Biblical Mathematics -- #3 Trivia Quiz

Answer: 22

The correct answer is twenty-two. According to Genesis 37:28, Joseph's brothers received twenty shekels of silver when they sold him into slavery while there are two books in the New Testament addressed to Timothy. Take twenty and add two and you come up with twenty-two.

Although Joseph was sold into slavery and taken to Egypt and eventually tossed into prison, he ascended to become the second most powerful man in the land, surpassed by only the Pharaoh. His story is told in Genesis 37 to 50.

The New Testament books addressed to Timothy are First Timothy and Second Timothy. They were both written by Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles.

Answer: 80

The Israelites, according to Exodus 16:35, wandered in the wilderness for forty years while Jesus fed a multitude of people with a pittance of food on two different occasions.

Details of Christ's first miracle involving the feeding a multitude of people can be found in Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9 and John 6 while details of the second miracle can be found in Matthew 15 and Mark 8. In the first incident, Christ fed 5,000 men with five loaves and two fish. In the second incident, He fed 4,000 men with seven loaves and a "few small fish".

Although Scripture says Jesus fed 5,000 men on the first occasion and 4,000 men on the second, many theologians believe He fed a substantially larger number as the figures do not include women and children. As per the custom of the day, woman and children were not included in census figures. As a result, many theologians believe He fed 15,000 people on the first occasion and 12,000 on the second occasion.

Answer: 51

The correct answer is fifty-one. There are thirty-nine books in the Old Testament of the Protestant Bible, and according to Mark 5:12, Jairus' daughter was twelve years old when she was raised from the dead by Jesus.
Add thirty-nine and twelve and you get fifty-one.

The thirty-nine books in the Old Testament of the Protestant Bible are:
1.) Genesis
2.) Exodus
3.) Leviticus
4.) Numbers
5.) Deuteronomy
6.) Joshua
7.) Judges
8.) Ruth
9.) 1 Samuel
10.) 2 Samuel
11.) 1 Kings
12.) 2 Kings
13.) 1 Chronicles
14.) 2 Chronicles
15.) Ezra
16.) Nehemiah
17.) Esther
18.) Job
19.) Psalm
20.) Proverbs
21.) Ecclesiastes
22.) Song of Solomon
23.) Isaiah
24.) Jeremiah
25.) Lamentations
26.) Ezekiel
27.)Daniel
28.) Hosea
29.) Joel
30.) Amos
31.) Obadiah
32.) Jonah
33.) Micah
34.) Nahum
35.) Habakkuk
36.) Zephaniah
37.) Haggai
38.) Zechariah
39.) Malachi

Answer: 9

According to Genesis 40, Joseph interpreted two prisoners' dreams while he was incarcerated. Meanwhile, John's vision in the Book of Revelation involved seven churches. Take two and add on seven and you get nine.

Genesis 40 states Joseph successfully interpreted the dreams of the Pharaoh's butler and baker. His actions eventually ended up with him being called upon to interpret dreams for the Pharaoh. Scripture states the Pharaoh was so impressed with Joseph's accurate interpretations that he freed him from prison and made him the second most powerful man in Egypt.

The visions John had for seven different churches are contained in Revelation 2 and 3. The churches were based in Ephesus ('the loveless church'), Smyrna ('the persecuted church'), Pergamos (the compromising church'), Thyatira ('the corrupt church'), Sardis ('the dead church'), Philadelphia ('the faithful church') and Laodicea ('the lukewarm church'). Tradition holds Revelation was written by John, one of the original Twelve Disciples of Jesus. However, some modern theologians dispute the belief.

Answer: 120

Sarah, according to Genesis 23:1, was one hundred and twenty-seven years old when she died. Meanwhile Jesus is quoted as making seven so-called 'I am Statements' in the Gospel of John. Take one hundred and twenty-seven and subtract seven and you get one hundred and twenty.

The seven different I am statements made by Jesus in John are as follows:
1.) 'I am the bread of life' (6:35, 48).
2.) 'I am the light of the world' (8:12).
3.) 'I am the door' (10:7,9).
4.) 'I am the good shepherd' (10:11,14).
5.) 'I am the resurrection and the life' (11:25).
6.) 'I am the way the truth and the life' (14:6).
7.) 'I am the true vine' (15:1).

