The first time I heard this was from Chuck Missler in one of his Bible study videos. I wasn't feeling well at the time and forgot to take note of which video. I have been searching for it and found it in written form on another webpage.
I have been calling this Genealogy Challenge while searching for it. I have not tried doing the challenge nor have I checked the Bible to verify every part but I find it interesting and wanted to share. I have copied and pasted that challenge from this page. Here it is:
Try designing a genealogy—even from fiction—that meets the following criteria:
The number of words in it must be divisible by 7 evenly, (in each of these constraints, it is assumed that the divisions are without remainders.)
The number of letters must also be divisible by 7.
The number of vowels and the number of consonants must also each be divisible by 7.
The number of words that begin with a vowel must be divisible by 7.
The number of words that begin with a consonant must be divisible by 7.
The number of words that occur more than once must be divisible by 7.
The number of words that occur in more than one form shall be divisible by 7.
The number of words that occur in only one form shall be divisible by 7.
The number of nouns shall be divisible by 7.
Only 7 words shall NOT be nouns.
The number of names in the genealogy shall be divisible by 7.
Only 7 other kinds of nouns are permitted.
The number of male names shall be divisible by 7.
The number of generations shall be 21, also divisible by 7.
A remarkable evidence of the numerical structure of Scripture: These are met in the first 11 verses (in Greek) found in Matthew Chapter 1. Based on the insights of Dr. Ivan Panin (1855 - 1942).
Did you try it out? How did it go for you? If anyone checks the Bible for the sourcing, I would love to hear about that too.
I am still searching for some of the info Missler pointed out to show the intricacy of the 4 gospels. Be sure I will post it when I find it again.
When I am doing Bible study, I often forget that everything in that collection of books - prophecies, parables, incidents - is all tied together in a way that would be impossible without divine intention. As Chuck Missler points out, "every detail in the Scripture is there by design".
In my recent Bible study, I was listening to the audiobook of "Heaven and Hell" by Missler. I am never disappointed by one of his sessions and it's because he always points out details other teachers miss. One of those intentional details.
In one part of the session, he spoke about how when God promised to give back double what Job has lost. I have studied the book of Job so many times (because I tend to turn to that book when I am going through trials myself), but I missed an important detail.
Everything Job lost was replenished two-fold - except for his children. He started with 7 sons and 3 daughters and after his testing, he had 7 sons and 3 daughters.
This has always stumped me and it's been used by scoffers to explain their disbelief. Missler teaches in other studies that we should take notes of anything like this - things that we cannot understand - so that we can look back on it later. (I'm paraphrasing badly, but...)
The children Job lost are alive in Heaven so when he gained another 7 sons and 3 daughters, he had his two-fold share of them.
Once Missler pointed this out, I realized that, as usual, I had been isolating my study of Job from the rest of the Bible. The situation of Job's children having been replaced is tied together with other promises in the Bible.
I just wanted to share that little tidbit with you. I'm sure that we all run into things that stump us when we are studying the Bible. For sure, things like this are thrown at us by people contesting the truth of the Bible. I hope that we Christians remember to use these incidents to strengthen ourselves and our witnessing to others.
When it comes to the Bible, to salvation, and to faith, it's God the Father in the details. He owns the details.
Peace
--Free
I am listening to the study on an audiobook available from my library.
This is a post that I was originally only going to publish on Free and Faith. I decided that it's one of those books that could be of interest to everyone - whether Christian or not.
By the way, I am always astonished at people who will devote a lot of time studying secular subjects such as philosophy but never think to look seriously at the Bible. It might surprise even Christians to know how much of human history and secular history is corroborative. I have one acquaintance who, like myself, loves the Matrix movies. He can discuss the philosophies and mythologies of that series until the cows come home. When I once mentioned to him how the Bible runs deeper and is more complex than that work of fiction, he basically snorted at me. It was a friendly snort and done with love but, in his view, the Bible is a simple book of fables. If he only spent a little time exploring the book, it's languages, and its complexities, his mind would be truly blown. He's a very intelligent man and so curious about all things - except the Bible. And that is kind of ignorant.
I have been doing a lot of Bible study for the past couple of years. I have read the Bible many times but I have only recently been going deeper into the study of it. I have some trouble sorting and keeping information straight but I don't mind repeating lessons.
The study I started a while back is one by Chuck Missler - Learn the Bible in 24 Hours, which can be found in video format on a YouTube playlist and on Amazon Prime Video. It can also be found in audiobook form through Audible and via local library media streaming services like Overdrive and Hoopla Digital. I think the last time I mentioned it was when I was posting about my news-fatigue. I kept getting as far as Hour 9 and having to go back to the beginning. I have now ordered the book so that I can make notes as I go through the video lessons.
The Chuck Missler book I wanted to mention to everyone today is called Hidden Treasures: In the Biblical Text. And if you wonder why I study so many lessons by the same teacher, that's because I am very careful who I study under. Not every teacher is godly or has good intentions.
Anyway, this current book is one that I want to recommend to my friend the next time I see him. I have listened to his detailed thoughts on various philosophers and teachings so I want to challenge him to think about things from where I sit. Another Missler book on angels would probably be extremely interesting to students of physics. I was no genius in school but Angels Volume 1: Cosmic Warfare introduced me to quantum physics in an exciting way that I could relate to. Trust me when I tell you that while I had heard of Max Planck, I had no clue before why he won a Nobel. I am forever fascinated now! And my friend will be interested in learning that Missler shows why he believes we live in a digital universe. Wha-??? How Matrix-like is that?
I will do a post on the Angels series another time. Back to Hidden Treasures...
One of the most interesting lessons in this little book gives the reader an assignment to design a genealogy with 14 very specific criteria. Once you attempt to do this and realize how difficult (if at all possible), you are presented with how it was completed in the Person of Christ.
The first of 14 criteria
Another thing I am enjoying about this study is that I get to delve more into the Greek and Aramaic languages and history. I have been able to study some common world history right alongside that shown in the Bible. It's fascinating stuff.
Like I said, I wanted to post this here because I wanted people who may not be Christian to know about the book. I want to challenge some of you to not just sit back and snort at the idea of a belief in Scripture but to at least know what you are scoffing at. Like any serious thing, the Bible is not something to be glossed over. In order for us Christians to confidently believe in the Gospel, we have to know it. The same goes for those people who may want to deny it. How can you deny what you don't know?
Anyway, I hope that this post encourages more people to study the Bible and the history it comes out of. It won't hurt that you will learn something about world history in the process. I was stunned by how much of the history I learned in school has to do with the history of the faith I profess.
By the way, that challenge to design a genealogy? You will get to study for yourself how all the criteria were met in the genealogy of Christ in the first 11 verses of the (Greek language) Gospel of Matthew.
Peace
--Free
And, instead of music today, I thought this was more appropriate
