| Assuming this universe and
it's contents are the products of a supernatural, designer,
creator, we must next examine how he could demonstrate
conclusively that he exists and is that creator. I have often
wondered why God doesn't pull back the veil and stick his face
through the sky and introduce himself to each generation.
However practical this may seem, most of us have not seen such
an event in our life time. God will not just jump out at you to
prove Himself. God is not interested in proving Himself,
He expects you to seek after him, He expects you to realize your
life and what is around you in what He has created. It has
always been God's plan to reveal Himself to those who have
chosen to seek Him. Just as a man would expect a
woman to choose to love him and marry him (at least that is how
it used to be) so God wants His children to want to choose to
love Him.
We live in a universe with three
dimensions of space and one dimension of time. These
characteristics of the universe are created dimensions and are
indivisible . That is, according to Einstein's theory of
relativity, you cannot have time without space because they are
coupled. Additionally, matter as we know it is also coupled to
time and space. Therefore, if these are created characteristics
of the universe, then the creator demonstrates that he exists
outside and separate from them.
The God of the Bible
demonstrates that he is the creator by demonstrating that he
exists outside of our dimension of time. We humans are
irreversibly trapped in this time domain and can only know the
present and the past. It is impossible, under natural
circumstances, to know anything that is in the future of our
time line. If we received information about an event in our
future it could only come from a source that existed outside our
time domain. Since this could not be a natural source, it would
be by default a supernatural source . This is exactly where the
God of the Bible claims he dwells. The Bible is the he only book
on planet earth that can demonstrate it's text comes from a
being who exists outside our time domain. It does this by
telling us things before they happen with incredible accuracy.
A Note on Nostradamus, Edgar
Cayse, and other so called visionaries and prophets:
"But Nostradamus and others
have predicted world events and they have come to pass,
and he is not God" someone will say. But these so
called prophets have a tremendous deficit on their part... they
have been wrong more than they have been right! God has orchestrated
our outcome from the beginning to the end. He
knows what will happen, and has told it to us. God has not
been wrong, nor has He misguided us. The year 2000 brought
tons of articles to the shelves in all kinds of magazines and
tabloids. They all raved about how Nostradamus and Cayse and
others predicted that the year 2000 would bring the end.
Many cataclysmic disasters would also occur during the year
2000. The passage of time has proved them to be flat
wrong. As a matter of fact, none of their
prophecies for the year 2000 came to pass. While the
passage of time continues to show the modern day self proclaimed
prophets to be wrong, the passage of time continues to show God
to be absolutely correct, and never wrong. [ click here
to see the Nastradamus page ]
Below are just a few interesting
prophecies:
Prophecy #1
Ezekiel's
Prophecy of Israel's Rebirth in 1948
In the year 592 B.C. in the
Babylonian Empire a Hebrew slave named Ezekiel was instructed by
an angel to:
"Lie on your left side
and put the sin of the house of Israel upon yourself. You are to
bear their sin for the number of days you lie on your side. I
have assigned you the same number of days as the years of their
sin. So for 390 days you will bear the sin of the house of
Israel. After you have finished this, lie down again, this time
on your right side, and bear the sin of the house of Judah. I
have assigned you 40 days, a day for each year."
(Ezekiel 4:4-6).
At the time of this visitation
the Jews were in captivity after being overthrown by the
Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzer in 606 B.C. This 70 year
captivity of the Jews had been prophesied extensively by Isaiah
almost 100 years earlier (Isaiah 39:5-7) and (Jeremiah chapt
25&27).
Now the prophecy in Ezekiel
chapt 4 predicts a total of 430 years of punishment for the
nation of Israel. 70 years of this period of punishment are
accounted for in the 70 year Babylonian captivity. That leaves
360 more years of punishment unaccounted for. For centuries
biblical scholars could find nowhere in history a period of
punishment on Israel that could corresponds to the remaining 360
years of punishment.
In the book of Leviticus, chapt
26, we are told that if the nation of Israel did not hearken
(obey) unto the Lord that she would be punished. Then after
being punished, if the nation continued to be in rebellion
toward God that the punishment would be multiplied by seven:
"If you will not listen
to me and carry out all these commands, and if you reject my
decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands
and so violate my covenant...I will set my face against you so
that you will be defeated by your enemies. If after all this you
will not listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven
times over." Leviticus
26: 14-22.
