Is there any independent way of knowing the bible is the word of god? Currently, the only evidence is contained within the bible itself. But this is circular reasoning. For instance, the Egyptian Book of the Dead also claims to contain the words of god. So both books make the same claim. Which one is to be believed?

Many other civilizations have had one form of book or oral tradition preserving the words of their god(s). Do all of these have valid claims as representing the word of god?

Most bibles today have 66 books, but there are bible (catholic bibles) with 72 books. Has god spoken more to the catholics than to other denominations?

What about the newly discovered gospels of Judas, Mary Magdalene, etc? Are these also god's word? How could one tell if a book is inspired by god or not?

Have catholics heard a lot more from god than the others?

please ask God to show a sign or proof, i`m sure HE will.

kola oloye:

please ask God to show a sign or proof, i`m sure HE will.

Why do I have to ask him? What sort of book would you expect to an omniscient, omnipotent being? Perfection and flawless no less. Is that what we got?

By Faith.

why don't u have faith in the koran or torah then??

Why do carnal minds imagine they can understand spiritual things?

lafile:

Why do carnal minds imagine they can understand spiritual things?

Abeg ask me!!

Anyway if person no ask, e no go know. Afterall, Jesus say make we ask, seek and knock and we go get.

so @ tpaine
if you really want an answer to this question, say a short prayer to God and ask him to prove Himself to you in a way you can understand.

@tpaine,
PLS GO THROUGH THIS, IT WON`T TAKE MUCH OF YOUR TIME

ROMANS 1 FROM VS 16

16.  I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

17.  For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,just as it is written: "The righteous will live     by faith."

18. The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,

19. since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.

20. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

REVELATIONS 22

7. "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."

8. I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me.

9.But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!"

10.Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near.

11.Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy."

12."Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.

13. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

14. "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.

15. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16. "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."

17.The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

18. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.

19. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

20.He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."
      Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

21.The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.

I STRONGLY BLF THAT YOU HAVE LEARNT SOMETHING FROM THIS. May the Lord open your eyes of understanding.  AMEN

IT IS SURE WAY TO ONES LIVING.
PLS GO THROUGH THIS, IT WON`T TAKE MUCH OF YOUR TIME

ROMANS 1 FROM VS 16

16. I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

17. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

18. The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,

19. since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.

20. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

REVELATIONS 22

7. "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."

8. I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me.

9.But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!"

10.Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near.

11.Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy."

12."Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.

13. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

14. "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.

15. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16. "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."

17.The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

18. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.

19. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

20.He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

21.The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.

I STRONGLY BLF THAT YOU HAVE LEARNT SOMETHING FROM THIS. May the Lord open your eyes of understanding. AMEN

@Kola Oloye: Romans, Revelations, etc are not from Jesus. Why attaching such books and their contents to him? These are writings of others. It should not be used to proof anything about Jesus.

@ Olabowale,
Every word of the Bible was written under inspiration of GOD.
Hear the old testament talking about the book of the law (BIBLE)

JOSHUA 1:
1. After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide:

8. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night,
so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

9. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged,
for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Do you still want me to take you into the book of Isaiah before the new testament ?

jeez, they have resorted to preaching again rather than answer questions

@kola oloye

@ Olabowale,
Every word of the Bible was written under inspiration of GOD.
Hear the old testament talking about the book of the law (BIBLE)

Are you really sure of wat you typed up?

@Poster

Aside from several fulfilled prophecies over the centuries, I'll tell u why i'm convinced the bible is of divine origin

- Archaelogy and history support it. in fact, many historical facts raised in the bible which were hitherto doubted and criticized by scientist are now being established by new archaelogical findings. will be back with specific instances.

- Tell me of any other compliation of 66 small books, written by 40 different individuals with diverse backgrounds over several centuries, with such coherence and consistency and i will accept it as THE BOOK. for it have achieved this, it must have been divinely inspired. Think about, even in the field of advanced science, they never agree.

-I am yet to see any other book that has undergone such intense extinction attempts by governments and other authorities over several centuries and yet survived it. Right now it's even waxed stronger as it is the most widely distributed book in the world. It's phenomenal! IT HAS TO HAVE DIVINE BACKING. Will be back with specific cases.

-This book has positively changed lives in unimaginable proportions.

IT IS DIVINE.

lami4life:

@Poster

Aside from several fulfilled prophecies over the centuries, I'll tell u why i'm convinced the bible is of divine origin

- Archaelogy and history support it. in fact, many historical facts raised in the bible which were hitherto doubted and criticized by scientist are now being established by new archaelogical findings. will be back with specific instances.

- Tell me of any other compliation of 66 small books, written by 40 different individuals with diverse backgrounds over several centuries, with such coherence and consistency and i will accept it as THE BOOK. for it have achieved this, it must have been divinely inspired. Think about, even in the field of advanced science, they never agree.

-I am yet to see any other book that has undergone such intense extinction attempts by governments and other authorities over several centuries and yet survived it. Right now it's even waxed stronger as it is the most widely distributed book in the world. It's phenomenal! IT HAS TO HAVE DIVINE BACKING. Will be back with specific cases.

-This book has positively changed lives in unimaginable proportions.

IT IS DIVINE.

i concur 100%. No begging

lami4life:

@Poster

Aside from several fulfilled prophecies over the centuries, I'll tell u why i'm convinced the bible is of divine origin

- Archaelogy and history support it. in fact, many historical facts raised in the bible which were hitherto doubted and criticized by scientist are now being established by new archaelogical findings. will be back with specific instances.

- Tell me of any other compliation of 66 small books, written by 40 different individuals with diverse backgrounds over several centuries, with such coherence and consistency and i will accept it as THE BOOK. for it have achieved this, it must have been divinely inspired. Think about, even in the field of advanced science, they never agree.

-I am yet to see any other book that has undergone such intense extinction attempts by governments and other authorities over several centuries and yet survived it. Right now it's even waxed stronger as it is the most widely distributed book in the world. It's phenomenal! IT HAS TO HAVE DIVINE BACKING. Will be back with specific cases.

-This book has positively changed lives in unimaginable proportions.

IT IS DIVINE.

lami4life:

Aside from several fulfilled prophecies over the centuries, I'll tell u why i'm convinced the bible is of divine origin

Would be interesting to know which prophecies have been fulfilled? How about the prophecies about Egypt? Check some of these out. Source: http://www.goatstar.org/failed-prophecies/

Ezekiel predicted Babylon would conquer Egypt and was wrong.

Ezekiel predicts that Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon will conquer Egypt utterly destroying it, slaying and scattering it’s people, and that it will stay uninhabited for 40 years.

In 568 BCE Nebuchadrezzar tried to conquer Egypt and Egypt survived with no apparent damage.

Aahmes ruled for another generation over a prosperous Egypt and lived to see Nebuchadrezzar die. No Egyptians were scattered or dispersed.

(Ezek 29:10 NRSV) therefore, I am against you, and against your channels, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Ethiopia.

(Ezek 29:11 NRSV) No human foot shall pass through it, and no animal foot shall pass through it; it shall be uninhabited forty years.

(Ezek 29:12 NRSV) I will make the land of Egypt a desolation among desolated countries; and her cities shall be a desolation forty years among cities that are laid waste. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them among the countries.

(Ezek 30:10 NRSV) Thus says the Lord GOD: I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt, by the hand of King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon.

(Ezek 30:11 NRSV) He and his people with him, the most terrible of the nations, shall be brought in to destroy the land; and they shall draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the
land with the slain.

Ezekiel predicts the destruction of Tyre (Tyrus) by Nebuchadrezzar and is wrong again.

Ezekiel incorrectly predicts that the island of Tyre (Tyrus) will be utterly destroyed and "made a bare rock" which will "never be rebuilt".

At the time of the prediction, it seemed like to be a sure thing, but 13 years of seige later Nebuchadrezzar gives up. The Island of Tyre is not destroyed or even conquered. It is not made
"a bare rock" that will "never be rebuilt".

Ezekiel admits his error in Ezek 29:17

(Here the conquest of Trye looks like a sure thing so Ezekiel makes his prediction)

(Ezek 26:1 NRSV) In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:

(Ezek 26:7 NRSV) For thus says the Lord GOD: I will bring against Tyre from the north King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon, king of kings, together with horses, chariots, cavalry, and a great
and powerful army.

(Ezek 26:14 NRSV) I will make you a bare rock; you shall be a place for spreading nets. You shall never again be rebuilt, for I the LORD have spoken, says the Lord GOD.

(Ezek 27:32 NRSV) In their wailing they raise a lamentation for you, and lament over you: "Who was ever destroyed like Tyre in the midst of the sea?

(13 years of futile effort by Nebuchadrezzar later…)

(Ezek 29:17 NRSV) In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:

(Here Ezekiel admits he was wrong)

(Ezek 29:18 NRSV) Mortal, King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre; every head was made bald and every shoulder was rubbed bare; yet neither he nor his army got anything from Tyre to pay for the labor that he had expended against it.

(So he then predicts that God decides to give Egypt to him instead, another Ezekiel prophecy that completely failed)

————————————————————————-

Micah predicts the destruction of Jerusalem (which at the time was about to be invaded by Sennacherib and seemed inevitable) blaming the destruction on the corruption of the priesthood of Judah.

Jerusalem was sieged, but the destruction didn’t happen.

A century later Jeremiah quotes Micah and tries to excuse the failed prophecy by saying that "the Lord changed his mind" about that destruction.

(Micah 3:12 NRSV) Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.

(~100 years and no destruction later…)

(Jer 26:18 NRSV) "Micah of Moresheth, who prophesied during the days of King Hezekiah of Judah, said to all the people of Judah: ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.’

(Jer 26:19 NRSV) Did King Hezekiah of Judah and all Judah actually put him to death? Did he not fear the LORD and entreat the favor of the LORD, and did not the LORD change his mind about the disaster that he had pronounced against them? …

————————————————————————-

The prophet Daniel incorrectly states that in the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar will conquer Judah.

The third year of Jehoiakim’s reign was 606 BCE, at which time Nebuchadnezzar was not yet king of Babylon. It was in 597 BCE that Nebuchadnezzar takes Jerusalem, by then Jehoiakim had died.

(Dan 1:1 NRSV) In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

(Dan 1:2 NRSV) The Lord let King Jehoiakim of Judah fall into his power, as well as some of the vessels of the house of God. These he brought to the land of Shinar, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his gods.

————————————————————————-

Jeremiah incorrectly predicts 70 years for the Babylonian exiles but they only lasted 59 years.

The 1rst exile started in 597 BCE when Nebuchadnezzar first takes Jerusalem and appoints Zedekiah king (Judah’s last king). Nebuchadnezzar has temple equipment taken away.

The start of the 2nd exile was in 586 BCE when Nebuchadnezzar takes Jerusalem a second time putting down a rebellion and destroys the temple.

The end comes in 538 BCE when Cyrus takes Babylon and ends the Babylonian kingdom. Jews are then allowed to return to Judah.

(Jer 29:10 NRSV) For thus says the LORD: Only when Babylon’s seventy years are completed will I visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.

lami4life:

- Archaelogy and history support it. in fact, many historical facts raised in the bible which were hitherto doubted and criticized by scientist are now being established by new archaelogical findings. will be back with specific instances.

