WHY I BELIEVE IN GOD! (Continued)

     A while ago I posted a blog entry on this particular topic. In that blog entry I wrote about the Bible being a miracle book. I cited some of the reasons why I am convinced that that is true. I mentioned the subject of prophecy, that there were about 300 prophecies about the Messiah spoken hundreds of years before His birth in Bethlehem that were fulfilled in the life of Jesus of Nazareth.
     Not only are the fulfilled prophecies about the Messiah compelling, there are many compelling non-Messianic prophecies recorded in the Bible also, as is their fulfillment. 

"I am God and there is no other; I am God and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times what is still to come." (Isaiah 46: 9, 10) 

"For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (II Peter 1: 21) 

     These two Bible verses, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament state that Biblical Prophecy originates from God and not man. 

     Let's look at a couple of examples from ancient times. The prophet Jeremiah prophesied that Babylon would rule Judah for 70 years and would become desolate forever.

"This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 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 I will make it desolate forever." (Jeremiah 25:11, 12)

...In 609 B.C. the Babylonians succeeded/conquered the Assyrian Empire who at the time had control over the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The Babylonians destroyed the Jewish temple in Jerusalem in 586 B.C. The temple was rebuilt in 516 B.C., 70 years later. The second part of the prophecy came to fruition around 539 B.C. when Babylon was conquered by the Medo -Persians. To this day, the former site of Babylon is located in modern day Iraq and is still uninhabited.

   The prophet Daniel interpreted a dream for the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. The king had had a dream that troubled him greatly. The king called all his astrologers, magicians, and enchanters and he told them, under penalty of being hacked to pieces, to (1) Tell what he had dreamed and (2) What did the dream mean? They, of course, were unable to do it and tried to convince the king that no man on earth could. The king was adamant and held to his position...if the so called wise men could not tell him his dream and interpret it, there would all die. 
     Daniel, a prophet of God, was told by God about the dream and it's interpretation and was able to tell the king his dream and interpret it for him. The king dreamed of a terrifying statue with a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, Belly and thighs of bronze and legs of iron and feet of a mix of iron and clay. This was interpreted to represent the four great kingdoms of antiquity. Specifically, the Babylonians, the Medo-Persians, the Greek and finally the Romans. (See Daniel 2: 31 - 45)


     These are just two of many specific prophecies mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible that came true precisely as prophesied. 


     I urge you to examine the evidence for yourself. Your life will be tremendously enriched if you do! God bless you and enjoy your day!