Recently Biblical scholars have
applied this Levitical principle of multiplying Israel's
punishment by seven to the remaining 360 years of punishment and
found a phenomenal discovery.(4)
The Biblical prophetic year in
the Jewish calendar is 360 days long. This discovery was made by
Sir Robert Anderson in his book The Coming Prince.(5) In fact,
all ancient calendars of the world, at one time calculated the
year as 360 days. So if you multiple the 360 years of remaining
punishment x 360 days/year x 7 times punishment (Levitical
principle) = 907,200 days. 907,200 days is 2483.8 years (modern
Julian calendar years). So, 907,200 days of punishment remained
for the nation of Israel after the 70 year Babylonian captivity.
The question is where do you begin calculating the remaining
907,200 days?
Servitude of the Nation
There is a Biblical term applied to
the nation of Israel called the period of the servitude of the
nation. This refers to the period of time that the conquered
people of Israel lived through without their own rulership. The
people and nation of Israel ceased being a sovereign nation in
606 B.C. And began the first 70 years of servitude at that time.
After the 70 year Babylonian captivity they returned to the land
but they were ruled over by a succession of empires (Medo-Persian,
Greek, Roman) until 70 AD When Jerusalem was destroyed by the
Romans. Then for the next 18 centuries the Israelites were
dispersed among the many nations of the world and for the most
part were slaves. To the Jewish mind they lost their sovereignty
in 606 B.C. with the Babylonian takeover and didn't regain it
until the servitude of the nation ended on May 14, 1948 when
Israel again became a nation.
The Babylonian captivity began
July 25th 606 B.C. and ended July 23rd 537 B.C. This was the
very day that the Medo-Persian emperor Cyrus gave the decree
that allowed the Jews to return to Israel. If you begin counting
the 907,200 days of remaining punishment from July 23rd 537
B.C., the day of Cyrus' decree and the end of the first 70 years
of the servitude, and go foreword 907,200 days you get May 14th
1948.. This was the very day that David Ben Gurion announced to
the whole world the official formation of the nation of Israel.
Skeptical? Read on.
Desolation's of Jerusalem
Another term commonly discussed is
the period of the desolation's of Jerusalem. This was the period
of time prophesied by the prophets in which the city of
Jerusalem would be desolate and 'trodden down by the
gentiles". Many people have mistakenly believed that this
term was the same period as the Servitude of the nation
discussed above. However, this period of the desolation's of
Jerusalem did not begin in 606 B.C. when Nebuchadnezzer took the
first captives. The desolation's of Jerusalem began with the
third siege of Jerusalem with the destruction of the city and
the temple. The city and the temple were destroyed on August
18th ,587 B.C. in the third siege of Nebuchadnezzer and the
Babylonian army. Exactly seventy Hebrew calendar years later
(360 days/year) brings us to August 16th, 518 B.C. If we begin
calculating the remaining 907,200 days of punishment from that
day it brings us to June 7th ,1967. This is the very day Israel
recaptured the city of Jerusalem during the Six day war with
Egypt, Jordan and Syria..
How could Ezekiel have predicted
this? He couldn't unless he was instructed by one that lives
outside of time. Truly god sees the beginning from the end and
is outside of time as we know it.
Click
Here to go back to where you were before
Prophecy #2
The Destruction of Tyre
In the year 595 B.C. a man named
Ezekiel was given a prophecy regarding the city of Tyre, a city
in the modern day country of Lebanon . At that time this city
was a large thriving city and a great enemy of Israel. He was
told:
"Thus says the Lord God:
'behold I am against you o Tyre, and will cause many nations to
come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up. And
they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers;
I will also scrape her dust from her and make her like the top
of a rock. It shall be a place for the spreading of nets...it
shall become plunder for the nations...behold I will bring
against Tare from the north King Nebuchadnezzer, King of
Babylon.. he will slay your people by the sword and your strong
pillars will fall to the ground. They will plunder your riches
and pillage your merchandise; they will break down your walls
and destroy your pleasant houses; they will lay your stones,
your timbers, and your soil in the midst of the water...l will
make you like the top of a rock; you shall be a place for the
spreading of nets, and you shall never be rebuilt, for I the
Lord have spoken. Will the coast lands not shake at the sound of
your fall.. then all the princes of the sea will come down from
their thrones, lay aside their robes, and take off their
embroidered garments...and be astonished at you".
(Ezekiel 26:3)
These are the very specific
prophecies for the city of Tyre made by a Hebrew prophet 2600
years ago.
- Nebuchadnezzer will destroy
the mainland city of Tyre (Ezekiel 26:8)
- Many nations against Tyre
(Ezekiel 26:3).
