Quote by DarkRoseofHellYeah... you regurgitate stuff that I clearly
destroyed... Plus you still haven't answered my question...
You can't destroyed God's
word, and I've answered all your questions, it's up to you whether you understand them or not...I'll not
repeat them...
Further, turn down foolish and ignorant
questionings, knowing they produce fights--2 Timothy 2:23
Do not give what is holy to dogs, neither throw
your pearls before swine, that they may never
trample them under their feet and turn around and rip you open.--Matthew 7:6
Quote: Then there's no proof, if presence can not be stated obviously,
then it's not enough to prove.
Our very lives depend directly upon something we cannot see! What is that? The air we breathe. Without it, we would die
in a few minutes. We cannot see the air, but we certainly know that it exists...
We cannot see the wind either, but we do see trees waving in the breeze, and ocean waves tossed about by the wind's
power. We believe that the wind exists because we see its results...
Electricity is invisible. But what amazing things it can do! It lights lamps, heats homes, drives huge machines and
makes kitchen appliances work for us. No sensible person doubts that electricity exists just because it cannot be
seen...
Radio, television and radar beams are transmitted through the air, unseen. Yet we know that they exist because of the
sound or pictures they produce...
Can we see gravity? No, but without it, everything not firmly attached to the earth, including people, would tend to
float off into space. A similar force is magnetism. A magnet attracts iron, yet the magnetic field is invisible to our
eyes...
The nucleus of the atom is bound together by a powerful, yet invisible, force. But we know the force is real because
fantastic amounts of energy are released when the atom is "split" in atomic explosions...
We cannot see X rays, but they can penetrate the body and take pictures of our bones. What would a doctor say if you
told him that X rays did not exist because you could not see them?
We do not see odors, but our nose picks them up; bloodhounds even track people by the invisible smell. And we cannot see
sound waves either, but our ears pick them up; so we know that they are real...
Thus, we believe in many things we cannot see, because we observe the evidence, the results they produce. In the same
way, we know an unseen Creator exists because we observe the evidence, the results of his handiwork. The Bible says:
"For his invisible qualities are clearly seen from the world's creation onward, because they are perceived by
the things made, even his eternal power and Godship."--Romans 1:20
When you see a house, what do you conclude? Do you conclude that the wood, concrete and metals accidentally arranged
themselves into a house, complete with rooms, a heating system, plumbing, electrical wiring and furniture? No, you
acknowledge a maker. Even relatively simple things such as a box or a pencil do not come into existence without a
maker...
Yet, such things are insignificant compared with an atom, a tree, a human, a planet, a sun, a galaxy, a universe. If
simple things do not come into existence without a maker, then what of these far more complex and intricate
things?
Physicist G. E. Davis says: "No material thing can create itself." In line with this, the Bible logically
declares: "Of course, every house is constructed by someone, but he that constructed all things is God."
(Hebrews 3:4)
Then, too, if you saw a code of laws, such as those in a nation's constitution, what would that indicate? If you
saw even a simple sign at a street corner saying, "Stop," what would it show? Laws indicate the existence of
lawmakers...
The universe has far more impressive laws. Why, the moon landings by astronauts would have been impossible without
taking into consideration, and depending upon, the precise and reliable laws of gravity, motion, acceleration, as well
as the laws that govern the orbiting of the earth and the moon. Those superior laws indicate the existence of a superior
Lawgiver, the invisible Creator...
Hence, it is not difficult to understand why the Bible says of those who ignore or deny the abundant evidence of a
Creator: "They are inexcusable." (Romans 1:20)
But why is God invisible to human eyes? Well, would you expect to survive a journey to the sun? No, you would burn up
long before you got there. God created the sun. Hence, he is far too powerful to be viewed by human eyes. That is why
God says in his Word: "No man may see me and yet live." (Exodus 33:20)
Quote: There's no such thing as false religion, a religion is a
belief and a belief can not be false. Now, if it's something in the belief that's questionable, that's a
different idea...
