Chapter 2
THE BIBLE’S AUTHENTICITY
In our previous study, Chapter 1, we found that from a publishing viewpoint the Bible is certainly unique. Its uniqueness surfaces as we come to realize the significance of,
1. Even though the Bible was written over a 1536 year time span by 40 different writers from various walks of life, it provides us with a single unfolding account of God’s redemption of man.
2. The Bible has been read by more people and published in more languages than any other book.
3. Even though many kings, nations and governments tried to destroy it, the Bible has survived with more manuscript evidence than any ten pieces of literature combined.
However, one of the most compelling reason that sets the Bible apart from all other works of literature is the subject of this study; namely, its authenticity.
Now before we begin to examine the Bible’s authenticity let us pause for a minute or two and ask our Lord to bless our study.
Dear Heavenly Father,
I come before You in Jesus’ Name to ask You to please quiet my heart and mind and help me to really hear what You are saying. Please grant me the spiritual wisdom so I can begin to comprehend the significance of the Holy Bible and the faith to know and believe that it is truly Your word. Lord God please help me to really come to know You and the things of Your Kingdom.
Amen.
INTRODUCTION
To see the authenticity of the Bible we will examine it from the following three viewpoints:
Historical Viewpoint - In this section we will see that the places, events and people that the Bible talks about really existed and are historical facts.
Scientific Viewpoint - Here we will examine the issue of creation and see how the fundamental principles of science bear witness to the Bible’s testimony that God created the universe.
Prophetic Viewpoint - In this last section we will examine the Bible’s accuracy in which it foretold and foretells various future events.
HISTORICAL VIEWPOINT
To set the stage for this portion of our study, let us begin by reading the following excerpt from Josh McDowell’s book, “Evidence That Demands A Verdict”:
"Earl Radmacher, president of Western Conservative Baptist Seminary, quoting from Nelson Glueck, former president of the Jewish Theological Seminary in the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati and one of the three greatest archaeologists, says: “I listened to him (Glueck) when he was at Temple Emmanuel in Dallas, and he got rather red in the face and said, “I’ve been accused of teaching the verbal, plenary, that is full, inspiration of the Scripture. I want it to be understood that I have never taught this. All I have ever said is that in all my archaeological investigation I have never found one artifact of antiquity that contradicts any statement of the Word of God.”"1
As one reviews the archaeological record we find that the artifacts of antiquity not only do not contradict the statements of the Bible but they actually support the Bible’s historical authenticity. To see this, we will review some examples of where the historical record supports the Bible's account of various historical places, people and events.
For the Old Testament we will,
1. Find there is strong archaeological evidence that bears witness to the Bible's account of the Great Flood.
2. See that the excavations around the ruins of Jericho bears witness to the Biblical account that the walls of Jericho did fall down flat.
3. Review evidence that bears witness to the Bible's record that the city of Samaria was built during the days of King Omri.
With respect to the New Testament, we will,
4. Find that Jesus' trial by Pilate is part of the historical record.
5. See the cities identified in the New Testament are historical correct.
THE GREAT FLOOD
In the Bible we read that during the days of Noah (approximately 2285BC), because of the sin of mankind, God flooded the entire earth. To see this let us read the following excerpts from the book of Genesis.
Genesis 7:11-12
"[11] In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month--on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. [12] And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights."
Let us now move on to,
Genesis 7:18-24
"[18] The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. [19] They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. [20] The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than twenty feet. [21] Every living thing that moved on the earth perished--birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. [22] Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. [23] Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. [24] The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days."
Let us now continue our reading in,
Genesis 8:1-4
"[1] But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. [2] Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. [3] The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, [4] and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat."
From this point we read in the Bible that Noah, his family and all the animals left the ark to go and again replenish the earth.
As one sits back and reflects upon what we just read one can not help but be struck by the awesomeness of it all. But, did this event actually occur or is this just a myth?
