Where is the rest of the Bible?

Question

Why does the Bible end with the book of Revelations? I means the entire Bible covers a long period in human history and then (quite abruptly) ends. Why aren't there any chapter added in more modern history? Who or how was it decided?

Thanks for the input...lots of good answers. Sorry about Revelations instead of Revelation (I'm from the south and I call all colas Coke, too) I guess another part of the question would be why isn't there any modern day "word of God" type events going on? You know old school Bible miracles, like the stories we learned about as children in Sunday school/

Answer 1

There have been several councils to recognize "canon" - that which is considered scripture.

A minor correction though, The title of the last book is The revelation (singular) of Jesus Christ.

The book of John says that God spoke finally in Jesus. There simply was no further need for god to speak. He spoke in the old testament through prophets (moses being the first and recording the pentatuch) and then in the new testament he spoke through Jesus whose information is recorded by eyewitnesses or those very close to those witnesses. Once they had all died off, no further canon could be in existence.

God will speak one final time when Jesus returns and he will sit again with men and rule. That is the point of the Book of The revelation. It describes the end times and the final reign of Christ.

Some have tried to add chapters (LDS) making claims of angels and golden plates and such but their claims are dubious at best given the circumstances and have never had any verification of historical context or reference.

EF

Answer 2

I do not know why it ended where it did, but there was an apostasy as prophesied in 2 Thes 2: 3. That could be the partial answer. To the comment in a previous answer about the LDS religion adding chapters that is a bit misleading. Very few people dispute that words if not chapter have been removed. By the power of God Joseph Smith was able to receive the fullness and truth of the Bible. Some words and versus from the inspired version have been added back in as footnotes in LDS versions. We also believe in the Book of Mormon which does not replace the Bible, rather it is "Another Testiment of Jesus Christ" (as is included in its title) that confirms what the Bible says and is a true record of a people on the American continents that had the gospel of Christ.

Answer 3

The canon of the bible, originally, was decided at two councils. The Council of Hippo (New Testament) and the Council of Carthage (Old Testament. If I recall correctly, Hippo was in 393 and Carthage, 397?

Maybe someone here can correct me on those dates.

The bible remained the same up until 1530(ish) when Martin Luther decided to pull some books based on the Jewish (and anti-Christian) Council of Jamnia in 90. At the Council of Jamnia some of the more Christian books of the Hebrew Scriptures were pulled in an anti-Christian move. Remember, in 90 we were still persecuted under penalty of death.

At the discovery of the ancient scrolls of Qumran, the Holy See was the first to commission an updated bible. The Jerusalem Bible was the first updated bible using the oldest complete biblical scrolls. (Not to be confused with the NEW Jerusalem Bible which is trash)

There are many who wish for the Gnostics texts which were written around the late 300s early 400s to be added to the bible. But since they contain a lot of non-biblical gibberish (i.e., the Gospel of Thomas says women don't go to Heaven, the Gospel of Judas states Jesus was an alien life form trapped in the body of a man he essentially possessed) they are not considered of any worth.

The bible ends at Revelation because that is the end of time. So to speak. Revelation tells us about the return of Our Lord and the end of this world. Anything added in would have to be before Revelation.

Answer 4

While the Bible is composed of several books from several authors over several centuries, the books of the Bible that are currently there support one another, and Revelation has a statement that cautions anyone against adding or taking away from the Word of God. Yes, there are other writings. The Catholic Bible for instance has books in it that are not included in the standard Protestant Bible. It is generally believed that everything that God wanted us to know is included in the Bible. It doesn't need continuous sequels in order to be applicable to us in modern-day life. It is fine and complete as it is.

Answer 5

The first Christian Church wrote the 'Letters' and it was all confirmed during the Niceans (not sure of the spelling) and, I believe that was in the 3rd century.

It is Prophesied in the Bible - Many Places - that there would be 'additional writings' that would "Deceive Many"! Questions like this, are good conversation - but, are they appropriate coming from 'Christians'? I Pray not.

We Have the Whole Bible - Genesis through Revelation!

Be In Peace, Take Care and God Bless!

Answer 6

The Bible was recognized in it's completed form by Church councils in the late 300's and early 400's. It was comprised of books that had been widely used since the late 1st/early second century and we don't really need more scripture than we have since the gospel has been spelled out for us already.
By the way, the rest of the Bible is in the Catholic Old Testament.

Edit: It is The Book of Revelation not Revelations.

Answer 7

The reason the bible ends with revelations is because revelations is the book that talks of the end of days... there aren't anymore books because there will be nothing left after revelations.

Answer 8

Revelations was moved to the back by Martin Luther because he did not feel it was relevant to anything. There are more books from the Bible in the Apocrypha, and the Gospel of St. Thomas is not in the bible, but you can find it online. There are lots of gospels in the Vatican Library, including one by Mary magdalene, but the church feels that none of them are valid.

The canon was closed after the Council of Nicea (Nicene Creed) and no books will ever be added, in my opinion.

Answer 9

The Canon of Scripture, the official list of texts that constitute Scripture, was decided once and for all time by the bishops of the Holy Catholic Church, gathered in Council at Carthage, North Africa, in 397 AD, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This list of 73 divinely inspired texts, and no other, constitutes the written Word of God.
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Answer 10

Council of Nicea. The Book of Revelations was actually heavily disputed and almost did not make it into the Bible.