CHAPTER 13

ONE CANDIDATE

 If God indelibly stamped the Bible with accurate and explicitly detailed predictions of the future, then we have certainly been summoned.  Our initial analogy began by comparing an examination of Christ's badge of authority, the Bible, to the practice of checking the credentials of anyone claiming lawful authority.  If we validate a police officer's claim to authority and then proceed to defy him, we have placed ourselves in a tenuous position.  The same can be said about our position with God.  If He provides effective confirmation for Christ's authority through prophetic scripture and we deny Christ, we have proven ourselves to be the ultimate fools as the consequence of resistance, eternal damnation, is spelled out in the very manuscript we have just finished authenticating. 

Many who reject the authority of Christ do so with the same mind-set adopted by Rodney King as he challenged the Los Angeles Police Department in the mid 1990’s. Although there should have been no doubt in Mr. King’s mind that he was dealing with an agency possessing official authority over him in matters of criminal law, he apparently chose to resist arrest because he thought the police officers arresting him were unfair in the way they were administering their authority.  Public opinion was certainly on his side as a clandestine home video showed officers beating him with night-sticks. He ultimately sued the City of Los Angeles and received a large financial settlement. 

The point of all this is that any debate as to the relative fairness or unfairness of how a lawful authoritative agency administers their authority is irrelevant regarding the actual validity of the authority in question, a separate issue altogether.  In Mr. King’s case, in a federal court of law, a legal debate ensued regarding the policies of specific officers within the L.A. Police Department as they exercised their legal authority.  An agreement was reached by a judge who heard arguments presented by both sides. He decided that the department’s authority was unfairly and, in fact, illegally administered, but his decision in no way rescinded or negated the department’s publicly sanctioned authority over Rodney King, or anyone else within its jurisdiction. Rodney King gained first hand knowledge of this principal as, years later, he was arrested, jailed and fined for drunk driving by the very same agency that had been censured earlier for the conduct of some of its officers.

The same principal applies to all of us.  It may seem righteous and appropriate to resist authority if those exercising power are abusing their position of power, even if that authority is backed by the proper credentials.  But, as in Mr. King's case, the law remains in tact.   Any actual violation of the law will probably result in an indictment and punishment is sure to result, regardless of whether or not certain members of the police force are abusing their status.  Similarly, one may strongly maintain that the administration of justice as described in the Bible is unfair, that hell is far to severe a punishment for sin, and may even convince others to agree, but if the Bible is a truthful document, one’s opinion as to how God’s authority is administered is irrelevant, unless one is prepared to overthrow the Creator. According to the Bible, God has given all authority in heaven and on earth to Jesus Christ.  Throughout history that authority has certainly been abused by some of His so-called emissaries, false prophets and self-serving priests, but that has no bearing on its validity. Let's take a look at the one characteristic of the Bible, prophecy, that overwhelmingly declares its authenticity as valid credentials for Christ’s authority. 

There are four categories of prophecy that stand out.  In the 20th century we have the luxury of being able to look back on the panorama of history and see their fulfillment.  They are:

1. Predictions in the Old Testament about a Messiah and the fulfillment of those prophecies in the person of one man.

2. Predictions regarding the nation of Israel from the time of Moses until the present.

3. Predictions about the worldwide spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

4. Predictions about a specific time period close to the end of human history, recognizable by the confluence of a large and varied number of indicators or signs.

Prior to examining these prophetic categories separately, reflect on the following broad picture painted by the Old and New Testament prophets.  What is the likelihood that these forecasts would occur coincidentally?

Men from an obscure Semitic band of nomads, wandering a desert wilderness approximately the size of Massachusetts 3500 years ago began to write prophetic words.  They said they had been chosen by the Creator of the universe to be the people through whom He would reveal Himself.  They predicted that He would ultimately do this through a messiah, a man with divine qualities, who would be born into one of their families, in one of their cities, and would present Himself as their savior and of mankind in general.   The messiah would appear at a specific time and place.  They predicted He would offer truth and healing but would be rejected, executed and subsequently preached about to the entire world.  They said a segment of people from every nation and tongue on the planet would then worship Him.

    They also predicted their own history, documenting their capture and domination by four successive empires.  They described the loss of their homeland twice, the complete and total destruction of their temple and their ultimate dispersion to the four corners of the earth.  Continuing, they anticipated that they would not lose their ethnicity, religion or national identity and that ultimately they would be restored to their original homeland and gain control of Jerusalem.

 If thousands of years of history had not unfolded exactly as those ancient prophets had predicted, we might laugh their writings off as the product of an arrogant, pretentious band of religious fanatics.  But how do we handle the reality that what they recorded has occurred exactly as described?  The rational decision would be to believe what the Bible says about the forecasts, that they were inspired by a Creator who either controls history or occupies all of time at once. In either case, it would be rather foolhardy to challenge the authority of a being with that type of power.

Meditate for a moment on the likelihood that ancient prophets would specifically predict and describe the appearance of a single individual from within their own ethnic group who would have a tremendous impact on world history and that it would come to pass; and that they would also accurately forecast their own future within the same manuscript. They were no more inherently qualified to do this than the Aztecs, the Phoenicians, Mongols, Egyptians, Persians, Romans, Greeks, Saracens, Vikings, South Sea Islanders, Eskimos, Sioux Indians, Watusis, or any other ethnic group.  There are no other writings even remotely similar. They told us how they were doing it, through divine revelation, and time has justified their claims.  Is it any wonder the Bible says there are no valid excuses for rejecting its claims?  

  They said the beginning of the time period signaling the end of history, as we know, it would be highlighted by their national restoration.   This period would include other recognizable signs as well. Those signs are: 

1. A movement towards a world economy, world religion and world government, and man would be in danger of destroying himself.

 2. Wars, plagues and famines appearing as birth pangs, in other words with greater frequency and intensity as the end draws near.  

3. There would appear, also with increasing frequency, cultic false prophets claiming to be the messiah who would gain many followers.

4. The message of the Savior would be preached to all nations and tongues as a final sign of the end.

All these things have begun to occur, at least partially, and are quickly moving towards complete fulfillment.  Is it coincidence that these signs have been dramatically manifested during the same century that Israel has been restored as a nation?  It is our generation that is seeing the final move towards a world, which through modern computer technology, can unite governments, economies and even spiritual movements like "mother earth" environmentalism.  We are the ones witnessing the world-wide proclamation of the gospel through the mediums of television, radio, tapes and mass printing.  We see numerous plagues, famines, wars and false messiahs.  These things have been intensifying exponentially since 1948, when the Jews regained the national status their prophets said they would.  The stage is set for the final curtain of biblical prophecy to be drawn.  Jesus Christ put it this way.

"Even so, when you see all these things, you know it is near, right at the door.  I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened." Matthew 24:33-34

Handicappers predict winners of horse races that are scheduled for the next day.  Over the course of time they establish a track record, which represents their accuracy level.  Professional gamblers analyze the handicapper's predictions prior to betting on a race.  Imagine a gambler calculating the wisdom of betting that the biblical predictions remaining unfulfilled will also come to pass.  He would analyze biblical prophets the same way he would a handicapper.  He would take into account their track record and based on that, he would wager something on the predictions in the Bible.  Based on the track record displayed by biblical prophets, he would likely bet his entire bankroll.

       God, speaking here through the prophet Isaiah, issues a challenge to anyone who thinks they, or the object of their worship, can predict the future.  This challenge is issued to reinforce the obvious, that an accurate record of prognostication is evidence of supernatural influence.

           "And who is like Me?"  Let him proclaim and declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me in order, From the time that I established the ancient nation.  And let him declare to them the things that are coming and the events that are going to take place.  Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it?  And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other Rock?  I know of none."  Isa.44:7-8.

          There have been a large number of books written on the subject of prophecy and those resulting from detailed research and offering a thorough treatment of the subject are only able to cover a specific area of prophecy.  For example, an in depth analysis of messianic prophecy would necessitate an entire volume, at least.  The same can be said for eschatology, that is end times prophecy, or Jewish historical prophecy. The subject contains far too much information to be settled properly here but we will offer some scriptures as an example of what can be discovered by a detailed inquiry. 

          The last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, was completed 400 years prior to the birth of Christ.  From about 1450 BC, when Moses wrote the first 5 books of the Bible, until Malachi, the Jewish prophets recorded numerous distinct prophecies about their coming messiah. As we look at just a few of the predictions about Jesus Christ, weigh the odds of predicting the birthplace, family name, date of inauguration, platform and cause of death of a president of the United States in the 24th century. Without a great deal of reflection, common sense tells us that there would be no chance of success, yet that is exactly what the Jews accomplished in the Old Testament with their prophecies about the life of their messiah, who as it turns out could be none other than Jesus Christ.

   Four decades ago Professor Emeritus of Science at Westmont College, Peter Stoner, calculated the odds of one man fulfilling eight of the major prophecies regarding the messiah.  He submitted his figures to the Committee of the American Scientific Affiliation and they were accepted as conservative. The odds of those eight prophecies being fulfilled in the life of any one man are staggering.  They were calculated to be 1 in 10 to the 17th power.  Professor Stoner used the following illustration in providing a sense of perspective to that number.

 If the entire state of Texas were covered with silver dollars two feet deep and one coin was painted red, the odds under discussion would be fulfilled if a blind man then wandered the state at his own pace, stuck in his fist and managed to come up with the red coin on his first try.

The above analogy represents one chance in 10 to the 17th power.  The odds were also calculated for 45 specific prophecies and the figure is 1 in 10 to the 157th power, a number truly beyond our limits of comprehension.  Using a similar illustration, consider the universe.  It is 16 billion light years in diameter.  It would be completely crammed with electrons if there were 10 to the 157th of them available, which there are not, as there are only 10 to the 80th fundamental particles in the entire cosmos. This time we would send a man out in a spacecraft, have him stop in a solar system of his choice, scoop up some matter and observe it through a super microscope.  What are his odds of pin-pointing the red electron?  Would anyone bet on his success? 

Those are the odds against us if we choose to believe that Jesus Christ coincidentally fulfilled the prophecies about Him in the Bible.  In the late Barton Payne’s monumental catalogue of Biblical prophecy, he cited 122 Old Testament predictions about Christ, not counting typological prophecy. Following are several of those messianic prophecies.

1. "The scepter shall not depart from Judah...Until Shilow (Messiah) comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people."  Genesis 49:10   

 Every prophecy regarding Jesus Christ eliminates certain segments of people who can not fulfill that particular prophecy.  By the time we look at just a few, every human being on the face of the earth will have been eliminated. But there are scores upon scores of messianic predictions, which is why the odds of finding someone to fulfill them is so astronomically low.  It is far more likely that no one would meet all the requirements of these prophecies. Jesus Christ met them all, however, which is why their fulfillment means first, that He is the one predicted and second, the predictions could only have originated with God.

The above prophecy indicates that He will come from the tribe of Judah.  That eliminates every candidate on the planet except those descendents of one Jewish tribal founder, Judah, one of the twelve sons of Jacob.

2. "And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom.  He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever.  I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you.  And I will establish him in my House and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever."  According to all these words and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak to David."

 1 Chronicles 17:11-15 

From this messianic prophecy, we know He will be a direct descendent of King David, a Jewish conqueror living around the 10th century B.C. David was of the tribe of Judah but the field just narrowed considerably.

3. "The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren..." Deuteronomy 18:15

This prophecy was offered by Moses.  Christ must be a prophet, and a prophet like Moses, one who would present the Law of God and be a deliverer. Christ did both, fulfilling the typology of Moses in a more complete and substantial manner.  He summarized the Ten Commandments by presenting the ultimate law of God, that is to love your God and your neighbor, and He became a deliverer for the entire human race, not just the Jews. Today, all the major religions consider Jesus Christ to be a great prophet and even skeptics refer to him as a “religious prophet” from antiquity. 

