Henry “Fritz” Schaefer comments on a popular quote made by scientist Robert Jastrow. Jastrow (who Carl Sagan was too scared to debate) is an agnostic but believes that the Big Bang leaves room for the existence of God.
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William Lane Craig vs Peter Atkins: “Does God Exist?”, University of Manchester, October 2011
Published on Apr 10, 2012
This debate on “Does God Exist?” took place in front of a capacity audience at the University of Manchester (including an overspill room). It was recorded on Wednesday 26th October 2011 as part of the UK Reasonable Faith Tour with William Lane Craig.
William Lane Craig is Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, La Mirada, California and a leading philosopher of religion. Peter Atkins is former Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Lincoln College.
The debate was chaired by Christopher Whitehead, Head of Chemistry School at the University. Post-debate discussion was moderated by Peter S Williams, Philosopher in Residence at the Damaris Trust, UK.
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Making Sense of Faith and Science
Uploaded on May 16, 2008
Dr. H. Fritz Schaefer confronts the assertion that one cannot believe in God and be a credible scientist. He explains that the theistic world view of Bacon, Kepler, Pascal, Boyle, Newton, Faraday and Maxwell was instrumental in the rise of modern science itself. Presented as part of the Let There be Light series. Series: Let There Be Light [5/2003] [Humanities] [Show ID: 7338]
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During the 1990′s I actually made it a practice to write famous atheists and scientists that were mentioned by Adrian Rogers and Francis Schaeffer and challenge them with the evidence for the Bible’s historicity and the claims of the gospel. Usually I would send them a cassette tape of Adrian Rogers’ messages “6 reasons I know the Bible is True,” “The Final Judgement,” “Who is Jesus?” and the message by Bill Elliff, “How to get a pure heart.” I would also send them printed material from the works of Francis Schaeffer and a personal apologetic letter from me addressing some of the issues in their work.
The famous atheist Antony Flew was actually took the time to listen to several of these messages and he wrote me back in the mid 1990′s several times.
Discussion (1 of 3): Antony Flew, N.T. Wright, and Gary Habermas
Uploaded on Sep 22, 2010
A discussion with Antony Flew, N.T. Wright, and Gary Habermas. This was held at Westminster Chapel March, 2008
A Discussion between Antony Flew and Gary HabermasFrom the E.P.S.Antony Flew
Department of Philosophy
University of Reading
Reading, EnglandGary Habermas
Department of Philosophy and Theology Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia
Antony Flew and Gary Habermas met in February 1985 in Dallas, Texas. The occasion was a series of debates between atheists and theists, featuring many influential philosophers, scientists, and other scholars.1
A short time later, in May 1985, Flew and Habermas debated at Liberty University before a large audience. The topic that night was the resurrection of Jesus.2 Although Flew was arguably the world’s foremost philosophical atheist, he had intriguingly also earned the distinction of being one of the chief philosophical commentators on the topic of miracles.3 Habermas specialized on the subject of Jesus’ resurrection.4 Thus, the ensuing dialogue on the historical evidence for the central Christian claim was a natural outgrowth of their research.
Over the next 20 years, Flew and Habermas developed a friendship, writing dozens of letters, talking often, and dialoguing twice more on the resurrection. In April, 2000 they participated in a live debate on the Inspiration Television Network, moderated by John Ankerberg.5 In January, 2003 they again dialogued on the resurrection atCalifornia Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo.6
During a couple of telephone discussions shortly after their last dialogue, Flew explained to Habermas that he was considering becoming a theist. While Flew did not change his position at that time, he concluded that certain philosophical and scientific considerations were causing him to do some serious rethinking. He characterized his position as that of atheism standing in tension with several huge question marks.
Then, a year later, in January 2004, Flew informed Habermas that he had indeed become a theist. While still rejecting the concept of special revelation, whether Christian, Jewish or Islamic, nonetheless he had concluded that theism was true. In Flew’s words, he simply “had to go where the evidence leads.”7
The following interview took place in early 2004… This nontechnical discussion sought to engage Flew over the course of several topics that reflect his move from atheism to theism.8 The chief purpose was not to pursue the details of any particular issue, so we bypassed many avenues that would have presented a plethora of other intriguing questions and responses. These were often tantalizingly ignored, left to ripen for another discussion. Neither did we try to persuade each another of alternate positions.
Our singular purpose was simply to explore and report Flew’s new position, allowing him to explain various aspects of his pilgrimage. We thought that this in itself was a worthy goal. Along the way, an additional benefit emerged, as Flew reminisced about various moments from his childhood, graduate studies, and career.
Habermas: Tony, you recently told me that you have come to believe in the existence of God. Would you comment on that?
Flew: Well, I don’t believe in the God of any revelatory system, although I am open to that. But it seems to me that the case for an Aristotelian God who has the characteristics of power and also intelligence, is now much stronger than it ever was before. And it was from Aristotle that Aquinas drew the materials for producing his Five Ways of, hopefully, proving the existence of his God. Aquinas took them, reasonably enough, to prove, if they proved anything, the existence of the God of the Christian Revelation. But Aristotle himself never produced a definition of the word “God,” which is a curious fact. But this concept still led to the basic outline of the Five Ways. It seems to me, that from the existence of Aristotle’s God, you can’t infer anything about human behaviour. So what Aristotle had to say about justice (justice, of course, as conceived by the Founding Fathers of the American Republic as opposed to the “social” justice of John Rawls9) was very much a human idea, and he thought that this idea of justice was what ought to govern the behaviour of individual human beings in their relations with others.
Habermas: Once you mentioned to me that your view might be called Deism. Do you think that would be a fair designation?
Flew: Yes, absolutely right. What Deists, such as the Mr. Jefferson who drafted the American Declaration of Independence, believed was that, while Reason, mainly in the form of Arguments to Design, assures us that there is a God, there is no room either for any supernatural revelation of that God or for any transactions between that God and individual human beings.
Habermas: Then, would you comment on your “openness” to the notion of theistic revelation?
Flew: Yes. I am open to it, but not enthusiastic about potential revelation from God. On the positive side, for example, I am very much impressed with physicist Gerald Schroeder’s comments on Genesis 1.10 That this biblical account might be scientifically accurate raises the possibility that it is revelation.
Habermas: You very kindly noted that our debates and discussions had influenced your move in the direction of theism.11 You mentioned that this initial influence contributed in part to your comment that naturalistic efforts have never succeeded in producing “a plausible conjecture as to how any of these complex molecules might have evolved from simple entities.”12 Then in your recently rewritten introduction to the forthcoming edition of your classic volume God and Philosophy, you say that the original version of that book is now obsolete. You mention a number of trends in theistic argumentation that you find convincing, like Big Bang Cosmology, Fine Tuning, and Intelligent Design arguments. Which arguments for God’s existence did you find most persuasive?
Flew: I think that the most impressive arguments for God’s existence are those that are supported by recent scientific discoveries. I’ve never been much impressed by the Kalam cosmological argument, and I don’t think it has gotten any stronger recently. However, I think the argument to Intelligent Design is enormously stronger than it was when I first met it.
Habermas: So you like arguments such as those that proceed from Big Bang Cosmology and Fine Tuning Arguments?
Flew: Yes.
…
Discussion (2 of 3): Antony Flew, N.T. Wright, and Gary Habermas
Habermas: So, take C. S. Lewis’s argument for morality as presented in Mere Christianity.13 You didn’t find that to be very impressive?
Flew: No, I didn’t. Perhaps I should mention that, when I was in college, I attended fairly regularly the weekly meetings of C. S. Lewis’s Socratic Club. In all my time at Oxford these meetings were chaired by Lewis. I think he was by far the most powerful of Christian apologists for the sixty or more years following his founding of that club. As late as the 1970s, I used to find that, in the USA, in at least half of the campus bookstores of the universities and liberal art colleges which I visited, there was at least one long shelf devoted to his very various published works.
Habermas: Although you disagreed with him, did you find him to be a very reasonable sort of fellow?
Flew: Oh yes, very much so, an eminently reasonable man.
…
Habermas: So of the major theistic arguments, such as the Cosmological, Teleological, Moral, and Ontological, the only really impressive ones that you take to be decisive are the scientific forms of teleology?
Flew: Absolutely. It seems to me that Richard Dawkins constantly overlooks the fact that Darwin himself, in the fourteenth chapter of The Origin of Species, pointed out that his whole argument began with a being which already possessed reproductive powers. This is the creature the evolution of which a truly comprehensive theory of evolution must give some account. Darwin himself was well aware that he had not produced such an account. It now seems to me that the findings of more than fifty years of DNA research have provided materials for a new and enormously powerful argument to Design.
Habermas: As I recall, you also refer to this in the new introduction to your God and Philosophy.
Flew: Yes, I do; or, since the book has not yet been published, I will!
Habermas: Since you affirm Aristotle’s concept of God, do you think we can also affirm Aristotle’s implications that the First Cause hence knows all things?
Flew: I suppose we should say this. I’m not at all sure what one should think concerning some of these very fundamental issues. There does seem to be a reason for a First Cause, but I’m not at all sure how much we have to explain here. What idea of God is necessary to provide an explanation of the existence of the Universe and all which is in it?
Habermas: If God is the First Cause, what about omniscience, or omnipotence?
Flew: Well, the First Cause, if there was a First Cause, has very clearly produced everything that is going on. I suppose that does imply creation “in the beginning.”
…
Habermas: What role might your love for the writings of David Hume play in a discussion about the existence of God? Do you have any new insights on Hume, given your new belief in God?
Flew: No, not really.
Habermas: Do you think Hume ever answers the question of God?
Flew: I think of him as, shall we say, an unbeliever. But it’s interesting to note that he himself was perfectly willing to accept one of the conditions of his appointment, if he had been appointed to a chair of philosophy at the University of Edinburgh. That condition was, roughly speaking, to provide some sort of support and encouragement for people performing prayers and executing other acts of worship. I believe that Hume thought that the institution of religious belief could be, and in his day and place was, socially beneficial.16
I, too, having been brought up as a Methodist, have always been aware of this possible and in many times and places actual benefit of objective religious instruction. It is now several decades since I first tried to draw attention to the danger of relying on a modest amount of compulsory religious instruction in schools to meet the need for moral education, especially in a period of relentlessly declining religious belief. But all such warnings by individuals were, of course, ignored. So we now have in the UK a situation in which any mandatory requirements to instruct pupils in state funded schools in the teachings of the established or any other religion are widely ignored. The only official attempt to construct a secular substitute was vitiated by the inability of the moral philosopher on the relevant government committee to recognize the fundamental difference between justice without prefix or suffix and the “social” justice of John Rawls’s A Theory of Justice.
I must some time send you a copy of the final chapter of my latest and presumably last book, in which I offer a syllabus and a program for moral education in secular schools.17 This is relevant and important for both the US and the UK. To the US because the Supreme Court has utterly misinterpreted the clause in the Constitution about not establishing a religion: misunderstanding it as imposing a ban on all official reference to religion. In the UK any effective program of moral education has to be secular because unbelief is now very widespread.
Habermas: You’ve told me that you have a very high regard for John and Charles Wesley and their traditions. What accounts for your appreciation?
Flew: The greatest thing is their tremendous achievement of creating the Methodist movement mainly among the working class. Methodism made it impossible to build a really substantial Communist Party in Britain and provided the country with a generous supply of men and women of sterling moral character from mainly working class families. Its decline is a substantial part of the explosions both of unwanted motherhood and of crime in recent decades. There is also the tremendous determination shown by John Wesley in spending year after year riding for miles every day, preaching more than seven sermons a week and so on. I have only recently been told of John Wesley’s great controversy against predestination and in favor of the Arminian alternative. Certainly John Wesley was one of my country’s many great sons and daughters. One at least of the others was raised in a Methodist home with a father who was a local preacher.
Habermas: Don’t you attribute some of your appreciations for the Wesleys to your father’s ministry? Haven’t you said that your father was the first non-Anglican to get a doctorate in theology from Oxford University?
Flew: Yes to both questions. Of course it was because my family’s background was that of Methodism. Yes, my father was also President of the Methodist Conference for the usual single year term and he was the Methodist representative of one or two other organizations. He was also concerned for the World Council of Churches. Had my father lived to be active into the early 1970s he would have wanted at least to consider the question of whether the Methodist Church ought not to withdraw from the World Council of Churches. That had by that time apparently been captured by agents of the USSR.36
Habermas: What do you think that Bertrand Russell, J. L. Mackie, and A. J. Ayer would have thought about these theistic developments, had they still been alive today?
Flew: I think Russell certainly would have had to notice these things. I’m sure Mackie would have been interested, too. I never knew Ayer very well, beyond meeting him once or twice.
Habermas: Do you think any of them would have been impressed in the direction of theism? I’m thinking here, for instance, about Russell’s famous comments that God hasn’t produced sufficientevidence of his existence.37
Flew: Consistent with Russell’s comments that you mention, Russell would have regarded these developments as evidence. I think we can be sure that Russell would have been impressed too, precisely because of his comments to which you refer. This would have produced an interesting second dialogue between him and that distinguished Catholic philosopher, Frederick Copleston.
Habermas: In recent years you’ve been called the world’s most influential philosophical atheist. Do you think Russell, Mackie, or Ayer would have been bothered or even angered by your conversion to theism? Or do you think that they would have at least understood your reasons for changing your mind?
Flew: I’m not sure how much any of them knew about Aristotle. But I am almost certain that they never had in mind the idea of a God who was not the God of any revealed religion. But we can be sure that they would have examined these new scientific arguments.
Habermas: C. S. Lewis explained in his autobiography that he moved first from atheism to theism and only later from theism to Christianity. Given your great respect for Christianity, do you think that there is any chance that you might in the end move from theism to Christianity?
Flew: I think it’s very unlikely, due to the problem of evil. But, if it did happen, I think it would be in some eccentric fit and doubtfully orthodox form: regular religious practice perhaps but without belief. If I wanted any sort of future life I should become a Jehovah’s Witness. But some things I am completely confident about. I would never regard Islam with anything but horror and fear because it is fundamentally committed to conquering the world for Islam. It was because the whole of Palestine was part of the Land of Islam that Muslim Arab armies moved in to try to destroy Israel at birth, and why the struggle for the return of the still surviving refugees and their numerous descendents continue to this day.
Habermas: I ask this last question with a smile, Tony. But just think what would happen if one day you were pleasantly disposed toward Christianity and all of a sudden the resurrection of Jesus looked pretty good to you?
Flew: Well, one thing I’ll say in this comparison is that, for goodness sake, Jesus is an enormously attractive charismatic figure, which the Prophet of Islam most emphatically is not.
Discussion (3 of 3): Antony Flew, N.T. Wright, and Gary Habermas
In Part 1, we examined The Character God Requires of people in leadership. He cares greatly about a nation’s political life, for God Himself ordained human government. Without government, society would descend into anarchy. He desires us to live “a peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Timothy 2:2) and to pray for “kings and all that are in authority,” that we may indeed do so.
Does God want this just so we’ll have a comfortable, trouble-free life? No. Rather, He knows that when order and good government prevail, that’s the best atmosphere for families to flourish, children be discipled in the faith, and the Gospel shared freely with the lost.
As we said, it is inconceivable that God would have ordained government, then told His people to remain aloof from it.
Now let’s look at The Choice God Respects.
God allows us to choose wicked leaders
It may surprise you, but He gives us that choice! God sets standards but allows us to choose wicked leaders contrary to His own will.
“They set up kings, but not by Me; they made princes, but I did not acknowledge them. From their silver and gold they made idols for themselves — that they might be cut off.”Hosea 8:4
“They set up kings but it wasn’t My will,” God is said. We get the leadership we deserve. Wicked rulers are God’s “reward” — the natural consequences — for wicked people.
The prophet Samuel said to Israel,
“And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which you have chosen you, and the Lord will not hear you in that day.” 1 Samuel 8:18
God says, “You’re going to choose a king, the wrong king, then you’re going to come crying, ‘God, have mercy,’ but I will not hear you because of the king you have chosen.” God allows us to chose even wicked leaders.
The Consequences God Reveals “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”Proverbs 29:2
By our vote we’re either going to have righteous or wicked leaders. There are consequences when we choose wicked leaders. We’re either going to rejoice or weep.
May I tell you with a broken heart that America is in desperate trouble? God has taken down the protective hedge from this nation. Will oceans of tears, rivers of blood, and seas of sweat be the price we’ll pay for turning our backs on Almighty God? Oh, that there would be a mighty spiritual awakening and return to God.
The Control God Reserves
God has not lost control because we have leaders who are out of control. Be assured — wherever man rules, God still overrules.
He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless. Scarcely shall they be planted, scarcely shall they be sown, scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, when He will also blow on them, and they will wither, and the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.Isaiah 40:23-24
Politicians come and politicians go, but God endures as King of kings over all nations. We didn’t vote Him in, and we’ll certainly not vote Him out. He is King forever.
If Americans turn their backs on God and continue to support policies that fly in the face of Scriptural principles, thwarting God’s stated will at every turn, then…even where God does not rule, God will overrule.