The fact is, there is very little factual evidence of many of the events and narrative described in the bible : no exodus, no garden of eden, no large scale Israeli sojourn in Egypt, no wandering in the desert, no wall of Jericho as described.
http://www.amazon.com/Bible-Unearthed-Archaeologys-Vision-Ancient/dp/B00009NDAK/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205498865&sr=8-3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Finkelstein

lami4life:

- Tell me of any other compliation of 66 small books, written by 40 different individuals with diverse backgrounds over several centuries, with such coherence and consistency and i will accept it as THE BOOK. for it have achieved this, it must have been divinely inspired. Think about, even in the field of advanced science, they never agree.

I depends which bible you read; some have 66 books, some more other less. Which is the real bible then? Has god spoken more to the followers of bibles with more than 66 books?

Would you consider the Torah (on which the bible is based) as the word of god?

lami4life:

-I am yet to see any other book that has undergone such intense extinction attempts by governments and other authorities over several centuries and yet survived it. Right now it's even waxed stronger as it is the most widely distributed book in the world. It's phenomenal! IT HAS TO HAVE DIVINE BACKING. Will be back with specific cases.

It survive thankx to the predomonance of the credulous and gullible. Are you aware of the massive christians campaigns against non-christian literature that culminated in the possible burning of the library in Alexandria by a christian mob. This book has survived mainly due to the persecution of it's opponents.

Decree of Theophilus in 391

In 391, Christian Emperor Theodosius I ordered the destruction of all pagan temples, and the Christian Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria complied with this request. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_Alexandria

lami4life:

-This book has positively changed lives in unimaginable proportions.

Any material/book can change lives. The qur-an, the book of mormon, the Egyptian book of the dead have all changed many million (if not billions) of lives.

@tpaine
Since reason is the cynosure of progress, I suggest you design an experiment to determine the veracity (or lack thereof) of the bible.

We are waiting for your literature review, experimentation, result and analysis.

Why cant u all answer a simple question, How can u prove that the bible is the word of God, ? All of una dey quote from the same book we are passing a litmus test on, By reasoning, its orifin and how it came together should be wat u all shud b tackling not quoting wat some guys wrote yrs after jesus died. How can u prove all of it was the word of God and it got no flaws, ?

@Javalove
It is a spiritual thing so it will always be difficult for you to believe it with your Canal mind.
Flower is a major ingredient in making bread, how would you define a bread without
mentionning flower? So it is when you are talking about the word of God,Bible should still
be your reference book. PLS GET UNDERSTANDING.

kola oloye:

@Javalove
It is a spiritual thing so it will always be difficult for you to believe it with your Canal mind.
Flower is a major ingredient in making bread, how would you define a bread without
mentionning flower? So it is when you are talking about the word of God,Bible should still
be your reference book. PLS GET UNDERSTANDING.

By this standard, aren't the ko-ran, or the Egyptian Book of the Dead also words of God if one can muster the requisite spirituality for the various beliefs.

@tpaine,
Bible instructions were simple and clear. They were confimed by many Prophets,
Apostles and Disciples. Not for modifications.Inside it you will read also some things like these:
`I AM THE WAY ,THE TRUTH AND LIFE NO ONE,,,,,,`
`YOU SHALL MEDITATE ON THIS BOOK OF LAW ,,,,` so on and so forth, but this other books you
are talking about do not have such proves written in them.

kola oloye:

@tpaine,
Bible instructions were simple and clear. They were confimed by many Prophets,
Apostles and Disciples. Not for modifications.Inside it you will read also some things like these:
`I AM THE WAY ,THE TRUTH AND LIFE NO ONE,,,,,,`
`YOU SHALL MEDITATE ON THIS BOOK OF LAW ,,,,` so on and so forth, but this other books you
are talking about do not have such proves written in them.

I am very surprised (or maybe not)  you do not see the flaw in your reasoning. A text confirms itself as the word of god and you take that as sound reasoning?  It is a bit like asking a defendant in court why he did not commit a crime, and accepting "because I said so" as a valid response.

Do you know of any religious text that does not claim to be the word of their deity?  If a religious text clearly said it was NOT the word of their god, would people follow and venerate the text? So in order to entice follower, all the various religious text MUST claim to contain the word of god. This is what you will find in the bible, ko-ran, had-ith, mormom, etc. They are all words of god, and they all clearly state that.

Pls kindly refer to those places in other books where such proves
concerning those books were written. Waiting in anticipation.

kola oloye:

Please kindly refer to those places in other books where such proves
concerning those books were written. Waiting in anticipation.

What would be your reaction if I were to show you that other books also claim to be the word of god in the other books?

Would that result in you doubting the bible?

The Book of Mormon Is the Word of God

President Ezra Taft Benson

Source: http://www.geocities.com/graymada/Book-of-Mormon.html

I speak to you today on a most vital subject. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "we believe . . . the Book of Mormon to be the word of God." (Eighth Article of Faith.) God has so declared it, so have its writers, so have its witnesses, and so do all those who have read it and received a personal revelation from God as to its truthfulness.

In section 20 of the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord says that he gave Joseph Smith "power from on high . . . to translate the Book of Mormon; which contains . . . the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ . . . ; Which was given by inspiration." (D&C 20:8-10)

Nephi, one of the prophet-writers of the Book of Mormon, testifies that the book contains "the words of Christ" (2 Nephi 33:10), and Moroni, the last writer in the book, testifies that "these things are true." (Moroni 7:35)
This same Moroni, as an angelic being sent from God, showed these ancient records to three witnesses in our day. Their testimony of the records is contained in the front of the Book of Mormon. They state: "We also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true.

And Joseph Smith, the Prophet, the instrument whom God used to translate this record, testified that "the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book." (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 4:461.)

The Book of Mormon was written for us today. God is the author of the book. It is a record of a fallen people, compiled by inspired men for our blessing today. Those people never had the book--it was meant for us. Mormon, the ancient prophet after whom the book is named, abridged centuries of records. God, who knows the end from the beginning, told him what to include in his abridgement that we would need for our day. Mormon turned the records over to his son Moroni, the last recorder; and Moroni, writing over 1500 years ago but speaking to us today, states: "Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath showed you unto me, and I know your doing." (Mormon 8:35.)

The purpose of the Book of Mormon is stated on the title page. It is "to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD."

Nephi, the first prophet-writer in the Book of Mormon, states:

"For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved. Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world. Wherefore, I shall give commandment unto my seed, that they shall not occupy these plates with things which are not of worth unto the children of men." (1 Nephi 6:4-6)

The Book of Mormon brings men to Christ through two basic means. First, it tells in a plain manner of Christ and his gospel. It testifies of his divinity and of the necessity for a Redeemer and the need of our putting trust in him. It bears witness of the Fall and the Atonement and the first principles of the gospel, including our need of a broken heart and a contrite spirit and a spiritual rebirth. It proclaims we must endure to the end in righteousness and live the moral life of a Saint.

Second, the Book of Mormon exposes the enemies of Christ. It confounds false doctrines and lays down contention. (See 2 Nephi 3:12.) It fortifies the humble followers of Christ against the evil designs, strategies, and doctrines of the devil in our day. The type of apostates in the Book of Mormon are similar to the type we have today. God, with his infinite foreknowledge, so molded the Book of Mormon that we might see the error and know how to combat false educational, political, religious, and philosophical concepts of our time.

Now God expects us to use the Book of Mormon in several ways. We are to read it ourselves--carefully, prayerfully--and ponder as we read, as to whether this book is the work of God or of an unlearned youth. And then when we are finished reading the things in the book, Moroni exhorts us to put them to the test in these words:

And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost." (Moroni 10:4.)

I have done as Moroni exhorts, and I can testify to you that his book is from God and so is verily true.

We are to use the Book of Mormon as the basis for our teaching. In section 42 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord states:

And again, the elders, priests and teachers of this church shall teach the principles of my gospel, which are in . . . the Book of Mormon, in the which is the fulness of the gospel."

As we read and teach, we are to liken the Book of Mormon scriptures unto us "that it might be for our profit and learning." (1 Nephi 19:23.)

We are to use the Book of Mormon in handling objections to the Church. God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ revealed themselves to Joseph Smith in a marvelous vision. After that glorious event, Joseph Smith told a minister about it. Joseph was surprised to hear the minister say that there were no such things as visions or revelations in these days, that all such things had ceased. (See Joseph Smith 2:21)

This remark symbolizes practically all of the objections that have ever been made against the Church by nonmembers and dissident members alike. Namely, they do not believe that God reveals his will today to the Church through prophets of God. All objections, whether they be on abortion, plural marriage, seventh-day worship, etc., basically hinge on whether Joseph Smith and his successors were and are prophets of God receiving divine revelation. Here then, is a procedure to handle most objections through the use of the Book of Mormon.

1. First, understand the objection.
2. Second, give the correct answer from revelation.
3. Third, show how the correctness of the answer really depends on whether or not we have modern revealtion through modern prophets.
4. Fourth, explain that whether or not we have modern prophets and revelation really depends on whether the Book of Mormon is true.

Therefore, the only problem the objector has to resolve for himself is whether the Book of Mormon is true. For if the Book of Mormon is true, then Jesus is the Christ, Joseph Smith was his prophet. Thc Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, and it is being led today by a prophet receiving revelation.

Our main task is to declare the gospel and do it effectively. We are not obligated to answer every objection. Every man eventually is backed up to the wall of faith, and there he must make his stand. "And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye," said Nephi, "for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and you and I shall stand face to face before his bar; and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things." (2 Nephi 33:11.) Every man must judge for himself, knowing God will hold him accountable.

The Book of Mormon is to be used "for a standard unto my people, which are of the house of Israel," the Lord says, and its words "shall hiss forth unto the ends of the earth." (2 Nephi 29:2) We, the members of the Church, and particularly the missionaries, have to be the "hisser," or the tellers and testifiers, of the Book of Mormon unto the ends of the earth.

The Book of Mormon is the great standard we are to use. It shows that Joseph Smith was a prophet. It contains the words of Christ, and its great mission is to bring men to Christ and all other things are secondary. The golden question of the Book of Mormon is "Do you want to learn more of Christ?" The Book of Mormon is the great finder of the golden contact. It does not contain things which are "pleasing unto the world" (1 Nephi 6:5), and so the worldly are not interested in it. It is a great sieve.

Anyone who has diligently sought to know the doctrines and teachings of the Book of Mormon and has used it conscientiously in missionary work knows within his soul that this is the instrument which God has given to the missionaries to convince the Jew and Gentile and Lamanite of the truthfulness of our message.

Now, we have not been using the Book of Mormon as we should. Our homes are not as strong unless we are using it to bring our children to Christ. Our families may be corrupted by worldly trends and teachins unless we expose and combat the falsehoods in socialism, rationalism, etc. Our missionaries are not as effective unless they are "hissing forth" with it. Social, ethical, cultural, or educational converts will not survive under the heat of the day unless their taproots go down to the fulness of the gospel which the Book of Mormon contains. Our Church classes are not as spirit-filled unless we hold it up as a standard. And our nation will continue to degenerate unless we read and heed the words of the God of this land, Jesus Christ, and quit building up and upholding the secret combinations which the Book of Mormon tells us proved the downfall of both previous American civilizations.

Some of the early missionaries, on returning home, were reproved by the Lord in section 84 of the Doctrine and Covenants because they had treated lightly the Book of Mormon. As a result, their minds had been darkened. The Lord said that this kind of treatment of the Book of Mormon brought the whole Church under condemnation, even all of the children of Zion. And then the Lord said, "And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon." (See D&C 84:54-57.) Are we still under that condemnation?

