The Bible is by far the world’s most popular book. Why? For one thing, it is easy to identify with. It contains true-life accounts of real people and their interactions with one another and with God. These accounts teach practical lessons using simple and straightforward words that can be translated into hundreds of languages and understood by people living in any place or time period. And the Bible’s principles always work.

Most important, the Bible claims to be not just a book about God but also a book from God. It reveals God’s name, his personality, and his unchangeable purpose in creating the earth and humans. The Bible also relates the historic struggle of good versus evil: a fascinating, universal drama with a happy ending. Reading the Bible with an open mind thus lays a basis for faith and hope.

In the Bible, we find information available nowhere else. For example, the Bible tells us the truth about such topics as these:

• Where we come from and why we suffer

• God’s arrangement to redeem humankind

• What Jesus has done for us

• The future of the earth and humans

Why not take a brief look at the following pages and consider what the Bible is all about?

Simply, in few words, Genesis, the first book of the Bible, explains the origin of the universe: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) After God created plants and animals, he created the first humans, Adam and Eve. They were different from animals because humans have a measure of God’s own qualities, including free will. Thus, they were responsible for their actions. If they obeyed God’s instructions, they could share in God’s purpose as the first parents of a global human family that would enjoy peaceful, perfect life on earth forever.

However, a certain angel, or spirit creature, seized the opportunity to use humans to his own selfish advantage. He thus became Satan, meaning “Resister.” Speaking through a serpent, Satan deceived Eve, telling her that she would be better off without God’s guidance. Adam and Eve followed Satan, breaking their tie with their Maker. Because of their bad choice, our first parents lost out on endless life and passed on to all of us sin, imperfection, and unavoidable death.

Immediately, God declared his intention to rectify this sad situation and give Adam’s descendants a way to gain endless life. God foretold that a “seed”​—a special individual—​would ultimately destroy Satan and undo all the suffering that Satan, Adam, and Eve had caused. (Genesis 3:15) Who would that “seed” turn out to be? Time would tell.

In the meantime, Satan constantly tried to thwart God’s good purpose. Sin and wickedness spread rapidly. God determined to destroy the wicked in a flood. He instructed righteous Noah to build an ark​—a huge floating box—​to save himself and his family, along with the animals that he was instructed to take into the ark.

A year after the Flood began, Noah and his family stepped out of the ark onto a cleansed earth. But the “seed” had yet to appear.

​—Based on Genesis, chapters 1-11; Jude 6, 14, 15; Revelation 12:9.

God promised faithful Abraham that the foretold “seed” would be one of Abraham’s descendants. By means of that one, people of “all nations” would obtain blessings. (Genesis 22:18) Abraham’s grandson Jacob later moved to Egypt, where his family grew to become the ancient nation of Israel.

Later, in Egypt, a tyrannical Pharaoh enslaved the Israelites until God raised up the prophet Moses, who led the nation out of the country through the miraculously parted waters of the Red Sea. After that, God gave Israel laws, including the Ten Commandments, to guide and protect them. Those laws specified offerings for forgiveness of sins. Inspired by God, Moses told Israel that God would send them another prophet. That prophet would be the promised “seed.”

More than 400 years later, God promised King David that the coming one, the “seed” foretold in Eden, would rule over a kingdom that would last forever. That one would be the Messiah, the Deliverer appointed by God to save mankind and restore Paradise to the earth.

Through David and other prophets, God progressively revealed more about the Messiah. They foretold that he would be humble and kind and that under his rule hunger, injustice, and war would end. All mankind would be at peace with one another and even with the animals. Sickness, suffering, and death​—never part of God’s original purpose—​would disappear, and people who had died would return to life on earth.

God foretold through the prophet Micah that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem and through the prophet Daniel that he would later be killed. But God would raise the Messiah from the dead and appoint him as King in heaven. Daniel also foresaw that ultimately the Messiah’s Kingdom would permanently replace all other governments. Did the Messiah really come as prophesied?

​—Based on Genesis, chapters 22-50, as well as Exodus, Deuteronomy, 2 Samuel, Psalms, Isaiah, Daniel, Micah, Zechariah 9:9.

Some four centuries after the last book of the Hebrew portion of the Bible was written, Micah’s prophecy about the Messiah was fulfilled: Jesus was born in Bethlehem. About 30 years later, in 29 C.E., the first part of Daniel’s prophecy about the coming of the Messiah was fulfilled. Jesus was baptized, and God anointed him with holy spirit. Right on time, the long-awaited Messiah, the Seed, had arrived!