From the archaeological record we find strong evidence that this flood was not a myth or moral story but a historical fact. To see this, let us review some examples from the archaeological record. For example, in Halley’s Bible Handbook it states that other non-Israelite cultures also have recorded descriptions of a mammoth flood that covered the earth in the same time frame identified in the Bible. For example,
1. George Smith, of the British Museum, found in 1872, in tablets from the Library of Assur-banipal at Nineveh, accounts of the Flood that parallel the Bible account. These tablets had been copied from the Assyrian tablets that date back to the First Dynasty of Ur, a period about midway between the Flood and Abraham.2
2. The Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic gives a story of his (Gilgamesh) adventures, one of which was a visit to the island abode of Utnapishtim, the Babylonian Noah. This visit is depicted on a seal found recently at Tell Billa near Nineveh. In his reply to Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim (Noah) relates the story of the Flood and his escape from it. The account that is given closely parallels the Biblical account.3
In addition to corroborating accounts from other cultures, we also find in Halley’s Bible Handbook more physical/objective evidence. For example,
1. The Field Museum-Oxford University Joint Expedition, under the direction of Dr. Stephen Langdon found in 1928-29 a bed of clean water-laid clay, in the lower strata of the ruins of Kish, five feet thick, indicating a flood of vast proportions. Underneath this clean clay, relics of an entirely different culture were found. Some of these relics include a four wheeled chariot, wheels made from wood and copper nails and skeletons of the animals that drew it.4
2. In Fara, Iraq, Dr. Eric Schmidt, of the University Museum of Pennsylvania found the remains of three cities. He also discovered a flood layer between the middle and lower city. Underneath the flood layer was found various relics such as painted pottery, skeletons, pots and pans.5
3. In the annuals of Archaeology and Anthropology, M.E.L. Mallowan, director of the British Museum Excavations at Nineveh in 1932-33 describes what he believed to be flood deposits approximately sixty feet from the surface.6
Finally, in the book, “In Search of Noah’s Ark”, by Dave Balsiger and Charles E. Sellier, Jr. we find,
1. In 1887, Prince John Joseph Nouri ascended Mt. Ararat and found a vessel with stalls and cages on board.
2. In 1955, French engineer Fernand Navarra brought back the first photographs of the mysterious ship.
3. In 1972, an earth resources satellite was launched 450 miles above Earth. As it passed over the Turkish-Russian border it recorded a mysterious boat like object on Mt. Ararat.7
THE FALL OF JERICHO
At the completion of Israel’s exodus from Egypt the Bible tells us that their entry into the Promised Land of Canaan began with the overthrow of Jericho (approximately 1234BC). This overthrow was enabled by the miraculous collapse of the city walls. To see this let us read from,
Joshua 6:1-5
"[1] Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. [2] Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. [3] March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. [4] Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. [5] When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in.""
Let us stop for a moment and consider the above situation. Here we find the army of Israel poised and ready to attack the city of Jericho. As they listen to the commander-in-chief they find that the battle plan was not to set up a siege, it was not to utilize battering rams, it was not to hurl large stones but it was to march around the city and shout! What would you do? What would be your reaction if you were one of those listening to Joshua spell out the battle plan on how they were to over run Jericho?
As we read further on in the book of Joshua, we find that Israel did exactly as they were told. As a consequence the walls fell flat and they took Jericho. Was this event concerning Jericho fact or fiction?
In Halley’s Bible Handbook we read that Dr. John Garstand, director of the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem and the Department of Antiquities of the Palestine Government, excavated the ruins of Jericho in 1929-36. During these excavations he found pottery and other artifacts that gave evidence the city was destroyed during the time of Joshua. He also found that the outer wall of the city fell outward, down the hillside, dragging the inner wall and houses with it. Thus, indicating that not only was the city destroyed but the walls did indeed fall flat.8
THE BUILDING OF SAMARIA
For our last Old Testament example, let us examine the Biblical account of Omri, a king of Israel (882-871BC). After God divided Israel into two kingdoms, Judah in the south and Israel in the north; the Bible tells us that Omri, king of Israel, built Samaria to be the capital city of the newly established kingdom of Israel. This is recorded in,
1 Kings 16:23-24
"[23] In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah. [24] He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city on the hill, calling it Samaria, after Shemer, the name of the former owner of the hill."
