This is an interesting take on Satan’s view of the church.
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Why I Believe the Bible #20A (Introduction to Biblical Prophecy)
One of the most convincing pieces of evidence of the supernatural origin of the Bible comes in the form of prophecies included in the text. In my own spiritual journey, it was these prophecies given by God, and their ultimate fulfillment, that ultimately convinced me that Bible was inspired by God and was accurate and reliable. Due to that, the prophecy of the Bible holds a special place for me.
Let’s look at some background information this week. John F. Walvoord, in The Prophecy Knowledge Handbook, explains that there are 1,013 prophecies in the Bible including 574 in the Old Testament and 439 in the New Testament. 342 of those prophecies have not yet come true because they deal with heaven or the second coming of Christ. Of the remaining 671, 668 of those prophecies were historically fulfilled. The other 3, while not proven wrong, cannot be historically verified. That means that not one of the hundreds of prophecies written throughout the Bible has proven to be incorrect. While the exact count of prophecies in the Bible sometimes varies, the fact of the matter is that not one of them has proven incorrect, and this is strong (I would argue) irrefutable proof of the supernatural origin of the Bible.
Now, when you talk about prophecy, many people think of Jean Dixon or Nostradamus and types of predictions they make. To the contrary, the prophecies of the Bible are oftentimes very specific and even include detailed explanations hundreds of years before events unfolded in history. For anyone to predict the future with 100% accuracy requires supernatural revelation. It is no wonder then that the Bible uses prophecy as a test for whether or not something comes from God.
Monday Morning Prophecy #59 – The Messiah Would Be a Sacrificial Lamb
Introduction
Another one of the many roles of the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament was the role of Lamb. The Messiah was destined to become a sacrificial lamb.
Old Testament Prophecy
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth. [Isaiah 53:7 NIV]
New Testament Fulfillment
Monday Morning Prophecy #58 – The Messiah Would Bring Peace
Introduction
One thing the Old Testament prophesied that the Messiah would do was to bring peace. In the famous Messiah verse of Isaiah, the prophet calls him the “Prince of Peace.”
Old Testament Prophecy
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [Isaiah 9:6 NIV]
Monday Morning Prophecy #57 – The Messiah Would Preach the Good News of God
Introduction
The Old Testament prophesied that the Messiah would come to preach the good news of God of the Father.
Old Testament Prophecy
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn, [Isaiah 61:1-2 NIV]
Why I Believe the Bible #19 (New Testament Archaeology)
Over the last couple of weeks, we have discussed numerous archaeological finds related to people, places and things described in the Old Testament and concluded that archaeology proves the historicity of the Old Testament? So, what about the New Testament? Is there similar archaeological evidence to support the New Testament accounts? The simple answer is yes! There have been an astounding number of finds supporting the New Testament.
Many have sought to use archaeology to disprove the New Testaments account. Indeed, Sir Walter Ramsey (one of the greatest archaeologists of all times) set out to disprove the account of Luke. After 30 years of study, he concluded without equivocation:
“Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements of truth trustworthy…this author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians.”
Monday Morning Prophecy #56 – The Messiah Would Pray for his Enemies
Introduction
One of Jesus’ famous proclamation from the cross was, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Indeed, the Old Testament prophesied thousands of years earlier that the Messiah would pray for his enemies.
Old Testament Prophecy
In return for my friendship they accuse me,
but I am a man of prayer. [Psalm 109:4 NIV]