The Bible claims to be the Word of the only true God. In addition to
historical, archaeological, and scientific proofs, there are numerous
internal proofs. No such evidences exist for other "sacred writings." The
Bible was written during 1,600 years by 40 prophets, most of whom lived in
diverse cultures, at different times in history, yet who never contradict
but complement each other. For the Qur'an, Muslims must take the word of
Muhammad, just as the Book of Mormon rests solely upon Joseph Smith's word.
But every biblical prophet is confirmed by 39 other prophets, and they
condemn the "scriptures" of every religion!
It would be difficult for a single author to avoid contradiction when
dealing with such a lengthy period of detailed history involving so many
individuals and nations and covering such a wide variety of subjects as does
the Bible. But 40 different prophets writing with one voice over a period of
many centuries? There can be only one explanation: divine inspiration!
Hundreds of prophecies uttered centuries and even thousands of years before
their fulfillment are the irrefutable proof God offers of His existence, and
these identify beyond question His Word to man-a proof absolutely unique to
the Bible. Besides proving that the Bible is God's Word, fulfilled
prophecies develop themes woven like golden threads through the entire
tapestry of Scripture.
One of the major themes is redemption: the only means by which a holy God
can justly forgive and be reconciled to His creature, man. The Bible
denounces all of the world's religions as inspired by "the god of this world
[Satan]" (1 Cor 10:20; 2 Cor 4:4). They all teach that their god or gods can
be appeased by works and religious rituals. The Bible alone is clear in its
declaration that salvation "is the gift of God [a gift cannot be earned or
merited]....Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according
to His mercy he saved us" (Eph 2:8; Ti 3:5).
God's Word allows no room for accommodation, dialogue, or compromise. Truth
does not concede anything to error and has nothing to discuss with lies. Yet
for many years, the Roman Catholic Church has been in "dialogue" with
Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims, all of whose religions diametrically oppose
the Bible. (A Catholic-Buddhist conference in a Kentucky monastery purported
to find "common ground" between Christ's suffering on the cross, the
Buddha's "Four Noble Truths," and Buddhist meditation-Los Angeles Times,
July 27, 1996). How is such confusion possible? Because centuries ago,
Catholicism, like the non-Christian religions, developed a "Christian"
system of works and sacraments for salvation. And for many years now,
Baptists and evangelicals (whose ancestors broke away from Catholicism
during the Reformation) have been in "dialogue" with the Roman Catholic
Church. Meanwhile, at the UN and at the leadership level of most "faiths,"
the clamor for a one- world religion is growing ever louder.
Biblical Christianity stands alone against the ecumenism that every religion
will eventually embrace under Antichrist. The Gospel is separated from all
religions by the uncompromising declaration of every biblical prophet that
for God to forgive sins and reconcile man to Himself, the penalty for sin
must be paid in full. That penalty is death (eternal separation from God,
the giver and sustainer of life), and it was pronounced upon the entire
human race: "The soul that sinneth, it shall die....For the wages of sin is
death..." (Ezk 18:20; Rom 6:23). This penalty cannot be waived even by God
himself, who is bound by His eternal Word. But God sent His Son to become a
man through a virgin birth to suffer in our place the punishment He had
pronounced upon mankind.
The fact that the payment for sin can be made only by a sinless victim is an
integral part of the theme of redemption all through the Bible. Clearly, no
sinner can pay for his own sins: "The sacrifice of the wicked is
abomination..." (Prv 21:27). Salvation can only be by God in grace crediting
Christ's death in payment for the sins of all mankind to those who accept
salvation on His terms. This is seen in the animal sacrifices Jews were to
offer. The fact that these sacrifices had to be repeated over and over
proved that they were only temporary anticipations of a true sacrifice,
which God would eventually provide: "For the law...can never with those
sacrifices [bring perfection]. For then would they not have ceased to be
offered?" (Heb 10:1,2).
Furthermore, from A.D. 70 to the present, Jews have been unable to offer the
sacrifices that were established by God's specific instructions in the
Torah. This fact carries very serious consequences, especially since the
destruction of the Temple and the resulting cessation of sacrifices did not
happen by chance but were God's judgment upon rebellious Israel as His
prophets foretold: "For the children of Israel shall abide many days without
a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice..." (Hos 3:4,5). Jesus
declared that Gentile control over Jerusalem would continue until
Armageddon: "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the
times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Lk 21:24). This is a remarkable
prophecy still being fulfilled, as we document in Judgment Day.
So how can Jews (or Gentiles) receive God's forgiveness, since the Levitical
sacrifices He specifically commanded ceased nearly 2,000 years ago and are
still impossible today? The answer to that question is given in the theme of
redemption that flows through Scripture.
Central to this theme are the numerous references to a lamb as a redemptive
sacrifice for sin. The first sacrifice that God accepted was the lamb
offered by Abel (Gn 4:2-4; Heb 11:4). The fact, however, that animal
sacrifices were only a picture of a coming sacrifice, which alone could
fully atone for sins, was clear from the very beginning for two obvious
reasons: 1) animal life was never equated in value to human life; and 2) as
we have already seen, animal sacrifices had to be repeated, proving that
they could not remove the guilt of sin.
