'


The phrase “sign of Jonah” was used by Jesus as a typological metaphor for His future crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. Jesus answered with this expression when asked by the Pharisees for miraculous proof that He was indeed the Messiah. The Pharisees remained unconvinced of Jesus’ claims about Himself, despite His having just cured a demon-possessed man who was both blind and mute. Shortly after the Pharisees accused Jesus of driving out demons by the power of Satan, they said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here” (Matthew 12:38–41).

To fully appreciate the answer that Jesus gave, we must go to the Old Testament book of Jonah. In its first chapter, we read that God commanded the prophet Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and warn its people that He was going to destroy it for its wickedness. Jonah disobediently ran from the Lord and headed for the city of Tarshish by boat. The Lord then sent a severe storm that caused the crew of the ship to fear for their lives. Jonah was soon thrown overboard and swallowed by a great fish where he remained for “three days and three nights” (Jonah 1:15–17). After the three-day period, the Lord caused the great fish to vomit Jonah out onto dry land (Jonah 2:10).

It is this three days that Jesus was referring to when He spoke of the sign of Jonah. Jesus had already been producing miracles that were witnessed by many. Jesus had just performed a great sign in the Pharisees’ presence by healing a deaf man who was possessed of a demon. Rather than believe, they accused Jesus of doing this by the power of Satan. Jesus recognized their hardness of heart and refused to give them further proof of His identity. However, He did say that there would be one further sign forthcoming, His resurrection from the dead. This would be their final opportunity to be convinced.

Jesus’ paralleling of the Pharisees with the people of Nineveh is telling. The people of Nineveh repented of their evil ways (Jonah 3:4–10) after hearing Jonah’s call for repentance, while the Pharisees continued in their unbelief despite being eyewitnesses to the miracles of Jesus. Jesus was telling the Pharisees that they were culpable for their unbelief, given the conversion of the people of Nineveh, sinners who had received far less evidence than the Pharisees themselves had witnessed.

But what are we to make of the phrase “three days and three nights”? Was Jesus saying that He would be dead for three full 24-hour periods before He would rise from the dead? It does not appear so. The phrase “three days and three nights” need not refer to a literal 72-hour period. Rather, according to the Hebrew reckoning of time, the days could refer to three days in part or in whole. Jesus was probably crucified on a Friday (Mark 15:42). According to the standard reckoning, Jesus died at about 3:00 PM (Matthew 27:46) on Friday (day 1). He remained dead for all of Saturday (day 2) and rose from the dead early on Sunday morning (day 3). Attempts to place Jesus’ death on Wednesday to accommodate a literal 72-hour period are probably unnecessary once we take into account the Hebrew method of reckoning of each day as beginning at sundown. So it seems that the expression “three days and three nights” was used as a figure of speech meant to signify any part of three days.

God would often use signs (or miracles) in the Bible to authenticate His chosen messenger. The Lord provided Moses with several miraculous signs in order to prove to others that he was appointed by God (Exodus 4:5–9; 7:8–10;19-20). God sent down fire on Elijah’s altar during Elijah’s contest with the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:36–39). He performed this miracle to prove that the God of Israel was the one true God. Jesus Himself would perform many miracles (or “signs”) to demonstrate His power over nature (Matthew 4:23; Mark 6:30–44; Luke 8:22–24; John 6:16–24). The “sign of Jonah” would turn out to be Jesus’ greatest miracle of all. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead would be God’s chief sign that Jesus was Israel’s long-awaited Messiah (Acts 2:23–32) and establish Christ’s claims to deity (Romans 1:3–4).

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Matthew 16

The Demand for a Sign(A)16 The Pharisees and Sadducees(B) came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.(C)
2 He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.[a](D) 4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”(E) Jesus then left them and went away.
The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees5 When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”(F)
7 They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”
8 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith,(G) why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? 9 Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?(H) 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?(I) 11 How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.(J)
Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah(K)13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;(L)others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”(M)
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”(N)
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood,(O) but by my Father in heaven.(P) 18 And I tell you that you are Peter,[b](Q) and on this rock I will build my church,(R) and the gates of Hades[c] will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys(S) of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[d] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[e] loosed in heaven.”(T) 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone(U) that he was the Messiah.
Jesus Predicts His Death(V)21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem(W) and suffer many things(X) at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law,(Y) and that he must be killed(Z) and on the third day(AA) be raised to life.(AB)
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!(AC) You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.(AD) 25 For whoever wants to save their life[f] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.(AE)26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man(AF) is going to come(AG) in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.(AH)
28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”


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​Bible Cross-References 

This set of visualizations started as a collaboration between Pastor Christoph Römhild and myself in October of 2007. He had put together a dataset of cross references found in the Bible (most often seen in study Bibles at the bottom or edges of the page, linking concepts, locations and people found in different parts of the text). Together, we struggled to find an elegant solution to render the data, 63,779 cross references in total. We set our sights on something more beautiful than functional. At the same time, we wanted a visualization that honored and revealed the complexity of the data at every level – as one leans in, smaller details should become visible. This ultimately led us to the multi-colored arc diagram you see below. 

