Popular Bible People and Bible Characters

 

Jonah

• A messenger of God used a fish for transport.
  God had a preaching job for Jonah.
  Jonah did not want to do the job, so Jonah tried to run away from God in a boat to Tarshish in Spain.
  God caused a massive storm around the boat, forcing Jonah to jump overboard.
   

• God sent a big fish after Jonah.
  The fish swallowed Jonah and carried him to Nineveh.
  Upon arrival, the fish spat Jonah up on the beach.
  The fish most likely was a mammal, a whale, not a fish.
  Read about the story in the Book of Jonah in chapter one.
  Take this Bible class on Jonah.
   

Balaam

• In the Bible, an animal talked.
  Balaam was riding his donkey, and the donkey stopped and spoke to him.
  A spiritual being was in front of the donkey, blocking the way.
  The donkey wouldn't move, so Balaam beat the donkey.
  That's when the donkey turned his head and asked Balaam, "What have I done that you beat me?"
  Here are the facts about the talking donkey!
  Numbers 22:21-39.
   

Stephen

• These are the facts of the synagogue, which falsely testified against a disciple they disapproved.
  Stephen became the first Christian martyr.
  Jesus chose seven disciples with genuine faith to minister "The Word" to the world.
  These seven were Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas.
  The apostles laid hands upon them to sanctify them.
   

• Stephen, filled with faith and power, performed great miracles and signs among the people.
  Stephen was very outspoken, more so than the other six.
  He greatly disturbed those who had religious power.
  The Bible facts show that elders and scribes approached him, seized him, and brought him to the council.
  They sentenced Stephen for "speaking blasphemous words" and then stoned him to death in the public area.
  Read the whole story about Stephen.
  Acts 6:1-15.
   

Judas

• The story of Judas tells of a man who "sold out" the Messiah for 30 pieces of silver.
  Thirty pieces of silver were the usual amount paid for the purchase of a slave.
  This amount was an insult given by the "church authorities," based on what they thought about Jesus.
  Jesus was only worth the cost of a slave.
   

• Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, betrayed Jesus by leading the riotous religious leaders to Him.
  He was the treasurer of the apostles and may have been motivated by greed.
  Judas was also from the South and looked upon as an outsider, which he may have resented.
  Jesus identified Judas as a betrayer at the Last Supper by dipping bread into a dish and passing it to Judas.
   

• Judas led the hateful and vengeful religious "authorities" and identified Jesus by kissing Him on the cheek.
  After everything had taken place, Judas regretted his actions and gave the money back to the church leaders.
  The leaders refused the "blood money" and used it to purchase a potter's field.
  Judas died afterward in that field. The Bible facts were not clear on how he died.
  
  One belief is that tradition states Judas Iscariot was so upset that he hung himself.
  Matthew 27:3-8.
  
  Another belief is that Judas went into a field and exploded, with his guts gushing forth.
  Perhaps this means he threw up or had a bad case of diarrhea.
  Acts 1:16-20.
  
  Perhaps he hung himself, the rope came loose, he fell to the ground, and God gushed his bowels.
  Read this analysis of the death of Judas.

Elijah

• A prophet is whisked away into heaven in a fiery chariot.
  God called Elijah to a pickup site on the other side of the Jordan River and took him alive to Heaven.
  This was a previous prophecy that came true.
  All those present at the time knew of this prophecy except Elisha.
  Elisha learned about the prophecy at the last moment as he accompanied Elijah to the pickup.
  Elijah, Elisha, and fifty other sons of the prophets gathered at the River Jordan.
  
  Elijah parted the river.
  Elisha and Elijah crossed over to the far side.
  Fifty people stayed on the near side, watching.
  The chariot came. As Elijah climbed aboard, he dropped his robe.
  When his robe hit the water, it parted the river again.
  Elisha picked up the coat and crossed back through the parted water to the near side, meeting up with the fifty onlookers.
  Was it a chariot that took Elijah?
  2 Kings 2:1-14.
   

• Elijah raised the son of the widow of Zarephath from death.
  At the gate, Elijah spotted Zarephath and asked her for water.
  He ended up boarding at her house.
  Some time later, her son got sick and eventually died.
  Elijah raised the boy after he died.
  1 Kings 17:17-24.

Elisha

• This is a little-known piece of Bible trivia about a prophet who caused bears to maul a group of young men.

Elijah's apprentice, Elisha, assumed leadership after Elijah's ascension to heaven.
A large group of undisciplined teenagers (brats) teased Elisha about his baldness.

Elisha could not hold his anger and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord.

Instantly, two female bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of the boys.
Bears are attacking the children
This event is described in 2 Kings 2:23-25.
 

• Elisha raised the son of a Shunammite woman.

He had stayed at this woman's home years earlier and prayed for her to have a son.

Her son was born, and several years later, the son died. 

The woman called upon Elisha, and he came and raised the boy from his dead bed.
2 Kings 4:8-37.
 

• Here is intriguing Bible trivia about an Israelite man who was resurrected during his funeral by Elisha.

Gravediggers were burying a man when they became startled by invaders.

They were scared and wanted to depart as quickly as possible.

Hastily, they threw the man's body into Elisha's nearby tomb.

If you didn't know, Elisha's dead body was lying in the tomb.

When the dead man's body touched Elisha's bones, the dead man instantly came back to life.
2 Kings 13:20-21.
 

Paul

• A fun Bible story recounts how Paul raised a young man during a sermon.
  Paul was giving a long-winded sermon late into the night.
  Eutychus was sitting on a windowsill, dozed off, and fell out of the window to his death below.
  Paul had to go down and revive the young man.
  Acts 20:7.
   

Peter

• Peter resurrected Dorcas of Joppa.
  Dorcas was a well-known social worker who helped everyone.
  Peter was also well-known, and he was nearby.
  The family called Peter to the room where Dorcas lay.
  Peter raised her from the dead.
  Acts 9:23-43.
   

Jacob

• He believed he wrestled with God.
  "Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak."
  This unknown wrestler was not able to win the wrestling match.
  The wrestler made contact with Jacob's hip, causing it to become dislocated.
  After the match, the wrestler said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob."
  When Jacob asked for the stranger's name, the stranger responded,
  "You have struggled with God and men and won, so your name will be Israel.”
  Genesis 32:22-31.

Samson

• The feats of Samson are remarkable.
  
  Samson didn't like the Philistines.
  He killed a lion that came from nowhere when he was traveling to visit his soon-to-be Philistine wife.
  Judges 14:5–9.
  
  To celebrate his marriage, Samson killed 30 Philistines, a rather unconventional way to celebrate.
  Judges 14:19.
  
  Samson set the tails of foxes on fire, and this action resulted in the burning of the Philistines' crops.
  Judges 15:4-6.
  
  Because they burned his wife and her father to death, Samson killed the Philistines.
  Judges 15:7-8.
  
  Samson killed 1,000 Philistines with the jaw of a jackass when they came for revenge for the above.
  Judges 15:14-17.
  
  When he found out the good citizens were plotting to kill him, Samson tore down the gates of the city and their posts.
  Judges 16:1-3.
  
  Samson snapped apart 16 bowstrings that Delilah bound him with.
  Judges 16:6-8.
  
  He also snapped apart the strong rope that Delilah bound him to.
  Judges 10:12.
   

David

• Was David the one who killed Goliath?
  1 Samuel says, Yes.
  2 Samuel says, No.
  Please review these Bible books to make your own decision.
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