Reading the Book of Mormon is one of the greatest persuaders to get men on missions. We need more missionaries. But we also need better-prepared missionaries coming out of the wards and branches and homes where they know and love the Book of Mormon. A great challenge and day of preparation is at hand for missionaries to meet and teach with the Book of Mormon. We need missionaries to match our message.

And now grave consequences hang on our response to the Book of Mormon. "Those who receive it," said the Lord, "in faith, and work righteousness, shall receive a crown of eternal life;

"But those who harden their hearts in unbelief, and reject it, it shall turn to their own condemnation--

"For the Lord God has spoken it." (D&C 20:14-16.)

Is the Book of Mormon true? Yes.

Who is it for? Us.

What is its purpose? To bring men to Christ.

How does it do this? By testifying of Christ and revealing his enemies.

How are we to use it? We are to get a testimony of it, we are to teach from it, we are to hold it up as a standard and "hiss if forth."

Have we been doing this? Not as we should, nor as we must.

Do eternal consequences rest upon our response to this book? Yes, either to our blessing or our condemnation.

Every Latter-day Saint should make the study of this book a lifetime pursuit. Otherwise he is placing his sould in jeopardy and neglecting that which could give spiritual and intellectual unity to his whole life. There is a difference between a convert who is built on the rock of Christ through the Book of Mormon and stays hold of that iron rod, and one who is not.

Over a quarter of a century ago I listened in this Tabernacle to these words:

A Few years ago as I began to practice law, members of my family were a little uneasy. They were afraid I would lose my faith. I wanted to practice law, but I had an even greater desire to keep my testimony, and so I decided upon a little procedure which I recommend to you. For thirty minutes each morning before I began the day's work I read from the Book of Mormon . . . and in just a few minutes a day I read the Book of Mormon through, every year, for nine years. I know that it kept me in harmony with the Spirit of the Lord . . . It will hold us as close to the Spirit of the Lord as anything I know." (In Conference Report, Apr. 1949, p. 36.)

That was President Marion G. Romney. I echo his counsel.

What, then, are we to say of the Book of Mormon? I bear witness that it is verily true. I know this as I know that I live. We stand with the Prophet Joseph Smith when he said, "I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book." (History of the Church, 4:461.)

May we know and use the keystone and get nearer to God, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

(Ko-ran 4:82)
Do they not consider the Qur-'a-n (with care)?
Had it been from other than Allah, they would
surely have found therein much discrepancy.

Go thru this evidences if u need more i will gladly give it to u.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE
The first proof we have testifying to the reliability of the Bible is the archaeological evidence. Nelson Glueck, a respected Jewish archaeologist claims: "It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever contradicted a biblical reference." (ISAIAH 9:6)

The liberals made wild claims against the Bible a hundred years ago but now they are silent. This is not true of other religions. The MORMON claim for inspiration of the Book of Mormon has been categorically condemned by the Smithsonian Institute because of the fallacies shown by archaeology; this is not so with the Bible.

SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE
Recent scientific evidence is adding to the evidence supporting the reliability of biblical chronology from the scriptures. This study demonstrated the reliability of the Biblical record regarding the Egyptian plagues and demise of Jericho.

Drs. Hendrik J. Bruins and Johannes van der Plicht reported in the prestigious British journal, Nature (ISAIAH 33:22), that the destruction of Jericho was dated to 1580 (+/- 13 years) B.C. (using 14C dating). This date is significant, since several archeologists have insisted that Jericho was destroyed by the Egyptians between 1550 and 1300 B.C. The recent study discredits the Egyptian theory, since the date is much too old.

What is even more exciting is that scientists, using 14C dating and tree rings, have found evidence of a volcanic eruption from the Aegean island of Thera, which recently has been dated to 1628 B.C. (PSALM 2;6). This would place the eruption at 45 years prior to the destruction of Jericho, at a time which coincidentally corresponds to the time of the plagues the Lord unleashed upon Egypt. Check out Exodus 10:

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt." So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. (Exodus 10:21-22

It would be entirely true - His infinite knowledge would prevent errors and His truthfulness would keep Him from deception.
It would be a coherent unity, therefore not self- contradictory.
It would contain God's will for man, and provide the motivation to live according to that will (GEN.17:19).
God has revealed Himself in the Bible without error. The Bible itself claims this inerrancy (2 Timothy 3:16-17 (4);
Matthew 5:18 (5); etc.).

kola oloye:

Go through this evidences if u need more i will gladly give it to u.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE
The first proof we have testifying to the reliability of the Bible is the archaeological evidence. Nelson Glueck, a respected Jewish archaeologist claims: "It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever contradicted a biblical reference." (ISAIAH 9:6)

The liberals made wild claims against the Bible a hundred years ago but now they are silent. This is not true of other religions. The MORMON claim for inspiration of the Book of Mormon has been categorically condemned by the Smithsonian Institute because of the fallacies shown by archaeology; this is not so with the Bible.

SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE
Recent scientific evidence is adding to the evidence supporting the reliability of biblical chronology from the scriptures. This study demonstrated the reliability of the Biblical record regarding the Egyptian plagues and demise of Jericho.

Drs. Hendrik J. Bruins and Johannes van der Plicht reported in the prestigious British journal, Nature (ISAIAH 33:22), that the destruction of Jericho was dated to 1580 (+/- 13 years) B.C. (using 14C dating). This date is significant, since several archeologists have insisted that Jericho was destroyed by the Egyptians between 1550 and 1300 B.C. The recent study discredits the Egyptian theory, since the date is much too old.

What is even more exciting is that scientists, using 14C dating and tree rings, have found evidence of a volcanic eruption from the Aegean island of Thera, which recently has been dated to 1628 B.C. (PSALM 2;6). This would place the eruption at 45 years prior to the destruction of Jericho, at a time which coincidentally corresponds to the time of the plagues the Lord unleashed upon Egypt. Check out Exodus 10:

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt." So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. (Exodus 10:21-22

It would be entirely true - His infinite knowledge would prevent errors and His truthfulness would keep Him from deception.
It would be a coherent unity, therefore not self- contradictory.
It would contain God's will for man, and provide the motivation to live according to that will (GEN.17:19).
God has revealed Himself in the Bible without error. The Bible itself claims this inerrancy (2 Timothy 3:16-17 (4);
Matthew 5:18 (5); etc.).

If all the above were true, all that would prove was that the bible correctly recorded some historic events. That in itself is notthing amazing. There are millions of text from various civilizations across the world that accurately recorded their histories, from the Aztecs, mayan, Cambodian, Chinese, Egyptian. All these can all be confirmed by archeology. So the fact that some historic events are correctly recorded in the bible is notthing special.

Now if it was the word of god, and written by inspired names, you would expect no errors or contradictions, and no errors in the facts of history, wouldn't you? Ok, take the following accounts and try to reconcile them, please;

1) The story of the creation recorded in Genesis 1 and 2. Do you believe that these describe accurately the events leading up to the creation of the universe?

Do you think god created the sun in day four? Given that the gravitational attraction of the sun holds the earth in its orbits, that plants rely on sunlight and that there is no such thing as day/night without the sun, how come there were three days before the sun came into being?

This is the chronology of creation in Gen 1:
Plants
Animals
Man & woman

In Gen 2, this is the order;

Man
plants
animals
woman

How would you reconcile these accounts?

2) The 10 Commandments

Why are the 10 commadments recorded in Exodus 20 different from those recorded in Exodus 34, given that the Exodus 34 commandments are supposed to betrhe replacemenst of the Ex 20 commandments which Moses smashed?

3) The Noah Flood.

The is no evidence for a global flood at this time.

4) Daniel gets the number of years of the reign of some Judaic kings wrong.

5) The birth of Jesus.

Matthew says Jesus was born in the reign of Herod, who died in the year 4 BCE, but Luke says Jesus was born when Quirinius was the governor of Syria, which was not until 6 CE. A 10 year discrepancy. Which is correct? When really was Jesus born?

6) How did Judas Iscariot die?

7) How long was Jesus on earth after his resurrection before he rose into heaven?

How many people rose into heaven before Jesus?

9) What about all the cannibalism and human sacrifices mandated by the bible?

10) What about all the rapes, murders, abduction and pillage commited by Moses on neighbouring tribes.


Are all these the work of a good god?

go thru what is here if indeed u want to know or u mind set not to believe.

A message from the author

Dear Reader,

This Bible study is the first in a series designed to teach you the basics of the New Testament. It is our prayer that it will accomplish its purpose.

This study is in many senses the most important, for if the Bible is not the word of God, then the New Testament has no important meaning, other than being a "mythological moralizer." I was, at one time, an atheist myself, having come to the conclusion that God was merely the creation of the human mind. But a thorough examination of the scriptures has convinced me that God does in fact exist, and that the Bible is His written revelation to us. This booklet contains the elements of that examination (it will take a much larger book to cover the subject with any degree of completeness). It is a skeleton, which is the beginning place for hanging the meat of more study. But it does contain the elements which prove that the Bible is the word of God, and I trust you will find it interesting and challenging.

The conclusions reached in this study are as follows:

1. The Bible is accurate in dealing with external matters. It is accurate in its record of archeology and natural science. In order to be the word of God, the Bible must be accurate in its portrayal of observable facts. The Bible meets this requirement of accuracy in external matters, and therefore can be the written revelation from God.

2. The proof that the Bible is the word of God comes from its internal contents. The Bible contains the following categories of internal evidence which prove it to be the word of God:

1. Fulfilled historical prophecies.
2. Fulfilled predictions of the Messiah.
3. A Plan revealed, then carefully carried out - proof of the existence of the Planner, and a bridge binding the Old and New Testaments together as one complete unit.

The major point in this study is that the Old Testament is a blueprint and the New Testament is the construction process of a spiritual building, carefully overseen by a Divine Architect.

The New American Standard Version of the Bible was used in the preparation of this study, and is quoted throughout.

Your Servant,
Jay Wilson



INTRODUCTION

The Bible is being attacked! And please do not be so naive as to believe that the attackers are a few scattered renegades. The big guns of this world, carried by huge warships of evil, are zeroing in on their target, ready to level a blast that will destroy what their admirals have labeled "Organized Religion." Missiles from Satan’s abode, laden with explosive warheads of confusion, are already zinging their way to their destination, to obliterate forever the belief that the Bible is the word of God.

For instance, here is a quote from a sociology textbook for elementary college courses: "Sometime between the beginning of the eighteenth century and the end of the nineteenth, God died, though theology could not arrange a formal burial until the 1960’s" (Sociology for a New Day, Thomas F. Hoult, Random House, 1974; p.197). And here is a sample quotation from the Encyclopedia Americana: "Geological, anthropological, and archeological study makes it impossible for thinking men to take seriously the Biblical view of the universe and stories of creation in Genesis" (Encyclopedia Americana, 1968 Ed.; Vol.3, p.689; "The Bible". The first quotation could be a renegade. But there is no question that the Encyclopedia Americana is a big gun.

Unless defenders of the faith begin a vigorous counter-attack, the American public will rapidly come to believe that the Bible is not the word of God. The proverb is true: fiction repeated often enough becomes fact in the public mind.

