The Bible, The Very Words of God

If you are to agree with The Rules established to determine the Truth, and to properly ensure the validity of the answers provided, you obviously must believe the Bible is important, right? You very well can't believe the Bible to be of great use to us if you believe it to be no different from any other book, right? Well thus is the reason for this page. We're going to look at the Bible, and show why it is different. We will show that indeed it is more than just a book written throughout generations! This is a very powerful Book!

For starters let's get to know the Bible:

• It has Two (2) Parts: The Old Testament, and the New Testament
• It is composed of 66 Actual Books: 39 in the Old Testament, 27 in the New Testament
• It was written over an estimated span of 1500-1600 years (From the oldest possibly being the Book of Job around 1500 BC, to the Youngest being the book of Revelation around AD 90)
• It was scribed (written down) by about 40 different people, from many different walks of life

Now that we know some basic information about the Bible, we can get a clear view of the reasons why this Book is rightly called the Word of God!

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How It Was Written

With the above information, we see that the Bible is actually a composition of Sixty-six (66) books, separated into Two (2) parts: The Old Testament and The New Testament. Each of these books within The Book, were written over a span of about 1600 years. And the number of people who actually penned the Bible--not "Authored" the Bible (as we will see later)--numbers Forty (40) or more! Thinking about this, it is pretty amazing!

Nowhere else is there a book that has been written over a span of such time, by so many different people--and to even make sense when read! The people who penned the Bible were from various walks of life, from shepherds to fishermen to kings!

Let's say we try to do this today. You start a book. Write only a few chapters at most. Next, wait a generation, and let your neighbour's son write another part of the book. Then wait some years later, let the homeless guy who lives under the overpass write another part. Let's wait a few more generations, and let a guy who lives two states away from where you lived, write another part. Then, let the leader of the country write another part. Now, we keep doing this for many generations, using many different people. After all this is finished, after the last part is completed, let's put it all together! Can you read it? Why, yes, I am sure you might! Can you understand it? Does each part flow into the next? Do the parts even fit together? To these questions, I can assure you the answer is "No." Yet the BIBLE, as I have read and reread and reread again and again, has shown itself to fit together quite perfectly! Each "piece" is supported by another, which is supported by yet another and another!

The only possible way you can write a book, over a long period of time (many generations) and have different people from different walks of life, and still have the book make any coherent sense at all, is to have one person be there through the many years, many geological settings, and stand there watching each contributor to the book. But that person can't just stand there and watch, he must actually tell each person penning that part of the book, what subjects to write about--and yet not only the subjects to write, but how to write them. That person would have to tell each one, the exact words to write even. Otherwise each person would start to write in his or her own words, and then it would not be in line with the rest of the parts!

A Thought . . . Now wait, what about this thought: There are rules about how to write, that each person must follow? Nope, this wouldn't work because the rules would be too loose to make sure they all write in harmony. They would have to be so detailed, it wouldn't be possible. Then, there is the fact that some may not fully understand those rules. Then, some may misunderstand or incorrectly interpret those rules. Of course, there also is that pesky time thing: who is going to ensure the rules are kept intact and do not change throughout time?

So, no matter how you look at it, no matter how many ways we deem it possible to write this Book, in all truthfulness, the only way for such a feat to be accomplished is with ONE SOURCE, 100% guiding each person penning each part. Let's face it, there's no other way!

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Prophecies Fulfilled

Now, let's look at something else that truly is amazing about the Bible and separates it from the rest of the books in the world: Prophecy. Yes, the Bible contains very many prophecies, and most of them have already been fulfilled. How many prophecies, you might ask? That is best answered by a Wayne Jackson in a "Christian Courier" article:

"Various books cite different figures, depending upon the manner in which one counts the prophecies. For example, one writer may count a single verse as a prophecy, while another may see three or four prophetic elements within the same passage.

J. Barton Payne�s, Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy (New York: Harper & Row, 1973) lists 1,239 prophecies in the Old Testament, and 578 prophecies in the New Testament, for a total of 1,817. These encompass 8,352 verses." 1

So, to name an exact number, while possible, could very well be much different from another person's count! But as we read, in the Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy it is counted at a total of 1,817. That is a pretty large number of prophecies--especially for One Book! Now, this would mean nothing, if these prophecies were untrue. How do we know them to be true? By the fact that they come to pass!