- Make her bare rock; flat like
the top of a rock (Ezekiel 26:4)
- Fishermen will spread their
nets over the site (Ezekiel 26:5)
- Throw the stones and timbers
into the water (Ezekiel 26:12)
- Never be rebuilt(Ezekiel 26:
14)
- Princes of nearby coast lands
will be astonished by Tyre's fall and give up their thrones.
Now lets look at what secular
history says happened to Tyre.
In the year 586 B.C.
Nebuchadnezzer, the King of the Babylonian Empire began to
attack the city of Tyre. The Babylonian army was the greatest
fighting force up to that time and besieged the city of Tyre for
13 years. When they finally broke down the gates and walls of
Tyre he found that the people had moved out to an island 1/2
mile off the coast of Tyre. #l fulfilled. City besieged.
In the year 332 B.C. Alexander
the Great laid siege against the island city of Tare because
they would not submit to his authority. The Encyclopedia
Britannica states that because Alexander the Great had no fleet
of ships he demolished old Tyre on the mainland and he threw the
debris (stones and timbers and dirt) into the ocean and made a
causeway (jetty or wood/stone bridge) connecting the mainland to
the newer island city of Tyre.
Secular historian Phillip Myers
stated in his textbook of history that:
" Alexander the Great
reduced Tare to ruins in 332 B.C. Tyre recovered in a measure
from this blow, but never regained the place she had
previously held in the world. the larger part of the site of
the once great city is now as bare as the top of a rock- a
place where the fishermen that still frequent the spot spread
their nets to dry" #2,3,4,5 fulfilled.(1)
Secular historians have stated that
the ruins of Tyre are highly unique. Tare ruins are the only
ones in the world that have been completely thrown into the
ocean.
After Alexander the Great, the
island city persisted in various degrees of strength. during the
next 16 centuries. Many kings besieged the city until its final
destruction by the Moslems began in 1291 AD
Currently, there is a flat rock
area with not one stone upon another. The stones that were
thrown into the sea are still there. Other than a few nearby
small fishing villages, there is no evidence of the former great
city. On the flat former foundation stones you find to the
present day fishermen drying their nets. #6 fulfilled.. Never
rebuilt.
Secular historians record that
when Alexander the Great besieged the city of Tyre that many of
the neighboring kings submitted to his authority without a
battle. #7 fulfilled. Princes give up their thrones.
How could Ezekiel know these
things? Because he served the creator of the universe. i.e. the
God of the Bible who told Isaiah, Ezekiel and the other prophets
that he would tell them things before they happened so that when
they happened the people would know that he was truly God. This
is only one of hundreds of Hebrew prophecies that have come true
to the very word. God states that he can see the beginning from
the end; that he is outside of time; that he can see all the
history of man like we would look at the pages of a book. Sounds
impossible doesn't it? Well it is if you happen to live in our
four dimensional universe.
However, an interesting outcome
of Einstein's theory of relativity was the discovery of
dimensions of time and space that exist separately and distinct
from the four dimensions we experience. In fact, these
dimensions may even be in our midst but not visible to us. More
recently mathematicians have shown that up to eleven dimensions
may exist in the universe. Many physicists believe that there
are places in the universe where time ceases to flow. One of
these places is in a black hole. Now it is interesting that the
Bible tells us that God dwells in a place where time does not
flow. For centuries this concept was mocked by scientists. Such
a place is now scientific fact.
If one were to be sucked into a
black hole, or any other realm where time ceases to flow, we
could see the flow of time, in places where there is time, like
we were reading the pages of a book. Since we would experience
no flow of time, the beginning and the end of time filled
dimensions would be present and observable all at once.
These strange facts of physics
may be evidence for the truth of what we call the supernatural
"spirit realm". However, if these supernatural
dimensions can be shown mathematically possible then they are
not really supernatural. Rather, they are natural. People
believe in a lot of things we can't see ( wind, atoms, heat,
electromagnetic radiation, luck). Just because you can't see it
doesn't mean it's not real.
The Skeptics Reply
Now the skeptic immediately says
that the book of Ezekiel must have been written after these
events took place. However, archaeological finds have produced
Ezekiel texts that are dated to as far back as 400-600 B.C. In
this century an almost complete Ezekiel text on stone tablets
was found. The type of Hebrew on these tablets indicates that it
was from the time of Ezekiel i.e. 500-600 B.C. There are many
scholars who believe that this stone work may be from the hands
of Ezekiel himself. Alexander the Great didn't invade the city
until 332 B.C., long after Ezekiel's death. The final
fulfillment of the prophecy did not happen until 1291 AD i.e.,
about 1700 years after Ezekiel's death. The story of Tyre is in
the oldest text's known.