4. "For dogs have surrounded Me; the assembly of the wicked has enclosed me.  They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones.  They look and stare at Me.  They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots." Psalm 22:16-18l 

This prophecy is taken from the 22nd Psalm. One of the things Jesus is reported to have said while hanging on the cross is, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?”, which is the first verse of the 22nd Psalm.  Although skeptics have asked why the supposed Son of God would make such an utterance, it becomes clear why after reading the psalm in its entirety. The verse quoted above is just the beginning of an absolutely astounding treatise by King David because it describes explicitly, from the perspective of someone actually enduring such a tortuous episode, what it must feel like to be crucified.  This is the prophecy Christ was pointing to as he fulfilled it with his infamous declaration. What makes this prophecy even more fascinating is that David had no way of knowing about crucifixion as a means of execution because it was not being practiced at the time he wrote it.  So now we must find a prophet greater than Moses who is a direct descendant of King David who is publicly vilified while looking down in agony on men who have pierced his hands and feet.

5. "For you shall not leave my soul in hell, Nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption."  Psalm 16:10  

This particular prophecy adds yet another extremely unique qualification for the predicted messiah.  He must not only be a man who dies by the method described in Psalm 22, but he must then defeat the grave, body and soul. That effectively narrows it down to one person in human history.  Only Jesus Christ, because His resurrection is a fully documented historical event exceeding all of the requirements of historical investigation, can be considered.  So if a man fulfills a myriad of specific predictions about his life and death and as a grand finale is the prime participant in the most stupendous miracle ever reported, to the extent that not one shred of evidence can ever be produced to refute it, then that man is, most assuredly, someone to be taken very seriously.

It should also be pointed out that anyone investigating messianic prophecy, if they have an honest desire for the truth, will ask themselves the question as to whether these scriptures were considered to be messianic predictions by the Jews, the original caretakers of the writings in which they appear.  Skeptics have certainly asked that question and generally accuse Christians of falsely labeling distinct prophecies as messianic in order to support their theology.  But very old rabbinical writings indicate otherwise. The Mishna, the Midrash and the Targums are ancient rabbinical commentaries on the Old Testament in which numerous analyses of the very scripture verses presented above attest to the prevailing view that these scriptures were indeed messianic, meaning that they were believed by orthodox Jews to be descriptions and predictions of one who would usher in the Kingdom of God on earth. An exhaustive analysis of these ancient Jewish beliefs was documented by Alfred Edersheim, a Jewish Hebrew Scholar living in the 19th century, who converted to Christianity.  His book, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, recognized as a superior scholarly effort in the highly critical world of biblical scholarship, documents this phenomenon at length and in detail.

Unknowledgeable skeptics often claim that scriptures that Christians say are predictions of the messiah are falsely interpreted to support the Christian theological position.  They say that the scriptures in question are actually speaking of some other historical personage or the nation of Israel.  But Alfred Edersheim and many others, through legitimate and comprehensive biblical scholarship, have demonstrated that charge to be prejudicial.

Following is a quote from the 53rd chapter of Isaiah, considered by many ancient rabbis to be messianic and only interpreted otherwise by Jews since the 11th century, by which time a severe theological, hence political, schism between Jews and Christians had developed.  From then on scriptures that had historically been accepted as messianic were translated differently by many Jewish rabbis.  In this case, Isaiah 53, the one being spoken of is said to be the nation of Israel, which severely stretches any honest reading of the entire chapter.

6. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not his mouth.  He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation?  For He was cut off (killed) from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.  And they made His grave with the wicked-but with the rich at His death, because He had done no violence, nor was deceit in His mouth."  Isaiah 53:7-9

Three hundred years after most of the psalms were penned, Isaiah followed up on David's predictions and described the unique circumstances surrounding Christ's crucifixion.  Above, the messiah is described as being resigned to His death, as being a truthful, non-violent person and one who willingly died for the sins of mankind. 

7. "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from of old, From everlasting."  Micah 5:2

His place of birth, the town of Bethlehem, was predicted by the prophet Micah.

                8. "Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight...  Behold, He is coming," Says the Lord of hosts."    Malachi 3:1

This prophecy is in the last book of the Old Testament and was written about 400 years before Christ came to His temple in Jerusalem.  So far the prophets have predicted His birthplace, family name, platform and cause of death.  The date of his inauguration is next.

 In the next prophecy, given around 540 BC, Daniel predicted that after the messiah was killed, Jerusalem and the temple would be destroyed, which it was by the Emperor Titus of Rome in 70 AD.  Daniel's prophecy eliminated all of humanity born after that date.  (Malachi's prophecy places the messiah's appearance in a 400 year window of time between Malachi and the destruction of the temple by Titus.)  But Daniel's prophecy has other characteristics that make it far more noteworthy.   It actually qualifies as one of the most amazing prophecies ever written.  It virtually eliminates every candidate for messiah on earth except the celebrated carpenter from Bethlehem.

"Seventy weeks are determined For your people (the Jews) and for your holy city, (Jerusalem) To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy. (messiah)  Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.  And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come (Emperor Titus of Rome) Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. (Temple)  The end of it shall be with a flood, (the word here translated flood is used only twice in the Bible, both times in Daniel, and does not mean a deluge of water.  It means an overflowing of anything, and is referring to the overwhelming legions of Titus.) And till the end of the war desolations are determined.."  Daniel 9:24-27 

The 62 weeks and 7 weeks Daniel is referring to are weeks of years. (The word translated weeks actually means units of seven in Hebrew and the context demands that it be years)  They add up to 483.  (7+62) x 7 =  483.  Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem and was hailed as the messiah exactly 483 years from the time Artaxerxes issued an edict to rebuild Jerusalem in 444 BC.  The Jewish year contained only 360 days so, 483 x 360 = 173,880/365 = 476 - 444 = 32.  Between 1BC and 1AD only one year passed, not two, so if we add that year to our figure of 32, we arrive at the very year historians think Jesus was crucified...33AD.  The mathematics and chronology on this prediction are available in any unbiased commentary on the Book of Daniel.

The Book of Daniel, because it also has many other accurate historical predictions, has been severely attacked by those who deny that miracles, such as predictive prophecy, can occur.  The book predicts the rise and fall of four empires and specific events in their history, so skeptics unjustly say it was written after the events.  But even they realize the Book of Daniel was accepted into the Jewish Holy Scriptures long before the time of Christ because it is part of the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Old Testament completed around 200 BC.  So the messianic prophecy cited above can not be denied.    

This prophecy defies human explanations.  It is so extraordinary skeptics generally try to ignore it.  When linked to other messianic prophecies it becomes conclusive evidence that Jesus Christ is the messiah predicted in the Old Testament.  No other person could possibly qualify and that a qualifier even exists is a miracle.

  We see the messiah must be a prophet at least equal in stature to Moses, be a direct descendent of David and be born in Bethlehem.  He must appear at the temple in Jerusalem 483 years after a specific edict is issued and be a non-violent person who claims to die for the sins of humanity.  He must have His hands and feet pierced, be killed undeservedly and have His clothes gambled for.  He must appear to be resigned to his death and must not suffer decay in the grave.   Case closed.  Humanity hasn't produced anyone meeting those requirements except Jesus Christ.  He meets them all explicitly.

Some skeptics say Jesus Christ arranged His life in order to fulfill the Messianic predictions.  In one sense they are absolutely correct.  Jesus Christ, the living Word and a perfect fulfillment of the written Word, is according to the Bible, God incarnate in the flesh.

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the father, full of grace and truth".  John 1:14

He arranged His first appearance from eternity past and completed that appearance according to the descriptions His inspired prophets recorded.  He initiated the plan and carried it out.  Fulfillment of the prophecies would have been impossible for a mere man to arrange however.  How could a man arrange the place of His birth, the family from which he would be born and a specific type of execution at a given time and place?  But for the sake of argument, let's say He bribed everyone in the town of Bethlehem to go along with His ploy.  After that He influenced the official scribes, who kept meticulous records of Jewish family lineage, to also keep His secret.  He then convinced the Jewish religious leaders and the Roman Governor, who despised each other, to conspire, fake a public trial and crucify Him.  Not only is this idea preposterous, it means the entire world honors a suicidal “confidence-man”, a fraud, as wise and good.  But even if all that were true, it still fails to explain how He managed to orchestrate being placed in a position of reverence by millions of believers centuries in the future.  If someone says He arranged the events of His life, they're saying a lunatic predicted that His message would be preached and believed globally and that it happened.  (Mathew 24) 

Other skeptics say the apostles purposely fabricated accounts about Him in order to make them conform to Old Testament prophecies.  Something like that is easy to say in an off-handed way but upon closer examination it is absurd and irrational.  If the apostles had tried to falsify testimony about the life of Jesus, they picked the wrong time and place to do it.  They were preaching Jesus as the messiah, in Jerusalem, within weeks of His execution, to hostile Jews who knew as much about Him and His ministry as His followers.  In fact, He was eliminated because He had become so well known.  He had gathered such a large following that He represented a threat to the existing power structure.  If the details of His life had been inaccurately portrayed, those hostile to the apostles would have brought this to light immediately.  Never was an argument raised as to the facts of Jesus life - only His claims to divinity.

Besides, the writers of the New Testament dedicated their lives and subsequently died for their public statements that Jesus was the Messiah predicted in the Old Testament.  Why would they allow themselves to be executed for a lie of their own fabrication?  

Charles Colson, one of the notorious Watergate conspirators, who has since submitted to the authority of Jesus Christ, scoffs at a conspiracy theory.  Colson, who ought to know, says no conspiracy involving numerous individuals can stand in the face of a threat to personal freedom, or especially, to life.  Some of the Watergate conspirators, including Colson, readily sought a plea bargain when confronted with incarceration.

The disciples were boldly proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah in the face of persecution.  But something far more profound than the intellectual understanding that Jesus fulfilled the messianic prophecies caused the disciples to become martyrs.  They died for what they professed because of His resurrection.  They saw and spoke with Christ after they witnessed His crucifixion, death and burial. It was this solitary incident in history that laid the groundwork for their dynamic and successful preaching about His role as messiah.

If the Old Testament had never said a word about Jesus Christ, the resurrection would be enough to validate His claims.  The prophecies simply reinforced the testimony of the apostles.  They used the scriptures to demonstrate that their risen Lord was indeed the same person who was spoken of in scripture.  Therefore, because the resurrection of Christ is so tightly knitted with prophecies about Him, we will diverge slightly from our examination of biblical foreknowledge and consider that unique occurrence.

CHAPTER 14

THE PROPHET OF THE UNKNOWN TOMB

   Christian apostles were dedicated to convincing Jews in Jerusalem that Jesus was the Messiah predicted in the Jewish Scriptures.  They used an argument that was to eventually shake the Roman Empire and the entire world.  They claimed that Jesus was the Jewish messiah, that he had fulfilled all the messianic predictions made in their own Holy Scriptures, and that he had then proven the legitimacy of His messianic claim by coming back from the dead. Their argument was hurriedly opposed by the Pharisees, a hostile sect that had just manipulated the Roman Procurator Pilate into executing Jesus Christ on a cross.  Although the Pharisees had been anticipating something unusual and had posted an armed guard at Jesus’ tomb, they were not prepared for the apostles claim that Christ had come back to life and were ultimately powerless to refute it.  But they tried.

