The Bible and history

 ―Any fool can count the seeds in an apple.
Only God can count all the apples in one
seed.‖ Robert H. Schuller
 ―Every evening I turn my worries over to God.
He‘s going to be up all night anyway.‖ Mary C.
Crowley
 ―If God had wanted to be a big secret, He
would not have created babbling brooks and
whispering pines. Robert Brault
 ―I believe in God; I just don‘t trust anyone who
works for Him.‖ Author Unknown

 ―I don‘t know if God exists, but it would be better
for His reputation if he didn‘t.‖ Jules Renard
 I know God will not give me anything I can‘t
handle, I just wish He wouldn‘t trust me so much.‖
Mother Theresa
 ―Maybe the atheist cannot find God for the same
reason a thief cannot find a policeman.‖ Author
Unknown
 ―There are two kinds of people: those who say to
God, ‗Thy will be done.‘ And those to whom God
says, ‗all right then, have it your way.‖ C.S. Lewis.

ALEXANDER THE GREAT JULIUS CAESAR

WHEN YOU HEAR
THAT WORD – “HISTORY”?

HOW MANY OF YOU LIKED
“HISTORY”

 At one time secular historical records did not mention
some 47 kings mentioned in the Bible….
 If the Bible is inspired, it should be historically accurate,
right? Merrill Unger has since written: "Old Testament
archaeology has rediscovered whole nations,
resurrected important peoples, and in a most
astonishing manner filled in historical gaps, adding
immeasurably to the knowledge of Biblical
backgrounds." (Unger's Bible Dictionary, p. 15).
 More than 25,000 sites showing some connection with
the Old Testament have been located in Bible lands.

 Dr. Robert Dick Wilson, former professor of Semitic philology at
Princeton Theological Seminary, said, "After forty-five years of
scholarly research in Biblical textual studies and in language
study. I have come now to the conviction that no man knows
enough to assail the truthfulness of the Old Testament. Where
there is sufficient documentary evidence to make an investigation,
the statements of the Bible, in the original text, have stood the
test."

 Furthermore, the noted Dr. J.O. Kinnaman said, "of the hundreds
of thousands of artifacts found by other archaeologists, not one
has ever been discovered that contradicts or denies one word,
phrase, clause, or sentence of the bible, but always confirms and
verifies the facts of the Biblical record." If one discards the Bible as
being unreliable, then he must discard almost all literature of
antiquity.

 ―Consider another interesting case of Bible precision. When Paul
was en route to Rome for trial, the ship upon which he sailed
became involved in a terrible storm. When it eventually became
apparent that the vessel was in a very dangerous circumstance,
the crew cast the ship‘s anchors into the water. At the same time,
they ―loosed the rudder bands, hoisted up the foresail, and aimed
the ship towards the beach‖ (Acts 27:40 KJV).
 There is an interesting and subtle point in the Greek text that is not
apparent in the King James Version. The original language
actually says that they ―loosed the bands of the rudders‖ (plural –
see ASV). This is amazingly precise, for in ancient times, ships
actually possessed two paddle-rudders, not a single rudder as with
modern vessels. In 1969, a submerged ancient ship was
discovered in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Cyprus. An
examination of the ruins gave evidence of dual rudder-oars by
which the boat was steered (see National Geographic, November
1974), thus demonstrating the remarkable accuracy of Luke‘s
record.‖ Wayne Jackson in the Christian Courier

 History is not just the study of civilizations and
all the battles and wars that have come and
gone.
 History is not just the political or economic
changes that continually take place.
 History is not just all the vastly different cultural
and social progressions and regressions all
down through the centuries…….
 What history truly is……………IS -

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the
Beginning and the End,‟ says the
Lord, „who is and who was and who is
to come, the Almighty.” Rev.1:8 NKJV

 ―Our study for this week examines God‘s working
in history as seen through the lens of His Word, the
Holy Bible. The memory text for this week captures
the sweep of God‘s existence in one of the most
quoted verses in all of Holy Writ. God is both the
beginning and the end, the One who was, is, and
is to come—and, lest we forget, ―The Almighty.‖
John is struggling to reduce the supernatural
nature of God to something we humans can
grasp.‖ Quote from Teacher‘s Quarterly.