While most religions have a body of beliefs or doctrines, these can often form a very complicated theology, beyond the
understanding of the average layperson. Yet the principle of cause and effect applies in every case. The teachings of a
religion should influence the personality and the daily conduct of each believer. Thus, each person's conduct will
normally be a reflection, to a greater or lesser degree, of that one's religious background. What effect does their
religion have on them? Does their religion produce a kinder person? More generous, honest, humble, tolerant, and
compassionate? These are reasonable questions, for as one great religious teacher, Jesus Christ, stated: "Every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree
produces worthless fruit; a good tree cannot bear worthless fruit, neither can a rotten tree produce fine fruit. Every
tree not producing fine fruit gets cut down and thrown into the fire. Really, then, by their fruits you will recognize
those men." (Matthew 7:17-20)
Certainly world history must give us pause and make us wonder what role religion has played in the many wars that have
devastated mankind and caused untold suffering. Why have so many people killed and been killed in the name of religion?
The Crusades, the Inquisition, the conflicts in the Middle East and Northern Ireland, the slaughter between Iraq and
Iran (1980-88), the Hindu-Sikh clashes in India--all these events certainly make thinking people raise questions about
religious beliefs and ethics...
The realm of Christendom has been noteworthy for its hypocrisy in this field. In two world wars, Catholic has killed
Catholic and Protestant has killed Protestant at the behest of their "Christian" political leaders. Yet the
Bible clearly contrasts the works of the flesh and the fruitage of the spirit. Regarding the works of the flesh, it
states: "They are fornication, uncleanness, loose conduct, idolatry, practice of spiritism, enmities, strife,
jealousy, fits of anger, contentions, divisions, sects, envies, drunken bouts, revelries, and things like these. As to
these things I am forewarning you, the same way as I did forewarn you, that those who practice such things will not
inherit God's kingdom." Yet so-called Christians have practiced these things for centuries, and their conduct
has often been condoned by their clergy. (Galatians 5:19-21)
In contrast, the positive fruitage of the spirit is described as: "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness,
goodness, faith, mildness, self-control. Against such things there is no law." All religions ought to be producing
this kind of peaceable fruitage. But do they? (Galatians 5:22, 23)
__________________________________
Quote by ProgramZEROHow do
you distinguish between "false" religion and "true" religion?
Please look on my answer to DarkRoseofHell...
Quote: (1) What scientific ideas has it had correct? Please list
them.
That question has intrigued humans for thousands of years. The general view in ancient times was that the earth was
flat. The Babylonians, for example, believed that the universe was a box or a chamber with the earth as its floor. Vedic
priests of India imagined that the earth was flat and that only one side of it was inhabited. A primitive tribe in Asia
pictured the earth as a huge tea tray...
As early as the sixth century B.C.E., Greek philosopher Pythagoras theorized that since the moon and the sun are
spherical, the earth must also be a sphere. Aristotle (fourth century B.C.E.) later agreed, explaining that the
sphericity of the earth is proved by lunar eclipses. The earth's shadow on the moon is curved...
However, the notion of a flat earth (with only its upper side inhabited) did not disappear completely. Some could not
accept the logical implication of a round earth--the concept of antipodes. Lactantius, Christian apologist of the fourth
century C.E., ridiculed the very idea. He reasoned: "Is there any one so senseless as to believe that there are men
whose footsteps are higher than their heads? . . . that the crops and trees grow downwards? that the rains, and snow,
and hail fall upwards?"
The concept of antipodes posed a dilemma for a few theologians. Certain theories held that if there were antipodeans,
they could have no possible connection with known humans either because the sea was too wide to navigate or because an
impassable torrid zone surrounded the equator. So where could any antipodeans have come from? Perplexed, some
theologians preferred to believe that there could be no antipodeans, or even, as Lactantius argued, that the earth could
not be a sphere in the first place!
Nonetheless, the concept of a spherical earth prevailed, and eventually it was widely accepted. Only with the dawn of
the space age in the 20th century, however, has it been possible for humans to travel far enough into space to verify by
direct observation that the earth is a globe...
And where did the Bible stand on this issue? In the eighth century B.C.E., when the prevailing view was that the earth
was flat, centuries before Greek philosophers theorized that the earth likely was spherical, and thousands of years
before humans saw the earth as a globe from space, the Hebrew prophet Isaiah stated with remarkable simplicity:
"There is One who is dwelling above the circle of the earth." (Isaiah 40:22) The Hebrew word chugh, here
translated "circle," may also be rendered "sphere." Other Bible translations read, "the globe
of the earth" (Douay Version) and "the round earth."
