Wheels Within Wheels
Part 1by Craig Paardekooper

The Bible used by Christians today consists of the Old Testament and the New Testament.
The two main groups of Christians –1. Catholic Church
2. Protestant Church
There are 2.6 billion Christians in the world at the moment – making up 32.4% of the earths entire
population.
••Catholics
Protestants

1.345 billion
1 billion

The Bibles of these different groups have the same New Testament, but their Old Testaments differ.
CATHOLIC BIBLE(based on Alexandrian
canon of LXX;
with seven
Deuterocanonicalbooks)

PROTESTANT BIBLE(retains Catholicorder, but
seven Apocrypharemoved)

Pentateuch (Law)
1) Genesis
2) Exodus
3) Leviticus
4) Numbers5) Deuteronomy

Law (Pentateuch)
1) Genesis
2) Exodus
3) Leviticus
4) Numbers5) Deuteronomy

Historical Books
6) Joshua7) Judges8) Ruth9) 1 Samuel10) 2 Samuel11) 1 Kings
12) 2 Kings
13) 1 Chronicles
14) 2 Chronicles

Historical Books
6) Joshua7) Judges8) Ruth9) 1 Samuel10) 2 Samuel11) 1 Kings
12) 2 Kings
13) 1 Chronicles
14) 2 Chronicles

15) Ezra16) Nehemiah17) TOBIT
18) JUDITH
19) Esther (longer

15) Ezra16) Nehemiahversion)20) 1 MACCABEES21) 2 MACCABEES17) Esther (shorterversion)

Wisdom Books
22) Job
23) Psalms (150)24) Proverbs25) Ecclesiastes(Qoheleth)26) Song of Solomon27) WISDOM ofSolomon28) SIRACH, a.k.a.
Ecclesiasticus or Ben
Sira

Wisdom Books
18) Job
19) Psalms (150)20) Proverbs21) Ecclesiastes(Qoheleth)22) Song of Solomon

Prophets29) Isaiah30) Jeremiah31) Lamentations
32) BARUCH (incl.
LETTER of JER.)
33) Ezekiel34) Daniel (14chapters)Prophets23) Isaiah24) Jeremiah25) Lamentations35) Hosea
36) Joel37) Amos38) Obadiah39) Jonah40) Micah41) Nahum42) Habakkuk43) Zephaniah44) Haggai45) Zechariah46) Malachi

26) Ezekiel27) Daniel (only 12chapters)28) Hosea
29) Joel30) Amos31) Obadiah32) Jonah33) Micah34) Nahum35) Habakkuk36) Zephaniah37) Haggai38) Zechariah39) Malachi

As you can see, there are differences between the Catholic bible and the Protestant bible, but theyboth share a common core of 39 Old Testament books, and 27 New Testament books - a total of 66books, which occur in the same order in both cases.

The Bible Wheel
When these 66 books are arranged into a circle, a pattern appears.

The major divisions of Scripture areTorah (books of Moses)

5

Historical books

12

Books of Solomon5--------Major Prophets

5

Minor Prophets

12Gospels & Acts

5--------Letters

22

The 66 books form 3 cycles of 22 books each, and the divisions partition these books into the shapeof a cross !
This synchrony is confirmed by another alignment.

Pre-Exile and Post-ExileThe 12 history books divide into 9 pre-exile and 3 post-exile (Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther)
Similarly, the 12 minor prophets divide into 9 pre-exile and 3 post-exile(Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi)
Finally, of all the 22 letters, only James, 1 Peter and 2 Peter are addressed to those scattered abroad(in exile)

The Three Cycles
Historical Cycle
The first cycle consists of the Torah, Old Testament history and the writings of David and Solomon.
So it is concerned almost entirely with the nation and with kings. This is the HISTORICAL CYCLE. It is
focused on Creation, Kings, Laws and Judgements.
Prophetic Cycle
The second cycle is all about prophets – the major prophets, the minor prophets and Jesus. The
major difference between prophets and kings is that the prophets were focused on a spiritual
kingdom as opposed to an earthly one. They were not zealots. They were religious teachers andreligious leaders rather than political ones. This is the PROPHETIC CYCLE.
Christian Living Cycle
The third cycle consists entirely of letters, and focuses on the followers and how they should live inaccordance with the teachings. This is the CHRISTIAN LIVING CYCLE.

