Thus far in the “Prove It” conversation, we’ve looked at the practical reality of faith, how it’s something that we deploy in the context of our everyday living and it’s anything but a refusal to be rational as much as it’s just part of how you function as human being.
Then we looked at the Resurrection from the standpoint of someone who was needing some evidence apart from Scripture and we considered the secular writings that reference the Resurrection, not so much as a theological concept but as a historical reality.
In this segment, we’re going to look at the Old Testament and why we can be confident that we’re not just reading some pretty stories and wise words, but we’re hearing the Words of God Himself.
Archaeology
Josh McDowell’s book “Evidence That Demands a Verdict” devotes an entire section to Old Testament prophecy and it is a fascinating read. One prophecy that McDowell references is the prophecy made by Nahum pertaining to the city of Nineveh. Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrian empire. It was an impregnable center of military might – the kind of stronghold you would expect to be the capital city of the most powerful empire in the ancient world at that time.
Nahum, in stark contrast, is a single individual belonging to a conquered people. For him to be proclaiming a message that translates to Nineveh’s ruin is ridiculous if not potentially lethal.
To give you an idea as to Nineveh’s size and overall presence, understand that the walls surrounding it were over a 100 feet high and wide enough to accommodate three chariots driving side by side. And this is just the first wall. You had two other walls reinforcing the first separated by a deep ditch. According to excavated remains, the distance from the inside of the inner wall to the inside of the outer wall was 2,007 feet or just under half a mile. Nahum declares that Nineveh would…
- Be destroyed in a state of drunkenness (1:10)
- Would be destroyed in “an overwhelming flood” (1:8; 2:6)
- Would be burned (3:13)
- Would be totally destroyed and become desolate (3:19)
Nineveh was attacked by a force consisting of Babylonians, Medes and Scythians. Here’s the account of the battle for Nineveh in the words of Lenormant and E. Chevallier in their book, “The Rise and Fall of Assyria:”
In 612 B.C. Nabopolassar united the Babylonian army with an army of Medes and Scythians and led a campaign which captured the Assyrian citadels in the North. The Babylonian army laid siege to Nineveh, but the walls of the city were too strong for battering rams, so they decided to try and starve the people out. A famous oracle had been given that “Nineveh should never be taken until the river became its enemy.” After a three month siege, “rain fell in such abundance that the waters of the Tigris inundated part of the city and overturned one of its walls for a distance of twenty stades. Then the King, convinced that the oracle was accomplished and despairing of any means of escape, to avoid falling alive into the enemy’s hands constructed in his palace an immense funeral pyre, placed on it his gold and silver and his royal robes, and then, shutting himself up with his wives and eunuchs in a chamber formed in the midst of the pile, disappeared in the flames. Nineveh opened its gates to the besiegers, but this tardy submission did not save the proud city. It was pillaged and burned, and then razed to the ground so completely as to evidence the implacable hatred enkindled in the minds of subject nations by the fierce and cruel Assyrian government.1
And in an account from “Diodorus of Sicily II,” we read of how the king of Assyria was overly confident in his city’s defenses, despite the presence of an enemy force camped just outside its walls. He began to indulge with his soldiers and in a feast that included a significant amount of food and alcohol. News of this reached the ears of Arbaces, the enemy general through deserts and a night attack was scheduled. Not long after, thanks to the walls that were now vulnerable as a result of the rain, Arbaces was able to take the city of Nineveh.2
Science
2) Scientifically Validated
The Law
Sometimes the whole Hebrew Bible, or any part of it, is referred to as “the law.” In John 10:34 where Jesus is arguing with the Pharisees, He tells them that part of Psalm 82 is “written in your law.” In 1 Corinthians 14:21 there’s a quotation from Isaiah 28:11 that Paul describes as having been written “in the law.” And in Romans 3:10-19, there’s a chain of quotations from the Psalms and the book of Isaiah that is referenced as “whatever the law says.”
It wasn’t until the Enlightenment that the inerrant dynamic of Scripture was questioned.3 Independent thinking evolved into a scenario where the Authority of Scripture was cast off should its content prove to be inconsistent with current scientific trends or even personal preferences. Darwinism took it a step further by providing a scientific sounding platform that gave atheists more reason to dismiss God from their thinking as well as their lives. As has been mentioned earlier, Scripture doesn’t claim to merely accurate. Even in the Psalms, you hear David referring to the “law of the Lord” as perfect (Ps 19:7 [see sidebar]). That includes theological matters as well as scientific. Consider some of what the Bible has to say about the physical world:
ASTRONOMY: The Bible claims the universe had a beginning. Philosophers and scientists rejected that claim for over two thousand years, but now astronomers believe the universe had a beginning, the so-called big bang (though with a very different time frame).