The Bible writer Isaiah avoided the common myths about the earth. Instead, he penned a statement that was not threatened
by the advances of scientific discovery...
In ancient times, humans were perplexed by other questions about the cosmos: What is the earth resting on? What holds up
the sun, the moon, and the stars? They had no knowledge of the law of universal gravitation, formulated by Isaac Newton
and published in 1687. The idea that heavenly bodies are, in effect, suspended in empty space upon nothing was unknown
to them. Thus, their explanations often suggested that tangible objects or substances held the earth and other heavenly
bodies aloft...
For example, one ancient theory, perhaps originated by people who lived on an island, was that the earth was surrounded
by water and that it floated in these waters. The Hindus conceived that the earth had several foundations, one on top of
the other. It rested on four elephants, the elephants stood on an enormous tortoise, the tortoise stood on an immense
serpent, and the coiled serpent floated on universal waters. Empedocles, a Greek philosopher of the fifth century
B.C.E., believed that the earth rested upon a whirlwind and that this whirlwind was the cause of the motion of the
heavenly bodies...
Among the most influential views were those of Aristotle. Although he theorized that the earth is a sphere, he denied
that it could ever hang in empty space. In his treatise On the Heavens, when refuting the notion that the earth rests on
water, he said: "It is not the nature of water, any more than of earth, to stay in mid-air: it must have something
to rest upon." So, what does the earth "rest upon"? Aristotle taught that the sun, the moon, and the
stars were attached to the surface of solid, transparent spheres. Sphere lay nestled within sphere, with the
earth--immobile--at the center. As the spheres revolved within one another, the objects on them--the sun, the moon, and
the planets--moved across the sky...
Aristotle's explanation seemed logical. If the heavenly bodies were not firmly attached to something, how else
could they stay aloft? The views of the revered Aristotle were accepted as fact for some 2,000 years. According to The
New Encyclopdia Britannica, in the 16th and 17th centuries his teachings "ascended to the status of religious
dogma" in the eyes of the church...
With the invention of the telescope, astronomers began to question Aristotle's theory. Still, the answer eluded
them until Sir Isaac Newton explained that the planets are suspended in empty space, held in their orbits by an
invisible force--gravity. It seemed incredible, and some of Newton's colleagues found it hard to believe that space
could be a void, largely empty of substance...
Nearly 3,500 years ago, the Bible stated with extraordinary clarity that the earth is hanging "upon nothing."
(Job 26:7) In the original Hebrew, the word for "nothing" (beli-mah') used here literally means
"without anything." The Contemporary English Version uses the expression, "on empty space."
A planet hanging "on empty space" was not at all how most people in those days pictured the earth. Yet, far
ahead of his time, the Bible writer recorded a statement that is scientifically sound...
Modern medical science has taught us much about the spread and prevention of disease. Medical advances in the 19th
century led to the introduction into medical practice of antisepsis--cleanliness to reduce infections. The result was
dramatic. There was a significant reduction in infections and premature deaths...
Ancient physicians, however, did not fully understand how disease spreads, nor did they realize the importance of
sanitation in preventing sickness. Little wonder that many of their medical practices would seem barbaric by modern
standards...
One of the oldest medical texts available is the Ebers Papyrus, a compilation of Egyptian medical knowledge, dating from
about 1550 B.C.E. This scroll contains some 700 remedies for various afflictions "ranging from crocodile bite to
toenail pain." States The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia: "The medical knowledge of these
physicians was purely empirical, largely magical and wholly unscientific." Most of the remedies were merely
ineffective, but some of them were extremely dangerous. For the treatment of a wound, one of the prescriptions
recommended applying a mixture made of human excrement combined with other substances...
This text of Egyptian medical remedies was written at about the same time as the first books of the Bible, which
included the Mosaic Law. Moses, who was born in 1593 B.C.E., grew up in Egypt. (Exodus 2:1-10) As a member of
Pharaoh's household, he was "instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians." (Acts 7:22) He was familiar
with "the physicians" of Egypt. (Genesis 50:1-3) Did their ineffective or dangerous medical practices
influence his writings?
No. On the contrary, the Mosaic Law included sanitary regulations that were far ahead of their time. For example, a law
regarding military encampments required burying excrement away from the camp...