Archaeological evidence to support the above statements can be found in Halley’s Bible Handbook. First of all, this handbook records the fact that in addition to the Bible, the Moabite Stone (850BC), an archaeological artifact from the Moabites also mentions that Omri, was king of Israel.9 Secondly, we find that an expedition sponsored by Harvard University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, British School of Archaeology and Palestine Exploration Fund in 1908-10 found in the ruins of Samaria the foundations of Omri’s palace. What is extremely interesting is that they did not find anything older than Omri’s time; thus indicating that he was the founder of the city.10
JESUS' TRIAL BY PILATE
To better understand the historical authenticity of the New Testament, let us first examine the incident of Jesus Christ and Pontius Pilate (33AD). The Bible tells us that at the close of Jesus’ earthly ministry He was taken to Pilate for execution. In fact let us read an excerpt of this event in,
Luke 23:1-4
"[1] Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. [2] And they began to accuse him, saying, "We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king." [3] So Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. [4] Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no basis for a charge against this man.""
The Bible tells us that even though Pilate could not find any basis by which to charge Jesus with a crime he succumbed to the wishes of the people and ordered Jesus to be crucified.
A historical confirmation to the authenticity of this event is provided in the historical writings of Flavius Josephus, a non Christian historian. According to the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius Pamphilus, Josephus was the son of Mattathias, a priest in Jerusalem. Josephus was a general of the Jewish army who initially fought against the Roman invasion of Judah in the early to mid 60AD. He ultimately surrendered and became an ambassador for the Romans to the Jewish people during the remainder of the Roman/Jewish war. He was not only a distinguished man among his own countrymen, the Jews, but among the Romans as well. In fact, the Romans honored him with a statue that was erected in Rome. Under the direction of Emperor Titus, Josephus’s historical books were published and given a place in the public library.11
In Josephus’s eighth historical book relative to the antiquities of the Jews, we find the following account of Pilate’s judgment upon Jesus,
“Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works - a teacher of such men as receive truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many Jews and many Gentiles. He was (the) Christ; and when Pilate at the suggestion of the principle men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, …”12
THE NEW TESTAMENT CITIES
For our final example of the historical authenticity of the Bible let us consider the cities of the New Testament. The authenticity of the cities mentioned in the New Testament such as Ephesus, Capernaum, Corinth, Caesarea and Symra are verified by the fact that their archaeological ruins still stand today. In fact, one can actually visit and tour these ruins. Other cities mentioned in the New Testament, such as Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Rome still exist and are thriving today. In other words one can actually visit, tour, vacation or even live in them.
HISTORICAL VIEWPOINT SUMMARY
As can be seen from the above small set of examples, much archaeological evidence exists, with more continually being found, that bears witness to the fact that the events, places and people recorded in the Bible are historically correct. As Nelson Glueck said, “not one archaeological artifact has been found that contradicts any statement written in the Bible.”13
SCIENTIFIC VIEWPOINT
Since the origin of our Universe is a much debated issue of our day, this portion of the Bible’s authenticity will focus upon this subject. Namely, we will limit our examination of the Bible's authenticity to the creation of the Universe.
We begin by reading the following excerpts from the book of Genesis,
Genesis 1:3
“[3] And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”
Genesis 1:6
“[6] And God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.””
Genesis 1:9
“[9] And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so.”
Genesis 1:11
“[11] Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.”
Genesis 1:20-21
[20] Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” [21] So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:24
“[24] And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.””
It is recognized that we do not have the capacity to understand how God was and is able to speak into existence such creative works. However, our lack of understanding does not invalidate the truth of it. As a matter of fact there are many examples in our everyday life that illustrates this point. Consider the situation of a person who was born blind. Does that person's blindness or inability to comprehend light invalidate the truth of the beautiful colors of the rainbow, of the flowers or of the whole world around them? No. What if we were born deaf? Would our inability to hear invalidate the truth of the beautiful songs of the birds, the music of the orchestra, or the communication of speech? Obviously, that is not the case.