Yet, the Old Testament prophetic pictures present amazing insights. The
offering of Isaac by Abraham on an altar is a classic example. Muslims claim
that Ishmael, not Isaac, was the son offered-an obvious lie because it
doesn't fit Islam. Allah is not a father, has no son, Islam has no
redemptive sacrifice, and denies Christ's death for sin.
historical, archaeological, and scientific proofs, there are numerous
internal proofs. No such evidences exist for other "sacred writings." The
Bible was written during 1,600 years by 40 prophets, most of whom lived in
diverse cultures, at different times in history, yet who never contradict
but complement each other. For the Qur'an, Muslims must take the word of
Muhammad, just as the Book of Mormon rests solely upon Joseph Smith's word.
But every biblical prophet is confirmed by 39 other prophets, and they
condemn the "scriptures" of every religion!
It would be difficult for a single author to avoid contradiction when
dealing with such a lengthy period of detailed history involving so many
individuals and nations and covering such a wide variety of subjects as does
the Bible. But 40 different prophets writing with one voice over a period of
many centuries? There can be only one explanation: divine inspiration!
Hundreds of prophecies uttered centuries and even thousands of years before
their fulfillment are the irrefutable proof God offers of His existence, and
these identify beyond question His Word to man-a proof absolutely unique to
the Bible. Besides proving that the Bible is God's Word, fulfilled
prophecies develop themes woven like golden threads through the entire
tapestry of Scripture.
One of the major themes is redemption: the only means by which a holy God
can justly forgive and be reconciled to His creature, man. The Bible
denounces all of the world's religions as inspired by "the god of this world
[Satan]" (1 Cor 10:20; 2 Cor 4:4). They all teach that their god or gods can
be appeased by works and religious rituals. The Bible alone is clear in its
declaration that salvation "is the gift of God [a gift cannot be earned or
merited]....Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according
to His mercy he saved us" (Eph 2:8; Ti 3:5).
God's Word allows no room for accommodation, dialogue, or compromise. Truth
does not concede anything to error and has nothing to discuss with lies. Yet
for many years, the Roman Catholic Church has been in "dialogue" with
Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims, all of whose religions diametrically oppose
the Bible. (A Catholic-Buddhist conference in a Kentucky monastery purported
to find "common ground" between Christ's suffering on the cross, the
Buddha's "Four Noble Truths," and Buddhist meditation-Los Angeles Times,
July 27, 1996). How is such confusion possible? Because centuries ago,
Catholicism, like the non-Christian religions, developed a "Christian"
system of works and sacraments for salvation. And for many years now,
Baptists and evangelicals (whose ancestors broke away from Catholicism
during the Reformation) have been in "dialogue" with the Roman Catholic
Church. Meanwhile, at the UN and at the leadership level of most "faiths,"
the clamor for a one- world religion is growing ever louder.
Biblical Christianity stands alone against the ecumenism that every religion
will eventually embrace under Antichrist. The Gospel is separated from all
religions by the uncompromising declaration of every biblical prophet that
for God to forgive sins and reconcile man to Himself, the penalty for sin
must be paid in full. That penalty is death (eternal separation from God,
the giver and sustainer of life), and it was pronounced upon the entire
human race: "The soul that sinneth, it shall die....For the wages of sin is
death..." (Ezk 18:20; Rom 6:23). This penalty cannot be waived even by God
himself, who is bound by His eternal Word. But God sent His Son to become a
man through a virgin birth to suffer in our place the punishment He had
pronounced upon mankind.
The fact that the payment for sin can be made only by a sinless victim is an
integral part of the theme of redemption all through the Bible. Clearly, no
sinner can pay for his own sins: "The sacrifice of the wicked is
abomination..." (Prv 21:27). Salvation can only be by God in grace crediting
Christ's death in payment for the sins of all mankind to those who accept
salvation on His terms. This is seen in the animal sacrifices Jews were to
offer. The fact that these sacrifices had to be repeated over and over
proved that they were only temporary anticipations of a true sacrifice,
which God would eventually provide: "For the law...can never with those
sacrifices [bring perfection]. For then would they not have ceased to be
offered?" (Heb 10:1,2).
Furthermore, from A.D. 70 to the present, Jews have been unable to offer the
sacrifices that were established by God's specific instructions in the
Torah. This fact carries very serious consequences, especially since the
destruction of the Temple and the resulting cessation of sacrifices did not
happen by chance but were God's judgment upon rebellious Israel as His
prophets foretold: "For the children of Israel shall abide many days without
a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice..." (Hos 3:4,5). Jesus
declared that Gentile control over Jerusalem would continue until
Armageddon: "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the
times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Lk 21:24). This is a remarkable
prophecy still being fulfilled, as we document in Judgment Day.
So how can Jews (or Gentiles) receive God's forgiveness, since the Levitical
sacrifices He specifically commanded ceased nearly 2,000 years ago and are
still impossible today? The answer to that question is given in the theme of
redemption that flows through Scripture.
Central to this theme are the numerous references to a lamb as a redemptive
sacrifice for sin. The first sacrifice that God accepted was the lamb
offered by Abel (Gn 4:2-4; Heb 11:4). The fact, however, that animal
sacrifices were only a picture of a coming sacrifice, which alone could
fully atone for sins, was clear from the very beginning for two obvious
reasons: 1) animal life was never equated in value to human life; and 2) as
we have already seen, animal sacrifices had to be repeated, proving that
they could not remove the guilt of sin.
Yet, the Old Testament prophetic pictures present amazing insights. The
offering of Isaac by Abraham on an altar is a classic example. Muslims claim
that Ishmael, not Isaac, was the son offered-an obvious lie because it
doesn't fit Islam. Allah is not a father, has no son, Islam has no
redemptive sacrifice, and denies Christ's death for sin.
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