CHECK YOUR FACTS

Little Known Facts Found In The Bible

As you read through God’s Holy Word, there are certain Scriptures and passages that will almost jump off the page at you. Others, we have heard for more years than we care to count. There are familiar verses for specific times in a person’s life, whether for joy, grief, loss, sadness, loneliness and host of others as well.

However, there are others that simply seem to be passed over. It could be that they aren’t as exciting or don’t warrant the same amount of fanfare that the others do. Since they aren’t promises to be claimed or important history to be taught, then they’re likely to be left to be discovered in a post such as this one.

Let’s take a look at some of these little known facts. How many do you know about yourself?

The Wise Men Were Not At The Manger

You might be very familiar with the Nativity Scene. Some people erect it instead of a Christmas tree, hoping to give more honor to the real reason for the season. It is complete with Mary and Joseph, Baby Jesus, the barn animals and finally, the three wise men. But, it seems the assumption that the wise men were at the manger appears to be false.

Matthew 2:11 says “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.”

You will notice the Bible says they came into “the house”. Strong’s Concordance shows that this comes from the Greek, oikia, which means residence or abode, but in either case, the implication is a family dwelling, and not a barn.

It is also interesting to note that there is never a particular number of wise men mentioned, and it never says that there were three. Matthew 2:1 says, “…there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem”. It could be that the idea of “three” came from the number of gifts they brought: frankincense, gold and myrrh. The only thing we can know for sure is that there was at least more than one.

Adam and Eve Were Never Immortal

Many believe that, had Adam and Eve not eaten the forbidden fruit, they would never have died. It is thought that the “original sin” brought death into the world. While there is definitely some room for debate about meanings, it’s at least obvious that Adam and Eve were never created to live forever.

We see God speaking here in Genesis 3: 22-23, “And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree, and eat, and live forever: Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.”

There Were More Than Two of Each Animal On The Ark

Some people say that Noah’s story of the ark could not possibly be true, logistically speaking. They say that there couldn’t possibly be room to fit two of every animal onto the ark. Well, if that’s hard to believe, the truth will be even harder:

“Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of the earth.” (Genesis 7:2-3)

In case you’re not clear on what a clean beast is, the answer can be found in Deuteronomy 14:6, “And every beast that parteth the hoof and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat.” So clean animals were ones that had both a cloven hoof and chews their cud.

The Two People Who Did Not Die

There are two people mentioned in the Bible who never died. The first was Enoch, who was simply taken by God, as we see in Genesis 5:23-24 – “And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”

The other was Elijah, who was caught up into heaven by a whirlwind, as we see in 2 Kings chapter 2, specifically in verse 11 – “And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”

On a side note, the oldest person in the entire Bible was Methuselah, who lived to the ripe old age of 969 (Genesis 5:27).

God Helps Those…

You may have often heard the term, “God helps those who help themselves”, since most everyone has. Most people believe that it comes from the pages of the Bible, but that would be false. It was, in fact, a term written by Benjamin Franklin and published in his brainchild, Poor Richard’s Almanac.

Bible Languages

The Bible was originally written in three different languages: Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. John Wycliffe began translating the first English Bible, which was completed in 1388 by John Purvey. To date, the Bible has been translated into more than 1200 languages.

Taking The Husband’s Name In Marriage

Very few people question the idea of a wife taking her husband’s last name after marriage. But do you know where it comes from? It could be that it had something to do with what is written in Genesis 5:2 – “Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.”

In addition, a married couple is considered to be “one flesh” according to Matthew 19:5-6, Mark 10:8 and Ephesians 5:31).

Money and Evil

Have you ever heard that money is the root of all evil, according to the Bible? Well, it’s not. Even though there have been stories written about it, songs written about it and it has been quoted as such, numerous times, it simply isn’t stated in the Bible.

However, according to 1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

Angelic Information

The Bible actually has a lot to say about angels, if you stop and read about it. Here are just a few bits of information, and where the corresponding stories can be found within Scripture:

• They can talk and eat, just like people can (Gen. 18:8; 19:3)
• They are more than able to fight in combat (Gen. 19; 32:24-30, Exodus 12, 2 Kings 19:35)
• They are important forces behind the powers of government (Daniel 10)
• They were capable of sinning (2 Peter 2:4, Jude 1:6)
• They can look like a human (Hebrews 13:2)

But there are a few more facts about angels that just don’t add up to what is customarily taught, even in some churches. For instance, the Scripture never says that humans turn into angels after their death. There is nothing in the Bible that should lead anyone to believe that angels have wings. And, even though most angels are portrayed as girls or women, every reference within the Bible refers to them as men.

Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
But to Your name be the glory
Because of Your love and your faithfulness!