"And a peg should be at your service along with your implements, and it must occur that when you squat outside, you
must also dig a hole with it and turn and cover your excrement."--Deuteronomy 23:13
This was a profoundly advanced preventive measure. It helped keep water free from contamination and provided protection
from fly-borne shigellosis and other diarrheal illnesses that still claim millions of lives each year in lands where
sanitary conditions are deplorable...
The Mosaic Law contained other sanitary regulations that safeguarded Israel against the spread of infectious diseases. A
person who had or was suspected of having a communicable disease was quarantined. (Leviticus 13:1-5) Garments or vessels
that came in contact with an animal that had died of itself (perhaps from disease) were to be either washed before reuse
or destroyed. (Leviticus 11:27, 28, 32, 33) Any person who touched a corpse was considered unclean and had to undergo a
cleansing procedure that included washing his garments and bathing. During the seven-day period of uncleanness, he was
to avoid physical contact with others.--Numbers 19:1-13
This sanitary code reveals wisdom not shared by the physicians of surrounding nations at the time. Thousands of years
before medical science learned about the ways in which disease spreads, the Bible prescribed reasonable preventive
measures as safeguards against disease. Not surprisingly, Moses could speak of Israelites in general in his day as
living to 70 or 80 years of age.
"In themselves the days of our years are seventy years;
And if because of special mightiness they are eighty years,
Yet their insistence is on trouble and hurtful things;
For it must quickly pass by, and away we fly."--Psalm 90:10
You may acknowledge that the foregoing Biblical statements are scientifically accurate. But there are other statements
in the Bible that cannot be proved scientifically. Does that necessarily put the Bible at odds with science?
A statement that is unprovable is not necessarily untrue. Scientific proof is limited by man's ability to discover
sufficient evidence and to interpret data correctly. But some truths are unprovable because no evidence has been
preserved, the evidence is obscure or undiscovered, or scientific capabilities and expertise are insufficient to arrive
at an uncontested conclusion. Might this be the case with certain Biblical statements for which independent physical
evidence is lacking?
For example, the Bible's references to an invisible realm inhabited by spirit persons cannot be proved--or
disproved--scientifically. The same can be said of miraculous events mentioned in the Bible. Not enough clear geologic
evidence for the global Flood of Noah's day is available to satisfy some people. (Genesis, chapter 7) Must we
conclude that it did not happen? Historical events can be obscured by time and change. So is it not possible that
thousands of years of geologic activity has effaced much of the evidence for the Flood?
Granted, the Bible contains statements that cannot be proved or disproved by available physical evidence. But should
that surprise us? The Bible is not a science textbook. It is, however, a book of truth. We have already considered
strong evidence that its writers were men of integrity and honesty. And when they touch on matters related to science,
their words are accurate and completely free from ancient "scientific" theories that turned out to be mere
myths. Science is thus no enemy of the Bible. There is every reason to weigh what the Bible says with an open mind...
Quote: (2) Alot of texts contain timeless principles for modern living.
Here, let me show you one: "Never skip a chance at serving your fellow man". This quote could apply to anyone
at any time. It doesn't mean anything.
Can you please post, what verse & sentence in the Bible? :)
Quote: (3) What prophecies have been fulfilled? Please list
them.
For example, God's pronouncements against the city of Babylon. We read: "'There is a sword against the
Chaldeans,' is the utterance of Jehovah, 'and against the inhabitants of Babylon and against her princes and
against her wise ones. There is a devastation upon her waters, and they must be dried up. For it is a land of graven
images, and because of their frightful visions they keep acting crazy. Therefore the haunters of waterless regions will
dwell with the howling animals, and in her the ostriches must dwell; and she will nevermore be dwelt in, nor will she
reside for generation after generation. Just as with God's overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah . . . no man will dwell
there.'" (Jeremiah 50:35, 38-40)
What a vivid description of abandonment and desolation! Yet this prophecy was written when Babylon was at the height of
her authority. She was the mightiest military power in the world. But God warned that she would become like a desert.
Was the prophecy fulfilled? You can see its fulfillment for yourself. In the country of Iraq, between the modern cities
of Baghdad and Basra, there is a large tract of uninhabited ruins. That is all
that remains of the mighty city of Babylon. God's prophecy, as recorded in the Bible, was completely
fulfilled...