However, even though we may have been born blind or deaf there are other avenues that would testify to us the truth of light and sound we could not directly understand. For example, through speech and touch the truths of color, shape and form are communicated to the blind. Whereas, mediums such as the written word the truths of sound are conveyed to the deaf.
In a similar manner, even though we do not have the capacity to fully understand how God created the Universe, there are many “fundamental systems of science” that convey to us the truth of it. Four examples of these systems or principles are:
1. Cause and Effect
2. Classification and Order
3. Laws of Thermodynamics
4. Principle of Well Ordering
CAUSE AND EFFECT
The scientific principle of cause and effect, which is universally accepted by all fields of science, states that every phenomenon is an effect from a cause. More specifically, things just do not happen. For example, let us consider the case of a gold ring. A gold ring, by itself, just does not mysteriously come into being. We know that to have a gold ring it first takes people and machines to mine the gold ore from the earth, then a furnace to purify the gold and finally a goldsmith to shape and mold the gold into the design of the desired ring. In this case the phenomenon or effect is the gold ring and the cause is all the effort that was expended to bring the ring into being.
Applying this principle to the case of creation we find the “cause” to be God and the “effect” is the universe, which is the world and mankind. In other words, just as with the gold ring, this principle states that the universe did not create or come into being by itself. Thus, we find that the principle of cause and effect gives testimony to the authenticity of the Biblical account that God created the universe.
CLASSIFICATION AND ORDER
This fundamental principle (made famous by John Ray who was the first to classify living things according to species14) states that categories can be found of natural phenomena or items and can be arranged in discrete orderly classifications or systems. Examples of this principle is to note that within the scientific community there are classifications of animals, classifications of plant life, classifications of minerals, classifications of chemicals and classifications of the very elements themselves (the Periodic table). In fact it is hard if not impossible to think of anything that the scientific community has not placed in a discrete classification or system. This is not an accident. As we previously read in Genesis, God created His world in precisely this way, which is in discrete and orderly classifications. For example, we read in Genesis, there was the grass, herbs and trees each bearing seed or fruit according to their own kind. We then read about the living creatures and beasts according to their kind. In Genesis we also read that God created man in His image and likeness, not in the image of an animal.
Genesis 1:26-27
[26] Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” [27] So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Hence, as the principle of cause and effect, the principle of classification and order also stands up to bear witness to the truth of the Biblical account of the creation of our universe.
LAWS OF THERMODYNAMICS
For our third example, let us explore the two scientific Laws of Thermodynamics. The first law states that energy can be converted from one form to another, but cannot be created nor destroyed. An example of this law is that one can convert via the light bulb electrical energy into light and/or heat. However, we also know that one could not make light from nothing nor could one destroy light into nothing. Thus, confirming the fact that God created everything from the beginning and we are just changing it or transforming it into different forms of utilization. An interesting side note is the fact that James Joule, the discoverer of this law was a committed Christian.15
The second law of thermodynamics states that energy continually proceeds to lower levels of utility; in other words, left alone energy decays. To see the applicability of this law relative to the creation and our existence, let us first take note of what would happen to a peach, or any other fruit for that matter, when it is removed from its energy source, the tree, and left by itself over a period of time. Right, it decays. Let us now move up a level and consider what would happen to the tree if it is removed from the ground, its energy source. Again, we would conclude that it would wither up, decay and ultimately die. Let us now consider what would happen to the entire earth and all its inhabitants if the sun went out and no longer supplied its light and energy to the earth. Finally, let us take the next step and ask ourselves what would happen if there was no God and no energy being supplied by Him to support the existence of the universe. Another interesting point to be made is that William Thomson Kelvin, who was the first scientist to clearly state this law, was also known for his opposition to the doctrines of Darwinian evolution.16
