If REAL FAITH is based in an objective idea, what is the objective idea of the Bible? Can we really trust the Bible?
One of the strongest OBJECTIVE evidences for the trustworthiness of the Bible is FULFILLED PROPHECY. Although other religious books make prophetic predictions, none of them are as SPECIFIC as the Bible. In most cases the prophecies in these non-Biblical books do not come true at all. In other cases, the prophesies are vague and fulfilled only in a general way. The Bible however, contains literally HUNDREDS of prophesies fulfilled in specific ways. These are prophecies about: the Jewish nation, other nations, world history and a future MESSIAH.
The Science of Probability has some interesting things to say about the Old Testament prophecies regarding a Messiah.
With the help of 600 college students, Peter Stoner, science professor and author of Science Speaks, analyzed hundreds of Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament. The students carefully analyzed all the prophecies and considered factors that might indicate men had conspired to fix the prophecies.
Then professor Stoner invited other scientists to submit their own INDEPENDENT studies to determine if his student’s calculations were accurate. By the most conservative of estimates they concluded that 456 Messianic prophecies were fulfilled in one man, Jesus of Nazareth.
Then using just 8 of these prophecies, Professor Stoner calculated the probability of just one man fulfilling them. According to the Science of Probability, the chance of one man fulfilling just 8 prophecies is 1 in 10 to the 17th power (1 in 10^17). How big a number is 10^17 power?
If you covered the entire state of Texas to a depth of 2 feet with silver dollars, then dropped in a single marked dollar and mixed them all up, your chance of finding that marked dollar on your first try, wearing a blindfold, would be 1 in 10^17 power.
The 8 prophecies Professor Stoner considered are:
- Born at Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)
- Preceded by a messenger (Isaiah 40:3)
- Entered Jerusalem on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9)
- Betrayed by a friend (Psalm 41:9)
- Sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12)
- The silver subsequently thrown in God’s house and used to buy the potter’s field (Zechariah 11:13)
- He was silent before his accusers (Isaiah 53:7)
- His hands and feet were pierced (Psalm 22:16)
The Bible is an amazing book consisting of 66 books and written by 40 authors. Its message concerning the fall of man and God’s loving response to rescue him is legitimized through fulfilled prophecy. In trying to decide if the Bible can be trusted all we have to do is look to the objective Science of Probability. The odds say it’s true. Next up? Is There a Perfect Bible? Is the Bible Inerrant?