Another interesting fact is that
these 2500 year old stone tablets contain exactly the same text
as the Hebrew Bible you can buy today.(2) So much for text being
lost or changed because of faulty translation.. Others might
argue luck. Well, the mathematical probability that Ezekiel
could have guessed so many unlikely events happening is
staggering. But this is only one small prophecy. There are
hundreds that have come true. For an extensive treatment of this
prophecy see Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh
McDowell.(3)
God told the prophets that he
would tell them things that would happen in advance so they
would recognize him as a supremely intelligent all knowing
creator that exists outside time and space. This kind of
evidence was very impressive to men in those days. However, in
today's world most people live with very little awareness of
God. We tend to rationalize prophecies like these saying that
there must be a "natural explanation". Many people
don't want to see this kind of evidence because they are
comfortable with their agnostic view that a knowledge of God is
not possible; or worse yet, that there is no God. Many people
are like the man that says "don't confuse me with facts my
mind is made up". However, whether we choose to believe a
fact does not alter the truth of it . That is, you can choose to
believe that there is no gravity. However, this is not rational
since the abundance of evidence seems to point to the truth of
gravity. There is at least a 50/50 chance that there is a God.
The more evidence that we find
that seems to support this fact the higher the probability that
there is a God.
Prophecy #3
Cyrus
In the year 703 B.C. A man named
Isaiah, a man who claimed to be Hebrew prophet, wrote
extensively about the judgment that God was going to bring upon
the nation Israel. This judgment was to occur because they had
not obeyed his law. He stated that they would be taken captive
by the Babylonian empire, that their city and finally the temple
Solomon built for God would be destroyed. Isaiah and other
prophets also stated that after the captivity the Jews would
return to their land. The interesting thing about this prophecy
is that in 703 B.C. the nation of Babylon was insignificant and
it would not be raised up to power and conquer Israel for
another 100 years.
In the 44th and 45th chapters of
Isaiah he names the man who would give the decree to allow the
Jews to return to Jerusalem. At the time of Isaiah's ministry
the Jews were still in Israel and they simply scoffed at Isaiah.
"The Lord who says of
Cyrus "he is my shepherd, and he shall perform all my
pleasure, even saying to Jerusalem, you shall be built, and to
the temple, your foundation shall be laid. Thus says the Lord to
his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held - to subdue
nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before
him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut.. That
you may know that I, the Lord, who call you by your name, am the
God of Israel. For Jacob my servants sake, and Israel my elect,
I have even called you by your name; I have named you though you
have not known me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; there
is no God beside me. I will gird you though you have not known
me.. I am the Lord and there is no other; I form the light and
create darkness, I make peace and create calamity. I the Lord do
all these things...Isaiah
44:28,45:1,3-7
This prophecy has several major
predictions:
- A man named Cyrus will
perform the Lords pleasure
- He shall say to Jerusalem
"you shall be built" (in 703 B.C. it was still
standing)
- He will say to the temple
"your foundation will be laid"( it hadn't been
destroyed yet)
- He (God) will open the double
doors before him (Cyrus).
Now lets look at what secular
history says about Cyrus and the Jews:
This prophecy was written in 703
B.C. According to historians Isaiah and the kings he served
under lived between 745-695 B.C. Cyrus, the Medo-Persian
Emperor, was born about 100 years later. Starting in 606 B.C.
the we a series of three sieges upon the nation of Israel by the
Babylonian Empire led by Nebuchadnezzer. The siege of 606 B.C.
began the seventy year captivity prophesied by Isaiah (39:5-7)
and Jeremiah (chapt 25&27).
At the end of this seventy year
captivity in the year 537 B.C., the general of the Medo-Persian
province, second in line to the throne, overtook the city of
Babylon and the Babylonian empire without a battle. His name was
Cyrus.
The Greek historian Herotidus
records that drunk Babylonian guards left the large gates open
to the city of Babylon in the middle of the night. He records
that Cyrus and his army simply walked through the gates and
overtook the city. He records that many of the citizens did not
even know the city had been taken until three days later. This
same man, Cyrus, soon became emperor with the death of his
father. That same year, 537 B.C. he gave the command that
allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and to rebuild their
temple. The Jewish Talmud records that the prophet Daniel showed
a scroll of Isaiah to Cyrus and showed him that God had named
him 100 years before he was born..
