In Chuck Misslers Tape Series "The E.T. Scenario" he talks about the "The Key Discovery".
The key discovery: that the 66 books of the Bible, although penned by 40 authors over several thousand years, are;
1.) an integrated message system;
2.) have their origin from outside our time domain.
Time, itself, is a physical property. It varies with mass, acceleration, and gravity. Eternity is not having "lots of time," but being outside our physical universe itself: outside time itself.
Proof: That the Originator of this message system demonstrates this by writing history in advance before it happens.
There are over 300 prophesies concerning the messiah in the Old Testament. All of them matched that of the life of Jesus Christ.
First, How can we prove that the authors of the Old Testament didn't write the book after the time of Christ? Beginning around the year 285 B.C., seventy-two Hebrew scholars translated the Hebrew scriptures into Greek, The common language of the time. This book was called the Septuagint (meaning "Seventy") finished in 270 B.C. (three centuries before Christ). There are original copies around today.
Second, how do we know that the story of Jesus wasn't just a legend? For centuries there have been those who have attempted to deny the historicity of Jesus of Nazareth. The proponents of this theory will argue that the only historical references to Jesus are in the New Testament manuscripts and the writing of the early church fathers. However, even a cursory review of ancient rabbinical and Roman historical documents destroys this claim.
Josephus
In the first century A.D. a Jewish priest by the name of Joseph ben Matthias (later given the Roman name Flavius Josephus) was commissioned by the Roman government to write a history of events in Judea. In his book, Antiquities of the Jews, Josephus makes one of three references to Jesus and his disciples:
"Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man. If it be lawful to call him a man, for He was a doer of wonderful works. He was the Christ. And the tribe of Christians so named from Him are not extinct to this day."
This is an important historical reference to Jesus of Nazareth because it's from a source that can hardly be considered biased.
Ancient Jewish Sources
From A.D. 200 to 500 ancient rabbies compiled their commentaries on the Bible, Jewish social customs and historical events in the Talmud (There are actually two Talmuds. The Babylonian Talmud, compiled by the Jews in Babylonia, and the Jerusalem Talmud compiled by the Jews in Israel.). Because it was compiled by rabbis who were leaders in rabbinical academies, the Talmud is considered to be very authoritative by Jews even to this day.
In the Babylonian Talmud there are numerous references to the historical existence of Jesus. In the tractate Sanhedrin, 43A, there is a fascinating historical reference to Jesus.
"It has been taught on the eve of the Passover they hanged Yeshua (Jesus). And an announcer went out in front of him for forty days saying, 'He is going to be stoned because He practiced sorcery and enticed and led Israel astray. Anyone who knows anything in his favor, let him come and plead in his behalf.' But, not having found anything in his favor, they hanged him on the eve of the Passover."
In this remarkable reference to Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) a number of aspects of Jesus' ministry are confirmed. First, the fact that He performed supernatural feats, which they attribute to sorcery, is confirmed cause of His rejection. Secondly, the fact that He was crucified (hanged is an Idiom for crucifixion) on the eve of Passover is a remarkable confirmation of the historical events recorded in the New Testament Gospels.
Again, the value of this reference stems from its unbiased source. Certainly no one would argue that the ancient rabbis, who despised Christians, would bolster the claims of the church by making such reference to a man who never existed.
Among the writings of the ancient Romans and Jews there are dozens of additional historical references to Jesus of Nazareth. (For more detailed examinations of ancient historical references to Jesus see Josh Mc Dowell, "He Walked Among Us", Here's Life Publishers,1988 and "The Search for Messiah" Mark Eastman, Chuck Missler. The Word For Today, 1993 ed. "The Search for the Messiah" can be obtained through Koinonia House .
8 Prophecies:
Lets take a look at only 8 of the over 300 (333 to be exact) prophecies of the Old Testament that all matched Jesus Christ and calculate the odds that this could occur by random chance.
1) Micah 5:2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans (Or rulers) of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins (Hebrew going out) are from old, from ancient times (Or from the days of eternity).
What are the odds that any one person in the World has been born in Bethlehem. 1:200,000
2) Zechariah 9:9 "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
What are the odds that any one person has rode into Jerusalem, riding a foal of a donkey, claiming to be king of the Jews. 1:100 to be reasonable.
3) Zechariah 11:12 "I told them, "If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it." So they paid me thirty pieces of silver."
What are the odds that any one person has been paid thirty pieces of silver to turn someone in to the authorities. 1:1000
4) Zechariah 11:13 "And the Lord said to me, "Throw it to the potter" -the handsome price at which they priced me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and through them into the house of the Lord to the potter."