The purpose of this study is to present to you simple, yet forceful and useful evidence - proof, in fact! - that the Bible is indeed the absolute and immutable word of God.



OUTLINE

1. External Considerations
2. Internal Evidences



I. EXTERNAL CONSIDERATIONS

Archeology

Archeology cannot prove that the Bible is the word of God. But it certainly could provide evidence that either supports the contention that it is, or it can provide evidence that it is not. The fact is that archeology provides evidence that does to point to the authorship of the Bible as being Divine. There are thousands of examples that could be used to illustrate how the Bible is corroborated by archeology, but we wish to select just two as representative, the cities of Jericho and Nineveh.



Jericho

The story of Joshua and the battle of Jericho is recorded in Joshua 6 in the Old Testament. Following the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, the people of Israel crossed the Jordan River under the leadership of Joshua, who replaced Moses as the earthly captain of God’s people. Israel prepared to conquer the walled city of Jericho by marching around the city walls once a day for six days. On the seventh day, they marched around the city seven times, and at the blast of a trumpet, the people shouted. According to the Bible account, the walls of the city fell down flat; and the fighting men of Israel, who had the city surrounded, went straight to the center of the city, killing everyone (with the exception of a woman named Rahab, and her family). Then they burned the city with fire.

Here is a strange story. To the so called thinking man of the 2Oth century, such stories belong to the realm of mythology. But what is the evidence from archeology?

"Dr. John Garstang, director of the British School of Archeology in Jerusalem and of the Department of Antiquities of the Palestine Government, excavated the ruins of Jericho, 1929-1936. He found pottery and scarab evidence that the city had been destroyed about 1400 BC, coinciding with Joshua’s date; and in a number of details, dug up evidence confirming the Biblical account in a most remarkable way."

"‘The wall fell down flat.’ Dr. Garstang found that the wall did actually ‘fall down flat.’ The wall was double, the two walls being 15 ft apart; the outer wall, 6 ft thick; the inner wall, 12 ft thick; both being about 30 ft high. They were built, not very substantially, on faulty uneven foundations, of brick 4 inches thick and 1 to 2 ft long, laid in mud mortar. The two walls were linked together by houses built across the top, as Rahab’s ‘house on the wall.’ Dr. Garstang found that the outer wall fell outwards and down the hillside, dragging the inner wall and houses with it, the streak of bricks gradually getting thinner down the slope. The foundation walls of the palace, 4 courses of stone high, remain, in situ, tilted downward. Dr. Garstang thinks there are indications that the wall was shaken down by an earthquake (of which traces may be seen), a method which God could have used as easily as any other.

"‘They burnt the city with fire.’ , Signs of the conflagration and destruction were very marked. Garstang found great layers of charcoal and ashes and the wall ruins reddened by fire. The outer wall suffered most. Houses alongside the wall were burned to the ground. The stratum generally was covered with a deep layer of black burnt debris, under which there were pockets of white ash, overlaid with a layer of fallen reddish brick" (Halley’s Bible Handbook, Zondervan Press; comments on Joshua 6).

This is solid archeological evidence which verifies the Biblical account. The record, written in the earth 3400 years ago, tells the same story, as nearly as it is possible to determine, as is recorded in the Bible.



Nineveh

We come now to the second of our cities, Nineveh. Nineveh is famous chiefly as being the city to which Jonah was sent after being swallowed and then vomited up by the great fish. Nineveh is described in the Bible as "an exceedingly great city, a three days walk" (Jonah 3:3), and containing "more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hands" (Jonah 4:11). A city with 120,000 babies or very small children is a large city even by today’s standards.

"So completely had all traces of the glory of the Assyrian Empire [of which Nineveh was the capital] disappeared that many scholars had come to think that the references to it in the Bible and other ancient histories were mythical; and that in reality such a city and such an Empire never existed."

"In 1820 an Englishman, Claude James Rich, spent 4 months sketching the mounds across the Tigris from Mosul, which he suspected were the ruins of Nineveh. In 1845 Layard definitely identified the site; and he and his successors uncovered the ruins of the magnificent palaces of the Assyrian kings, whose names have now become household words, and hundreds of thousands of inscriptions in which we read the history of Assyria as the Assyrians themselves wrote it, and which to a remarkable degree confirm the Bible" (Halley’s Bible Handbook, Zondervan Press, comments on Nahum).

The scoffers and doubters of the early 1800’s were using the lack of secular evidence about Nineveh to try to convince many that the Bible was in error, and that it therefore could not be the word of God. And, as has happened time after time, after further examination, the Bible has been shown to be completely accurate.

Even the story of Jonah is somewhat verified by archeological finds in Nineveh. According to the Bible, Jonah had preached, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh will be overthrown" (Jonah 3:4). As a result of his preaching, the whole city changed its attitude and behavior, and in consequence God did not destroy the city. If this really happened - if Jonah really had such an impact on such a large city - we would expect to find some evidence of that man’s existence. Because of the Bible’s accuracy in such matters, we are not surprised when we read, "The second largest mound in Nineveh is called ‘Yunas.’ ‘Yunas’ is the native word for ‘Jonah.’ The mound covers 40 acres and is 100 ft. high. It contains the reputed tomb of Jonah. This was one of the indications to Rich that these were the ruins of Nineveh, and led to their identification" (Halley’s Bible Handbook, Zondervan Press, comments on Jonah).

Another major find in the ruins of Nineveh was the library of Assurbanipal. "Perhaps the most epochal discovery ever made." Uncovered by Layard, Rassam, and Rawlison, 1852-1854, in the palace of Sennacherib. Originally contained 100,000 volumes. About a third of it has been recovered and is in the British Museum. Assurbanipal was something of an archeologist; had his scribes search and copy the libraries of ancient Babylon, of an age 2000 years before his day. Thus to him we are indebted for preserving knowledge of primitive Babylonian literature"(Halley’s Bible Handbook, Zondervan Press, comments on Nahum). This library is the source of thousands of details which may be used to verify the Bible account of history for more than 2000 years of ages past.



Summary

We have for our section entitled Archeology selected just two cities, Jericho and Nineveh. In both of these we have seen how archeology confirms the Bible record. And this is typical of a long list - Memphis, Babylon, Sidon, and Megiddo, just to name a few of the cities which the Bible accurately describes. The Bible’s accuracy makes it a continuing guide to major archeological finds in the Middle East. If the Bible were merely a collection of legends handed down through the years, there would be numerous errors in it. The absence of such errors warrants the conclusion that the Bible is more than such a collection.



Evolution vs. Creation

We now wish to deal with evolution and its relationship to the Bible. Evolution is a widely-believed theory which postulates that life on earth has come to its present state through millions of years of progression from lower forms of life.

In contrast, the Bible states that the earth and its life forms were created in six days some 6000 years ago. The Bible further defines one day as "morning and evening" (Genesis 1:5). Those who believe that the Bible is the word of God are compelled to believe in a literal six days of creation. The voice of God Himself spoke from Mt. Sinai in the giving of the fourth commandment: "For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore God blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy" (Exodus 20:11). In two specific ways the Old Testament defines a "day" of creation as corresponding closely to our normal 24-hour day.

Not only that, but the Lord Jesus in the New Testament confirms the shortness of the time of creation. "But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female" (Mark 10:6). If it had taken man a long time to come into existence after creation was initiated, then man and woman would not have been there at the time Jesus called "the beginning of creation. " A person who believes in the Bible is forced to believe in a literal six days of creation.

If evolution is correct, the Bible obviously is not the literal word of God. And, as a matter of fact, widespread belief in evolution is one of the major reasons why many people do not believe in the Bible.

Consider the scope of evolution (see Figure 1). Evolution is rooted in the concept that the earth began four to five billion years ago when material in the universe, such as a giant dust cloud, came together to form a swirling, molten ball. Over a period of three to four billion years this molten ball cooled down.

Figure 1

By one billion years ago the earth was covered with a seething solution of water, ammonia, and related chemicals, bubbling with methane gas. This brew is known as the "primeval broth." All the chemicals necessary for life were present in exactly the right amounts at exactly the right temperature. Then lightning (or some other stimulus) struck the mixture, the chemicals came together in exactly the right combinations, and life began as a primitive cell started to function.

From this primitive cell different life forms began to evolve. By 500 million years ago primitive plants had evolved, as well as primitive animals related to clams and snails. One of the most predominant forms of these shelled animals was the trilobite.

Trilobites existed from 500 million to 300 million years ago, and then they died out (Encyclopedia Americana, 1968 Ed.; Vol.21, pp. 186-194; Paleontology).

By 200 million years ago reptiles had replaced these earlier crustaceans as the dominant form of life. The giant reptiles, the dinosaurs, lumbered over the earth, unchallenged as kings, for 140 million years. With the shift in climate, reptiles such as these were unable to compete with the rapidly evolving mammals, and by 60 million years ago, the age of dinosaurs had drawn to a close as the last of the "terrible lizards" wheezed his last breath.

The Cenozoic Era is the age of mammals. This Era began 60 million years ago and has lasted up to the present. By the beginning of this era, primitive mammals had begun to evolve, and by the middle of the Era giant mammals nearly as large as dinosaurs roamed over the earth. Step by step each group of mammals gave way to a more advanced form, until one million years ago homo sapiens, modern man, appeared on the scene. Today he totally dominates the earth, and will continue to do so until he gives way to a higher form of life.

The Bible, in contrast, teaches that the earth began some 6000 years ago, and that all animals and plants were formed in the beginning. Following the flood, which occurred roughly 4500 years ago, the climate of the earth was apparently radically changed, and many forms of life which once existed became extinct.

Having presented these two views concerning the origin of man, we want to consider some very pertinent facts. And we want to see which view - Bible Creation or Evolution - is more consistent with these facts.

Fact Number 1: Near Glen Rose, Texas, in the bed of the Paluxy River, are fossilized dinosaur tracks. That is not surprising, because dinosaur tracks are found in many places throughout the world. What is surprising is that human footprints are fossilized in the same rock stratum, with some of the human tracks fossilized as actually stepping into the dinosaur tracks. (There is some controversy currently concerning the human tracks in the Paluxy. Because the tracks themselves are powerful a refutation of evolution, the controversy is not unexpected. You will need to see them yourself.)

According to evolutionary theory, dinosaurs died out 60 million years before man, with his distinctive footprint, walked on the face of the earth. But here is a fact, preserved in stone for anyone to see, proving that man and dinosaur lived at the same time. Furthermore, the limestone edge which must be ripped away to get to some of the tracks makes it clear that the tracks are of "normal dinosaur age."

This fact - that man and dinosaur lived at the same time - is a bull in the evolutionary china closet. It wrecks everything! If man existed with dinosaurs, then man did not evolve from dinosaurs. And if man did not evolve from dinosaurs, then neither did the other mammals. And if mammals did not evolve from dinosaurs, this throws that "most accurate" portion of the evolutionary chart out the window. And with the "most accurate" portion of evolution gone, the "less accurate" portion of the chart, from "first life" down to dinosaurs, is extremely questionable.

But notice that the Bible model, stating that all things lived together at the beginning, predicts that we should find evidence of both man and dinosaur living at the same time in the same place.

Fact Number 2: "George Howe in the Creation Research Quarterly of December 1968 reports the find of William Meister in Utah of a sandal footprint with crushed trilobites in it!" (The Christ and the lntertestament Period, Wartick and Fields, College Press, Joplin, MO; "The Christian and Evolution," p.686).

