Page 15 - Yahwehs Book

(Jer. 26:20-23). But Zechariah is canonically the last faithful prophet to die as a martyr, because
his death is recorded in Chronicles, the last book of the Hebrew Bible.
[The Canon of Scripture, F.F. Bruce]

That Chronicles was adopted into the canon of Hebrew Scripture last of all the books, explains why
it appears at the end of the Tanakh where it is chronologically out of order, as well as providing some
explanation of why it does not appear in the same group as Samuel and Kings.

Another oddity is that Daniel, who was surely one of the great prophets of the Old Testament, is not
listed among the Neviim - the Prophets. Instead, the book of Daniel is found among the Kethubim -
The writings. It would seem that Daniel has far more in common with writings such as Ezekiel,
Jeremiah, and Isaiah than with Psalms, Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes. Nevertheless, the ancient
Hebrews placed Daniel among these latter books.

Some have observed a parallel between the divisions of the Tanakh and the New Testament. The
New Testament begins with five historical books that correspond to the Pentateuch. These are the
four gospels and the book of Acts. These are followed by the apostolic epistles which can be
compared to the writings of the Old Testament prophets. Closing out the New Testament is the book
of Revelation, which forms a parallel to The Writings. Indeed, there is great similarity between the
book of Daniel in The Writings and the John’s apocalyptic vision.

The number three is full of divine importance. It seems fitting that both the Old and New Testaments
lend themselves so naturally to three divisions. E. W. Bullinger, in his insightful book Number in
Scripture, shares the following about the number three.

THREE

In this number we have quite a new set of phenomena. We come to the first geometrical figure. Two
straight lines cannot possibly enclose any space, or form a plane figure; neither can two plan
surfaces form a solid. Three lines are necessary to form a plan figure; and three dimensions of
length, breadth, and height, are necessary to form a solid. Hence three is the symbol of the cube--the
simplest form of solid figure. As two is the symbol of the square, or plane contents (x2), so three is
the symbol of the cube, or solid contents (x3).

Three, therefore, stands for that which is solid, real, substantial, complete, and entire.

All things that are specially complete are stamped with this number three.

God's attributes are three: omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence.

There are three great divisions completing time--past, present, and future.

Three persons, in grammar, express and include all the relationships of mankind.

Thought, word, and deed, complete the sum of human capability.