Outward to Inward
Each cycle consists of 22 books, and seems to shift from an outward focus on nature, politics, andkings, to an inward focus on spiritual living. The focus of the 3 cycles becomes progressively inwards.
The final cycle is devotional and personal – concerned with your thoughts and emotions andpersonal relationship with God.

The Trinity
What is really remarkable is that each cycle corresponds to a member of the trinity•••

The Father of Creation, and leaders of the nation
The Son and the prophets
The Holy Spirit and Christian living

The 3 cycles embody the Trinity.

Isaiah Wheel
Isaiah was the first of the so-called Major Prophets, and is widely regarded as the greatest of the Old
Testament prophets.
Isaiah began his ministry in 741 B.C. (the year that King Uzziah died see here) and his ministrylasted through the siege of Jerusalem by the Assyrian army in 701 B.C. However, the Assyrian
army did not take the city; Jerusalem was delivered. An angel of the Lord struck down theAssyrian army at the gates of Jerusalem without a single arrow being fired. It was Isaiah'spreaching that saved the city from destruction.
The Name of Isaiah
The name of Isaiah is curious. It means "The Salvation of the Lord". But Isa is the Muslim namefor Jesus Christ, and Yah is the name of God. This is even more obvious in Swahili, where Isaiah iswritten as Isaya – so his name literally means Jesus God !
A Miniature Bible
As you will see, Isaiah not only left us with a prophecy of the Messiah, his entire book is aminiature version of the whole Bible, and it's central figure is Christ crucified. Isaiah wrote hisbook 770 years before the New Testament Gospel was preached, yet Isaiah clearly foresaw
that Gospel, and the whole Bible in its entirety. What you will read is proof of this. It seems
that Isaiah's hand was "guided".
The Book of Isaiah divides into Old and New Testament Parts
The Book of Isaiah is an interesting document. It consists of 66 chapters, just as our present day
Bible has 66 books. And just as our present day Bible divides into the Old testament (with 39 books)
and the New Testament (with 27 books), so also does the Book of Isaiah divide into 2 distinct parts,
one of 39 chapters and the other of 27 chapters.
Chapters 1-39 of the Book of Isaiah are known as the “Book of Judgement”, and (like the 39 books ofthe Old Testament) are filled with judgement upon immoral idolatrous men. Judah has sinned; thesurrounding nations have sinned; the whole earth has sinned. Judgement must come, for God
cannot allow such blatant sin to go unpunished forever.
The last 27 chapters of the Book of Isaiah (chapters 40-66) are known as the “Book of Comfort”.
These 27 chapters (like the 27 books of the New Testament) declare a message of hope. TheMessiah is coming as a Saviour and a Sovereign to bear a cross and to wear a crown.
So in it’s structure, and thematic content, the 2 parts of the Book of Isaiah closely match thestructure and themes of the whole Bible – it’s Old Testament and New Testament.
Central Figure of the New Testament Part is Jesus Christ
On close examination of the last 27 chapters of Isaiah (corresponding to the New Testament), we
find something quite remarkable. These 27 chapters divide into three groups of 9 (3 groups of 3 x 3).
Each of these groups is separated by the phrase "There is no rest for the wicked".
The central group of 9 chapters deals with the Servant Messiah, and the central chapter within thiscentral group is chapter 53. Chapter 53 of Isaiah describes the DEATH OF JESUS ON THE CROSS. So
the central figure of Isaiah chapters 40-66 is the crucified Christ.

In summary, chapters 40 to 66 (the last 27 chapters) of the Book of Isaiah correspond to the New
Testament (the last 27 books of the Bible). We have seen that the theme of these chapters issalvation, and the central figure (found in the central chapter – chapter 53) is that of Christ crucified.