The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.Psalm 33:10-11
One day I had lunch with Corrie Ten Boom, who suffered so much under Nazi persecution. I decided I would not talk much but just listen. She captured my imagination when said, “There is no panic in heaven, only plans.” I love that. Friend, the Holy Trinity never meets in emergency session. Where man may rule, God still overrules.
The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord and as the rivers of water. He turneth it whithersoever He will.Proverbs 21:1
Even ungodly rulers become instruments in the hand of Almighty God. Remember how He used Pharaoh in the Old Testament? And the Persian king Cyrus? Even Pilate…when Jesus was condemned. Wherever man rules, God still overrules. Jesus told Pilate, “You don’t have any power but that which is given you of above.” When men shake their fists in His face with wicked decrees, God still rules from heaven. He is King of kings and Lord of lords.
As we approach this important election, remember —
– The character God requires (godly, wise, honest, discriminating, protective)
– The choice God respects
– The consequences God reveals and…
– The control God reserves
The answer is not in the school house, state house, or White House. It’s in the church house, with God’s people. We must —
– Pray for revival.
– Plan for survival.
– Look for His arrival.
Prepare your children that life may not be like it was when you grew up. Get serious, get an open Bible and build into them the truth of God’s Word. Above all, look for His arrival. Jesus is coming.
You ask, “Pastor, is that escapism?” Call it what you will, but I’m looking for Jesus to come. Friend, one day our King is coming.
This is my Father’s world. God has sworn by Himself that one day He will put His King, the Lord Jesus, upon the holy hill of Zion. Our hope is not in Washington, it is in Heaven.
Kingdoms come and kingdoms go, but our Lord rules over all. I love Jesus Christ. I’m not ashamed to call him King. No matter what happens in upcoming elections, the day will come when the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.
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Thank you so much for your time. I know how valuable it is. I also appreciate the fine family that you have and your commitment as a father and a husband.
Sincerely,
Everette Hatcher III, 13900 Cottontail Lane, Alexander, AR 72002, ph 501-920-5733, lowcostsqueegees@yahoo.com
The Long War against God-Henry Morris, part 1 of 6 Uploaded by FLIPWORLDUPSIDEDOWN3 on Aug 30, 2010 _________ Do you think the theory of evolution is true? Check out this short article by Adrian Rogers: “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: which […]
Same old story it seems. Kentucky pulls out another close victory over the Vols. This is not the only story I am talking about today. Kentucky’s Alex Poythress (22) shoots between Tennessee’s Josh Richardson, left, and Yemi Makanjuola during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., Tuesday, […]
7 years ago on November 15, 2005 Adrian Rogers passed away. This is a series of posts about the life and ministry of Adrian Rogers. Adrian Rogers Memorial – Come To Jesus Uploaded by jonwhisner on Jan 20, 2011 This video is from Adrian Roger’s Memorial Service held at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, TN in […]
It pays to remember history. Today I am going to go through some of it and give an outline and quotes from the great Southern Baptist leader Adrian Rogers (1931-2005). Max Brantley of the Arkansas Times started this morning off with some comedy: From pro golfer John Daly’s Twitter account following last night’s Republican debate, […]
Adrian Rogers – [1/2] How to Come Back When You’re Down Adrian Rogers – [2/2] How to Come Back When You’re Down Here are 5 thoughts by Adrian Rogers: Many have asked how should Christians respond to what happened in America on September 11. And after much prayer and reading through God’s Word, I’d […]
In a friendly game of keep away, Barrett Jones demonstrates why he is a formidable opponent on the football field. The mission team he led in Nicaragua visited several schools to share the love of Christ with the children. Special to the Courier ______________ I have written about Barrett Jones several times before in 2011 […]
Dr Rogers was fond of this quote he got from Robert G. Lee: ”Sin will take you farther than you want to go, Sin will keep you longer than you want to stay, Sin will cost you more than you want to pay.“ _________________ Pay Day – Someday by Dr. R. G. Lee Uploaded by BereanBeacon on […]
“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.” Proverbs 29:2
In this or any country, leadership is crucial. There is a proverb — not a biblical proverb, but a wonderful one — that asks, “If the gold rusts, what shall the iron do?” That is, if our leadership is not what it ought to be, what will the people be like?
In this first of a two-part article, we’re going to discuss the character God requires of leaders.
As a general rule, we get the kind of leadership we deserve. God is greatly interested in a nation’s political life. Some think He ought to stay out of government, but the truth is, government must always look to Almighty God.
In November, Americans are going to vote. Voting is a privilege, but for the Christian, it’s more than that — it’s a duty. If you willingly do not vote, you disobey God, for Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar [the government] the things that are Caesar’s and unto God, the things that are God’s.” In America, “Caesar” is the “government of, by, and for the people.” To fail to participate is to sin against Almighty God. It’s unthinkable that God would have ordained government, then told His people to stay out of it.
A Christian Voter’s Guide
One of the most frightening things I’ve heard people say is, “What difference does character make as long as a person can lead? Who cares about the character of an airplane pilot as long as he can fly the plane?” Friend, there’s a fatal flaw in that. When you say character doesn’t count, you’re really saying God doesn’t count. Character is rooted in God’s principles. You’re saying, “God, we can get along quite well without Your blessing. We’re going to do it ourselves.” If only skill counts, what would you think of a surgeon who failed to scrub before performing surgery? He may be skilled, but he will contaminate whatever he touches. So will the leader without character.
Straight from God’s Word, here are the principles God says a leader should have. It‘s important to get these fixed in your heart and mind.
1. Godly and righteous “Kings of the earth and all people, princes and all judges of the earth, both young men and maidens, old men and children, let them praise the name of the Lord. For His name alone is excellent, His glory is above the earth and heaven.”Psalm 148:11-12
Every earthly ruler should be one who worships God. “It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness, for the throne is established by righteousness.” (Proverbs 16:12) What is a throne established by? Righteousness. An ungodly, immoral man is unfit for leadership.
2. Wise (and true wisdom comes from godliness) “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength. By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.”Proverbs 8:12-16
Which is more important…for a leader to be smart or be wise? How much better one who is wise rather than just smart! When God offered to give Solomon anything he wanted, Solomon was wise enough to ask for wisdom. Wisdom is the gift of God. I pray God will give America wise leaders. But a leader cannot have wisdom from God unless he’s under God in service and worship.
3. Honest
“Excellent speech becometh not a fool, much less do lying lips a prince.” Proverbs 17:7
Liars and leaders are not the same. If a person doesn’t tell the truth, he has a basic character flaw and is absolutely unfit for leadership. One is not a liar because he tells lies; he tells lies because he’s a liar. And if a liar, he’s not a godly leader and should not be elected.
He cannot be a person who listens to lies, for the Bible says, “If a ruler harken to lies, all his servants are wicked” (Proverbs 29:12). Men and women with fortitude and honesty, guided by what is right, make history.
4. Discriminating in the choice of helpers “Take away the dross from the silver and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. Take away the wicked from before the king and his throne shall be established in righteousness.”Proverbs 25:4-5
Before making a silver vessel, you must remove the impurities from the silver ore. If a king surrounds himself with wicked people, his throne will not be established in righteousness. If a leader isn’t discriminating enough to choose the right people to accompany him and godly people to lead alongside him by, he is unfit to lead. A leader is known by his inner circle. Who were his mentors? Who are his heroes? Who are his friends?
5. Willing to protect the weak “Open thy mouth for the dumb [unable to speak] in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:8-9)
When someone is in peril and cannot speak for themselves, the king is to speak for them. If a leader does not have a protective spirit, he’s missed the reason for being a leader. God gives us leaders to protect us from evil people. Leaders should be defenders of those who cannot defend themselves. That is particularly true of precious unborn human persons.
Are you aware that some laws are evil in the sight of God?
“Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law? They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.” (Psalm 94:20-21)
In this verse, the word “mischief” is better translated “evil.”
“Woe unto him that builds a town with blood and establishes a city by iniquity.” (Habakkuk 2:12)
In Jeremiah 22, God says through Jeremiah to the king, “If you shed innocent blood, God swears by Himself that He is going to destroy your nation.”
Some things may be legal but not right before Almighty God. Wicked people may make wicked laws, but that doesn’t make it right. And there’s nothing politically right that’s morally wrong. A leader must be one who stands up for the innocent and defenseless.
Look for a heart of compassion for the poor, needy, and the innocent who are about to be destroyed.
This is The Character God Requires.
Never be so uninformed as to say character doesn’t make a difference. You’re expecting God to bless iniquity! He cannot and He will not. Blessed is that nation whose God is the Lord.
In Part 2 we’ll examine The Choices GodRespects.
______________
Thank you so much for your time. I know how valuable it is. I also appreciate the fine family that you have and your commitment as a father and a husband.
Sincerely,
Everette Hatcher III, 13900 Cottontail Lane, Alexander, AR 72002, ph 501-920-5733, lowcostsqueegees@yahoo.com
The Long War against God-Henry Morris, part 1 of 6 Uploaded by FLIPWORLDUPSIDEDOWN3 on Aug 30, 2010 _________ Do you think the theory of evolution is true? Check out this short article by Adrian Rogers: “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: which […]
Same old story it seems. Kentucky pulls out another close victory over the Vols. This is not the only story I am talking about today. Kentucky’s Alex Poythress (22) shoots between Tennessee’s Josh Richardson, left, and Yemi Makanjuola during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., Tuesday, […]
7 years ago on November 15, 2005 Adrian Rogers passed away. This is a series of posts about the life and ministry of Adrian Rogers. Adrian Rogers Memorial – Come To Jesus Uploaded by jonwhisner on Jan 20, 2011 This video is from Adrian Roger’s Memorial Service held at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, TN in […]
It pays to remember history. Today I am going to go through some of it and give an outline and quotes from the great Southern Baptist leader Adrian Rogers (1931-2005). Max Brantley of the Arkansas Times started this morning off with some comedy: From pro golfer John Daly’s Twitter account following last night’s Republican debate, […]
Adrian Rogers – [1/2] How to Come Back When You’re Down Adrian Rogers – [2/2] How to Come Back When You’re Down Here are 5 thoughts by Adrian Rogers: Many have asked how should Christians respond to what happened in America on September 11. And after much prayer and reading through God’s Word, I’d […]
In a friendly game of keep away, Barrett Jones demonstrates why he is a formidable opponent on the football field. The mission team he led in Nicaragua visited several schools to share the love of Christ with the children. Special to the Courier ______________ I have written about Barrett Jones several times before in 2011 […]
Dr Rogers was fond of this quote he got from Robert G. Lee: ”Sin will take you farther than you want to go, Sin will keep you longer than you want to stay, Sin will cost you more than you want to pay.“ _________________ Pay Day – Someday by Dr. R. G. Lee Uploaded by BereanBeacon on […]
Clips of Adrian Rogers and Francis Schaeffer from the film “With God on our side”
______________________
I grew up in Memphis going to Bellevue Baptist Church and Adrian Rogers was our pastor and he had a great impact on me. He had a lot to say on the issues of the day and that included social issues like abortion too. Dr. Francis Schaeffer also influenced me through his books and film series. Both of these men can be seen in this film “With God on our side.” I have included the three clips where they are pictured. In Part 8 Adrian Rogers is praying for President Bush in the White House at the 51 second mark and Rogers is pictured in Part 3 at the 2:09 mark sitting behind Ronald Reagan in August of 1980 during Reagan’s speech in Dallas at the Religious Roundtable meeting and Francis Schaeffer’s voice can be heard while his film WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE RACE? is playing in Part 2 at the 7:54 mark.
I truly believe that many of the problems we have today in the USA are due to the advancement of humanism in the last few decades in our society. Ronald Reagan appointed the evangelical Dr. C. Everett Koop to the position of Surgeon General in his administration. He partnered with Dr. Francis Schaeffer in making the video below. It is very valuable information for Christians to have. Actually I have included a video below that includes comments from him on this subject.
Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 4) THE BASIS FOR HUMAN DIGNITY
There is a difference between believing the Bible is true and the Bible contains truth. (The 3:31 mark from this episode is actually the clip used above in the film “With God on our side.”)
It is not possible to know where the pro-life evangelicals are coming from unless you look at the work of the person who inspired them the most. That person was Francis Schaeffer. I do care about economic issues but the pro-life issue is the most important to me. Several years ago Adrian Rogers (past president of […]
Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race?” (Episode 2) SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS Published on Oct 6, 2012 by AdamMetropolis This crucial series is narrated by the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer and former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop. Today, choices are being made that undermine human rights at their most basic level. Practices […]
Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 3) DEATH BY SOMEONE’S CHOICE Published on Oct 6, 2012 by AdamMetropolis This crucial series is narrated by the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer and former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop. Today, choices are being made that undermine human rights at their most basic level. Practices […]
The opening song at the beginning of this episode is very insightful. Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 4) THE BASIS FOR HUMAN DIGNITY Published on Oct 7, 2012 by AdamMetropolis This crucial series is narrated by the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer and former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop. Today, choices […]
Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 5) TRUTH AND HISTORY Published on Oct 7, 2012 by AdamMetropolis This crucial series is narrated by the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer and former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop. Today, choices are being made that undermine human rights at their most basic level. Practices once […]
(Emailed to White House on 1-29-13.) President Obama c/o The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, I know that you receive 20,000 letters a day and that you actually read 10 of them every day. I really do respect you for trying to get a pulse on what is […]
(Emailed to White House on 1-29-13.) President Obama c/o The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, I know that you receive 20,000 letters a day and that you actually read 10 of them every day. I really do respect you for trying to get a pulse on what is […]
Adrian Rogers: How to Pray in the Spirit Published on Jan 21, 2013 I own nothing, all the rights belong to Adrian Rogers (R.I.P.) & his website http://www.lwf.org. ______________________ Another great article by Adrian Rogers. How to Have a Meaningful Quiet Time taken from a message given by Adrian Rogers “Oh how love I Thy law! […]
Adrian Rogers – How You Can Be Sure You Are Eternally Secure Another fine article by Adrian Rogers. Seven Reasons Why A Saved Person Can’t Be Lost 1. Nothing can separate you from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus your Lord. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, […]
Adrian Rogers: How to Be a Child of a Happy Mother Published on Nov 13, 2012 Series: Fortifying Your Family (To read along turn on the annotations.) Adrian Rogers looks at the 5th commandment and the relationship of motherhood in the commandment to honor your father and mother, because the faith that doesn’t begin at home, […]
Adrian Rogers – How to Cultivate a Marriage Another great article from Adrian Rogers. Are fathers necessary? “Artificial insemination is the ideal method of producing a pregnancy, and a lesbian partner should have the same parenting rights accorded historically to biological fathers.” Quoted from the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, summer of 1995. […]
Adrian Rogers – Does a Loving God Believe in Capital Punishment? Published on Mar 30, 2012 For more information please visit http://www.lwf.org _______________________ Another great article by Adrian Rogers. Is capital punishment contrary to the word of God? Scripture tells us that human government is ordained and set up by God. It is very clear in […]
Adrian Rogers – How you can be certain the Bible is the word of God Great article by Adrian Rogers. What evidence is there that the Bible is in fact God’s Word? I want to give you five reasons to affirm the Bible is the Word of God. First, I believe the Bible is the […]
Adrian Rogers – 5 Minutes After Death Uploaded on Sep 22, 2011 For more information please visit http://www.lwf.org _________________ What actually happens when a person dies? This is a question to end all questions. Everybody asks it, searching everywhere for an answer. The reason everybody asks about death is because God puts thoughts of eternity in […]
NO OTHER WAY – Preached By Pastor Dr Adrian Rogers Uploaded on May 8, 2011 Is there more than one way to enter HEAVEN? If there is, GOD would have told us so. Bible says JESUS IS ONLY WAY! Pastor Ben Soon (Snowy Mountain Church) ___________ Is God fair if he let a person die and […]
“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.” Proverbs 29:2
This quote below from Adrian Rogers, past President of the Southern Baptist Convention was taken the late 1990”s.
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I was in Washington D.C. testifying before a Senate Committee on the subject of abortion, and I told Senator Orrin Hatch what I felt the Bible had to say about this matter. When I went out of that room, a woman met me in that hall. She put her hands on her hips and looked in my eyes. She was a lawyer. She said, “Mr. Rogers, I want to tell you something. You don’t understand what it is like for a woman to have an unwanted pregnancy. You don’t understand that trauma.”
I said, “Let me get you straight lady. What you are saying is this. If someone causes you trauma then you have the right to eliminate them.” I said, “Because you causing me trauma right now. Suppose I were to put both of my thumbs in your windpipe and began to throttle you? At least you could scream. At least you could run. At least you could cry for help.”
She backed away and I am sure she went somewhere and said that Baptist preacher threatened to throttle me, but you see these little ones, these babies in the womb can not speak for themselves and it is the king who must speak for them.
“Open thy mouth for the dumb [unable to speak] in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:8-9)
God is speaking to the leader and God says to the leader you speak up for these.
“Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.” (Psalm 94:20-21)
Somebody may say, “What if it is legal?” Just because it is legal doesn’t make it right. When Supreme Court justices degree that little preborn babies are no longer individuals then what they have done is “frame mischief by a law” and that is an abomination to God. I think is so clearly and graphically illustrated now by this thing of partial birth abortion. You hate to describe it, but they take a little baby in the birth chanel and the doctor arranges for a breach birth so the little feet will come out first and the hips and the chest and the arms and the baby is all born except for the head and then the doctor takes a pair of sharp sissors and then inserts those sissors at the base of the skull and then he takes a tube and sucks the brains out of that little child.
Somebody says it is legal. Friend learn this: EVERYTHING THAT IS LEGAL IS NOT RIGHT.
In Jeremiah 22, God says through Jeremiah to the king, “If you shed innocent blood, God swears by Himself that He is going to destroy your nation.”
“Woe unto him that builds a town with blood and establishes a city by iniquity.” (Habakkuk 2:12)
When I come to vote if that man or woman will not stand up for the unborn then they shall not have my vote period.
______________
Thank you so much for your time. I know how valuable it is. I also appreciate the fine family that you have and your commitment as a father and a husband.
Sincerely,
Everette Hatcher III, 13900 Cottontail Lane, Alexander, AR 72002, ph 501-920-5733, lowcostsqueegees@yahoo.com
The Long War against God-Henry Morris, part 1 of 6 Uploaded by FLIPWORLDUPSIDEDOWN3 on Aug 30, 2010 _________ Do you think the theory of evolution is true? Check out this short article by Adrian Rogers: “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: which […]
Same old story it seems. Kentucky pulls out another close victory over the Vols. This is not the only story I am talking about today. Kentucky’s Alex Poythress (22) shoots between Tennessee’s Josh Richardson, left, and Yemi Makanjuola during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., Tuesday, […]
7 years ago on November 15, 2005 Adrian Rogers passed away. This is a series of posts about the life and ministry of Adrian Rogers. Adrian Rogers Memorial – Come To Jesus Uploaded by jonwhisner on Jan 20, 2011 This video is from Adrian Roger’s Memorial Service held at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, TN in […]
It pays to remember history. Today I am going to go through some of it and give an outline and quotes from the great Southern Baptist leader Adrian Rogers (1931-2005). Max Brantley of the Arkansas Times started this morning off with some comedy: From pro golfer John Daly’s Twitter account following last night’s Republican debate, […]
Adrian Rogers – [1/2] How to Come Back When You’re Down Adrian Rogers – [2/2] How to Come Back When You’re Down Here are 5 thoughts by Adrian Rogers: Many have asked how should Christians respond to what happened in America on September 11. And after much prayer and reading through God’s Word, I’d […]
In a friendly game of keep away, Barrett Jones demonstrates why he is a formidable opponent on the football field. The mission team he led in Nicaragua visited several schools to share the love of Christ with the children. Special to the Courier ______________ I have written about Barrett Jones several times before in 2011 […]
Dr Rogers was fond of this quote he got from Robert G. Lee: ”Sin will take you farther than you want to go, Sin will keep you longer than you want to stay, Sin will cost you more than you want to pay.“ _________________ Pay Day – Someday by Dr. R. G. Lee Uploaded by BereanBeacon on […]
I truly believe that many of the problems we have today in the USA are due to the advancement of humanism in the last few decades in our society. Ronald Reagan appointed the evangelical Dr. C. Everett Koop to the position of Surgeon General in his administration. He partnered with Dr. Francis Schaeffer in making the video below. It is very valuable information for Christians to have. Actually I have included a video below that includes comments from him on this subject.
Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race?” (Episode 2) SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS
These are important days indeed—ones that need our attention and diligence. But attention and diligence in what?
The waters of allegiance to God need to be stirred. And a call to action needs to be issued with prayer as our greatest resource and God as our only true hope. What is our first step?
● Revival prayer. Only prayer can hold back the floodtide of sin and God’s judgment and release the cleansing, healing hand of God.
One illustration of God’s mercy, deliverance, and revival among His people is when Israel had been taken captive by the Babylonians (Babylon is the ancient name for Iraq). In Daniel 9, Daniel offered a prayer to God to deliver the Israelites from their captivity.
Pray with Serious Concentration
Daniel said, “And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes” (Daniel 9:3). To “set our face” refers to the faith and fervency of our prayers. We are to sincerely pray with every inch of our being as individuals, as a church body, even as a nation. But not just any prayer, it must be prayer and fasting.
● What is fasting?
Fasting is not merely going without food. It is not dieting or cutting down on our eating for health reasons, though we ought to do that. Fasting is going without food, water, and other pleasures for a spiritual purpose.
● Why do we fast?
We are to fast with the correct motivation unto the Lord. Matthew 6:17-18 says, “…when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.”
● What can fasting do?
Fasting will strengthen your prayer life and turn you to God. When we fast, we are giving Heaven notice that we are earnest about seeking God with all of our heart. Fasting also brings faith into focus and holds back God’s judgment.
Have we crossed a deadline in America? Is it too late for our nation? No, absolutely not. God is righteous and holy. He is also merciful. And He would rather show mercy than judgment. He wants to forgive. And He is willing to change His mind (see Exodus 32:14 and Psalm 106:23).
● How should we fast?
First of all, you need to pray about it. Then, prayerfully choose your fast. As I mentioned earlier, fasting can be going without food or perhaps other pleasures for a spiritual purpose.
If you have never fasted, a one-day fast is a good beginning. Plan ahead of time that you’re going to fast, and if you’re sick, on medication, or pregnant, talk to your doctor first.
Finally, remember to fast as instructed in God’s Word. Don’t boast or brag about what you’re doing or for what purpose. But at the same time, you don’t need to be ashamed of it.
Pray with Sincere Confession
Sin brings judgment; confession brings forgiveness. Daniel confessed his personal sin and the sin of his nation in Daniel 9:4-7 and 20.
If we want to see this nation turn towards God, it is vital that each person reading this go individually before God and confess personal sin. He tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). There is no sin—none that is beyond God’s forgiveness. Every sin is covered under the blood of Jesus.
Daniel also prayed for God to forgive the sin of a nation. I call this “Identification Repentance.” Daniel identified himself with a nation and asked God to have mercy. Just as Daniel, identify with our nation and ask God to have mercy, as well, for the wicked of this nation are certainly not going to pray for themselves.
We need to confess our pride and materialism, neglect of the poor, our racism, sexual immorality, the merciless killing of the unborn, and the godless humanism that has invaded and pervaded our public schools.
Then, pray with spiritual concern that they will seek His forgiveness for themselves.
Pray with Spiritual Concern
What were Daniel’s concerns when he prayed? The removal of guilt (see Daniel 9:16) and the restoration of glory (see Daniel 9:17-19).
We need to pray for God to cleanse us and remove our guilt. Without this, we cannot expect God to bring revival. How I praise Him that with a multitude of sins, He has a multitude of mercy!
Oh, that every Christian would have a burning, yearning heart for the glory of God! I want to see God’s glory spread over this land. I want to see God do something that cannot be explained by the television pundits, news anchors and newspaper journalists. I want something that cannot be explained by technology, personality, propaganda, or persuasion.
It is prayer time in America. I want to ask you one final time—are you on praying ground? James 5:16 says: “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
Prayer is our greatest resource, and God is our only true hope. Only prayer can hold back the floodtide of sin and God’s judgment and release the cleansing, healing hand of God. Will you pray?
This article is taken from a sermon by Adrian Rogers
Thank you so much for your time. I know how valuable it is. I also appreciate the fine family that you have and your commitment as a father and a husband.
Sincerely,
Everette Hatcher III, 13900 Cottontail Lane, Alexander, AR 72002, ph 501-920-5733, lowcostsqueegees@yahoo.com
The Long War against God-Henry Morris, part 1 of 6 Uploaded by FLIPWORLDUPSIDEDOWN3 on Aug 30, 2010 _________ Do you think the theory of evolution is true? Check out this short article by Adrian Rogers: “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: which […]
Same old story it seems. Kentucky pulls out another close victory over the Vols. This is not the only story I am talking about today. Kentucky’s Alex Poythress (22) shoots between Tennessee’s Josh Richardson, left, and Yemi Makanjuola during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., Tuesday, […]
7 years ago on November 15, 2005 Adrian Rogers passed away. This is a series of posts about the life and ministry of Adrian Rogers. Adrian Rogers Memorial – Come To Jesus Uploaded by jonwhisner on Jan 20, 2011 This video is from Adrian Roger’s Memorial Service held at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, TN in […]
It pays to remember history. Today I am going to go through some of it and give an outline and quotes from the great Southern Baptist leader Adrian Rogers (1931-2005). Max Brantley of the Arkansas Times started this morning off with some comedy: From pro golfer John Daly’s Twitter account following last night’s Republican debate, […]
Adrian Rogers – [1/2] How to Come Back When You’re Down Adrian Rogers – [2/2] How to Come Back When You’re Down Here are 5 thoughts by Adrian Rogers: Many have asked how should Christians respond to what happened in America on September 11. And after much prayer and reading through God’s Word, I’d […]
In a friendly game of keep away, Barrett Jones demonstrates why he is a formidable opponent on the football field. The mission team he led in Nicaragua visited several schools to share the love of Christ with the children. Special to the Courier ______________ I have written about Barrett Jones several times before in 2011 […]
Dr Rogers was fond of this quote he got from Robert G. Lee: ”Sin will take you farther than you want to go, Sin will keep you longer than you want to stay, Sin will cost you more than you want to pay.“ _________________ Pay Day – Someday by Dr. R. G. Lee Uploaded by BereanBeacon on […]
I truly believe that many of the problems we have today in the USA are due to the advancement of humanism in the last few decades in our society. Ronald Reagan appointed the evangelical Dr. C. Everett Koop to the position of Surgeon General in his administration. He partnered with Dr. Francis Schaeffer in making the video below. It is very valuable information for Christians to have. Actually I have included a video below that includes comments from him on this subject.
Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race?” (Episode 2) SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS
Apart from Israel, no other nation has had such a Christian beginning as America. Under the blessing of God, Israel began with a glorious heritage. Like Israel of old, God’s blessing rested upon early America. In the Mayflower Compact, our Pilgrim forefathers said their express purpose for coming to these shores was to propagate the Gospel. We were founded as a Christian nation to the very core. Yet like Israel, America has not only forgotten our heritage, we’ve forgotten God and abandoned the Gospel’s influence on our national life. America has lost her glory. How did this happen? The same way it happened in Israel.
In Israel, a new generation arose which forgot their relationship with God (Judges 2:10). We have a generation today who doesn’t know the true history and spiritual heritage of our nation. Like Israel in the days of the judges, America is doing “that which was right in [its] own eyes” (Judges 17:6).
Who upholds the standards of God’s principles today? Is it Washington? No. Legalized abortion, partial-birth abortion, prohibition of prayer and the Ten Commandments in public—the legislation and pronouncements coming out of Washington would shock and grieve our forefathers.
Is society upholding godly standards? No. As we become desensitized, immoral perversions have gone from “sin” to “sickness” to stoically accepted practice. Today’s generation doesn’t know how to blush—or why!
America’s situation today parallels Israel’s in those days. So what can we do to bring the glory back to America? The following three problems that characterized Israel—and America today—must be addressed.
The Need for Gratitude
In Judges 9, Abimelech, an ungodly man, seizes power in Israel through violence and deceit and leads the nation straight into God’s judgment—amazingly just after Gideon’s great victory.
The key to Israel’s slide is found in Judges 8:33-35. As soon as Gideon was dead, the Israelites forgot the God who gave them victory and chased after other gods. An unthankful people, Israel’s ingratitude led them into apostasy. And for America, it has become a thankless nation, too. We’ve forgotten the God who made us great. We must become a thankful people again.
The Need for Godly Leaders
Israel’s “reward” for its thanklessness was Abimelech, whose arrogant reign is detailed in Judges 9. Abimelech built his administration on a godless coalition in which he bought his supporters with silver (Judges 9:2-4) and the blood of the innocent (v. 5). Many American politicians achieve office with the “silver” of campaign promises and the blood of the innocent unborn. We must elect godly leaders who have the courage to put a stop to this ungodliness.
The Need for Committed People
In Judges 9:7-15, a prophet named Jotham stood up and told a parable of the trees. All the good trees and vines were “too busy” to take the reins of leadership, so the bramble—a useless, thorn-covered bush—gladly agreed to be
king.
The apathy of Israel has its parallel in America. Edmund Burke’s great statement is still true: “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” Every Christian must do what is necessary to place godly people in leadership and take action to stand against evil.
The Return to Glory
If the glory is to return to America, we must return to God, the source of glory. He is waiting for us to return to Him, for He works through His people.
There is hope for America. The book of Judges shows how God sent deliverers to rally the people to the Word of God and repentance. God brought restoration and forgiveness. The God Who did that for Israel so long ago can do that for America today, when we humble ourselves, pray, and seek Him with all our hearts. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
God would much rather forgive than judge! I know you have heard these comparisons of Israel and America before, but if we will stain heaven with our prayers and press the battle, we can take this country back for Jesus Christ. Will you humbly pray and ask for God’s forgiveness on our land today? Pray for a mighty revival! Will you seek Him with all your heart? May the fire of His Holy Spirit fall and cleanse our land.
__________
Thank you so much for your time. I know how valuable it is. I also appreciate the fine family that you have and your commitment as a father and a husband.
Sincerely,
Everette Hatcher III, 13900 Cottontail Lane, Alexander, AR 72002, ph 501-920-5733, lowcostsqueegees@yahoo.com
This article is taken from a sermon by Adrian Rogers.
Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 1) ABORTION OF THE HUMAN RACE Published on Oct 6, 2012 by AdamMetropolis The 45 minute video above is from the film series created from Francis Schaeffer’s book “Whatever Happened to the Human Race?” with Dr. C. Everett Koop. This book really helped develop my political views […]
E P I S O D E 1 0 Dr. Francis Schaeffer – Episode X – Final Choices 27 min FINAL CHOICES I. Authoritarianism the Only Humanistic Social Option One man or an elite giving authoritative arbitrary absolutes. A. Society is sole absolute in absence of other absolutes. B. But society has to be […]
E P I S O D E 9 Dr. Francis Schaeffer – Episode IX – The Age of Personal Peace and Affluence 27 min T h e Age of Personal Peace and Afflunce I. By the Early 1960s People Were Bombarded From Every Side by Modern Man’s Humanistic Thought II. Modern Form of Humanistic Thought Leads […]
E P I S O D E 8 Dr. Francis Schaeffer – Episode VIII – The Age of Fragmentation 27 min I saw this film series in 1979 and it had a major impact on me. T h e Age of FRAGMENTATION I. Art As a Vehicle Of Modern Thought A. Impressionism (Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, […]
E P I S O D E 7 Dr. Francis Schaeffer – Episode VII – The Age of Non Reason I am thrilled to get this film series with you. I saw it first in 1979 and it had such a big impact on me. Today’s episode is where we see modern humanist man act […]
E P I S O D E 6 How Should We Then Live 6#1 Uploaded by NoMirrorHDDHrorriMoN on Oct 3, 2011 How Should We Then Live? Episode 6 of 12 ________ I am sharing with you a film series that I saw in 1979. In this film Francis Schaeffer asserted that was a shift in […]
E P I S O D E 5 How Should We Then Live? Episode 5: The Revolutionary Age I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Francis Schaeffer noted, “Reformation Did Not Bring Perfection. But gradually on basis of biblical teaching there […]
Dr. Francis Schaeffer – Episode IV – The Reformation 27 min I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Schaeffer makes three key points concerning the Reformation: “1. Erasmian Christian humanism rejected by Farel. 2. Bible gives needed answers not only as to […]
Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 3 “The Renaissance” Francis Schaeffer: “How Should We Then Live?” (Episode 3) THE RENAISSANCE I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Schaeffer really shows why we have so […]
Francis Schaeffer: “How Should We Then Live?” (Episode 2) THE MIDDLE AGES I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Schaeffer points out that during this time period unfortunately we have the “Church’s deviation from early church’s teaching in regard […]
Francis Schaeffer: “How Should We Then Live?” (Episode 1) THE ROMAN AGE Today I am starting a series that really had a big impact on my life back in the 1970′s when I first saw it. There are ten parts and today is the first. Francis Schaeffer takes a look at Rome and why […]
Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 5) TRUTH AND HISTORY Published on Oct 7, 2012 by AdamMetropolis This crucial series is narrated by the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer and former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop. Today, choices are being made that undermine human rights at their most basic level. Practices once […]
The opening song at the beginning of this episode is very insightful. Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 4) THE BASIS FOR HUMAN DIGNITY Published on Oct 7, 2012 by AdamMetropolis This crucial series is narrated by the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer and former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop. Today, choices […]
Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 3) DEATH BY SOMEONE’S CHOICE Published on Oct 6, 2012 by AdamMetropolis This crucial series is narrated by the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer and former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop. Today, choices are being made that undermine human rights at their most basic level. Practices […]
Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race?” (Episode 2) SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS Published on Oct 6, 2012 by AdamMetropolis This crucial series is narrated by the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer and former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop. Today, choices are being made that undermine human rights at their most basic level. Practices […]
It is not possible to know where the pro-life evangelicals are coming from unless you look at the work of the person who inspired them the most. That person was Francis Schaeffer. I do care about economic issues but the pro-life issue is the most important to me. Several years ago Adrian Rogers (past president of […]
This essay below is worth the read. Schaeffer, Francis – “Francis Schaeffer and the Pro-Life Movement” [How Should We Then Live?, Whatever Happened to the Human Race?, A Christian Manifesto] Editor note: <p> </p> [The following essay explores the role that Francis Schaeffer played in the rise of the pro-life movement. It examines the place of […]
Great article on Schaeffer. Who was Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer? By Francis Schaeffer The unique contribution of Dr. Francis Schaeffer on a whole generation was the ability to communicate the truth of historic Biblical Christianity in a way that combined intellectual integrity with practical, loving care. This grew out of his extensive understanding of the Bible […]
I truly believe that many of the problems we have today in the USA are due to the advancement of humanism in the last few decades in our society. Ronald Reagan appointed the evangelical Dr. C. Everett Koop to the position of Surgeon General in his administration. He partnered with Dr. Francis Schaeffer in making the video below. It is very valuable information for Christians to have. Actually I have included a video below that includes comments from him on this subject.
Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 3) DEATH BY SOMEONE’S CHOICE
Have we already crossed the point of no return? Will the American dream, placed in the bosom of our forefathers, become a national nightmare? This wonderful nation, born in 1776, must be born again or we will join the graveyard of nations.
Many can remember a time in America when pregnancy outside marriage was a scandal, homosexuality a sin, pornography a moral sickness, child abuse was rare, marriage was sacred, and “living together” was shameful. In public schools our students were allowed to pray and the Ten Commandments were posted on the walls.
But a proud nation, wallowing in materialism, rotting in sin, searching for what we call pleasure and freedom, has insulted the Almighty.
Those who preach the Word of God are shunned and laughed at today. If a reporter were to read this, he would call it “extreme right-wing rhetoric.” The matter is not right or left; the matter is right or wrong. And God’s Word is right.
I don’t speak as a pessimist, but I tell you this much: America must turn to God or she will die. We’re ready for judgment, but we need mercy. What does the Word of God say? There is hope for America in this promise from His Word:
If My people who are called by My name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
“If My people”
This promise rests upon what God’s people do. We err when we lament, “O, if only Hollywood…if the government would…if pornographers would go out of business…if abortionists would stop….” But God doesn’t look to them. He’s looking at us, His people! He’s looking at you. We’re to humble ourselves, pray, and repent. Are you one of His people? Then stop putting the blame on anyone else. If America falls, it will be our fault—the fault of God’s people.
You say, “If only God would….” Is God to blame for the mess we’re in? No. “For the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17). The church must start at its back door. The hope of America is not in the White House, State House, or school house—it’s in God’s house and in God’s people.
“…shall humble themselves…”
Today in America we reek with pride. Pride is #1 on God’s hate parade. “These six things doth the Lord hate; yea, seven are an abomination unto Him” (Proverbs 6:16), and first on the list is pride. Pride is behind every sin. We don’t pray—we reek with humanistic haughtiness. We strut in the face of God. God cannot bless you as an individual or us as a nation when we have such pride. We’re to humble ourselves.
…Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. (James 4:6)
Think about that: God resisting you, God resisting America. God setting Himself in battle array against us! But He “gives grace to the humble.” America needs His grace. But first we must humble ourselves.
“…and pray…”
We cry “O, God! Do something!” Beloved, God is doing something. God is judging this nation. God doesn’t hear every prayer—He sets stipulations: “…pray, seek My face, turn from your wicked ways.”
We say, “God is our only hope,” but—and this may shock you—God is also our biggest threat. I’m not as afraid of what some terrorist may do to America as I am of what God may do to America. He is a God of holiness, and He will judge us.
“…turn from their wicked ways…”
Prayer without repentance angers God. Are we really going to sing “God Bless America” while we’re killing little babies, sodomy struts down main streets with pride, and God is cursed, maligned, and cannot be mentioned in our public concourse? Why should God bless America?
Here Is the Call: Pray. Seek My Face. Repent.
I don’t know if we’ve crossed God’s deadline or not. But if there were ever a time we need to repent, this is the time, this is the day, this is the age. He would rather pardon than judge. Let us set our hearts to seek God. May He have mercy upon America, and may America bless God.
This article is taken from a sermon by Adrian Rogers.
Thank you so much for your time. I know how valuable it is. I also appreciate the fine family that you have and your commitment as a father and a husband.
Sincerely,
Everette Hatcher III, 13900 Cottontail Lane, Alexander, AR 72002, ph 501-920-5733, lowcostsqueegees@yahoo.com
Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 1) ABORTION OF THE HUMAN RACE Published on Oct 6, 2012 by AdamMetropolis The 45 minute video above is from the film series created from Francis Schaeffer’s book “Whatever Happened to the Human Race?” with Dr. C. Everett Koop. This book really helped develop my political views […]
E P I S O D E 1 0 Dr. Francis Schaeffer – Episode X – Final Choices 27 min FINAL CHOICES I. Authoritarianism the Only Humanistic Social Option One man or an elite giving authoritative arbitrary absolutes. A. Society is sole absolute in absence of other absolutes. B. But society has to be […]
E P I S O D E 9 Dr. Francis Schaeffer – Episode IX – The Age of Personal Peace and Affluence 27 min T h e Age of Personal Peace and Afflunce I. By the Early 1960s People Were Bombarded From Every Side by Modern Man’s Humanistic Thought II. Modern Form of Humanistic Thought Leads […]
E P I S O D E 8 Dr. Francis Schaeffer – Episode VIII – The Age of Fragmentation 27 min I saw this film series in 1979 and it had a major impact on me. T h e Age of FRAGMENTATION I. Art As a Vehicle Of Modern Thought A. Impressionism (Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, […]
E P I S O D E 7 Dr. Francis Schaeffer – Episode VII – The Age of Non Reason I am thrilled to get this film series with you. I saw it first in 1979 and it had such a big impact on me. Today’s episode is where we see modern humanist man act […]
E P I S O D E 6 How Should We Then Live 6#1 Uploaded by NoMirrorHDDHrorriMoN on Oct 3, 2011 How Should We Then Live? Episode 6 of 12 ________ I am sharing with you a film series that I saw in 1979. In this film Francis Schaeffer asserted that was a shift in […]
E P I S O D E 5 How Should We Then Live? Episode 5: The Revolutionary Age I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Francis Schaeffer noted, “Reformation Did Not Bring Perfection. But gradually on basis of biblical teaching there […]
Dr. Francis Schaeffer – Episode IV – The Reformation 27 min I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Schaeffer makes three key points concerning the Reformation: “1. Erasmian Christian humanism rejected by Farel. 2. Bible gives needed answers not only as to […]
Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 3 “The Renaissance” Francis Schaeffer: “How Should We Then Live?” (Episode 3) THE RENAISSANCE I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Schaeffer really shows why we have so […]
Francis Schaeffer: “How Should We Then Live?” (Episode 2) THE MIDDLE AGES I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Schaeffer points out that during this time period unfortunately we have the “Church’s deviation from early church’s teaching in regard […]
Francis Schaeffer: “How Should We Then Live?” (Episode 1) THE ROMAN AGE Today I am starting a series that really had a big impact on my life back in the 1970′s when I first saw it. There are ten parts and today is the first. Francis Schaeffer takes a look at Rome and why […]
Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 5) TRUTH AND HISTORY Published on Oct 7, 2012 by AdamMetropolis This crucial series is narrated by the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer and former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop. Today, choices are being made that undermine human rights at their most basic level. Practices once […]
The opening song at the beginning of this episode is very insightful. Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 4) THE BASIS FOR HUMAN DIGNITY Published on Oct 7, 2012 by AdamMetropolis This crucial series is narrated by the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer and former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop. Today, choices […]
Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 3) DEATH BY SOMEONE’S CHOICE Published on Oct 6, 2012 by AdamMetropolis This crucial series is narrated by the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer and former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop. Today, choices are being made that undermine human rights at their most basic level. Practices […]
Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race?” (Episode 2) SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS Published on Oct 6, 2012 by AdamMetropolis This crucial series is narrated by the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer and former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop. Today, choices are being made that undermine human rights at their most basic level. Practices […]
It is not possible to know where the pro-life evangelicals are coming from unless you look at the work of the person who inspired them the most. That person was Francis Schaeffer. I do care about economic issues but the pro-life issue is the most important to me. Several years ago Adrian Rogers (past president of […]
This essay below is worth the read. Schaeffer, Francis – “Francis Schaeffer and the Pro-Life Movement” [How Should We Then Live?, Whatever Happened to the Human Race?, A Christian Manifesto] Editor note: <p> </p> [The following essay explores the role that Francis Schaeffer played in the rise of the pro-life movement. It examines the place of […]
Great article on Schaeffer. Who was Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer? By Francis Schaeffer The unique contribution of Dr. Francis Schaeffer on a whole generation was the ability to communicate the truth of historic Biblical Christianity in a way that combined intellectual integrity with practical, loving care. This grew out of his extensive understanding of the Bible […]
Wow, thank you, Ross and Jessie and the other gentleman there, that was really…if you can’t smile when you’re listening to that, something’s wrong with you. You just…you just can’t wipe the smile off your face, can you? It’s just…just so beautiful and so unusual. I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard a steel drum played here in this church, but we’ve got to do more of that, right? That was really good. Thank you. (Applause) So many wonderful ways in which we can praise the Lord musically, and what a great heritage we have in music and what a great blessing to have so many talented people who can serve us all in our expressions of praise that way.
We have been looking at a series on the inspiration of the Bible which is, of course, foundational to us, critical to us since the Word of God is the authority. Everything that we believe comes out of the pages of the Bible. Everything that is spiritual that is related to God and our understanding of Him and His will comes from the pages of Scripture. It is critical that we understand and believe with all our hearts in the truthfulness of the Word of God. And so we have been looking at the marks of divine revelation, how we know the Bible is written by God. One of those marks is prophecy…prophecy. And by that I mean the ability to predict, the ability to write history before it happens, to determine what will happen before it happens with specificity, precision and exactness. And the seal of divine omniscience on the pages of the Bible is predictive prophecy, prewritten history.
It becomes apparent to any careful, thoughtful, diligent student of the Bible that the prophets of the Bible were told by God what would happen and it did happen. They were told things that it is impossible for any human mind to know. The only conclusion is that God revealed these things. Only God knows the end from the beginning and the future before it happens. The Bible then has to be the work of God. All prewritten history, all the prophecies with the record of perfect fulfillment mark the Bible as authored by God. And by the way the Bible is full of prophecy, full of prophecy which has already been fulfilled, much of it fulfilled in scriptural times so that you have the prophecy in the Bible and you have the record of its fulfillment also recorded in the Bible. It is sort of an internal apologetic, an internal defense of Scripture and God uses prophecy to convince people of the divinity of Scripture. It is truly the record of His doing because there is no way to explain what it predicts, coming to pass with such perfect precision, other than that it is authored by God. And I think we overlook many of the basic prophecies of the Bible that should draw us to a careful study and catch our attention.
For example, you go back in to the twelfth chapter of Genesis and the fifteenth chapter of Genesis and you have a promise that God gives to Abram, later named Abraham, and part of that promise is that he is going to have an heir. In the fifteenth chapter of Genesis the Lord reminds Abraham that He is capable of fulfilling the promise to give to Abraham a seed. “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you. Your reward should be very great. I will fulfill everything I have promised to you.” And Abram said, “O Lord God, what will Thou give me since I am childless?” Verse 3, “Since Thou hast given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.” It was his servant, the only heir he had. “The Word of the Lord came to him in verse 4, ‘This man will not be your heir but one who shall come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.'” Here’s the promise of God that Abraham is going to have a child, a son.
Now remember, Sarah is 90 and Abraham is 100. And God has promised to them in their barrenness and in their old age a son. In fact, the promise of God is reiterated again in the eighteenth chapter verse 11, “Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age. Sarah was past childbearing. Sarah laughed to herself, saying, ‘After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?’ And the Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, saying shall I indeed bear a child when I am so old? Is anything too difficult for the Lord? At the appointed time, I will return to you at this time next year and Sarah shall have a son.'” Now that is unmistakably a prophecy. That is God saying in one year Sarah will have a son. One year later, chapter 21 records, “Then the Lord took note of Sarah as He had said and the Lord did for Sarah as He had promised. So Sarah conceived, and bore a son to Abraham in his old age at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him.” It was not just a promise of a son, it was a promise of a son in precisely a year from the time God had spoken.
Sarah, you remember, laughed in her doubt and as if to rebuke her unbelief, Abraham named the child Laughter, which is what Isaac means. This fulfillment gives strong assurance to Abraham that God is in control of the future and that God’s word is true. This is an apologetic to Abraham. This is God affirming to Abraham that when He speaks He speaks the truth, and when He says something will come to pass, it will come to pass. Abraham now knows that to be true.
Turn to the third chapter of Exodus. Another great name in the Old Testament is the name Moses, but Moses had a rather inauspicious beginning. Moses was weak, lacking courage, lacking faith even in God. Moses said to God in the third chapter of Exodus in verse 11, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt? Who am I? I don’t have the ability to do that.” In chapter 4 he reiterates his lack of confidence, verse 1, and says, “What if they will not believe me, or listen to what I say? For they may say, the Lord has not appeared to you.” In verse 10, Moses again said to the Lord, even after the Lord did a miracle in his presence in the intervening verses. The Lord said…Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I’ve never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since Thou hast spoken to Thy servant for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”
Here’s this weak and vacillating Moses. He has been told to do a great work in the power of God, lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. He has no confidence in himself. God tells him, however, that the very place on which he then stood would later become the place where the Israelites would worship God. For all of this took place…go back to chapter 3 and verse 12…in a place called Horeb and in verse 12 God says, “Certainly I will be with you and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.” The very mountain where God met Moses in a burning bush, the very mountain where called Horeb in verse 1 of chapter 3 where he was tending the flock of Jethro, that very mountain is Mount Sinai and it was to that very mountain that they returned and there met God and God displayed His power in that mountain, revealed His commandments in that mountain, and Moses went up and got the Law and came down, and you know the whole story. It’s told from the nineteenth chapter of Exodus through the fortieth chapter of Exodus.
What was God doing? God was confirming in the mind of Moses that when He said something He meant it, that when He promised something it would come to pass, and when He predicted something that’s exactly what would happen. You will return to this very same mountain and you with all your people out of Egypt will worship Me in this very same place. That’s exactly what happened. Eventually he went to Egypt, you know the whole entire story, and he led the people out. The history of which is recorded in the early chapters of Exodus.
Just a few other interesting prophecies. In the fourth chapter of the book of Exodus and verse 14, the Lord is having a very irritating time with Moses…very irritating. And in verse 14, “The anger of the Lord is burning against Moses.” You really don’t want to be in that position but that’s where Moses was. “And He said, ‘So you don’t trust My word, you don’t believe My word. All right, is there not your brother Aaron the Levite?'” Don’t you have a brother named Aaron who is a Levite? “And I know that he speaks fluently and moreover, behold he is coming out to meet you. When he sees you he will be glad in his heart.” This is omniscience on display. You have a brother, I know you have a brother. You have a brother whose name is Aaron. You have a brother named Aaron who is a Levite. Furthermore, I know that he speaks fluently. This is omniscience. Moreover, beyond that, he is coming right now as I speak to meet you and furthermore when he sees you, he’s going to be glad to see you.
How does God know all this? Moses hadn’t seen Arrow…Moses hadn’t seen Aaron for forty years. And the meeting…the meeting would actually occur at the place of the burning bush. In verse 27, “Now the Lord said to Aaron, ‘Go meet Moses in the wilderness.’ So he went and met him in the mountain of God and he kissed him.” It was a joyful meeting, just like God said it would be. God knows the future because God writes the future just as He writes the present and the past.
And then there were all those plagues. God said to Moses, “When you go to Egypt, you’re going to pronounce judgment and you’re going to tell those Egyptians to let My people go.” Go to chapter 3 verse 17. “I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt…” Well actually verse 16, “Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has appeared to me saying I am indeed concerned about you what has been done to you in Egypt. Go tell everybody in Egypt, all the leaders, that God knows and God is very concerned. So I said I would bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.'” This is a prophecy. God’s going to do this. They will pay heed to what you say because God’s going to determine that they pay heed to what He says. Again God is not only telling us what will happen, He makes it happen. “And you with the elders of Israel will come to the king of Egypt and you will say to him…this is to Pharaoh…the Lord, the God of the Hebrews has met with us. So now, please let us go, a three-day’s journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. But I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go.” God knows what the reaction of the Pharaoh will be because He knows the future. “Except under compulsion, so I know they’re going to have to be some very compelling reasons for which this Pharaoh will finally let you go. So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles which I shall do in the midst of it and after that he will let you go. And I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians and it shall be that when you go you will not go empty handed. But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house articles of silver, articles of gold and clothing, you will put them under your…you will put them on your sons and daughters, thus you will plunder the Egyptians.” You’re going…you’re going after the compelling miracles force Pharaoh to let you go and you’re going with plenty of plunder.