In the New Testament we read of Judas in Matthew 27:1-7. "Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the Governor.
When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. "I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood."
"What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility."
So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
The chief priests picked up the coins and said, "It is against the law to put this money into the treasury, since it is blood money." So they decided to use the money to buy the potters field as a burial place for foreigners.
How often has this happened. Lets just say 1:100,000 as a conservative number.
5) Zechariah 13:6 "If someone asks him, 'What are the wounds on Or to)your body (Or hands).' he will answer, The wounds I was given at the house of my friends.'
How many have been wounded in their hands. 1:1000 (the comment here can be attributed not to the actual crucifixion but to the comment from Thomas [one of the 12 disciples] after the crucifixion and the apparent resurrection. In John 20:24-29 we read;
"Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"
But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands an put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."
Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."...
How much pain did the remarks from Thomas cause Jesus, after everything Thomas was a witness to before this and yet he thought that Jesus was just a man. It is the remark from Thomas that mentioned in Zechariah 13:,6 but for our purposes here we are only looking at the comment about the wounds in his hands.
6) Isaiah 53:7 "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
How many have been charged and been innocent and not defended himself. 1:1000
7) Isaiah 53:9 "He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any decide in his mouth."
Jesus was crucified between two thieves, but was buried in the tomb of one of the richest men. 1:1000
8) Psalm 22:16 "Dogs (The word in Hebrew means Gentiles) have surrounded me; a band of evil men have encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.
How many have died from crucifixion (note the Romans did not invent crucifixion until 90 B.C. and yet we can read from the Septuagint three centuries before Christ that author prophesied that the messiah would be crucified) 1:10,000
1)Micah 5:2 =1:200,000
2) Zechariah 9:9 =1:100
3) Zechariah 11:12 =1:1,000
4) Zechariah 11:13 =1:100,000
5) Zechariah 13:6 =1:1000
6) Isaiah 53:7 =1:1,000
7) Isaiah 53:9 =1:1,000
8) Psalm 22:16 =1:10,000
Total composite probability: 1:1028
Total population that ever lived less then 100 billion: 1011
The odds that a single person could accidentally have these things happen is: 1028 / 1011 = 1017
Concept Model: Cover the State of Texas with Silver Dollars, 2 ft. deep. Mark one Silver Dollar and place it in the pile. Take a second person blindfold them and give them one chance to pick the correct Silver Dollar. (Alternate model there are only 1017 seconds in the history of the universe!)
16 Prophecies:
Now lets look at someone randomly fulfilling not 8, but 16 of the over 300 prophecies.
1028 x 1028 = 1056
1056 / 1011 = 1045
Concept Model: Create a ball of Silver Dollars: radius 30 times the distance of the Earth to the Sun. Mark one Silver Dollar and place it in the pile. Take a second person blindfold them and give them one chance to pick the correct Silver Dollar.
48 Prophecies:
Now lets look at someone randomly fulfilling not 16, but 48 of the over 300 prophecies.
1028 x 1028 x 1028 x 1028 x 1028 x 1028 = 10168
10168 / 1011 = 10157
Concept Model:
1) Make a "ball" of every atom in the universe: 1066
2) Make such a "ball" for each atom of the universe:1066 x 1066 = 10132
3) Repeat that exercise, every second since the universe began: 10132 x 1017 = 10149
and we are still short by 100,000,000 times: 108
Mark one of the balls and place it in the universe at a given second. Take a second person blindfold them and give them one chance to pick the correct second with the correct ball.
...and we've still only dealt with 48 prophecies out of over 300 in the Old Testament.
Missler also states in his book "Mathematicians tell us that if an event has a probability which is less likely then one chance in 1050, then that event is mathematically impossible. Such an event, if it were to occur, would be considered a miracle."
It is easier to prove the existence and claims of Jesus Christ then it is to prove that you or I exist.
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References :
- Mark Eastman, M.D. and Chuck Missler, "The Creator Beyond Space and Time", Copyright 1996 The Word For Today. p. 135, 164-165 This book can be obtained through Koinonia House
-Chuck Misslers Tape Series "The E.T. Scenario" available from Koinonia House
-Josh Mc Dowell, "He Walked Among Us", Here's Life Publishers,1988
Mark Eastman, Chuck Missler, "The Search for Messiah", The Word For Today, 1993 ed. "The Search for the Messiah" can be obtained through Koinonia House .
-"The Antiquities of the Jews", book 18, chapter 3
This is A Triunity Report, Copyright 1996, All Rights Reserved
Presented by Trinity Consulting
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