The Beginning of the Gospel of Isaiah Corresponds with the beginning of the New
Testament
Incredibly, the very text of chapter 40 of the Book of Isaiah corresponds to the text of the40th book of the Bible, which is the first book of the New Testament.
1) John the Baptist
Chapter 40 v 3 of Isaiah reads"The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way for the LORD, makestraight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every
mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and therough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it
together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.”
These words find a precise correspondence in the 40th Book of the Bible – the Gospel ofMatthew.
Matthew (40th Book) Chapter 3 reads –“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, And saying,
Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by
the prophet Isaiah, saying, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye theway of the LORD, make his paths straight.”

These are the words spoken by John the Baptist who announced the coming of the Kingdom ofGod and the Gospel.
2) Explicit reference to the word GOSPEL:
Richard McGough, on his website www.biblewheel.com, points out an even deeper level ofconnection.
The connection between Isaiah 40 and the Gospel is made explicit in the text of Isaiah 40 v 9“O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, thatbringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto thecities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’ Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and hisarm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed
his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in hisbosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
”Behold your God!” and “all flesh shall see” refer to the physical incarnation of God in Jesus
Christ, who, becoming physical, was visible to all flesh.
This passage from Isaiah contains the FIRST OCCURRENCE in the Bible of the Hebrew word
MAVESERET, meaning BRINGER OF GOOD TIDINGS. The Greek Septuagint version of Isaiah 40 v
9 translates “that bringest good tidings” into the word EVANGELIZEMONOS. This word is used inthe New Testament, where it is translated as PREACH THE GOSPEL (Romans 9 v 18). It is fromthe root EVANGELIDZO from which we get the word EVANGELIZE. It is the root of the wordtranslated GOSPEL throughout the New Testament.
So Isaiah chapter 40 uses the very words spoken by John the Baptist, the announcer of theGospel, and introduces the word GOSPEL, just as The Book of Matthew (The 40th Book) starts
with John the Baptist announcing the Gospel and is the first book of the New Testament (TheGospel). The phrases “Good Tidings” and "Good News” occur 6 times in the 27 chapters ofIsaiah that correspond to the New Testament, and these phrases are completely absent fromthe 39 chapters of Isaiah that correspond to the 39 books of the Old Testament.

In summary:We have a familiar series of events –• Isaiah's name means "Jesus God"
• Isaiah preached for 40 years before the siege of Jerusalem in 701 B.C.; just as the Gospel waspreached for 40 years before the siege of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
• Isaiah leaves us a Gospel of Salvation, which 1) Has 27 chapters corresponding to the 27 books of the New Testament,
2) Has the central character of Christ crucified – in chapter 53 (the central chapter)3) Introduces the word GOSPEL in chapter 40 corresponding to the 40th Book of the Bible,
Matthew – which is the first book of the New Testament,.
4) In chapter 40 Isaiah uses the very words spoken by John the Baptist – the announcer of theGospel.
5) The last chapter of Isaiah, Chapter 66 uses the words “New Heavens and New Earth”, thevery words found in the 66th book of the Bible and last book of the New Testament – theBook of Revelation
6) Isaiah 53, the central chapter of Isaiah's "New Testament" foretold that the Messiah would
come as a suffering servant to suffer and die for the sins of many.

"Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him
stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for ourtransgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us
peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone
astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquityof us all.""Who is the Suffering Servant?"
In the New Testament, different people had different opinions as to who Jesus was. Some said
he was Elijah, some said he was a prophet and others thought he was just a good teacher. "Whodo people say that I am?".
John's gospel provides the answer in 7 "I AM" sayings
The 7 “I AM “ Sayings in John (Book 43)
There are the seven [distinct] "I AM" sayings in John, the 43rd book of the Bible:
••
•
•
•
•
•

6v35
8v1210v710v1111v25
14v615v1"I am the bread of life""I am the light of the world""I am the gate for the sheep""I am the good shepherd""I am the resurrection and the life""I am the way, the truth and the life""I am the true vine"

The 7 “I AM” Sayings in Isaiah (Chapter 43)
Similarly, there are seven 'I AM' sayings in the 43rd chapter of Isaiah:
••
••••
•v 3:
v10v 11v12v13v15v25"I am the Lord, your God""so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he""I, even I, am the Lord""I am God"
"from ancient days I am he." [KJV: Before the day was, I am he.]"I am the Lord""I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions."