         How? Not by denying that the tomb was empty or by producing the body, which they couldn't, but by denying that Jesus fulfilled what they claimed to be a true picture of the messiah, a picture which had Him appearing as a military leader, not a common Jewish carpenter turned itinerant preacher from the “backwoods” of Galilee.  In order to stifle the apostle’s claim, they immediately began levying the same charges against them that they had made against Jesus in order to provide grounds for having him executed. They said the apostle’s proclamation that He was the Son of God constituted blasphemy, which is what they had charged Christ with saying about Himself at His trial.  It proved to be a useless argument because they were never able to refute the fact that He had risen from the grave and if that were the case He most certainly was at least the Son of God.  If there was anything they could have done to squelch the claim - He is risen - they would have.

 They tried saying Jesus disciples removed the body but that “political spin” is easily dismissed by pointing out the lack of any conceivable motive for such an act.  The disciples were unanimously willing to die for their pronouncement that they had seen and spoken with the risen Jesus, their overwhelming sincerity attested to by their success in spreading the gospel from one end of the Roman Empire to the other. Ultimately the Pharisees, and later the Romans, had to resort to execution as a way of silencing believers, just as they had with Jesus. 

Jesus tomb was found to be empty by His followers and although many have tried, no one has ever been able to offer a believable natural explanation. Nor has anyone ever offered a plausible explanation as to why so many of His disciples would testify, under threat of death,  that they had seen and spoken with Him after His burial. The fact that their testimony could not be effectively countered is supported by the sudden and phenomenal growth of the Christian Church.  It was first populated by thousands of Jewish converts in the very city where proof of any deception would have been produced if it had existed.  The apostle’s appeal would never have been accepted by Jerusalem's citizens if there was any real evidence against it, especially by devout Jews whose foundational theology doomed them to hell for believing in a false God - and Jesus was being presented as divine.

The Book of Acts is a history of the beginning and growth of the Christian Church.  In Chapter 2, Luke, a writer authenticated by archaeologists and historians as accurate in every detail available about that period, tells us about the first gospel sermon ever preached.  It was by Peter in Jerusalem and it appealed to the Jew's knowledge of Jesus' life, ministry and resurrection as support for the truth of His message.   Peter told them to place their eternal destiny in Christ's hands.  They did not respond by saying Peter was incorrect about the facts - but asked what they should do.  This was his answer.

"Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38

Luke says 3000 Jews submitted their lives to the Messiah that day and judging from the eruption and growth of the church, it must have been at least that many. Within one generation of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection the church had many more thousands of converts, Jews and Gentiles, throughout the Mediterranean region and in Asia.

The most famous convert to Christianity during the formative stages of the church was the Apostle Paul.  Saul of Tarsus, as he was known prior to his conversion, was to eventually write most of the epistles in the New Testament.  But before that he severely persecuted the growing army of Christians.  He even participated in the murder of Stephen in Jerusalem, a disciple who was boldly preaching the gospel at a time when the political/religious powers were feeling threatened and were inciting mob violence against Christians in order to maintain their status.  They had found it necessary to eliminate Jesus but His disciple’s message of “free” salvation had become even a greater danger. If the message was believed, the demand for sacrificial animals the Pharisees were selling in the temple would disappear, the “tithing” system supporting the priesthood would be threatened and the political power they enjoyed through control of an intensely legalistic 1st century Judaism would be eroded.

 Paul wrote that he witnessed a personal appearance by Christ and it forced him to accept Jesus as the messiah predicted in Scripture.  He spent the rest of his days preaching the Gospel.  Here are his words as he spoke of Jesus.

"...and last of all, as it were to one untimely born, He appeared to me also"  1 Corinthians 15:8

  Paul was an influential and well educated Jew as well as a citizen of the Roman Empire.  After reading his letters, one realizes that he was also an intelligent and critical thinker.  A man like that does not flip-flop in the middle of his life for an unsubstantiated tale. In his letter to the Church in Corinth, Paul speaks of the trials and persecution he suffered as a result of his conversion.  Among other things, he was imprisoned, stoned and left for dead.  But Paul and the rest of the apostles never wavered in their passion to record Jesus’ mission for posterity.  Why?  Because they saw Him alive after His lifeless body was entombed.  Although their course of action ultimately resulted in their martyrdom, they never cringed. 

Of course the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the single most passionately debated theological idea in history.  And what sets it apart is that it is really not a theological idea at all, as many skeptics and liberal Christians would prefer it to be, but rather a historical event. And it is no less a recorded historical episode than the crossing of the Alps by Hannibal, the conquest of Asia by Alexander the Great or the burning of Rome by Nero.  The criteria utilized in accepting or rejecting the evidence for the occurrence of those events should be no different than the criteria used to decide if the resurrection of Jesus Christ took place.  And of course if it is, much to the dismay of skeptics, we are confronted with more evidence confirming that Jesus rose from the dead than for other ancient historical events we take for granted. 

We primarily know about the resurrection because of the New Testament documents.  As detailed in Chapter 8, on the basis of accepted principals of historic and textural analysis, they have been shown to be reliable and trustworthy, meaning they provide eyewitness, primary source evidence by morally credible men for the death and post-resurrection appearances of Jesus.  For example, 1 Corinthians 15:3, written by Paul about 57 AD, only 25 years after the crucifixion, states that he is passing on information given to him by those who were there.  His conversion took place just three years after Jesus crucifixion so we can safely assume that his new associates, many of whom witnessed Christ’s execution and post resurrection appearances, immediately told him about everything they had seen.

"For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day...and that he was seen by Cephas (Peter), then by the twelve..." 1st Corinthians 15

John and Peter, eye witnesses to Christ’s crucifixion and subsequent appearances, also contributed to the historical documents we call the New Testament. In 2000 years the authors of that potent collection of books and letters have never been proven to be unethical, dishonest or deceived.  Then why did many Jews reject Christ as their Messiah?  Why do many continue to reject Him?

Prior to answering that question we must understand that it is somewhat misleading.  When Bible critics ask it, they are implying that Jesus is not the messiah.  They are insinuating that Jews should be most qualified to recognize their own messiah and if they rejected Christ, we should accept their decision.  But the question should also be asked, why did so many Jews accept Jesus as the messiah?  Skeptics conveniently forget that the Christian Church was first populated exclusively by Jews, in Jerusalem, where the disciples claims could most easily have been countered. According to Jewish religious beliefs going back centuries, the decision to reject traditional Judaism and embrace Christianity would have condemned them to damnation if they were wrong.  That is not a decision a Jew would make lightly or on flimsy evidence. History testifies to the fact that the first Jewish converts consisted of no small number, as they expanded within just a few decades as far as Rome.  But there are several reasons for the rejection of Jesus by the Jewish religious hierarchy. 

 The Jews are the vehicle through whom God offered salvation to the world in the person of Jesus Christ.  They are as intricately woven into God's plan as the Messiah and the Bible.  One can’t consider the Jewish nation without considering the Scriptures, hence the messiah, and vice versa.  As we are seeing, the prophetic scriptures are always fulfilled, and this is what Isaiah the prophet said.

"Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God"  Isaiah 53:3-4 

God said through Isaiah that the Jewish nation would reject the messiah, and they did.  Again it is clear.  If the Bible says it will happen, it does.  But secular historians also offer a reasonable explanation. The Jews expected their messiah to be a political and military deliverer, as noted earlier.  His dying wretchedly on a cross did not fit that picture.  In fact, they considered anyone “hung from a tree” to be accursed of God and their messiah was certainly not expected to be accursed of God.  Rather, the hope was that he would deliver them from Roman oppression. Even His disciples misunderstood His mission until His crucifixion and resurrection. According to the Scriptures, He will return as a conqueror and judge, as the Jews expected of Him, but they did not understand that the prophetic picture of their messiah necessitated two appearances - the first as a humble servant intent upon the salvation of mankind and the second as Lord and King.  But they were motivated to interpret the scriptures in order to suit themselves. The Jewish rejection of Christ originated from within the economically powerful and influential sect of Pharisees. Christ and His disciples repeatedly exposed their claim to "righteousness through religious works" as a sham, potentially eroding their political power and stature within Jewish society.  Listen to one of Jesus' rebuke of the Pharisees.     

"Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widow's houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation"  Matthew 23:14

They did not humbly accept this as constructive criticism. His condemnation of their practices and His growing popularity with the masses threatened their influence and caused them to vehemently oppose Him. It finally drove them to a murderous conspiracy involving one of Jesus’ own followers, Judas Iscariot.  They whitewashed their crime by labeling it as a lawful execution.  Even Pontius Pilate recognized it as a kangaroo court but he feared that the Pharisees would report that he was allowing a Jew to elevate himself above Caesar by claiming to be the Son of God and “King” of the Jews.

  After the crucifixion the sermons preached in Jerusalem by Peter and Stephen pointed to the resurrection but also accused the Pharisees of killing their own messiah.  This did not go over any better than Jesus’ rebukes and the Pharisees denied the charge, of course, in the same way any prosecutor would be reluctant to admit that he had condemned an innocent man.  The Pharisees felt compelled to justify their actions by claiming that Jesus was not who He said He was - even in the face of evidence for the resurrection.  But Jews who reject Jesus are no different than anyone else who rejects Him, and they do it for the same reason.  They refuse to submit to His authority because if they do, they must sacrifice power over their own lives or the lives of others. 

We deal with end time prophecies later, but we should note here that although Holy Scripture predicted that the Jews would reject the Messiah, it also predicts that, as a nation, they will ultimately embrace Him just prior to His return.  The 20th century has witnessed a steady world-wide growth of Christian converts from Judaism, primarily calling themselves Messianic Jews.  Right now they are scorned and ostracized by traditional Jews but the movement is gaining momentum regardless.  Is it coincidence?

Nothing in history has had more of a profound impact upon the entire human race than the claim made in Palestine 2000 years ago that Jesus of Nazareth had risen form the grave.   Men like Simon Greenleaf, the recognized foremost expert on the rules of credible evidence in a court of law, have converted to Christianity as a result of their investigations into the historical evidence for the resurrection. Mr. Greenleaf lived in the 17th century but the trend continues.  In a book entitled “The Faith of a Physicist”, printed in 1994, John Polkinghorne, a theoretical particle physicist, devotes an entire chapter to evidence for the resurrection, from the perspective of scientific inquiry. And the library is filled with similar accounts of thinking men from all walks of life who have come to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God because of what was reported to have happened in Jerusalem in the 1rst century.  This book, a mere syllogistic summary of converging lines of evidence for the truth of the primary Christian claim that Jesus Christ is who He claims to be, and that the claim has relevance to our eternal destiny, can barely touch upon the volume of historical facts supporting the resurrection of Christ.

Anyone setting out to show, through an investigation of history, that Jesus Christ did not actually come back to life after dying, will be forced into a very difficult position.  He will have to demonstrate that the New Testament is not reliable history, a somewhat difficult enterprise, considering that all the material typically considered “historical” that is recorded in that “document”, like the names of public figures, descriptions of geographic settings in Palestine and around the Mediterranean, descriptions of cultural and religious practices in the 1st century, have all been confirmed by archaeology. He will have to justify the empty tomb and why a body was never produced at the same time he explains away the numerous reports of Christ’s appearances immediately after the tomb was discovered empty.  Maybe he could show that the disciples and apostles were frauds, wicked or mentally unstable. This could prove to be troublesome since their writings demonstrate a moral excellence rarely seen in the annals of mankind.  He will have to explain the explosive growth of 1st century Jewish believers who, in the face of cultural and religious exile, changed the Sabbath day to Sunday and were willing to die for their beliefs.  Maybe skeptics could demonstrate that Jews from the first century were particularly naïve and suicidal when compared to mankind in general.  The skeptic will be confronted with a formidable task because all of these things have been thoroughly developed as evidence for the resurrection by numerous eminent Christian biblical scholars.  The few serious attempts by doubters to explain away the evidence as a conspiracy theory, or to rationalize the effects the risen Christ has had on the world in general and individuals in particular, are conspicuous in their bias against the supernatural.  At the bottom of the ledger, the only argument ever made against the truth of the resurrection has been the insistence that miracles do not occur in a natural universe, therefore a miracle of the magnitude of the resurrection certainly did not occur.