This must have blown his mind.
It impressed him enough that he let the Jews go and stated that
their God must be true. Thus all four prophecies were literally
fulfilled 163 years after they were written. Again, God showed
his power by predicting events before they happened..
Prophecy #4
The Prophecy of the Seventy
Weeks
The Most Amazing Prophecy in the
Bible:
In a city called Babylon, around
the year 537 B.C., a Hebrew slave named Daniel claimed that
while deep in prayer he was interrupted by an angel named
Gabriel. Daniel had been praying for the people and nation of
Israel when the angel stated that he had come to give Daniel
"skill and understanding" regarding the future of the
nation of Israel.
In the book of Daniel 9:24-26
the angel stated:
"Seventy sevens 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. Know therefore
and understand, that from the going forth of the command to
restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah. the Prince, there
shall be seven sevens and sixty two sevens; the street shall be
built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times. And after
the sixty two sevens the 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".
Daniel 9:24-26
This message pinpointed the time
of the coming of the long awaited Messiah.
At the time of this visitation
Jerusalem was completely desolate. The nation of Israel had been
destroyed by the Babylonian empire 70 years earlier. The Hebrew
people were, however, about to befreed from seventy years of
captivity by the Medo-Persian king Cyrus.
The prophecy states that
"seventy sevens "are determined for the people of
Israel. In Hebrew the word translated as "seven" is
shabua which actually means a week of years; much like the
English word decade means ten years.
Now the prophecy states that
Daniel should understand that from the going forth of the
command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah comes
that there will be sixty two sevens and seven sevens. Thus if a
seven (shabua) is seven years, then 69 sevens is 483 years (69 x
7=483). It is a well established fact that at that time in
history all of the known ancient calendars calculated a year as
360 days (Chinese, Mayan, Egyptian, Hebrew, Babylonian ).
It is well known that for
prophecy the Jews use a 360 day calendar. Therefore, 483 years
times 360 days per year equals 173,880 days. Gabriel was telling
Daniel that 173,880 days after the command is given to restore
and rebuild Jerusalem the Messiah would come.. Remember, at the
time of this prophecy the city was desolate.
Now, is there anywhere where a
command of this sort is given? Yes. In the second chapter of the
book of Nehemiah it states that:
"In the month of Nisan,
in the twentieth year of the reign of Artaxerxes, when wine was
before him, that I took wine and gave it to the kin. Now I had
never been sad in his presence before. Therefore, the king said
to me why is your face sad, since you are not sick "
(Nehemiah 2:1-2)
Nehemiah, went on to explain
that he was sad because he had heard a report that the city of
his people, Jerusalem, was desolate. Nehemiah requested that he
be allowed to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the city. The
king granted his wish on the spot.
The Encyclopedia Britannica
states that Anaxerxes Longimanus ascended to the throne of the
Medo-Persian empire in July 465 B.C. By Hebrew tradition when
the day of the month is not specifically stated, it is given to
be the first day of that month. So, the day of the decree by
Artaxerxes was the first day of the Hebrew month Nisan 445 B.C.
The first day of Nisan in 445 B.C. corresponds to the 14th day
of March in 445 B.C. This was verified by astronomical
calculations in the British Royal observatory and reported by
Sir Robert Anderson.(6)
Now remember, the prophecy
states that 69 weeks of years (173,880 days) after the command
goes forth to restore the city of Jerusalem the Messiah will
come. If we count 173,880 days foreword from 14th of march, 445
B.C. We come to Sunday, April 6th 32 AD. Again this date was
verified by British Royal Observatory.(6)
Here's the calculations:
March 14th 445 B.C. to March
14th, 32 AD is 476 years. (1 B.C. to 1 AD is one year. there is
no year zero) 476 x 365 days per year = 173,740 days Add for
leap year = 116 days (three less leap years in four centuries
)*** March 14th to April 6th = 24 days total = 173,880 days. ***
leap years do not occur in century years unless divisible by
400.
What happened on April 6th 32
AD? A humble carpenter rode into the east gate of Jerusalem on a
donkey while the crowds cried "Hosanna, hosanna, blessed is
he who comes in the name of the Lord". This man's name was
Jesus of Nazareth. This was the first day that he allowed his
followers to proclaim him as their Messiah. He had previously
told them that his day had not yet come. This day (April 6th 32
AD is commonly known as palm Sunday. Skeptical? Read on
Is there any other way to check
the accuracy of this date? Yes. In chapt 3 of the gospel of
Luke, a Roman physician. Luke states that in the l5th year of
the reign of Tiberius Caesar that Jesus was baptized and began
his ministry. The Encyclopedia Britannica states that the reign
of Caesar Tiberius started on August 19th in the year 14 AD Most
scholars believe Jesus was baptized in the fall season.