According to evolutionary theory, trilobites died out some 300 million years ago. According to the Bible, trilobites and man lived at the same time. That fact that a living trilobite was crushed by a human sandal, then fossilized, is hard to explain unless the Bible is true.

Other Questions: What about the fossil record, uranium dating, mutations, and other items discovered by science which are generally accepted as verifying evolution? All of these are discussed very completely in an excellent book written by a group of eminent scientists, and edited by Henry M. Morris of the Institute for Creation Research, entitled Scientific Creationism (published by Creation-Life Publishers, San Diego, CA 92115).

1.

The use of radioactive uranium and its decay into lead as a means of dating the age of the earth at 4.5 billion years is invalid because of certain assumptions which are basic to the method (that all lead in the sample was derived from the original uranium is one of the assumptions). For example, in testing the ages of some lava rocks, it was found that "most of them gave ages of over a billion years, even though the lava rocks were known to have been formed in modern times" (p.143).
2.

Rocks are usually dated by the kinds of fossils found in them or in rock layers near them. The age of a fossil is determined by its complexity - simple fossils are assumed to be old, and complex fossils are assumed to be more recent. "The fossils speak of evolution because they have been made to speak of evolution" (p.96).
3.

Mutation, the mechanism upon which evolution depends for one form to evolve into a higher form, is always harmful rather than helpful.", a truly beneficial mutation, has yet to be documented" (p.56).
4.

Even a simple cell could not have been formed by the mechanics of random action in 30 billion years (p.62).
5.

The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that everything in the universe is tending toward decay, or disorder. For instance, in accordance with the Second Law of Thermodynamics, each year it takes the earth a small fraction of a second longer to make its annual revolution around the sun. The Second Law also applies to living systems. Because the Law forces all things toward decay or degeneration, it is impossible for there to be any long-term upgrading from lower life forms to more advanced forms. "We are warranted, then, in concluding that the evolutionary process . . . is completely precluded by the Second Law of Thermodynamics" (p.45).
6.

It is interesting that the Bible is entirely consistent with the Second Law of Thermodynamics, even going so far as to make a word statement of it: "For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption, " (Romans 8:20,21). The Second Law predicts no new life forms, and general decay from a good beginning. So does the Bible: "And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good" (Genesis 1:31).

The conclusion is apparent: evolution does not invalidate the Bible. Rather, the facts connected with the fossil record and natural science are consistent with the Bible, and tend to verify it rather than evolution.





Summary

In our discussion concerning the Bible as the word of God, we have discussed two subjects, archeology and evolution. The Bible can be shown to be accurate in regard to archeology, which points to divine authorship of its history. And the facts of natural science, rather than relegating the Bible to the realms of mythology as is widely assumed, tend to verify the Bible’s accuracy!





II. INTERNAL EVIDENCES

Introduction

We have seen that archeology and natural science tend to verify the Bible. However, the evidence from these is merely supportive, and not proof. The real evidence that the Bible is the word of God must be internal.

Why must proof that the Bible is the word of God be internal? It is clear, upon reflection, that it would be possible for a human being to write a book without error. The test of the accuracy of such a book would be to compare it to reality. For example, if a book states that water boils at 212 F. at sea level, that can be tested by going to sea level and boiling water. To prove, then, that a book such as the Bible is accurate in comparison to external considerations is not proof that the book is authored by God. It is necessary evidence, but it is not sufficient for proof. The evidence which is sufficient will come in internal evidences which the human mind cannot duplicate.

Of what would this internal proof consist? An old homesteader’s shack, now partially fallen down, is proof of the one-time existence of the homesteader. The design, clearly not by chance, is proof of the existence of the designer. In the same way, proof of the existence of God would be a transcendent design, carried out on a scale which chance or human planning could not duplicate.

Does the Bible offer such a transcendent design? We will find the Bible clearly shows that its authorship is something beyond human in its predictions of history, its predictions of the Messiah, and its setting forth and carrying out a grand design. We will find that the Bible reveals a Plan carried out without wavering over thousands of years - proof which binds the Bible together as one complete unit.



Fulfilled Historical Prophecy

Historical prophecy begins very early in the Bible. In Genesis 15, according to the Bible record, God foretold that Abraham’s descendants would be enslaved in a foreign land for 400 years, but that they would come out of that land with many possessions - a prophecy of Israel’s enslavement and delivery from Egypt.

Other prophecies were given as the Bible account continued its journey through history. For example, before Moses’ ascension of Mt. Nebo to die, he pronounced a blessing upon the people of Israel if the people kept the Law; but if they broke the Law, he promised that the Lord would curse the people. In the promised curses recorded in Deuteronomy, he foretold the coming of a time when they would have a king (Deuteronomy 28:36), and their destruction at the hands of the merciless Assyrians and Babylonians (Deuteronomy 28:49-68). Such prophecies were fulfilled hundreds of years later.

We have chosen to consider three historical prophecies from the Old Testament as representative and instructive of the authorship of God.



Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

Our first example is from Daniel 2. Daniel as a young man was brought captive from Jerusalem to Babylon when his homeland was conquered by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. Because of the wisdom and knowledge which Daniel possessed, he with three other youths was assigned office with the soothsayers and magicians of Babylon (Daniel 1:1-21).

In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign over Jerusalem, the king had a dream which troubled him, and he anxiously desired to know the meaning of the dream. Calling his master astrologers (the Chaldeans) together, he issued a command: "…if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb, " (Daniel 2:5).

The Chaldeans, of course, having no idea at all what the dream was, begged the king to tell them the contents of the dream. If the king would only do that, they would tell him the meaning of the dream. But Nebuchadnezzar, one of the craftiest, most able kings of all time, did not trust the astrologers and sorcerers. He told them, "For you have agreed together to speak lying and corrupt words before me until the situation is changed; therefore tell me the dream, that I may know that you can declare to me the interpretation" (Daniel 2:9).

As expected, none of the magicians or Chaldeans could tell the king what the dream was. Orders went forth to kill all the so-called wise men, including Daniel and his three friends. When Daniel found out what was going on, he asked the king for a little time, and prayed to God that He would make known to Daniel the dream and its interpretation, so that his life would be spared. The Lord, according to the Bible, granted his request.

We next find Daniel in the presence of the king. After giving God all the credit for the dream and its interpretation, Daniel first told the king what the dream was, so that the king would know that Daniel was telling the truth about the interpretation. The central figure in the dream was a statue, described as having a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron and feet of iron and clay. Then a stone, cut out of a mountain without hands, struck the statue on the feet and smashed it to smithereens. Following this, a wind came up and blew the pieces of the statue away; but the stone which struck the statue became a great mountain which filled the whole earth (Daniel 2:31-35).

In Daniel 2:36-45, Daniel gives the king the interpretation. The head of gold is Babylon, with Nebuchadnezzar as king. Then came a silver kingdom, followed by a bronze kingdom. Finally came a fourth kingdom, described as strong as iron, but divided. In the days of these iron kings, God is described as setting up His kingdom, which would never be destroyed. And Daniel makes it clear that God’s kingdom is represented by the stone, which destroyed the other kingdoms.

It is easy to trace the path of Daniel’s prophecy through time. The Babylonians lasted until 536 BC; then came the Medes and Persians, who were partners. The Medes and Persians dominated until 333 BC, when the Greeks, represented by the bronze, replaced them. The Greeks were progressively overthrown by the iron of Rome, with Roman domination being complete by 200 BC.

Liberal and conservative theologians alike both usually stumble over the fact that the kingdom of God, as viewed by the Bible, is the church (see the study on "The Church as the Kingdom of God" in the booklet Christ’s Church), and are unable to unravel the meaning of this prophecy of Daniel’s. But it is clear that the church was begun by God, and not man, just as the stone in the vision (which represented the kingdom of God, Daniel 2:44,45) was cut out without human hands. It is clear that the church, which began on the day of Pentecost, 30 AD, was set up in the days of the Roman, or iron, kings. And it is clear that, just as the stone became a mountain which filled the whole earth, so the church will increase and will go to the ends of the earth. And someday the kingdom of this world will "become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever" (Revelation 11:15), and the prophecy of Daniel will finally be completely fulfilled.

The description of the iron kingdom as being divided, partly of iron and partly of clay, is a good description of the Roman Empire in New Testament times. For example, when Jesus was born, Augustus Caesar was Emperor, Herod the Great was king, and there were various governors scattered throughout. These men were always jockeying for position, and the local rulers did not mix well with the Romans, as pottery does not mix with iron. But everywhere was the toughness of iron, the Roman army.

If we accept Biblical dating for this writing in Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar saw this vision sometime between 605 BC and 585 BC. Some 600 years before God set up His kingdom, Daniel, in a prophetic panorama, predicted the coming of three empires following the Babylonians, culminating in God’s kingdom. Furthermore, he predicted that God’s kingdom would spread throughout the whole earth, and that it would last forever. If the Bible date for this writing is correct, there is only one explanation - God knew what was going to happen ahead of time, and He wrote it down for us scoffers and doubters, and those of us of little faith.



The Ram and the Goat

Let’s consider another prophetic vision of Daniel, given in Daniel 8:1-8. Daniel, again according to Bible dating, received this vision near 545 BC, as Belshazzar was in his third year as king of Babylon (probably as co-regent). In this vision Daniel himself was placed in a different location; he was removed to Persia. He saw a ram with two horns (the second horn coming up longer) butting north, west, and south. Then from the west came a male goat, with one big horn between its eyes, and he smashed the ram and trampled him into the dirt. Then the big horn was broken off, and in its place came four horns.

This part of Daniel’s vision is interpreted in Daniel 8:20-22. We are told that the shaggy goat represented Greece, and the ram represented the kingdom of Media-Persia. The large horn in the middle of the goat’s head was the Greek Empire’s first king, and the four horns which arose after the larger horn was broken off represented the four kingdoms which arose out of the first king’s power.

It is amazing how descriptive Daniel’s vision is. The Medes and the Persians were partners. The Medes dominated at first, but the Persians eventually came to dominate, and they were stronger than the Medes had ever been. This was pictured by the two horns on the ram; the second one, representing the Persians, came up longer (stronger). The Persian Empire was spreading in all directions but east, as foretold by the ram’s butting north, west, and south. Then in 333 BC, more than 200 years following Daniel’s prophecy, Greece (pictured by the male goat) smashed Persia’s power. In ten short years, Alexander the Great, portrayed as the large horn, extended Greek domain to the Indus River in what is now Pakistan. No wonder the billy-goat is visualized as moving so fast his feet were not touching the ground; he was flying!

Following Alexander’s death in 322 BC, his kingdom was eventually divided among four generals: Ptolemy, Seleucus, Cassander, and Lysimachus. This was prophesied by Daniel in the description of the large horn between the goat’s eyes being broken off, and being replaced by four horns.

If we accept the Bible’s date for this vision, there is only one explanation for the accuracy and detail which were written down more than 200 years before the events occurred: God knew what was going to happen ahead of time, and He wrote it down for us scoffers and doubters, and those of us of little faith.



