BENEFITS OF READING THE BIBLE

BIBLICAL WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

BIBLE	US/ENGLAND	METRIC
WEIGHTS
Gerah (1/20 shekel)	0.02 ounces	0.57 grams
Bekah (1/20 shekel)	0.2 ounces	5.7 grams
Pim (2/3 shekel)	0.26 ounces	7.6 grams
Shekel	0.4 ounces	11.4 grams
Mina (2/3 shekel)	1.25 pounds	0.57 kilograms
Talent (60 minas/3,000 shekel)	75 pounds	34.2 kilograms
DRY GOODS
Cab (1.8 omer)	1.3 quarts	1.2 liters
Omer (1/10 ephah)	2.3 quarts	2.2 liters
Seah (1/3 ephah)	7.7 quarts	7.3 liters
Ephah (1/10 cor/homer)	23 quarts	22 liters
Lethek (1/2 cor/homer)	29 bushels	110 liters
Cor/homer	58 bushels	220 liters
LIQUIDS
Log (1/12 hin)	0.3 quarts	0.3 liters
Hin (1/6 bath)	3.8 quarts	3.6 liters
Bath (1 ephah)	5,8 gallons	22 liters
Chorus/homer (10 batos)	58 gallons	220 liters
DISTANCE MEASUREMENTS
Stadium	607 feets	185 meters
Roman Mile	0.91 miles	1,473 meters
LENGTH
Handbreadth (width of the palm of the hand)	3 inches	8 centimeters
Span	9 inches	23 centimeters
Cubit	18 inches	50 centimeters
Rod (6 cubits and a handbreadth)	111 inches	308 centimeters

 

CONTRASTS BETWEEN THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE BIBLE

GENESIS 1-4	REVELATION 19-22
1. God created the heavens and the earth (1:1)	1. God makes a new heaven and a new earth (21:1)
2. The light was created (1:3)	2. The Lamb is light (21:23)
3. Darkness and night created (1:5)	3. There shall be no night (22:5)
4. Waters gathered into seas (1:10)	4. No more sea (21:1)
5. God made the sun and the moon (1:16)	5. No need of the sun and the moon (21:23)
6. All Creation declared concluded (2:1)	6. New creation declared concluded (21:6)
7. Man’s first home beside a river (2:10)	7. Man’s eternal home beside a river (22:1)
8. Death by eating the fruit of a tree (2:17)	8. Life by eating the fruit of a tree (22:2)
9. Adam’s marriage (2:18-23)	9. The Lamb’s marriage (19:6-9)
10. Eve, Adam’s wife (2:22-25)	10. The New Jerusalem, Christ’s wife (21:9-10)
11. Deceived by the serpent (3:1, 13)	11. The serpent deceives no more (20:3)
12. Satan’s first attack against man (3:1)	12. Satan’s final attack (20:7-10)
13. Satan appeared in a Garden (3:1)	13. Satan disappears in a fire lake (20:10)
14. A contaminated Garden (3:6-7)	14. A city that shall not be contaminated (21:27)
15. Communion with God interrupted (3:8-10)	15. Personal communion with God (21:3)
16. Initial triumph of the serpent (3:13)	16. Final triumph of the Lamb (20:10)
17. First Coming of the Savior promised (3:15)	17. Second Coming of the Savior promised (22:20)
18. Pain multiplied (3:16)	18. No more death, nor sorrow, nor crying (21:4)
19. Curse over man and nature (3:14-19)	19. No more curse (22:3)
20. The judgment of the serpent promised (3:15)	20. The judgment of the serpent consummated (20:10)
21. Curse imposed over nature (3:17)	21. No more curse over nature (22:3)
22. Man lost domain over nature (3:19)	22. Man recovers domain over nature (22:5)
23. First death (3:21; 4:8)	23. No more death, nor sorrow (21:4)
24. A lamb was sacrificed (3:21)	24. A Lamb lights up the city (21:23)
25. Paradise closed (3:23)	25. New Paradise opened (21:25)
26. An angel forbade entrance to the Garden (3:24)	26. An angel shows the city (21:9-10)
27. Man thrown out from God’s presence (3:24)	27. The redeemed will see the face of the Lord (22:4)
28. Tree of life out of man’s reach (3:23)	28. Tree of life within man’s reach (22:14)
29. God’s mark on Cain (4:15)	29. God’s name in forehead (22:4)
30. First city built by Cain (4:17)	30. Holy City comes from God (21:2)