PRINCIPLE OF WELL ORDERING
For our last example it is noted that the basis for all scientific exploration is the underlying assumption that the universe and all within it is a well ordered system. This principle was first promoted by Johannes Kepler who was the discoverer of the laws of planetary motion17. To illustrate the principle of well ordering let us consider our solar system. First of all, we know that it is the earth’s gravity that keeps you and me upon this earth. In addition, the earth’s gravitational pull together with the gravitational pulls of the other planets, moons and sun along with all the associated rotations and motions enable the planets, moons and sun to be a well defined orbital solar system. It is this ordering of things that have enabled and strengthened many scientists in their belief in God. For example, in Fred Heeren’s book, “Show Me God” we read that Isaac Newton, the discoverer of the universal law of gravitation, at the end of his “Principia” that reveals this law stated that; “this most beautiful System of the Sun, Planets and Comets could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful being.”18
SCIENTIFIC VIEWPOINT SUMMARY
As one reflects upon the above scientific principles one can not help but notice how strong they stand and bear witness to the trustworthiness of the Bible. As we ponder these things, let us also prayerfully consider the following Scriptures with respect to the Lord Jesus Christ,
Colossians 1:16-17
"[16] For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. [17] He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."
Let us now move on to a brief survey of the third and last viewpoint relative to the Bible’s authenticity, namely the,
PROPHETIC VIEWPOINT
In this section we will examine the Bible as a book in which can be found a multitude of prophecies that relate to nations, Israel, all peoples of the earth, cities and to the coming of the Messiah. To see the Bible’s authenticity from this viewpoint we will examine the following examples from the many prophecies that have already been fulfilled.
1. Israel's Egyptian captivity and release.
2. The Babylonian destruction of the Temple.
3. Jesus' death and resurrection.
4. The New Testament fall of Jerusalem.
ISRAEL’S EGYPTIAN CAPTIVITY AND RELEASE
To better appreciate the significance of this prophecy we must realize just before it was given, God promised Abram (renamed Abraham) that Canaan, the land in which he was now dwelling, would be given to him as a possession. God also conveyed to Abram that before his descendants will possess Canaan they will be enslaved for four hundred years. This is recorded in,
Genesis 15:12-16
"[12] As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. [13] Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. [14] But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. [15] You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. [16] In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.""
We find these incredible prophecies begin to unfold approximately 106 years after they were given. In the Genesis 37-47 we read that God used the jealousy of Jacob’s (whose name God changed to be Israel) sons to sell their brother Joseph, Jacob’s favorite son, to some Midianites. Upon their arrival in Egypt, these Midianites sold Joseph to one of the officials of Egypt. Many years later the time had come for God to bring Abraham's descendents to Egypt. Through a mysterious dream, God revealed His plan for an upcoming famine to Pharaoh, the King of Egypt. Since God gave Joseph the ability to interpret dreams, Pharaoh called upon Joseph to explain the mystery of his dream. Joseph explained that seven years of plenty will precede a very severe seven year famine. Joseph also recommended that to prepare for the famine, grain be stored during the seven years of plenty. Impressed by the wisdom God gave Joseph, Pharaoh appointed Joseph to be second in command over Egypt and in charge of the food supply. Just as God revealed in the dream, at the completion of the seven years of plenty the famine arrived. Upon hearing about the available food in Egypt, Abraham's descendents, that is Israel, under the protection of Joseph, migrated to Egypt for survival.
To establish a historical timeline, a brief overview of events, taken from, “The Bible Timeline”, by Thomas Robinson, from the time that the prophecy was given to Abram to when Israel entered into Egypt is as follows:
1911BC - Prophecy was given to Abram.
1895BC - Isaac was born, Abraham’s son.
1835BC - Jacob (later named Israel) and Esau was born to Isaac.
1744BC - Joseph was born to Jacob and his wife Rachel.
1727BC - Joseph was sold into Egyptian slavery.
