Anybody who has engaged with the possibility of the King James Bible being the perfect word of God, will always deal with the aspect of Timing. Often, it is demanded, Why would God wait for 1600 years before revealing his perfect Bible? And where was the Bible before 1611?
These questions are often asked proudly and rhetorically, not sincerely. But when you ask them through an honest and practical lens, it begins to make quite a lot of sense why God would have providentially waited until this time period.
So let’s ask again, but instead of with sneer, let’s ask this time with humble curiosity:
Why would God wait for 1600 years before revealing his perfect Bible?
Where was the Bible before 1611?
These are not just good questions, they are important. And I believe the answers will not only open up our understanding, but also an appreciation for why God would have done it this way.
But first, let’s make an important distinction.
When we talk about the King James Bible, we are making the case that it is the book of the LORD. That is- the completed volume of scripture from which everybody in the world can seek out of, and read, in the end times.
We are not talking about God’s word in a general sense, which is faithful and true no matter what language or generation it’s in. We are talking about a specific book.
So- to answer the question more directly: Where was the word of God before 1611? The answer is simply: Anywhere it was faithfully preserved, at any place in history.
I believe it was faithfully preserved in many languages after 1611 as well, not just English.
Nevertheless, we’re talking specifically about one book. One book with God’s name attached to it, available to all the inhabitants of the earth.
To understand why the King James Bible emerged at the perfect moment in history, I’ll highlight four key factors that created a unique window in time, which allowed the KJB to become the book that it is today.
I. Copyright Laws
Imagine a hypothetical scenario where you and I are Bible translators, working together to revise a faithful and true Bible translation which is already 95% perfect… And when I say 95%, I’m not saying it’s 95% perfect according to our own standard- I’m saying we know with all certainty, The Lord himself appeared to us and directly told us it is 95% perfect.
Now, this is a revision of a copyrighted Bible, not a new translation. And not only do we know it’s 95% perfect, we know how to make it 100% perfect, because when the Lord appeared to us, he told us all the errors in the remaining 5%.
Again, this is hypothetical. This is not how Bible translation works.
But how tragic would it be if legal restrictions prevented us from ever reaching that 100% – simply because the Bible we’re working from is protected by copyright laws?
Now the King James translators didn’t hear God speak to them from heaven, but they did hold a similar view in the sense that- the Bible was already excellent as-is. They probably believed the Bible was already 95% correct, or more. And they were not constrained or compelled to alter the text just for the sake of legality. They had the freedom to preserve or update the English Bible however they were led by the Spirit.
Consider the difference in philosophy between early English Bibles and modern versions. With modern Bibles, it’s a free for all. Each translation is worded differently, with different scholars and methodologies and manuscript authorities, all distinct and discouraged from borrowing from each other. Every man doing that which is right in his own eyes. In fact, copyright laws are probably not too big of a deal for modern Bible publishers, since every new translation has a different agenda.
But in the era of the King James, there was much more order and unity; one continuous stream of scripture being refined and carried forward. Copyright laws would have destroyed that process. Because what is called plagiarism today would have simply been viewed as proper transmission of truth back then.
But imagine if copyright laws were formed only 1-2 centuries earlier. What if it was a crime to copy directly from Tyndale? the King James we have in our hands today would be radically different.
And the hypothetical scenario we played out, would be nearly impossible.
II. Mass Printing, Distribution, & Accessibility
Before the printing press was invented in the mid-15th century, Bibles were rigorously copied by hand, taking many months to complete just one copy. Not only was this time consuming, this made Bibles much more precious to own, and much more likely to contain mistakes.
Today, I have bookshelves overflowing with Bibles. If I lose one by accident, I have plenty of others I can turn to in an instant. And if all my Bibles were lost or stolen or if I suspect a printing error, I could still pull up my phone and access any verse I’m thinking of in a matter of seconds.
In the past, accessing the scriptures at this speed was only possible with memorization.
But with the printing press came the power to publish the Bible in speeds, quantities, and precision unknown to past generations. All of a sudden, the common man had immediate access to the word of God.
