Product Review: Through the Bible…As It Happened

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The Truth We Don’t Want to Admit

There are many Christians who have not read the entire Bible.

There are some who never will.

Ouch.

There are many Christians who want to read the entire Bible, which is good. Reading the Bible all the way through is a necessary and serious endeavor for the committed Christian.

These same Christians revere the Scripture as the authoritative Word of God, but won’t commit to a serious reading plan because…..let’s face it……

It looks like a lot of work.

We love God, but it’s hard to take joy in reading the Word cover to cover when it looks kinda like a homework assignment.

It’s certainly not the devotional reading that we like to do where we sit and pick out verses from the Book of Proverbs, or one of the Gospels.

If I told you there was a study tool out there that could help you complete this important task while taking the “work” out of doing it, would you consider using it?

If so, then keep reading, because Through the Bible…As It Happened will change everything.

Bible Study is Important

Studying the Bible seriously is a priority for devoted Christians, which is why I wrote a whole post about it. Step Five in that post talks about when it’s time to sit down and start reading.

One thing I didn’t discuss is that people’s opinions on where to start reading vary widely. The old school (and some say the best) way of doing it is to just read the Bible from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21. But that’s not the only way. During a Chuck Missler sermon, he mentioned that some people start with the Gospel of John, as it is the most philosophical of the Gospels, and segues neatly into Revelation as John may have written both books at the same time.

But I have another way I want to share with you and that is by investing in a chronological reading plan.

A New Way to Read the Bible

Chronological Bible plans are creative attempts to re-arrange Bible passages to make the Bible read like a historical narrative or a novel. You can find several on the web, but they mostly just outline telling you which verses to read in a particular order.

Through The Bible…As It Happened goes a step further:

• The entire plan is divided up by month, the goal being to read the Bible in one year. Each month is then divided by the days of the month. Each day has a set of verses for you to read.
• The plan is also divided into two tracks: Old Testament and New Testament. January 1st begins with Genesis 1:1 and walks through Creation in a very unique way (see below). But then you switch over to Luke 1:1 to kick off the New Testament readings.
• To see what I mean, let’s break down January 1:

OLD TESTAMENT	NEW TESTAMENT
Genesis 1:1-1:31 (“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…”) Isaiah 14 (Satan’s Fall) Ezekiel 28 (Same) Genesis 2:1-2:15 (Adam, his duty to work the Garden) Selected Proverbs, e.g, 12:17, (Man’s inherited work ethic, elaborating on Adam’s)	Luke 1:1-1:4 (Gospel’s Purpose, to take “…certainty in the things you’ve been taught.”) John 1:1-1:5 (“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…”) Matt. 1:1-1:17 (Jesus’ Genealogy)

• January 2 and each day thereafter, you’ll read a set of OT and NT verses that compliment each other.
• On December 31, you’ll be reading Malachi, Psalm 1(!), the last verses of Revelation, and a few others.

Here’s some more cool features:

• The books of Kings and Chronicles are interwoven so you can see the subtle differences between them.
• You’ll also see Jeremiah mixed in with certain passages when the destruction of Jerusalem is covered.
• Other episodic books are also organized into a historical context. For example, passages from the Book of Job are inserted after Genesis 11 (Tower of Babel and the dispersion of the races). As you know, the Book of Job is regarded by some as a contemporary of Abraham.
• Another example is the Book of Ruth and it is woven into the same period as the Book of Judges. (See Ruth 1:1).
• Each verse contains evangelical Bible commentary, so it reads the same way as a study bible.

As you will see, numerous verses are blended together in a unique, historical patchwork that illuminates the Bible in a way you never thought possible.

About the Author

The book’s author, David Shreve, has spent several decades reading and studying the Word and began crafting this product back in the ’70s. Chronological Bible plans probably didn’t even exist then. Through the years, as he read through the Bible each year himself using this program, he researched and compared – and revised – and revised – continually, until he released his program to the general public in 2018. Getting the order of events exactly right was a priority for him and a painstaking effort – and the results prove the value of that effort.

As I stated earlier, the study notes are written from a conservative, evangelical Christian view. They are thorough and voluminous. I have no doubt you will see the author’s painstaking attention to detail while maintaining diligent handling of the Word.

Any Criticisms?

I have a few, but I’m nitpicking.

First of all, no Bible commentary is perfect, and expecting one to be is foolish. Everyone has their interpretation of Scripture, but we, as Christians, try our best to let God guide our reading of His word and reveal to us what He wants us to see. (Proverbs 25:2.)

And it’s good to remember that just because a commentary doesn’t hit the notes you want it to hit does not mean that the whole thing not worth your time.

With that in mind, yes, I found a couple of things I wish were explored further.

For example, compare Isaiah 61:1-2 with Luke 4:18-19. In Luke, Jesus reads Isaiah 61, but stops short of saying “and the Day of Vengeance of our God.” Because that “Day” has not arrived yet, but everything else from Isaiah 61:1-2 had. Jesus’ deliberate omission of the “Day of Vengeance” should call our attention.

Through the Bible doesn’t pick up on this but instead focuses on “proclaiming the year of our Lord,” portion of Isaiah as a type of Jubilee year. Minor issue, though.

So, as I said, I wish the commentary picked up on it, but I’m not holding it against Mr. Shreve.

Conclusion: Is This Worth it?

Because of its simple, straightforward, interwoven historical narrative that maintains the Bible’s integrity, it’s absolutely worth it. If you’ve never thought you could experience the Bible like this then it’s time to start!

All in all, you will be well served in adding this to your Bible study repertoire.