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Is the Bible really reliable?

by Pr Douglas Jenkins

by Pr Douglas Jenkins

Title            What is the Bible?
Theme        Is the Bible really reliable?

(This is part 6 in the Bible Study series.  Part 1 is found in edition 4, Part 2 in edition 5, Part 3 in edition 6, Part 4 in edition 7 and Part 5 in edition 8  of the online magazine.)

 
You have read many Bible references in previous issues. Maybe by now you are wondering : Is the Bible really reliable ?  You have read books and you think the information seems good.  Later you discover the information is unreliable. How can I have confidence about the Bible? .That is a good question.  Think back to the part. -- What Is The Bible? [see : 2.Peter 1: 21]  

You found that the Bible is not an ordinary book. God through the Holy Spirit, guided the minds of the writers to ensure that the message was exactly truth. 

Add this: "God is not a man that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent. Hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?" Numbers 23: 19. God is undeniably reliable. His message therefore is equally reliable. The message you read in the Bible is surely truth.

I had those doubts about the Bible until I read the following challenge that God made: "Remember the former things of old ; for I am God, and there is none else ; I am God and there is none like Me. [note this carefully]  Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying --My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." Isaiah 46: 9,10.

From this, I thought -- Is there substantial evidence that confirms such a claim?  To me this would really put on the line the reliability of God's Word being truth.  Well, here is the proof I needed.

Have a look at historic Bible prophecy, and see what it tells you. Let's find the setting: Hebrews, followers of God who lived in Palestine, were conquered and taken as slaves by the Babylonians, who lived in the Iraq of today. This was over 2600 years ago.  Among the captives were youths of nobility.  These were given special privileges as the king saw potential leadership qualities in them.

In Daniel chapter 2 an interesting incident occurred.  Verse 1 -- " In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him."  The king called wise men, and told them to tell him what his dream was all about They could not give a clear answer. Eventually Daniel, one of the Hebrew youths, gained audience before the king as he claimed he could satisfy the king's

demand. The king was a heathen, and the youths believed God might intervene in this situation to introduce the king to THE ONLY TRUE GOD.  Read on to find what hapened.

They prayed to God. See verse 19: "Then was the secret revealed in a night vision.  Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven." At his request Daniel was ushered into the king's presence. Now listen to Daniel: "But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days." Verse 28.

Now we will look at the actual prophecy. This is undeniable proof that the Bible is reliable.

Daniel tells the king : "Thou, O king, sawest, a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible." Daniel 2: 31.  Daniel tells the king --this is what you saw in your dream. A great image that was unusual.

Then Daniel tells the king details about the image.

This is important, it gives a starting point. :"The image's HEAD WAS OF FINE GOLD. Verse 32. Probably you say--Well what does that mean? Verse 36. :" This is the dream and we will tell THE INTERPRETATION THEREOF before the king. Verse 37. :"Thou, O king, art a king of kings; for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power and strength, and glory."

Here is what it is all about: ".....Thou art this head of gold "Verse 38 The empire of Babylon was this "head of gold".  Look carefully now at verse 32 again:  ".....,his breast and his arms OF SILVER..' This is interpreted as:  "AND AFTER THEE shall arise another kingdom, inferior to thee..." Verse 39. So the empire of Babylon would be conquered, and another empire would rise. History reveals that the Medo-Persian empire would dominate by conquering Babylon.

Go on to verse 32: "...,.his belly and his thighs OF BRASS." Go back to verse 39: " .....and another third kingdom of brass.." That next empire was Greece, history reveals.

Verse 33:" His legs OF IRON.." To verse 40: "And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron."  That was the great ROMAN EMPIRE; it was strong, and vast-- history tells us.

Surely that is sufficient to vindicate God's claim:" .....to the intent that the LIVING MAY KNOW that the most High [God] ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He.will."  Daniel 4: 17.  Also, this prophecy foretelling up to hundreds of years ahead there would be a succession of empires, and history confirms there was that succession, undeniably proves God does KNOW THE FUTURE   Even more startling the prophecy maintains that there would be no more world empires after this, and though some powers have been great for a short time, none have equalled the spread of the four named above.

To me, all that evidence definitely substantiates in my mind that THE BIBLE IS RELIABLE INFORMATION. God's Word IS TRUTH.

Next issue I tell you my story.     

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