MIRACLES OF JESUS

MIRACLE	MATTHEW	MARK	LUKE	JOHN
1. Healing of a leper	8:2-4	1:40-45	5:12-16
2. Healing of the centurion’s servant	8:5-13		7:1-10
3. Healing of Peter’s mother-in-law	8:14, 15	1:29-31	4:38-39
4. Healing of many	8:16	1:32-34	4:40
5. Jesus stills the storm	8:23-27	4:35-41	8:22-25
6. The demoniacs	8:28-34	5:1-20	8:26-39
7. Healing of a paralytic at Capernaum	9:2-8	2:3-12	5:18-25
8. Resurrection of Jairus’ daughter	9:18-26	5:22-43	8:40-56
9. The woman with a flow of blood	9:20-22	5:25-34	8:43-48
10. Two blind men healed	9:27-31
11. A mute man speaks	9:32, 33
12. The man with withered hand healed	12:9-13	3:1-5	6:6-10
13. Healing of the blind and mute demoniac	12:22		11:14
14. Feeding of the 5,000	14:13-21	6:30-44	9:10-17	6:1-14
15. Jesus walks on water	14:25-27	6:48-50		6:19-20
16. Healing of the Canaanite woman’s daughter	15:21-28	7:24-30
17. Feeding of the 4,000	15:32-38	8:1-9
18. Healing of the demon-possessed boy	17:14-18	9:17-27	9:38-42
19. The coin in the mouth of a fish	17:24-27
20. Healing of two blind men	20:30-34	10:46-52	18:35-43
21. The fig tree withered	21:18-19	11:12-14, 20, 21
22. Healing of the demoniac at the synagogue		1:21-28	4:33-35
23. Healing of a deaf-mute		7:31-37
24. Healing of a blind man at Bethsaida		8:22-26
25. Jesus escapes from a hostile throng			4:28-30
26. The miraculous fishing			5:1-11
27. Resurrection of the widow’s son at Nain			7:11-17
28. Healing of the infirm woman			13:10-13
29. Jesus heals a man with dropsy			14:1-6
30. Healing of the 10 lepers			17:11-19
31. Jesus restores a servant’s ear			22:50-51
32. Jesus turns water to wine				2:1-10
33. Healing of a nobleman’s son				4:46-53
34. Healing of a paralytic at Bethesda				5:1-18
35. Jesus heals a man born blind				9:1-11
36. Resurrection of Lazarus				11:38-44
37. Second fishing miracle				21:1-14

PERIODS OF THE KINGS OF JUDAH AND ISRAEL

JUDAH	BC	ISRAEL	BC
Rehoboam	930-913	Jeroboam I	930-909
Abijah	913-910	Nadab	909-908
Asa	910-869	Baasha	908-886
Jehoshaphat (coregent)	872-869	Elah	886-885
Jehoshaphat (total reign)	872-848	Zimri	885
Jehoram (coregent)	853-848	Tibni	885-880
Jehoram (total reign)	853-841	Omri	885-874
Ahaziah	841	Ahab	874-853
Athaliah	841-835	Ahaziah	853-852
Joash	835-796	Joram	852-841
Amaziah	796-767	Jehu	841-814
Azariah (Uzziah) overlap with Amaziah	792-767	Jehoahaz	814-798
Azariah (total reign)	792-740	Jehoash	798-782
Jotham (coregency)	750-740	Jeroboam II (coregency)	793-782
Jotham (official reign)	750-735	Jeroboam II (total reign)	793-753
Jotham (total years)	750-732	Zechariah	753
Ahaz (overlap with Jotham)	735-732	Shallum	752
Ahaz (official years)	732-715	Menahem	752-742
Hezekiah	715-686	Pekah	752-732
Manasseh (coregent)	696-686	Pekahiah	742-740
Manasseh (total reign)	696-642	Hoshea	732-723
Amon	642-640
Josiah	640-609
Jehoahaz	609
Jehoiakim	609-598
Jehoiachin	598-597
Zedekiah	597-586

