# Why Believe the Bible?

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Posted by Is it inspired? [Joshua1992] on November 16, 1999 at 20:39:27 {pRztWiaeukf9UnUPxURUgm0mCI9FhA}:

# WHY BELIEVE HE BIBLE? HOW ABOUT FULFILLED PROPHECIES WRITTEN THOUSANDS OF YEARS IN ADVANCE!

This is a JW discussion board so most people believe the Bible and that it is inspired. But some step back and ask what is it that makes the Bible so special compared with other so-called "holy writings"?

I don't know about anyone else, but when that question comes up, I think in terms of the Bible prophecies that are fulfilled. Prophecies written thousands of years in advance about what would be happening allegedly in our day. That's what's convincing to me.

For instance the four beasts of Daniel. I'm startled that out of those four beasts, which all exist at the same time, one was prophesied to have four wings and to have "power indeed"! That means the Bible prophesied that during our time there would be one absolute military SUPERPOWER! None of the other beasts have wings and this beast has four (wings are representative of military might). How did the prophets know that far in advance? Daniel wrote his book over 2500 years ago.

Furthermore, it amazes me that now that we're here in the last days that it is easy to recognize the other beasts. The Lion which was once military and beast-like did a 180-degree reversal of its military power. That easily applies to Japan.

And the Bear, who is "lifted up on one side" meaning it is limping, is easily seen to be Russia and its allies, a powerful bloc of countries but with an unstable economy. That's why it is limping meaning all four feet are not equally on the ground. Plus it is said to "eat much flesh" which could relate to lots of harsh social issues including aspects of "genetic cleansing."

So that's impressive that you can recognize these beasts during our day and when they are supposed to actually appear.

And then there is the chronology of our times. Basically there were supposed to be "7 times" that would pass over the stump where a king of Judah would be absent from the throne, representing Jehovah's kingship in the earth. But that period of time is very specific. 2520 years! And even though there is some controversy over ancient dating, it still puts the events related to the Second Coming squarely during the 20th century. For instance, if you date the fall of Jerusalen in 607BCE or 587BCE or 529BCE, you get the dates of 1914, 1934 and 1992. So this would be the general time when these beasts would be active and when these events would be happening. And they are!

Another impressive Beast that is easily recognized is the Scarlet-colored Wild beast of Revelation that goes away and comes back, and yet it is an "eighth king." That is the League of Nations who became the United Nations. And they truly are acting as an eighth king since many nations work through the U.N. on global issues.

So this was all prophesied and fits our day! These major world powers line up just exactly how the Bible says.

Another prophecy fulfilled is the head of the 666-Beast which received a death stroke and revived. This would represent a kingdom within the world of Christendom in general, since the 666-Beast represents the world of apostate Christendom and the nations it controls. But within Christendom, this beast received a death stroke from war and then revived. That represents none other than Nazi Germany who was defeated in WWII and then after that has now revived to become the strongest economy in Europe! So again, direct fulfillment of a prophecy written nearly 2000 years ago! That seems amazing to me.

And finally, there is the famous events about the last days. Matthew 24, Mark 13 which talk about a generation that would see the "end" of the gentile times after the beginning of a world war. All those things have actually occurred, especially the "great tribulation."

There was supposed to be "kingdom against kingdom and nation against nation" first. That was WWI. Then there were to be food shortages. The Great Depression.
And pestilence. The Spanish influenza fits that prophecy. But then, there was supposed to be a "great tribulation" like had never occurred before to fulfill Daniel 12's prophecy. But if you read Daniel 12 you'll see that this "great tribulation" was to happen to the Jews. This was to fulfill the "dashing to pieces of the holy ones" which were the Jews, God's chosen people. And furthermore, there is a time prophecy connected with this great tribulation since after this tribulation which would end a period of 1290 days, the Messiah would arrive 45 years later to fulfill 1335 days.

This is represented perfectly in the prophecies of Matthew and Mark who clearly state that "after the tribulation of those days..." there would first be a period of darkness of the sun and moon and then the Messiah would arrive. This period of spiritual "darkness" relates to that 45-year period from the end of the "great tribulation" until the Messiah would arrive, all before a generation would end 80 years after it began in 1914, that is, by 1994.

But this puts some prophetic constraints on the fulfillment of this prophecy. This means this great tribulation against the Jews or "Judea" would have to occur first and be completely over within the first 35 years of that generation, since there would be at least 45 years after that tribulation before the Messiah would appear and the generation is only 80 years long.