Biblical Christians believe that the Bible writers operated within the
framework that God had revealed and that He inspired them to record
the most significant events in human history. God often even provides
the interpretation of these events so that we can understand what they
mean. This week we‟ll explore a little of how God has worked in and
through world history.

2. The Prophets as Historians

All through the Bible, the prophets use the phrase, “The word of the
Lord” (or an equivalent “Thus says the Lord,” etc.). In short, what they
are saying is, I am not speaking these truths to you; it‟s God speaking
them through me. So, you‟d better listen.

 “Bible writers in both testaments
insist that GOD DIRECTS
HISTORY and reveals Himself in
it.‖

“I don‟t know if God exists, but it
would be better for His reputation
if he didn‟t.” Jules Renard

 HISTORICAL EVENTS LIKE THE HOLOCAUST?
 The 6 million Jews killed were only part of the story.
Estimates range as high as 17 million killed – when you
include the Slavs - (Poles, Russians, Ukrainians,
Belarusians, Serbs, and others).

THEN WE HAVE…

 The Armenians – one million plus genocide – during and just after
World War I…..
 The Great Purge – under Stalin - another million….
 In 1994 – a mass killing of 800,000 in Rwanda….
 Cambodia, Bosnia, Sudan, etc., etc.,

 Hitler said, ―I will rewrite history (my way) when I am done.‖

―Those who write the history of an
event rarely do so in a manner that
reflects negatively upon
themselves‖.

 Assyrian history does not mention the slaying of the
185,000………………
 Plato said, ―those that tell the stories, also hold the
power.‖
 Herodotus was a very famous early historian, but his
agenda was to show the superiority of the Greek
system of government over the Persian version.
 The Japanese version of World War 2 and its
beginnings – quite different than ours.
 Speaking of historical revisionism, I have even heard
that the story of who won the civil war is told much
differently in certain Southern States………

BETWEEN HISTORY
AND
PROPOGANDA?

“It is impossible to
believe in God after
Dachau.”

IT ONLY PROVES THE “HISTORY”
OF THE BIBLE STORY - OF THE GREAT
CONTROVERSY BETWEEN
GO(O)D AND EVIL

 BIBLE READERS HAVE A REAL ADVANTAGE HERE:

 In fact – a true understanding of the Great Controversy is the only
way to understand history or make any sense out of it.

 Texts like Rev. 12:7 begin to explain it: – “And there was war in
heaven….” (READ)

 Eph. 6:12 – “This is no afternoon athletic contest that we‟ll walk
away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a
life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.”
Message Bible



WHY DIDN‟T HE STEP IN?

OR DID HE?

 THE NORTH AGAINST THE SOUTH
 BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER
 PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES CALLING ON GOD
 BLESS ME – NO, BLESS ME. HELP US WIN!!
 BOTH SIDES QUOTING SCRIPTURE
 BOTH SIDES CLAIMING KNOWLEDGE OF
AND THE SUPPORT OF - AN INTERVENING
GOD.

―Each looked for an easier
triumph, and a result less
fundamental and astounding. Both
read the same Bible, and pray to
the same God; and each invokes
His aid against the other. It may
seem strange that any man should
dare to ask a just God‘s
assistance in wringing their bread
from the sweat of other men‘s
faces; but let us judge not that we
be not judged. The prayers of both
could not be answered; that of
neither has been answered fully.
The Almighty has his own
purposes.‖

 WE KEEP WANTING TO TAKE GOD
CAPTIVE FOR OUR OWN PURPOSES.
BUT “THE ALMIGHTY HAS HIS OWN
PURPOSES.”

TURN TO DEUT. 9:5:
‗It is not because of your righteousness or the
uprightness of your heart that you go in to
possess their land, but because of the
wickedness of these nations that the Lord your
God drives them out from before you, and that He
may fulfill the word which the Lord swore to your
fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob‘ ‖ (NKJV).

 Isaiah 41: 21-29 – Another example - God Raised
up Cyrus…..
 Prophecy is the best demonstration that God is in
control of History.

