Fast Bible Facts

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 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…