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Sufficiency of Scripture #5 Prophecy Part One

So why do we trust the Scriptures? What have made saints cling to the Word for so many centuries? Inspitre of all the trials as Hebrews 11:36-40 speak of? How? they trusted the Bible. Because:

I. Because of the supernatural origin of this book. It has a Divine Author as Christ said. And we believe Him. II. Because of the unshakeable conviction of Christ and His Apostles nad prophets. They said over 3800x thus saith the Lord! III. Because of the Astonding uniqueness of this book inspite of such a: A. diversity of 40 authors B. over 1,500 year durational span of being written. C. locational, language and cultural differences D. ONE MESSAGE IS CONSTANT! God is the Master, the Ruler, The Creator and Sstainer of all the Universe! Thus the Word of god presents: 1. One King: God through Christ Revelation 19 He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 2. One Kingdom: those who bow to Christ (Mt. 6:33) 3. One Purpose: to glorify God (I Cor 10:310 4. One plan: Redemption of fallen man (II P 3:9) 5. One Judge: Lord Jesus Christ (Jn 5) 6. One Destiny: Eternal existence a) Life Dt 30; Jn 5; Revelation 20 b) Death E. So the deity Christ , unshakeable conviction of 40 authors, an astoundingly unique message. . . IV. Because of its Divine Protection or Endurance. This is the indestructible Existence and Endurance of the Word! A. It was cut up and burned by a King of Israel, Lost in the Temple during the apostasy, battered by wars upon Israel, taken into captivity 4x. B. Then it has been translated into the languages of the world, carried to the 4 corners of the globe and shined as a light in the Dark. After all that it is alive and well today! C. If the Scriptures were man’s invention they would have passed ling ago. R.A. Torrey saved at Yale a century ago made three penetrating observations about the difernce between the Bible and any other book:

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1. NOTHING BUT TRUTH. The Bible has nothing but truth. All the rest mix truth and error. As in Hindu elephants holding up earth. Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God [is] pure: he [is] a shield unto them that put their trust in him. (KJV) 2. ALL TRUTH. The Bible has all the truth you can ever get about God. There is no other place where truth can be found about subjects only God reveals. John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (KJV) 3. MORE TRUTH. There is more truth in the Word than in all the books of all time put together! This is not man’s book but God’s. V. Because of the Divine Revelation of Facts. When you read the Bible you are seeing a record only God could have made. Life and history, truth and error from a divine vantage point. You areseeing through God’s eyes. Words thousands of years old, thoughts never spoken, secrets, motives, cosmic battles, events no one witnessed. The spirit world comes alive, the preview of the rebirth of the universe. . . A. Wilbur Smith (The Incomparable Book, Beacon Publications), a man who has read several thousan oks, concludes that “whatever one may think of the authority of and the message presented in the book we call the Bible, there is world-wide agreement that in more ways than one it is ttle most remarkable volume that has ever been produced in these some five thousand years of writing on the part of the human race “it is the only volume ever produced by man, or a group of men in which is to be found a large body of prophecies relating to individual nations, to Israe to all the peoples of the earth, to certain cities, and to the coming of One who was to be the Messiah. The ancient world had many different devices for determining the future, known as divination, but not in the entire gamut of Greek and Latin literature, even though they use the words prophet and prophecy, can we find any real specific prophecy of a great historic event to come in the distant future, nor any prophecy of a Savior to arise in the human race……… Mohammedanism cannot point to any prophecies of the coming of Mohammed uttered hundreds of years before his birth. Neither can the founders of any cult in this country rightly identify any ancient text specifically foretelling their appearance.” B. When we say PROPHESY we mean detailed, specific descriptions of future events. 1. Not a few, hundreds. 2. Not close calls, fulfilled to the letter. 3. Not historical accounts as they unfolded, but prophesies written centuries, many centuries before they took place. 4. Not only the history of the Jews, also the course of the gentiles and the consumation of time! C. Just for an example let me share some easy ones. Then we will look at 5 prophecies that changed the course of the world!