Another impressive prophecy has to do with the succession of world powers after the fall of Babylon. If you have access
to a Bible, open it to the book of Daniel and read the vision that Daniel was given in chapter 8. The angel who
explained the meaning of that vision showed that Babylon would be succeeded by an empire ruled by the kings of Media and
Persia. This kingdom in its turn would be overthrown by a conqueror from Greece. However, this Greek empire would soon
be divided into four smaller empires. (Daniel 8:1-8, 20-22)
Was this parade of world powers fulfilled? It was indeed. Under King Cyrus the Great, Persia overthrew the Babylonian
Empire in 539 BCE. This Persian Empire was eventually overtaken by Greek armies under the young Alexander the Great.
However, when Alexander died, his empire was weakened, and eventually four of his generals became rulers in four
divisions of it. Can you imagine a man being able to prophesy such coming events in so great detail?
It has already been mentioned that many, many prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, including details such as where
he would be born, what tribe he would be born into, how he would die and his betrayal by a close follower for thirty
pieces of silver. Obviously, such prophecies could only have been by divine power. A man could not organize his own life
to fulfill such details...
There are prophecies being fulfilled in our own day, too. Read these words of the apostle Paul: "In the last days
critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, self-assuming,
haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, having no natural affection, not open to any
agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with
pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, having a form of godly devotion but proving false to its
power." (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
Then, too, there are the words of Jesus himself. When asked about the "sign" of the end of this world system,
he related many things that would happen just before the end. Are his prophecies coming true today? Read some examples
and see for yourself. Here is one: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be
great earthquakes, and in one place after another pestilences and food shortages." (Luke 21:10, 11)
You may say: 'But there have always been wars.' That is true, as Jesus himself knew. But he was speaking of
unusual wars, such as we have seen only since 1914. Regarding the first world war, which started in that year, a
military analyst wrote: "In its scope, its violence, and above all, in its totality, it established a precedent.
World War I ushered in the century of Total War, of--in the first full sense of the term--global war. . . . Never before
1914-1918 had a war absorbed so much of the total resources of so many combatants and covered so large a part of the
earth. Never had so many nations been involved. Never had the slaughter been so comprehensive and indiscriminate."
(World War I, by H. W. Baldwin) Needless to say, the carnage of the first world
war was multiplied many times over in the second...
How about the food shortages that Jesus mentioned? It is paradoxical that, despite the fact that some countries have the
highest material standard of living in recorded history, there are more people hungry today than ever before. The New York Times reported: "Every 8.6 seconds someone in an underdeveloped
country dies as a result of illness caused by malnutrition . . . 10,000 every day. Over 3,500,000 every year." Does
that not fulfill Jesus' prophecy about food shortages?
And has there been an unusual number of earthquakes? Well, in 1915, 29,970 people died in an earthquake in Italy. In
1920, 180,000 perished in China, 143,000 died in Japan in 1923, and in 1939, 32,300 people died in Turkey (Erzincan).
According to Scientific American, since 1948 'one great quake is occurring
each year.' We can probably remember many gigantic earthquakes that have struck in recent years. Many of us either
have felt an earthquake or have relatives who have been affected by one...
Finally, Jesus mentioned pestilences. It is another paradox of the modern world that in spite of the advances of
medicine, there are still scourges that take millions of lives, especially in poorer countries. Immediately after World
War I, an international epidemic of influenza brought death to twenty-one million victims. Today, poorer lands continue
to suffer from plagues such as malaria, cholera and typhoid. Even in wealthier lands, cancer and heart attacks cut
millions off in their prime. Venereal disease is called a "pandemic"--more severe than an epidemic. And
spreading, worldwide pollution is threatening us with additional horrible illnesses. Regarding pollution, ecologist
Barry Commoner said: "We have come to a turning point in the human habitation of the earth. . . . I believe that
continued pollution of the earth, if unchecked, will eventually destroy the fitness of this planet as a place for human
life."
There are many more details of Jesus' great prophecy that are clearly being fulfilled in our days. One of the most
noteworthy is with regard to a worldwide preaching work. Jesus said: "This good news of the kingdom will be
preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14)
In our generation, modern communications and travel have made fulfillment of this prophecy more practical on a global scale. Today, Jehovah's Witnesses are preaching "this good news"
in more than two hundred lands around the earth. Yes, this prophecy, too, is being fulfilled...
