[Off Topic:] “The Center of the Bible”

_{William Dembski

October 13, 2005

Religion}

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Christians may appreciate this; secularists will be sure to dismiss it [to view the slide show, you’ll need to keep clicking your mouse]: www.uncommondescent.com/images/the_center_of_the_bible.pps.

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The Periodic Bible. The Jews called the Psalms the "Pentateuch of David." The Psalms divides into 5 books. These correspond in scope with the five books of Moses. Thus, Book I of Psalms corresponds with Genesis, Book II with Exodus, Book III with Leviticus, Book IV with Numbers, and Book V with Deuteronomy which means Ã¢â‚¬Å“second law.Ã¢â‚¬Â 5 in Scripture is a 4 and 1, the fifth being the second division which its name bears out. The Bible easily and naturally divides into 5 divisions: The Law, The Historical Books, The Prophets, The Poetical Books, and the New Testament. Just as the 5 books of the Psalms, each of these, correspond in their turn with the Pentateuch. Thus, The Law is the Genesis. The Covenant History is the Exodus. The Prophets is the Leviticus. The Poetry is the Numbers, and the New Testament is the Ã¢â‚¬Å“second lawÃ¢â‚¬Å“ filling out the Deuteronomic position, cast in the mold of the 4 and 1 of the Pentateuch. And the second covenant is a Ã¢â‚¬Å“second lawÃ¢â‚¬Â as Paul states in Romans 8. Further, each of these divisions easily and naturally form 5 parts each. If they are overlaid, they form a table in many ways analogous to the Periodic Table. The divisions are: First. 1. Genesis 2. Exodus 3. Leviticus 4. Numbers 5. Deuteronomy. Second. 1. Joshua 2. Judges and Ruth 3. Samuel and Kings 4. the Captivity Books Ezra Nehemiah Esther 5. Chronicles. Third. 1. Isaiah 2. Jeremiah and Lamentations 3. Ezekiel 4. Daniel 5. The Minor Prophets. Fourth. 1. Psalms 2. Job 3. Song of Solomon 4. Ecclesiastes 5. Proverbs. Fifth. 1. The Gospels 2. Acts 3. Pauline Epistles 4. Catholic Epistles 5. Revelation Laid out in five rows, each Pentateuch in one row, of five columns, you have a chart in which each part is characterized by their numbers, much like the elements of the Periodic Table are grouped by their periods and valances. For instance the halogens have real family likeness, they all have 7 electrons in their outer shell and need one more to complete the outer shell. Fluorine is used for prevention of tooth decay, Chlorine and Bromine are used to sanitize pools and hot tubs, Iodine prevents infection. Salt is the type of resistance to corruption. Understood, that other commercial and industrial uses of these elements may minimize this significance, and this is used only to illustrate the family likeness of the columns in the Periodic Bible. Each Pentateuch, in its rank, is generally characterized by the meaning of the number of its order. Each column, again, is generally characterized by the meaning of the number of its order from left to right. For an example, the meaning of number 1 is soleness, unity, primacy, exclusion of difference. The sovereignty of God comes under the meaning of this number, and is what the law affirms. Take the first column: Genesis, Joshua, Isaiah, Psalms, and the Gospels, in their rows, each is characterized by this meaning. Thus Genesis is the book of beginning of the generations of Adam. Joshua stands first in its series giving the history of the conquest of Canaan. Isaiah portrays God as sovereign Creator independent of all others. It is to God a sovereign to which the heart turns in all of the Psalms. The Gospels are the New Beginning of the New Covenant, the book of the generation of the Last Adam, the Second Man. The number 2 is in most respects the opposite in meaning of the number 1. If one excludes difference, 2 affirms it. And difference characterizes all its meanings. So 2 speaks of diversity, contrast, easily passing into opposition. Evil comes under this number. 2 is the first number that divides. Evil, too, divides, it has divided man from God, divides man from man, and the extremity of evil is death, the division of soul and body. In the opposite direction 2 speaks of relationship, help, support, confirmation, valid witness. Apply this meaning to the second Pentateuch, the Covenant History. It is a history of sin and discord and division, but also of divine deliverances. Now follow the second column: Exodus, Judges and Ruth, Jeremiah, Job, and Acts. Exodus is the book of deliverance from bondage. Judges characterizes the historical period. Jeremiah has been called the Ã¢â‚¬Å“weeping prophet.Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬Å“Undoubtedly, of all the prophets he is the man of sorrows, rejected as he is by his personal intimates and by the nation at large, while bearing in his soul their burdens, and feeling the broken bonds of relationship between Jehovah and His chosen nation. In this spirit he becomes the mediator between them, although here the contrast between type and Antitype cannot but come out. It is this intense sorrow which spreads itself over the brightness we should expect in a prophetic Exodus. The living affection of the Spirit of Christ manifests itself yet in this sorrow.Ã¢â‚¬Å“* Job just as assuredly fills this position in the poetical books. Acts is the one book of New Covenant History, detailing the deliverance of the people of God from bondage under the law. *The Numerical Structure of Scripture. F. W. Grant. For a fuller description of the meaning of the numbers and characterization of the Bible books go to: http://www.newble.co.uk/grant/nsb/preface.htmlWitness_{October 19, 2005