Therefore, the fall of the 15th year of Tiberius' reign would
have been 28 AD The day that a Roman ruler ascends to the throne
begins his first year. Consequently, according to Luke chapt 3,
the ministry of Jesus started with his baptism in the fall of
the l5th year of the reign of Caesar Tiberius and lasted 3 1/2
years (4 Passovers). The fourth Passover of his ministry was the
day of his crucifixion and would have fallen in the year 32 AD
The Passover in the year 32 AD fell on April 10th. The Sunday
before that Passover was April 6th.. This day April 6th, 32 AD
Was exactly 173,880 days after Artaxerxes gave the decree to
restore and rebuild Jerusalem on March 14, 445 B.C.... These
dates are historically sound and have been verified by Royal
British Observatory and many other scholars.(6)
Daniel's prophecy stated that
483 years(173,880 days) after the command went forth to restore
and rebuild Jerusalem the Messiah would be revealed.. That day
was April 6th 32 AD, Palm Sunday, the first day Jesus of
Nazareth allowed his disciples to proclaim him as Messiah..
I know what your thinking. This
calculation and prophecy is contrived by over -zealous
Christians. However, ancient Jewish Rabbinical writings in the
Talmud, which are dated from the time between Daniel and the
time of Jesus Christ, reveal without a doubt that the Hebrew
scholars recognized this prophecy of Daniel as Messianic. That
is referring to the coming of the Messiah.(7)
After the destruction of the
Jewish temple by the Romans in 70 AD, Rabbinical writings by
Mamonides and other well respected Jewish rabbis discuss their
dismay about the Messiah not coming in the first century AD They
knew that according to the prophet Daniel, the Messiah was due
to come in the early part of that century.. The writings
revealed that they knew that the 483 years that the prophet
Daniel had prophesied were up. They didn't understand why the
Messiah had not yet come.(8)
They were counting the years and
were expecting the Messiah about the time of the time of Jesus.
However, they needed to read Daniel's prophecy further.
Daniel states that the Messiah
would be "cut off". The word translated cut off "karath"
in the ancient Hebrew language literally means to be put to
death for a capital crime. Jesus was tried and convicted for
blasphemy and insurrection against the Roman empire, both
capital crimes.
The prophecy then states that
after the Messiah is "cut off", the people of the
prince who is to come would "destroy the city and the
sanctuary". In the year 70 AD ten legions of Roman soldiers
under the Roman general Titus destroyed the city of Jerusalem. A
Roman historian, named Josephus dramatically records the events
of that period of time in Jerusalem. He records that the city
was burned to the ground and millions of Jews were killed. Still
skeptical? Read on.
The book of Isaiah, chapt 53 and
Psalm 22 foretold of the rejection and crucifixion of the
Messiah hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus. Isaiah 53
states that
"He is despised and
rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.. He
was wounded for our transgressions.. Bruised for our
iniquities.. By his stripes we are healed . He was oppressed and
afflicted yet he opened not his mouth.. He was cut off from the
land of the living.. He poured out his soul unto death, and he
was numbered with the transgressors.. He bore the sin of many
and made intercession for us.."(Isaiah
53:3-5)
This is exactly what happened to
Jesus. He was rejected, beaten(stripes), opened not his mouth,
crucified next to two transgressors( thieves), and poured out
his soul (bled to death). Psalm 22 gives a graphic description
of crucifixion 700 years before it was invented by the romans.
"I am poured out like
water, all my bones are out of joint, my heart is like wax, it
has melted within me...My tongue clings to the roof of my
mouth.. They pierced my hands and my feet.. They divide my
garments among them and for my clothing they cast lots".
Psalm 22:14-16,18
Finally, in the book of
Zechariah 12:10 the Messiah states that when he comes to set up
his kingdom in the last days they( the Jews) will mourn when
they see me whom they have pierced.
Again, ancient Rabbinical
writings from the Talmud and Mishna written prior to Jesus' life
have shown that there was no doubt that they knew these were all
Messianic prophecies.(9)
Why did they reject him? Again,
writings from before the time of Jesus indicated that they
expected the Messiah to be a mighty warrior who would wipe out
the Roman empire and set up God's kingdom. Jesus of Nazareth
taught them to love their enemies, do good to those who hate
you, turn the other cheek, he ate with sinners and he was also
highly critical of the Jewish religious leaders, calling them
hypocritical, selfish, self-righteous, white washed sepulchers
(a real insult 2000 years ago). So they began to conspire to
kill him.
