Fast Bible Facts

Did You Know This About Habakkuk?

[162 words] The prophet Habakkuk presents a question to God: Why is there so much pain and injustice in the world? Why do the wicked seem to always have the upper hand over the righteous? God’s answer is not that pain and injustice will be taken away in this world, but rather that the wicked…

Did You Know This About Zephaniah?

[105 words] Zephaniah was a prophet during the time of King Josiah of Judah. He prophesied about the same time as Jeremiah and Habakkuk. But did you know that Zephaniah was the only prophet of royal descent? He was, in fact, the great-great-grandson of the godly king Hezekiah. Zephaniah was sent to announce God’s coming…

Did You Know This About Haggai?

[83 words] Haggai was a prophet who lived and worked during the time of the return from exile under Zerubbabel. After 16 years since the start of the restoration of the temple, Haggai received four prophetic messages from God, telling the people to stop being lax in their work, and get the temple done! We…

Did You Know This About Zechariah?

[73 words] Zechariah was a prophet who ministered after the exile. He is called the son of Berechiah, and grandson of Iddo. This is probably the same Iddo who is listed among the priests who returned with Zerubbabel in 536 BC. If that is so, then Zechariah was both a prophet and a priest, like…

Did You Know This About Obadiah?

[92 words] The book of Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament, and the only one-chapter book in Old Testament. Obadiah’s message was was one of the coming judgment upon the Edomites, who were the descendants of Esau.  The Edomites had opposed the Jews for a long time. In the 5th century BC…

Did You Know This About Jonah?

[138 words] Many people know about the events surrounding the prophet Jonah. He was told by God to prophesy to the people of Nineveh and tell them to repent, but instead he ran away, boarded a ship, and was eventually tossed overboard and swallowed by a great fish. After this, Jonah agreed to prophesy.  But…

Did You Know This About Micah?

[112 words] Micah was a prophet who lived about the same time as Isaiah and Hosea. He prophesied mostly to the southern kingdom of Judah, but also to the northern kingdom of Israel. One amazing fact about Micah is that he revealed that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,Though you…

Did You Know This About Nahum?

[130 words] One hundred years after Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah, the prophet Nahum was sent to deliver a message of coming destruction because the Ninevites had returned to their old ways. Nineveh boasted a defensive wall that was 100 feet high and wide enough that three chariots could ride side by side.…

Did You Know This About Daniel?

[114 words] Daniel is one of the only major figures in the Bible that left behind a completely positive record. Nothing negative is said about him.  This could be because Daniel’s life was characterized by great faith, prayer, courage, and a refusal to compromise with a culture that was against God’s people.  Carried way in…

Did You Know This About Hosea?

[89 words] The prophetic ministry of Hosea stretched about 45 years, from 755 to 710 BC. He preached to the northern kingdom of Israel, which is sometimes referred to as Ephraim.  He prophesied through the reigns of six kings of Israel, from Zechariah to Hoshea. Hosea gives 150 statements about the sins of Israel, and…

Did You Know This About Joel?

[136 words] Joel was one of the early prophets of Judah, and was likely prophesying during the days when Elisha was in Israel. Joel’s preaching carried the theme of great disasters, with locusts, plagues, famine, fire, war, and strange celestial events. Probably the most amazing fact about Joel is the book’s connection to the New…

Did You Know This About Amos?

[100 words] The name Amos means “burden” or “one who bears a burden.” This is a fitting name for a prophet who brought a message of warning to Israel during a time of optimism and prosperity, around the year 755 BC. At this time Assyria and Babylon were relatively weak, but just three decades later…

Did You Know This About the Book of Isaiah?

[147 words] We are all familiar with the fact that the Bible contains 66 individual books, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New.  But did you know that the book of Isaiah is structured like a miniature Bible? The first 39 chapters of Isaiah are filled with condemnation and judgment upon immoral…

Did You Know This About Jeremiah?

[116 words] Jeremiah was a prophet who lived during the time when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. He was known as the “Weeping Prophet.” Jeremiah was mistreated by just about everybody, even his own people. The chief governor of the temple had Jeremiah beaten and put in the stocks (Jeremiah 20:1-2).…

Did You Know This About Lamentations?

[111 words] Jeremiah, the writer of Lamentations, was known as the “Weeping Prophet.” This book expresses deep grief over the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC by the Babylonians.  Lamentations consists of five poems, each one laid out in acrostic fashion. Jeremiah begins each poem with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and works…

Did You Know This About Ezekiel?

[160 words] While Jeremiah was known as the “Weeping Prophet,” Ezekiel on the other hand was told by God not to cry. Specifically, God told Ezekiel that he was about to lose his wife, and he should not mourn or weep. His behavior was to be an example to Israel of how they should behave…

Did You Know This About Psalms?

[91 words] Psalms is a book of praises to God written by a number of different authors.  About 73 of them are attributed to David, twelve were by Asaph, ten are by the sons of Korah, two are authored by Solomon, and one by Moses. About 50 are anonymous. But have you ever heard of…

Did You Know This About Proverbs?

[100 words] The book of Proverbs contains instructions for how to relate to God, neighbors, parents, children, and even the government. The principle author is Solomon, although Agur and Lemuel both wrote a chapter. First Kings 4:32 says that Solomon wrote 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs. But only 800 of the proverbs are recorded in…

Did You Know This About Ecclesiastes?