God’s truth and light was no longer scarce. It spread like fire into the hearts and minds of men, on a scale never seen before.
All of a sudden a man could open his Bible, and get an answer directly from God.
III. World Population
In 1611, the population was roughly 500 million, up from 360 million 400 years prior. But 400 years ahead is a much different story. By 1900, the world population surpassed a billion. And despite 2 world wars, several pandemics such as the Spanish flu and COVID-19, and over a hundred thousand abortions that occur each day, the world just keeps growing bigger and bigger. The world population is now past 8 billion, and continues to rise.
8 billion souls, alive at this very moment, and the Lord Jesus Christ gave himself on the cross for every one of them. And when he died on that tree, and rose again, he wasn’t surprised to find his blood redeeming the souls of hundreds of millions of people 2000 years later. He knew it all, and took it all upon himself.
From the time of Christ until 1611, only ~2 billion men in total had access to the word of God. But from 1611 until today, over 34 billion people have had access to the scriptures. The implications of this are profound. In eternity, we can expect 9 out of 10 brothers/sisters in Christ to have been born post-1611. In other words, most people in heaven will have lived during the time when the KJV was the book of the LORD in all the earth.
IV. The Rise of English
When the King James Bible was written, English was an isolated language spoken mostly in England, with around 4 million speakers, less than 1% of the world population.
But today, 2 billion people speak English, which is approximately 20% of the world’s population. And those speakers live across many, many countries. No other language comes anywhere close. For example, Mandarin has more native speakers, however, it’s almost exclusively spoken in China, not all around the world like English.
So how did English become so popular? In one word, timing.
From the rise of the British Empire covering and colonizing the earth, to the rise of the United States as a world power, to the rise of movies, media, and the internet (55% of all websites are in English), English has literally conquered the world.
And because we live in a much different world now than ever before, the liquidity of language is not as free and wavering. In order for English to fragment and dissolve into other languages like Latin did in Europe, it would require a major collapse of global connectivity.
Most experts agree that English, though it will continue to evolve, is here to stay for the long haul, and some estimations expect it to exceed 10 billion speakers by the year 2100, if, of course, Jesus hasn’t returned by then.
To summarize the window of time in which the KJV arrived:
- Shortly before copyright laws were in place, which would have affected the transmission of English scripture from Tyndale unto the KJV translators
- Shortly after the printing press made mass printing available, so that books could be printed in bulk uniformity
- Shortly before the explosion of the world population, which would be so drastic that ~9 out of 10 born again believers we meet in heaven would have been alive when the KJV was in print
- Shortly before the worldwide expanse of the English language, which would take over the earth permanently
Would you not agree, that in God’s providence, the early 1600s was a perfect time for God to have his book perfectly interpreted in the language that would engulf the earth?
If you won’t say it, I will. The timing was perfect. And it makes all the sense in the world why God would have waited for the fulness of time, to give us a book that perfectly declares his commandments, both Old Testament and New, even the testimony of his Son, Jesus Christ.
Video Description
This is a clip from the upcoming documentary ‘The Sword of God’ (2026) which will make the case for the King James Bible being the ultimate fulfillment of “the book of the LORD” (Isaiah 34:16).
Bible Study on “the book of the LORD” in Isaiah 34
https://youtu.be/WWnTKbDCw-8?si=rpIpLOVOIi1tBRP7&t=2098 (Begins halfway through)
KJVCompare (1250+ verses)
https://kjvcompare.com/
Truth is Christ Book Club (Patreon)
https://truthischrist.com/bookclub
English Bible Transmission Flowchart (Timestamp 9:40)
https://truthischrist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Transmission-of-the-English-Bible-v1.pdf
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All Truth is Christ links (incl. Book Club)
https://linktr.ee/truthischrist
KJV Scripture Mugs
https://www.etsy.com/shop/TruthisChristStore
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Thank you for your prayers and support!
All glory to our Saviour, Jesus Christ the Righteous!