When a naturalist feels hemmed in by the evidence against his adopted position, he will usually resort to the “miracles do not occur” argument, but sometimes will retreat to the old stand by. He will smile shrewdly and say, ‘If God exists, why doesn’t he show himself?’  As the messiah Himself pointed out, if God raised a man from the dead, a skeptic wouldn’t believe it anyway. 

“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even though someone rises from the dead."  Luke 16:31

CHAPTER 15

ISRAEL

It’s been said that King Frederick the Great of Prussia, who was a rationalistic skeptic, challenged a Christian chaplain to give him a clear and concise argument for the existence of the biblical God.  The chaplain quickly replied, “The Jew, your majesty.”

We don’t know what happened next but he may have went on to explain the astounding way in which the Jewish prophets recorded their history, that is, before it actually happened.  The Bible is filled with prophecies and decrees concerning the destiny of Israel that the Jews claim were inspired by their God.  The fact that what they wrote eventually occurred exactly as predicted defies any type of natural explanation, especially when the event signaling the beginning of the grand finale of those occurrences simply has no historical precedent.  That incident took place on May 14, 1948 when David Ben Gurion, Israel’s Prime Minister, declared her to be a sovereign nation in the very same land she had originally conquered 3400 years prior.

The prophetic and historic enigma called the “Jewish nation” began with God’s promise to Abraham that Canaan (Palestine) would become the possession of his “seed”, the twelve tribes of Israel. Four hundred years later that covenant became a reality after they were delivered from slavery in Egypt and their destiny from then on is summarized in Deuteronomy, the fifth book of the Torah. Moses, the writer, laid out a series of blessings and curses which the Jews would receive from the Lord based upon their obedience to Him as a nation.  Obedience was to bring blessing and disobedience was to bring the curses.  There were subsequent periods in Israel's history when its rulers established a standard of obedience to God and the nation prospered.  This prosperity was especially evident during the reigns of King David and his son Solomon.  But the Jewish epic is overwhelmingly pervaded by reigns of what their prophets describe as idolatrous and evil kings and their society suffered the predicted curses.  After Solomon, they were overrun by Assyria and Babylon, the latter destroying their first temple around 600 BC and forcing them into exile for 70 years.  Between about 500 BC and the time of Christ they were placed in subjection to the Medo-Persian and Greek empires.  Finally, under Roman domination, during the siege of Jerusalem the rebuilt temple was leveled again, the Jews were scattered abroad and there they remained until Ben Gurion opened the doors by reading Israel’s declaration of independence. Moses laid all this out in broad outline form and later prophets continued to embellish upon it.

First was the promise to the patriarch Abraham.

"Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."  Genesis 17:8 

Ultimately Moses was not permitted to enter the “promised land” himself but his writings, even though they contained predictions that Israel would lose the land twice, clearly stated that Canaan was forever earmarked for the Jews. So in spite of their being forcibly removed from that land, once by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and once by Rome for over 1900 years, God's word through Moses and the prophets ultimately prevailed.

 Anthropologists, historians and sociologists know better than anyone that the Jews are indeed unique in the world.  Whenever any ethnic group is conquered by another civilization, or removed from their homeland into another geographic area, invariably within several centuries and sometimes within a few generations, they are assimilated and lose their ethnic, religious and national identity.  Although the dynamics of history can not explain how the Jews managed to retain distinctiveness for so long and then get their original turf back, from what we are seeing, it is perfectly explainable.  It was written in the Bible that it would occur and so it has.

After the reformation, when the Bible was basically made available to the masses against the will of the Roman Catholic Church, a minority of Christian Bible scholars were openly scoffed at for their insistence that the Jews would again become an independent nation simply because the Bible said so.  But they refused to waver in the face of a growing naturalistic and religious liberal trend.  People like Charles Spurgeon, Dr. John Cummings, James Grant and Increase Mather, who lived from the 1600’s to the 1800’s, all went against the tide and predicted an occurrence that must have seemed highly improbable at the time. Today it is the skeptic who must buck the tide if he seriously attempts to compare the prophetic body of scripture regarding Israel against recorded history and rationalize the exact parallel as a mere coincidence.

In any case, as noted above, God included with his promise of the land some dire predictions as well. Through Moses He said that the Jews would be taken from their land for their disobedience and idolatry.

"But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.  Deuteronomy  28:15 

 "Then the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other..."  Deuteronomy  28:64 

"I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess."  Deuteronomy 30:18

Moses also predicted that they would regain it, as did numerous prophets following him.

 "…that the Lord your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you."  Deuteronomy 30:3 

"And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord will thresh, From the channel of the River to the Brook of Egypt; And you will be gathered one by one, O you children of Israel."  Isaiah 27:12    

"Behold, I will bring them from the north country, And gather them from the ends of the earth, Among them the blind and the lame, The woman with child And the one who labors with child, together; A great throng shall return there.  They shall come with weeping, And with supplications I will lead them.  I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, In a straight way in which they shall not stumble; For I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn.  "Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, And declare it in the isles afar off, and say, "He who scattered Israel will gather him, And keep him as a shepherd does his flock."  Jeremiah 31:8-10 

The Bible contains hundreds of specific historical prophecies regarding the nation of Israel and her people.  They range from predictions fulfilled within the lifetime of the prophet to forecasts of events thousands of years in the future.  Of course those forecasts regarding things that took place within our own generation are especially significant, as they cannot be refuted through radical or liberal biblical criticism.  Who can deny that we have seen a nation literally born in one day  (Ezekiel 38: 8), or that we have witnessed a prolonged and seemingly irreconcilable feud between the Arabs and Jews and the overwhelming dominance of the Jews in that conflict (Psalm 83:4 and Ezekiel 35-38) or that we have seen the literal blossoming with fruit of a land barren and wasted for 2000 years (Isaiah 27:6 & Ezekiel 36:30)?  And all this has happened in conjunction with the predicted mass return of the Jews to their old homeland from all over the world.

The overall phenomenon discussed in this chapter is briefly but eloquently assessed in the following paragraphs taken from a series of essays on prophecy that was compiled by Robert C. Newman in a book, “The Evidence of Prophecy”.  This particular quote is from Samuel Kellogg’s chapter on Israel.

“The conclusion from all this is as clear and inescapable as it is important.  Here is a nation whose whole history from its beginning has been unique in character; a people who, arising out of a race and age notable in the ancient world for the grossness of its idolatries, have yet been the undoubted source of all the monotheistic religion on the face of the earth; a people who, without those outward and visible cords of a common government and homeland, subjected for centuries to circumstances which should naturally have resulted in their extinction, have not only still survived, but have maintained a national life and a separateness from the many nations among which they have lived as has no other nation in history.  As Cristlieb says, “the people of Israel [are] a perennial, living historical miracle.”

But the strangest fact of all remains.  This same peculiar people has a literature, admittedly very ancient, in which all this unique experience is predicted, written out centuries before it even seemed possible.  Is this all of no significance?  Do these unparalleled phenomena in the history of Israel mean nothing?  Can they reasonably be explained on purely naturalistic grounds?  Have we here nothing but the wonderful Jewish “intuition”?  Is there not the strongest reason to suspect the presence in this history and in these prophecies an element which is not of man, but from above man?

And when we observe that these prophets expressly claim that this was indeed the case; that under every pressure to the contrary, even when facing imprisonment and death because of the words they spoke, they still never wavered in the persistent assertion that the words they spoke were not their own words, but God’s words, are we not compelled, as reasonable people, in the light of 2000 years of unbroken fulfillment of this prophetic history, to admit their claim and confess that, in a sense which is true of the words of no other men, the words of Jesus, the apostles and the prophets are indeed words of the living and omniscient God; and that the books in which these words are found, and of which they form an integral part, are indeed the very Word of God, and are therefore to be believed and obeyed accordingly?  Can any reasonable and unbiased person escape this conclusion?”

Although an entire portion of biblical prophecy remains unfulfilled, that portion dealing with the last days, all prophecy fulfilled to date has unfolded exactly as anticipated, a phenomenon especially evident with the Jewish people.  The record is so accurate that to expect a continuation of the trend would not only be logical but prudent, which is an understatement a corollary might reinforce.  To think, even for a second, that the Bible's record of accuracy will not continue would be irrational and reckless, because the God who inspired prophets to unerringly record the future also inspired those prophets to issue a warning.  Paraphrased in broad terms, that warning tells all of mankind to repent of its moral transgression of the law of God or endure God’s judgment.   We have already seen the standard of law to be enforced in that judgment and we are all guilty.  To accept the pardon offered by Jesus Christ would be a wise decision.  Now let’s take a look at another body of prophecy relating to our own generation.

CHAPTER 16

A LIGHT TO THE GENTILES

            The Bible also contains many prophecies dealing with the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a world wide phenomenon. Christianity’s eruption onto the world scene 2000 years ago and subsequent position at center-stage in the unfolding drama of human history can not be explained by any natural historical process, as in the case of Israel’s reinstatement as a nation.  The only explanation that makes sense is the historical fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

           But the reality is this.  The sudden appearance and global spread of a message of salvation to the Gentile nations originated with the Jewish nation and was predicted in the Bible long before the resurrection took place.  This further authenticates biblical foreknowledge as the stamp of God.  Out of hundreds of ethnic groups in existence 2000 plus years ago, one wrote that assemblies of people from every nation on the globe would ultimately revere a member of their own nation and it happened.  That speaks for itself.   Read some of what they wrote.

             "And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, (from the family of Judah and David) Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious."  Isaiah 11:10   

             Gentiles was the term used by Jews to denote everyone else, in other words, non Jews or the rest of the world.    

"I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles."  Isaiah 42:6  

"Indeed He says, 'It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be My salvation to the ends of the earth."  Isaiah 49:6  

These were predictions that the messiah would come for the world as a whole, and not just for Israel.  Following is another prophecy predicting that the Gospel would be preached around the world.  That has actually happened as Christian missionaries have literally encompassed the planet.

"You are my Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me and I will give You the nations for your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for your possession." Psalm 2:7-8

"For unto us a Child is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end." Isaiah 9:6-7

These scriptures clearly describe a person to come who can only be adequately represented by one historical figure, Jesus Christ. He is known the world over as the one claiming to be the Son; His followers consider Him to be the Son of God and these verses also plainly predict that He will effect world-wide influence. 

"And this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."  Matthew 24:14

 This prediction, made by Jesus Himself, warns that when the gospel is preached to every ethnic group, the end will come, meaning He'll make His return.  Although there are still a few remote areas where the gospel has not been heard, like northern China and parts of India and Pakistan, it will not be long.  The mediums of mass communication are enabling the Gospel to penetrate those regions at tremendous speed. 

"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."  Acts 1:8

   Christ is again speaking to His disciples and telling them their preaching will reach the ends of the earth.  How could he arrange that from the grave?

"And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is God, you cannot overthrow it - lest you even be found to fight against God."  Acts 5:38-39  

In one of the most profound and prophetic quotes in the Bible, a first century Jew whose associates within the Pharisaic sect were vehemently resisting the apostle's message displays wisdom by proclaiming, in effect, that if it was fraudulent, that Jesus Christ was not the Jewish messiah and had not risen from the dead, the movement behind the gospel message would falter and die.  History has supported the corollary to this insight, which says that because the movement blossomed so passionately, it must have been divinely providential.

"Then He said, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?  "It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches."  Luke 13:18-19

    This was a prediction by Jesus made in the form of a parable. It says the kingdom of God (His kingdom) would grow to enormous proportions compared to its embryonic phase.  It has happened.