PARABLES OF JESUS

PARABLE	MATTHEW	MARK	LUKE
1. A lamp put under a basket	5:14-16	4:21, 22	8:16, 17 11:33-36
2. The wise man who built on the Rock	7:24-27		6:47-49
3. Unshrunk cloth on an old garment	9:16	2:21	5:36
4. New wine in old wineskins	9:17	2:22	5:37-38
5. The Sower	13:3-23	4:2-20	8:4-15
6. Wheat and Tares	13:24-30, 37-43
7. Mustard Seed	13:31-32	4:30-32	13:18-19
8. Leaven	13:33		13:20, 21
9. Hidden Treasure	13:44
10. Pearl of Great Price	13:45, 46
11. Dragnet	13:47-50
12. The Lost Sheep	18:12-14		15:3-7
13. The Unforgiving Servant	18:23-35
14. Laborers of the Vineyard	20:1-16
15. Two Sons	21:28-32
16. The Wicked Vinedressers	21:33-45	12:1-12	20:9-19
17. The Wedding Feast	22:2-14
18. The Fig Tree	24:32-44	13:28-32	21:29-33
19. Ten Virgins	25:1-13
20. The Talents	25:14-30
21. The Growing Seed		4:26-29
22. The Doorkeeper		13:33-37
23. The Two Debtors			7:41-43
24. The Good Samaritan			10:30-37
25. A Friend Comes at Midnight			11:5-13
26. The Rich Fool			12:16-21
27. The Faithful Servant			12:35-40
28. The Evil Servant			12:42-48
29. The Barren Fig Tree			13:6-9
30. The Great Supper			14:16-24
31. The Cost of Discipleship			14:25-35
32. The Lost Coin			15:8-10
33. The Prodigal Son			15:11-32
34. The Unjust Steward			16:1-13
35. The Rich Man and Lazarus			16:19-31
36. The Unprofitable Servants			17:7-10
37. The Unjust Judge and the Widow			18:1-8
38. The Pharisee and the Tax Collector			18:9-14
39. The Ten Minas			19:11-27

THE SABBATH IN THE BIBLE

JESUS AND THE SABBATH

SIGNS OF THE COMING OF CHRIST

NATURE	RELIGIOUS WORLD	INTERNATIONAL POLITICS	SOCIETY
Sun and moon darkened (Mark 13:24-26)*	A great religious revival (Rev. 14:6-7)	Wars and rumors of wars (Matt. 24:6)	Evil increased (Matt. 24:12)
Stars falling (Mark 13:24-26)**	The gospel preached to all the world (Matt. 24:14)	Famine (Matt. 24:7)	Immorality and lack of values increased (2 Tim. 3:1-4)
Natural disasters (Luke 21:10-11)	Many deceivers (Matt. 24:11)	Ineffective searching for world peace (1 Thess. 5:3)	Family crisis (2 Tim. 3:1-4)
New illnesses (Matt. 24:7)	Papal resurgence (Rev. 13:3)	Political instability (Matt. 24:6)	Labor conflicts (James 5:1-6)
Earthquakes (Matt. 24:7)	Reduction of religious liberty (Rev. 14:6-12)	Uncertainty and insecurity (Luke 21:25-26)	Hedonism and materialism (Matt. 24:37-39)

* On May 19^th 1780, an extraordinary darkness descended over Northeast North America. That night the moon appeared around nine o’clock, but darkness prevailed past midnight. When the moon could be seen again, it had a bloody appearance.

** On November 13^th 1833, a meteor shower took place, the greatest one ever registered.

Taken from Alejandro Medina Villarreal, A las puertas de la eternidad (México, D. F: GEMA EDITORES, 2008).

JESUS AS TEACHER

How He Prepared His Disciples

❖ One of life’s most complex tasks, education is as important as the plan of salvation. In fact, it is a vital part of that divine mission. Education is absolutely essential because of humanity’s sinful nature (Rom. 7:15) that makes it easier to disobey God’s will than to obey.

❖ God wants to restore humanity to the state it had before the entrance of sin. True education seeks to accomplish this. It does so through three the fundamental dimensions of human nature: physical, mental, and spiritual. Because they are so intricately intertwined, none of them must ever be ignored. To do so or to emphasize one element at the expense of the others will distort and even cripple the God-given personality. But through such balanced education, divine intervention (Ezek. 36:25-27) will transform the selfish human heart (Jer. 17:9), generating a solid desire in us to serve our fellow human beings (Mark 10:43-45). God produces in us genuine love toward our neighbor. Furthermore, divine love moves each of us to develop all of our capabilities so as to serve society even more as we come to realize that whatever we do for others, God regards it as done for Him (Matt. 25:40).

❖ To the extent that students expand their academic, spiritual, and physical capacities, they also come to understand, contribute to, and encourage the growth of their communities. As a result study and research become a part of the student’s lifestyle. As they increase in their understanding of humanity, nature, and their Creator, they grasp more fully their divine origin and are more able to respond to their heavenly Father. Moreover, such students know how to manage their personal lives as they recognize that their bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and that it is their privilege to preserve and maintain them. Finally, students of true education comprehend that God is the source of all wisdom. That even more than their academic pursuits, they need salvation and spiritual growth. They have learned to know God, that is, to hear, talk with, and live together with the Lord. This is what it means when we seek to educate “man’s all” (Eccl. 12:13).

