Proof–The Bible is Divinely Inspired

Over the centuries skeptics have spent enormous time and effort attacking the Bible and its inspiration.

Is there proof that the Bible is inspired by our Creator and heavenly Father?  What is proof?  It is enough persuasive evidence to allow the objective person to draw a firm conclusion concerning the question at hand.

Today we shall have time to look at only very limited evidence from a vast wealth of evidence; however, we shall look at enough to be able to say with confidence that the only way ancient Biblical writers could have known many scientific facts would be through a Divine Source, God.

Voltaire, French infidel, who died 1778, said that within 100 years of his time, Christianity would be swept away from existence and pass into the obscurity of history.  Yet, 50 years after his death, the Geneva Bible Society used his house and printing press to produce stacks of Bibles.

• Estimate of total number of total Bibles printed: 6,001,500,000

• Approximate number of languages spoken in the world today: 6,900

• Number of translations into new languages currently in progress: 1,300

• Number of languages with a translation of the New Testament: 1,185

As of today, it is impossible to obtain exact figures on the number of Bibles printed worldwide; however, there is little doubt that the Bible is the world’s bestselling and most widely distributed book. A survey by the Bible Society concluded that around 2.5 billion copies were printed between 1815 and 1975, but more recent estimates put the number at more than 5 billion.

The Bible continuing to remain the world’s bestselling book, is strong evidence that its message is one that offers satisfying answers to the deep questions of the human being and the mysterious human experience in a world that is a small but important part of the known universe.

Now, let’s look at some scientific facts presented in the Bible. The Bible teaches scientific facts that could not have been known to man when the Bible was written.  Here are some examples:

1. The earth free-floats in space (Job 26:7). While other religions declared the Earth sat on the back of an elephant, or was carried by a giant turtle, the Bible alone states what we now know to be true – “He hangs the earth on nothing.” How could ancient man have known this? Lucky guess? No! Again, no other ancient culture stated this fact.

2. There are fountains/springs in the Oceans (Genesis 7:11, 8:2, Job 38:16, Proverbs 8:28). It would have been completely impossible for ancient man to have dived to the ocean floor; the average person can’t dive more than a few hundred feet without scuba gear. The world record on one breath of air is just over 200 meters. Yet the Bible declares that there are “springs of the sea” and “fountains of the deep,” which, as every creationist knows, is the primary source of all the flood water. For thousands of years man had to accept this on faith alone, but in the 1970s, with the help of deep diving research submarines that were constructed to withstand 6,000 pounds-per-square-inch pressure, oceanographers discovered springs on the ocean floors! How could ancient man have known this? Lucky guess?  No! It was by inspiration!

3. There are mountains on the bottom of the ocean (Jonah 2:5-6).

5 The waters of the sea closed around my throat.

    The deep sea was all around me;

    seaweed was wrapped around my head.

6 When I went down to where the mountains of the sea start to rise,

    I thought I was locked in this prison forever,

but you saved me from the pit of death,

    LORD my God. (NCV)                            

It would have been completely impossible for ancient man to have known this as an absolute fact.  In the last century we have discovered that there are enormous mountain ranges and deep trenches in the depths of the ocean, where whales do dive.  How could ancient man have known this? By Divine inspiration!

4. The universe had a beginning (Genesis 1:1; Hebrews 1:10-12). Starting with the studies of Albert Einstein in the early 1900s and continuing today, science has confirmed the Biblical view that the universe had a beginning. Science was at one time dominated by the theory of uniformitarianism, which stated that the universe is eternal; it had no beginning and no end. Now, science completely rejects this concept. Einstein calls his initial theory of a static universe the worst mistake of his career.  Again, a lucky guess? No!

5.  Also, the Universe is expanding. (See: Job 9:8; Isaiah 42:5; Jeremiah 51:15; Zechariah 12:1). Repeatedly God declares that He stretches out the heavens? As noted above, during the 19th and 20th centuries, most scientists (including Einstein) believed the universe was static. Others believed it should have collapsed due to gravity. Then in 1929, astronomer Edwin Hubble showed that distant galaxies were receding from the earth, and the farther away they were, the faster they are moving. This discovery revolutionized the field of astronomy. Einstein later admitted his serious mistake.

6.  The Earth is round (Isaiah 40:22).   “He sitteth upon the circle of the earth.” (Hebrew #2329, chug, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance circle, circuit, compass.)  At a time when many (but not all) thought the earth was flat, the Bible told us that the earth is circular.

The following insightful poem on the Bible’s value to mankind is attributed to John Clifford:

“The Anvil of God’s Word,”“Last eve I paused beside the blacksmith’s door,

And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;

Then looking in, I saw upon the floor,

Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.

“‘How many anvils have you had,’ said I,

‘To wear and batter all these hammers so?’

‘Just one,’ said he, and then with twinkling eye,

‘The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.’

“And so, I thought, the Anvil of God’s Word

For ages skeptics’ blows have beat upon;

Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,

The Anvil is unharmed, the hammers gone.”

When we study God’s word with objectivity, His inspiration is found from Genesis to Revelation!

Until next week may God richly bless you and yours!

©2017 Fillmer Hevener