Jesus immediately began his ministry, “declaring the good news of the kingdom of God.” (Luke 8:1) Just as it had been prophesied, Jesus proved to be kind, gentle, and genuinely concerned about others. His teaching was practical and loving, and he cured people of “every sort of infirmity,” demonstrating that God was with him. (Matthew 4:23) People of all ages flocked to Jesus and concluded: “We have found the Messiah”!​—John 1:41.

Jesus foretold that just before his Kingdom took complete control, the world would experience wars, earthquakes, and many other troubles. He urged all to “keep on the watch.”​—Mark 13:37.

Jesus was a perfect man who remained obedient to God, but he had enemies who eventually had him killed. His death thus provided the perfect offering to buy back for us what Adam and Eve had lost​—the prospect of endless life in Paradise.

Jesus’ death fulfilled prophecy, as did God’s resurrecting Jesus as a powerful spirit creature three days later. Jesus then appeared to more than 500 of his disciples. Before ascending to heaven, Jesus commissioned his followers to take the good news about him and his Kingdom to “people of all the nations.” (Matthew 28:19) How thoroughly did they carry out that assignment?

​—Based on Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, 1 Corinthians.

The resurrection of Jesus filled his disciples with conviction and zeal. The apostle Paul in particular traveled throughout Asia Minor and the Mediterranean, organizing congregations and strengthening Christians to stand firm in the face of moral pressures and violent opposition. Despite such challenges, Christianity flourished and spread.

Paul himself was put in prison. Yet, even there he wrote letters of encouragement and counsel to the Christian congregations. He warned of an even greater threat​—apostasy. Guided by God’s holy spirit, Paul foresaw that “oppressive wolves” speaking “twisted things” would enter in among them and “draw away the disciples after themselves.”​—Acts 20:29, 30.

By the end of the first century, this apostasy had begun. About that time the resurrected Jesus gave the apostle John the Revelation, a symbolic view of the future. As John then wrote, neither opposers nor false teachers would prevent God from completely realizing his original purpose for the earth and humankind. “Every nation and tribe and tongue and people” will hear the good news about God’s Kingdom. (Revelation 14:6) Paradise will be restored on earth, and anyone who wishes to do God’s will can be part of it!

Does that sound like “good news” to you? If so, learn more about God’s message for mankind as found in the Bible and how it can benefit you today and in the future.

You can read the Bible for yourself online at www.jw.org. On that Web site, you can also examine the brochures The Bible​—What Is Its Message? and Good News From God! as well as the book What Does the Bible Really Teach? along with other publications that discuss why we can trust the Bible and how we can apply its practical counsel in our family and personal life. Or ask any of Jehovah’s Witnesses for further information.

​—Based on Acts, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, 1 John, Revelation.

Some people get divorced hoping to make their life better, while others want to remain married but cannot make their spouse stay. Yet, almost all who divorce find that life afterward is harder than they expected. In fact, if you have recently divorced, you may find it to be one of the most stressful events you will ever face. It will be useful, therefore, to consider some practical advice from the Bible that may help you to cope successfully with the challenges of divorce.

CHALLENGE 1: NEGATIVE FEELINGS.

Stress related to money problems, parenting, and loneliness can be overwhelming, and the feelings do not always go away quickly. The late psychologist Judith Wallerstein found that years after getting a divorce, some still feel betrayed and abandoned, believing that “life is unfair, disappointing, and lonely.”

WHAT YOU CAN DO

• Grieve over what was lost. You may miss the companion that you still love. Even if your relationship was miserable, you may grieve because you do not have the joy that you had hoped for in marriage. (Proverbs 5:18) Do not be ashamed to set aside “time to weep.”​—Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4.

• Avoid isolating yourself. While you need solitude for mourning, prolonged isolation is unwise. (Proverbs 18:1) Use upbuilding speech in conversation with friends, since frequent complaints about your ex-spouse, even when valid, could push others away. If you must make important decisions soon after your divorce, get objective help from someone you trust.

• Care for your health. The stress of divorce often brings physical problems, such as high blood pressure or migraines. Eat well, exercise, and get sufficient sleep.​—Ephesians 5:29.

• Remove things that rekindle anger toward your ex-spouse or that you do not need, but keep important papers. If items such as wedding photos bring pain, box them up and save them for your children.