On April 6th 32 AD As Jesus rode
near to the city of Jerusalem he stopped and wept, saying:
"If you had known, even
you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your
peace. But now they are hid from your eyes." Luke 19:42
Hid from your eyes.. Whose eyes?
The Jews.
I believe Jesus held them
accountable for recognizing that the 483 years were up. However,
he was not what they expected or wanted in a Messiah.
Modern archaeologists and
ancient document experts have dated all four new testament
gospels and Paul's letters as being written prior to 70 AD In
fact, the gospel of Luke indicates that he had consulted
eyewitnesses and even older documents about the life of Jesus.
He used these earlier eyewitness accounts to help him compose
his gospel. History tells us that the men that wrote these
accounts were all tortured and murdered for what they wrote.
Peter states "For we did not follow cunningly devised
tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ, but we were eye witnesses of his majesty."
II Peter 1:16
In the new testament it states
that when Jesus was hanging on the cross the sky became black
from the 6th hour to the 9th hour. This was on Passover, which
is always on a full moon. At least three Roman historians
recorded for all mankind to read an episode of total mid-day
darkness that occurred during the full moon during the reign of
Caesar Tiberius. (10) Two of them recognized the impossibility
of this being a solar eclipse because it was at the time of a
full moon. This correlates with the darkness that came over the
land during the crucifixion of Jesus...
Now, why would the disciples
falsely "Messianize" a man who did not fit any of the
preconceived expectations of the Messiah? If they wanted to
fabricate a Messiah, they would certainly create a story which
fit the mold better. This would make it more believable. And why
would they be willing to be ripped apart by lions, crucified,
burned at the stake, torn apart by chariots, beheaded, stabbed,
stoned, imprisoned, humiliated for something they knew was a
lie.. Surely, if they fabricated the story, one of them would
have recanted, when faced with death. I know that many people
have died for a lie in the past (e.g. Kamikazes); however, they
died for something they thought was true. No sane man dies for
something he knows is a lie, especially when offered life if he
recants the story.
The foundation upon which the
Christian church rests is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This
event in history is either true or not. There is no third
option. When examining the evidence for the resurrection we must
look for the explanation for the empty tomb which best fits all
the facts of history.
There are excellent books on the
evidence for the resurrection, written by men who were initially
trying to refute Christianity by disproving the resurrection.
Two of the best books are Who moved the Stone by Frank Morrison
and The Resurrection Factor by Josh McDowell. Both of these men
were anti-Christian skeptics who thought Christians were crazy,
but when confronted with the evidence, concluded that the body
of Jesus was in fact resurrected.
Why am I going through all this?
Because Jesus of Nazareth is the most controversial person in
history. Why? Because the claims he made about himself are
radical. In fact, he said that all men are either "for
me or against me"(Matthew 12:30). Did you hear that. He
states that your either with him or against him. There is no
neutral position.
What were his claims? He stated
that he was "...the resurrection and the life. He who
believes in Me, though he may die, yet he shall live"(John
11:41). He said, "I and my father are one."
(John 10:30) To his disciple Philip he stated that "He
who has seen me has seen the Father."(John 14:9) One
day when teaching in the temple he said to the Jews "Therefore
I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not
believe that I am, you will die in your sins" (John
8:24 )
While under arrest he stated to
the Jewish leaders and the local Roman procurator that he was
the Messiah. Then they all said, "Are You then the Son of
God?" And He said to them, "You rightly say that I
am." (Luke 22:70 )
To his disciples he said: "I
am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through Me. John 14:6 He was claiming to be God and
claiming to be the way to eternal life. He also claimed that by
rejecting him would result in damnation (John 3:18). No wonder
he offends so many.
Another interesting thing that
he stated was that by being one of his followers we would not be
liked by the world in general. He said we would be persecuted
for his name sake. Now I think this is interesting. Usually when
a religious crock comes around they will say things like n
follow me and you will have peace, love, joy, nirvana,
happiness, salvation and you can become like god- through good
works of course." Jesus didn't say that. He did claim that
a life in him would create peace, joy, a changed meaningful
life, but he also promised that we would probably be hated,
persecuted, despised and maybe even killed for his name sake. He
claimed to be the human incarnation of God, the Creator of the
universe.
