The Verdict of Reason
Time and again the Bible has been put to the test. Whether relying on archaeology, the testimony of history or considering its internal consistency, it has always passed that test. But the Bible must be judged on even a more stringent standard than other works of antiquity if it is to be considered what it claims to be, the very word of God. Throughout its 66 books the Bible makes numerous prophetic claims. These are not general or elusive in nature. These claims may not be easily misinterpreted, but are rather specific and testable predictions. The Bible invites us to test the words of its’ prophets. It tells us to ask ‘Was it accurate?’ ‘Did it come true?’. Jeremiah 28:9 says, “But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord only if his prediction comes true.” And Deuteronomy18:22 states, “If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken.” Scripture itself has set the standard high. Only if it is true can it be from God.
TESTING PROPHECY
In looking at the prophecies of the Old Testament, we find they can be divided into three broad categories. These would include, general historical prophecies, prophecies concerning the nation of Israel, and those dealing with the coming of the Messiah. (24) In the first category, one of the most striking predictions concerns the fate of Babylon. Chapters 13 and 14 in Isaiah and especially Jeremiah 51 predicted the downfall of that empire in detail. Jeremiah foretold the destruction of that empire by the Medes out of the north, the return of the captive nations to their lands and the fact that the land would remain desolate forever. History has confirmed that prediction. Another example of a fulfilled historical prediction concerns the destruction of the city of Tyre. Written hundreds of years before the event, Ezekiel 26 foresaw the complete annihilation of that city. “I am going to bring against Tyre Nebuchadenezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses, with horsemen and a great army….they will break down your walls and demolish your fine houses and throw your stones, timber and rubble into the sea.” (Ezekiel 26:7&12) This too came to pass exactly as predicted. Nebuchadnezzar did destroy the city. Later Alexander the Great built a causeway from the rubble to the island where the survivors had fled, by throwing the remainder of houses and walls into the sea. That causeway remains to this day. (25)
As to the prophecies concerning the nation of Israel, the accuracy is astounding. Here are just a few examples. The outline of the history of the Jewish people for the last 2000 years or so is generally known. For centuries the Jews were scattered among all the nations of the world, yet somehow retaining their own separate culture. Then in 1948 an unheard of thing happened, the nation of Israel was reborn. Not only did it come back into existence, but it did so in one day by a proclamation on May 14th of that year. Now thousands of years ago, Hosea, the Old Testament prophet wrote, “My God will reject them because they have not obeyed him; they will be wanderers among the nations.” (Hosea 9:17) In Deuteronomy 28:25 we read that Israel will be defeated and flee in seven different directions. But the Bible predicts not just the dispersion of the nation but its eventual rebirth. Ezekiel 38:8 talks about a land, “In future years…whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate.” Micah 5:3 tells us, “Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.” And seemingly in answer to this we read in Isaiah 66:8, “Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be brought forth in a day, or a nation brought forth in a moment?” This chain of events is unprecedented in history, that a people defeated in war and scattered not only survived centuries of dispersion without a homeland but actually became a nation again. Dozens of nations of the ancient world have long since disappeared, once suffering catastrophic defeat, as did Israel after the war with Rome ending in AD 70. Yet somehow Israel survived and was reborn, resurrected. It defies common sense.
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