• Fight negative thinking. Olga, who divorced her husband after he committed adultery, said: “I kept asking myself, ‘What’s she got that I haven’t got?’” As Olga later realized, though, repeating negative thoughts could result in “a stricken spirit.”​—Proverbs 18:14.

  Many people find that writing down their thoughts helps them to clarify and control their thinking. If you do this, try to come up with a new, positive thought to replace the negative one you are fighting. (Ephesians 4:23) Consider two examples:

  Old: My mate’s unfaithfulness is my fault.

  New: My flaws did not give my mate the right to cheat on me.

  Old: I wasted my best years with the wrong man.

  New: I’ll be happier if I look forward in life, not backward.

• Let hurtful comments pass. Well-meaning friends and relatives may say things that are painful or even incorrect in your case: ‘She was no good for you anyway’ or ‘God hates divorce.’b For good reason, the Bible advises: “Do not give your heart to all the words that people may speak.” (Ecclesiastes 7:21) Martina, divorced for two years, says: “Rather than dwell on words that hurt, I try to see things from God’s viewpoint. His thoughts are higher than ours.”​—Isaiah 55:8, 9.

• Pray to God. He encourages his worshippers to ‘throw all their anxiety upon him,’ especially when they are in great distress.​—1 Peter 5:7.

CHALLENGE 2: YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR FORMER SPOUSE.

Juliana, who was married for 11 years, says: “I begged my husband to stay. After he left, though, I was furious with him and the woman he moved in with.” Many who get divorced remain intensely angry with their ex-mate for years. Yet, they are forced to communicate regularly, especially if they have children.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

• Maintain a civil relationship with your former spouse. Focus on necessary matters and be brief and to the point. Many have found that this approach contributes to peace.​—Romans 12:18.

• Avoid inflammatory speech. Especially when you feel under attack, the Bible’s wise advice applies: “Anyone holding back his sayings is possessed of knowledge.” (Proverbs 17:27) If you cannot steer an unproductive conversation back on track, you could say: “I need to think about what you’ve said and talk with you later.”

• Separate your concerns from those of your former spouse as much as you can, including legal, financial, and medical records.

CHALLENGE 3: HELPING YOUR CHILDREN TO ADJUST.

Maria recalls what it was like right after her divorce: “My younger daughter cried all the time and started bed-wetting again. And while my older girl tried to hide her feelings, I could see the difference in her too.” Sadly, you may feel that you lack the time or emotional energy to help your children when they need you the most.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

• Encourage your children to talk to you about their feelings, even if this seems to produce “wild talk.”​—Job 6:2, 3.

• Maintain proper roles. While you may long for emotional support and your child might seem willing to provide it, it is unfair and unhealthy to ask a child to help with grown-up problems. (1 Corinthians 13:11) Avoid making your child your confidant or letting him or her act as a mediator or messenger between you and your ex-spouse.

• Keep your child’s life well structured. Maintaining the same residence and schedule is helpful, but even more important is keeping a good spiritual routine, including Bible reading and family worship.​—Deuteronomy 6:6-9.

You can move forward with your life after divorce. Melissa, who was married for 16 years, says, “When I got divorced, I thought, ‘This is not how I wanted my life to turn out.’” Now, though, she has found contentment despite her circumstances. She says, “Once I gave up trying to change the past, I felt much better.”

“He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself.” Those words of 17th-century British historian Edward Herbert underscore one reason why we need to be forgiving toward others: Sooner or later, we may need to ask others to forgive us. (Matthew 7:12) There is, however, a far more important reason for us to be forgiving. Notice the apostle Paul’s words found at Colossians 3:13.​—Read.

Because we are all imperfect, we may at times irritate or offend others, and they may do the same to us. (Romans 3:23) How can we maintain peace with our imperfect fellow humans? Inspired by God, Paul advises us to be tolerant and forgiving. That counsel is as relevant today as it was when it was written almost two thousand years ago. Let us take a closer look at Paul’s words.

“Continue putting up with one another.” The words “continue putting up with” render a Greek word that suggests being tolerant or forbearing. One reference work says that Christians display this quality by “a willingness to bear with those whose faults or unpleasant traits are an irritant to them.” The words “with one another” tell us that such tolerance is to be mutual. That is, when we remember that we have traits that may irritate others, we will not allow the things we may dislike in others to disturb the peace between us and them. But what if others sin against us?