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There are definitely better examples than this concerning supernatural design and symmetry in the Bible, I'm sorry to say. Further, it seems that the claims of this message seem to have some problems. One such example can be found here: "The 118:8 "center" comes from someone incorrectly identifying 118 as the center chapter and then asserting that verse 8 as the center verse of the center chapter. However, on the first point, it is easy to see that someone miscounted. 117 is actually the center chapter in the Bible. Secondly, 118 has 29 verses, making 8 the incorrect "center of the center." ... "Perhaps it is ironic that 118:8 speaks to trusting God rather than man."arcturus_{October 16, 2005
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Isn't this just medieval numerology? A couple of rungs down from The Bible Code nonesense a few years ago.jimpressario_{October 14, 2005
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Excellent resource, Bombadill. Thanks.Charlie_{October 14, 2005
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By my calculation, based on the Hebrew order of the Old Testament, the middle chapter is either Psalm 27 or 28. One problem is that in the Hebrew Bible Malachi (part of the later prophets) has only 3 chapters while in the Christian Bible Malachi has 4 chapters. I can't recall if there is another difference in chapter counts. That the Hebrew order is the correct order is endorsed by Jesus (Matthew 23:35). Psalm 27:1 reads: The LORD delivers and vindicates me! I fear no one! The LORD protects my life! I am afraid of no one! Not a bad verse (and Psalm) for those in fierce battle with the godless evolutionists. What does the explanatory filter contribute to this discussion? And, by the way, Bible Codes are bunk. Nice pictures.hlwarren_{October 14, 2005
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On the Bible's authenticity and reliability: http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/bib-docu.htmlBombadill_{October 14, 2005
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"And forgets the fact that the verses were all added later and were not part of the original text." Does it? Or is it part of the overall inspiration of what we now consider the completed work? Things that make you go "hmmmmm...." :-)EdH_{October 14, 2005
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"Of course, this is all based on the protestant Bible, which leaves out the later Hebrew scripturesÃ¢â‚¬Â¦ " And forgets the fact that the verses were all added later and were not part of the original text. :) But it's still pretty neat.dodgingcars_{October 14, 2005
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I thought i had commented earlier. But i guess i messed it up. http://www.snopes.com/religion/center.htm My count agrees with the one at Snopes. But i must say some of thos images are beautiful.JeffK_{October 14, 2005
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Of course, this is all based on the protestant Bible, which leaves out the later Hebrew scriptures...jimbo_{October 14, 2005
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One i find interesting is this: Isaiah has 66 chapters. Being poetry, the breakpoints for chapters are fairly natural. There are two main sections/books of poetry within Isaiah- the first 39 chapters and the last 27 (this is not even disputed by secular theologians.) This just happens to correspond with the Old Testament (39 books) and New (27 books). The second section (which corresponds to the NT) is divided into three 9-chapter segments. At the center of the middle segment is Isaiah 53, one of the most easily recognized and verified of the prophecies of Christ, who is the central figure of the New Testament. Is this verification from God that we have the correct canon, or a clever trick by the one who put in the chapter breaks? Or are we just searching for any hint of something we can pass off as specified complexity to "prove" our point? Much has been said about seeing numbers we want to see when we actually look for them.markbe_{October 13, 2005
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Breathtaking! My favorite is image 5.crandaddy_{October 13, 2005
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