The Coming of Cyrus

Our third example of historical prophecy is taken from the book of Isaiah. Isaiah lived and prophesied from 740 to 700 BC. In 605 BC the Babylonians came and conquered his beloved country, Judah, and its capital, Jerusalem (you need this history to understand this prophecy of Isaiah). In 585 BC, because of an extremely rebellious attitude on the part of the Jews, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem, wrecked the temple of Solomon, and killed nearly all of Judah’s inhabitants. 50 years later the Medes and the Persians, under King Cyrus of Persia and General Darius the Mede, captured Babylon. It was the policy of Cyrus to allow captive peoples, such as the Jews, to return to their homelands.

More than 175 years before the capture of Babylon, Isaiah wrote: "It is I [the Lord] who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire. And he declares of Jerusalem, "She shall be built." And of the temple, "Your foundation will be laid."‘ Thus says the Lord to Cyrus His anointed" (Isaiah 44:28-45:1).

Before Cyrus was born, according to the Bible, God (through Isaiah) named him by name, and foretold what he was going to do. As the Lord had declared, Cyrus allowed the city of Jerusalem to be rebuilt, and the foundation of the Temple to be re-laid, following their destruction by the Babylonians. Again, if Bible dating is true, there is only one explanation: God, knowing 200 years ahead of time what was going to happen, wrote it down for us scoffers and doubters, and those of us of little faith.



Some Discussion

Daniel’s prediction of the four coming kingdoms in the first vision, his description of the Medo-Persian Empire and the coming of Alexander the Great in the second vision, and Isaiah’s prophecy about Cyrus of Persia, are very accurate and descriptive. Such accuracy is recognized by all who examine the work, liberal and conservative alike. Those who deny that the Bible is the word of God make such statements as this about the book of Daniel, for example: "The impression that the predictions made in the distant past had been fulfilled so accurately was made possible by the fact that the apocalypses were written after the events had taken place, but they are presented as though they had been made prior to these events" (Cliffs Notes, "Old Testament"; Charles H. Patterson, p.86).

Modern scholars charge that the Bible has been "doctored" to make its prophecies come true. Many believe that the original writings of such books as Genesis and Exodus were from a source labeled "J". Sometime later writings from another source labeled "E" were added, followed by "" writings. Finally, the whole work was re-edited by the priesthood, and additions labeled "P" made the first five books complete. Later writings from the prophets were added, and the much altered, compacted, deleted, and expanded work (according to modern liberal scholars) is our Old Testament (Cliffs Notes, "Old Testament"; Charles H. Patterson, pp.58,59).

An examination of such charges will reveal that such statements as "the fact that the apocalypses [of Daniel] were written after these events had taken place" are not fact at all! All such charges, although clothed in language designed to convince you that they are based on bedrock truth, are nothing more than conjecture at best, and outright lies at worse. Here is another example: "Now there is almost universal agreement among Biblical scholars that the Pentateuch [the first five books of the Old Testament] is composed of at least four separate and distinct narratives, written by different persons who were widely separated in point of time (Ibid., p.56) [emphasis added]. Who these "Biblical scholars" are, and what overwhelming evidence there is for conclusion is never stated.

What is the point we are trying to make? Simply this: the historical prophecies in the Old Testament are so accurate that those who wish to deny that they were written by God are forced to say that they were written after the events prophesied occurred, without evidence for such conjectures. This sort of speculation may temporarily get them out of a jam, but we will see shortly that these foundationless guesses will smash under the weight of Messianic prophecy.

Of course, if these visions and prophecies were really received at the Biblical dates assigned to them, there is only one possible explanation: they were given by God, and recorded for eternity by His prophets, as proof of His divine authorship.





Fulfilled Messianic Prophecy

For centuries the Jews had awaited the coming of the Messiah to save them. The word Messiah is the Hebrew word meaning "the anointed one." Its Greek equivalent is christos, which is where our word Christ comes from. Its meaning is derived from the practice of anointing kings. For example, when God chose David to be king of Israel (the David who killed Goliath), He sent the prophet Samuel down to the house of Jesse. "Fill your horn with oil and go, you shall anoint for Me the one whom I designate" (I Samuel 16:1,3). So Samuel filled his horn with oil, and anointed David as king of Israel by pouring the oil on David’s head - the anointing - as God instructed. The Messiah, then, was to be the king who was to sit on David’s throne, ruling over the house of Jacob.

The Jews expected a Messiah to come because of a large number of prophecies concerning Him. Let’s look at some of these prophecies.



Isaiah 53

The complete text of Isaiah was found among the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947, and that text is dated at 100 BC (Encyclopedia Americana; Vol.3, p.659; "Bible"; 1968 Ed.). The find has proven to be very significant in that it shows that our present Old Testament, translated from Massoretic texts dated at 800 AD, has essentially no differences from texts dated 900 years earlier. In other words, the large number of "copy errors and inclusion of notes into the body of the text" expected by liberal scholars simply were not there. This is strong evidence that the Bible has come to us unchanged through the centuries. Secondly, the book of Isaiah was clearly written in its entirety before the man Jesus came into existence on earth, which provides some interesting dilemmas for those who do not believe that the Bible is the word of God.

In Isaiah 53, the following predictions, written before Christ, are made of a man:

1. He would not be outstanding in appearance (vs. 2).
2. He would be a man of sorrow (vs. 3).
3. He would bear our griefs and sorrows (vs. 4).
4. He would be pierced through for our sins (vs. 5).
5. All of us have gone astray, but God caused the iniquity of us all to fall on this man (vs. 6).
6. He would not try to defend Himself against His accusers (vs. 7).
7. He would be cut off out of the land of the living (He would be killed) for the sins of God’s people (vs. .
8. Although innocent, His grave would be assigned to be with the wicked, yet He would be with a rich man in His death (vs. 9).
9. He would be offered as a guilt offering, yet somehow would see His offspring, and His days would be prolonged (vs. 10).
10. He, the righteous One, would justify many (vs. 11).
11. He would be greatly rewarded for being poured out to death, and for being numbered with the transgressors (vs. 12).

Such prophecies are a remarkable foreshadow of the Jesus of the New Testament. The New Testament claims for this Jesus are that He came, as the Lamb of God (John 1:29), to be offered for the sins of all men. The New Testament claims that He did not try to defend Himself against His accusers (like a sheep before its shearers). The New Testament claims that He was hung on a cross between two thieves (with the wicked in His death). The New Testament claims that He was pierced through, with a Roman spear, for the transgressions of all men. The New Testament claims that He was buried in the tomb of rich Joseph of Arimathea (with a rich man in His death). The New Testament claims that He was raised from the dead to live forever (that His days would be prolonged), and that He is seated at the right hand of God as King Jesus (greatly rewarded for being poured out to death), watching over His spiritual offspring.

Those who deny that the Bible is the word of God are forced to long wordy explanations in order to try to modify rather clear scripture. The central question obviously in the back of their minds is: "How can I make people think that Isaiah is not talking about Jesus?" For example, in Cliffs Notes, the author tries to diffuse the suffering of the Messiah described in Isaiah 53 by applying the suffering to a whole group of people: "In a series of poems called ‘Songs of the Suffering Servant,’ the prophet sets forth his greatest contribution to Israel’s religious ideals. It is here that he points out the purpose and opportunity that lie behind the unmerited suffering on the part of comparatively innocent persons" (Cliffs Notes’. "Old Testament"; Charles H. Patterson, p.50) [emphasis added].

The objective mind realizes that such specific predictions as Isaiah made are not possible in the realm of the natural; such predictions belong in the realm of the supernatural. Here is strong evidence that the Bible was written by a clearly Supreme Mind.



Psalm 22

In Psalm 22:16-18, the crucifixion of someone is very clearly portrayed. "For dogs have surrounded me; a band of evildoers has encompassed me; they pierced my hands and my feet." This crucifixion is especially interesting since crucifying people was not a Jewish practice. The Jewish way was death by stoning.

"I can count all my bones." Whoever this is happening to does not have any broken bones. They did not break Jesus’ bones; they did break the bones of the thieves with which He was hanging. But He was dead when the Roman soldiers arrived, and it was not necessary for them to kill Him on the cross.

"They look, they stare at me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." This is a perfect description of what the Roman soldiers did with Jesus’ belongings as He hung in agony overhead (Matthew 27:33-54).

David wrote this Psalm 1000 years before Jesus was born. And David was not crucified. Whoever this Psalm is about died a Roman death. Whoever this Psalm is about cried out, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" (Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:36).

If Jesus were just pretending to be the Messiah, you would think that He would stop short of being crucified. After all, life is short enough without that sort of thing. Unless He knew ahead of time that He was going to be raised from the dead - in which case He would not have to pretend that He was the Messiah.



Details of Christ’s Life Foretold

We have looked at prophecies concerning the Christ from Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 in some detail. We now want to list some the prophecies about the life of the Messiah:

1.

His birth - Micah 5:2-5 - predicts that the ruler of Israel would be born in Bethlehem. "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah [Ephrathah is the old name for Bethlehem, and describes that area], too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity." Further more, this ruler in Israel had existed from the days of eternity, and He had appeared a number of times prior to His birth. This passage of scripture goes on to describe the lost condition of Israel prior to the coming of the Messiah, and how the "shepherd king" would eventually be great throughout the whole earth. "Therefore He [God] will give them up until the time when she who is in labor has born a child. Then the remainder of His brethren will return to the sons of Israel. And He will arise and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord, and the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. And they will remain, because at that time He will be great to the ends of the earth."

Isaiah 9:6,7 - tells us that a son would be born to sit on the throne of David. "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor [the Holy Spirit], Mighty God, eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom…." The Old Testament predicts that all of God would be Christ, and in Christ. Such characteristics are precisely what Jesus claimed for Himself, and what the apostles attributed to Him after His resurrection (John 14:6,7 - Jesus is the Father; John 8:58 - Jesus is the Mighty God; John 14:16,17 - Jesus is the Holy Spirit; Colossians 2:9 - All the fullness of Deity dwells in Jesus bodily).

Isaiah 7:14 - prophesies that "God with us" would be born of a virgin.
2.

His ministry - Isaiah 9:1,2 - promises that Jesus would spend most of His time near the Sea of Galilee, the region belonging to the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali in the original apportionment of the promised land among the twelve tribes of Israel. This area by Isaiah’s time had long since lapsed into idolatry, hence described as being in darkness. Of the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, God says through Isaiah, "The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them."
3.

His kingdom - We have already seen how, from Daniel 2:44,45, God would set up His kingdom in the days of the Roman kings. Isaiah 9:7 shows that the child born would be the One sitting on the throne in that kingdom.
4.

His death - We have already seen from Isaiah 53:5-9 how the Redeemer would be pierced through for the people’s sins, and that He would be cut off out of the land of the living for their transgressions.
5.

His resurrection - Psalm 16 - contains a prophecy of the Christ’s resurrection. In verse 8 the Father speaks of the Son as being at His right hand, "I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." Then the Son speaks, "Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will dwell securely For Thou wilt not abandon my soul to Sheol; neither wilt Thou allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay" (Psalm 16:9-10). The Holy One was going to go to Sheol [Greek - Hades], the resting place of the soul following death. However, this One’s soul was not going to be abandoned to Sheol, and He was not going to be dead long enough for His flesh to see decay (the pit).
6.

His suffering - Isaiah prophesies the suffering of the Messiah: "I gave My back to those who strike Me, and My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting" (Isaiah 50:6).
7.

His entrance into Jerusalem - "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey" (Zechariah 9:9). Not only was the king coming in on a donkey, but He was endowed with salvation!