“Continue . . . forgiving one another freely.” According to one scholar, the Greek word rendered “freely forgive” “is not the common word for remission or forgiveness . . . but one of richer content emphasizing the gracious nature of the pardon.” Another source says that this word can mean “to render something gratifying, a favor, a benefit.” We show ourselves gracious by willingly forgiving even when we have “a cause for complaint against another.” Why, though, should we be willing to grant such a favor? For one thing, because before long we may need the offender to return the favor by forgiving us.

“Even as Jehovah freely forgave you, so do you also.” This is the foremost reason why we should freely forgive others: Jehovah God freely forgives us. (Micah 7:18) Think for a moment about the great favor that Jehovah bestows upon repentant sinners. Unlike us, Jehovah does not sin. Yet, he willingly and completely forgives repentant sinners even though he knows that he will never need those sinners to return the favor by forgiving him. Truly, Jehovah is the foremost one who freely forgives repentant sinners!

Jehovah’s mercy draws us to him and moves us to want to imitate him. (Ephesians 4:32–5:1) We do well to ask ourselves, ‘Since Jehovah so graciously forgives me, how could I withhold forgiveness from a fellow imperfect human who is genuinely repentant for having sinned against me?’​—Luke 17:3, 4.

MY PAST:

I grew up in Santiago, the capital of Chile, in a neighborhood where drugs, gangs, and crime were common. When I was five, my father was murdered. After that, my mother lived with a man who was cruel. He regularly beat us both. I still carry emotional scars from those years.

As I was growing up, I reacted to the negative influences by becoming extremely violent. I listened to heavy-metal music, drank excessively, and occasionally took drugs. I was regularly involved in street fights with drug dealers, who several times tried to do away with me. On one occasion, a rival gang hired an infamous hit man to kill me, but I managed to escape with only a stab wound. On another occasion, a group of drug dealers held a pistol to my head and tried to hang me.

In 1996, I fell in love with a woman named Carolina, and in 1998, we were married. After our first son was born, I became terrified that because of my violent temper, I would turn out like my stepfather and abuse my family. So I sought help at a local rehabilitation center. I received medical treatment and therapy, but to no avail. I continued to become infuriated over every little thing; I was out of control. In a misguided effort to stop hurting my family, I attempted suicide. Fortunately, I did not succeed.

I had been an atheist for many years, but I wanted to believe in God. So I associated with an evangelical religion for a time. Meanwhile, my wife was studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. I hated the Witnesses, and many times I screamed obscenities at them. But they always responded peacefully, which was not what I expected.

One day, Carolina asked me to look up Psalm 83:18 in my own Bible. That verse clearly states that God’s name is Jehovah. I was surprised to realize that in my religion I had learned about a god, but not about Jehovah. Early in the year 2000, I too began to study the Bible with the Witnesses.

HOW THE BIBLE CHANGED MY LIFE:

As I progressed, I found comfort in learning that Jehovah is a compassionate and forgiving God. For example, at Exodus 34:6, 7, the Bible describes Jehovah as “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness and truth, preserving loving-kindness for thousands, pardoning error and transgression and sin.”

Even so, it was not easy to apply what I was learning. I was convinced that I would never be able to control my violent temper. Each time I failed, Carolina lovingly encouraged me. She reminded me that Jehovah took note of my efforts. Her support gave me the strength to continue trying to please Jehovah, even though I often felt like a lost cause.

One day, my study conductor, Alejandro, asked me to read Galatians 5:22, 23. Those verses say that the fruitage of God’s spirit is “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control.” Alejandro explained that my developing those qualities did not depend on my own strength but, rather, on God’s holy spirit. That truth completely changed my viewpoint!

Later, I attended a large convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The order, cleanliness, and fellowship I saw there convinced me that I had found the true religion. (John 13:34, 35) I was baptized in February 2001.

HOW I HAVE BENEFITED:

Jehovah has transformed me from a violent man to a peaceable one. I feel that he has lifted me up out of the mire that had me trapped. Many people hated me, and I don’t blame them. Now, however, I enjoy peacefully serving Jehovah along with my wife and two sons.

My relatives and former friends cannot believe how much I have changed. As a result, several of them have shown interest in learning Bible truth. I have also had the privilege of helping others to come to know Jehovah. What a pleasure it has been to see Bible truth transform their lives as well!