1714-1707BC - Joseph stored grain in the cities throughout Egypt.
1705BC - Jacob (Israel) migrated to Egypt.19
With this background, let us now read about Israel’s Egyptian captivity.
Exodus 1:1-14
"[1] These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family: [2] Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; [3] Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; [4] Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. [5] The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all; Joseph was already in Egypt. [6] Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, [7] but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them. [8] Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. [9] "Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. [10] Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country." [11] So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. [12] But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites [13] and worked them ruthlessly. [14] They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly."
After a period of time, Israel cried out to the Lord for deliverance. God heard their cry and sent Moses to lead them out of their captivity. To convince Pharaoh to release Israel and to reveal Himself to the Egyptians, God sent many miraculous plagues upon Egypt. However, not until the last plague, the death of the first born did Pharaoh truly consent to release Israel. It is at this point in time that we now read about their release from their bondage.
Exodus 12:29-36
"[29] At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well. [30] Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead. [31] During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. [32] Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me." [33] The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. "For otherwise," they said, "we will all die!" [34] So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing. [35] The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. [36] The LORD had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians."
Exodus 12:40-41
"[40] Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years. [41] At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord's divisions left Egypt."
As we read the above verse and relate to the prophecy that Israel would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years, there appears to be a contradiction with the 430 years spent in Egypt. However, let us remember there was a period of time, prior to their 400 years of slavery, that Israel lived in peace among the Egyptians.
Thus, we find the prophecy given to Abram approximately 636 years earlier fulfilled right down to the coming out with great possessions!
This account of Israel’s bondage and their deliverance from Egypt can also be verified by various archaeological findings. For example, in Halley’s Bible Handbook we find that,
1. In 1922 Fisher of the University Museum of Pennsylvania found a pillar of Rameses II, 8 feet high, 2 1/2 feet wide, on which he said he “built Rameses with Asiatic Semitic (Hebrew) slaves.20 This find verifies that Israel was enslaved by the Egyptians and were the forced labor used in the building of the city named after one of the Pharaohs of that time in history, Rameses.
2. Inscriptions have also been found stating that Merneptah’s (another Pharaoh of Egypt during this time period) first born met death in peculiar circumstances and his successor was not his first born or heir apparent.21 This find supports the Bible’s account of the death of the Egyptian’s first born, including Pharaoh’s first born son.
THE BABYLONIAN DESTRUCTION OFJERUSALEM
At the time of this prophecy Israel had dwelt in the promised land of Canaan for approximately 600 years. However, because of their sin, idolatry and rebellion, God through His prophets told Israel there will come a time when He will destroy Jerusalem, the temple and then lead them into captivity. However, this time their slave masters will be the Babylonians.
To establish a historical timeline for this event the following overview of events taken from, “The Bible Timeline”, by Thomas Robinson is offered:
1234BC - The Israelites under the leadership of Joshua invaded Canaan.
1228BC - Joshua divided Canaan among the twelve tribes of Israel.
1025-1004BC - Saul anointed as the first king of Israel.
999BC - David captured Jerusalem and made it the new capital of Israel.
965BC - David died and Solomon became king.
954BC - The temple in Jerusalem was completed.
926BC - Solomon died and his eldest son, Rehoboam, became king. In addition the nation divided into two kingdoms, Judah in the south and Israel in the north.
882-871 - Omri was king of Israel and built Samaria, the capital.
701BC - Assyrian king Sennacherib surrounded Jerusalem, but King Hezekiah prayed to God for deliverance. God inflicted a mysterious plague upon the Assyrian army and they retreated, sparing Jerusalem.
600BC - Jeremiah foretold Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed.22
With this background let us now read an excerpt of Jeremiah's prophecy in,
Jeremiah 25:8-12
"[8] Therefore the LORD Almighty says this: "Because you have not listened to my words, [9] I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon," declares the LORD, "and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin. [10] I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp. [11] This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. [12] "But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt," declares the LORD, "and will make it desolate forever."