Well, when Moses and Aaron finally did stand before Pharaoh, they told Pharaoh to let the people go. Pharaoh wouldn’t let the people go. So, for example, chapter 7 verse 17, “Thus says the Lord, by this you shall know that I am the Lord. Behold, I will strike the water that is in the Nile with the staff that is in My hand and it shall be turned to blood.” That’s a prophecy. I’m going to strike the water, it’s going to be turned to blood. This is a message from the Lord. “And the fish in the Nile will die and the Nile will become foul and the Egyptians will find difficulty in finding drinking water from the Nile.”
That’s exactly what happened. The Lord said to Moses, say to Aaron, “Take your staff, stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, the rivers, the streams, the pools, the reservoirs of water that they may become blood and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and vessels of stone. That which had already been taken out of these water sources and had been kept in houses would also turn to blood. So Moses and Aaron did even as the Lord had commanded. He lifted up the staff, struck the water that was in the Nile in the sight of Pharaoh and the sight of his servants and all the water that was in the Nile was turned to blood. The fish that were in the Nile died, the Nile became foul, the Egyptians couldn’t drink water from the Nile. The blood was through all the land of Egypt.” The prophecy that comes to pass immediately.
Turn to the eighth chapter and the first verse, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to Pharaoh and say to him, Thus says the Lord, let My people go that they may serve Me. But if you refuse to let them go I will smite your whole territory with frogs. And the Nile will swarm with frogs which will come up and go into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and on your people and into your ovens and into your kneading bowls. So the frogs will come up on you and your people and all your servants.'” Again, that is a prophecy. God says it’s going to happen, and it happens. “The Lord said to Moses, say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the streams, over the pools, make frogs come up on the land of Egypt. Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt and the frogs came and covered the land of Egypt.
You have other plagues. All of them, an amazing series of divine manifestations predicted by God and fulfilled, climaxing with the opening of the sea, the people walking through on dry land, arriving eventually where God said they would arrive, right back at Mount Horeb, or Mount Sinai and there to be brought before God to worship Him. All of this was apologetics. All of this was a defense of the veracity of the Word of God. All of this to show Moses and Aaron and everybody else that when God said something, it came to pass. A good summation of this comes at the end of the fourteenth chapter of Exodus, Exodus chapter 14 and verse 30, “Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. And when Israel saw the great power which the Lord had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord…listen to this…and they believed in the Lord and in His servant, Moses.” Yes, this was an apologetic display. This was God defending His veracity. All of that might have happened, all of that could well have happened without ever God saying it would happen. But God would have lost a great opportunity to validate the authority, the authenticity, the accuracy, the precision and the fulfillment of His Word. God said it and it happened exactly the way He said it would happen and the record is written about it. And no wonder the people believed.
If you look to 1 Kings, for a moment, and the seventeenth chapter and there are more but I’m just highlighting some of these kinds of prophecies that we easily overlook that are fulfilled in history. In the seventeenth chapter of 1 Kings we come in to the ministry of Elijah, the prophet. In verse 1 of 1 Kings 17, “Now Elijah the Tishbite who was of the settlers of Giliad said to Ahab, the king, ‘As the Lord, the God of Israel lives before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years except by My Word.'” That is a prophecy of a drought. That is a prophecy of a drought. God is putting His Word on the line again. You might say, in one sense, He’s sticking His neck out because we’re going to find out whether what He says is really true. InJames 5:17we read a New Testament commentary on this text. “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.” God said there was going to be a drought and there certainly was a drought. And that drought lasted in excess of three years. At the end of the drought, go down to chapter 18. “It came about after many days the Word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year,” all right, here we are in the third years, “saying, Go show yourself to Ahab and I’ll send rain on the face of the earth.” It didn’t rain for three years.
Elijah went and showed himself to Ahab. We could read the whole chapter, but let’s go down to verse 41. “Elijah said to Ahab, ‘Go up and eat and drink for there is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower.’ Ahab went up to eat and drink but Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel, crouched down on his knees, put his face between his knees…crouched down…I should say…on the earth and put his face between his knees. He said to his servants, ‘Go up now, look toward the sea.’ So he went up and looked and said there’s nothing. He said, ‘Go back seven times.’ And it came about at the seventh time that he said, ‘Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.'” You can imagine for three years and six months they had been looking for clouds. “And he said, ‘Go up, say to Ahab, prepare your chariot and go down so that the heavy shower doesn’t stop you.'” It’s going to get real muddy real fast. Get that chariot moving. “It came about in a little while the sky grew black with clouds and wind and there was a heavy shower and Ahab rode and went to Jezreel and the hand of the Lord was on Elijah.” Here again is an apologetic for the Word of God. God does exactly what He says He is going to do.
The most extensive usage of fulfilled prophecies or of the role that fulfilled prophecy plays is found in Isaiah. From Isaiah 40 to 53, that is a great section of prophecy. I want to show you a couple of portions of it. Isaiah 41…Isaiah 41, as I said, you can run all the way from chapter 40 through 53, the most extensive use of fulfilled prophecy in the Bible is found in that section. But in Isaiah chapter 41 we can look at the contrast between God and all other deities.
Verse 21 of Isaiah 41, this is a good place to sort of jump in to this great section. “Present your case,” the Lord says. “Present your case, you other gods. Bring forward your strong arguments,” the king of Jacob says. “Let them bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place.” You are a god, you are supernatural, you are divine…then tell us the future because that’s a valid defense of omniscience. So he says in verse 22, “Let them bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place. As for the former events, declare what they were.” Tell us what happened in the past, show your omnipotence going….or your omniscience going back and tell us what’s going to happen in the future. “That we may consider them and know their outcome.” We’ll evaluate it. You give us an accurate rendering of history and you write the future for us. “Announce to us…end of verse 22…what is coming. Declare the things that are going to come afterward that we may know that you are gods.” Wow…what a test!
Verse 24, “Indeed you’re of no account. Your work amounts to nothing. He who chooses you to worship…implied…is an abomination.” You can’t worship a God who is not omniscient because that’s not God. You can’t worship a God who cannot tell the future.
A few chapters further, another wonderful text in the forty-sixth chapter, and, believe me, there are several in between. But one of my very favorites is in 46, verses 9 and 10. Verse 9, “Remember the former things long past, for I am god and there is no other. I am God and there is no one like Me.” Here’s why. “Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done.” I will tell you what hasn’t happened. I will tell you the end at the beginning, saying, “My purpose will be established and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.” I will tell you what’s going to happen because I’m in control of it happening. This is not just omniscience, this is also…what?…omnipotence.
So from the earliest times God has established His veracity based upon His ability to predict what is going to happen with precision and accuracy and then to make it happen. And Scripture records the prophecies and the fulfillment, as we have seen in the illustrations that I’ve already given you.
Let me have you turn to the prophets since we’re already there, and see some further indications of the revelation of an omniscient God as the author of Scripture. Turn to Ezekiel 12, Ezekiel 12 and we’re going to move through some Scriptures fairly rapidly. But this, I think, to be a fascinating prophecy. Verse 12, “And the prince who is among them will load his baggage on his shoulder in the dark and go out. They will dig a hole through the wall to bring it out. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land with his eyes. I shall also spread My net over him and he will be caught in My snare and I shall bring him to Babylon in the land of the Chaldeans, yet he will not see it though he will die there.” How can you go to Babylon and be there and not see it? Who is this prince? It refers to King Zedekiah. King Zedekiah is always referred to in the book of Ezekiel by the word “the prince.” Jehoiakim is referred to as king in Judah even though he’s in captivity. He is still referred to as king, though he’s been taken into the Babylonian captivity along with Ezekiel and others. Zedekiah never really gets the title and so he is called the prince.
So how is it that this prince, Zedekiah, is taken to Babylon and lives there until his death and yet never sees it? Go back to 2 Kings 25 and we read the history connected to this prophecy. This is the history connected to that prophecy. Verse 1, 2 Kings 25, “It came about in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon came, he and all his army against Jerusalem, camped against it and built a siege wall all around it.” So the city was under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. He is referred to as a king in the history although Ezekiel always refers to him as a prince, giving the honor to Jehoiakim in captivity. “So the city was under siege till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah, on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city, there was no food for the people of the land.” That’s how they conquered. They came in and surrounded the city and cut off all supplies until the people starved to death. “Finally the city was broken into and the people were weak. All the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls beside the King’s garden. The soldiers who were left ran for their lives though the Chaldeans were all around the city and they went by way of the Arabah. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, the soldiers are fleeing the place trying to get out with their lives, and they are taking with them their king. They overtook him, the Chaldeans did, and the plains of Jericho which is just east and down the slope. And all his army was scattered from him. Then they captured the King Zedekiah, brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah and he passed sentence on him. And they slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and then put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon.” How was it that he could go to Babylon and be there till he died and never see it? He was blind because they had torn out his eyes after the last sight he ever saw, the massacre of his sons.
Jeremiah speaks of this.Jeremiah 52:10, “And the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and he also slaughtered all the princes of Judah at Riblah.” It was mentioned in the prior passage in 2 Kings. “Then he blinded the eyes of Zedekiah and the king of Babylon bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon and put him in prison until the day of his death.”
Just exactly the way Ezekiel said it would happen. So he lived with one indelible vision in his sightless head, the vision of the execution of his sons in a prison cell until he died, never seeing the Babylon to which he had been taken captive.
Speaking of Babylon, turn to Isaiah chapter 13. And here is a very, very important prophecy in Isaiah chapter 13 about Babylon. And I’m trying to give you a condensed view of these so we can cover a number of them, but in the nineteenth verse of Isaiah 13, we read this, “And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans pride, will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.” Wow. “It will never be inhabited, or lived in from generation to generation. Nor will the Arab pitch his tent there, nor will shepherds make their flocks lie down there, but desert creatures will lie down there and their houses will be full of owls, ostriches will also live there and shaggy goats will frolic there. And hyenas will howl in their fortified towers and jackals in their luxury palaces. Her fateful time also will soon come and her days will not be prolonged.”
Babylon was richer and more powerful than its arch rival, the city of Nineveh. And Nineveh was a massive city. Some say Babylon was the greatest city of the ancient world, famous for culture, famous for education, famous for architecture, famous for social advancement, famous for trade. This city, Babylon, was the emporium of the ancient world. It was on a stream that flowed to the Indian Ocean, near to the Mediterranean so it was a place accessible, a place where many brought their wares and their goods and it became really the home of what we know to be one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The prophecy then is that Babylon will be completely overthrown. And it was. Amazing. Until the nineteenth century the knowledge of Babylon was based only on Old Testament texts and a few Greek writers who referred to it and nobody knew where it was.
In more recent years there have been found in what is believed to be the location of this great city, accounts of stupendous building operations under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar. In the seventh and the sixth centuries B.C., it all began to be built by Nabopolassar, again who was a great king and his son Nebuchadnezzar. So it was a formidable sort of multi-generational effort to build this great city. Some ancient…some students of ancient history say that the great city was divided into two parts by the Euphrates and had large swamp areas and marshes in its surrounding area. It was, according to some accounts, a hundred and ninety-six square miles, fourteen mile sides, fifty-six miles around it. Historians who have dug up the ruins of that place now say it had a 30-foot moat, double walls, the outer wall was as high as 311 feet in some places, 87 feet wide in some places. It had 100 gates they think of solid brass. Two hundred and fifty watchtowers who were at least…which were at least 100 feet higher than the wall, over 400 feet high. And it completely disappeared in the desert. Herodotus, the historian, says the Persians saw that they could not break down the walls. But they observed that the Euphrates River ran under the walls and was deep enough and wide enough to march an army on. Cyrus ordered his troops to dig huge ditches, canals. And by those canals they diverted the river and dried up the riverbed and walked into the city while the Babylonians were feasting in drunkenness and took the city. And you can read about it in the fifth chapter of Daniel. It was 539 B.C. when Babylon fell, never to rise again.
By the time of Alexander the Great, it had become nothing but a desert. By 116 A.D. Trajan, the emperor, describes it as only mounds, humps. It is somewhere around 45 to 50 miles south of Baghdad. There have been buildings built there now. It is now called a ceremonial place, and no one lives there. It is not inhabited. Through history there are interesting records written by historians who talk about the wild animals, the boars, the hyenas, the jackals, the wolves, an occasional lion, mountain lion, owls. There are also historians who have written in the past about how the bedouins didn’t like to pitch their tents there because there were long-term superstitions about that place. It wasn’t a good place.
The soil throughout history has not been suitable for anything. And so it sits and still sits though ceremonial buildings have been built without inhabitants. One mathematician took the components of this prophecy, put them through mathematical analysis and said, “This would have the chance of coming to pass accidentally that would be about one in five million.” Werner Keller writes, “There were in Babylon fifty-three temples, fifty-five chapels of Marduk, 300 chapels for the earthly deities, 180 altars for the goddess Ishtar, 180 for the gods Nargol(?) and Adad(?) and many other different gods.” And it all came down because that’s what God said would happen.
There will be, by the way, according to the book of Revelation, a restoration of Babel in the future at the time of the day of the Lord and the coming of Christ. Whether or not that is a literal Babylon, or whether it speaks figuratively of the great Babylon as rebellion against the true and living God, we can’t be certain. But for now and for human history until the end, it is not an inhabited place.
Another prophecy, Micah chapter 1…Micah chapter 1. As you will remember, the land of Israel basically got split into two kingdoms after Solomon…the southern kingdom Judah, the norther kingdom was called Israel. Jerusalem was the capital of the southern kingdom and Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel. But just briefly. In Micah chapter 1 and verse 6, here is a prophecy. “This is the Word of the Lord,” it came to and through Micah in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, it is a prophecy regarding both Samaria and Jerusalem, the two capital cities. And verse 6 says this, “I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the open country, planting places for a vineyard. I will pour her stones down into the valley and will lay bare her foundations. All her idols will be smashed, all her earnings burned with fire, all her images I will make desolate, for she collected them from a harlot’s earnings.” That is a spiritual harlot going after false gods rather than the true God, to the earnings of a harlot they will return.
The prophecy is that Samaria, the capital city of the northern kingdom, will fall. It will fall violently. Vineyards will be planted there. Stones will be poured into the valley. In 722 B.C. that prophecy came to pass. Sargon, the Assyrian, took Samaria. It had been built by Omri, a wicked king, you can read about it in 1 Kings 16. He was succeeded by his son, Ahab, who was even more evil than Omri, and Ahab is famous for his wife who was Jezebel, the daughter of the king of Sidon, she was an idolatress. She killed the prophets. She led the people to worship Baal, the god of Sidon. Because of all of this, God brought this destruction. The city is now gone, wiped out by Sargon and then later on, whatever vestiges were left, destroyed by Alexander the Great in 331 and whatever bits and pieces remained were then finally destroyed in 120 B.C. by John Hiercanis(???). And if you go to the site of Samaria today, you will find olive and fig trees. It is a place of agriculture and probably some vineyards still there. One writer says, “Samaria, a huge heap of stones? Her foundation discovered, her streets plowed up and covered with fields and gardens. Samaria has been destroyed but her rubbish thrown down into the valley below. Her foundation stones lie scattered about on the slopes of the hills.” There’s no Samaria today.
Turn to Ezekiel chapter 25 and let me add another to this fascinating list of fulfilled prophecies. This one has to do with Moab…Moab. Moab/Ammon referring to the same. “The Word of the Lord came to me,” in verse 1, “saying, ‘Son of man, set your face against the sons of Ammon and prophesy against them and say to the sons of Ammon, Hear the Word of the Lord God, thus says the Lord God, because you said “Aha” against My sanctuary when it was profaned, treating it lightly, and against the land of Israel when it was made desolate and against the house of Judah when they went into exile, therefore, behold, I am going to give you to the sons of the east for a possession and they will set their encampment among you and make their dwellings among you. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk.” Go down to verse 11, “I will execute judgments on Moab and they will know that I am the Lord.” And reiterates in verse 12, “Because Edom has acted against the house of Judah by taking vengeance…” and so forth.
What does it say about Moab or Ammon? They’re going to be taken by a power from the east were going to come and take over and build palaces…verse 4…make their dwellings among you. This will be conquered but inhabited…conquered but inhabited. Now you’ve got to understand, these are powerful, well-defended kingdoms. Moab and Ammon are down by the Dead Sea and they are formidable and they are somewhat isolated. But the prophecy came true. Mountains on the west protected them. But the east was vulnerable. Voss writes, “The emir Abdullah of the east, ruler of Trans-Jordania, built his palace there and became director of the Arab Legion and has fought the Jews…this going back some years.” The city of Ammon was conquered. Moab was conquered from the east. But today Ammon Jordan is one of the flourishing cities, a large, growing, prosperous city, I have been there on several occasions, a fascinating Arab city. God said you will be conquered. God did not say you will be uninhabited.
