Did you know that the Bible is the #1 best selling book of all time, but it is the least read? Many people accept the gospel of Hollywood, the gospel of the media, the gospel of macro-evolution, the gospel of false religion, or the gospel of materialism, but they reject the Bible, even though they have seldom or never even read it. Hasn't history taught us that ignorance of the Bible has destroyed many nations and individuals? (Hoses 4:6) If Jesus Christ, the God who became man (John 1:1, 16), the One who was resurrected from the dead to prove his deity (1 Corinthians 1:18), the one who claims that He is the only way to salvation (John 14:6), if He claimed the Bible to be all truth (Matthew 5:18), then shouldn't we believe Him instead of some other finite, sinful man who comes around 2000 years later and thinks he knows more than Jesus? (2 Corinthians 11:3-4)
Let's take a look at this book that the skeptics have rejected? It was written over a 1500 year time period, by over 40 different authors, on three different continents, and in three different languages. It has no mistakes or contradictions. It contains over 2000 prophecies that have been fulfilled without error, and it gives only one message. (John 5:39)
There are no inerrant prophecies (Deuteronomy 18:22) as in the writings of Buddha, Confucius, Lao-tse, Mohammed, Joseph Smith, the Vedas, the Book of Mormon, or any other religious or secular book in the world. (Isaiah 46:9-10) All religions also attack the deity of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12) and teach a salvation by works. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Before Israel even became a nation, Moses predicted that Israel would become a great nation, would rebel against God, and would be scattered over the ENTIRE earth, and be brought back into the land before the second coming of their Messiah. (Deu 28) In 1948, 3000 years later, it happened!
The Egyptians, Caanites, Phoenecians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Spainards, Turks, Germans, English, and the combined Arab world have tried to eliminate Israel, but the Bible prophesied that Israel would exist forever. (Jer 31:35-37)
The Bible predicted that Egypt (like Israel) would exist throughout history, but only as a very poor nation. All other Biblical nations have disappeared. (Exodus 29:1-2, 15)
The Bible prophesied that Tyre's (1) walls and towers would be destroyed, (2) her stones and timbers would be thrown into the sea, (3) her foundation would be scraped clean, (4) she would never be rebuilt, and (5) that fishermen would place their nets upon her. These prophecies were fulfilled when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city by tearing down the walls and towers. The city was then rebuilt on an island to escape any future enemy sieges. Alexander the Great came 250 years later, and scraped the original foundations clean of stones and timbers. He threw the debris into the water to form a bridge. His army crossed the bridge, destroyed the city, and it has never been rebuilt to this day. Today, the original foundation of the city is a bare rock where fishermen lay their nets. (Ezekiel 26:4-14)
The Bible also predicted that Babylon would not be rebuilt until the latter days. Alexander the Great conquered the existing world by the age of 33 years old, but he died of a fever in 333 B.C., after he attempted to rebuild the city of Babylon. Saddam Hussein also tried to rebuild Babylon, and a one world United Nations army wiped out his country. (Jeremiah 51:58,62)
Daniel 2 and 7, also found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, predicted the four world powers to come.
There are at least 300 prophecies that deal with Jesus as the Messiah, all written at least 400 years before He came. Liberal scholars denied these prophecies, claiming that the Bible record was inaccurate or that it could have been changed or rewritten. However, the Dead Sea Scrolls silenced the critics when a complete Book of ONE Isaiah (Matthew 15, Luke 4) was found without a single change or discrepancy! This amazing Book of Isaiah predicted that the Messiah would (1) be virgin born (7:14), (2) have a forerunner--John the Baptist (40:3-5), (3) be worshipped by wise men with gifts (60:3),(4) be called a Nazarene (11:1), (5) be filled with God's Spirit (11:2), (6) be a minister to the Gentiles (9:1-2; 42:1-3), (7) be a healer of multitudes (51:4), (8) speaks in parables (6:9-10), (9) His miracles would not be believed (53:10), (10) be rejected by His own nation (53:3), (11) be scourged and spit upon (50:6), (12) be crucified between two thieves (53:12), (13) be buried with the rich (53:9),and (14) be given the eternal throne of David. (9:6-7)
The Hebrew Old Testament and its prophecies were all written at least 400-1500 years before Jesus was born. Alexander the Great conquered the whole world in 332 B.C. He "hellenized" the entire known world into the Greek culture and language. Around 250 B.C., the Hebrew Old Testament was translated into the Greek language. The Hebrew Old Testament, and its Greek translation, the Septuagint, both contain over 300 prophecies of the Messiah. There is not a liberal scholar alive who can deny that these prophecies were not all written at least 250 years before Christ was born!
Many skeptics claim that these prophecies are not very "specific." However, these prophecies predicted the entire life and ministry of Jesus Christ--from His virgin birth to His resurrection. For example, they predicted that Christ would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) from the seed of a woman (Genesis 3:15), born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), at approximately the close of the sixty-nine sevens of years (Daniel 9:25). They prophesied that wise men would adore Him (Psalm 72:10), that all the infants in Bethlehem would be massacred (Jeremiah 31:15), and that baby Jesus would return to Egypt (Hosea 11:1). They foretold that He was to be introduced by a messenger--John the Baptist (Malachi 3:1), His ministry would be in Galilee (Isaiah 9:1), and that He was to be a worker of miracles (Isaiah 35:5). They predicted that He was to ride into Jerusalem on a colt (Zechariah 9:9), be rejected (Isaiah 53:3), be betrayed for the exact price of 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12), and the money was to be thrown into the potter's field. (Zechariah 11:13). He was to be beaten (Micah 5:1), spit upon and scourged (Isaiah 50:6), nailed to the cross (Psalm 22:16), mocked (Psalm 22:7-8), and given gall and vinegar to drink (Psalm 69:21). They predicted His intercession for His murderers (Isaiah 53:12), yet he was to be patient and silent during His suffering (Isaiah 53:7). Psalm 22:1 predicted His exact words on the cross 400 years before crucifixion was even invented. Other predictions were that His garments would be parted and that soldiers would cast lots for them. (Psalm 22:18). He was to be numbered with his transgressors (Isaiah 53:12), to die (Isaiah 53:12), and His bones were not to be broken (Psalm 34:20). He was to be pierced in His side (Zechariah 12:10), to be buried with the rich (Isaiah 53:9), resurrected (Psalm 16:10), and to ascend (Psalm 68:18) to the right hand of God. (Psalm 110:1) to exercise His priestly office in heaven (Zechariah 6:13)