Why
should anybody believe the Bible is from God? If Bible was only historical,
citing historical facts and recording historical events, then the Bible would be
just a history book. If historical content were the sole contents, then the
claim of inspiration would be suspect. The original manuscripts (Autographs)
would merely be ancient records of historical events corresponding to history.
The Bible, however, claims to be more then just an accurate
historical book. The Bible’s words claim to be “Super-natural”
in origination. The words claim to be inspired, from
God, the First-Cause of reality, who revealed the words
through prophets. The question is, can we in anyway prove the
claims of the words in the Bible? Before we examine the
super-natural evidence of the Bible, we first need to understand
some underlying principles; the meaning of inspiration and
inerrancy.
What does
inspiration mean?
How did God
transmit His words through the Bible? The process according to
scripture to was through “inspiration”.
16 All
Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness, 2 Timothy 3:16
The
Greek word translated inspiration is
qeovpneustoß
Theopneustos
meaning literally “God-breathed out”. The idea here means God
is the force behind the words of scripture, not the human
writer, even though the thought was conveyed through human
means. The words of both the Old and New Testaments claim to be
inspired. Zechariah in the Old Testament, referred to the
“words” of the prophets who preceded him, such as Jeremiah and
Isaiah, as the Lord’s word.
7
'Should you not have obeyed the words which the Lord proclaimed
through the former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around
it were inhabited and prosperous, and the South and the Lowland
were inhabited?' " Zechariah 7:7
Jesus
attests to the inspiration of the Old Testament and His
fulfillment of the prophets and Law.
17 "Do not
think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not
come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 "For assuredly, I say to you,
till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by
no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Matthew
5:17-18
Then
He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while
I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which
were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms
concerning Me." Luke 24:44
When Jesus
refers to the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms, he is
referring to the three-part division of the Tanakh
(The Old Testament).
What
does Inerrant mean?
Since God is
the source of inspiration, the words transmitted to the prophet
are without error or inerrant. Inspiration and
Inerrancy apply to the autograph and not to the transmission
process, which is human. The inerrant autograph is
transmitted through scribes in a process known as manuscript
transmission, resulting in manuscript copies. The autograph
is the original manuscript, the first copy, those which follow
are manuscript copies.
The Evidence
for the Inspiration of the Bible
By simply comparing the words that claim super-natural
inspiration to the facts, we can test whether the words
are super-natural or just vague guesses. We can also examine
the probability of the events taking place. In the same way, we
examine the improbability of matter and life entering the
universe without a cause. We can examine to see if super-natural
evidence corresponds with facts.
In examining the evidence, we need to ask several questions.
-
Is the
evidence “Super-natural” in nature?
-
Is the
evidence manipulated?
-
Could
the source document been changed to fit the circumstances?
Super-natural objective evidence
The
definition of Super-natural is evidence outside of the
natural order. Miracles and prophecies would fall under this
categories since both claim a source outside of the nature. A
prophecy describing future specific event is not a natural
phenomenon. The source must be outside of nature in order to be
“True”. Super-natural knowledge is required, since knowledge of
the future is outside of our natural order.
6“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel,
And
his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:
‘I am
the First and I am the Last;
Besides Me there is no God.
7And
who can proclaim as I do?
Then
let him declare it and set it in order for Me,
Since
I appointed the ancient people.
And
the things that are coming and shall come,
Let
them show these to them.
8Do
not fear, nor be afraid;
Have
I not told you from that time, and declared it?
You
are My witnesses.
Is
there a God besides Me?
Indeed there is no other Rock;
I
know not one.’” Isaiah 44:7-8
|
9Remember the former things of old,
For I
am God, and there is no other;
I am
God, and there is none like Me,
10Declaring the end from the beginning,
And
from ancient times things that are not yet done,
Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
And I
will do all My pleasure,’
Isaiah 46:9-10 |
3“I
have declared the former things from the beginning;
They went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to hear
it. Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.
4Because
I knew that you were obstinate,
And
your neck was an iron sinew,
And
your brow bronze,
5Even
from the beginning I have declared it to you;
Before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you,
Lest
you should say, ‘My idol has done them,
And
my carved image and my molded image
Have
commanded them.’
Isaiah
48:3-5
|
The Bible’s use of prophecy, the ability to tell the future in
the past, can be itemized as follows.