Another one, just briefly, is Edom…Edom. Look at Isaiah 34 and I think with this one I’ll stop and we’ll do this one more evening, I think, because I’ve got a few more that I think are helpful. But look at Isaiah 34 and this relates to the familiar place called Edom, familiar to students of the Bible. Verse…let’s see, we can pick it up at verse 5, “My sword is satiated in heaven. Behold, it shall descend for judgment upon Edom, upon the people whom I have devoted to destruction.” Now it gets pretty detailed. “The sword of the Lord is filled with blood. It is sated with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams, for the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah and a great slaughter in the land of Edom. Wild oxen shall also fall with them and young bulls with strong ones, thus their land shall be soaked with blood.” Go down to verse 10, “It shall not be quenched night or day, its smoke shall go up forever from generation to generation it shall be desolate.” Down to verse 13, “Thorns shall come up in its fortified cities, nests…nettles and thistles in its fortified cities, it will also be a haunt of jackals and abode of ostriches. The desert creatures shall meet with the wolves, the hairy goat also shall cry to its kind. Yes the night monster shall settle there, shall find herself a resting place. The tree snake shall make its nest, lay eggs there. It will hatch and gather them under its protection. Yes, the hawk shall be gathered to everyone with its kind.” The point is, it’s going to be uninhabited, there aren’t going to be people there. There are just going to be animals there.
Along that same line, Jeremiah makes a prophecy…Jeremiah chapter 49…Jeremiah chapter 49, just three verses in chapter 49, verse 16, “As for the terror of you, the arrogance of your heart has deceived you, O you who live in the clefts of the rock, who occupy the height of the hill, though you make your nest as high as an eagle’s, I will bring you down from there, declares the Lord, and Edom will become an object of horror. Everyone who passes by it will be horrified and will hiss at all its wounds, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah with its neighbors, says the Lord, no one will live there, nor will a son of man reside there.”
This powerful kingdom of Idumea descended from Esau would be wiped out and never inhabited again. And verse 16 is a particular note because it was an arrogant place because the people lived in the clefts of the rock and they occupied the height of the hill. And they made their nest as high as an eagle’s. Some of you know that, you’ve been there and you’ve experienced that. Well the great city that defines Edom is a city called Petra and Petra is a city built into the rock. It’s an amazing…one of the great astonishments of my life was, first of all, on horseback to go in through this narrow tiny crack in the high, high cliffs to get inside the city of Petra and then see an entire city carved in the cliffs, virtually impregnable. They were so proud and so arrogant, there was only one way..there is only one way in and that is through this narrow passage that could be guarded, they used to say, by one man. And yet in Obadiah’s prophecy in verse 18 he said, “There shall not be any remaining in the house of Esau for the Lord has spoken it.” And it was conquered. It has a bloody, bloody history, does Edom. If you go to Petra today and Edom, no one lives there. There’s no civilization there. Edom tried to fight off David, but David slew 18 thousand Edomites at the south end of the Dead Sea, the Valley of Salt. David conquered Edom. Amaziah, later king of Judah, also fought and was victorious over Edom. Later Assyria conquered Edom and even Chaldean hordes swept down and devoured Edom. The Nabotaean Arabians that are noted even in the New Testament took Edom and are probably the children of the east mentioned in Ezekiel 25. And some time in the sixth century they took the great city of Petra.
How did they do it? How could they conquer a city that could be guarded by one man because there was only one slit letting you through? When you ride on a horse through there or you walk on foot, you will notice that there is a channel carved along the entrance and it goes for long, long, long distance. And the channel carved is to run water from outside into the city. All they had to do was cut off the water and the city had to surrender.
The Jews under John Heircannis(???) I mentioned ?? 1:20, they conquered this place as well. And there were many other conquerors.
When it was all said and done, the Edomites are so blotted out…this is fascinating to me…they’re so wiped out that the skeptics maintained that they were legendary, they never existed. And Petra wasn’t even discovered until the eighteenth century. It is now a wonder of the world.
Petra, Edom, Moab, Ammon, Babylon, all silent testimony to the veracity of the Word of God. Alexander Keith(?) write, “I would that the skeptic could stand as I did among the ruins, among the rocks and there open the sacred book and read the words of the inspired pen man.” And we all can do that. God’s Word is vindicated. What He says will happen will happen exactly the way He says it will happen. And there are many more.
Maybe I’ll just close with this comment. Turn to Matthew 11. Can’t make a comment without a passage. Matthew 11, and we’ll leave it at this. Verse 21, “Jesus said, ‘Woe to you, Chorazin, woe to you Bethsaida,” and in verse 23, “and you Capernaum will not be exalted to heaven will you? You shall descend to Hades.'” Because Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum had the presence of the Son of God and the miracles and had rejected, God pronounces a curse on these three cities. And what is fascinating to me about this is that these three cities to this very day are uninhabited, utterly uninhabited. The only one that you can even find ruins for is Capernaum. If you look at a map and you look up Bethsaida, there will be a question mark, they don’t even know where it was. But it was near Capernaum because that’s where Jesus ministered in Galilee. There’s some idea of where Bethsaida was. But the only place that you see ruins is Capernaum. And it is really remarkable, no one lives there…no one. It’s an amazingly beautiful place, it sits right at the head of the Sea of Galilee, spectacular location. There’s nothing there, absolutely nothing. There’s a little Catholic monastery. I remember being there one time and hearing that there was one monk who lived there. And then the people who show you an old church where there is a mosaic of the feeding of the five thousand and who show you the footings of the first church in Capernaum which may have been built on the foundations of Peter’s house, that’s the city where many of the disciples lived. Fabulous place, spectacular place, but if you want to stay in a hotel or you want something to eat, you have to go around to Tiberius because there’s nothing there. They were all wiped out really, they were all wiped out in 400 A.D. in a massive earthquake, never rebuilt…never.
And that’s the way it will be. On the shore stands this one city of Tiberius, it’s still there two thousand years later, sitting there, testimony to the fact that when God says a city will not be built, it will not be built. God’s Word is absolutely accurate…absolutely accurate. And it’s a fitting way to conclude our discussion by saying this. If the Bible says Jesus is coming, He’s coming.
Peter Stoner, is a very interesting mathematician who wrote a book on the probability of prophetic fulfillment. You can find it in many libraries…Peter Stoner, S-t-o-n-e-r. He took eleven of these prophecies that were fulfilled in history and he did some mathematics which is way beyond me and he said, “The probability of all of these components coming to pass by accident…okay, and it becomes exponential very rapidly, all the details, and I’ve only given you some, but take eleven of the prophecies, all the details in the prophecies coming to pass by accident…”the probability is one in five-point-seven-six times ten to the fifty-ninth power.” Now for some of you, that’s meaningless. But for some of you, that’s…that’s meaningful. Let’s make it simple. How many silver dollars, Peter Stoner says, would that be? One in five-point-seventy-six times ten to the fifty-ninth power, how many silver dollars in that? He says, ten to the twenty-eighth power solid silver suns…the sun is a million times the size of the earth. And he says it another way, if there are two trillion galaxies and each have a hundred billion stars, from our silver dollars we could make all the stars in all the galaxies two times ten to the fifth power. That’s a mathematics of probability…incredible odds cannot just happen. It happens because God said it would happen and because God sees to it that it happens and His Word is at stake and His integrity.
When you open your Bible, you are reading the true Word of the true and living God. Well that’s enough. Let’s pray.
Father, we do thank You for the power of the Word. It stands, it stands against all the onslaughts of the critics and the enemies of truth. It stands unequivocally, unmovable, unshaken because it is Your true Word. Our confidence in it is given us by the Spirit of God. We believe it because you have caused us to believe it, but we are confirmed and affirmed and strengthened in that confidence when we take the time to look at the details of this amazing revelation from You. It is true in everything it says and especially concerning the gospel of salvation, that there is no salvation in any other than Jesus Christ, about whom there are so many prophecies, hundreds of which came to pass in His first coming, more yet to come when He returns. Strengthen our confidence in Your Word and enable us to live by every word that proceeds from You, this is our food, in it we find Your character vindicated and our trust secured. In that trust we go forth to honor and to serve you and proclaim Your truth in Christ’s name. Amen.
Amen…so what I’m thinking about doing…not next week but coming up…I may do one more message on the Bible on the subject of canonicity, how do we know that the books we got are really the right ones. But we may do that and something else to kind of wrap up our study when we get through this little holiday period of time.
Our prayer room is open to my right if we can be of any help to you spiritually, if you want to know about joining the church or want to know about baptism, any spiritual need you have, we’re here to serve you. If you desire to know the Lord, you’re not sure you know Christ at all. Maybe your confidence in the Word of God has been strengthened. The Lord has used this tonight and you now know that this Word is true and it’s true when it speaks the gospel that saves, you’d like to talk to somebody, be right over here in the prayer room by the exit sign on my right.
Now, Father, send us away rejoicing that we know You, we know You, the omniscient, omnipotent, eternal God. We thank You for the gift of salvation in Christ in whose name we pray. And everyone said…Amen.
Over and over in Proverbs you hear the words “fear the Lord.” In fact, some of he references are Proverbs 1:7, 29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10;14:26,27; 15:16 and many more. Below is a sermon by John MacArthur from the Book of Luke on 3 reasons we should fear the Lord. (I have posted John MacArthur’s amazing […]
Over and over in Proverbs you hear the words “fear the Lord.” In fact, some of he references are Proverbs 1:7, 29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10;14:26,27; 15:16 and many more. Below is a sermon by John MacArthur from the Book of Luke on 3 reasons we should fear the Lord. (I have posted John MacArthur’s amazing […]
Over and over in Proverbs you hear the words “fear the Lord.” In fact, some of he references are Proverbs 1:7, 29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10;14:26,27; 15:16 and many more. Below is a sermon by John MacArthur from the Book of Luke on 3 reasons we should fear the Lord. (I have posted John MacArthur’s amazing […]
Over and over in Proverbs you hear the words “fear the Lord.” In fact, some of he references are Proverbs 1:7, 29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10;14:26,27; 15:16 and many more. Below is a sermon by John MacArthur from the Book of Luke on 3 reasons we should fear the Lord. (I have posted John MacArthur’s amazing […]
Over and over in Proverbs you hear the words “fear the Lord.” In fact, some of he references are Proverbs 1:7, 29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10;14:26,27; 15:16 and many more. Below is a sermon by John MacArthur from the Book of Luke on 3 reasons we should fear the Lord. (I have posted John MacArthur’s amazing […]
Over and over in Proverbs you hear the words “fear the Lord.” In fact, some of he references are Proverbs 1:7, 29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10;14:26,27; 15:16 and many more. Below is a sermon by John MacArthur from the Book of Luke on 3 reasons we should fear the Lord. (I have posted John MacArthur’s amazing […]
Over and over in Proverbs you hear the words “fear the Lord.” In fact, some of he references are Proverbs 1:7, 29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10;14:26,27; 15:16 and many more. Below is a sermon by John MacArthur from the Book of Luke on 3 reasons we should fear the Lord. (I have posted John MacArthur’s amazing […]
Over and over in Proverbs you hear the words “fear the Lord.” In fact, some of he references are Proverbs 1:7, 29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10;14:26,27; 15:16 and many more. Below is a sermon by John MacArthur from the Book of Luke on 3 reasons we should fear the Lord. It is tough to guard your […]
Over and over in Proverbs you hear the words “fear the Lord.” In fact, some of he references are Proverbs 1:7, 29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10;14:26,27; 15:16 and many more. Below is a sermon by John MacArthur from the Book of Luke on 3 reasons we should fear the Lord. What does it mean to fear […]
Over and over in Proverbs you hear the words “fear the Lord.” In fact, some of he references are Proverbs 1:7, 29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10;14:26,27; 15:16 and many more. Below is a sermon by John MacArthur from the Book of Luke on 3 reasons we should fear the Lord. In today’s lesson John MacArthur talks […]
Larry King – Dr. John MacArthur vs. “father” Manning Uploaded on Sep 26, 2011 GotoThisSite.org ___________ I have seen John MacArthur on Larry King Show many times and I thought you would like to see some of these episodes. I have posted several of John MacArthur’s sermons in the past and my favorite is his […]
Who was Jesus? (Larry King Live with John MacArthur) Published on Jul 17, 2012 http://www.gty.org/video/interviews/I… ___________ I have seen John MacArthur on Larry King Show many times and I thought you would like to see some of these episodes. I have posted several of John MacArthur’s sermons in the past and my favorite is his […]
Pt 1 John MacArthur – Larry King Live – What Happens After We Die.wmv.mp4 Uploaded on Feb 25, 2010 What happens after we die? A short series with John Mac Arthur, along with a Roman Catholic Priest, Muslim, Rabbi, spiritualist and an Atheist.. What do you think? There is no greater thought than this…billions […]
God vs. Science (Larry King Live with John MacArthur) Uploaded on Apr 10, 2012 http://www.gty.org/video/interviews/2… Every year scientists come up with more evidence that seems to support evolution. Whats a six-day, young-earth creationist to do? How can you support biblical claims that so obviously seem to contradict modern science? ___________ I have seen John MacArthur […]
(My pastor growing up was Adrian Rogers and he died 7 years ago today. He would have been 82 if he was still living. ) I love the Book of Proverbs and every day I read one chapter of Proverbs. Since there are 31 chapters, I start the 1st of ever month and read chapter […]
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First is what Romans says: Romans 1:18-32 New American Standard Bible (NASB) Unbelief and Its Consequences 18 For (A)the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who (B)suppress the truth [a]in unrighteousness, 19 because (C)that which is known about God is evident [b]within them; for God made it evident to […]
Prophecy–The Biblical Prophesy About Tyre.mp4 Uploaded by TruthIsLife7 on Dec 5, 2010 A short summary of the prophecy about Tyre and it’s precise fulfillment. Go to this link and watch the whole series for the amazing fulfillment from secular sources. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvt4mDZUefo ________________ John MacArthur on the amazing fulfilled prophecy on Tyre and how it was fulfilled […]
Same old story it seems. Kentucky pulls out another close victory over the Vols. This is not the only story I am talking about today. Kentucky’s Alex Poythress (22) shoots between Tennessee’s Josh Richardson, left, and Yemi Makanjuola during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., Tuesday, […]
1 John 5:14-17 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 14 This is (A)the confidence which we have [a]before Him, that, (B)if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, (C)we know that we have the requests which we have asked from […]
Now, for tonight, we are going to continue our look at biblical inspiration. This is a little bit more like a classroom than it is a preaching event. I want you to think through with me some of the passages of Scripture that speak to the issue of fulfilled prophecy.
The fact that the Bible contains prophecies that are fulfilled already in history is an indication that God is the author of Scripture. One of the strongest indications, I believe, that Scripture is inspired by God is the fact that it is absolutely accurate and demonstrates divine omniscience with regard to future events. There is nothing more true of all humanity than that we cannot predict the future. We cannot predict the future. We are abysmal at predicting the future. It is impossible for us to predict the future. I remember a few weeks before I came here to be the pastor of Grace Community Church back in February of 1969, not long before that, United States Space Agency was making its efforts to place a man on the moon. And a gentleman was invited to speak here at Grace Church, a pastor who had been preaching for many years, and he came on a Sunday night and he preached on the subject, “Why God will never allow man to reach the moon.” And he had what he thought were all kinds of biblical reasons for that viewpoint. Well obviously he was wrong and shortly after that he made that terrible error in judgment and discernment, he was proven to be wrong and for all that I know that was really the end of people’s confidence in him.
We are unable to declare the future. But God is able because God knows everything and because God writes history and therefore He writes the future. Prophecy really, as we look at it tonight, is going to consider that aspect of God’s omniscience which causes Him to be able to accurately predict the future. This aspect of prophecy we’re going to look at is going to be a declaration of future events. Prophecy is a big word and it can have a lot of meanings. But we’re going to use the word in the sense of predicting the future. Prophecy can be from the Greek verbprophemi, to speak before or to speak on behalf of someone, or to speak of things before they actually happen. And we’re going to be looking at it in that sense.
Prophecy is never just a good guess. It is never conjecture. It is never partially accurate. It is always unknowable, unpredictable. It always has multiple contingencies and features that cannot be controlled and cannot be known so that as you look into the future and hear God say something is going to happen that has manifold elements to it, you have convincing proof of the divine authorship of Scripture. We can probe into the past by means of the science of historiography, if you will, the study of history. We can delve into the past. And we can do a fairly good job of reconstructing the past. But even when we look at the past there’s a lot of disagreement about many, many things and in the world today if you’ve been educated in the more recent years, you have heard often about revisionist history, efforts to rewrite history from a completely different viewpoint. We have a difficult time, we are fairly successful of being scientific about reassembling the elements of the past, and getting a pretty good idea of what happened in the past. But we have no such means to determine what will happen in the future and no faculty of pre-science or pre-knowledge about what has not occurred. I’m not talking about being able to read about a trend in business because you can discern the way the economy is going. I’m not talking about being able to predict a certain election, political election because you can sense or you can read or you can discern and assess the elements that are going to come into play in that event. We’re not talking about those kinds of things. We’re talking about specific prophecies with multiple components that are equally specific.