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1. 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. (KJV) In 700 BC Isaiah foretold the Virgin Birth of Christ. That was 7 centuries before it happened. In fact all of history AD BC is built on Christ! 2. Psalm 22 is another reminder. This Psalm details the death of Christ a thousand years before it took place. Who described crucifixion hundreds of years before its use as a form of execution? David. 3. Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, [though] thou be little among the thousands of Judah, [yet] out of thee shall he come forth unto me [that is] to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth [have been] from of old, from everlasting. (KJV) gave us the exact location of the Messiah’s birth, 500 years before it took place! Luke 2:4-7 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. (KJV) And it took Augustus Caesar to make an empire wide decree, all to accomplish the plan of God. 4. How about dying with thieves? Buried in a rich man’s tomb. Disfigured by beating. Like a lamb silent? Yes, Isaiah 53, again 700 years before the event God tells what will ahppen. These prophesies surrounding the life of Christ are amazing. But God spoke with equal clarity on other topics. Each of the following events could stand up in any court of law as a perfect case for suopernatural divination. God telling the future to the minutest detail. VI. FIVE EVENTS GOD DIRECTED AND FORETOLD THAT CHANGED THE COURSE OF THE WORLD! A. Jeremiah 46:25-26 The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and [all] them that trust in him: 26 And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the LORD. (KJV) the yera is 605BC, an unknown Hebrew prophet named Jeremiah speaks about one of the greatest nations on earth – EGYPT. 1. TIME FRAME: Pyramids 2600 BC; Moses and the Exodus 1446 BC; Jeremiah’s time 605 BC Egypt is powerful and great as a world power. In his prophesy God says that the capital city under the New Kingdom (1567-1085 BC) will be destroyed. 2. PROPHETIC CLAIM:

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a) God says that the great Egypt will be struck by a King named Nebuchadrezzar. If you were to go to the greatest treasure house of biblical archaeology today the British museum in London you would find the following recorded in the Chaldean/ Babylonian Rooms. b) In 568 BC after 18 years spent capturing Israel’s southern kingdom (Judah), Neb marched the length of the Nile, all the way to the 1st cataract at Aswan. He destroyd the capital city of No (Thebes) and left it a heap of rubble. We stood on that hot, dusty heap a few years ago. It has not been rebuilt to this day! What a chilling reminder it was that God is in control. . . B. It is the year 740 BC and the prophet Isaiah is writing under the control of the the Holy Spirit the words of Isaiah 13:6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD [is] at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. (KJV) 1. Babylon does not come on the world scene for 135 years. but God sees them and tells us about their coming desolation. The city of Babylon with its million inhabitants. a city of gold, the richest kingdom of the ancient world would be destroyed. 2. Yes, as a quiet Hebrew prophet sat down to his writing table, the Spirit of the Cosmos hovered over him and breathed out through his pen the events that would alter the direction of human history. Now turn to Daniel 5:28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. (KJV) This “handwriting on the wall” event took place 135 years after God told Isaiah to write it down! 3. Daniel is summoned hastily to the banqueting hall. Old and stooped down he shuffles in having served nearly 70 years in the Babylonian empire. Looking up at the 70’ high palace walls , past the first 50’ of royal blue at the top in the plaster a horribly large hand suspended, finger outstretched is scribing the wall with a terse four word eviction notice. Impending judgment foretold and now due! 4. Herodotus the Roman historian confirms that on that night Cyrus waded through the shallow waters of the diverted canal of Babylon to conquer and fulfil God’s promised fall. The city fades never to return, occupied only by wild animals. 5. What did Isaiah say, the MEDES? They were so unknown, distant and little at the time he wrote that prophesy dowm it would be like saying that Monaco would conquer America. ONLY GOD WRITES DOWN HISTORY BEFORE IT HAPPENS! 6. What does all this mean? We will finish the last 3 prophesies next time. But how about you and me? How has the Bible impacted your course? a) Have you met the Author? Do you know Him personally today? b) Do you see the unshakable conviction of those 40 men who wrote down God’s words? Do you have an unshakable conviction about life, its purpose, direction? How about death? Are you

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ready? Your ticket is only obtainable in person, by you before you go. c) Do you follow that unique messageof the Kingdom? Have you bowed to the King? Are you glorifying God in every way you know how? d) Do you see its Divine Endurance and greatness ? nothing but truth, containing all truth and more than all combined? Is it your daily and only guide? e) And its history – God’s story. He is the author and director. He has a great ending for those who follow Him. Where do you fit? Where will you go when God looks at you? Matthew 7:20-23 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. f) 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (KJV)h