As you look around, your eye and brain work together to gather information. You notice a piece of fruit nearby and decide whether you want to eat it. You look at the sky and decide that it will not rain today. You see the words you are now reading and sort out the meaning. Actually, you are being affected by color. Really?

The color of the fruit you saw helps you to decide its ripeness and desirability. The color of the sky and clouds helps you to know the weather. As you read the words of this article, your eyes are comfortable with the color contrast between the text and the background. Yes, perhaps without noticing it, you constantly use color to help you process information about the world around you. But color also has an impact on your emotions.

THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT OF COLOR

As you walk down the aisles of a store, you are surrounded by an array of packaging that is designed to catch your eye. Whether you realize it or not, advertisers carefully select colors and color combinations to appeal to your specific desires, your gender, and your age group. Home decorators, clothing designers, and artists also know that colors can evoke emotional response.

People may interpret colors in different ways because of local culture and customs. For example, some people in Asia associate red with good fortune and celebration, but in parts of Africa, red is the color of mourning. Despite their upbringing, however, humans share the same emotional response to certain colors. Let us consider three colors and how they can affect you.

RED has very high visibility. Red has often been associated with energy, war, and danger. It is an emotionally intense color and can enhance human metabolism, increase respiration rate, and raise blood pressure.

In the Bible, the Hebrew word for “red” comes from a word meaning “blood.” The Bible uses bright red, or scarlet, to paint a memorable image of a murderous prostitute dressed in purple and scarlet riding on “a scarlet-colored wild beast . . . full of blasphemous names.”​—Revelation 17:1-6.

GREEN prompts a reaction opposite to that of red, for it slows metabolism and produces a calming effect. Green is a restful color and is often associated with tranquillity. We feel relaxed when we see green gardens and hillsides. The Genesis account of creation says that God provided green grass and vegetation for mankind.​—Genesis 1:11, 12, 30.

WHITE is often associated with light, safety, and cleanness. It is also connected with the qualities of goodness, innocence, and purity. White is the color most often mentioned in the Bible. In visions, humans and angels are shown dressed in white, emphasizing righteousness and spiritual cleanness. (John 20:12; Revelation 3:4; 7:9, 13, 14) White horses with riders wearing white, clean linen symbolize righteous warfare. (Revelation 19:14) God uses the color white to emphasize that he is willing to forgive sins: “Though the sins of you people should prove to be as scarlet, they will be made white just like snow.”​—Isaiah 1:18.

COLOR AS A MEMORY TOOL

The Bible’s use of color demonstrates God’s understanding of the human emotional response to color. For example, the Bible book of Revelation foretells our current human experience, including war, famine, and unnatural death from food shortage and plague. To help us remember this, a striking vision introduces us to riders on horses​—not just regular horses but color-coded ones.

First, there is a pure-white horse, which symbolizes the righteous warfare of Christ Jesus. Next, we see a fiery-red horse, which represents warfare between nations. This horse is followed by an ominous black horse, which designates famine. Then we see a “pale horse; and the one seated upon it had the name Death.” (Revelation 6:1-8) The color of each horse can evoke an emotional response within us that matches the symbolism of the horse. We can easily remember these colored horses and what they teach us about our day.

There are many examples in the Bible of the use of color to paint vivid word pictures. Yes, the Creator of light, color, and the human eye masterfully uses color as a teaching tool to portray images that are understandable and memorable to readers. Color helps us to gather and process information. Color affects our emotions. Color can help us remember important concepts. Color is a loving gift from our Creator to help us enjoy life.

Is there hope for the dead?

Death is like sleep in that the dead are unconscious and cannot do anything. However, the Creator of life can bring the dead back by means of a resurrection. In proof of that, God empowered Jesus to raise several dead people to life.​—Read Ecclesiastes 9:5; John 11:11, 43, 44.

God has promised that the dead who are in his memory will be resurrected to life in a righteous new world. Those who will be resurrected must remain in death until God gives them life again. Almighty God yearns to use his power to restore life to the dead.​—Read Job 14:14, 15.

What will the resurrection be like?

When God resurrects people, they will be able to recognize themselves, their friends, and their family. Even though a person’s body decomposes, God can resurrect that same person with a new body.​—Read 1 Corinthians 15:35, 38.

Relatively few individuals are raised to life in heaven. (Revelation 20:6) Most resurrected ones will return to life in a restored paradise on earth. These will be given a fresh start, with the prospect of living forever.​—Read Psalm 37:29; Acts 24:15.