Jeremiah 28:9 "The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord hath truly sent him."

So, not much of what I mention of Bible Prophecies, will be of use unless I show you that they have shown themselves to be true. So let's do that!

Those fulfilled within the Bible itself:
PROPHESIED:
Genesis 15:13-18 "And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:"
FULFILLED:
Genesis 37-Exodus 14
This excerpt is a bit too long to quote here, but I do recommend you look it up and read it! It explains how indeed, the descendants of Abram (later renamed Abraham) did move to live in Egypt, under the friendship of Pharaoh. As the years passed, Egypt came under a new ruler, who feared the growing number of Abraham's descendants (named "Israelites"), and so made them to be slaves. For 400 years they served in Egypt as slaves. Then, God called a man out among them, Moses, who went before Pharaoh as a prophet of God. God through Moses commanded Pharaoh to let the people go free. Pharaoh refused. Ten times this happened, and each refusal brought about a plague brought on by God, delivered only to the Egyptians! Finally they were let go, and when this happened, The Egyptians actually gave their belongings to the Israelites, actually forcing it on them. The Israelites left, with great abundance, no longer slaves in a foreign land, but now free! Then, They did dwell in the land which was promised them: the "Promised Land!" So, we see all points in the prophesy were fulfilled!

Now, there are so very many other prophecies listed in the Bible, that are fulfilled within the Bible itself. Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, the prophecies for Him and His Life and His death, are over 120, and every single one of them was fulfilled by Him. This is truly impossible by chance. These prophecies show that the Bible is indeed a very special Book!

Some may comment on this: "Yeah, but that is within the Book, how can we be sure it wasn't rewritten to make them seem to be prophecies that were fulfilled?"

Good question. The answer? The Bible can be proven by its History, that the parts containing the prophecies were written before the parts revealing it's fulfillment! But, nonetheless, let's look at some prophecies fulfilled recently in history and even today!

In Amos 9:15, it is prophesied that Israel would once again be brought to their land, and they would become a nation once again, Whereas they were not at the time. What happened in 1948? Israel became an Independent nation once again!

In Matthew 24:6-7, Jesus Himself says, "And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places."
Indeed, this has come to pass and continues to happen now. We hear of wars, nearly every single day. We have had nations rising against nations, kingdoms against kingdoms: 2 World Wars, and to this day we have such groups of alliances that when One Nation goes to war, they bring another with it and thus we have a handful of nations all warring together! There are famines indeed, and pestilences! And the most shocking is earthquakes being mentioned also. The rate of earthquakes around the world has been increasing as time goes by, nearly doubling in numbers from 1990 to the Present!

Also note, in 2 Peter, such is forewarned to happen in the "last days" 2 Peter 3:3-6 "Know this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:" This forewarns that people will scoff at the return of Jesus promised in the Word of God. People will say that all things continue as they have been from the day the earth was created. They are willingly ignorant of the fact of Noah's flood. Such is true here, people refuse to believe in the Noatian Flood being worldwide wiping all the world of all life save that which was on the ark. And note, the presence of the belief among scientists that the earth has not had great, drastic changes in its history, but rather it has indeed kept going the way it has, for "billions of years."

What about also 2 Timothy 3:1-5 "Know this also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
Now look around you. Can you honestly say that these things are not present in this world? The only one who could say that, are those who are deeply in denial and will state ignorantly and firmly, "Man is good and in him is no bad. Anything bad that is done, is fiercely provoked." Oh My, denial indeed. Rather, man is not "deep down good": Romans 3:10 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" Romans 7:18 "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not." That was just Paul, you say? I tell you the truth, You find a good person who is righteous, not a Christian mind you, who has no ill feelings or actions--especially directed to another person--and I will agree with you. Mind you though, this person can not have committed a single sin in the entirety of his or her life.

There are countless other Prophecies contained in the Bible. It would take volumes to name them and then to describe how or when they were fulfilled, or whether they will be fulfilled in the future. But the ones I listed are good enough to prove that the Bible is no ordinary Book.

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So Then, How?

So, now that we have established that the Bible is no ordinary book, we have to ask: How is it that the Bible is Special? That is where Divine Inspiration comes in. Shall we take a look?

Divine Inspiration

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"--2 Timothy 3:16