Biblical Firsts -- Do You Have a Second? #4 Quiz

Answer: Jacob and Esau

Jacob and Esau, the sons of Isaac and Rebekah, were the first set of twins in the Bible.

According to Genesis 25:27, Esau was "a skillful hunter, a man of the field" while Jacob was "a mild man, dwelling in tents". Scripture goes on to state Isaac favored Esau while Rebekah favored Jacob.

Incidentally, Perez and Zerah were the second set of twins in the Bible. Judah was the father and Tamar, his daughter-in-law, was the mother of the boys as per the 38th chapter of Genesis.

Answer: Isaac and Jacob

The correct answer is Isaac and Jacob. According to Genesis 27:27, Jacob kissed Isaac when he tricked his father into receiving Esau's blessing.

Incidentally, Jacob is also involved in the second kissing incident in the Bible. Genesis 29:11 tells of Jacob kissing Rachel, the woman who would become his wife.

In verse 13, Jacob is involved in yet another kissing incident when Laban embraced him and then kissed him.

Answer: Pishon

Pishon is the name of the first river, according to Scripture. The second chapter of Genesis in the NKJV states the second river was the Gihon, the third river was the Hiddekel (or the Tigris in the NIV) and the fourth was the Euphrates.

While the Tigris and the Euphrates are well known rivers today, there is much conjecture about the Pishon and the Gihon. Some say they are two rivers that originate in the marshlands shared with the Tigris and the Euphrates. However, shooting down this belief is the fact Genesis 2:13 states the Gihon "goes around the whole land of Cush," a name associated with present-day Ethiopia. (I guess you could say the water is a little muddy on this issue.)

Meanwhile, the Web site Christiananswers.net offers this explanation about the confusion: "In all probability the Gihon and all the other rivers were destroyed by the worldwide flood cataclysm described in Genesis."

The same Web site also reports Gihon is also the name of "the only natural spring of water in or near Jerusalem".

Answer: Water in the Nile changing into blood

The first plague turned the water of the Nile River into blood. The nine other plagues were: a.) frogs; b.) lice; c.) flies; d.) livestock diseased; e.) boils; f.) hail; g.) locusts; h.) darkness; and i.) death of the firstborn.

It was only after ten plagues that the Pharaoh granted permission to leave Egypt, according to Scripture. The final plague involved the deaths of firstborn Egyptians as well as the firstborn livestock. It's from this event the Israelites instituted the observance of Passover.

Answer: Dan

The correct answer is Dan while the second son Bilhah gave birth to was Naphtali. Each of them was a founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

When Jacob blessed his sons, he had this to say about Dan, as per Genesis 49:16-17 in the NKJV Bible: "Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse's heels so that its rider shall fall backward."

According to Genesis 30:3, Rachel gave permission to her husband to sleep with Bilhah so she could bear children for her. Rachel, who was barren at the time, wanted to build a family through her servant.

Answer: Eliab

Eliab is the correct answer. 1 Samuel 17:13-15 in the NKJV Bible, states: "The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone to follow Saul to the battle. The names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. David was the youngest. And the three oldest followed Saul."

The story of David killing the Philistine giant Goliath with a slingshot is reported in this chapter. According to verse 40, David was armed with five smooth stones but four of them were not needed. Verse 49 states David fired a stone at Goliath and it sunk in his head; Goliath fell face down.

David finished things off by beheading Goliath, as per verse 51.

Answer: Like a lion

The first living creature, was like a lion, according to Scripture. It's often difficult to come up with an explanation of what is recorded in Revelation as there are so many different views on the book. In my opinion, I see the book as the Tale of Two Cities -- Babylon the Fallen and the New Jerusalem.

With that disclaimer out of the way, here's how Revelation 4:6-8, reads in the NKJV Bible: "Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: 'Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!'"

Answer: jasper

The correct answer is jasper. Revelation 21:16-21, in the NKJV Bible, states: "The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal.

Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.

The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass."

Answer: a serpent

The correct answer is the serpent, of course. According to Scripture, Adam and Eve were allowed by God to eat from any tree in the Garden of Eden, with the exception of the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil, as per Genesis 2:16. The third chapter of Genesis tells of a serpent speaking to Eve and convincing her to eat from the tree. Adam did likewise, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Answer: Rachel

Rachel, who was unable to conceive for a number of years, died giving birth to her second son, Benjamin, according to Scripture.

Genesis 35:16-19, in the NKJV Bible, states: "Then they journeyed from Bethel. And when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel labored in childbirth, and she had hard labor. Now it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said to her, 'Do not fear; you will have this son also.' And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni; but his father called him Benjamin. So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."

Rachel's first son was Joseph, as per Genesis 30:24.

Incidentally, the second woman to die giving birth was Phinehas' wife. (The woman's name is not given in Scripture.) After the deaths of her husband Phinehas, father-in-law Eli and brother-in-law Hophni as well as the capture of the Ark of God by the Philistines, the woman went into labor. Scripture states she died during childbirth. 1 Samuel 4:21-22, in the NKJV Bible, states: "Then she named the child Ichabod, saying, 'The glory has departed from Israel!' because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. And she said, 'The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.'"