​Jordan Peterson has used this graphic in his lecture series to talk about how the Bible can be thought of as "the first hyperlinked book".

The bar graph that runs along the bottom represents all of the chapters in the Bible, starting with Genesis 1 on the left. Books alternate in color between light and dark gray, with the first book of the Old and New Testaments in white. The length of each bar denotes the number of verses in that chapter (for instance, the longest bar is the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119). Each of the 63,779 cross references found in the Bible are depicted by a single arc - the color corresponds to the distance between the two chapters, creating a rainbow-like effect.



Biblical Social Network (People and Places)

Soon after finishing the cross-references arc visualization, I set out to create a new data set derived from the Bible’s text. This time I wanted to better capture the story, most notably the people and places, and the interactions between them. I did this by building a list of biblical names (2619 in total) and parsing a digital copy of the King James Bible. Each time two names occurred in the same verse, a connection was created between them. This produced essentially a social network of people and places. Because such relationships had no ordering or structure (unlike the cross references), I used a spatial clustering algorithm I developed for one of my other projects. This process causes related entities and highly connected groups to coalesce. I themed the output like an old piece of parchment.
Additional details: Entities with less than 40 connections are drawn at an angle. Those with 40 or more connected entities are rendered horizontally - size is linearly proportional to the number of connections. The graph contains over 10,000 connections, too many to be useful and thus made purposely faint as not to overwhelm the piece. The names On, So, and No were excluded since they are both names and words (and I wasn't doing anything clever like named entity recognition when parsing the text).


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Distribution of Biblical People and Places

With the biblical names list already compiled and a copy of the King James Bible sitting on my desktop, another visualization was inevitable. I settled on a classic distribution visualization, which shows where various people and places occur in the text. Much of the Bible is chronological, so there is a strong temporal ordering.

Visually, this is the entire Bible printed on a single piece of paper (you'll need to look at the high-res version to see it). Floating above the text are the people and places that appear in the Bible - more than 2,600 names in total. These are positioned according to their average location in the text. Faded lines are rendered to show where they occur. Additionally, font size is proportional to the number of occurrences in the text - the larger the name, the more frequently it appears. The names On, So, and No were excluded.

I've provided the visualization in three color themes. Additionally, because the graph is so dense, I've included two extra versions for people who really want to study it up close. These are simply splitting the content - the "All Names" version is the two combined. You really need to download the high resolution versions to see all of the detail.

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Bible Cross References

340,000 cross references identify
commonalities between different parts of the Bible—chains of similar themes, words, events, or people.


Enter a Bible Verse to Search for
Cross References-Click Here: https://www.openbible.info/labs/cross-references/

Popular Verses:

1. Jeremiah 29:11
2. Proverbs 3:5
3. Proverbs 4:23
4. Proverbs 3:6
5. Psalm 37:4
6. Psalm 34:4
7. Psalm 118:24
8. Proverbs 16:3
9. Joshua 1:9
10. Proverbs 23:7
11. Proverbs 13:20
12. Psalm 46:10
13. Psalm 51:10
14. Proverbs 17:22
15. Isaiah 40:31
16. Isaiah 41:10
17. Psalm 34:18
18. Psalm 46:1
19. Psalm 27:14
20. Psalm 1:1​

​New Testament

1. Philippians 4:13
2. Romans 8:28
3. John 3:16
4. Hebrews 11:1
5. 2 Timothy 1:7
6. 1 Peter 5:7
7. 1 John 4:18
8. John 14:6
9. Romans 12:2
10. Romans 5:8
11. Galatians 6:9
12. 1 Corinthians 13:13
13. Philippians 4:6
14. Ephesians 2:8
15. Matthew 6:33
16. Galatians 5:22
17. Matthew 11:28
18. Ephesians 3:20
19. John 10:10
20. Matthew 16:16