Let us reflect a bit on this situation. For around 600 years the nation Israel has been living in the land promised to them by God. During these years there were times of peace and also numerous times when Jerusalem was threatened by enemy attack. However, God always protected them. For example as was indicated in the above chronology of events, under King Hezekiah’s reign, the Assyrians surrounded Jerusalem to conquer it. However, God mysteriously inflicted a plague upon the Assyrian army and spared Jerusalem. Now they, the Jews, are hearing Jeremiah tell them they crossed over the line and will be enslaved to the Babylonians for 70 years….incredible! In fact, if you were living in Israel at this time it would be hard to seriously receive these prophecies, wouldn’t it? Maybe to bring it a bit closer to home, let us suppose for example God sent a prophet to the United States and said the same thing. Except instead of being enslaved to the Babylonians, he foretells that we will become enslaved to the power and authority of a World Federation of Nations.
To see the fulfillment of this prophecy given through Jeremiah, we begin by reading about the conquest and destruction of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar,
2 Chronicles 36:11-19
"[11] Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. [12] He did evil in the eyes of the LORD his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the LORD. [13] He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath in God's name. He became stiff-necked and hardened his heart and would not turn to the LORD, the God of Israel. [14] Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful, following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the LORD, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem. [15] The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. [16] But they mocked God's messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. [17] He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and spared neither young man nor young woman, old man or aged. God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar. [18] He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord's temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. [19] They set fire to God's temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there.
According to, “The Bible Timeline”, by Thomas Robinson, in 586BC, 22 years after Jeremiah’s prophecy.23 Nebuchadnezzar entered Jerusalem and destroyed the temple
For archaeological evidence of this event, we find in “Halley’s Bible Handbook” there was found in the cities of Lachish, Bethel, Kiriathsepher and Beth-shemesh (which are in the vicinity of Jerusalem), layers from destructive fires that date back to around 600BC. These fires swept these cities so suddenly that underneath the great layers of debris were found temple treasures, an altar, censer, bowels and bones of sacrifice.24
This was only part of the prophecy. It was also stated that the Jews, would serve the king of Babylon for seventy years. Then, when the seventy years are fulfilled, the king of Babylon and his nation would be punished.
With this in mind let us now read what happened after Jerusalem and the temple was destroyed. To do this let us return to 2 Chronicles and read,
2 Chronicles 36:20-23
"[20] He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power. [21] The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah. [22] In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing: [23] "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you--may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.'""
To verify the authenticity of these last events, let us read the following excerpt from, “Universal History of the World”, Volume 1 by John Bowman,
“Cyrus was a brave warrior who led his troops into battle, but he was no Assyrian tyrant, slaughtering and boasting. Instead, he was kind to the defeated enemy, and word of his generous ways soon spread.
When he decided to take Babylon, many of its citizens, angry at their king’s actions, welcomed him as a liberator. Rather than risk a battle against the great walls, Cyrus went to the side bounded by the Euphrates River. He had the water drained off into a ditch, so that his troops could walk across the riverbed and into the city.
Cyrus lived up to his reputation; he did not allow his solders to loot Babylon. His finest act was to free the Jews in Babylon from their long captivity and see that they were safely conducted back to Jerusalem.”23
Amazing isn’t it? The prophecy given through Jeremiah is fulfilled including the fall of the mighty kingdom of the Babylonians to the Persians. What is also amazing is that the Bible tells us that Cyrus, king of Persia, knew that it was all ordained by God, including his own rise to power.
This now brings us to the following question; “What about us? Are we beginning to see that God has His hands on all things and that there is something very, very special about the Bible?”
Let us move on to some New Testament examples of the authenticity of the Bible’s prophetic word.
JESUS' PREDICTED HIS OWN DEATH AND RESURRECTION
To put this prophecy into its proper perspective, the following timeline excerpts are taken from, “The Bible Timeline”, by Thomas Robinson,
Fall 27AD - Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.
Winter 27AD - Jesus turned water into wine.