-
Only God
can reveal events in detail thousands of years before they
occur. (Isaiah 44:6)
-
Israel
as a people and nation are witnesses to the events. (Isaiah
44:8)
-
God
declares the end from the beginning. (Isaiah 46:9)
-
The
purpose of foretelling the event many years before its
occurrence was to prove to the obstinate who would give
credit to man. (Isaiah 48: 3-5)
What is a
prophet?
When you write your name on paper, who is doing the writing, you
or the pen? Most answer you, since you are the power behind the
pen. You are the inspiration of the words the pen writes. In the
same way a pen is used as the conduit between you and the paper,
the prophet is the conduit between God and man. The prophet is
writing down God’s message for the reader.
If the words are from God then they would be “True” and
correspond with reality.
Some examples of Super-Natural Evidence
Description of Evidence |
Significance |
Super-natural nature |
Greatness of Abraham
Genesis 12:2-3
AbrahamWas promised to: * Be source for a great nation*
Have a great name* All peoples on the earth to Be
blessed through Him.
2 |
I
will make you a great nation; I will bless you
And make your name great; And you shall be a
blessing. |
3 |
I
will bless those who bless you, And I will curse
him who curses you; And in you all the families
of the earth shall be blessed."
Genesis 12:2-3 |
|
Genesis was written about 1450 BC by Moses. At that time
Abraham was the forefather of an insignificant group of
slaves, the Hebrews.
Today, many people who lived on the Earth, over ½ the
Earth’s 6 billion
People claim a connection to
Abraham including Muslims, Jews
and
Christians. Both Jews and
Arab’s Claim Abraham as the
source their national identity. |
Both
Muslims, Christians and Jews
Claim
descent and connection to
Abraham. This prophecy was written
Well
before the growth of Christianity
And
Islam. Abraham name became
great
after Christianity spread 100
AD
and Islam after 632 AD.
If
15 billion people lived since the
beginning of the Human race, the odds
Of
one man have a name of world wide
Distinction is 1 out of 15 billion. If the
Promise was recorded 3400 years
Before the event it is super-natural.
|
Israel Scattered
Deuteronomy
28:64
3450
years ago in
the
Bible Israel as a nation
is
told they will be dispersed
throughout the world and
suffer as a people for being
Disobedient.
64 |
"Then the Lord will scatter you among all
peoples, from one end of the earth to the other,
and there you shall serve other gods, which
neither you nor your fathers have known-wood and
stone. Deut. 28:64 |
|
Two
times in Israel’s history they
Were
scattered as a nation, first
During the Babylonian captivity
(605,
598 and 587 BC) Jer 51.
Second, during the time of Roman
Occupation. 54 BC-638 AD |
For a
people to be scattered is a
A
common event throughout history
As
one people group takes land and
Settles in territory belonging to another.
Israel as a nation is scattered and
Gathered and then scattered again.
The
condition of the people in their
Scattered condition is described in
Detail, yet they remain a distinct people
In
the land of their captivity |
Israel
Gathered
Deuteronomy 30:3
3450
years ago Israel is promised to be gathered back into
the land promised to Abraham after being scattered.The
gathering of Israel as a Nation from the nations is
repeated throughout the scriptures Isaiah 11, Isaiah
14:1-2, Isaiah 56:8, Jeremiah 30-31,Ezekiel 36-37,
Zechariah 10:6-12
3 |
"that the Lord your God will bring you back from
captivity, and have compassion on you, and
gather you again from all the nations where the
Lord your God has scattered you. |
4 |
"If
any of you are driven out to the farthest parts
under heaven, from there the Lord your God will
gather you, and from there He will bring you.
Deuteronomy 30:3-4 |
|
Two
times Israel has been gathered,
Once
following the Babylonian
Captivity after the Persian defeat
Of
Babylon in 539 BC by Cyrus
The
second in our day with the
Creation of the state of Israel as
Jews
from Europe, Africa, Asia,
North
and South America founded
the
state of Israel |
The
creation of the state of Israel was
Result of two world wars. First the
Muslim powers were defeated and
Only
after ½ the world’s Jewish
Population was killed in the Holocaust
Would
the nations agree to allowing
A
Jewish state to exist, in May 1948
Israel came into existence the first time
A
Jewish state existed in 2000 years.
For a
people to maintain national
Identity after 1900 years and to be
Gathered back into their land is
Amazing enough…But for the event
To be
written about even before they
Were
a nation is super-natural. |
Jerusalem
Focus
Of
World attention
Zechariah 12:3 foretells
Jerusalem as the
Center of worldwide
Attention
3 |
"And it shall happen in that day that I will
make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all
peoples; all who would heave it away will surely
be cut in pieces, though all nations of the
earth are gathered against it.
Zechariah 12;3 |
|
We
are told that Jerusalem will
Be a
burden for the world and the
Object of conflict. The nations of the
World
will be at war with the
Descendents of Israel. |
Over
½ the Earth population view
Jerusalem as spiritually significant.
2500
years ago when Jerusalem was
just
a small regional city Zechariah told
about
the coming day when all then
nations will burden themselves with
the
possession of the city. |
Temple destroyedThe
destruction of theJewish temple followingThe death of
Jesus was Foretold in Daniel 9:26 And Matthew 24:2
1 |
Then Jesus went out and departed from the
temple, and His disciples came up to show Him
the buildings of the temple. |
2 |
And
Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these
things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone
shall be left here upon another, that shall not
be thrown down." Matthew 24:1-2 |
|
In 70
AD the Roman empire destroys
The
Jewish Temple. Every stone
Was
throne down as Roman soldiers
Looked for melted gold.
The
destruction of the
Temple along each stone being
Taken
down was recorded 600 years
Before this event, Messiah was to
Be
cut off. |
600
years before the event we are told
about
the destruction following the
cutting off of the Messiah. Jesus
claimed to be Messiah
and
as a result 2 billion
people,1/3 of the earth’s population are
connected to the city of Jerusalem. How
Daniel could know the details of the
Temple’s destruction as well as it being
Connected with the Messiah being “Cut
Off”
is super-natural. |
Jews
from Ethiopia
Gathered.
In
the
Second gathering
Jews
living in Ethiopia are
Foretold to be gathered
to
Israel ,2700 years ago in Isaiah 11:11
this
gathering was written about.
11 |
It
shall come to pass in that day That the Lord
shall set His hand again the second time To
recover the remnant of His people who are left,
From Assyria and Egypt, From Pathros and Cush,
From Elam and Shinar, From Hamath and the
islands of the sea.
Isaiah 11:11 |
|
Operation Solomon in 1980
and
Exodus in 1991 rescued Jews
living in Ethiopia from extermination
and
persecution. The Jews there
have
been traced back over 2000
years
ago. |
Isaiah 11:11 specifically mentions Jews
From
Cush (Ethiopia) as part of the
Gathering from the nations. 2700 years
Before the event |
Exact
month & year
Messiah is killed.
70
Weeks of Daniel
is a very
specific prophecy foretelling
the
rejection and cutting off
of
Messiah 570 years before the event.
Daniel 9:24-27
26 |
"And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be
cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of
the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city
and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a
flood, And till the end of the war desolations
are determined.
Daniel 9:26 |
|
The
70 weeks of Daniel foretells the
Exact
time Messiah would be cut-off.
Following a 483 year period (69
Weeks) after a command to rebuild
The
walls and streets of Jerusalem
Was
given to Nehemiah. |
The
Christian faith is the largest faith in
The
World and centers on the Messiah
Being
killed for the sins of the world.
570
before the death of Jesus, Daniel
foretold the exact time of Messiah being
cut-off with the Temple’s destruction
following his death. |
Objections
to Super-natural objective evidence
“People
worked to fulfill the prophecy”
This
objection does not take into account the aspect of adverse
history. For example, Jerusalem becoming the focus of world
attention was a result of the spread of Christianity and Islam.
Christianity grew in opposition to Jewish wishes; they did not
accept Jesus as Messiah. The Roman Empire became Christian in
spite of persecution of the Christians. In addition, any series
of events could have changed the scope of the world prior to the
spread of Christianity. Pagan Huns in the 5th
Century AD could have destroyed Christian Byzantium, conflict
with Islam in the 6th century; the Mongolian hordes
of Genghis Khan in the 12th century are only some
examples of historical events that could have prevented this
prophecy fulfillment.
To imagine that a group of people could manipulate world events
in secret also fails to account for persecution by the leading
powers of the world. Kings and princes in the land they settled
persecuted the Jews as a group. The Spanish inquisition, forced
Jews to renounce their Jewish culture, this same pattern of
persecution occurred in Germany, England, Russia and Asia. How
a persecuted people could control their persecutors, to fulfill
prophecy written about the people even before they were a nation
would be super-natural in its own right.
“The
prophecy was changed to seem like it was fulfilled”.
The words recorded in prophecy are virtually the same in the
Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament
translated 250 BC. The Dead Sea scrolls dated to 100-200 BC
also record the words of the prophets including Daniel, Isaiah,
Ezekiel and Jeremiah. Any changes to fulfill scripture would
have to have been made by 250 BC well before the events
themselves even occurred.
“The
prophecy is just a matter of interpretation”.
Most
prophecies have very specific qualifiers, giving us minute
details, not vague generalities. Israel, Jerusalem are distinct
locations, not vague terms such as a “great city in the distant
east”. They are terms which can compared to facts. The Bible
also records historical figures such as Nebuchadnezzar along
with events associated their lives. This allows us to compare
the words with the facts.
Jesus the
Messiah
The
rejection of Jesus and His ministry foretold 700-years before
his birth
The
whole basis of the New Testament is the fulfillment of a New
Covenant through the death of Jesus, who died for the sins of
the world. Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, as foretold by the
Jewish prophets, yet he was rejected and killed. Some will point
to his death and say; “see if he were the Messiah, he would not
have died”. Most who understand the death of Jesus as evidence
he was not the Messiah, do not know Isaiah 52:13-53:12. The Old
Testament book of Isaiah, pointed to the death of the Messiah
700-years before Jesus’ birth, showing his death was .part of
God’s plan for redemption.
Isaiah wrote
about the rejection and death of the righteous servant who would
die for the sins of the world and then be exalted. Isaiah
clearly describes the ministry of Jesus 700-years before his
birth. He describes how the righteous servant bears the iniquity
(Isaiah 53:11), by being the offering for sin (vs. 10). Isaiah
describes him as rejected and despised (vs.3). He is wounded or
pierced and whipped (vs.5). The servant did not come to his own
defense but allowed his death to proceed (vs. 7). Finally, he
was killed alongside with the wicked and was buried with the
rich (vs. 9). Despite his death and humiliation, the servant
will be exalted above the nations, where the kings of the earth
will be silenced in his presence (Isaiah 52:13,15).
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
13 Behold, My
Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled
and be very high. 14 Just as many were astonished at you, So His
visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the
sons of men; 15 So shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall
shut their mouths at Him; For what had not been told them they
shall see, And what they had not heard they shall consider.
Isaiah 52:13-15
Isaiah
53
1 Who has
believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been
revealed? 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire
Him. 3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and
acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from
Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely He has
borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him
stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded
for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The
chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we
are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have
turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him
the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the
slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He
opened not His mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from
judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut
off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My
people He was stricken. 9 And they made His grave with the
wicked-But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no
violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the
Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His
soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall
prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in
His hand. 11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be
satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify
many, For He shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will
divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the
spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto
death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore
the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.
The
Seventy Weeks of Daniel
The Seventy
weeks of Daniel is a prophecy, which can be used as an example
of associating facts with claims.
-
God has
a 490-year plan involving the Jewish People and Jerusalem.
·
We are told
Jerusalem would be rebuilt with walls, and streets
·
The Messiah
would be killed 483 years after the command to rebuild
Jerusalem’s walls and streets is given.
·
The rebuilt
temple would be destroyed by the descends of a future world
leader
·
A future
world leader who is descendent of the armies who destroyed
Jerusalem would make an agreement to build a Third Temple.
·
The Temple
would be rebuilt and sacrifices stopped after 3.5 years.
Daniel’s 70 Weeks
Super-natural Evidence ( An Example)
·
539 years before the Birth of Jesus, the exact day,
month and year Jesus is rejected is foretold
·
Destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem is foretold
·
The future rebuilding of the Third Temple on the
Temple Mount is foretold
·
The future desecration of the Third Temple is
foretold |
The Seventy Weeks of Daniel
24 "Seventy weeks are determined For your people and
for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To
make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for
iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To
seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most
Holy.
25 "Know therefore and understand, That from the
going forth of the command To restore and build
Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be
seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be
built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome
times.
26 "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be
cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the
prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the
sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And
till the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for
one week; But in the middle of the week He shall
bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the
wing of abominations shall be one who makes
desolate, Even until the consummation, which is
determined, Is poured out on the desolate." |
Background |
The Prophecy takes place in 539 B.C., in the First
year of Darius the Mede. Daniel an old man, between
83 to 90 years old. As a boy He was taken captive by
the Babylonians in 605 B.C. In 586 B.C. The
Babylonians destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the
Temple. Jeremiah foretold a 70-year period of
desolation on the city for their sin. Daniel was
praying for the city to be restored since 67 years
had now passed.
Gabriel the angel was sent to Daniel to answer
his prayer and tell him God’s time plan for his
city, Jerusalem and his people.
|
24 "Seventy weeks are determined For your people and
for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To
make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for
iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To
seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most
Holy.
|
Seventy weeks[2]
are determined[3]
(7 x70=490) A 490 year period of time is established
on “ Your city” Jerusalem and “Your People”
the Jewish People.
Seven events happen within these 490 years.
1.
Finish Transgression
2.
Make an end of sins
3.
Make reconciliation for iniquity
4.
Bring in everlasting righteousness
5.
Seal up vision and
6.
prophecy
7.
Anoint the Most Holy.
Super-Natural Objective Evidence
·
The focus of Jerusalem and the Jewish People
|
25 "Know therefore and understand, That from the
going forth of the command To restore and build
Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be
seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be
built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome
times.
|
The
490-year period begins with the command to “Restore”
and “Build Jerusalem” including the walls
and streets in the times of trouble.
The command to rebuild the walls and streets takes
place in March/April 444 B.C. (Nehemiah 2:8)
Nehemiah is given orders to build the walls of
Jerusalem, and access to the King of Persia’s
resources.
Gabriel tells Daniel from the command given
(March/April 444 B.C.) until Messiah the Prince
will be 7-weeks (49 years) and 62-weeks (434-years)
totaling 483-years[4].
(7 Weeks + 62 Weeks=69 Weeks)
(69 x 7=483) From the Command given in
March/April 444 B.C. to until Messiah the Prince
is 483 Jewish years[5].
Our equivalent to Daniel’s calander is 476 years and
24 days.
The Command was given in March/April 444 B.C. 476
years and 24 days later is March 29th 33
A.D. the Jesus Christ was “Cut off” by the Jewish
Priesthood. (John 19:6)
Super-Natural
Objective Evidence
·
The Exact month and Year of Messiah Death 500 years
before his birth
|
26 "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be
cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the
prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the
sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And
till the end of the war desolations are determined.
|
Gabriel tells Daniel after the 62 Week (434 year)
Messiah the Prince is cut off. Not for
Himself, Messiah dies for the sins of the world
(Isaiah 53).
Following his death Jerusalem and the Temple are
destroyed again, after they were rebuilt, following
Daniel’s prayer. The people of a prince
who is to come , destroy Jerusalem and Temple
37 years after the death of Jesus Christ. Daniel
foretold of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem over
600-years before the event.
Gabriel Tells Daniel the desolations on Jerusalem
and the Jewish people will continue to the end.
The Dome of The Rock, the third most site in
Islam occupies the Temple-site. The Temple-Mount is
the center of world focus pitting the world of Islam
and Judaism against each other. There is a growing
movement to rebuild the Temple. The problem is 1.3
billion Muslims hold the Dome of the Rock as their
sacred site.
The 490-year clock stopped at the death of Messiah
at the end of the 69th Week, as
desolations were determined till the 70th
week.
Super-Natural
Objective Evidence
·
The Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
following the death of Christ
·
The continual desolations that befell the Jewish
People after the Temple
|
27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for
one week; But in the middle of the week He shall
bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the
wing of abominations shall be one who makes
desolate, Even until the consummation, which is
determined, Is poured out on the desolate." |
Gabriel tells Daniel, a future 7-year agreement will
allow the Temple to be rebuilt allowing sacrifice
and offering to take place. He is the
prince to come, descended from the people
who destroyed the Temple and Jerusalem, the Romans.
Rebuilding the Temple is a growing movement in
Israel, for a several reasons.
·
Growing religious movement, looking for the return
of Messiah
·
Removal of Muslim claims to Jerusalem
·
Establishment of spiritual and cultural identity
Gabriel tells Daniel, In the midst of this
agreement 7-year agreement, 3.5 years, the
Prince to come breaks the agreement and stops
sacrifice and offering, until the consummation, or
destruction which falls on those destined for
Judgment.
Super-Natural Objective Evidence
·
The future problem of the Temple-Mount site
·
The rebuilding of the Temple
·
The need of a peace-agreement to allow the Temple to
be rebuilt
|
|