Question is, did anything happen between 1914 and 1949 that resembled a "great tribulation" against the Jews wherein if the "days had not been cut short no flesh would have been saved"? An event like had not happened before in human history? An event that would shock the world? The answer is YES! YES! YES!

It was the HOLOCAUST! That is the "great tribulation" against Judea that was prophesied against. But it would not end the world. After that tribulation there was to be 45 years until the Messiah finally arrived. Thus dated from the time the Jews were legally sanctioned to return to Palestine in 1947, some have believed that 1992 is the significant year to fulfill the 1335 days prophecy. But that being the case, it does fit within a generation that would end in 1994.

Well, did the Messiah appear in 1992? Who knows?

But it would appear that everything the Bible prophesied otherwise has actually occurred. Therefore, that is quite impressive to think that these events could have been prophesied thousands of years in advance. This increases one's appreciation of the scriptures and leads us to at least seriously consider if the Bible, indeed, is a book of inspiration. Because who could tell these things in advance like this? And if everything has happened just as the Bible says it has so far, then why should be doubt the rest will happen, such as the millennium?

So while some might reasonably question why to believe the Bible since it is just an ancient book, no different than many other ancient "sacred" writings, once you get to study the prophecies, you see it is a book that tells the future, quite accurately. And that's what makes it very special. None of the other books do that. In fact I don't know of any other book with as many prophecies of our day that have come true so completely and as accurately as the Bible. And that reason alone is good enough to at least consider whether the Bible is inspired.

Below is a link to an independent reference to some of he Bible's time prophecies. I don't agree completely with them, but it does highlight the 1335-days prophecy being fulfilled from 1947 in 1992.

No matter what else one might believe about the Bible, it's prophecies for our modern age are spectacularly fulfilled just as written. It is truly a book of great prophecy and we should thus seriously consider what it has to say for events still in our future.

Fulfilled Bible prophecies are a good reason to believe the Bible is inspired.

Blessings,
Josh

- Independent Review of Biblical Time Prophecies

Follow Ups:

- *Why Believe the Bible? milky 18:51:40 11/17/99 (2)
  - **Why Believe the Bible? Farkel 21:56:14 11/17/99 (1)
    - ***Why Believe the Bible? LOL/jim/nim 22:09:35 11/17/99 (0)
- *Why Believe the Bible? milky 18:51:15 11/17/99 (0)
- *Why Believe the Bible? milky 18:51:08 11/17/99 (0)
- *Why Believe the Bible? milky 18:51:04 11/17/99 (0)
- *Why Believe the Bible? milky 18:50:56 11/17/99 (0)
- *Why Believe the Bible? milky 18:50:51 11/17/99 (0)
- *Why Believe the Bible? milky 18:30:46 11/17/99 (0)
- *Why Believe the Bible? milky 18:29:55 11/17/99 (0)
- *Why Believe the Bible? Undecided 06:39:10 11/17/99 (4)
  - **Why Believe the Bible? Bibleman 13:57:02 11/17/99 (3)
    - ***Why Believe the Bible? Undecided 17:53:39 11/17/99 (2)
      - ****Why Believe the Bible? dproper 07:48:50 11/18/99 (0)
      - ****Why Believe the Bible? Bibleman 23:37:06 11/17/99 (0)
- *Why Believe the Bible? mntzion 21:39:14 11/16/99 (11)
  - **Why Believe the Bible? Bibleman 22:50:40 11/16/99 (10)
    - ***Why Believe the Bible? mntzion 03:21:43 11/17/99 (9)
      - ****Why Believe the Bible? Bibleman 04:32:38 11/17/99 (0)
      - ****Why Believe the Bible? ScienceGuy 04:27:57 11/17/99 (7)
        - *****Why Believe the Bible? Bibleman 14:02:46 11/17/99 (0)
        - *****Why Believe the Bible? mntzion 05:42:11 11/17/99 (3)
          - ******Why Believe the Bible? Cygnus 08:05:09 11/17/99 (2)
            - *******Why Believe the Bible? Bibleman 14:47:43 11/17/99 (0)
            - *******Why Believe the Bible? Bibleman 14:08:20 11/17/99 (0)
        - *****Why Believe the Bible? Antique 05:36:29 11/17/99 (1)
          - ******Why Believe the Bible? Bibleman 14:14:42 11/17/99 (0)

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