 ―We must believe that God is in control of history
and that sinful circumstances cannot undermine
this fact. While it is evident that on the Earth sin
and its curse are present, it is also evident that it is
contained, curtailed and judged.‖
 ―And we know that we are of God, and the whole
world lieth in wickedness.‖ (1 John 5:19).

 ―In the annals of human history the growth of
nations, the rise and fall of empires, appear as
dependent on the will and prowess of man. The
shaping of events seems, to a great degree, to be
determined by his power, ambition, or caprice. But
in the word of God the curtain is drawn aside, and
we behold, behind, above, and through all the play
and counterplay of human interests and power and
passions, the agencies of the all-merciful One,
silently, patiently working out the counsels of His
own will. ‗The Bible reveals the true philosophy of
history.‘‖ —Ellen G. White

 For years, philosophers and theologians
have debated the issue of God‟s
foreknowledge and human free will. Many
see the two ideas as incompatible. They
argue either that we don‟t have free will or
that God doesn‟t know the future.

―There are two kinds of people:
those who say to God, ‗Thy will be
done.‘ And those to whom God
says, ‗all right then, have it your
way.‖

AND THE WHOLE QUESTION OF
PREDESTINATION……

―Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.‖ ―I will
have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have
compassion on whom I have compassion.‖ v. 15

Calvin became the primary spokesman. He said:
"Because if God doesn't predetermine all things,
including a person's ultimate destiny, then God is
deprived of some divine power. If you deny
predestination, then in some sense you deny God.‖

 Here is Bruce Cameron‘s example:

 ―If God knew that Jesus would not sin and
would defeat Satan at the cross, then God did
not risk His Kingdom to save us. If God knew
that Jesus would not sin, then how could Jesus
have sinned? This suggests that Jesus was not
tempted like we are tempted.‖

 1. No doubt God is omniscient. He knows
everything from beginning to end. Psalms 139:
2-5; Jeremiah 1:4-5
 2. Abraham story. Gen. 22: 1-12. Did God
know that Abraham would obey? What did He
mean in v. 12 then?
 3. Read Job 1:6-12 – How well does Satan
know God? If Satan knows that God knows
the future, why would he enter into a contest
with Him? Would you bet against someone
who knows the future?

 Again, Bruce Cameron says:
 ―(The only reasonable conclusion is that Satan
knows that God does not force our free-will. That
means that Job could have cursed God and
Abraham could have refused to sacrifice Isaac.)‖
 If we all agree that we have free-choice, God does
not control our decisions, and Satan could
reasonably wager with God about a person's
future, how can God say that He perfectly knows
the future? (I've got two illustrations that might
help.

 First, think about a chess game. Although the
players have free choice on what moves they
will make, you could list all of the possible
moves. Those moves have consequences, so
you could list all of the possible consequences.
Thus a really powerful computer could "know"
what the future is for every move, without
knowing what specific move the player would
make next.

 Second, assume you are sitting in a big, round,
above-ground swimming pool with no water in it.
On the outside of the pool is the history of your life
from beginning to end. You cannot see this while
sitting in the pool, but you can get up and look to
see any point in time in your life. Would it be fair to
say that you "knew the future?" You could always
look and know. But, you could also refrain from
looking. Science suggests that time is curved. If
God stands outside of time, He can move back
and forth and "look" at any point to view the past or
the future.)

 What is wrong with my illustrations?
(Read Isaiah 55:9. You may have many ideas
about what is wrong with my explanations, but
the main problem is a mere human trying to
explain and understand God. We are not up to
it!)

Of course, humans do have free will, free choice. God made us that
way. As beings who can love, we had to be given free choice, because
love that is forced cannot be love. To make us capable of love, God had
to make us free. And yet, God‟s power is so great that, even with
human free will, He knows the future perfectly, regardless of the free
choices that we make.

 Col. 1:17 NKJV states that Christ
was: ―before all things, and in
Him all things consist‖

According to The SDA Bible Commentary, the word
consist means literally ― ‗to stand together,‘ ‗to hold
together,‘ or ‗to cohere.‘ The form of the verb in Greek
stresses an original organization and a continued
maintenance of the organization. The power that
holds the far-flung orbs of the universe on their
appointed courses with mathematical accuracy, the
power that holds the particles of the atom on their
predetermined orbits, is the same. By the power of
Christ all things cohere. Not only did He bring them
into being, He maintains them each moment.‖—Vol.
7, p. 192.

