![]() Just as there were many who were appalled at him – his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness – so he will sprinkle many nations. See, my servant will act wisely he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. What kind of predictions did they make? Were they vague and subjective? Or definitive? Let’s take a look at the evidence. This, if true, should include these predictive prophecies since Moses (ca 1500 BC) and the Prophets (ca 1000 – 500 BC) were written hundreds of years before Jesus walked the earth. “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). For example, on one occasion Luke tells us of Jesus that What is fascinating is that he claimed that the Old Testament also anticipated his person and work. The New Testament centers on the person and work of Jesus Christ. The following short video of a public presentation I did at a university will give you a quick but adequate background on the authorship of the Old Testament. The Bible has two main sections, the Old Testament, comprised of 39 books written in the period 1500 BC to 400 BC, by a wide variety of authors. In order to assess this evidence one needs to know some basic facts about the Bible. Were there prophecies in the Bible that were really substantive and precise? That gave a real sign of Divine inspiration? Let me share with you what I have learned on this topic. Such general predictions are bound to happen statistically. After all, New Years’ tabloids usually have headlines from some ‘psychic’ who predicts that there will be a disaster or turmoil in the course of the coming year. The Bible’s argument for God’s existence is pretty straightforward.īut can we apply this proof for God’s existence? I was acutely aware that predictive prophecy was subject to interpretation, especially if the predictive statements were vague. This is evidence that God is there and talking to us. If the messages do predict the future then they must come from God then He must exist. Thus a message from God can be differentiated from those of people or false gods on the basis of its predictive abilities. The reasoning is that if God exists, He knows the future, whereas though people can make some educated guesses we can’t predict the future with consistent accuracy, and false gods know nothing about the future. To know if a message came from God the statements say that it should be supported by predictions of the future. ![]() The test that the Bible lays out is quite simple, yet clear-cut. “Present your case,” says the LORD … “you idols tell us what is going to happen … declare to us the things to come, tell us what the future holds, so we may know you are gods.” (Isaiah 41:21-23) Do not be afraid of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:21-22) “You may say to yourselves, ‘How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD’? If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message that the LORD has not spoken. It is the Bible’s argument and proof for the existence of God and is spelled out in the following Biblical passages. Was Russell right? Or is there some evidence that the Bible has to validate its claim? Or does one choose whether to believe a scripture or not solely based on culture and upbringing, or on some whim and fancy? The Bible`s Test for God & Proof of InspirationĪs I struggled with these questions, I came across a test that the Bible itself laid down to prove its inspiration and to prove God’s existence. ![]() The well-known atheist Bertrand Russell surveyed the plethora of religions, most making claims and statements contradicting each other, yet all claiming some Divine origin and concluded that all religions were false. The question I had when faced with such a claim was, how could I know whether it was true or not? For one thing, how can I know that God exists? Does one have to believe in the existence of God before one looks at the Bible? After all, lots of holy books and even religious leaders make similar claims. “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”(2 Timothy 3:16). For one thing it claims that God inspired its writing. However, the Bible is also controversial. It has been translated into more languages than any other book. The Bible is the perennial best-seller of all time.
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