FULFILLED PROPHECIES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT CONCERNING THE MESSIAH

PROPHECY	PROPHET / WRITER	FULFILLMENT
He would be given vinegar to drink	David (Ps. 69:21)	Matthew 27:34; John 19:28-30
His garments would be divided by casting lots	David (Ps. 22:18)	Luke 23:34
He would be born of a virgin	Isaiah (7:14)	Matthew 1:22, 23
He would be called Emmanuel	Isaiah (7:14)	Matthew 1:23
He would be crucified between two thieves	Isaiah (53:12)	Matthew 27:38; Mark 15:27
He would speak in parables	Isaiah (6:9-10)	Matthew 13:10-15
He would be rejected by His own people	Isaiah (53:3)	John 1:11
He was assigned a grave with the wicked but would be buried with the rich	Isaiah (53:9)	Matthew 27:57-60
He would be born in Bethlehem	Micah (5:2)	Matthew 2:5, 6; Luke 2:4-6
He would heal many	Isaiah (53:5)	Matthew 8:16, 17
His birthplace would weep for children killed	Jeremiah (31:15)	Matthew 2:17, 18
He would make a triumphal entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey	Zechariah (9:9)	Matthew 21:4, 5

TRINITY IS UNITY IN THOUGHT AND ACTION

CHARACTERISTICS	FATHER	SON	HOLY SPIRIT
1. Is God	Isaiah 40:28	Romans 9:5	Acts 5:3-4
2. Is Eternal	Deuteronomy 33:27	Isaiah 9:6	Hebrews 9:14
3. Is Creator	Isaiah 42:5	John 1:3	Genesis 1:2; Job 33:4
4. Is Omniscient	Proverbs 15:3	Matthew 9:4	1 Corinthians 2:10-11
5. Is Omnipotent	Genesis 28:3	Matthew 28:18	Psalm 139
6. Is Re-creator	Isaiah 65:17	2 Corinthians 5:17	John 3:5-16
7. Has a mind	Romans 11:34	1 Corinthians 2:16	Romans 8:27
8. Is Holy	Isaiah 6:3	Acts 3:14	2 Corinthians 13:14
9. Is Truth	Deuteronomy 32:4	John 14:6	John 16:13
10. Is Revelator	Daniel 2:28	Matthew 11:27	1 Corinthians 2:10
11. Knows the future	Isaiah 46:10	John 13:19	Acts 1:16

Adapted from Arnaldo B. Christianini, Radiografía del jehovismo (Mountain View: Publicaciones Interamericanas, 1975), p. 77.

FINAL EVENTS ACCORDING TO REVELATION

1. Proclamation of Jesus’ final message (Rev. 14:6-13).

2. Multitudes respond to His invitation (Rev. 7:9).

3. Many reject the message (Rev. 9:20, 21).

4. Church and state will unite as a result of a great crisis (Rev. 13).

5. The mark of the beast is imposed (Rev. 13:16-18).

6. A decree threatening economic penalties and death sentence is enacted (Rev. 13:16-18).

7. God’s people are persecuted (Rev. 13:7, 8).

8. Human beings choose to accept or reject God’s truth and love (Rev. 3:20).

9. Grace ends. God brings the last seven plagues during a time of trouble (Rev. 16; 22:11).

10. Jesus Christ returns to this world in glorious majesty (Rev. 19:11-16).

FALSE PROMISES OF SPIRITUALISM

Genesis 3:4, 5

PROMISES FOR DISOBEYING GOD	MEANING	CONTEMPORARY DISGUISE
“You will not surely die”	Death does not exist. The human being is immortal.	Love and happiness in the great beyond. Contact with dead loved ones.
“Your eyes will be opened”	Disobedience opens the door to a higher knowledge of human reality.	Intelligence and ability to understand secret information, and future knowledge.
“You will be like God”	The human being has the ability to become as powerful as God.	Ability to do miracles, destroy enemies, and help dear ones.
“Knowing good and evil”	It is necessary to taste evil in order to establish guidelines about its nature. Only then, will we obtain a balanced judgment to make spiritual decisions.	Freedom to enjoy everything that produces pleasure without feeling guilty. Love and personal satisfaction. False confidence.

SEVEN BIBLICAL TRUTHS ABOUT HEAVEN

1. Heaven is a real place. It is not a fairy tale or a fiction produced by someone’s imagination (John 14:1-3; 2 Pet. 3:13; Is. 65:17).

2. Heaven will be a place for real people with glorious and immortal bodies (1 Cor. 15:51-54; 1 Thess. 4:16, 17).

3. Heaven will be a place to do real activities (Is. 65:21-23).

4. Heaven is where we will live together with the redeemed of all times (Matt. 8:11).

5. Heaven will be a new world of authentic peace, real satisfaction, and eternal happiness (Is. 65:25; Rev. 21:3, 4).

6. Heaven will be a place to fully worship and gloriously praise the Lord, who has saved us (Rev. 4:8-11, 5:11, 12; Is. 66:22, 23).

7. The New Earth will be a place to enjoy God’s companionship eternally (Rev. 21:1-4; 22:1-5).