"And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."  Revelation  5:9-10  

"After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands."  Revelation  7:9  

The Bible here says that prior to Christ's return a representative sampling from every people group in existence will believe, and be redeemed by, it's message of salvation.  This is a bizarre assumption for someone from a little known sect in the middle east to make but according to the U.S. Center for World Missions in Pasadena, California, it is now on the verge of occurring.   

"For many will come in My name, saying, "I am He, and will deceive many."  Mark :13:6

  Christ and His apostles not only predicted a world-wide body of believers, they knew many false prophets would appear who would use the name of Christ to promote their own interests and doctrine.  This is manifested in the many cults using Christian jargon such as the Mormon Church and the Watchtower Society (Jehovah's Witnesses) but who deny the biblical truths of Jesus' claim to be God and salvation by simple faith.

So we see that the Bible writers accurately forecasted that the Gospel message would be preached around the world and believed upon, exerting global influence on the civilization of man.  The literal fulfillment of those prophecies is simply another demonstration of biblical foreknowledge. 

CHAPTER 17

THE END

We will look finally at prophecies of the end times, one of the periods of history referred to in the Bible as the day of the Lord or that day. Again, our generation has a distinct advantage over people living previous to this century in recognizing the accuracy of biblical prophecy.  It must have been easy for skeptics to read about conditions just prior to God’s final judgment on planet earth, as described in the Bible, and scoff at the idea that their probability of occurrence was somehow realistic. It must have been equally difficult for believers to maintain their faith that mankind would someday find itself in its present condition and that these conditions would signal its imminent demise. It was a lot easier to believe that passages in the Bible describing such things were spiritually metaphoric.  That is not the case today.  Our current plight and the unfolding drama in the area of basic survival confirms that what the Bible says about our future is not symbolic, but real. Although it is hard to believe that God will judge us in such a harsh fashion, we now have the evidence right in front of our eyes.

For centuries the earth seemed indefatigable and the Bible's warnings that life on earth could actually be wiped out appeared to be in the realm of fantasy.  But since August of 1945, when a man made nuclear reaction took place as an act of violence, the fantastic became a reality.  Atomic warfare is a threat and the risk is increasing as more and more nations considered radical politically, such as North Korea and Iran, attempt to arm themselves with nuclear weapons.  In fact, nuclear technology is now so prolific that its manipulation by terrorists is a real and looming threat. 

Since 1945 many more menaces to our existence have appeared. Plagues are just one.  Maybe we will find a cure for AIDS and maybe not.  In any case, medical science has been humbled by this deadly virus and has to admit it does not necessarily have the means to control infectious viral disease.  A devastating viral plague affecting all of humanity, maybe AIDS or maybe some other, is a definite possibility.  The Ebola virus, for example, another incurable killer that works within weeks, continues to break out periodically in Africa - each time in a more populated and harder to quarantine area.

In 1994 scientists witnessed the explosive collision of a comet with the planet Jupiter.  If it had careened into planet earth, no one would be left alive to release an environmental impact report.  Astronomers agree the earth is vulnerable to such a collision at any time, although the possibility is remote. But as mentioned in a previous chapter, we have evidence that these devastating impacts have occurred in the past.  There are more than 2000 asteroids and comets whose orbits around the sun intersect ours.  The Bible's numerous statements regarding one of the final portents of the end, great signs in the heavens, is no longer in the realm of science fiction. 

The depletion of the ozone layer because of pollutants being released into the atmosphere has already resulted in vastly increased exposure of plankton in the Antarctic sea to destructive radiation from the sun.  Plankton is the prime source of oxygen, which sustains all life. At the rate third world countries are cutting down rain forests, estimated to be 5000 acres per day, it will not be long before the earth's lungs, as these forests are sometimes referred to, are depleted to a level where they can no longer supply the balance of oxygen necessary for our atmosphere.  Plankton is the primary source of oxygen and rain forests are second.  Because of these and other problems, like radioactive and toxic waste in the oceans and ground water, scientists today are actually split as to whether or not the earth can be environmentally salvaged. There are many who think we've already passed the point of no return. Those who believe we are doomed to some terrible environmental repercussion as a result of our own misuse of the planet are in the minority but the point is, for the first time in history educated men discuss such issues realistically rather than theoretically. The Bible says this.

"For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."  Matthew 24:21-22

In this passage Jesus Christ says, as do other biblical prophets in numerous scriptures, that life on earth will become intolerable for those without faith in Him and that His appearance will become necessary to save believers and the nation of Israel from being totally destroyed by the ungodly.  The Book of Revelation describes this vividly.  The "time of tribulation," as it is described in the Bible, will occur because of man's inability to control his evil nature, Satan's influence and ultimately, because of God's wrath. 

"In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David a Branch of righteousness (the messiah); He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth."  Jeremiah 33:15   

   The Bible is the only piece of ancient literature in existence that graphically depicts the demise of man.  It accurately describes today's world situation, then describes the end, then says one will signal the other.  It says modern society will appear thus, just prior to the end.  As society finally appears thus, mankind can for the first time in history consider his own demise as a rational possibility, if not an actual probability. 

The truth of the social and environmental phenomena described below can be confirmed by picking up a newspaper and it was all predicted in the Bible as coming to pass in the same “day” that mankind would witness the restoration of Israel as a nation and in the same “day” that the end of the world would be discussed realistically. Is it simply another coincidence?

Liberal Jews and Arabs are attempting to negotiate a peace, but who really believes they will ever have more than transient success?   Orthodox Jews view the Dome of the Rock, a sacred Muslim Shrine in Jerusalem, as an infringement on their holy temple site and adamantly refuse to desist from their plan to rebuild that temple. And fundamental Muslims, like those who control Iran, Iraq and Libya, have shown no signs of giving up their “religious” imperative to destroy the Jews.  

The United Nations is being given greater global "peace keeping" authority in an attempt to achieve the "new-world order”, a cliche coined by "statesmen”, not religious fundamentalists, but certainly a phenomenon predicted in the Bible.  Concurrent with this is the move towards world trade agreements, utilizing a common medium of exchange, and this movement is being spearheaded by what started out as the European Common Market. Computers, of course, have made the logistics possible.

Plagues have been mentioned and there have been severe famines, as well, in recent decades.  Anyone familiar with population levels on earth knows we cannot continue to propagate the way we have been and provide enough food for everyone.  Something will have to give. 

The Roman Catholic Church, the Liberal Evangelical Church, liberal Jews, liberal Muslims and New Age pantheists are all gathering under an umbrella of tolerance.  A spiritual brotherhood, of sorts, is evolving under the banner of global accord and protection of the environment.  A world wide ecumenical movement is definitely afoot, one that embraces religious tolerance and humanism and is critical of fundamentalist loyalty to a specific creed. 

Self proclaimed messiahs and cults are mushrooming.  What seemed to be a tragic but isolated incident in Jonestown years ago is now common-place.  Japan, Switzerland, France and the United States have all experienced tragedies spawned by doomsday suicide cults in the 90's and the major religious groups are unwittingly inspiring more and more maniacs bent on administering their delusions of God's will by assassination, bombing and murder.

Lawlessness is increasing everywhere, even in nations that traditionally never had such a problem - like Japan. It is the severity and depravity of the crimes that is appalling.  One hundred years ago Jack the Ripper was an enigma.  Today every major police department needs a serial killer task force.  Terrorism, a particularly vicious form of lawlessness, is now a problem for even the most powerful nations.

Scientists are witnessing global environmental effects brought about by mankind as though the earth itself were voicing it's outrage at the catastrophes visited upon it by the quest for profit and power by nations and industry.  Scientists say we may be the secondary cause of many unique weather patterns experienced recently around the world, including record storms and floods.   It is improbable that we may be causing earthquakes but killer quakes have dramatically increased and that fact cannot be attributed to greater reporting techniques.  The exponential increase in quakes has occurred since the middle of this century, by which time reporting techniques were firmly established. 

These problems, and the noticeable absence of any "world class" statesmen at the helm of any nation anywhere make the world ripe for a man who would propose to solve the ills of the world and who would then be elevated to a position of multinational military and political power. 

Although the gospel of Jesus Christ will reach to the remotest parts of the globe, the world at large will increasingly reject Him and His followers as narrow minded and intolerant.

The Bible contains the distinct stamp of God.  That stamp is the ability to see the future and record it.  The Bible predicted all of the above.  It predicted the appearance and ministry of Jesus Christ along with numerous specifics about His life.  He fulfilled those prophecies to the letter.  The scriptures also record the checkered history of Israel, including the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, the dispersion of the Jews around the world and the reinstatement of that nation to the original piece of land promised to them over 3500 years ago.  The prophets not only predicted the messiah, they predicted that He would be preached about, believed upon and worshipped by people from all ethnic groups and nations.  That has also come to pass.  The Word of God describes the end of human history, as we know it, and says it will be characterized by specific signs, the primary one being the reinstatement of Israel to it's land.  The signs are manifest and the Jews are back. 

What is absurd is the notion that this global plot was scripted as a prophetic shot in the dark.  To deny the existence and accuracy of prophecy is to ignore the facts.  To admit the obvious, that the Bible exhibits foreknowledge, and deny God as the source is self-imposed spiritual blindness, the very condition we have been attempting to remedy.

CHAPTER 18

THE LAST CHOICE

We have come face to face with what many sound thinkers hold to be compelling evidence for the Bible's divine inspiration, and so are confronted with a choice. It is a choice many would consider very strange. We are being offered the opportunity to encounter a person existing in a dimension not of this universe, a divine Person. Most of us adamantly choose not to, saying it is just too hard to believe. We are rigorously skeptical that such an encounter is possible, even in the face of evidence. Chances are we believe in God but reject the idea that He is a being with a will, a nature and the desire and ability to communicate.  We view God as an unapproachable and impersonal entity of some sort.  On the other hand, those of us who accept the Bible as the Word of God believe it to be the personal revelation of a God who can be known intimately, with all that an intimate relationship implies, including dialogue and mutual awareness between the parties involved in the relationship.  But both views can’t be correct because, as we have seen, something can’t be and not be at the same time and in the same circumstances, meaning either God is personal or He isn’t.  Jeremiah the prophet wrote this about the dilemma.

"Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this; That he understands and Knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.  For in these I delight, says the Lord."  Jeremiah 9:23-24

  Believers agree with Jeremiah that God spoke through him and other prophets, revealing Himself as a God who can be known, but they believe that intimate knowledge of God comes through a personal encounter with Jesus Christ.  They believe this because that’s what it says in the New Testament and their own experience confirms it.  Because the vast majority of these New Testament believers do not exhibit any overt signs of emotional instability, it is logical to conclude that they are telling the truth, especially after seeing that the Bible apparently is the Word of God because it demonstrates supernatural foreknowledge.  It says God is personal, but the individuals who adamantly claim that God can never be known personally, if they are honest with themselves and others, will probably have to admit that they have studiously avoided a personal introduction.

So in spite of our skepticism, there is a credible manuscript in existence that says we must choose whether or not to meet Jesus of Nazareth. The evidence is overpowering that he is available for the introduction. The Bible says so and we have seen it to be a book with infallible and supernatural credentials. Millions of Christians have been saying so for centuries and it stretches the imagination to suggest that they're all suffering from the same mental imbalance.  We are being told someone is waiting to meet us and if we don't believe it, just open the door.  Listen to the words of Jesus Christ.

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. "  Revelation 3:2

What is there about a possible introduction to Jesus Christ that might cause someone to shy away?  Presumably, many things, but possibly the vague suspicion that it is not like being introduced to your neighbor's brother-in-law.  And that suspicion would be correct.  We do not meet God’s Son as equals.  He has been declared in the Bible as the sovereign of the universe, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  When being introduced to a sovereign ruler it is customary to bow before him and it is no different with Jesus Christ. This is what the Bible says about His status.

