Unscramble the letters -- ECCLESIASTES Quiz

Answer: sea

The missing word is sea. Many theologians believe Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes but others dispute this belief. However, one thing, is certain about Ecclesiastes: it's a book which is often overlooked and not fully appreciated by readers.

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible have this to say: "Ecclesiastes is one of the most misunderstood books in the Bible. Christians have tended to either ignore the message of the book, or to regard it as the testimony of a man living apart from God. This is unfortunate, for the book asks relevant, searching questions about the meaning of life, and it declares the utter futility of an existence without God. Like all Scripture, the Book of Ecclesiastes benefits and edifies God's people."

A portion of the third chapter of the ancient book was set to music by Pete Seger in 1959 and in 1965, it became a massive hit for The Byrds, an American band, with their rendition of the song titled "Turn, Turn Turn (to Everything There is a Season)".

According to Wikipedia, "Turn, Turn Turn (to Everything There is a Season)" hit Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and Number 26 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was popular for a number of reasons, not the least of which was it struck a chord with a world which was desperately seeking peace at a time when the War in Vietnam was dominating the headlines and newscasts of the day. According to Wikipedia, the song was first released by the folk group The Limeliters on their 1962 album "Folk Matinee". Wikipedia reports Judy Collins also released a version of the song in 1963. However, the version by The Byrds would prove to be far and away the most successful.

The words for the song come from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.
The verses in the NKJV Bible state:
"To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace."

Answer: castle

The correct word is 'castle'. Perhaps the NIV rendition of the verse will make the verse a bit easier to understand: "A brother wronged is more unyielding than a fortified city; disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel."

Incidentally, the word 'castle' appears only in this verse in the NKJV and the word does not appear in the NIV. However, the word 'castle' and its plural form 'castles' appear fifteen times in the KJV.

Answer: seal

The missing word is 'seal'. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, wrote 2 Timothy, as well as 1 Timothy. The two letters were addressed to a young church worker simply known as Timothy.

In regards to the verse, notes in the NKJV Study Bible state: "In spite of the unfaithful actions of some, the solid foundation of God stands. The tense of the verb indicates that Paul saw God's truth as not only standing in the past but in the present."

The notes go on to state the words 'the Lord knows those who are His' "intimate, experiential knowledge that can only be obtained in a relationship."

Answer: seat

Romans was written by Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. According to this passage believers will appear before Jesus Christ to face judgment. Notes in the NKJV Study Bible state: "At the judgment seat of Christ, every believer's life will be evaluated to determine his or her reward. See 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 and 2 Corinthians 5:9-10.")

Answer: east

The correct answer is east. Matthew 2:1 in the NKJV Bible states: "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem." In the KJV and the NKJV, they're referred to as wise men, however, in the NIV they're called magi.

Incidentally, no where in the Bible does it state there were three wise men. Tradition has it there were three wise men simply because three gifts were presented to Christ. According to Matthew 2:11 in the NKJV and the NIV, the gifts were gold, and frankincense and myrrh.

Answer: scales

The correct word is 'scales'. Notes in the NKJV Study Bible state: "Dealing fairly with one another is an outgrowth of the command to love one's neighbor as one's self (see Leviticus 19:18), which in turn is an outgrowth of the central command given to Israel to love God alone (see Deuteronomy 6:4-9). That is why false balances are an abomination to God, a term that refers to stomach-wrenching hatred."

Answer: cease

The missing word is 'cease'. It's difficult to find fault with the statement the "poor will never cease." Despite thousands of years of progress and various political systems as well as charitable agencies and the like, the poor have not ceased.

The first five books of the Hebrew Bible are known as the Torah and as the Pentateuch in the Old Testament of the English Bible. Deuteronomy is the last book in the Torah/Pentateuch.

The book largely explains the law of God revealed at Mount Sinai to a second generation of Israelites. Jews and Christians both traditionally credit Moses with writing the book but some scholars dispute this belief. Deuteronomy consists of 34 chapters and is seen by many as the last will of Moses.

Answer: tail

The missing word is 'tail'. Notes in the NKJV Study Bible state the term 'the head and not the tail' "indicates Israel will rise to a place of honor among the nations." The promise is based on the people heeding the commandments of "the LORD your God."

Answer: tassel

The correct word is tassel. I suspect this one was a little on the difficult side. The verse in question quotes the LORD while giving instructions to Moses.

To put things in context, Numbers 15:37-41, in the NKJV Bible, states: "Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God'."

Answer: least

The verse in question quotes Jesus. According to Matthew 11:7, Christ was speaking to "multitudes" at the time this statement was made.

According to the third chapter of Luke, John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for Christ. Many Christians regard John as the last of the Old Testament prophets.