Listed below, in no particular order, are eight fascinating facts about the Holy Bible:
Fact 1 – did you know that Samuel Morse, who invented the telegraph in 1844, used a quotation from Scripture for his first message ever transmitted over his new invention: “What has God wrought.” (Numbers 23:23).
Fact 2 – did you know that one of our most cherished symbols of freedom in America, the Liberty Bell, which was cast in 1752, and came to us from England, in addition to the famous crack on the bell, proudly bears the following inscription: “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.” And as you might have guessed the source of this wonderful phrase is from our old friend the Bible – (Leviticus 25:10).
Fact 3 – did you know that Johannes Gutenberg, who invented the movable type printing press in the mid-fifteenth century, had this to say about the Holy Bible – the first major book printed on his press:
“God suffers in the multitude of souls whom His word cannot reach. Religious truth is imprisoned in a small number of manuscript books, which confine instead of spread the public treasure. Let us break the seal which seals up holy things and give wings to Truth in order that she may win every soul that comes into the world by her word no longer written at great expense by hands easily palsied, but multiplied like the wind by an untiring machine.”1
“Yes, it is a press, certainly, but a press from which shall flow in inexhaustible streams, the most abundant and most marvelous liquor that has ever flowed to relieve the thirst of men! Through it, God will spread His Word. A spring of truth shall flow from it: like a new star it shall scatter the darkness of ignorance, and cause a light heretofore unknown to shine amongst men.”2
Fact 4 – did you know that the Bible is the best-selling book of all time, and it has been on the best-seller list for 2,000 years or 100,000 weeks!
Fact 5 – did you know that in the winter of 1968, a historic event took place that sent excitement throughout the entire world as few events had ever done before. The spaceship Apollo 8 made the first voyage from our planet to the moon. Commander Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders became the first men to orbit the moon. But what many people are not aware of or have forgotten was the fact that while orbiting the moon, with the earth behind them and the entire universe before them, over one billion people began to hear read the opening ten verses from Genesis. It is only fitting that the creation story was read on man’s first flight to the moon. God’s Word has now not only been circulated throughout this world but to other worlds as well.
Fact 6 – did you know that the Bible is the only book that gives the account of special creation. It is the only book that gives a continuous historical record from the first man to the present era and on into the future. It is the only book of antiquity that accurately details prophecies of events to come. And it is the only book that convicts men of sin and leads them to salvation.
Fact 7 – did you know that back in 1636, Harvard was founded. Part of their “Rules and Precepts” adopted in 1646 contained the following:
“Everyone shall consider the main end of his life and studies to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life.
“Seeing the Lord giveth wisdom, everyone shall seriously by prayer in secret seek wisdom of Him.
“Everyone shall so exercise himself in reading the Scriptures twice a day that they be ready to give an account of their proficiency therein, both in theoretical observations of languages and logic and in practical and spiritual truths…”3
Fact 8 – did you know that theologian Bernard Ramm once said in referring to the incredibly wide scope of the Bible:
“From the Apostolic Fathers dating from AD 95 to the modern times is one great literary river inspired by the Bible – Bible dictionaries, Bible encyclopedias, Bible lexicons, Bible atlases, and Bible geographies. These may be taken as a starter. Then at random, we may mention the vast bibliographies around theology, religious education, hymnology, missions, the biblical languages, church history, religious biography, devotional works, commentaries, philosophy of religion, evidences, apologetics, and on and on. There seems to be an endless number.”4
1 Alphonse De Lamartine, Memories of Celebrated Characters, Vol. 2, 2nd ed. (London: Richard Bentley, 1854), 323.
2 Alphonse De Lamartine, Memories of Celebrated Characters, Vol. 2, 2nd ed. (London: Richard Bentley, 1854), 334.
3 The Rebirth of America (Philadelphia: Arthur S. DeMoss Foundation, 1986), p. 41.
I just learned that the Bible said the world was round (sphere) and it took the world a little while to catch up with that