  "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."   Philippians 2:10-11

The refusal to exercise the humility described in the above scripture will prevent the consummation of any encounter with Christ, that is, He will not respond, as there are certain humbling formalities we must observe when we meet the messiah.  The Bible says we must first admit that we have violated God's law, that we are guilty, that we have been judged by God and that we are destined for eternal damnation upon our earthly demise. We must admit that we can never override that judgment with what we consider to be good deeds.  We must gratefully ask for the only pardon available, which is conferred upon those who accept the suffering and death of Jesus Christ as payment in full for their sins.  We must repent, which means we must willingly turn from the sin in our lives and we must promise to make Jesus Christ our ultimate authority, pledging obedience to Him and recognizing that He rose from the grave and lives.

According to scripture, those formalities must be observed if we are to personally experience the Lord of the universe. Jesus Christ says He will make Himself known to whoever approaches Him in that manner.  That knowledge is characterized by what the Bible refers to as being born again, a biblical expression describing the spiritual regeneration that will be experienced through an encounter with Christ.  It is what happens when the Holy Spirit breathes new life into our dead spirits and it occurs when we submit to the authority of Jesus.

"That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you "You must be born again." John 3:6-7

 Our regenerated spirits are then, and only then, able to understand and discern spiritual truths in the Bible.  Prior to that rebirth the Bible seems dull and lifeless, and although we can intellectually understand what it says, the words seem to be irrelevant and have no pertinence to our lives.  Although it implores us to submit to Christ for salvation, the message is probably falling on deaf ears. On the other hand, God said there is no excuse for denying Him, including a spirit corrupted by sin.

"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse..."  Romans 1:20

The Bible tells us to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation from the judgment of a holy and righteous God.  But the Bible seems to be saying that we can't truly be empowered by its words, in a profound way, until after we have been saved from judgment through regeneration.  This would mean we would have to experience regeneration before we could actually perceive the essence of salvation by reading the Bible. Although it seems to be a catch 22, that is right.

"For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?  Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.  These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing, spiritual things with spiritual.  But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

1 Corinthians 2:11-14

 Fortunately, the Bible is not necessary for regeneration.  What is necessary is hearing and responding to the gospel.  That is why Jesus Christ commissioned apostles and preachers to spread the good news (gospel) in person.  It is why Christians everywhere tell the story of Jesus Christ to those willing to listen.  It is why thousands of people were introduced to the risen Jesus within weeks of His death and resurrection, before the New Testament was ever written. The message of salvation is simple and can be delivered or received by anyone.  Humble thyself before the Lord Jesus Christ.  It does not take either a nuclear physicist or a Bible scholar to deliver that message or understand it.

But that message is also a tremendous barrier to salvation.  In looking at the prerequisites for a valid introduction to Jesus, we see that, from start to finish, we are being asked to sacrifice our pride.  But our pride tells us not to submit to an authority greater than ourselves, so we don't.  We remain at an impasse with God.  We will never know Him and He will not redeem us against our will. The problem is, God says the “stand-off” is as temporary as the length of our lives and that it will be resolved on the day we die.

"And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment..."  Hebrews 9:27

 We are being asked, therefore, without having to understand every word of scripture in the Old and New Testaments, to hear evidence and testimony about Jesus Christ and to take a step of faith.  That faith does not have to be in the content of men's teachings, dreams, visions or ideas, but in one person as revealed in the Bible - Jesus Christ.  According to the Bible, that step of faith will result in salvation and eternal life.  We become a temple (dwelling place) of the Holy Spirit and through this Spirit we become intimate with Christ.  The intimacy of the relationship provides an assurance of the reality of eternal life and that assurance nurtures a deep peace transcending the temporal emotions with which we are all to familiar.  The Bible begins to speak as if from the very mouth of God.  We see things in it which were never discernible prior to the re-kindling of our spirit.  God puts it this way through the pen of the apostles.

" I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life."  1 John 5

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

"However as it is written, 'No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him'-but God has revealed it to us by His spirit"  1 Corinthians 2:9-10

"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God."  1 Corinthians 2:12

"For 'Who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?'  But we have the mind of Christ."  1 Corinthians 2:16

The re-birth is not some sort of mind-state we assume for a while and then lose through attrition, or keep through ritual. It is the beginning of eternal life in the presence of God through the Spirit of God. Those who have chosen to receive it would never discard it and, in fact, could not, any more than one could discard his humanity by choice.  It will remain forever obscure, however, from those who choose to reject the outstretched hand of Jesus. God did not create robots, but rather, beings in His image, that is, beings with a sense of morality, creativity and a free will. Although He will not force anyone to submit, He will see to it that every person has the opportunity to decide.

"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse."  Romans 1:20

"if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister"  Colossians 1:23

God has provided a witness of Himself through His creation, His Word, our consciences, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.  Everyone will be given the opportunity to submit to God's authority and those receiving greater revelation will be held to greater accountability.

"...For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required..."  Luke 12:48 

 But how does one overcome the hurdle of disbelief?  To begin with, even if we had trouble believing, we must, at least secretly, think that the story of Jesus would be a good thing if it were true. If we were hypothetically given the power to decide whether or not the gospel were true and realized we would render it false, then all the evidence in the world would not make a bit of difference. A person who wants to believe, or not believe something, will never be persuaded otherwise.  Such a person should probably examine his heart and try to figure out why he would choose to render a message of eternal peace and security false.  The Bible says a person with that particular predisposition towards the gospel risks suffering what it describes as “hardening of the heart”, wherein the enticement offered by God ceases to have any effect.

"So, as the Holy Spirit says: Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts...So I declared an oath in my anger, They shall never enter my rest."  Hebrews 3:7-11

  In any case, the evidence and the personal witness of believers regarding the truth of the living and written Word has to arouse enough initiative to motivate a step of faith.  We must ultimately commit our lives to Jesus Christ and trust that He rose from the dead, although we can't see or touch Him. We must believe in the most spectacular and unusual occurrence ever reported, the return of a dead man from the grave, and what that event accomplished.  

If we were being asked to trust a religious system enjoying unqualified and universal acceptance from our family and the rest of the world, one that allowed us to keep whatever is precious to ourselves but still guaranteeing eternal salvation, few would hesitate. But true faith is tested by the presence of risk. And the fact is that family and friends will scoff at a decision to “follow Jesus” and life-styles must be forsaken.  So the initial step can never be tentative.  It must be total and with disregard for earthly consequences, priority being not the things and circumstances of this world but one's status before God on judgment day.  Saving faith is like a plunge into icy water for a treasure beneath the surface, in the words of the Bible, a “pearl of great price”. That plunge is rarely initiated by testing the waters daintily with the toes to see if it may be unpleasant. Saving faith is epitomized by the popular expressions, “no fear” and “go for it”. 

But it is not a blind faith because, as we have seen, the Word of God can be trusted.  The scriptures speak about things we can’t confirm, like heaven and hell, but we choose to believe the Bible regarding those things, through the bold exercise of faith, because of the record of credibility it has established in other areas, such as prophecy and history -  things we can confirm.

Suppose a prophet issues a warning that anyone wearing scarlet will be struck by lightning because scarlet clothing is evidence of the presence of a larcenous nature.  As a demonstration of his credibility the prophet accurately predicts the winners of the next five Super Bowls, including the most valuable player from each winning team.  If someone then continues to clothe themselves in scarlet, they are living dangerously. After confirming the prophet’s predictions as flawless, it would be prudent to exercise faith in the prophet’s ability to tell the truth about the symbolism of scarlet and the consequence of wearing it.

We all have something to think about regarding what God expects of us. Just about everyone living in today's multi-media world has heard the primary message of Jesus Christ, and those who have read this far certainly have. According to the Bible we are all obligated to act on what we have heard.  Let's look again at Jesus' words according to Luke.

"But he who did not know, yet committed things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few.  For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more."  Luke 12:48

  In other words, to those who have been given greater revelation of Jesus Christ, resulting in continuing rejection of His claim to authority, harsher judgment will be forthcoming.  In the 20th century we have been gifted with scientific evidence for a Creator and the ability to witness more and more fulfillment of biblical prophecy.  We have a greater responsibility to recognize the truth.

Failure to recognize and act upon the truth will ultimately result in destruction and judgment.  That is not a pleasant thought and it doesn't sit well with our ego.  We do not like being told what to do.  We do not like giving control of our lives to someone else.  We want to decide for ourselves what is right and wrong.  Ever since we escaped the authority of parents, teachers or the military, we have been an authority unto ourselves.  Regarding the pursuit of money, power or love, we claim the intellectual capacity to establish the line dividing right from wrong.

We were that way as children and we are that way today.  We have not changed.  The Bible is right about us.  Our very nature cries out against submitting to the authority of another.  But why?  Why is it so difficult?  Why would anyone read this scripture and reject it?

"God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" John 3:16

CHAPTER 19

SMOKESCREENS

According to the Bible, the profusion of reasons men offer for their rejection of Christ is really mental camouflage for something deeper, the desire to keep sin hidden.  We do not want our secrets exposed.  But some of this camouflage is indeed very effective.  The penetrating questions raised by skeptics regarding the reasonableness of Christian theology can be difficult to answer and deserve an honest response. So what follows is a modest attempt to provide insight into the resolution of some theological and philosophical problems that have plagued doubters for centuries.  On the other hand, we have seen that the Bible can be trusted and it says that skeptical questions designed to undermine the validity of Christ are fundamentally rooted in rebellion against the moral law of God, penetrating or not.  With that in mind, lets take a look at some of the most common reproaches leveled at Christianity. 

We will look first at what is viewed by some to be the Achilles heel of Christian doctrine, the existence of evil.  Some very intelligent and renowned skeptics, like John Stuart Mill, have used the phenomenon of “evil” as a basis for posing a dilemma they contend is impossible for Christians to resolve.  It is generally stated something like this. 

If God desires evil to be present in the world, He is not good.  If God does not desire evil to be present in the world, yet it exists, He is not all - powerful.  Evil certainly exists yet Christians say God is both omnipotent and good so Christianity is a contradictory belief system and must be discarded as irrational. 

In order to even think clearly about evil, we must define it. The concept of evil is generally understood through its kindred relationship with the phenomenon of suffering.  Evil is said to be present when suffering has been premeditated.  In other words, evil is a word used to describe the existence of a cognitive desire to inflict suffering on another living thing.  The core issue of the dilemma stated by Mills is actually the origin of evil because skeptics are insinuating that the evil we witness in the world must have been pre-meditated by God or He would never have allowed it to rear its ugly head. Christians typically try to divert the responsibility for evil from God to man, saying correctly that the sin of man is the root cause of evil. But if a skeptic has suffered the loss of a child to leukemia or a drive-by shooter, he will angrily ask why, if God has control, didn’t He prevent it?  Or he might ask how a 3 year old child could bring about its own demise through sin, or why would a good God allow the sin of an adult to cause the suffering of an innocent child?  If God knew that men would sin and cause so much suffering, why did He create us?  How could a perfectly good God choose to create a universe in which conscious beings would ultimately suffer in the most horrible ways through disease, torture, mental illness, starvation and war?  Something is wrong.  A good God wouldn’t allow such things to happen and so if the Bible says God is good, it has to be nothing more than a religious fantasy.  A God who would allow such things must either have an evil side to His nature, be utterly capricious, or must not have total control.  Christians are mad if they expect us to believe otherwise.

