Chapter 15
ABSOLUTE PROOF THE BIBLE WAS INSPIRED BY GOD
WHEN GOD BECAME A MAN
By Rev. A.F. Varnell
All Rights Reserved
(This folder presents some of the facts used in my sermon by this same title)
WHO IS THE REAL AUTHOR OF THE BIBLE?
Certainly not man. Man could not have produced the Bible if he would and he would not have produced it if he could! The Bible condemns the natural man and no man would produce a book that condemns himself. Those who reject the Bible are usually those who have never read it and know nothing about it.
THE APOSTLE PETER SAYS: "Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."(2 Peter 1:21).
FOLLOWING ARE SOME OUTSTANDING PROOFS THAT THE BIBLE WAS INSPIRED OF GOD:
PROOF 1 . . . THE BIBLICAL CREATION ACCOUNT
The Bible begins with the creation of the world (Gen. 1:1“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”), yet there was no written revelation for the first 2000 years. How then, can we have an accurate account of what happened? Genesis, which was recorded by Moses, gives detailed accounts of what happened long before he was even born! How could this be? How did Moses know? Moses could have known only by inspiration and revelation of God, who is the great Creator and Originator of all things. Intelligent thinking people will find it easier to accept the Genesis account of the Creation, than some of the ridiculous, man-made hypotheses, which are but the figment of unregenerated man's imagination. Such stories are but an attempt to circumvent man's obligation to God as his creator.
Some say that Moses knew by records handed down from father to son; but records handed down for two thousand years could not be inspired by God. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, (2 Tim. 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”) not by records handed down from generation to generation.
PROOF II . . . ANALYSIS OF THE HUMAN BODY
Moses described how God made man from the ground (Gen. 2:7 “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”). The idea that the human body was created from "earth" or "dust," was at one time ridiculed by "science." But, now that protoplasm has been analyzed, it is found to be absolutely correct! Further proof is the well-known fact that to continue living, man must eat that which the ground produces. The very elements present in the earth are likewise the vital elements in the human body and are essential to re-energize and continue the natural processes. Furthermore, when the life principle leaves the body, it disintegrates and goes back to dust. The Genesis account of the creation is scientifically sound, but Moses, of his own power, could not have known. God was the real author of the Genesis account.
PROOF III . . . PRE-HISTORIC EVENTS RECORDED ACCURATELY IN THE BIBLE
A. THE FALL OF ADAM AND EVE
Moses tells about the life of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and reveals how they fell into sin by disobeying the command of God. (Read Gen. 3rd Chapter). How did Moses know these things 2000 years later? Only God could have told him.
B. THE GREAT FLOOD
MOSES tells about Noah and the flood in Gen. 6th and 7th chapters. Jesus sanctioned what Moses said about the flood in Matt. 24:37-42 (“But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,…”). Please read it in your own Bible. Historians today accept the fact of a great deluge in Pre-historic times. Again, Moses could have known about this flood only because God revealed it to him and inspired him to write this account.
C. MULTIPLE LANGUAGE
Moses told about the Tower of Babel and how all the languages got started. Read it in Gen. 11:1-8 “And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.”. No one denies, or is able to ignore the hundreds of languages and dialects in use in the world today. Yet no eye witness knows how such confusion began. Moses wrote under inspiration of God when he gave us this account in the 11th chapter of Genesis.
D. ABRAHAM-ISAAC AND JACOB
Moses wrote about these men whom he had never seen and of whom he did not know until God inspired him to write concerning them. How did he know these things? The answer is, he was one of the Holy Men of God, speaking as he was moved by the Holy Ghost.
PROOF IV . . . FULFILLED PROPHECY
Fulfilled prophecy is the absolute proof the Bible was inspired by God. Read 2 Tim. 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” with 2 Peter 1:21 “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”.
A. FULFILLED PROPHECIES CONCERNING THE HEBREW RACE
1. GREAT NATION PROMISED IN 1921B.C. (Gen. 12:1-3,7 “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” “And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.”)
In these prophecies, God promised Abram that he would father a great nation; that from him, all families of the earth would be blessed. This is one of the earliest prophecies concerning the coming of Jesus Christ, who sprang forth from the Hebrew race.
2. PROPHECY OF 1913 B.C. RECORDED IN GENESIS 15:13,14 (“And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.”)
This account of God's conversation with Abram was recorded 300 years later by Moses. Here God tells of future events which would occur to the Great Nation He would raise up saying: "Your seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and they shall afflict them four hundred years. Afterwards, they shall come out with great substance." (Gen. 15:13, 14) This prophecy was fulfilled to the very letter! Read its fulfillment in Exodus the 12th chapter.
3. PROPHECY OF 1400 B. C.
Moses gives a wonderful prophecy regarding the Jews in Deut. 28:64-66 (“And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone. And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life:”). History proves that this prediction spoken 1400 B.C. has been fulfilled to the very letter! Read it in your own Bible.