[124 words] Jewish tradition says that Solomon wrote Song of Solomon during his youthful years, Proverbs during his middle years, and Ecclesiastes in his later years.  In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon identifies himself seven times as the “preacher,” a translation of the Hebrew word qoheleth (co-HELL-et). It has the meaning of “leader of the…

Did You Know This About Song of Solomon?

[134 words] Solomon is mentioned 7 times in this book, which is presented as a love song depicting Solomon’s romantic pursuit of a Shulamite girl. The book is arranged like scenes in a drama, and is filled with metaphors and near-eastern imagery. Perhaps one of the most striking features of the song is the richness…

Did You Know This About Ezra?

[83 words] Although the book of Ezra bears his name, the prophet himself is not mentioned until the 7th chapter.  The book of Ezra shows how God fulfilled His promise to return His people to the promised land after 70 years of exile, but He did so in two separate waves. The first was led…

Did You Know This About Nehemiah?

[148 words] Nehemiah helped lead an effort to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. At the beginning of the book, he is living in Persia in the palace of King Artaxerses, working as his cupbearer. When he heard a report about the wall of Jerusalem being broken down, he was determined to help.  Like Moses about…

Did You Know This About Esther?

[161 words] God is not mentioned a single time in the book of Esther. This has led some people to claim the book should not be included in the Bible.  However, there are a few good reasons to know that God is deeply involved in the events of this book. First, Mordecai told Esther that…

Did You Know This About Job?

[130 words] The book of Job gives an account of events that happened to a man named Job, and deals with the questions such as why the righteous suffer, and the sovereignty of God over His creation. Due to some of the things mentioned in the book, the action likely takes place in the patriarchal…

Did You know This About 1 Kings?

[126 words] First Kings chapter 3 records the time God came to King Solomon in a dream and said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” Solomon’s first thought was that God had been kind to his father David, and had also give David an heir to sit on the throne. In his humility, Solomon admitted…

Did You Know This About 2 Kings?

[138 words] The history of Israel is filled with kings who followed God, and kings who did evil in his sight. Between good King Hezekiah and good King Josiah, there was evil king Manasseh. During his time of evil leadership idolatry was rampant, and apparently the book of the law was lost. While Josiah was…

Did You Know This About 1 Chronicles?

[136 words] Among many other events in this book of history, 1 Chronicles 10 records the death of Saul, the first king of Israel.  Saul had so much potential! He was tall and handsome (1 Sam. 9:2), had some humility about him (1 Sam 9:21), and more importantly he was the one the Lord had…

Did You Know This About 2 Chronicles?

[94 words] Though David was not allowed to build the temple of God due to the blood on his hands, David’s son Solomon completed the temple according to God’s plan. Second Chronicles 7 records the dedication of the house of God. One amazing fact about the dedication is that on that day, Solomon offered a…

Did You Know This About Joshua?

[135 words] After everything the Israelites had seen—the ten plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, the manna, the fall of Jericho, the sun standing still—they still had idol worship among them.  That is why Joshua had to tell them, “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this…

Did You Know This About Judges?

[128 words] After the conquest of the promised land and the death of Joshua, the Bible tells us that “another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord, nor the work which He had done for Israel” (Judges 2:10). A phrase that is repeated four times in Judges is, “…in those days there…

Did You Know This About Ruth?

[187 words] Of all the passages taken out of context, perhaps Ruth 1:16-17 is one of the biggest! During the time of the judges, an Israelite woman named Naomi found herself a widow. She had left Bethlehem with her husband and two sons to go to Moab, due to a severe famine. While there, her…

Did You Know This About 1 Samuel?

[113 words] First Samuel records the progression of leadership over Israel from judges to kings.  Samuel was the last judge, and served also as a prophet for the nation. His mother, Hannah, had prayed for a son, and promised him to the Lord. He was very young when God called him into service. Samuel remained…

Did You Know This About 2 Samuel?

[164 words] The prophet Samuel anointed two kings: Saul, and then David. Saul died in disgrace, but David died in satisfaction.  Among David’s last words were the assertion that God has “made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure” (2 Samuel 23:5).  Regarding this promise, we read in 2 Samuel 7:16,…

Did You Know This About Genesis?

[99 words] The Bible records 4,100 years of history. Over half of it—2,286 years—is found in Genesis alone! More than the other 65 books combined! Genesis is the first book of the Bible, and it contains 50 chapters, 1,533 verses, and 38,267 words. The word “genesis” is from the Greek word for “beginning.” The original…

Did You Know This About Exodus?

[140 words] One of the most amazing parts of Exodus is when the Israelites were commanded by God to paint their door frames with the blood of the lambs that were sacrificially killed at the institution of the Passover (Ex. 12:21-23). God’s people were in slavery to Egypt at the time, and God was about…

Did You Know This About Leviticus?

[128 words] Leviticus contains 27 chapters, 859 verses, and 24,546 words, and a whole bunch of laws! It is a guidebook for the Israelites, showing them how to worship, serve, and obey God. The concept of holiness before God is mentioned at least 87 times in this book. Honestly, Leviticus is not high on the…

Did You Know This About Numbers?

[119 words] Numbers is the record of Israel’s journey through the wilderness after God led them out Egyptian slavery. Due to their unbelief, what should have been an 11-day trip to the promised land turned into 40 years of wandering.  While in the wilderness, God told Moses to make a brass serpent and put it…

Did You Know This About Deuteronomy?

[172 words] Moses was about to die. The book of Deuteronomy recounts a one-month period of time when the Israelites were camped in the plains of Moab, and is considered to be a series of farewell addresses from Moses shortly before his passing.  The Israelites were about to go into the promised land, and as…