We shouldn’t be surprised that the Bible can do this. We shouldn’t at all be surprised because it makes so many times the claim of divine omniscience. Hear the words from Isaiah 46 verses 9 and 10, “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. There is no one like Me. I can tell you the ending while we’re still at the beginning. And I can tell you from ancient times the things that have not yet happened.” No one had this ability but God…not even those supposed prophets and prognosticators…Nostradomus, others that have come along in history. I think back a few years, the Jean Dixon and Edgar Casey. And then there are even the more modern quasi religious quasi Christian predictors of the future who give their nebulas prophecies and frequently specific prophecies that turn out to be wrong. There is no one who can know the future but the one who controls the future. There is no one who can tell us what will happen before it has happened except God. No man, no demon can predict specific events or persons who will appear on the scene in the future and carry out certain actions, only God knows that.
And it is such an important element of biblical literature because some have estimated about one fourth of the Bible is prophetic, about one fourth of the Bible is prophetic. Some scholars feel that even more than that, moving in the direction of a third of Scripture is prophetic. Now as far as a standard for true prophecy, let me take you in to the Old Testament. Turn to Deuteronomy chapter 18…Deuteronomy chapter 18. We have to lay a bit of a foundation and then we’ll look at some of the prophecies. We’ll do that tonight and also next Sunday night, as well. But in Deuteronomy chapter 18…I’m sorry, chapter 18, yes, verse 20, we read this, “But the prophet who shall speak a word presumptiously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak or which he shall speak in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.” The death sentence then is pronounced upon a prophet who speaks a word presumptiously as if it comes from God when it does not. Or who speaks a word coming from some other supposed god than the one true and living God. This was to bring about his execution.
Verse 21, “And you may say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’ When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about, or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptiously, you shall not be afraid of him.” That is you shouldn’t be intimidated by him because he’s telling you a lie. If it doesn’t come to pass, it doesn’t come from God. If it’s not accurate, the prophet is to be executed.
Turn over in your Bible to the forty-first chapter of Isaiah…Isaiah chapter 41, and we’re going to be bouncing around a little bit to cover this subject tonight. In Isaiah chapter 41 we’ll look down at verse 21. “Present your case…the Lord says,Isaiah 41:21…present your case, the Lord says, bring forward your strong argument the King of Jacob says.” Verse 22, “Let them bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place.” They claim to be prophets, they claim to speak for God. All right, bring your case. “Bring it forth, declare to us what is going to take place. As for the former events, declare what they were. Tell us what has happened in the past just because you’re omniscient and you know it, tell us what will happen in the future. Do this that we may consider them and know their outcome, or announce to us what is coming. Declare the things that are going to come afterward that we may know that You are God’s.
Here’s the test. Tell us all about what has happened because You’re omniscient about the past. And tell us all that will happen because You’re also omniscient about the future. This, by the way, was a challenge to the Babylonian seers, the Babylonian wise men, the Babylonian prophets, the ones who were supposed to be able to discern the future. Tell us and if you can’t, verse 24 says, you are of no account, your work amounts to nothing, he who chooses you is an abomination. And again the test is if you tell us the truth, it comes from God…if you don’t, it does not and you are a false prophet worthy of death.
Chapter 43 of Isaiah and we’ll look at verse 9. “All the nations have gathered together in order that the peoples may be assembled it…assembled. Who among them can declare this and proclaim to us the former things? Let them present their witnesses that they may be justified or let them hear and say it is true.” You test them, first of all, by their knowledge of the past without books, without records. If they know truth beyond what is observable, they should be able to know the past. Verse 10, “You are My witnesses, declares the Lord, My servant whom I have chosen in order that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, there will be none after Me…even I, I am the Lord, there is no Savior besides Me. It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed and there was no strange God among you so you are My witnesses, declares the Lord, and I am God.” God is saying you know that I speak the truth and therefore you know that I am God. Bring these other people and put them to the test of their knowledge of both the past and the future to see if their claim to speak for me as prophets is legitimate.
Jeremiah also deals with this in the twenty-eighth chapter of Jeremiah. Just briefly looking at these verses, you can look at them in detail later. Verse 9 of Jeremiah 28, “The prophet who prophesies of peace when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then that prophet will be known as one whom the Lord has truly sent.” Again when he prophesies and it comes to pass, you know that he was sent by the Lord. So the test for a true prophet was that what he prophesied came to pass, that he knew because God had revealed that knowledge to him.
Now in the Scripture there are many prophecies. The first one appears inGenesis 3:15where we read that the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head…the seed of the woman would destroy Satan. The woman does not have the seed, the seed is in the man. But there was one woman in human history who had a seed within her body apart from a man depositing that seed there and that was the virgin Mary and it was she who produced the Son that crushed the head of Satan. Therein lies the first prophecy in the Bible and it is fulfilled specifically in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ through a virgin…a virgin-born man.
Some Bible scholars have said there are as many as a thousand different prophecies in the Scripture, all relating to future history and many of them have already been fulfilled. The Bible lays out prophecies regarding people and kings and cities and nations and even prophecies that touched the wider world. And to just show you how replete the Scripture is with prophetic truth, there are 20 consecutive chapters of prophecy in Isaiah. There are seventeen consecutive chapters of prophecy in Jeremiah, nine in Ezekiel, two in Amos, and it goes that way through all the rest of the prophets. Doom is predicted for Ammon, for Moab, for Edom, for Philistia, for Babylon, for Tyre, for Sidon and for many other places, doom which came to pass already in history. The record is already written.
In the New Testament there are prophecies in the gospels covering cities in the land of Israel, prophecies which have already come to pass regarding those cities. The record of absolute accurate fulfillment without error through all the centuries stands and while it has been assailed by critics, it has suffered not at all. No matter how hard the critics try, they cannot find a biblical prophecy that did not come to pass the way it was said to happen. And the prophets who wrote didn’t really even understand fully what they were writing. That takes us back to that important statement in the first statement in the first chapter of 1 Peter, “As to this salvation…verse 10…the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful search and inquiry seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating.” They were actually studying their own prophecies concerning the Messiah to try to understand what it was that they were writing. For example, Isaiah predicted that a king would come and that that king’s name would be Cyrus. And Isaiah said there would come a king named Cyrus and he will release Israel from its Babylonian captivity. Isaiah gave us his name 150 years before he was even born. And that is found inIsaiah 44:28…Isaiah 44:28.
A passage that is striking for its simplicity and its accuracy, 1 Kings chapter 13 and verse 2. “Came a man of God from Judah…in verse 1…he cried against the altar by the Word of the Lord and said, ‘O altar, altar, thus says the Lord, behold a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you and human bones shall be burned on you.'” This is a prophecy regarding a coming king, Josiah, who would bring about the destruction of false teachers. By the way, the prophecy names him three hundred years before he was born. Prophecy does not prove the Bible is the Word of God, but it certainly could prove that it was not the Word of God if it is wrong. But it is never wrong. And this is God’s absolute test…search the Scripture, see if these things are so. Our Lord says inMark 13:23as He is talking about His Second Coming, “Take heed, behold I have told you all things.” He’s talking there about the future, the events of His Second Coming and He is essentially saying to them there in Mark 13 as in Matthew 24 and in Luke 21, when you see these things begin to happen, you know that the day of the Lord is near because I have told you all things.
So we have prophecies already given and already fulfilled. Prophecies also given and not yet fulfilled. They will be, however, be fulfilled in the future with the same kind of accuracy that they were fulfilled in the past and if I could throw in a little hermeneutical footnote here, all the prophecies in the past fulfilled in the past were fulfilled literally as they were given. We could therefore assume that all the prophecies related to the future will be fulfilled literally as they were given. They are to be understood in the normal sense that we understand language. And so when it says Christ will come, He will come. When He will come in clouds, He will come in clouds. When He shall place His feet on the Mount of Olives, that’s where He’ll place His feet. When He establishes a thousand-year Millennium, that means He will establish a thousand-year Millennium. All of those prophecies are to be understood in the normal way that prophecies have always been understood. All of the curses that were pronounced and promised to Israel and that came on Israel are only part of God’s plan for Israel. He also promised them blessing for obedience. And when they are obedient, they will be blessed and it will be the same national Israel that will be blessed as the same national Israel was once cursed. You cannot have the curses fall literally on Israel and as the amillennialists would suggest, have all of the promises fall on the church. There’s no way to divide that hermeneutic. The prophecies of the Bible in the future will be understood the way the ones in the past have been understood and so at the end of the age as the signs begin to escalate toward the day of the Lord, they will be interpreted the way you would interpret all the rest of the prophecy that Scripture lays out.
Let’s look at some illustrations of this. Ezekiel chapter 26…Ezekiel chapter 26, I’m going to move rapidly so that we can cover a few of these prophecies. A lot of these I have some notes in the footnotes in the MacArthur Study Bible that will help fill out the things that I don’t have time to say. You can check those sources and others in the commentaries written on these various prophetic books. But for us, we’ll get a good idea of the amazing fulfillment of these prophecies. Ezekiel chapter 26 through chapter 28 and even some comments in chapter 9 are prophecies against a city named Tyre…T-y-r-e. These are prophecies against a city named Tyre. It is identified in the second verse, mentioned there Tyre, verse 2. Now the prophecies start in verse 3, “Behold, I am against you, O Tyre. I will bring up many nations against you as the sea brings up its waves, nation after nation after nation hitting against Tyre like waves hitting against the shore.” And here come the details. “They will destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers and I will scrape her debris from her and make her a bare rock. She will be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea for I have spoken, declares the Lord God, and she will become spoil for the nations.” Go down to verse 8. “He will slay your daughters on the mainland with the sword and He will make siege walls against you, cast up a mound against you and raise up a large shield against you.” Go down to verse 12, “They will make a spoil of your riches, a prey of your merchandise, break down your walls, destroy your pleasant houses, throw your stones and your timbers and your debris into the water.” Verse 14, “I will make you a bare rock. You will be a place for the spreading of nets. You will be built no more for I, the Lord, have spoken declares the Lord God.” Verse 21, “I shall bring terrors on you and you will be no more. Thou you will be sought, you will never be found again, declares the Lord God.”
Now the elements of this prophecy are really very, very detailed. The prophecy says the mainland city of Tyre will be destroyed. The prophecy says many nations will rise against Tyre, they’ll come successively, not all at once collectively together as one force but like waves, one after another. It says that the rubble of that city will be thrown into the water. It says that Tyre will become like a bare flat rock. It says that fishermen shall dry their nets there. It says Tyre will never be rebuilt again. And there are even other details that I read you about casting a siege and breaking down the walls of that place.
Now you have to understand that when Ezekiel makes this prophecy, you’re not talking about some small town here. You’re talking about one of the greatest cities in the ancient world, the great Phoenician seaport of Tyre and the Phoenicians were one of the most advanced civilizations in ancient times and they were the sailors. They were the ones who sailed the Mediterranean. They were the great traders of the world, the greatest sailors in the world history, the greatest navigators in ancient times. They were the foremost explorers of their day and they were therefore great colonizers.
You find a ruler named Hiram I who controlled the Phoenician world, Phoenicia. This city under his reign, this city of Tyre was fortified with a wall, according to history, 150 feet high, fifteen feet thick. It had a very capable fleet. It was flourishing when Joshua led Israel into the promised land. In fact, Hiram began his reign eight years before Solomon, overlapping David’s reign. David sought help from Hiram when David wanted to build his palace and he got artisans and cedars from Hiram to help with the palace. Hiram later aided Solomon when Solomon set out to build the temple by sending cedars down, the cedars of Lebanon.
But this prophecy was given that this great city would be destroyed with all this detail laid out. Three years after the prophecy…three years…Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, laid a siege against the city of Tyre. It lasted from 585 to 573, thirteen years of siege against this city. Finally after thirteen years of being surrounded by the forces of Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar and having their supplies cut off, they finally surrendered to the terms and the first part of the prophecy was fulfilled because Nebuchadnezzar immediately broke down all the walls and broke down all the towers, verse 4, destroying the walls, breaking down all the towers. That made the city indefensible. That was not an unusual thing for conquerors to do, but you can imagine it was a serious enterprise. It doesn’t mean you have to break down the entire wall, but you had to render it ineffective by putting massive holes in it at the appropriate places.
Upon arriving, however, he was shocked to find no spoils which was a great disappointment to a conqueror because the people had used their superb fleet to remove everything of value far away, at least far enough away to an island about a half mile off shore. They had just continually over those years been shuttling everything of value off shore. By the way, in the twenty-ninth chapter of Ezekiel verses 17 to 20, Ezekiel says that the Babylonians would get no plunder and they did not get any plunder. So the mainland city was destroyed, it was flattened, it was nothing but rubble, basically. The island city then flourished a half mile off shore. It remained a powerful city, by the way, for 250 years. That was the new city of Tyre.
While during those 250 years the timbers and the stones remained in ruins on the shore for that whole duration. All the prophecy then was not fulfilled, only a portion of it was fulfilled. In the ordinary course of events, those ruins would have become a tell, t-e-l-l, a mound, such as archaeologists find and dig into as the wind-swept dirts cover over the centuries, they bury the rubble of the city. And surely when parts of the wall fell, eventually all the wall fell and normally would have been buried under a tell to be discovered long time later by archaeologists. No one, no one at all would go to the monumental effort of throwing all that debris into the water, but that is exactly what this Scripture says. Verse 12, “They will break down the walls, destroy the pleasant houses, throw your stones and your timbers and your debris into the water.” Why would anybody do that? Why would you cart down debris and throw it into the water? Well for 250 years nobody did that, it wasn’t fulfilled. Then along came Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great, at this time, is age 24, he is bent on conquering the world. He has come on his way east. He has an infantry we are told that numbers about 33 thousand men and he has about 15 thousand in his calvary and he is on his way to establish his great world empire. He has just defeated the Persians under Darius III at the battle of Isis in the year 333. He is on his march now to the east and toward Egypt. He wants to conquer the great Egyptian society. In order to get to Egypt, he has to make a bend around the eastern part of the Mediterranean and come down the coast. He comes in to Phoenicia which is now the land of Israel, basically. He calls on the Phoenician cities to open their gates to him and to supply him all the supplies that he needs. And, of course, the first place that he stops as he starts south is that northernmost place called Tyre. He sent word to the Tyrenians of what he wanted and they sent word back and said, “We’re not giving you anything.”
And so, Alexander was upset. And you don’t want to get Alexander the Great upset. It’s amazing the lengths that that man would go to achieve the satisfaction of his own agenda. He had no fleet, he had no ships. How in the world was he going to get what he needed from Tyre which was a half mile off shore? Answer? He saw all the debris that had been lying there for 250 years and to make a long story short, he built a causeway all the way to the island…at least two thousand feet long. And we are told by historians and we can see it because it’s still there in part today, at least 200 feet wide across the strait separating the old and the new. Arian, the Greek historian, has written in his book, History of Alexander in India how this was accomplished. And he gives all kinds of fascinating details.
Tyre had become fortified like Alcatraz, surrounded by powerful walls that went right down to the edge of the sea. Really a very impregnable place. So Alexander knew that if he was going to conquer them, he couldn’t just go pull up to the wall in ships, he could build ships relatively…that was a relative possibility, but he could only get up to a wall he couldn’t get across, so he decided that he would need to build a land peninsula and move massive machines that were very tall with flip-down bridges that he could set on the top of the wall to walk right in to the city. The work went well at first, until the water started getting deeper and deeper and as the water got deeper, the project moved slower and all the people in Tyre stood on the wall and threw boulders at his army, trying to build their causeway.
They stopped the work in order to protect their lives, this only made him more angry. And so he decided that he would build a great shield called a tortoise, for obvious reasons, and that he would hold up the shield. You remember in the passage that I just read you, there is reference made that there would be raised up, in verse 8, a large shield against you. You find that in history. They actually tried to shield the workers from the stones that were being thrown on them. Meanwhile, Alexander’s engineers were on the shore building monster towers called Heliopolis…Heliopolis, a hundred and sixty-feet high, twenty stories high. And they held at the top light artillery and men. Highest towers, by the way, ever used in the history of war. High above the city walls, they would just roll them across the causeway when it was finished, drop down the cause…the bridge and march into the city. They were basically resisted and resisted and resisted, raids from the people of Tyre, everything they could do to stop them, it all was for not. In the end, even using some ships that he acquired, he collected the navies from all the local places he could go. He got help from places like Sidon and Biblis(?) and Rhodes and Malous(?) and Lycia and Macedon and Cyprus and he got enough ships to move out into the deep water and continue his building.
Seven months it took him, seven months. At the end of seven months, these monstrous towers rolled across that causeway, flipped down the bridges, went into the city. Eight thousand were slain in the battle, seven thousand were executed military style, thirty thousand were sold as slaves to replenish the treasuries of Alexander. Philip Myer the historian says, “Alexander the Great reduced Tyre to ruins in 332, or 333 B.C. She recovered in a measure but never to the place she previously held in the world. The once great city is now as bare…writes this historian…as the top of a rock and is a place where fishermen dry their nets.”
By the way, that island city was repopulated and later restored…destroyed by the Muslims, 1281. The Muslims came, conquering in the name of Allah. But the main city has never been rebuilt and that is consistent with verse 21, “You will never be found again,” declares the Lord God. There’s a little village out there on that island. It’s in the news in modern times. There’s a place where the Israelis have retaliated against refugee camps in past years. Jerusalem has been rebuilt, just for information sake, seventeen times…seventeen times. Twenty-five centuries ago a Jewish prophet in exile in Babylon was told by God that the city of Tyre would never be rebuilt, and it never has. Today you can’t even find a ruin on that site.