Thus, Bible prophecy gives us strong reason to accept the truth that the Bible is the Word of God. And these same
prophecies show that we are living in very unusual times, times called "the last days" by the apostle
Paul...
______________________________________________
Some Bible Prophecies and Their
Fulfillment
1. Babylon, which was yet to become the capital of a glorious world empire, would eventually become desolate, never to
be reinhabited. Isaiah 13:19, 20
When Recorded :Before 732 B.C.E.
When Fulfilled: 900 years later
"Babylon lost its primacy and finally left the historical arena by the second century A.D."--The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 1974 English ed., Vol. 4, p. 8.
2. A ruler named Cyrus would conquer Babylon.
Isaiah 45:1-3; 47:1-5
When Recorded: Before 732 B.C.E.
When Fulfilled: 193 years later
"The Persian king Cyrus II captured Babylon in 539 B.C."--Ibid., p.
9.
3. Babylon would be followed by the Medo-Persian Empire, pictured by a ram with two horns, the taller of the two coming
up second. Daniel 8:1-4, 20
When Recorded: About 551 B.C.E.
When Fulfilled: 12 years later, in 539 B.C.E.
The Median power came first, but the Persian power that followed surpassed it in strength.--Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1959, Vol. 15, p. 172 and Vol. 17, p. 550.
4. The two-horned Medo-Persian Empire would be broken by a one-horned he-goat, picturing Greece under a mighty king.
Daniel 8:5-7, 21
When Recorded: About 551 B.C.E.
When Fulfilled: 217 years later, in 334 B.C.E.
Alexander the Great inflicted a crushing defeat on the Persian Empire, thus establishing the Grecian Empire.--The Outline of History, by H. G. Wells, 1921, p. 321.
5. This mighty king of Greece would be broken at the zenith of his power. The empire would not pass on to his offspring;
instead it would be broken into four parts. Daniel 11:2-4
When Recorded: 539 B.C.E.
When Fulfilled: 216 years later, 323 to 301 B.C.E.
At the age of 33 Alexander died of malarial fever; shortly afterward his only two sons were murdered. After wars among
his generals, the empire was finally divided between Seleucus, Ptolemy, Lysimachus and Cassander.--Ibid., pp. 336, 337.
6. The wealthy port city of Tyre would be conquered by King Nebuchadrezzar. So thorough would the destruction be that
the dust of the city would be scraped away and fishermen would dry their nets there. Ezekiel 26:4-7
When Recorded: 607 B.C.E.
When Fulfilled: 275 years later, in 332 B.C.E.
Nebuchadrezzar destroyed the mainland city. Centuries later, Alexander scraped Tyre's ruins into the sea, forming a
causeway to the island city, capturing it. Today fishing nets are sometimes seen drying there.--Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1959, Vol. 22, p. 653.
7. The Judean kingdom would be desolated, its treasures and its subjects taken to Babylon. (This prophecy was given in
the time of the mighty Assyrian Empire, when Babylon was merely a vassal state.) Isaiah 39:5-7
When Recorded: Before 732 B.C.E.
When Fulfilled: 125 years later, in 607 B.C.E.
"'Diaspora' denoted the existence of Jews outside Palestine, especially after their exile by Babylonian
king Nebuchadnezzar II."--The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 1975 English ed.,
Vol. 8, p. 198.
8. Babylon's conqueror, Cyrus, would release the Jews. They would rebuild Jerusalem and its temple, becoming living
witnesses to the fact that Jehovah is the God of true prophecy.
Isaiah 43:8-10, 14; 44:26-28
When Recorded: Before 732 B.C.E.
When Fulfilled: 195 years later, from 537 B.C.E.
"The Jews . . . returned . . . to Jerusalem from Babylonia in the time of Cyrus."--The Outline of History, by H. G. Wells, 1921, p. 230. The first-century historian Flavius Josephus
recorded the fulfillment in his Antiquities of the Jews.
9. Israel's long-awaited Messianic King would be born in Bethlehem. Micah 5:2
When Recorded: Before 716 B.C.E.
When Fulfilled: 714 years later
Matthew 2:1 and Luke 2:1-14 confirm that Jesus was born in Bethlehem in 2 B.C.E.