The alleged problem is complex, involving God’s level of power or control and His decision to create a species of free willed beings.  The dilemma posed by Mills complicates the problem even more by defining God’s omnipotence incorrectly.  We are subtly led to believe the premise that there is absolutely nothing beyond God’s control, which is simply not true, even for the almighty God revealed in the Bible.  The Bible says God is omniscient, boundless, eternal and invincible, but it certainly doesn’t say that God can defy logic.  He can’t create another God with “no beginning and no end”.  He can’t create a triangle with 4 sides.  He can’t create a man that is not a man.  In other words, in the universe God chose to create, that is, one regulated by precise laws, one that is understandable and defined by rules of mathematical logic, there are certain things that God can’t do.  He can’t defy his own nature, Him being absolutely and eternally what He is, meaning, for instance, that as a perfect moral being, He can’t lie or violate His own “good” will.  So if God chose to create free-willed beings as the best of all possible creative scenarios, He is obligated to provide them with an opportunity to choose. This does not make Him impotent or evil. 

In other words, because mankind generally considers free-will to be a good thing, God has not violated the good aspect of His nature by creating free willed beings as opposed to slaves or robots.  But free-willed beings will choose to sin, and even God can’t create a free-willed being without options.  So in one respect the typical response to the problem of evil made by Christians is appropriate.  A huge portion of the evil experienced in the world today is generated by the lust, greed and hostility of men.  But why did God choose to create a being that would ultimately bring about suffering?   

The question probably doesn’t have a perfectly satisfying answer but anyone who has ever chosen to have a child has at least some insight into the matter.  We know that our children may someday become horribly disfigured, be ridiculed and scorned by their peers, be rejected by their first love or be killed in war but in spite of that, we choose to “create” beings in our own image with the capacity to choose a path in life, that is, beings with the opportunity to live, to love, and to experience joy, excitement and total fulfillment.  Why do we do it?  We do it for the same reason God created us, meaning it may simply be part of our nature to create beings in our own image.  That act, in and of itself, does not render us as inherently evil. 

But what about “natural” evil, like the loss of life or limb in a tornado, that is, the onslaught of suffering through a natural occurrence totally beyond the control or influence of men, suffering caused by what insurance companies call “acts of God”? 

Are they really acts of God?  The Bible certainly describes many natural disasters caused by God in his judgment of humanity. In fact, the Bible says that the ultimate judgment of men by God will involve natural calamities on a scale never before seen.  Skeptics want to know how a good God could wreak such havoc?  In return Christians ask, with the underlying assumption that justice is good, how could a just God avoid wreaking such havoc on men who have caused such dreadful suffering?  

In any case, although the problem of evil in any guise raises a lot of questions, it becomes downright thorny for a skeptic.  If he uses the origin of evil to deny the existence of a good God, he must figure out how to explain the origin of good, because the phenomena of evil is certainly nothing more than a corruption of that which is perfectly good.  How can we judge something as evil if we have no concept of perfect goodness, established by a perfectly good God, against which to measure?  Christians do not have the problem of explaining the origin of good. That problem is reserved for skeptics.

What we are saying is this.  The answer to why the God of the Bible allowed evil to enter our universe is certainly wrapped up in the concept of free will and the consequent evil choices it allows.  At least we have some insight into the difficulty as a “parenting” species of free willed progeny. For Christians, that insight probably represents as much understanding of the matter as they will ever need because they are more concerned with the existence of evil rather than in its origin. But how can a skeptic successfully contend with a phenomenon whose existence his philosophy logically denies? How can he escape the quandary described above, that is, in order for evil to exist, good must exist but good and evil would be nonsense in a godless universe?

So if we are to gain any peace of mind at all about the reality of suffering, whether or not we think of natural disasters as “acts of God” or whether or not we agree that free will is good enough to be worth the inherent risk, and because the evidence is stacked against us if we think we can eliminate God simply by blaming Him for the presence of evil, we should certainly be more interested in how to overcome evil rather than in its origin or existence.  It seems to be a part of life and few of us indeed would choose never to have breathed rather than having had the opportunity to experience life as free willed beings, regardless of whether that experience may have included suffering.  We recognize that in order to live and love, we must run the risk of being exposed to the malice of others.  The existence of suffering by design, either through the cruelty of man or the judgment of God, appears to be inevitable.  

A Christian deals with evil by accepting evidence for the existence of God and accepting that God’s choice to create free-willed beings is somewhat of a mystery, probably rooted in a plan by God involving the ultimate and eternal victory of good over evil, but is none-the-less grateful for the decision and endures everyday suffering with assurance from a good God that his suffering will eventually end.  The Godly gifts he uses to fight suffering are courage and patience, terms without meaning in a strictly survivalist world.  An atheist or skeptical agnostic can only fight suffering with stubbornness, bitterness, anger, hedonism or finally, suicide. He certainly can’t call on courage.  Courage necessitates taking an unnecessary risk for a cause. What cause? The sanctity of life? Righteousness?  There would be no such thing in an atheistic world.  Taking a risk simply to survive is not courage; it is instinct.  He can’t call on patience.  Patience involves waiting in silence. Waiting for what?  Death?  The suffering to end?  Why cultivate virtue by waiting patiently?  He might as well do whatever he can to end his suffering right now and virtue be damned. 

The skeptic is rejecting scientific evidence for the existence of God and seems to be saying that his bitterness and anger regarding the presence of evil are evidence that God doesn’t exist, that if God existed he would feel joy and fulfillment instead.  But how could he even know what joy and fulfillment were unless he had experienced them or witnessed them in others and if he did, there must be a God. Put another way, men experience joy and fulfillment, even in the midst of suffering, but it wouldn’t be possible without a God, unless one had a very low standard of joy and fulfillment.

The almost negligible incidence of suicide in the history of mankind tells us that the great majority of men, in spite of their views about the origin or existence of evil, would choose life over death, even if it included suffering. Although they may shake their fist at God in illogical defiance of his existence, they agree with his decision that to be a free-willed living being, subject to suffering and death, is better than not existing at all. In other words, they consider life good.  Accordingly then, perhaps something like this should replace Mill’s dilemma.  

Suffering is viewed as evil. Because mankind agrees that life as a free-willed being is a good thing, mankind should accept responsibility for the evil and consequent suffering he has brought into the world.  Mankind should also recognize that a just God is obligated to bring judgment and even more suffering on men.  Christ provides the solution for evil and suffering, whether from man or from the judgment of God, and men should avail themselves of that solution rather than blaming God for their problems, especially when it won’t change things anyway. 

Jesus Christ freely chose to perform the most loving act imaginable, to suffer for all of us so that our suffering could ultimately end. His solution to the problem of evil also includes separating good from evil in heaven or hell and providing every free-willed, morally aware being, the opportunity to choose between the two, which brings us to another common skeptical attack on Christianity along the same lines as the “problem” of evil.

'Why would a good, loving God allow evil and suffering to continue.  Why hasn't He stopped it?'

The late Walter Martin, best known for his book, “The Kingdom of the Cults”, told the story of a man who asked him this question.  Mr. Martin realized, whether the man did or not, that the man was implying that he would handle evil differently if he were God. Mr. Martin asked him if he had one minute to solve the problem of evil in the world today, what would he do?  The man remained silent.  Martin forced the man to recognize that if he wanted to stop evil right now, he would have to destroy humanity. 

God is loving and long-suffering.  He doesn't want to see anyone perish.  He holds the door open as long as possible in anticipation of one more soul coming to salvation. The Bible says that God will wait patiently, so as many as possible can be saved, but when our sin reaches an intolerable level, He will intervene.  According to the Bible that time is close at hand.  Those who remain in rebellion at their own death, or at the return of Christ, will be separated from His presence forever. 

What about the people who have never had a chance to hear?  Is it fair for them to go to Hell?

This is another of several prevalent objections to Christianity that all share a common denominator, that upon analysis their relevance to the more important question is lacking.  Once this has been demonstrated, continued use of such “red herring” skeptical ruses becomes suspicious, as if the skeptic isn’t really interested in answers but, rather, is justifying his own world-view. So what is the “more important” question to which we refer?  It is the question asked by Christ of all men and the one He asked Peter in Galilee 2000 years ago.  “Who do you say that I am?”  If there is enough evidence to answer that question correctly, as Peter did, saying in response, “the messiah”, that is, the Son of God and the savior of mankind, then one has no excuse for not responding as Peter did. To ask why someone would go to hell for not hearing about Christ does not answer this real question and is simply another diversion.

Anyone having faced a judge to plead their innocence knows that they were not judged upon the merits of men appearing before them, regardless if in someone’s opinion those men were unfairly charged.  It would be foolish to irrelevantly admonish a judge because we thought some other defendant had been unjustly indicted and then expect our admonishment to work in our favor.  Every person charged with a crime had better prepare a defense based upon its own merits.  An opinion about the fairness of some other case will probably be disregarded.  The Bible says that everyone will be individually and fairly judged by a perfectly just God.  To the individual who proposes the above question, the Bible guarantees that he will be judged upon what has been revealed to him.  If he has heard the “good news”, there remains no excuse.

But in spite of all that, there is an answer and it is this.  No one has, or ever will be, sent to hell for not hearing about Christ.  Paul clearly informs us of this in the Book of Romans.  In effect, he writes that the creation itself is evidence for the existence of God and therefore, because every man intuitively knows right from wrong through a God given conscience, every man should seek mercy from God for violating the perfect moral code his conscience has convicted him of violating.  So if a person who has never heard of Christ is sent to hell, it will be because he has ungraciously rejected God the Creator.  Paul points out that generally men have gone down that path, choosing what is right in their own minds and worshipping the things of the world and of their own making rather than the Creator, hence the need for salvation.  In any case, if a man asks the above question, it is an indication that he himself has heard about Jesus and must respond to that knowledge.  

The Bible indicates that God is just, an aspect of His nature requiring that sin be punished. Jesus Christ satisfied that requirement by suffering and dying on the cross for His fellow men, an act displaying not only God's sense of justice but His capacity for compassion as well, further demonstration of His goodness.  

'A good God would not send anyone to Hell!'

This is Mill’s dilemma all over again but it highlights a lack of understanding of the Bible and is definitely not a valid reason to reject Christ.  God doesn't send anyone to Hell.  God created us with a free will and we wouldn’t have it any other way, as we consider freedom to be a “good” thing.  But if there are moral laws, which there are, and if there is such a thing as free will, which there is, then ultimately the choice will be made to disobey those moral laws.  That is a decision we have all consciously and willfully made, at one time or another, and it renders us guilty.  In a just universe, and we consider justice a “good” thing, guilt is punished. It isn’t as if the punishment is a surprise - it has been revealed and it is described as “hell”.  A pardon would be a “good” thing and that’s what God has offered through the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.  If someone chooses to reject God's offer of a pardon after being told that he will be punished, it is somewhat difficult to rationally lay the blame on God. A good God would offer salvation to everyone and He has done just that.

'I am a good person, I don't harm anyone, why would God punish me?'

The first part of this statement is probably the greatest self-deception ever practiced by mankind. According to the Bible, no one is a good person.

"As it is written:  "There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understand; There is none who seeks after God.  They have all gone out of the way; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one."  Romans 3:10-12

 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  Romans 3:23

Those making the above statement are obviously comparing themselves to some other person they consider less righteous than themselves.  Unfortunately for them, they are being judged against the requirements of a perfect moral code, not against the behavior of Joseph Stalin or Charles Manson.  They have “missed the mark” morally and consequently must endure the judgment of a perfect judge who will not display partiality and will punish all offenses.

'I can't accept a religion that is narrow minded and says that Jesus is the only way to enter heaven.'

Here again, the primary question remains unanswered in the presentation of an irrelevant objection. It is not Christianity as a religion that is being rejected but Jesus Christ, who told his followers that to enter the kingdom of heaven, one must accept the sacrifice that He was to make, on their behalf, and that there was no other way. The objection is irrelevant because it doesn’t change anything.  If there is no other way for an illegal alien to gain citizenship in this country other than by passing a test and taking an oath of allegiance, then rejecting the citizens and president of this nation as narrow minded, and refusing to take the test or the oath, will have no effect whatsoever except to prolong the objector’s alien status. The failure to accept a truth doesn't change that truth.  Jesus said he was the only way and if there is evidence indicating otherwise, so be it, but not liking what he said doesn’t refute his claim.

