How do we know the aforesaid details at all? Not unless the One who was before all this could tell us this. And using a communication medium called language that mankind can understand.

“God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets” – Heb 1:1. All scripture is given by inspiration of God – 2 Tim 3:16. The holy scriptures…are able to make one wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. – 2 Tim 3:15.

The Bible (Biblios in Greek), as the Scriptures are known popularly, was written by about forty men like us coming from Middle Eastern nations and belonging to diverse cultural and educational backgrounds and social statuses. The Bible is not one book (though the single-most topic that runs through these books is Jesus Christ, the Son of God); it is actually a library of books – sixty-six in all recognized as the inspired ones. The Old Testament contains thirty-nine books and the New Testament twenty-seven. The thirty-nine books of the Old Testament were held by the Jewish believers as “God-breathed” even before the first book of the new testament was written. Jesus Christ quoted verses from these books during His earthly ministry. The collection of sixty-six books was sealed as the Canon or “complete” by the compilers who were purely Godly men. The reason why there are only sixty-six – not one more or not one less is because, though all these books were written over a period of about one thousand six hundred years – from 1500 BC to 100 AD, they are consistent in their content with no contradiction whatsoever. (All those portions that are put forth as contradictions by the unbelievers is because a majority are willingly and a minority, mistakenly ignorant of the truth that the Scriptures present).

Scripture interprets scripture; we should refer to other portions in the Bible to understand it better. Paul, says, “But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. …the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man”. – 1Cor 2:10-15.

The Old Testament contains instances where Christ revealed Himself to men now and again. Most of the Scriptures that mention God as “LORD” or “LORD GOD” speaks about Christ. “The Lord said to My Lord” in Ps 110:1 speaks about God the Father speaking to Christ. Christophanies are instances when Christ appeared and spoke to the historical characters in the Old Testament times before He took upon Himself sinful flesh. You will read about a few such incidents in the pages of this book ABHOT. YHWH is Christ everywhere in the Scriptures. It is Christ who always interacts with mankind.

The Old Testament is the “shadow” and the New Testament is the “subject” in many aspects. There are many characters in the Old Testament that are types of Jesus Christ. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me. – John 5:39. Moses wrote of Me. – John 5:46. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself. – Luke 24:27. Interestingly, there are types of Satan as well, some of which are exposed in the following pages in ABHOT.

The Bible is not another book authored by man – it is God’s word. The prophecies in the Bible (almost all books are prophetical – foretelling details related to the first as well as the second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ) were spoken by holy men of God as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. – 2 Pet 1:21. While the style adopted by them might have a personal touch, the content is divine inspiration.

In fact, every word, its prefix, and suffix (jot and tittle in the original) are inspired. Paul gives us a typical example in his letter to the Galatians, a book in the Bible, about the significance of a tittle (in the Hebrew term). The mention of the plural Seeds (which is wrong) instead of the singular Seed (which is right) in the book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible, would have contradicted the one purpose and the only plan of God. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, “and to seeds”, as of many; but as of one, “and to thy Seed”, which is Christ. – Gal 3:16. That is why Jesus said about the word, “For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled”. – Matt 5:18.

One needs to exclusively depend on the Author, the Holy Spirit, for spiritual inspiration and comprehension to appreciate the value of the content and to experience its life-transforming power. Faith in the living God of the Bible is essential so that He would speak to the reader through the portion of Scripture that one reads.

Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. – Ps 119:105. Those who desire to know the will and desire of God for the short term and today as well as those who yearn to understand the purpose and plan of God for the long term and tomorrow, both come to the word of God for guidance. All scripture … is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. – 2Tim 3:16,17.

The power of the Scriptures is expressed in the following verse: The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. – Heb 4:12.

What is the ultimate reason for these books in the Bible to be written?

But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name. – John 20:31. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. – 1 John 5:13.

Men have tried their best to wrest or twist the Scriptures, if not destroy them. – 2 Pet 3:16, the same tactic Satan employed in the garden of Eden. The devil would try to add, remove or misquote the scriptures for the gullible, the unlearned, and the unstable – the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life are his weapons even now! They are the blind leading the blind, both falling into the pit – sin, hell, and the lake of fire.