10. He would be born of a virgin. Eventually, as the exalted ruler of God's choice, he would call to account all
human rulers, much to their amazement, and bring permanent peace to the earth. Isaiah 7:14; 9:6, 7; 52:13-15
When Recorded: Before 732 B.C.E.
When Fulfilled: 730 years later, in 2 B.C.E.
Matthew 1:18-23 and Luke 1:26; 2:14 record the miraculous virgin birth of Jesus. Even the Koran of the Muslims
acknowledges this in sura III, verses 40-48. Soon, at Armageddon, he will destroy the world's entire system of
political rulership.
11. First this Messianic King would be humiliated and put to death by his own nation, in spite of his curing them of
sicknesses. His death would atone for man's sins. Isaiah 53:3-12
When Recorded: Before 732 B.C.E.
When Fulfilled: 760 years later, from 29-33 C.E.
The four Gospel accounts testify to the miraculous cures performed by Jesus as well as to his suffering and death at the
hands of the Jews. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8) In his name salvation has been preached worldwide.
12. The inhabitants of Jerusalem who murdered him would see their own city surrounded by encamped armies. This attack
would not bring about the immediate destruction of those in the city. It would be a sign for Jewish followers of Jesus
to flee out of the city and Judea. Luke 21:20-24
When Recorded: 33 C.E.
When Fulfilled: 33 years later, in 66 C.E.
Chronicles--News of the Past, by Dr. Israel Eldad and Moshe Aumann, gives a
historical account of the 30th of the Jewish month Tishri, 66 C.E.: "Romans advance on Jerusalem, begin siege of
city." Later, the publication reports: "ROMAN ARMY ROUTED . . . nearly 6,000 Roman soldiers and horsemen . . .
wiped out."
13. The next time these armies would prove successful. They would besiege the city and build around it a fortification
of pointed stakes. The inhabitants would be killed and the temple would be razed. The very generation to which Jesus
preached would be called to account for shedding the blood of God's prophets.
Luke 19:43, 44; 21:5, 6; 11:47-51
When Recorded: 32 and 33 C.E.
When Fulfilled: 37 years later, in 70 C.E.
Chronicles--News of the Past, describes the 10th day of Ab, 70 C.E.:
"JERUSALEM FALLS; TEMPLE IN FLAMES . . . Death Toll Over Million . . . Some parts of the Temple were still burning
. . . The rest had been reduced to a mass of smouldering rubble." See also the eyewitness account of Flavius
Josephus in Wars of the Jews.
14. A sign that the end of the present system is near--great warfare, widespread food shortages, earthquakes, the
worldwide preaching of the good news of God's incoming world government. All of this, including "the
end," would come within one generation. Matthew 24:3, 7, 14, 21, 32-34.
When Recorded: 33 C.E.
When Fulfilled: 1,881 years later, since 1914 C.E.
Since 1914 the world has experienced the only two world wars in history. A quarter of the world is hungry, 40 million
persons dying annually. This century has also experienced a marked increase in earthquakes. In 1983 alone,
Jehovah's Witnesses spent approximately 436 million hours preaching the "good news" worldwide.
15. During these "last days" there would be a sharp increase in immorality, pleasure-seeking, crime, family
breakdown and juvenile delinquency. 2 Timothy 3:1-5
When Recorded: About 65 C.E.
When Fulfilled: 1,849 years later, since 1914 C.E.
Crime, violence and terrorism plague the world today. The divorce rate is rising sharply and venereal diseases are
epidemic. Young people, generally, resent authority.
16. Many would ridicule all the evidence that "the last days" of the present system had arrived. 2 Peter 3:3,
4
When Recorded: About 64 C.E.
When Fulfilled: 1,850 years later, since 1914 C.E.
It has become increasingly popular to view the Bible with skepticism. The idea that the end of wickedness is near is
scoffed at by many.
17. But in "the final part of the days" people out of all nations would eagerly help one another to learn
Jehovah's ways; all of these would cease to participate in or learn war. Isaiah 2:1-4
When Recorded: Before 732 B.C.E.
When Fulfilled: 2,666 years later, since 1935 C.E.
Upwards of 6.7 million of Jehovah's Witnesses, in 230+ lands, devote time to helping others to learn Bible truths.
It is well known that this large international brotherhood does not participate in warfare...
