Historical Accuracy:
Moses
The Bible records the fact that Moses wrote the first 5 books of the Bible, and Jesus verified that in the New Testament. For many years, unbelieving historians laughed at the thought that Moses wrote the Pentateuch. ‘that’s impossible’, they said, for there was no written language when Moses lived! Archaeologists continued their work, and in 1887 in N. Egypt 300 clay tablets were unearthed, we know them as the “tel-el-armana” tablets. What were they? Letters and business transactions between Egypt and Palestine, dated centuries before Moses was even born. And now it has been proven not only did they have a written language, they had a postal service!
Daniel
Remember the story in the book of Daniel of Belshazzar seeing the handwriting on the wall? For centuries histories mocked that story as mythology, stating that they have the Babylonian records, which show that the last king of Babylon was NOT Belshazzar, but was Nabonitis. As a matter of fact, they say, we have no record anywhere that any Belshazzar ever lived!
One day a clay tablet was found by archaeologists which revealed the truth: Nabonitis was the father of Belshazzar, and they were co-regents, ruling together! Nabonitis traveled the world, his son ruled the kingdom. Now we have a better understanding of Daniel 5:16 “And I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and explain enigmas. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
What if that tablet had never been found? Should we doubt the Bible, no! But isn’t it terrific how God makes His truth known, often times with an exclamation point tacked onto the end!
Luke
Late 1800’s and early 1900’s Sir William Ramsey was a well-known archaeologist and historian. He was professor of humanities at Aberdeen University. He was considered to be the world’s most imminent scholar on Asia-Minor, and it’s geography and history. He read the book of Acts and said,
“the book of Acts is a highly imaginitive and carefully colored account of primitive Christianity” (in essence, “of my knowledge of history, I have no respect for Luke as a historian”). Then he went to the middle east for the express purpose of proving the Bible wrong in its history. He came home and wrote the book, “Luke, the beloved physician” in which he proclaimed Dr. Luke to be one of the worlds foremost historians.
Here’s a quote from Sir William Ramsey…this was after looking carefully at the evidence: “I take the view that Luke’s history is unsurpassed in its trustworthiness. You may press the words of Luke in a degree beyond any other historian, and they will stand the keenest scrutiny, and the harshest treatment.”
Prophetic Accuracy
No book in history has dared to predict the future to the degree the Bible has, without being proven wrong.
Over 300 direct prophecies about the coming of Christ 2000 years ago.
(Is. 7:14) He would be born of a virgin (Lk. 1:7) it happened!
(Micah 5:2) born in Bethlehem (Lk. 2:4) that happened!
(Gen. 49:10) born of tribe of Judah (Mt. 3:3) that happened!
(Psalm 78:2) speak in parables (Mt. 13:34) that happened!
(Zech. 9:9) ride on colt of a donkey (Mt. 21) that happened!
(Is. 61:1-4) heal broken-hearted (Lk. 4:18) that happened!
(Is. 53:3 ) rejected by own (Jn. 1:11) that happened!
(Is. 53:7 )stand silent before accusers (Mk. 15:5) that happened!’
(Ps. 22:18) cast lots for His robe (Jn. 19:23) that happened!
(Ps. 22 – hundreds of years before crucifixion ever invented or thought of) prophets said they would pierce His hands and feet, and it happened!
(Ps. 22:1) “my God, why forsaken me?” (Mt. 27:46) that happened!
(Zech. 11:2) He will be sold by enemies for 30 silver (Mt. 26:15) that happened!
(Is. 53:9) buried w/ rich (Mt. 27) that happened!
Certainly, this is the most striking coincidence of details.
Dr. Charles Ryrie points out that, by the law of chance, it would require 2 hundred billion earths, each populated with four billion people, to come up with one person who could achieve one hundred accurate prophecies without any errors in sequence. But, in Christ’s coming alone, there were not one hundred, but over 300 prophecies fulfilled! And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, the prophecies dealing with His first coming!
Here is an illustration taken from internet: Cover the state of Texas with twenty cents piece, half a metre deep, mark the back of 1 of them with an X. Fly a man in and drop him anywhere you want in the state, blindfold him, and ask him to find that quarter with the X first try! That’s the same chance of just 8 of the Bible’s prophecies being fulfilled by coincidence!
It’s more than just a coincidence, it’s evidence that demands a verdict!
Conclusion
Post Modernism hates the Bible, they hate the whole concept of absolute truth and absolute authority….
But the Bible stands on its own merits. And as it does it therefore demands that we answer the question – What are we going to do with the truth that it preaches?