Customer Reviews

The Reese Chronological Bible

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you are a student of the Bible then this is just invaluable. What this book does is, for example, place the verses of 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, and 1 & 2 Chronicles in order. You can see where the books carry redundant accounts and where they're unique. When it comes to the divided kingdom, it separates the histories of Judah and Israel into 2 separate columns. Even more valuable for me is when the books of the prophets enter the picture. Some parts are awkward, as in the placing of psalms at various points in the David narrative, and it's hard to tell if a placement is historical or just based on context. For that, it might have been nice to have references, but that would just have added bulk to the volume and I didn't miss it. Perhaps a companion piece would be valuable at some point.

This book is one of the great study guides available. I teach Sunday School and was putting together lessons on a character study of King David, and this book was a very valuable resource in putting psalms together with the various times in David's life. It's King James and that is a really big plus as well (I wouldn't have used it had it been NIV).

What a great idea to be able to read the Bible in the order of events as they happened! For my daily bible reading this is a wonderful joy by keeping the events in order with out taking away from the meaning. I am also impressed that nothing is" taken away from or added to the Word of God".

I am truly amazed at how this little twist on the Bible results in such a fantastically broader understanding. Without corrupting the Word, this chronological Bible has immediately helped me better see the eternal nature of Jesus. It is tough to pick up the Bible without the traditional canonical organization, but I am getting used to it. I particularly enjoy the ability to read the Bible more as a story. My next purchase will be a Topical Bible.

The presentation of Biblical stories in chronological fasion greatly enhances the understanding of a more conventional Bible.

It doesn't replace any of the other versions of the Bible I use but is a welcome compliment.

I would recommend it to those who are looking to expand their HISTORICAL understanding of the Christian faith.

I bought this Bible for the sole purpose of gaining a generally chronological orientation to biblical events and persons relative to the whole. It serves its purpose well enough. The reader ought to realize, however, that the interpretive chronological schema is dispensationalist, and that such a schema affects, for example, the date given (late) for the writing of Revelation, which in turn has definite implications for one's eschatological interpretations and expectations. In short, the chronological flow is useful, but I would not use this as a primary study Bible.

The text is King James Version, and the font is comfortably large.

This book is phenomenal. It makes the Bible stories that we've always heard come to life. I teach a class on the Psalms and the other Wisdom Books. There couldn't have been a more helpful guide than the Reese Chronological Bible.

Not only have I enjoyed it immensely as a researh and study guide, so have a few of my students. Seeing the events of the Bible in the order in which they happened really opens your eyes to the awesome wonder and marvelous works of God. One cannot help but believe that God really does exist....for who else could have made such a creation.

Many kudos to Mr. Reese.

Angela T.
Washington, DC

Selwyn Hughes has written a wonderful book that may be used along with this or as a stand alone using whatever Bible you are most familiar with. It is called "Cover to Cover, Read the Bible Through in One Year As it Actually Happened." ISBN: 0805421440.

I have compared Hughes' first and second days of reading to the "Look Inside This Book" of the Reese Chronological Bible and they are almost completely identical. Cover to Cover includes an overview of each book (bird's eye view, Biblical context, main characters, special features, how Jesus relates, a teaching, and a verse to remember), a continuous timeline throughout, great maps and diagrams of significant places throughout, thousands of cross-references, a daily thought & contemplation, a daily key reading, a monthly diary page, and is, of course, broken into daily readings so you may finish the Bible in a year.

Some reviewers of Cover to Cover lamented that there wasn't a Chronological Bible already available to keep from having to flip around -- that is where Reese Chronological Bible comes in. It really fills the bill! But if you prefer a version rather than King James or can't afford Reese, then Cover to Cover is a complete solution.

I love both books!

Originally published in 1980, the Reese Chronological Bible is the first Bible of its kind. It takes the King James Version text and rearranges the verses (not just the chapters) in chronological order.

This edition is probably the most finely-detailed effort to present the Scriptures in chronological order, according to both the historical position of the narrative (it starts with John 1:1, unlike any other chronological version I have viewed or read) and the chronological authorship of its books (as evidenced by the placement of Job very early in the text. There are no harmonizations of passages either. Every verse of every chapter of every book is presented. When there are multiple accounts of events in the Gospels, each is presented one right after the other. In dealing with parallel accounts in Kings and Chronicles, the text is split into twin colums, one representing events in Israel while the other describes the corresponding events in Judah.

Also unique to this edition is that there are no accompanying articles or commentaries. It is the Scripture text, and only the Scripture text. The dating of various passages tends to conform to a Fundamental view of Scripture, but is otherwise position-free, allowing the Bible to speak for itself.

As mentioned, this was first published in 1980 and has not been updated. The presentation of the text is certainly no-frills, without line art, color, or anything other than the body of Scripture. This may not appeal to some, but will certainly appeal to others. It is a serious tool for serious study.

Another reviewer said that it may not be a good idea to read this volume until having read through the Scripture in its regular order. I tend to agree with this. I would also add that if the reader is unfamiliar with the King James Version, he or she might want to read the New King James version first as it will greatly aid in understanding. In all fairness however, in 1980, the NKJV did not exist (it was published in 1982), and the NIV had yet to gain widespread acceptance among Bible readers.

Overall, I would highly recommend this excellent reference.

It is a very interesting perspective to be able to read the entire Bible in harmony. Reading the 4 Gospels this way was especially helpful because it alleviated the confusion of bouncing back and forth and trying to keep track of who wrote what. I do find the King James version a little difficult, so I use my NIV study Bible along with it. I would rate the Reese Chronological Bible 9 or 10 if it had been in the NIV.