No religious leader ever made
claims like these: not Bhudda, Mohammed, Krishna. It is these
radical claims that made the Jewish leaders want to kill him.
And it is these claims that make men today reject him. However,
if the historical evidence supports his claim, then an honest
person will examine the evidence and act on it. Many people are
like the man that said "don't confuse me with facts, I've
made up my mind". But this is not intellectually honest.
However, it is also not surprising because the apostle Paul, a
man who met Jesus face to face, stated that "The message
of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing."
1 Corinthians 1:18. By this he meant that the whole message of
Jesus would offend many because the message was so convicting.
Prophecy #5
A Prophecy regarding the usaved:
Since the rest of God's
prophecies have come to pass, and are coming to pass,
there is no basis for not believing that this one to shall come
to pass...
Rev 20:12
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the
books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the
book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which
were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the
sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell
delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged
every man according to their works.
14 And death
and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second
death.
15 And
whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast
into the lake of fire.
Jesus claimed to be God in human
form. The Bible claims that man is sinful by nature 1 John 1:8 "If
we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth
is not in us." and that God will not accept man into
heaven without a covering for sin and that there is no remission
of sin without the shedding of blood (previously done by blood
animal sacrifice) Leviticus 17: 11 "For the life of the
flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar
to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes
atonement for the soul.". The Bible says that Jesus was
to be killed to provide the blood sacrifice for all mankind for
redemption of sins. John 1:7 "The blood of Jesus Christ
His Son cleanses us from all sin."
The Bible claims that by
believing in Jesus we can receive remission of sin and have
eternal life and that this salvation is a free gift available to
all who will just take it. It cannot be earned by good works.
This is the message of the gospel (good news)of Jesus Christ.
The prophecy I've gone through
above is stunning evidence of the truth of the life, death and
messianic claim of Jesus. Open your mind and heart and begin
your own search to answer the question "Who was Jesus of
Nazareth?"
I believe there are only 4
options for who he was:
- He never existed- disproved
even by Encyclopedia Britannica
- Liar
- Lunatic
- Lord
Some try to add a fifth: "He
was a great, wise, righteous man".
However, a great man doesn't
claim to be something he knows he's not(i.e. son of God) that
makes him a liar. Secondly, if he thought he was God, but
wasn't, no matter how sincere. he's a lunatic.
When Jesus was on the earth he
said "Come unto me all who labor and are heavy laden,
for I will give you rest." The emptiness, anger,
anxiety, frustration, fear, loneliness, guilt that can overwhelm
us at times, can be replaced with love, joy and the knowledge
that the creator of the universe is in charge of all things. The
Bible says that God proved to the people that he was God by
telling them things that would happen before they did. God also
states that to have eternal life in heaven we must be sin free.
One of Jesus' claims was that he
had the authority to forgive sins and that simply by believing
in him we could have that forgiveness. There is a lot of peace
in knowing that all my sins are forgiven . To obtain this you
need only to confess Jesus as your Lord and savior. You don't
have to follow a whole lot of rules or do a lot of works.
Salvation is by grace (a free gift) and by believing in the
completed work of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, who rode on a
donkey into Jerusalem exactly on the day prophesied by Daniel.
The God of the Bible says that
he made man for his pleasure and for communion with him. He gave
man free will to choose the recognize and serve him or to choose
to reject him. He also states that the penalty for rejection
would be death. This is not my opinion but is stated in the
ancient scrolls of the Hebrew prophets. The interesting thing
is, that it is our choice. God will not force himself on you. He
will allow uncomfortable circumstances to occur so that you will
reach out for him. The free will on our behalf ensures that
those who choose God do so by choice. This is what makes a
relationship meaningful. How meaningful would a relationship
with a spouse be if she was pre-programmed to love you. She has
no choice but to love you in this situation. This is why God
gave free will to man. He knew that some would reject him; but
he also knew that some would recognize him for who he is and
serve him. If the prophecies of the Bible can be shown to be
true; and if they can't be explained away by "natural
explanations" then the God of the Bible must be that
Creator.
I Dare You.... Search the
evidence for the claims of Jesus of Nazareth
It's Your move.. God Bless You.
Read The Gospel of John "For unto us a Child is born,
unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His
shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase
of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the
throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish
it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even
forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."
Isaiah 9:6 -7 "He will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of
stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, as
a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. "
Isaiah 8:14
Therefore thus says the Lord
GOD:"Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a
tried atone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever
believes will not act hastily." Isaiah 28:16
Believe on Him who God has sent
and you will not be sorry.
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