 And yet if you were to plunk a 21rst century
scientist or computer genius down in the
middle of the Dark Ages or the jungles of
Borneo in some primeval tribe, (and of course
give him his internet connection) what would
his technology look like?

 As Arthur Clarke wrote: ―Any sufficiently
advanced technology is indistinguishable from
magic.‖ - Just think Isa. 55:9 again……..

 Psalms 104 talks about the GOD OF NATURE.
 How he controls everything and takes care of
everything. Read it again……..How does this
help show God is in control?

 Scientists like to talk about a world and a
universe that began without God, functions
without God and will keep on going without
God.

IS QUITE A RIDDLE IN
ITSELF IS IT NOT….

WHETHER YOU ARE A LION OR A
GAZELLE
WHEN THE SUN COMES UP

 “Where wast thou when I laid the
foundations of the earth….
 ―Normally, you cannot be sure of the point of a
story until you have reached the end. There
can always be surprises at the end, and in the
best stories there often are. How, then, can we,
who are still in this cosmic story, know the
point? In our case, we know because God has,
through His prophets, revealed it to us. The
GOOD NEWS IS THAT GOD KNOWS THE
FUTURE………‖

 ―And he said, Behold, I will make thee know
what shall be in the last end of the indignation:
for at the time appointed the end shall be.‖

God appoints the time. God declares the end.
Man is not in control of history.

 I used to be a Commodity Futures Broker. I know
how difficult it is to predict future prices, for
instance…

 But there are many pretenders – just watch TV..

 Did you know there is even a ―National School of
the Prophets Conference,‖ where for $175 you can
be trained in the art of ―propheteering.‖ C. Peter
Wagner, Dutch Sheets, Rick Joyner, Cindy Jacobs,
Mike Bickle, Ted Haggard and others can train us
to be ―prophets‖

 Doug Batchelor said in the Sacramento Study,
of all the words that an evangelist can use in
his advertising, NONE is more effective than

 ―PROPHECY.‖ That one word will bring out
more people than any other………..

Review the prophecy of
Daniel 2. In what ways is
this one chapter
powerful evidence,
proof even, that God
knows the future, and
far in advance, too?
This chapter was
written more than
twenty-six hundred
years ago. Look at how
history has unfolded
exactly as God
predicted. In one sense,
this prophecy should
be more meaningful for
us today than for those
who lived millennia ago.

And that‟s because we,
today, looking back at
history, can see exactly
how these empires came
and went, just as
predicted. If you had read
this prophecy during the
time of Media-Persia, you
wouldn‟t have seen the
rise and fall of the
empires that followed.

Today, looking back, we
can see much more than
someone from long ago
could see. Thus, the
prophecy holds a power
for us that those in the
past couldn‟t appreciate.

The amazing thing
is that despite
these millions of
people, all with free
will, who lived
during the long
epochs depicted in
Daniel 2, the Lord
knew exactly what
was going to
happen, what
kingdoms would
rise and fall. And
He knew it far in
advance.

REFLECTION:

The prophet Daniel was right about the
rise and fall of all those kingdoms:
Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, and
Rome, including the breakup of Rome
into smaller powers that still exist
today. From where we stand in history,
the only kingdom left is the last one,
God’s eternal kingdom (Dan. 2:44). If
he was right about all the ones so far,
how foolish would it be not to trust him
about the last one?

4. The Great Controversy and History

No matter how apparently chaotic, how seemingly out of control, human
history is not unfolding in a vacuum. There‟s a story behind it, a drama, a
struggle between two radically different principles. We‟re talking, of
course, about the great controversy. Only with that background can we
even begin to get an understanding of human history and what it all
means.

 Dr. Horn – famous
archaeologist in his
own right. Great
history teacher….

 Never forget one of
his famous quotes:
 Fifty years later….

 The so called ―Higher Critics‖ of the Bible (in
order to avoid the ―prophecy problem‖) - have
often classified Daniel as a late book, written
around 164 BC by an anonymous author only
masquerading as an ancient prophet.

 One such critic was Professor R.H. Pfeiffer of
Harvard University. He wrote an important
book: Introduction to the Old Testament in
1941.