Spring 28AD – Jesus healed Peter’s mother in law.
Fall 28AD - Jesus stopped raised a widow’s son from the dead.
Winter 28AD - Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead.
Spring 29AD - Jesus walked on water.
Summer 29AD - Jesus foretold His upcoming death and resurrection.26
Before we read what Jesus said to His disciples, let us stop a moment and reflect upon the situation. For close to two years Jesus had taught the Word of God all around the nation of Israel. He had also performed miracle after miracle. In fact, the Bible tells us that He had healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead, calmed the storm and even walked on water! However, now He gives His disciples the following incredible prophecy,
Mark 8:31
"[31] He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again
These prophecies were fulfilled within one year. To see the fulfillment of these prophecies let us first read about Jesus’ death. To do this, we go to the time when Jesus was on the cross and about to expire,
John 19:28-35
"[28] … knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." [29] A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. [30] When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. [31] Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. [32] The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. [33] But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. [34] Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. [35] The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe."
Now let us read about His burial in,
Mark 15:42-47
"[42] It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, [43] Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. [44] Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. [45] When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. [46] So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. [47] Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid."
His resurrection in,
Matthew 28:1-7
"[1] After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. [2] There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. [3] His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. [4] The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. [5] The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. [6] He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. [7] Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you.""
Jesus’ death and resurrection is also independently corroborated by Flavius Josephus. Let us return to his eighth historical book relative to the antiquities of the Jews to read and finish the paragraph we read earlier,
“Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works-a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was (the) Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.”27
THE NEW TESTAMENT FALL OF JERUSALEM
The setting under which this prophecy was given is recorded in,
Luke 21:5-6
"[5] Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, [6] "As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.""
As Jesus’ disciples were admiring the magnificence of the Temple in Jerusalem Jesus took the opportunity to tell them there will be a time when it will be leveled. To read what was to happen we go to,
Luke 21:20-24
""[20] When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. [21] Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. [22] For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. [23] How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. [24] They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."
From the historical record we know that in approximately 37 years after Jesus foretold of its destruction, in the month of August, 70AD, Jerusalem was over run and destroyed by Roman General Titus. The historical record of this event can be found in just about every major encyclopedia. However, one of the better detailed accounts of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Romans is given in Volume I of “The Works of Flavius Josephus”, entitled, “The Wars of the Jews”. In reading the above book one of the most amazing points brought to light is that the Temple, during the Roman invasion of Jerusalem, was set on fire on the exact day and month that King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army had set fire to the Temple back in 586BC.28 Coincidence?
Another interesting fact to note is that it was not until 1948 that again Israel, by the decree of the United Nations, became a sovereign nation. In addition, Jerusalem, from the time of the Roman invasion, had remained under Gentile, that is non-Jewish, rule/authority until the 1967 six day war. To see significance of these events consider very carefully the second half of what we read above in Luke 20:24. Thus, we find that even in our day the prophecies given in the Bible are being fulfilled!
PROPHETIC VIEWPOINT SUMMARY
With all this background, let us now prayerfully reflect upon what God said through His prophet Isaiah in,
Isaiah 46:9-11
"[9] Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. [10] I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. [11] From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do."
CONCLUSION
Let us now reflect upon some of the things we have covered in the past two studies, namely the Bible’s,
A. Multiple authorship and yet its single theme.
B. Circulation that is greater than any other know piece of literature.
C. Manuscript evidence that exceeds any ten pieces of ancient literature combined.
D. Authenticity not only from the historical and scientific viewpoints but also from the fulfillment and continual of fulfillment of its prophetic utterances.
As we reflect upon the above one cannot help but conclude that the Bible is certainly unique. Specifically, there is certainly something about the Scripture that separates it from all the other works of literature.
Lord willing what we shall find in our next study, Chapter 3, is that the reason the Bible is so unique is because it was written under the hand of Almighty God. Namely, the Bible is the Word of God!
Blessed be the Lord forever!
AMEN and AMEN