These seven details in the life of Jesus illustrate the extent to which the Old Testament proclaims the truthfulness of the New Testament record. Jesus, for instance, could have rigged the riding of a donkey into Jerusalem, if He were smart enough. But there is no probable way to really arrange for Roman soldiers to gamble for clothing just to fulfill some writings 1000 years old, while you conveniently hang on a cross overhead - unless it has been ordained by God. And there is no possible way to come back from the dead in a resurrection, unless that has been prearranged by God also.

We have, in this section, listed only a few of the Old Testament prophecies pertaining to Jesus. There are at least 150 specific prophecies concerning a man who was to come, all of which were clearly fulfilled by the Jesus of the New Testament. The number and scope of such prophecies are far beyond the range of human arrangement. There is really only one possible explanation - Divine planning and action. Such Messianic prophecy is some of the strongest proof that the Bible is indeed the word of God and the story of Jesus.



The Plan

Old Testament prophecies prove that the Author of the prophecies is also the Author of history. Prophecies of history prove that the Old Testament is the word of God. The Old Testament prophecies also prove that Jesus is the Christ the Messiah, and that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are the word of God. Since most of the New Testament - the book of Acts, the epistles, and Revelation - relates to the church, and indirectly to Jesus, the question is: Is all of the New Testament the word of God? Another way of asking the same question is: Is part of the Bible the word of God, and part of it merely the word of men? Did the early church "make up" parts of the New Testament to justify its existence?

In this section, we intend to show that, because of The Plan, the entire New Testament is the word of God, and that the Bible as a whole is one complete, inspired unit.



Phase 1

The Plan begins at the beginning. According to the Bible, God said, "Let us make man in Our image, " (Genesis 1:26). Man, made in the image of God (who is Spirit - John 4:24), is a spirit being - different from animals, with spiritual needs. One of those needs is fellowship with God.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they died (Genesis 2:17) - they lost their fellowship with God. At that point, according to the Bible, God began implementing the Plan. Animal sacrifices now began to be offered in atonement for sins.

But, in spite of sacrifices, mankind degenerated rapidly from The Fall, and it became necessary for God to essentially destroy the human race in the Flood of Noah’s day. Following the Flood, God said, "I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done" (Genesis 8:21). The lesson of the Flood is that men left to themselves become absolutely corrupt.



Phase 2

Following the Flood, God implemented Phase 2 of the Plan. Dealing with a faithful man named Abram (later Abraham), God promised him, "In you all the families of earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:3). So from Abraham the Hebrew came the Israelites, who took their name from Jacob (whom God renamed Israel), Abraham’s grandson. The Israelites grew into a mighty nation in the land of Egypt, where they settled in the land of Goshen.

But here, at the beginning of the nation Israel, we have God making a promise to bless every family on earth through Abraham. Note that this is an "un-Jewish" thing to write. There are those who maintain that Israel’s religion and theology developed as their great thinkers thought new thoughts and added to Jewish tradition. Furthermore, many have the idea that the priests, following the Babylonian captivity of 605 to 536 BC, edited the Old Testament works so as to exalt the priestly position. If these positions were true, given Jewish non-acceptance of the Gentiles, we would never find Genesis 12:3 with its promise of God’s blessing on all the families of earth. But here it is, a clear foundation piece of a definite plan for God to do something special for all peoples through Abraham.



Phase 3

Then, through Moses, after the people of Israel had been in Egypt for 400 years, Phase 3 was put into effect. The people of Israel crossed the Red Sea to the wilderness of Sinai where they were given the Law. The Law incorporated three things:

1. Laws by which the people were to live.
2. Regulations for sacrifices offered by the priests (the service), and worship by the Jews in general.
3. The establishment of the priesthood.

From the beginning, the Law of Moses was designed to eventually be destroyed, and to be replaced by a superior system:

1. The people would not keep the Law.
2. The regulations for sacrifice, including the design of the Hebrew tabernacle were designed to foreshadow elements of the Christian religion (see Hebrews chapters 8-10).
3. The priesthood was to foreshadow the priesthood of the Christ, the eternal High Priest.

Not only are these points brought out by Christian authors in the New Testament, but they are manifested in Old Testament prophecy as well:

1.

"‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah; not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,’ declares the Lord" (Jeremiah 31:31,32).

Jeremiah makes two points here: a) The people would not keep the Law - they broke the covenant which God made with them through Moses; b) God was going to make a new covenant with them which would be different from the one given on Mt. Sinai. It would also be a superior covenant. "I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it’’ (Jeremiah 31:33).
2.

"And He [Messiah the Prince] will make a firm covenant with many for one week but in the middle of the week He will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering" (Daniel 9:27).

Daniel points out that in the middle of a week (a week of years is seven years - a Jewish week could be seven days or seven years - and the middle of a week is three and one-half years), the Messiah would put a stop to Old Testament service, with its grain offerings and sacrifices. If the Messiah were the perfect sacrifice Himself - offered as a guilt offering for the transgressions of all men, His death would certainly put a stop to the other offerings and sacrifices - there would be no more need for them. And it is interesting that the Messiah was cut off after ministering three and one-half years on earth, exactly in accordance with Daniel’s prophecy.
3. "The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, ‘Thou art a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek’"(Psalm 110:4).

Priests of the Mosaic covenant were of the order of Aaron (descended from Moses’ brother Aaron) and were of the tribe of Levi. The new priest would be of the order of Melchizedek (Genesis 14:17-24), and He would be a priest forever! Just as the Old Testament pointed to the cessation of sacrifices and offerings, so it also pointed to a change in the priesthood, a priesthood of One who would be a priest forever!

Here’s the point: from its very foundation the Israelite religion was designed to be set aside and replaced by a new religion with superior law, superior service and worship, and a superior priesthood. Ask yourself a question: What man, if he were to design a religion, would design it to self-destruct (especially the priesthood)? Ask yourself another question: What man, if he did design a religion to self-destruct, could guarantee the destruction of that religion, and the formation of the superior religion out of it 1400 years later?

Of course, in history, we find that the real core of the Israelite religion is gone. There is no temple, no priesthood, no sacrifices. In 70 AD, all these were swept aside, as Jesus predicted, by the hands of the Romans. All that is left is the written record of the teaching ordinances which no Jew today can follow.

All this points to the existence of a transcendent Designer carrying out His plan through the ages, and revealing it to man through His written word.



Phase 4

For three and one-half centuries Israel had no king; it was governed by judges. The people demanded to have a king like the other nations around them, so God gave Samuel the prophet orders to anoint Saul of the tribe of Benjamin as king. When Saul turned away from God, David the shepherd boy of Bethlehem became the new king, and Phase 4 of God’s plan was underway. God promised King David, "And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever" (II Samuel 7:16). So the Messiah, the Child who was to be born, was to sit on the throne of David forever (Isaiah 9:6,7; Luke 1:32,33).

Not only was the Messiah to be king, according to the Old Testament, but He also would be High Priest." Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord , and he …will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices" (Zechariah 6:12,13). Physically, it is not possible for one man to be both High Priest and King; kings were descended from the tribe of Judah, and priests were of the tribe of Levi. And for centuries the battle for leadership of God’s people had gone on. Sometimes the High Priest was dominant, sometimes the king. With the coming of the Branch [Nazarene], as Zechariah had prophesied, as both High Priest and King, there would be the counsel of peace between the two offices.



Phase 5

Phase 5 in the Biblical plan is the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus in accordance with all the Old Testament prophecies. The person of the Messiah, and His crucifixion and glorification are the central points of the whole Bible. These events were predicted in the Old Testament, and were covered in the previous section on prophecies of the Messiah.



Phase 6

Phase 6 was the establishment of the church, the kingdom of God. This was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning the kingdom and the new covenant.

The purpose of the church was to take the "good news" of salvation to the Jews first. Man lost his fellowship with God through Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden, and by his own personal guilt. This fellowship with God is restored through the reconciliation which is available only through Jesus Christ (II Corinthians 5:18,19). By being "born of water and Spirit" (John 3:5) through immersion in Jesus’ name (Acts 2:38), the Jew received the promise of fellowship with God through the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:39), which met his deepest need, and which had been unavailable until the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, 30 AD.

Most Jews rejected this covenant, preferring to look for a kingdom of their own imagination, as Isaiah had prophesied, "Go and tell this people: ‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive; keep on looking, but do not understand’ "(Isaiah 6:9).

But for those Jews who turned to Christ (descended from Abraham), fellowship with God was restored, and a portion of God’s plan to bless all families through Abraham was fulfilled.



Phase 7

Phase 7 was the extension of salvation to the Gentiles some ten years following the establishment of the church. This was really contrary to Jewish thinking, but was carefully laid out by God in His Plan centuries earlier when He promised Abraham that through him all families of earth would be blessed. As He explained in Hosea: "And it will come about that, in the place where it is said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ it will be said to them, ‘You are the sons of the living God’ "(Hosea 1:10). The Gentiles, who were not God’s people under the terms of Mosaic Law, were to be the people of God [by faith] under the terms of the covenant yet to come. As the prophet Joel had spoken: "And it will come about that whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be delivered [saved]" (Joel 2:32). Whoever includes Gentile as well as Jew!

The central theme of the New Testament is the need for teaching, exhorting, and edifying the church. And the reason for this is that the church is to carry out God’s Plan for taking the message of salvation to all those in every nation - to whoever will call on the name of the Lord.

Notice how this Phase of the Plan binds the Old and the New Testaments together as one single unit, committed to one purpose of seeking and saving the lost, who have been separated from the fellowship of God as a result of their own sin. It is revealed by Abraham’s time that God is committed to blessing all those of every nation who will turn to Him; yet because of the nature of man, it was necessary to carry out His Plan in various stages. The New Testament church is the consummation of His Plan on earth; and it is clear that the instructions to the church are a vital part of the Bible.

It has been said: "The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed; the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed." The Plan is contained, in a somewhat hidden fashion, in the Old Testament. It is clearly revealed in the New Testament.



Phase 8

Phase 8 of the Plan is not yet in effect. Phase 8 is the Judgment of God, foretold in both the Old and New Testaments. For those who have not met God’s requirements, there is the eternal lake of fire; for those who have, there is eternal life. From the Old Testament: " ‘For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,’ says the Lord of h

The Bible:
God's inspired message to man.
Scientific evidences to prove it!!!

The Bible is the world's all-time best selling book. About 2.5 billion copies have been printed which are available in over 700 languages. Although the Bible has enjoyed such vast distribution and attention, it is read relatively little. Perhaps part of the reason the Bible is so neglected is the many doubts people have about this unique book. If the Bible came from the mouth of God, then the scriptures are believable when they speak of Jesus Christ and accurate when they touch the realm of science.

All scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work . (2 Timothy 3:16,17)

The word "inspired" (theopneustos) in the original Greek language literally means "God-breathed". When the Bible claims to be inspired, we understand therefore, that it came from the mouth of God. It is God-breathed, inspired.

But a skeptic will say, "Everyone knows the Bible was written by men! The book of 1 Corinthians, for example, was written by a man named Paul. After all, the very first verse bears his name as the author." In reply to this we answer: "Yes, 1 Corinthians was written by Paul. Notice however, what Paul said in chapter 14, verse 37: "the things I write to you are the Lord's commandment." Paul knew the source of his writings and understood that he was like a pen in the hand of Almighty God. We must not view the Bible as the word of Paul, Peter, or Jeremiah, but rather, as the message God revealed through these men just as it is written in Jeremiah 1:9,

Then the Lord stretched out his hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, 'behold, I have put my words in your mouth'.