And frankly, that’s astounding to me because the location is staggeringly beautiful, one of the most beautiful spots along the Mediterranean. There’s a fresh water spring there that has been measured some years ago that produces a flow of ten million gallons of water a day, enough for a large city. Never been rebuilt. Some mathematicians got a hold of this prophecy, took all of the little parts of this prophecy, put them all together and said, “The probability that this could all happen by chance is one in seventy-five million.” That’s probably conservative. Amos weighed in on the destruction of Tyre. Turn to Amos chapter 1 verse 9, “Thus says the Lord, for three transgressions of Tyre and for four, I will not revoke its punishment because they delivered up an entire population to Edom and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood, so I will send fire upon the wall of Tyre and it will consume her citadels.” And we know historically that Tyre was literally burned by the missiles of Nebuchadnezzar. In the original attack, Tyre was burned by missiles, fiery arrows fired by the forces of Nebuchadnezzar in the thirteen-year siege.
This is an amazing Scripture until you understand that God wrote this and God told the prophet what the prophet never could have known because God knows exactly what’s going to happen because God is in charge of exactly what’s going to happen. In the ninth chapter of Zechariah there is more against Tyre, verse 2, there is a word of the Lord against this land, Tyre and Sidon. And then in verse 3, “Tyre build herself a fortress, piled up silver like dust and gold like the mire of the streets,” and that was because the Phoenicians out of Tyre were doing this trade all over the Mediterranean area. Also they were trading with the east because the goods coming from the east would come through there to go to the Mediterranean. They were trading with the south, people coming up from Egypt and those coming down from the north, so that they were very, very wealthy. “Behold…says verse 4…the Lord will dispossess her, cast her wealth into the sea. She will be consumed with fire.” Again Zechariah noted what was true in the raid or the siege of Nebuchadnezzar that the city was set on fire. Other cities in Phoenicia that became later known as Philistine cities, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, these cities also, including Ashdod in verse 6, would be a part of the prophecy as well.
Going further down the course…the coast, it’s Gaza, Ekron, Ashkelon, Ashdod, they’re all going to be captured. They all were captured. And of the five great cities, the only one left out of the prophecy because it was a little bit inland was the city of Gath…the city of Gath.
Josephus, the great historian, records for us in immense detail, and you can read Josephus’ history how all these components came to pass. The success of Alexander’s evasion of Syria and Palestine in the fourth century is known history in all its detail. He absorbed Syria. Tyre was obliterated. Her commerce destroyed to the amazement of her neighbors. Interestingly enough, not only was Gath spared in all of this, but another city was spared, the city of Sidon…Sidon did not share the same fate as Tyre.
Let’s go back to the twenty-eighth chapter of Ezekiel and look at the city of Sidon. Twin cities, twenty miles north of Tyre is the city in ancient times called Sidon. Now apparently Sidon was the center of Baal worship, the worship of Ashteroth and Tammuz, the capital city, you could say, of idolatry. It had been founded and back in Genesis 10 by one of the sons of Canaan, Genesis chapter 10 verse 15. Now look at 28:22 and let’s just see what the Bible says is going to happen to Sidon. Now it says, “The Lord God, behold, I am against you, O Sidon. I shall be glorified in your midst. Then they will know that I am the Lord when I execute judgments in her and I shall manifest My holiness in her, for I shall send pestilence to her and blood to her streets and the wounded shall fall in her midst by the sword upon her on every side, then they will know that I am the Lord.”
Three things to point out…blood in the streets, swords everywhere and no ultimate destruction. Unlike Tyre, there’s no statement that this city would not survive and today you can go there and find Sidon flourishing as the seaport city of Saida. But you won’t find Tyre.
In 351 B.C. the city was ruled by Persia and it revolted and the Persian army besieged it, 351 B.C. When all hope of saving the city was gone, forty thousand citizens chose rather to die than submit to Persian vengeance. So what they did? They shut themselves up in their houses, set their houses on fire and died in the flames. It was a horrific way to die. But the city was rebuilt again and again and again and re-conquered again and again. Floyd Hamilton says, “Blood has flowed in the streets over and over but the city stayed in existence and stands today as a monument to fulfilled prophecy. It was taken three times by the Crusaders, three times by the Muslims, all by the sword. In 1840 it was bombarded by the combined fleets of England, France and Turkey. No human eye could have seen how in the future this city would be in a bloodbath induced by swords, but would never be extinct when one twenty miles down the coast would be extinct.” But we aren’t surprised because God knows the truth. One writer says, “No well accredited prophecy is found in any other book or even oral tradition now existing or that has ever been existing in the world.” You can’t find in any religious book in the world a well-attested and accurate fulfilled prophecy. The Bible is always exactly correct about everything.
Maybe I have time for one more. Ezekiel chapter 30, since we’re having such a great time doing this. This one, chapter 30, Ezekiel chapter 30, let’s go down to verse 13. And this is Egypt, not Tennessee, just for some of you. “Thus says the Lord God, I will also destroy the idols and make the images cease from Memphis and there will no longer be a prince in the land of Egypt and I will put fear in the land of Egypt, I will make Pathros desolate, set a fire in Zoan, and execute judgments on Thebes and I will pour out My wrath on Sin…with an upper case S, proper name…the stronghold of Egypt and I will also cut off the multitude of Thebes…”now we could stop at that point.
What does this say? It says about Memphis that the idols in Memphis will be destroyed. That’s unmistakable. “I will destroy the idols and make the images cease from Memphis.” It says Thebes will be destroyed, judgments will be executed on Thebes and the multitude will be cut off. That means they will be killed. Thebes destroyed and its population killed. And then that most interesting statement, “That there will no longer be…in verse 13…a prince in the land of Egypt.” No more native ruler in Egypt.
Now let’s start with Memphis. It was a very ancient and a very important place for the origins of religious worship in Egypt. It was regarded as a very sacred place because of its original religious beginning. It was the capital of what was called middle Egypt and it was the stronghold of religion and therefore the stronghold of idols. And God said it would be destroyed and its idols in particular would be destroyed. And that is exactly what happened to Memphis. The historian Herodotus records that Cambyses did that and he did that by first attacking the city called Sin, verse 15, the stronghold of Egypt, verse 15, “I’ll pour out My wrath on Sin, the stronghold of Egypt.” It was called Pelusium, the Greek term for it. It was the key to Egypt. It was the stronghold, and if you could break through at that point, you could conquer. Herodotus says that’s where Cambyses came in and launched his attach which was successful.
Now the Egyptians were hopeless idolaters. In fact, they mummified cats. They mummified cats…you know about the holy cows in India, well they had holy cats and holy dogs and particularly cats were of interest to them because they had a cat goddess, Ugastet…Ugastet, the cat goddess and all the cats and they were all urchin cats, not domesticated cats. They all were basically the protectors of her honor, so they mummified cats when they died.
Well, Cambyses was pretty shrewd. They also worshiped dogs and so when he launched his attack against Pelusium, he launched it with a whole bunch of cats and dogs. And his army came following the cats and following the dogs. And because the animals were held to be so sacred in Egypt so that no Egyptian would use any weapon against those animals, he came in and won his victory. He slew Apis, the sacred cow and he began to destroy the idols and destroyed them all in Memphis. Memphis disappeared. It began at this point to disappear, its idols disappeared with it. Today archaeologists don’t know where Memphis was. Likely it was the second largest city in Egypt and they can’t find it.
I’ve been there, to that site, on one of my trips to Egypt. And I was absolutely fascinated to hear from the guide that there in that region although they do not know exactly where the city was, there in that region they have discovered ancient statutes buried face down in the sand that they date before Moses and after. And they find these statues with the face buried in the sand and the back rotted out. The Bible said that the idols of Memphis would be struck down, history says that’s exactly what happened.
Then there were to be judgments on Thebes, according to verse 14. Cambyses, this Persian, invaded Egypt, brought destruction on Thebes, burning their temples, destroying all their statutes, but Thebes recovered for a while. Second blow came a century before Christ, 89 B.C. A siege was laid on Thebes for three years and when Thebes fell on that time in 89 B.C., it fell into complete oblivion. It was flattened, nothing left, fulfilling prophecy. Its people were killed, never returned. And again it was an amazing city. History says 66 feet was the height of the wall and 24 feet was the width.
When the Bible says something is going to happen, it’s exactly what happens…exactly what happens. God judged that land from the top to the bottom, from Sin all the way to Thebes, top to bottom, and destroyed its idols.
The final prediction was that there would no longer be a prince in the land of Egypt. That would be the son of an Egyptian king. That has been fulfilled. From 350 B.C. and on Egypt has never had an Egyptian as a ruler. The famous rulers that you think about, Sadat, Abdulnasser, familiar names, neither of them was an Egyptian. They’ll never have an Egyptian ruler, Scripture is accurate about that.
Well there are many more such prophecies but I will save them for next time. Fascinating, isn’t it? The Word of God stands. Believe me, the critics would love to dismantle the Scripture on the basis of these things, but they cannot do that. History confirms the truthfulness of the Word of God. Let’s pray.
What a blessing and an encouragement it is to our hearts, Lord, to see the Word of God be vindicated by history. Amazing things to think about, but why would we be surprised, this is Your truth and You are God and You are omniscient and You cannot err. We thank You that Your Word has stood the test of scrutiny through the centuries and it still stands firm, accurate. And if it can be trusted in these things, it can be trusted in all that it affirms and declares and teaches and commands and prophesies. And indeed, what You have said will happen has happened and what You have said is yet to happen will happen, just as surely, just as precisely, just as accurately. Your character is at stake and You are the God of truth who knows all things, even the end from the beginning and You can tell us about the things that have not yet happened. We thank You that Your Word is so trustworthy. We trust it spiritually and believing it place our life and our eternity in Your hands, and we do it with joy and confidence because Your Word is true. And we thank You from the depths of our being for giving us this truth, in Christ’s name. Amen.
Over and over in Proverbs you hear the words “fear the Lord.” In fact, some of he references are Proverbs 1:7, 29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10;14:26,27; 15:16 and many more. Below is a sermon by John MacArthur from the Book of Luke on 3 reasons we should fear the Lord. (I have posted John MacArthur’s amazing […]
Over and over in Proverbs you hear the words “fear the Lord.” In fact, some of he references are Proverbs 1:7, 29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10;14:26,27; 15:16 and many more. Below is a sermon by John MacArthur from the Book of Luke on 3 reasons we should fear the Lord. (I have posted John MacArthur’s amazing […]
Over and over in Proverbs you hear the words “fear the Lord.” In fact, some of he references are Proverbs 1:7, 29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10;14:26,27; 15:16 and many more. Below is a sermon by John MacArthur from the Book of Luke on 3 reasons we should fear the Lord. (I have posted John MacArthur’s amazing […]
Over and over in Proverbs you hear the words “fear the Lord.” In fact, some of he references are Proverbs 1:7, 29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10;14:26,27; 15:16 and many more. Below is a sermon by John MacArthur from the Book of Luke on 3 reasons we should fear the Lord. (I have posted John MacArthur’s amazing […]
Over and over in Proverbs you hear the words “fear the Lord.” In fact, some of he references are Proverbs 1:7, 29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10;14:26,27; 15:16 and many more. Below is a sermon by John MacArthur from the Book of Luke on 3 reasons we should fear the Lord. (I have posted John MacArthur’s amazing […]
Over and over in Proverbs you hear the words “fear the Lord.” In fact, some of he references are Proverbs 1:7, 29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10;14:26,27; 15:16 and many more. Below is a sermon by John MacArthur from the Book of Luke on 3 reasons we should fear the Lord. (I have posted John MacArthur’s amazing […]
Over and over in Proverbs you hear the words “fear the Lord.” In fact, some of he references are Proverbs 1:7, 29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10;14:26,27; 15:16 and many more. Below is a sermon by John MacArthur from the Book of Luke on 3 reasons we should fear the Lord. (I have posted John MacArthur’s amazing […]
Over and over in Proverbs you hear the words “fear the Lord.” In fact, some of he references are Proverbs 1:7, 29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10;14:26,27; 15:16 and many more. Below is a sermon by John MacArthur from the Book of Luke on 3 reasons we should fear the Lord. It is tough to guard your […]
Over and over in Proverbs you hear the words “fear the Lord.” In fact, some of he references are Proverbs 1:7, 29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10;14:26,27; 15:16 and many more. Below is a sermon by John MacArthur from the Book of Luke on 3 reasons we should fear the Lord. What does it mean to fear […]
Over and over in Proverbs you hear the words “fear the Lord.” In fact, some of he references are Proverbs 1:7, 29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10;14:26,27; 15:16 and many more. Below is a sermon by John MacArthur from the Book of Luke on 3 reasons we should fear the Lord. In today’s lesson John MacArthur talks […]
Larry King – Dr. John MacArthur vs. “father” Manning Uploaded on Sep 26, 2011 GotoThisSite.org ___________ I have seen John MacArthur on Larry King Show many times and I thought you would like to see some of these episodes. I have posted several of John MacArthur’s sermons in the past and my favorite is his […]
Who was Jesus? (Larry King Live with John MacArthur) Published on Jul 17, 2012 http://www.gty.org/video/interviews/I… ___________ I have seen John MacArthur on Larry King Show many times and I thought you would like to see some of these episodes. I have posted several of John MacArthur’s sermons in the past and my favorite is his […]
Pt 1 John MacArthur – Larry King Live – What Happens After We Die.wmv.mp4 Uploaded on Feb 25, 2010 What happens after we die? A short series with John Mac Arthur, along with a Roman Catholic Priest, Muslim, Rabbi, spiritualist and an Atheist.. What do you think? There is no greater thought than this…billions […]
God vs. Science (Larry King Live with John MacArthur) Uploaded on Apr 10, 2012 http://www.gty.org/video/interviews/2… Every year scientists come up with more evidence that seems to support evolution. Whats a six-day, young-earth creationist to do? How can you support biblical claims that so obviously seem to contradict modern science? ___________ I have seen John MacArthur […]
(My pastor growing up was Adrian Rogers and he died 7 years ago today. He would have been 82 if he was still living. ) I love the Book of Proverbs and every day I read one chapter of Proverbs. Since there are 31 chapters, I start the 1st of ever month and read chapter […]
Abortion and the Campaign for Immorality (Selected Scriptures) John MacArthur Published on Sep 30, 2012 by JohnMacArthurGTY http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/90-448 What a privilege and joy it is to worship the Lord here at Grace Church. Patricia and I miss it when we’re not here. There’s no place like this. Our hearts are full to overflowing to be […]
Homosexuality and the Campaign for Immorality (Selected Scriptures) John MacArthur Published on Oct 4, 2012 by JohnMacArthurGTY http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/90-449 Earlier in the service I read from the first chapter of Romans what is really a very, very shocking portion of Scripture. Just to remind you that Romans chapter 1, verses 18 to 32, describes the wrath […]
First is what Romans says: Romans 1:18-32 New American Standard Bible (NASB) Unbelief and Its Consequences 18 For (A)the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who (B)suppress the truth [a]in unrighteousness, 19 because (C)that which is known about God is evident [b]within them; for God made it evident to […]
Prophecy–The Biblical Prophesy About Tyre.mp4 Uploaded by TruthIsLife7 on Dec 5, 2010 A short summary of the prophecy about Tyre and it’s precise fulfillment. Go to this link and watch the whole series for the amazing fulfillment from secular sources. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvt4mDZUefo ________________ John MacArthur on the amazing fulfilled prophecy on Tyre and how it was fulfilled […]
Same old story it seems. Kentucky pulls out another close victory over the Vols. This is not the only story I am talking about today. Kentucky’s Alex Poythress (22) shoots between Tennessee’s Josh Richardson, left, and Yemi Makanjuola during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., Tuesday, […]
1 John 5:14-17 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 14 This is (A)the confidence which we have [a]before Him, that, (B)if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, (C)we know that we have the requests which we have asked from […]
These are important days indeed—ones that need our attention and diligence. But attention and diligence in what?
Sin brings judgment; confession brings forgiveness. Daniel confessed his personal sin and the sin of his nation in Daniel 9:4-7 and 20.
Apart from Israel, no other nation has had such a Christian beginning as America. Under the blessing of God, Israel began with a glorious heritage. Like Israel of old, God’s blessing rested upon early America. In the Mayflower Compact, our Pilgrim forefathers said their express purpose for coming to these shores was to propagate the Gospel. We were founded as a Christian nation to the very core. Yet like Israel, America has not only forgotten our heritage, we’ve forgotten God and abandoned the Gospel’s influence on our national life. America has lost her glory. How did this happen? The same way it happened in Israel.
Have we already crossed the point of no return? Will the American dream, placed in the bosom of our forefathers, become a national nightmare? This wonderful nation, born in 1776, must be born again or we will join the graveyard of nations.
We cry “O, God! Do something!” Beloved, God is doing something. God is judging this nation. God doesn’t hear every prayer—He sets stipulations: “…pray, seek My face, turn from your wicked ways.”
The Daily Hatch 