4. PROPHECY MADE IN 1451 B. C.
In Deut. 28:68 (“And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.”), Moses spake of the Jews' being taken to Egypt by ships and sold as slaves until no man would buy them. Moses wrote this prophecy 1451 years before Jesus was born. Josephus' history says that when Titus took Jerusalem in A. D. 70, all the Jews over 17 years old, both men and women, were sent by ships into Egypt to labor in the mines. There they were sold as slaves until the slave market was glutted and none would buy. This is exactly as Moses had predicted it 1451 years before! How did Moses know this?
5. PROPHECY MADE 1400 B. C.
Numbers 23:9 (“For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.”)says the Jewish people shall be left alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations. This prophecy was given 1400 B.C. The Jews have been scattered to every nation in the world, and yet they have never lost their identity as a race of people. Jesus said they would remain a distinct race until He comes back. (Matt. 24:34 “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.”) The word "generation" in this verse means a stock or race of people.
B. FULFILLED PROPHECY PERTAINING TO JESUS CHRIST
1. The Old Testament is inter-laced with prophecies concerning the coming of Jesus Christ. A study of New Testament scriptures shows example after example of scriptural fulfillment.
2. PROPHECY OF ISAIAH 7:14 (“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”)
In this scripture, Isaiah prophesied of a virgin born child. The recorded fullfillment of this prophecy is in Matt. 1:18-25 “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” and Luke 1:34-35 “Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”. Isaiah gave this prophecy 736 years before the child was born. The question is: how did he know?
3. PROPHECY OF ISAIAH 9:6
Isaiah prophesied this child's name shall be called "Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." This child is Jesus, God manifest in the flesh. (Read I Tim. 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” and 2 Cor. 5:19 “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”) He is a union of God and Man. That is the reason He said in John 10:30: "I and My Father are one," meaning: I and My Father are a union.
C. OTHER OUTSTANDING FULFILLED PROPHECIES
In both the Old and New Testaments are countless examples of prophecies and their fulfillment. These are another great proof of the Divine origin of the Holy Bible. Note some outstanding examples.
1. DESTRUCTION OF BABYLON: PROPHESIED 713 B.C. - Fulfilled 563 B.C. (150 years later)
In Isa. 13:17-22, “Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it. Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children. And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there. But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there. And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.” Isaiah prophecied about the great city of Babylon. At the time Isaiah gave this prophecy, Babylon was the glory of Kingdoms, and one of the wonders of the world. The city was forty-five miles square, and was enclosed with a wall two hundred feet high. The wall was fifty feet thick. There were one hundred gates of brass leading through the wall into the city. The city had a tower eight stories high, built upon a base a quarter of a mile square. The famous hanging gardens were an artificial mountain, raised upon arches and planted with trees of the largest, as well as the most beautiful sorts. Isaiah said Babylon would be completely destroyed as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. He said it shall never be inhabited. Isaiah gave this prophecy 713 B. C. and it was fulfilled 563 B. C., or 150 years later! (Please read Daniel the 5th chapter.) How did Isaiah know this one hundred and fifty years before it came to pass? There is only one answer. The Bible is God's book and God told him.
2. PROPHECIES ABOUT KING CYRUS GIVEN 100 YEARS BEFORE HIS BIRTH!
King Cyrus was actually named by Isaiah one hundred years before he was born, and Isaiah told exactly what he would do when he became king! Please read Isa. 44:24-28 “Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself; That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish; That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.” and Isaiah 45:1-5 “Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:”. Isaiah gave this prophecy 712 B. C. Cyrus gave the command to build the Temple 536 B. C., one hundred seventy six years later. (Read Ezra 1:1-4 “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”.)
3. PROPHECIES NAMING JOSIAH 300 YEARS BEFORE HIS TIME
If you will read I Kings 13:1-3 “And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.” with 2 Kings 23:15,16 “Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove. And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.”, you will find that a man of God mentioned Josiah by name 300 years before he was born!
PROOF V . . . JESUS HIMSELF ENDORSED SCRIPTURES
Jesus endorsed all of the Scriptures. "Beginning at Moses (Genesis), he expounded unto them in all of the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." (Read Luke 24:25-27, 44, 45 “Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”; “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,”.)
IN CONCLUSION, remember this. . . these scriptures and their fulfillment are only a small sample of the countless examples of prophecy and its fullfilment. The Bible is laced with such prophecies. However, to be truly persuaded in your own mind, and to understand this subject, you will have to be interested enough to look up these scriptures for yourself. We may compare the Bible to a road map. We are all traveling somewhere and if you want to know where you are going, be sure to search your map - the Bible.
God built the Bible something like the Irishman built his fence. He built his fence three feet high and four feet wide. Someone asked him why he built it like that. His answer was: "If the wind blows it over, it will still be higher than it was to start with!"
To attack the Bible is like shooting peas at the Rock of Gibraltar: the Bible stands firmly, solidly, while the criticisms bounce off and roll into oblivion! Once you have thoroughly investigated the controversy for yourself and studied all the facts at hand, you will never again question the fact that the Bible was inspired of God.
(PLEASE NOTE: These are some of the notes I used when I recorded this subject on tape. The subject as taped is two hours and twenty minutes long. In this message I expound all of these Scriptures in detail. If you would like to get the sermon on tape, I will send it to you post paid for $8.00) I have 104 hours of Bible teaching recorded on tape. Please write for details.
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