The Bible writers were not like news reporters giving their personal interpretation of events they eye-witnessed, but were divinely guided as 2 Peter 1:20-21 says,

Above all, you must understand that no prophesy of scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. 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.

God and man worked together in writing the scriptures. However, in this work, God is the author who dictated the message, and man is the writing instrument. Men were guided or inspired to write the exact message God wanted recorded in the Bible. Now that we have a fundamental understanding of inspiration and the origin of the Bible, let us look at some evidence of inspiration.

"We constantly thank God that when you received from us the word of God's message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God" (1 Thessalonians 2:13).
Scientific information in the Bible

Although the Bible is not primarily a book of science, it does contain numerous scientific facts. We laugh at the scientific knowledge of just a hundred years ago. If man alone were the author of the Bible, we would expect to find many such humorous errors contained in it. However, if we examine the scientific data of the Bible and find it to be accurate to present-day knowledge, then we have powerful evidence for divine authorship. The scientific facts we are about to examine are not only accurate, but were revealed thousands of years before man discovered them for himself. The Bible does not contain any errors typical of the time in which it was written. Would we expect anything less from a book written by God?
The earth is round!

You may be surprised to learn that the Bible revealed that the earth is round. Job 26:10, Prov 8:27, Isaiah 40:22, Amos 9:6. Today, we chuckle at the people of the fifteenth century who feared sailing because they thought they would fall over the edge of the flat earth. Yet the Bible revealed the truth in 1000 B.C. 2500 years before man discovered it for himself!
"Paths of the sea"



Matthew Maury (1806-1873) is considered the father of oceanography. His wife was reading a portion of the Bible to him. While listening, he noticed the expression "paths of the sea" in Psalms 8:8. Upon his recovery, Maury took God at his word and went look ing for these paths. We are indebted to his discovery of the warm and cold continental currents. His book on oceanography is still considered a basic text on the subject and is still used in universities. Maury used the Bible as a guide to scientific discovery. If only more would use the Bible as a guide in their personal lives!
The Hydrologic Water Cycle
Revealed in the Bible: Job 36:27-28

The water cycle was not fully understood until about 30 B.C. by a Roman engineer named Marcus Vitruvius. Yet every aspect of the water cycle was fully revealed to mankind in 1600 B.C.! The Bible's description is in perfect harmony with modern science. Eccl 1:6-7; 11:3; Job 26:8; Amos 9:6. Vitruvius was 1600 years too late!
6 DAY CREATION,
GOD WAS TAKING HIS TIME

If a fair maiden kisses a frog which instantly changes into a handsome prince, we would call it a fairy tale. But if the change takes 40 million years, we call it evolution. We often hear that science has proved evolution. Nothing could be further from the truth. You see, people often confuse scientific fact with scientific theory. Current scientific theory does conflict with creation. But the facts of science do not! There are many scientists who fully accept Biblical creation. Surprised?

The theory of evolution says that over millions of years simple life forms (one celled creatures) slowly evolved into complex life forms (fish), and that one kind of animal evolved into another kind (ape to man). Genesis, on the other hand, says that all life forms were created in six, 24 hour days. Genesis chapter one states 10 times that life forms can only reproduce after their own kind (ape to ape, man to man). All the observable facts of science strongly support the Bible's claim that it is impossible for one kind to reproduce a different kind. The truth is, there is absolutely no tangible evidence to support evolution from any area of science, just theory and a wild imagination!

But if the Bible is wrong and man actually did evolve in small graduations over a long period of time, we should find ample fossil evidence of links in intermediate stages of transition. For decades, evolutionists have searched for fossils of these links to prove biblical creation wrong. Although millions of fossils have been unearthed, not even one missing link has ever been found. Has it ever occurred to you that this is the reason why scientists refer to them as missing links?

Even Charles Darwin realized the difficulty missing links gave his theory. Darwin wrote in his book, Origin Of The Species, "Why, if species have descended from other species by fine graduation, do we not everywhere see innumerable transitional forms? Why is not all nature in confusion, instead of the species being, as we see them, well defined?" The reason we have never found any missing links is quite simple. Darwin's theory of evolution is wrong!
Experts tricked for 40 years!

In 1912, Arthur Woodward announced to the world that he had found the missing link between ape and man. Piltdown Man, as he called it, consisted of a jaw bone and a piece of skull which he estimated to be over 500,000 years old! However, in 1953, when the new fluoride dating process was applied to the bones, scientists were shocked to learn that the jaw bone was less than 50 years old. Only then did they notice that the bones and teeth had been treated with salts and filed to make them appear old and primitive. In other words, Piltdown Man was a complete fraud. Take note Bible student! The world's foremost scientific experts had been fooled for over 40 years! (Read 1 Corinthians 3:18-20.) For almost a half century, evolutionists pushed Piltdown Man in the faces of Bible believers as scientific proof we evolved from apes! Some proof!

In spite of over 100 years of intensive searching, the only place you will find a missing link today is in the colourful imagination of an evolutionist. Museums certainly don't have any! "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Gen 1:1) Have you ever considered that when God created the universe in six short 24 hour days, He may have been taking His time?

The Bible is a reliable book of genuine divine prophecy. You can trust it!

The evidence presented here is just a tiny portion of the proofs available to establish the divine origin of the Bible. Yet, they are more than sufficient to prove the inspiration of the Bible. There will always be men who scoff at the Bible. You, however, can be confident when you read your Bible that God is the author, for it is written:
"We constantly thank God that when you received from us the word of God's message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God" (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

ahwuyen:


Evolution vs. Creation

We now wish to deal with evolution and its relationship to the Bible. Evolution is a widely-believed theory which postulates that life on earth has come to its present state through millions of years of progression from lower forms of life.

In contrast, the Bible states that the earth and its life forms were created in six days some 6000 years ago. The Bible further defines one day as "morning and evening" (Genesis 1:5). Those who believe that the Bible is the word of God are compelled to believe in a literal six days of creation. The voice of God Himself spoke from Mt. Sinai in the giving of the fourth commandment: "For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore God blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy" (Exodus 20:11). In two specific ways the Old Testament defines a "day" of creation as corresponding closely to our normal 24-hour day.

Not only that, but the Lord Jesus in the New Testament confirms the shortness of the time of creation. "But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female" (Mark 10:6). If it had taken man a long time to come into existence after creation was initiated, then man and woman would not have been there at the time Jesus called "the beginning of creation. " A person who believes in the Bible is forced to believe in a literal six days of creation.

If evolution is correct, the Bible obviously is not the literal word of God. And, as a matter of fact, widespread belief in evolution is one of the major reasons why many people do not believe in the Bible.

Consider the scope of evolution (see Figure 1). Evolution is rooted in the concept that the earth began four to five billion years ago when material in the universe, such as a giant dust cloud, came together to form a swirling, molten ball. Over a period of three to four billion years this molten ball cooled down.

Figure 1

By one billion years ago the earth was covered with a seething solution of water, ammonia, and related chemicals, bubbling with methane gas. This brew is known as the "primeval broth." All the chemicals necessary for life were present in exactly the right amounts at exactly the right temperature. Then lightning (or some other stimulus) struck the mixture, the chemicals came together in exactly the right combinations, and life began as a primitive cell started to function.

From this primitive cell different life forms began to evolve. By 500 million years ago primitive plants had evolved, as well as primitive animals related to clams and snails. One of the most predominant forms of these shelled animals was the trilobite.

Trilobites existed from 500 million to 300 million years ago, and then they died out (Encyclopedia Americana, 1968 Ed.; Vol.21, pp. 186-194; Paleontology).

By 200 million years ago reptiles had replaced these earlier crustaceans as the dominant form of life. The giant reptiles, the dinosaurs, lumbered over the earth, unchallenged as kings, for 140 million years. With the shift in climate, reptiles such as these were unable to compete with the rapidly evolving mammals, and by 60 million years ago, the age of dinosaurs had drawn to a close as the last of the "terrible lizards" wheezed his last breath.

The Cenozoic Era is the age of mammals. This Era began 60 million years ago and has lasted up to the present. By the beginning of this era, primitive mammals had begun to evolve, and by the middle of the Era giant mammals nearly as large as dinosaurs roamed over the earth. Step by step each group of mammals gave way to a more advanced form, until one million years ago homo sapiens, modern man, appeared on the scene. Today he totally dominates the earth, and will continue to do so until he gives way to a higher form of life.

The Bible, in contrast, teaches that the earth began some 6000 years ago, and that all animals and plants were formed in the beginning. Following the flood, which occurred roughly 4500 years ago, the climate of the earth was apparently radically changed, and many forms of life which once existed became extinct.

Having presented these two views concerning the origin of man, we want to consider some very pertinent facts. And we want to see which view - Bible Creation or Evolution - is more consistent with these facts.

Fact Number 1: Near Glen Rose, Texas, in the bed of the Paluxy River, are fossilized dinosaur tracks. That is not surprising, because dinosaur tracks are found in many places throughout the world. What is surprising is that human footprints are fossilized in the same rock stratum, with some of the human tracks fossilized as actually stepping into the dinosaur tracks. (There is some controversy currently concerning the human tracks in the Paluxy. Because the tracks themselves are powerful a refutation of evolution, the controversy is not unexpected. You will need to see them yourself.)

According to evolutionary theory, dinosaurs died out 60 million years before man, with his distinctive footprint, walked on the face of the earth. But here is a fact, preserved in stone for anyone to see, proving that man and dinosaur lived at the same time. Furthermore, the limestone edge which must be ripped away to get to some of the tracks makes it clear that the tracks are of "normal dinosaur age."

This fact - that man and dinosaur lived at the same time - is a bull in the evolutionary china closet. It wrecks everything! If man existed with dinosaurs, then man did not evolve from dinosaurs. And if man did not evolve from dinosaurs, then neither did the other mammals. And if mammals did not evolve from dinosaurs, this throws that "most accurate" portion of the evolutionary chart out the window. And with the "most accurate" portion of evolution gone, the "less accurate" portion of the chart, from "first life" down to dinosaurs, is extremely questionable.

But notice that the Bible model, stating that all things lived together at the beginning, predicts that we should find evidence of both man and dinosaur living at the same time in the same place.

Fact Number 2: "George Howe in the Creation Research Quarterly of December 1968 reports the find of William Meister in Utah of a sandal footprint with crushed trilobites in it!" (The Christ and the lntertestament Period, Wartick and Fields, College Press, Joplin, MO; "The Christian and Evolution," p.686).

According to evolutionary theory, trilobites died out some 300 million years ago. According to the Bible, trilobites and man lived at the same time. That fact that a living trilobite was crushed by a human sandal, then fossilized, is hard to explain unless the Bible is true.

Other Questions: What about the fossil record, uranium dating, mutations, and other items discovered by science which are generally accepted as verifying evolution? All of these are discussed very completely in an excellent book written by a group of eminent scientists, and edited by Henry M. Morris of the Institute for Creation Research, entitled Scientific Creationism (published by Creation-Life Publishers, San Diego, CA 92115).

I need not read any further than this.  This is just bollocks.  This is what mal-education causes.  All the more reason religions need to be resisted.