Midweek: The Open Bible, NKJV

It's been a while since I've shared a review with you. Today, I'm happy to review what has been called "The Ultimate Reference Bible," Thomas Nelson's Open Bible, 50th Anniversary Edition. In short, I would say I agree with that assessment. The complimentary copy I received is brown Leathersoft™ with stitched edging, printed in NKJV Comfort Print®, and comes tucked into a protective sleeve. It is beautifully gilt-edged, with a red satin bookmark and a presentation page, the words of our Lord printed in red, and has a lifetime guarantee --perfect for gift-giving! It is available in hardcover and genuine leather editions as well. So, let's get into it! 

Of course, there are the usual Bible furnishings:

• Table of Contents
• a list of Book Abbreviations
• Bible study plans (and a seven-page guide to various methods of Bible study)
• a table of Monies, Weights, and Measures
• a Harmony of the Gospels
• a Jewish Calendar
• a list of Jewish Feasts
• an Index to Starred Messianic Prophecies
• full-color maps

There are some other "typical finds" in any good study Bible, but those in The Open Bible are what I would call "super-charged." There is a Topical Index which, in many Bibles contains a couple hundred entries; that of The Open Bible is 230 pages containing over 8,000 entries! The five-page chart of Prophecies of the Messiah Fulfilled in Jesus Christ contains the prophecy and its fulfillment written out for easy reference. The Parables of Jesus Christ and The Miracles of Jesus Christ (usually simple lists in other Bibles) are articles that provide references and small summaries of each entry. 

In the front matter, there is a beautiful and creative, 23-page Visual Survey of the Bible. This graphic overview shows "the entire flow of the Bible's panorama of events," according to one website. Included in this summary sketch are principles that can be extracted from sections of Bible history and guided challenges for the reader to respond to those principles. Two wonderful articles, The Scarlet Thread of Redemption, by the late Dr. W.A. Criswell of the SBC, and a comprehensive and heavily notated article, The Christian's Guide to New Life, by the late Paul R. Fink, provide the reader with a foundational look at Scripture and guide to its practical application. 

Each book is a prefaced by an introduction that provides the Who?, Why? and Where?, but also includes an outline of the book and a case for finding Jesus Christ in that book of the Bible. A very important addition, I believe. Throughout the text are notes, cross-references, and study helps like charts, illustrations, maps, and shorter features which explain biblical concepts and aid the reader in his/her study. Uniquely, between the two Testaments is an article addressing "the period of silence," the four hundred years in which no commissioned prophets spoke to Israel. Though the Torah was considered to be closed, and the Messiah had not yet come, God was far from inactive. The article Between the Testaments outlines God's work during this period. Many other articles and, once again, a super-charged Concordance make up the rest of this compendious, highly recommended reference Bible.  

The brown Leathersoft™ edition I received is available through Amazon for $77.13; but as of this writing, is on sale at Christianbook for $51.83 and faithgateway for $55.99.