Old Testament People in New Testament Quiz

Answer: Moses and Elijah

According to Scripture, Peter, James and John were with Jesus when Moses and Elijah appeared in their midst.

Matthew 17:1-8, in the NKJV Bible, states: "Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, 'Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.' While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!' And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, 'Arise, and do not be afraid.' When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only."

Answer: Ruth

Ruth is the correct answer. According to the book of Ruth, she was from Moab and after her husband Chilion died, she ended up becoming the bride of Boaz. Scripture goes on to state Boaz and Ruth were parents of Obed, who was the father of Jesse. Jesse, of course, was the father of David, one of the most famous kings in Israel's history. Ruth is mentioned only once in the New Testament.

Answer: It was a Messianic title for Jesus

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible indicate the term "Son of David" was a Messianic title for Jesus. In other words, it was a statement that Old Testament prophecy about the coming of the Messiah had been fulfilled.

For example, the very first verse in the New Testament, Matthew 1:1, starts this way: "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David..."

Son of David is a term that appears in Matthew 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30; 20:31; 21:9; 21:15; 22:42; Mark 10:47; 10:48; 12:35; Luke 18:38; 18:39 and 20:41.

Many theologians link the title 'Son of David' with 2 Samuel 7:14-15. To put things in context, here's how 2 Samuel 7:12-16 reads, Scripture telling of the LORD giving instructions to Nathan the prophet to relay to David, the new king: "'When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.'"

Verse 17 goes on to state: "According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David."

Incidentally, David's name can be found in nine different New Testament books -- Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 2 Timothy, Hebrews and Revelation.

Answer: Do not worry

The general theme of the discourse is 'do not worry'. A similar verse with Jesus quoting Solomon's name is found in Matthew 6:29 with the discourse running from Matthew 6:25-34. In both discourses, the introductory sub-head in the NKJV Study Bible is 'Do Not Worry'.

To provide a taste of the passage, here's home Luke 12:22-28 reads in the NKJV: "Then He said to His disciples, 'Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?'"

Incidentally, Solomon's name appears in four New Testament books -- Matthew, Luke, John and Acts.

Answer: His willingness to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice

Abraham is lauded for his faith in Hebrews 11:17 for his willingness to follow instructions from the LORD and sacrifice his son Isaac. Here's how the verse in Hebrews reads in the NKJV with verses 18 and 19 included for context: "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, 'In Isaac your seed shall be called,' concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense."

Many Christians believe Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac ties in with God sacrificing Jesus, His only begotten Son. The story of Abraham preparing to sacrifice Isaac is one of the best known stories in the Old Testament. Scripture reports God commanded Abraham to take his son Isaac to a mountain in the region of Moriah and to sacrifice him as a burnt offering. Just as Abraham was preparing to sacrifice Isaac, Scripture reports an angel of the LORD called out and told him to spare his son because it was evident Abraham feared God. After the angel called out, Abraham spotted a ram in the thicket and used it as his sacrificial offering. The story is told in the 22nd chapter of Genesis.

Abraham's name appears in 11 New Testament books -- Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Hebrews, James and 1 Peter.

Answer: John

John is the correct answer. Isaac's name appears in seven different books: Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts, Romans, Hebrews and James. In Matthew and Luke, the name is included in the genealogy of Christ as well as in statements attributed to the LORD that He is "the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" and in other accounts. However, in Mark, the only mention of Isaac is a statement pertaining to being the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

There is no mention of Isaac in John.

I suspect on the surface this might have appeared to be a tough question. But when it is thought through, it is not that difficult. After all, the genealogy of Christ appears in Matthew and Luke and it's a foregone conclusion those two responses can be eliminated. And when one considers Acts is not even a Gospel, the only logical choice for the answer is John.

Answer: True

True. Rachel's name appears only once in the New Testament and it is used in a figurative sense. The verse in question is Matthew 2:18 and is part of an account of Herod ordering the execution of all male children aged two and under and an attempt to kills Jesus. Here's how it reads in the NKJV: "A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more." Notes in the NKJV Study Bible state the verse is based on Jeremiah 31:15 and is fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

To put things in context, here's how Matthew 2:16-18, reads: "Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 'A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more.'"

Meanwhile, Rachel's well-known sister Leah is not mentioned at all in the New Testament. However, the genealogy of Christ in the first chapter of Matthew and third chapter of Luke does include the names of Leah's husband Jacob and her son Judah.

Answer: Daniel

The correct answer is Daniel. To put the quote in context, here's how Matthew 24:15-25 reads in the NKJV: "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened. Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand."

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible offer this explanation of Matthew 24:15-16: "The abomination of desolation literally means 'the abomination that makes desolate'. This prophecy comes from Daniel, specifically Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11. Daniel 11:31 refers to Antiochus IV, who desecrated the temple and set up an idol to Zeus in it. His actions were a prelude to what the ultimate 'man of sin' will do. In A.D. 70, Titus destroyed Jerusalem, burned the temple and set up an idol to mock the Jews. Significantly, Paul speaks of the Antichrist at end times setting himself up as god also (see 2 Thessaloninans 2:3-4; Revelation 14:14-15."

The notes go on to state: "At the time of the war ending in the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70, many of the Christians did flee, hiding in the clefts of Petra. Some believe the final fulfillment of this prophecy will occur in the future desecration of the temple (see Daniel 9:27) and the subsequent setting up of an image of a 'man of sin' in the Most Holy Place. When that occurs, everyone in Judea must flee to the mountains."

Answer: James

Rahab is also mentioned in James 2:25. The verse in the NKJV reads, "Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?" To put the verse in contest, verse 26 goes on to state: "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible have this to say about the passage as well as other verses in the second chapter of James : "Faith and works should be together; there is a close relationship between the two. Faith produces works; and work makes faith perfect..."

Answer: All of these

According to Genesis 14:18, Melchizedek was the king of Salem and the priest of God Most High who blessed Abram who would later become known as Abraham. However, his name also appears no less than nine times in the Book of Hebrews -- 5:6, 10, 6:20, 7:1, 10, 11 15, 17, 21.

The name can be also found in Psalm 110:4, which states in the NKJV Bible: "The LORD has sworn and will not relent, 'You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek'."

The writer of Hebrews makes the case Jesus is vastly superior to Melchizedek.
Hebrews 7:23-28 sums up things this way: "Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever."