Is the Bible the Word of God? Part 2

Is the Bible the Word of God? Part 2

In answering the question, "Is the Bible the Word of God?" today we present further evidences of its validity.

Fulfilled prophecy. Hundreds of years before Christ came to earth both David and Isaiah predicted in specific detail the sufferings of Christ and the manner of his death. David, referring to and "speaking for" Jesus Christ, wrote in the Psalms, "They pierced my hands and my feet."¹⁰ This is precisely what happened when Jesus was crucified on a Roman cross.

Isaiah also predicted the fall of the then mighty Babylonian Empire, saying it would be conquered by the nation of Media. This happened in 539 B.C.¹¹

Evidence from Israel. The nation of Israel is one of the clearest evidences for the validity of God's Word, the Bible. Its history is a continual story of biblical prophecy being fulfilled.

Some fifteen hundred years B.C., God said through Moses that Israel would turn from him [God] and be driven by enemies from their homeland. God said, "I will bring the land into desolation ... I will scatter you among the nations ... your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste."¹²

The result? In 721 B.C., the ten northern tribes of Israel were taken into captivity by Assyria and in 586 B.C. the two southern tribes were taken by Babylon. Seventy years later a small remnant of 40,000 Jews returned to Israel while the rest were scattered throughout the world. In A.D. 70 Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, and the remnant of Israelites was dispersed among the nations. Israel then became desolate as predicted 1,600 years before.

God's word also stated that the nation of Israel would be restored, saying, "Neither will I destroy them utterly."¹³ "For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all countries and will bring you into your own land."¹⁴ "I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and live in them again,"¹⁵ and the nation "will blossom as the rose."¹⁶

The people of Israel have survived heinous atrocities committed against them by the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Greeks, the Romans, Hitler and others. And even today there are those who would like to "wipe Israel off the map." Their repeated survival against overwhelming odds and the rebuilding of their nation—which is still taking place at this time, twenty-five hundred years after God said that it would happen—is irrefutable evidence of the validity of the Bible.

To be concluded ...

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that all the prophecies written years in advance in the Old Testament section of the Bible have been clearly fulfilled. Thank you, too, that this evidence assures me that all the prophecies in the New Testament will also be fulfilled in detail. Help me to be ready for every one of these—including the return of Jesus to earth to take all his true followers to be with him in heaven forever. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

Note: Footnotes will be listed at the end of Part 3.

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