Isaiah at the Centre
Structurally, the Bible forms three cycles, and Isaiah marks the beginning of the central cycle•••

Genesis is the 1st book of the first cycle
Isaiah is the first book of the second cycle
Romans is the first book of the third cycle

Similarly, time-wise, Isaiah is found exactly midway in Jewish history –••TorahIsaiah

1491 B.C.
721 B.C.

•Isaiah

701 B.C•Revelations

70 A.D.

Establishment of the 12 tribes at time of the Exodus
From Exodus till the destruction of 10 tribes by the Assyrians(770 years)
Assyria lays siege to Jerusalem, but Jerusalem ismiraculously spared. From the siege until the destruction ofthe remaining 2 tribes in 70 A.D. (770 years)
Final destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans

So Isaiah appears bang in the centre of Israel’s history.
In the time of Isaiah, Israel consisted of two "kingdoms" - the Northern Kingdom - centred on thecapital Samaria, and the Southern Kingdom - with its capital at Jerusalem. The Northern Kingdom
perished in 721 B.C., 770 years after the Exodus (1491 B.C.). However the Southern Tribes escaped
destruction and where miraculously delivered in 701 B.C.
••Northern Kingdom 1491 - 721 = 770 years
Southern Kingdom 701 + 70 = 770 years (we do not count 0 B.C.)

The Northern Kingdom perished after 770 years. It was utterly destroyed by the Assyrians. HoweverHezekiah repented, and the Southern Kingdom was spared. Just as Hezekiah was given an extensionof his life, so the Southern Kingdom was given an extension for 770 years - a second chance.
I would like to stress that the symmetrical pattern of 770 years was not read in to the data - I madeno attempt to interpret the dates - the dates provided by Ussher simply fall into this pattern – whichshould stimulate our curiosity.
When I saw that the Southern Kingdom lasted 770 years (701 B.C. till 70 A.D.) I thought it was ahappy coincidence. Then, when I realised that the 10 tribes of the Northern Kingdom had also
existed for 770 years, I was surprised. Then when I saw that these two periods cover the entire spanof history from the Exodus to 70 A.D., and that they are arranged symmetrical about the midpoint ofJewish history, it seemed beyond coincidence. The balance of symmetry seems to extend to thetheme - judgement on one side, and salvation on the other - guilty and forgiven !!

Scales of JusticeIsaiah's gospel seems perfectly placed, at point of balance between judgement and salvation –between the JUDGEMENT of the Northern Kingdom and the SALVATION of the Southern Kingdom - abalance mirrored in the "Book of Judgement" and the "Book of Comfort".
When I contemplated this pattern, the impression it created was one of balance between judgement
and salvation - like a giant pair of scales - scales of justice. This was more remarkable because thepattern begins with the giving of the law, and ends with the final judgement upon Jerusalem. And at
the very centre of this pattern, at the point of balance, we find the Gospel of Isaiah.
What are the chances that 10 tribes were judged and destroyed 770 years after being founded (atthe time of the Exodus in 1491 B.C.) - then in 701 B.C the remaining 2 tribes were shown mercy andallowed to continue a further 770 years – these two spans of time occupying the entire history ofIsrael as a nation, and symmetrically arranged about its midpoint ?
Biblical history takes the form of a scale of justice – a scale that is balanced - judgement after 770
years on one side, and mercy for 770 years on the other. This reflects the nature of God – (justiceand compassion). It suggests that at the foundation of our universe is a God who balances goodagainst evil – a God of retribution / karma and mercy.
You may think this is a fluke – something to be laughed at or dismissed without much concern – but
consider this - IF God WAS active in shaping Israel’s history, then wouldn’t He shape it todemonstrate both His justice and His compassion?

Wheel of Retribution
Some have depicted justice as a wheel of retribution or karma, where every action has its finalconsequence. “What goes around comes around”. Here you can see that the first period of 770
years and the second period of 770 years sum to 22 x 70 years. The ratio that defines a circle is 22/7.