 Well, for a long time critics used to make fun of
Daniel because all of the archaeological
findings named Nabonidus as the last king of
Bablylon, not Belshazzar.

 Only in 1924 did they find conclusive proof that
Belshazzar indeed was co-regent with his
father Nabonidus when Cyrus came and took
Babylon.

 So a disgruntled Dr. Pfeiffer had to write:

 ―We shall presumably never know how our
author learned ... that Belshazzar, mentioned
only in Babylonian records, in Daniel, and in
Baruch 1:11, which is based on Daniel, was
functioning as king when Cyrus took Babylon.‖

 ―The mystery of how a 2nd century BC Jew
might learn something that none of his
contemporaries remembered was easier for
Professor Pfeiffer to swallow than the thought
that Daniel might actually have been written by
someone living in the 6th century BC who was
able to predict the future.‖

What the Bible teaches, and Ellen White, too, is that events here on earth
are linked to the wider conflict, the great controversy between Christ and
Satan. This controversy forms the background motif for all that happens
here, whether in our individual lives or in the larger course of human
history. Everything unfolds in the context of the great controversy. And
the good news is that, after the Cross, Satan‟s defeat was guaranteed, and
this controversy will end, and with it all the pain and suffering and
violence and fear and uncertainty that fill human history.

 There is really only one focal point in History.

 That, of course, is the Cross.

 This event transformed history. It bridged the
gap that sin had created between God and
humanity…………

5 The Cross in History

Have you ever noticed that world history is divided by one event? That
event was not the rise or fall of some major empire, as one would expect.
Nor was it the discovery of a new continent. Instead, world history has
been divided by the birth of a single itinerant rabbi living in a relatively
obscure part of the vast Roman Empire. Considering the vast number of
Jews born at this time, it‟s even more revealing that this one birth, among
so many, should be the marker that has divided world history into its two
largest epochs. That birth, of course, is of Jesus.

In the context of God and
history, we can better
appreciate the significance of
salvation. For here, at the
Cross—with the obvious failure
of all humans, and thus, human
history—is where the
background and also the
deepest meaning of world
history unfold. The Cross tells
us that, by forgiving us and
making us His children, God
has opened up a new future for
us, a future in which we no
longer need to drag along with
us the enormous guilt of our
past or of our personal history.
This guilt has been taken away
by One who ―has borne our
griefs and carried our sorrows‖
(Isa. 53:4, NKJV)

The whole doctrine of salvation
can be expressed in this one
sentence: God cancels our
hopelessly stranded history and
in its place puts His history.
Through Him, the history of
slavery to sin is ended in our life.
Through Him, the stains of the
past should not rise up to
accuse, torment, and mock us.
Our personal history, which
would condemn each one of us,
is replaced with Jesus‟ perfect
history. Thus, in Him we find not
only liberation from our past but
the promise of a wonderful
future. At the Cross, the Lord
guaranteed that, whatever our
history or whatever happened in
world history, a new and glorious
future awaits us and the world.

 ―Nineteen centuries have come and gone and today the
risen Lord Jesus Christ is the central figure of the human
race. On our calendars His birth divides history into two
eras. One day of every week is set aside in remembrance of
Him. And our two most important holidays celebrate His birth
and resurrection. On church steeples around the world, His
cross has become the symbol of victory over sin and death.
 This one Man‘s life has furnished the theme for more songs,
books, poems and paintings than any other person or event
in history. Thousands of colleges, hospitals, orphanages and
other institutions have been founded in honor of this One
who gave His life for us.
 All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever
sailed, all the governments that ever sat, all the kings that
ever reigned have not changed the course of history as
much as this One Solitary Life.‖

Read 2 Corinthians
5:17–19. According
to these verses, what
did Jesus do for all
humanity? How has
this event changed
human history?

Our sins have been laid upon the shoulders of a Lord who willingly died
beneath a load of human guilt and who, in its place, gave us salvation.
And His promised climax of history will grant us eternal history with the
Author of history. The destiny of every person is involved. The second
coming of Christ will be decisive. Both the Old and New Testaments
promise a “new heaven and a new earth.”

The Bible and history

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