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​In Luke 15:4-7 Jesus says he would leave the 99 to find the one lost sheep. (John 10:11- Jesus is the good shepherd and he will lay down his life for his sheep). Jesus invited Peter and all his disciples to take part in caring for his church. In this text “feed my sheep;” it's referring to the work of a shepherd. They are called to feed believers and the lost with spiritual food, to seek the lost “sheep.” Why does Jesus give Peter this charge? It was a way to not only -forgive- Peter for his earlier -betrayal of Christ- but to show that Jesus had -absolute trust- in Peter’s ability to #lead in God’s kingdom. Jesus forgives and entrusts peter part of the most important work to be done in the kingdom. (You can read complementary accounts of Peter’s three denials in Matthew 26:20-75, Mark 14:66-72, Luke 22:54-62, and John 18:15-27). As Peter discovered, no matter how often we let Him down, God won’t give up on us. John 21:15-17 illustrates Peter’s #restoration in the ministry by Jesus. After the disciples finished breakfast on the shore of Tiberias, Jesus asked Peter three times whether he loved Jesus “more than these.” (The question is significant because we learn that Peter was quick to speak and act in love and honor of Jesus (Matt16:13-19).Jesus posed the question 3 times to Peter, which -parallel- his earlier 3 denials). Jesus says to Peter; “feed and take care of the sheep given to Him; the duty of shepherding the people of God, to teach them #biblical #truth that feeds their souls.” The commission given to Peter is extended to ALL the apostles to care for The flock, knowing that they belong ultimately to Christ and that they need the truth of God’s Word!:)

​When Jesus gave the second commandment, he said it was like unto the first, he said: “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matt. 22:40). He made them very important—so important that all other laws and commandments rest upon them. Jesus took Peter, James and John up a high mountain. He was transfigured – his face shone like the sun and his clothes became dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus. A bright cloud enveloped them and a voice said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him.” Moses and Elijah are two key figures from the OT. Moses led God’s people, the Israelites, out of slavery in Egypt. He then met with God on Mount Sinai and gave them God’s laws. Moses’ face was radiant after such close contact with God. Elijah was a prophet, one of God’s #messengers. He also went to Mount Sinai, where God revealed himself in a gentle whisper. Their roles can be summarised as follows: (MOSES=THE LAW…  ELIJAH=THE PROPHETS) God’s presence is often shown by cloud or fire. Mountaintops were often the location for appearances from God. This cloud or fire was ‘shekinah’ in Hebrew. Matt16:13-20, Peter has shown -understanding- of #Jesus’ #identity, that he is the #Christ(Messiah). This experience is to help deepen this *understanding. Only Jesus’ three closest followers are chosen to witness it. Jesus wants them to understand that his role of Messiah will involve suffering and death, but will not be the final outcome of his mission. Jesus will return in this physical form after completing his earthly spirit lead task. Matthew’s readers would easily pick up on the OT references. It takes place six days after Peter’s declaration of faith, linking Moses who spent six days in preparation before approaching God in a cloud on Mt. Sinai. Mountain + cloud symbolizes presence of God. Moses and Elijah appear and stand beside Jesus- #symbolizing Jesus is their successor and has #fulfilled both. He is now bringing a new covenant from #God for #all people.X

​#7 often symbolizes #completion or #perfection. Numbers in Biblical times were symbolic of a deeper meaning- 7 appears over 700 times. From the 7 days of Creation to the many “sevens” in Revelation, 7 connotes such concepts as completion and perfection, exoneration and healing, and the #fulfillment of #promises and oaths. 7 also denotes completion at the Crucifixion, when Jesus spoke 7 statements from the Cross at the completion of earthly duties. The Lord’s Prayer contains 7 petitions: (Hallowed be thy name; Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven; Give us this day our daily bread; #Forgive us our trespasses, as we *forgive those who trespass against us; Lead us not into temptation; and #Deliver us from evil). Jesus tells us He is: *The bread of life (John 6:35); The *light of the world (John 8:12); The gate to salvation (John 10:9); The good shepherd (John 10:11); The resurrection and the life (John 11:25-26); The way, the #truth, and the life (John 14:6); and The #vine (John 15:5). King David refered to Gods words, “like gold refined 7 times,” when  Isaiah described the coming Messiah, he listed seven qualities the #Savior would embody (Isaiah 11:1-2). In Deuteronomy every 7th year, the Israelites were to cancel all debts with each other and free their slaves (Deut15:1-2, 12). We see 7s connection with exoneration when Peter asks Jesus how many times we are to *forgive, “seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:21-22). Here- Christ is instructing us to forgive *wholly. Jesus performed 7 miracles on the 7th day and healed 7 people on the 7th day. Faithful members of the Church have been correlated to the betrothed Bride of #Christ [i.e. Rev. 19, 6-9, Hosea 2]. (Sabbath of the bride is Shabbat Kallah). The symbolism here correlates entering into gods presence*. Kallah (bride) is also Ka’al –it is done, accomplished, completed. Believers in Messiah/Yeshua Ha Mashiach are His kallah /Calah; God’s purposes to #reveal His covenant and the deep close relationship Israel has with Him that began at Sinai as (bridegroom) katan (marriage); joining together in complete truth and spirit (bride of christ-unity with holy #spirit #dwelling of God)John 4:24.