But it is not true that God is narrow-minded regarding salvation.  God offers salvation to all of mankind, without prejudice.  Christ died for everyone's sins, without discriminating.  That is not a narrow-minded effort.  In reality the person making the above statement resents being placed under the authority of God and wants to continue following his own course of action.  If that person was trapped in a burning building and was offered only one avenue of escape, would he accuse his rescuer of being narrow-minded?

'Many Christians are self-righteous hypocrites - look at Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Baker.'

This objection is a rejection of Christianity, in effect a rejection of Christ, because of all the wars and persecution and questionable behavior attributed to those claiming to be Christians.  In other words, the skeptic refuses to embrace Christianity because of the historical existence of malpractice by its leaders, institutions and practitioners.  The common denominator between this objection and many others is, again, its irrelevancy to the real issue.  If, in fact, men claiming to be acting on behalf of God committed immoral acts, then how does their behavior affect the truth or non-truth of Jesus claim to be the Son of God?  It doesn’t.

But on the surface this may appear to be a valid reason for rejecting Christ.  If wars, persecution and hypocrisy result from faith in Christ, then the Bible’s claim that His followers will manifest virtues is suspect. Therefore the Bible can’t be trusted, and if the Bible can’t be trusted, what other evidence is there that Christ is the one He alleges to be?

The entire argument fails to consider the true meaning of hypocrisy, however. Hypocrisy is failing to practice what you preach.  Hypocrisy is pretense and duplicity, the practice of a double standard. But in order for a pretense of the real thing to take place, the real thing must exist.  In other words, a hypocrite can be used as proof that real Christians exist. We must ask these skeptics if they reject law and order because of crooked cops, the art of healing because of quacks or charitable organizations because of embezzlers.

The persecution of true believers and reformers during the inquisition in Europe, the crusades, the forced conversion of native Americans, the bloody massacres carried out by religious factions in Ireland, Lebanon, the justification of slavery and anti-Semitism, the persecution of Muslims in Serbia, and other similar acts, are all certified facts of history.  There is no doubt of that.  But they were not initiated or ordained by individual Christians but by men serving a religious/political “system” from a personal position of power.  Primarily the Roman Catholic Church, that is the Papacy, and to a lesser extent powerful denominations, like the Lutheran Church, the Church of England, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Southern Baptist Church, are the religious institutions responsible for the vast majority of injustices that have been used by critics to attack Christianity.  But the acts could not be considered hypocritical unless there existed what the Bible refers to as the true church, or in the parlance of the New Testament, the “body” of Christ.

The individuals making up this true “body” of believers are recognizable today, and throughout history, by their commitment to the expression of the gospel through self-sacrifice and religious freedom and by their willingness to be martyred for their belief in the face of persecution. They are responsible for hospitals, institutions of higher learning, orphanages, charitable organizations like the Red Cross and the Salvation Army and relief organizations for the poor and sick. Critics point at religious hypocrites who use the cover of Christianity to justify their quest for power and label them as Christians in their attempt to find an excuse to deny Christ. A fair analysis of history would reveal that true Christians are defined by their commitment to humanitarian causes and religious freedom whereas hypocrites are defined by their commitment to political, military and financial power.  In other words, each category can be recognized by their actions and Christian hypocrites would not exist if real Christians didn’t, so it is completely illogical to reject Christianity as a credible belief system because of the existence of fakers.

We are not being compared to one another as we are judged by God, but against the demands of a holy and perfect moral code and the only one who successfully obeyed it, Jesus Christ.  Those rejecting Christ because of religious hypocrisy within the Church need to compare themselves to Him rather than mere mortals who have distorted his message.  Even a skeptic should be able to recognize the absolute antithesis of the “sermon on the mount”  exhibited by the elitist priesthood of the politically powerful Church of Rome, Church of England, Eastern Orthodox Church and others.  Organizations like these, in the name of Christianity, have actually been the most potent & vindictive enemy of true individual Christians, that is, individuals who refuse to bow down to tradition and ritual.  If Skeptics can’t see this, it is more likely an attempt to turn the light away from themselves rather than an honest ignorance of history.  Men like Jim Baker and Jimmy Swaggart may be hypocrites but then again they may be just like the rest of us, morally imperfect and struggling with temptation on a daily basis, thrown into the limelight because of their public status.  How many of us would like to see our darkest secrets shown on the 6:00 PM news.  The Bible says that if they, like all of us, accept Christ’s sacrifice for their sins and repent, they will be forgiven.  But if they, like all of us, maintain their goodness relative to someone they consider worse than themselves, God will equate their self-righteousness with “filthy menstrual rags”, a metaphor used by the prophet Isaiah. 

"Religion is a crutch for the weak"

This statement is usually followed by a patronizing observation.  The skeptic, apparently aware that becoming a Christian benefited someone suffering from some “character flaw” like drug addiction, condescendingly allows that if it works for so & so, that’s fine but he doesn’t need it.  There are two issues here.  First, the skeptic is equating a commitment to Christ with the myriad of secular fixes available in today’s world for the psychological maladies plaguing humanity from “womb to tomb”.  As we have seen, Christ’s claim is to heal the malady we face after the grave.  The skeptic is dragging a person who claimed to be the savior of our eternal souls to the level of a psychiatrist and then saying he doesn’t need a psychiatrist.  Maybe so but it doesn’t logically follow that he doesn’t need eternal salvation. Second, the skeptic certainly does not understand the inward soul searching that is part and parcel of becoming a Christian.  Maybe he thinks that recognition of one’s own moral imperfection in a universe governed by perfect moral law is weakness.  In reality it is wisdom and moral discernment.  On the other hand, the refusal to recognize moral depravity in the face of conviction is foolishness and to believe that one has no need of moral healing is the epitome of arrogance.  To admit the violation of a perfect moral law and conclude that there will be no consequences is naive, if not vapid. 

Those who relinquish their lives to the authority of Christ understand that they are obligating themselves to a life of submission and obedience.  Christ makes it clear that sacrifice and tribulation will be the primary ingredient characterizing a believer’s life.  That is a choice generally not made by the faint-hearted.    

'What about Muslims, Hindus, Mormons and others, they are sincerely worshipping God so why would He punish them'?

Sincerity is not the primary ingredient necessary for salvation, rather it is the object of our sincerity.  Pure sincerity can, and quite often does, lead to death.  A blind trapeze artist may sincerely believe there is a safety net under him because his riggers told him so.  If they lied, his sincere faith in the net will not save him if he falls.  If we sincerely believe we are drinking water but it's poison, the object of our sincerity will kill us.  The owners of the Titanic sincerely believed their vessel to be unsinkable, but their passengers perished.

The Bible says we must rely on the wisdom of God for our salvation. The Bible describes a specific God and says He and He alone offers salvation. Other religions are not worshipping the God of the Bible. They are worshipping a God conceived of by men. They are in violation of God's first holy commandment.

 "You shall have no other gods before Me."  Exodus 20:3 

Like every other human being, they are being offered the opportunity to be forgiven.  They can accept salvation, like anyone else, but not from a god who doesn't exist, no matter how sincerely they believe he does.

Jesus Christ is unique when compared to the religions of the world.  Without exception, other religions abide by a system wherein the deeds of their adherents provide justification in the eyes of their god, thus qualifying them for a place in heaven.  But Jesus Christ offers salvation as a completely unearned and undeserved gift.  There are no strings attached.  There is nothing we must accomplish to earn His favor.  It is not necessary to go through any ritual of preparation.  There is no list of merits or charitable works we must present.  The only requirement necessary to receive the gift is to ask for it.  It is there for the taking and it is not in short supply.  There is enough for every human being ever born.  Those who will not receive the gift are those who refuse it.

This is what the Bible says regarding the truth of why people reject Jesus Christ.   They refuse to come to the light of Jesus because they do not want their sin to be revealed.

  "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  "But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."  John 3:19-21 

The desire to keep sin hidden is what keeps us from Christ.  In its simplest form this desire is manifested in the following way.  We have adopted a behavior pattern we know God condemns but because we don't want to give it up, we refuse to accept the authority of the Bible.  Those of us falling into this category need only take one additional step in order to meet Jesus Christ.  The prerequisite step has already been taken, the admission that we are engaging in sinful behavior.  In any case, we are experiencing a degree of pleasure for the moment, knowing it is wrong, but still refusing to sacrifice that pleasure. 

We have all had the experience of forfeiting self-control for instant gratification, knowing we would pay the price later but ignoring the reality.  When we finally realize the future price is too great, we exercise restraint.  When we recognize that the future price includes eternal judgment, we are ready to take the necessary step to meet Jesus Christ. But we must understand that more than a commitment to restraint is necessary.  The sins of the past must also be dealt with.  Jesus Christ dealt with them completely and forever, however, so submission to His work on our behalf solves that problem.

But failure to deal properly with our sins of the past can be a dangerous cover up.  An individual may gain control over a specific vice and believe his newly acquired self-control relieves him of the responsibility for previous transgressions.  But obeying the law now does not absolve one from the guilt of a past crime, even though we tend to think that our current good behavior makes everything OK and changes us from bad to good.  That is a dangerous line of thinking because we are deceived into believing there are no consequences at the end of the road.  We may never take that step which permanently erases our guilt.

The most lethal means of avoiding the personal exposure of sin is the steadfast maintenance that sin is not sin, which is denial in its purest form.  It is the self-exaltation of oneself to the position of ultimate authority as to what is right and wrong and then using that position to justify one's behavior.  Of course that place is reserved for God, according to the Bible, and He makes it clear that to pursue that line of reasoning will result in destruction.  The first step out of this deadly philosophical trap is to admit the overt and free-will commission of one act that is morally wrong.  

When we realize we have been morally imperfect, at least once, we can then begin to understand that the imperfection would not even be apparent without the conviction of a perfect moral law.  That perfect moral law is revealed in the Bible.  We know the Bible is the Word of God because of the foreknowledge it exhibits.  It says sin must be punished.  Through the Bible we also know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and His hand is extended, offering a pardon.

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."  Matthew 11:28

Finally, there are those who say they just can't drum up enough faith, even though they assent intellectually.  This is just another smokescreen.  Faith is not an emotion like ecstasy.  It is a choice, an intellectual commitment, and every human has been given the capacity to view evidence and choose to exercise faith or not one person would ever submit to invasive surgery, follow a guide down a dangerous trail or board an airplane.  Exercising faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ is no different.  But Christ, like a surgeon, will not provide healing unless that faith is exercised.     

Our examination of the evidence has led to an inescapable conclusion - Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life, just as He says, and He offers the opportunity to know Him.   Each time His offer is met with apathy or rejection it grieves Him but according to the Bible, the entire “host of heaven” rejoices at the salvation of one lost soul.

In this book we have emphasized the absolute authority and unwavering nature of God.  That is because many today are deluding millions into believing that God is not concerned with sin and will overlook it.  He will not.  But God is also loving.  His love surpasses our comprehension.  It is a love that is faithful, reliable, protective, nurturing and generous.  We must have faith in His plan of redemption in order to partake of it, however. 

Someone we would not hesitate to sacrifice our lives for is someone we must love very much.  Correspondingly, someone who would lay his life down for us must love us just as much.  Jesus Christ did that for the very people who killed Him, Jewish and Roman men who symbolically represent any of us who have rejected and scorned Him at some point in our lives. Please do not continue rejecting Him. Meet Him now by admitting to your sin and asking for mercy - tomorrow may be too late.

"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit."  Psalm 32:1,2