A couple of paths for journeying through the whole Bible
Context is of fundamental importance for understanding Scripture and applying it to life, and that's why we examine it at three levels on this website. The broadest level, whole-Bible context (tool #5), is truly immense. How can we grasp it? I hope the following will help.
The Bible was written over about 1500 years by 40 some authors from every walk of life. Yet, a single narrative weaves its way through from beginning to end. How is that possible? Well, the Bible claims to be God-breathed (2Timothy 3:16-17). This doesn't mean that God overrode the human authors' minds while He dictated what they wrote. No, anyone who has ever read the Bible knows that the authors frequently reveal their thoughts and emotions. But God had created their personalities and shaped their times and experiences in such a way that He knew they would write exactly the words He wanted to communicate. God used human language and emotions to speak to human minds and hearts. Even if you're not yet convinced that such a God exists, reading Scripture in the context of its grand Story will still enable you to better understand what it says.
The Bible is the most circulated, most translated book of all time. I hope that both believers and unbelievers will find the following summaries helpful. If you're open to allowing for even a small possibility that the God of the Bible might exist, and if you're open to following truth wherever it leads, then I think you'll profit. At the least, you'll have a better understanding of the bestseller of all time, and you'll be in a better place to assess whether the Bible is worthy of your trust.
One of the oldest and undoubtedly the most well-known journeys through the Bible is Handel's Messiah. From 1742 until the present, this oratorio has been sung before countless audiences the world over. The Scripture verses for this incredible prophetic journey were researched and collected by Martin P. Dicke. You can find a PDF of His work at
https://jubalslyre.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Text-Study-of-Handels-Messiah.pdf.
Dicke restores the portions of the verses left out by Handel for musical and poetic reasons. Below, I have stitched the complete passages together and minimized other text. I hope that you will find, as I have found, that when you read the result as a whole, the Bible's central message springs forth with new clarity.
Note that biblical prophecies sometimes refer to more than one fulfillment. For example, the same passage may give details for both the first and second comings of the Messiah. I explain "split reference" and "multiple reference" prophecies on page 57 of my book. Being on the lookout for these can make your prophetic explorations more fruitful.
Below, you can choose to read this summary in more than one translation. Those who have sung the Messiah may enjoy reading from the King James Version (KJV). Those preferring a modern-language option can choose the New International Version (NIV) or the New Living Translation (NLT). I've added a few cross-references and study Bible footnotes to the NLT summary for clarification.
Click a button below to explore the Bible through Handel's Messiah using your preferred translation.
Return here using the back arrow of your browser.
While Handel's Messiah is centered on biblical prophecy, there are other ways to summarize the whole-Bible narrative. Below, I've provided an event-centered summary. Others have also written summaries like this. I offer mine as a quick reference for users of this website. Those wanting to dig deeper may find my footnotes helpful. Simply click on the superscript to be transported to the relevant note. When done, click on the superscript of the footnote to return to the Story. You'll also notice that I use yellow highlighting to draw attention to recurring themes or help you quickly identify key parts of longer footnotes. Let the journey begin...