The “reality” I live in part 3. The role of the prophetic in the trustworthiness of Scripture

If it’s true what I said yesterday, that our passionate beliefs inevitably affect the way we live our lives, then obviously it’s important to know that we are not believing a lie! In His high priestly prayer Jesus tells us, that God’s Word is Truth (John 17:17). I realize that for many, this opens up a whole can of worms. If I say this in public, I am likely to hear “Can’t you make the Bible say anything you want?” It’s a relevant question, and one needs to be answered. I mean there are between 30,000 and 40,000 registered Christian denominations, many of which make exclusives claims to have the “correct” truth. And the simplistic answer that “my view is the right one,” simply won’t cut it! There is much to say about correctly interpreting Scripture (2 Timothy 2:15).

This morning I want to look at the role of the prophetic in the confirmation of the trustworthiness of Scripture. For me, prophecy plays a huge role. And one of the most convincing sets of fulfilled prophecy centres around the Jew and Israel. In particular the widespread rejection over 2000 years, of Jesus as the Jewish Messiah plays a large role in affirming the accuracy of the transmission of the Old Testament. I mean there is no way that fulfilled prophecies would not have been later altered to fit the facts. The rebirth of Israel in a day (Isaiah 66:8), and the regathering of Israel from “four corners of the earth” (Jeremiah 23:3)come to mind. Certainly some of the prophesied regathering referred to the return from Babylon. But the regathering from all over the globe has only begun to happen since 1948.

One of the most remarkable of the many prophecies concerning the Messiah comes in Daniel 9:26 “Then after the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be cut off, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple.” The time to which “Then” refers is after “the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem” (verse 25). Standard Jewish interpretation understands the sixty-two weeks to mean a period of sixty-two times seven years. And although there is some dispute as to the exact timing of this decree, nevertheless the stated times fits remarkably well with the crucifixion of Jesus and the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70. These examples hardly begin to scratch the surface of this important and massive subject!

Father, as I continue this morning Lord, I am very aware that what I believe affects my actions, and that my actions affect what I believe. And in particular, I am never standing still. I am either increasing in the knowledge of God, or I am decreasing in the same. We are in a war to the death for our hearts and minds with the enemy of our soul, and I need to feed daily upon your life-giving Word. And when I do this Lord your Word is self authenticating. It’s not that I have it all the answers, I certainly don’t know it all! But I do know whom I have believed and am persuaded that You are able to keep what I have committed to You against that day (2 Timothy 1:12). And I worship You again this morning Lord, in Jesus Name Amen