The Bible Primer. The word Bible means simply Book, but the term is now applied only to the word of God. The book called by us the Bible, contains the revealed will of God as made known to holy men of old, and by them written down under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This book is entitled, The Sacred Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments; it is called also, holy writ, and the word of God. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God." 2 TIM. 3:16. "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." JOHN 6:63. "I will hear what God the Lord will speak." PSALM 85:8. Who was the earliest writer of the Bible? Moses wrote the first five books, namely, These, taken together, are called the Pentateuch; a word which signifies Five Books. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." GEN. 1:1. "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth." PSA. 33:6. GENESIS. "In the beginning"-with these words sublime, TIME AND ETERNITY. TIME began when God created the heavens and the earth. Duration before this period is called Eternity; and when time shall be no more, eternity will remain. Years are numbered from the commencement of time, but chronology computes from the birth of Christ; giving a date to all historical events, according to the years before or after that era in which they took place. Look backward, and you find Creation's morn Four thousand years and four ere Christ was born. Four thousand years and four had filled their span, When Christ the Lord came down to dwell with man. "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?" "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." Job 38:4, 7. Who are the Angels? Angels were created before men. They are God's host, standing around the throne of his glory; a multitude that no man can number. They are the sons of God that shouted for joy when the earth was created. "And I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands." REV. 5:11. The angels of light sin not, neither do they die. God often sends them to the aid of good men. They bear the souls of the saints, at their death, to their eternal home in heaven. "The beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom." LUKE 16:22. "Neither can they die any more; for they are equal unto the angels." LUKE 20:36. Who are the fallen Angels? The angels were all made holy, but some of them sinned against God, and were cast out of heaven. These are now angels of darkness. They are called evil spirits, fallen angels, and devils. They are abhorred by God, and their name should never be thoughtlessly or heedlessly spoken. The prince of the fallen angels is known in the Bible by various names: Satan, Lucifer, Beelzebub, Abaddon, and Apollyon. He is called also the Evil One, the Adversary, the Accuser, the Tempter, the Destroyer, the Serpent, the Dragon, and the Angel of the bottomless pit. "And the angels that kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day." JUDE 6. "Sending evil angels among them." PSALM 78:49. Which of the angels of light are known by name? Michael is called the archangel and prince of the angels. He is opposed to Satan, the prince of the powers of darkness. Gabriel appears as a messenger from heaven. He is sent to explain the meaning of a vision to the prophet Daniel; and in the New Testament he announces the birth of John the Baptist, and afterwards that of Christ. How was the work of creation performed? It pleased the almighty Maker of heaven and earth to divide the work of creation into six |