Can I Rely on the Bible as God’s Word? (1)

The Bible is actually 66 books, written in three different languages by 40 authors on three continents during a period of 1500 years. It makes huge claims about itself. Are there intelligent reasons to believe these claims? It will clearly be seen that the that the Bible is trustworthy and is God’s Word to our souls.

Let’s begin to look at some of the extraordinary claims that the Bible makes…

Why were the Sacred Writings given? Romans 15: 4
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” 

How much of the Bible is said to be inspired by God and for what is it profitable? 2 Timothy 3:16
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness“.

How did the Bible come about? 2 Peter 1:21
“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (Context 2 Peter 1:19-20)

Let us find out what evidence Jesus gave…

Why does Jesus predict the future? John 14:29
^“And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.”

We see the same thing in the Old Testament…

What proof does God require from someone that claims to be a god? Isaiah 41:21, 23
^“21 Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons…²³ Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.” (Context v.21-23)

Only a supernatural being, who is above time, can know the future. If the Bible accurately can predict the future; then God doesn’t only exist, but He has also inspired the Bible.

How far-reaching is God’s ability to reveal the future? Isaiah 46:9, 10.
“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, . . . and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done.” 

Let’s look at one of the prophecies…

How does Nebuchadnezzar the king react to his dream? Daniel 2:1-3,10-12
Background: Babylon, 600 BC, the Israelites are captive in Babylon and Daniel is one of them. 

“1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. ² Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.” 

“10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. 11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. 12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.” (Context Daniel 2:1-13)

What does Daniel and his friends do? Daniel 2:17-18
“¹⁷ Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: ¹⁸ That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.” (Context Daniel 2:14-18) 

How were the dream and its interpretation revealed to Daniel and Who does Daniel give the credit? Daniel 2:19, 26-28
^“19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.” … ²⁷ Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; ²⁸ But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these”. 

What did the king see and what did it mean? Daniel 2:31-35
^“31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. ³² This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, ³³ His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. ³⁴ Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. ³⁵ Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.”

Let’s have the Bible explain itself… 

What do the metals represent? Daniel 2:36-40
“36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. 37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 38 … Thou art this head of gold. 39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. 40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron:”

• First kingdom, of gold was Babylon as in the text above. BC 606-538 (Daniel 2:37)
• Second kingdom, of silver were the Medes and Persians. BC 538-331 (Daniel 5:28)
• Third kingdom, of brass were Grecia, or Greece, led by the infamous Alexander the great. BC 331-168  (Daniel 8:20-21)
• Forth kingdom, of iron where the Romans, led by caesars. BC 168 – AD 476 (Luke 2:1; John 11:48)

What does the feet represent? Daniel 2:41-43
“41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.”

• The feet indicate divided Rome, as “the kingdom shall be divided“. (v. 41) 
• That kingdom would also “be partly strong, and partly broken. (v. 42) 
• Efforts to “mingle themselves“, or to unite the divided Roman Empire, would fail as they would “not cleave one to another”. (v. 42) 

2500+ years of political history including Europe and it extensions to the world as we know it today – All correctly predicted!

Whose kingdom does the rock represent? Daniel 2:44-45
^“44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. ⁴⁵ Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.”

It is certain that all the prediction of worldly kingdoms ruled by ungodly policies have been fulfilled. It is equally sure that God will sett up His kingdom, a people not ruled by human but heavenly principles. This is symbolised in the stone, with unseen hands, striking the image. This kingdom is in the making today and we know it will have no end for “it shall stand for ever” (v. 44).

Friend,

It’s likely you still have many questions, and we won’t pretend that one study has answered them all. But do you see that there are intelligent reasons to rely on the Bible as the word of God? Do you desire to learn more about this book, and continue to study what it says?

If you have a Bible in your possession, as many people do, but have read or studied it very little; we would encourage you to start or continue studying and applying the Bible in your life so that you may be a citizen of that ‘Rock kingdom’ that will strike all others, and stand forever. You can make use of our Helpful Tips to Understand Your Bible Better.