Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Answers to CHRISTmas I.Q.Test!!!

Today, we have the answers to yesterday's CHRISTmas I.Q. Test!!!
(if anybody sees any discrepancies....please let me know!!!)


1. A.   He worked and currently lived in Nazareth, but he was returning to Bethlehem - "his own city" Everyone had to return to "his own city - the city of his birth" to be registered 
(See Luke 2:3).

2. E.   In the Bible, the innkeeper didn't "say" anything 
(See Luke 2:7)

3. C.   Feeding trough

4. E.   The Bible doesn't say, we just "assume" that since Jesus was born in a "stable" that there were various barnyard animals present.  However, since the shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks that night, other animals could have been out of the stable as well.

5. E.   This is a "trick" question. The "magi" saw the star. However, the Bible doesn't say how many there were and they were not kings, but astronomers or "star gazers" (see answer 15).

6. F.   Although the modern "pictures" in a Bible will show Mary on a donkey with Joseph beside her, the Bible doesn't say!

7. A.   Luke 2:10 "The angel of the Lord said unto them..."

8. A.   Luke 2:14

9. D.   The word "host" means "army" - literally thousands. Now, since there was a "multitude" of the heavenly army" (hosts), there could easily have been from 10,000 - 100,000 angels there that night! No wonder the shepherds were "sore afraid"!

10. C.

11. C.   The word "Magi" literally means "star-gazers".

12. D.   Herod was buried with over 150 lbs. of Myrrh wrapped in his burial clothes. Jesus was buried with a 75 pound mixture of myrrh and aloes. 
(John 19:39)

13. The Bible doesn't give the number. Many people assume that there were three because of the three gifts. However, in ancient times these men usually traveled in caravans of ten to twelve, along with a full entourage needed for meals. provisions and protection.

14. E.   Matthew 2:11 (see next answer)

15. B.  Matthew 2:11 When the Shepherds found Jesus, he was a "babe" in a manger. The Greek word used in Luke 2 is for a "newborn baby". However, by the time the Magi appeared in Bethlehem, Jesus had been moved from the manger to a house (verse 11) and the Greek word used in Matthew is for "toddler" or "young child". He was probably somewhere between 12-24 months old.

16. C.   Matthew 2:9 Most people miss this question, because there are so many pictures and dramas in which the star remains stationary over the manger. The star did not appear over the manger (the shepherds did not see the star over Bethlehem that night) nor did it stay stationary over the house. This verse makes it clear that the star moved "in front" of the magi and guided them till it "stood over where the young child was". These men lived in "the east".  Which means they were already in the "east" when they saw the star "in the east". So, the star had to first move over them and then to the west toward Bethlehem before they could begin to follow the star!  This explains why it took them so long from the time the star appeared (at his birth) to reach "the young child" 

17. B.   Read Matthew 2:2

18. G.   Isn't it amazing how God divinely inspired these two gospel writers to write His exact words, but, yet, He used their interests and professions to recall different aspects of Jesus' birth. Matthew, a tax collector, records the genealogy of Jesus (used for registration and taxation) and the story of the "magi" - men of means from a foreign country. Luke, a physician, records the pregnancy and birth. 
(Luke 1 and 2)

19. E.   Joseph wanted to "put her away" secretly and Mary left town to see her cousin Elizabeth. 
(Matthew 1:19 and Luke 1:39, 56)

20. E.   "There went out a decree from Caesar Augustus... everyone into his own city..." 
(Luke 2:1-5)


Bonus Questions Answers:



1. True!  It's a trick question.  There is always snow on Mt. Hermon, even in summer. Since Jesus was most likely born some time in the fall (September-October), there most likely wouldn't have been snow in Bethlehem. But there would have been snow on Mt. Hermon.

2. D.   Interestingly enough, most mangers in New Testament times were made of stone. If you visit Israel today, you can see stone mangers used by Solomon to feed his horses at Megiddo.

3. Although there is no Biblical record of exactly who these men were or their point of origin, I personally believe that they were descendants of the "wise men" of Babylon. I believe that God, in His great providence, used Daniel (while he was in captivity in Babylon), to teach these men about future events - including the birth of the Savior of the world. 
Read Daniel 5:11 - Daniel was put in charge of these men!

4. C.   Swaddling clothes were strips of cloth (quite often linen), commonly used in the Middle East and Far East to wrap new-born babies to keep their limbs straight. They were also commonly used to bury people. John 19:40 records that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea "... took the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes (strips) with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury." People who traveled long distances (such as Joseph and Mary traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem) would quite often wrap some of these strips around their waist or pack them in their supplies to use in case someone died during the long journey. So, quite possibly, the swaddling clothes in which Baby Jesus was wrapped, could have been those same linen strips that Joseph was keeping for a burial!!!

5. Read Malachi 4:2 It was a very common belief during New Testament times that when the Messiah appeared, he would have "healing in his wings". So, what were his "wings"?.

Every orthodox Jew wore a prayer shawl called a tallit. Even today, you will see rabbis and orthodox Jews wearing these prayer shawls - especially in the synagogues, at festivals such as Passover, and especially in Jerusalem and always at the Walling Wall.

On the fringes of the tallit (the prayer shawl), attached at the bottom hem, are strings tied into knots called tzitzit (tassels) , which represent the 613 laws of the Old Testament.

Why did they wear these garments with tassels? Because they were commanded to.  Deuteronomy 22:12 says, "Make fringes (Hebrew: tzitzit) upon the four quarters/corners (Hebrew: kanaph - " wings") of the cloak you wear (tallit)."  (See also Numbers 15:38-40). The translation of the word kanaph, the corner of the prayer shawl that holds the tzitzit, is "Wings". When the true messiah 
comes, according to Malachi 4:2, he would have 'healing in his wings".

When the woman, who had the issue of blood for 12 years, reached out to touch the "hem of his garment" (Luke 8:44), she was reaching out to touch the tzitzit in the kanaph (the "Wings"). 

She believed he was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesy. So, when she touched the hem - the wings (the tzitzit in the kanaph) - healing went out from Jesus and she was healed. That's why Jesus said, "your faith has made you whole".  She believed the prophesy was about Jesus - there was healing in his wings!!!   
 [Note: Others believed and wanted to touch his "wings". See Mark 6:56]

So....how did you do?
I was able to "cheat"!!!

HOPE all of you have a great Wednesday!!!
I'll give away the book tomorrow!!!

In HIS Most Precious Love....and with mine!!!

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for doing the answers to the Christmas IQ test. Even if you were able to "cheat", you did good.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the answers. We did pretty good. My daughter and I did them together. It was fun to share this knowledge with her.

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  3. I did pretty good. Some I wasn't sure about. Through modern revelation we learn that Jesus was born on April 6th. I wander if there is snow in Bethlehem in April?

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