Study notes in the NKJV Study Bible have this to say about the 'I am statements' in the Gospel: "John doesn't take any chances that we might miss what these 'I am' statements suggest. He records certain occasions when Jesus equates Himself with the Old Testament 'I AM' (Yahweh). You can't be more specific than this: 'Most assuredly I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM' (8:58)."

Study notes also have this to say: "The Gospel of John is a persuasive argument for the deity of Jesus. It concentrates on presenting Jesus as the Word, that is God (1:1) who became a man (1:4). Thus John meticulously records the statements and describes the miracles of Jesus that can only be attributed to God Himself."

Answer: 13

According to 1 kings 19:19, Elisha was plowing a field with "twelve yoke of oxen before him" when he encountered Elijah, who would become his mentor. In the New Testament, only one book is addressed to Titus. Take twelve and add on one and you get thirteen.

1 Kings 19:19-21, in the NKJV, tells of Elisha's decision to follow Elijah:
"So he [Elijah] departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, 'Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.' And he said to him, 'Go back again, for what have I done to you?' So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen's equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant."

Meanwhile, Titus was a worker in the early church and was serving on the island of Crete at the time Paul wrote the letter to him. In the order the books appear in the New Testament, Titus appears after 2 Timothy and before Philemon.

Answer: 11

According to Joshua 4:9, Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan River, marking the spot where priests bearing the ark of the covenant stood. James is credited with writing only one book in the New Testament. Take twelve and subtract one and you get eleven, the answer to our question.

According to Scripture, the Jordan River was parted, allowing the Israelites to enter into Canaan, regarded as the Promised Land. Joshua 4:20 goes on to tell of Joshua taking the twelves stones he had set up in the Jordan and placing them in Gilgal. Each stone represented one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Josua 4:21-24, in the NKJV, states: "Then he [Joshua] spoke to the children of Israel, saying: 'When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?' then you shall let your children know, saying, 'Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land'; for the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever."

No one knows the exact identity of James, the author of the book that bears his name. The book appears in the New Testament after Hebrews and is followed by 1 Peter. James consists of five chapters.

Answer: 12

According to Genesis 41:50-52, Joseph and his wife Asenath, had two sons -- Manasseh and Ephraim. The parable of the ten wise and foolish virgins is told in Matthew 25: 1-13.

According to notes in the NKJV Study Bible, Manasseh means 'making forgetful' and Ephraim means 'fruitfulness'. Genesis 41:51-52, in the NKJV, states: "Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: 'For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father's house.' And the name of the second he called Ephraim: 'For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.'"

The moral of the parable of the ten virgins is for Christians to be always prepared for the return of the Lord, because you never know when it is going to happen.

"The ten virgins in this parable were waiting for the wedding possession that went from the bride's home to the home of her husband," notes in the NKJV Study Bible state. "This nighttime procession would use lamps to light the way because ancient cities did not have streetlights.

Here's how the parable reads in its entirety in the NKJV:

"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

"And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

"Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'

"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible state the possession of oil illustrates the concept of being prepared while a lack of oil represents being unprepared for Christ's return.

The term 'the door was shut' "speaks of being shut out of the kingdom," the study notes say. "The unwise virgins were not ready when Christ returned."

Answer: 150

The correct answer is one hundred and fifty, a total you get when you multiply fifty by three. There are fifty chapters in Genesis and in John 21, Jesus asked Peter on three different occasions if he loved Him.

According to Scripture, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him after they had breakfast, along with a number of other disciples, on the shore of Galilee. It's interesting to note that, according to Scripture, Peter denied knowing Christ on three different occasions.

Here's how John 21:15-19, tells of Jesus restoring Peter after his three denials:
"So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?'

"He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.'

"He said to him, 'Feed My lambs.'

"He said to him again a second time, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?'

"He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.'

"He said to him, 'Tend My sheep.'

"He said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?' Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, 'Do you love Me?'

"And he said to Him, 'Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.'

"Jesus said to him, 'Feed My sheep. Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.' This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, 'Follow Me'."

Answer: 155

The answer is one hundred and fifty-five.

Two books in the Old Testament of the Protestant Bible start with the letter 'P'. They are Psalms and Proverbs. According to John 21:11, the disciples caught one hundred and fifty-three fish after following Christ's instructions and cast their nets on the right side of the boat. This after spending a long night of not catching any fish.

After catching the fish, Scripture tells of Jesus and the disciples having breakfast alongside the shore of Galilee. This was one of a number of resurrection appearances by Jesus, with accounts of the appearances found in all four Gospels -- Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.