ANTHROPOLOGY: The Bible claims that all humans are “one blood” descended from one man and one woman (Acts 17:26; 1 Corinthians 15:45; Genesis 3:20). Some nineteenth-century biologists argued that different races descended from lower animals, but today genetics has verified that there is only one human race.
BIOLOGY: The Bible claims that God created animals “after their kind.” Nineteenth-century biologists argued that animals evolved from other, very different animals, but today biology confirms that creatures reproduce within their own kind.
GEOLOGY: The Bible claims that God destroyed the earth and the creatures inhabiting it in the worldwide Flood. Nineteenth-century geologists argued that rock layers and the fossils found in them were formed as sediments were deposited slowly, but today geology confirms that many rock layers were deposited catastrophically, burying fossils within only minutes or hours.4
Accuracy
While the passion of the Talmudists and the Massoretes is admirable, it’s not necessarily conclusive as far as proving that what we have today is an accurate copy of the original given the fact that up until 1947, the oldest handwritten copy of the Old Testament was 900 A.D. When the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, experts and scholars were thrilled to learn that the scrolls had been dated to around 125 B.C.. When the two manuscripts were compared to one another, the consistency was nothing short of noteworthy. This is why the Dead Sea Scroll discovery is so significant – because of the way in which the Old Testament was validated by comparing two manuscripts that were written 1,000 years apart and still matched almost word or word. The discrepancies were differences in spelling and nothing more:
Gleason Archer (noted author and scholar) states that the Isaiah copies of the Qumran community “proved to be word for word identical with our standard Hebrew Bible in more than 95 percent of the text. The 5 percent of variation consisted chiefly of obvious slips of the pen and variations in spelling.5
Jesus
The table below represents 70 of the over 300 Old Testament references to Christ. Conservative estimates date these prophecies to be removed from their fulfillment by a period of at least 250 years!6
| # |
Scripture |
Prophecy |
Fulfillment |
| 1 |
Genesis 3:15 |
When sin first enters the world, God promises a savior — the Messiah — to resolve the problem of sin and reconcile people with God |
Galatians 4:4-5, Matthew 1:18 |
| 2 |
Genesis 3:15 |
The Messiah would be born of a woman — he would be a human, as opposed to an angel or other type of being |
Galatians 4:4-5, Matthew 1:18 |
| 3 |
Genesis 22:18 |
The Messiah would be a descendant of Abraham, because of Abraham’s great faith |
Matthew 1:1, Luke 3:34, Romans 4:13, Galatians 3:7 |
| 4 |
Genesis 26:1-5 |
The Messiah would be a descendant of Abraham’s son Isaac |
Romans 9:7, Hebrews 11:18, Matthew 1:2 |
| 5 |
Genesis 28:10-14 |
The Messiah would be a descendant of Abraham’s grandson Jacob (He would be an Israelite) |
Matthew 1:2, Luke 3:34 |
| 6 |
Genesis 49:10 |
The Messiah would be a descendant of Abraham’s great-grandson Judah (He would be a Jew) |
Matthew 1:3, Luke 3:33 |
| 7 |
Isaiah 11:1-10 |
The Messiah would be a descendant of Jesse, who is a descendant of Judah |
Matthew 1:6, Luke 3:32 |
| 8 |
2 Samuel 7:12-16 |
The Messiah would be a descendant of King David, who is a son of Jesse |
Matthew 1:6, Luke 3:31 |
| 9 |
Isaiah 11:1 |
The Messiah would appear after a great devastation for Jesse’s descendants (Babylonian conquest) |
Luke 3:1-23. History: The Babylonians destroyed the Kingdom of Judah and forced many Jews into exile and captivity (about 2,600 years ago). |
| 10 |
Jeremiah 23:3-6 |
The Messiah would appear after the regathering of exiles |
Luke 3:1-23. History: Jews began returning to their homeland after the fall of the Neo-Babylonian Empire (about 2,500 years ago). |
| 11 |
Daniel 9:24-26 |
The Messiah would appear after the rebuilding of Jerusalem |
Luke 3:1-23. History: Jerusalem was fully rebuilt when Jesus arrived as the Messiah about 2,000 years ago. |
| 12 |
Genesis 49:10 |
The Messiah would appear after a succession of rulers from the Tribe of Judah |
Matthew 2. History: Herod the Great became the first foreigner to reign from Jerusalem as king over the Jews in Israel. Jesus was born during his reign. |
| 13 |
Ezekiel 21:26-27 |
The Messiah would appear after a disruption to the succession of Davidic kings, who were members of the Tribe of Judah |
Matthew 2. History: Zedekiah, who lived during the time of Ezekiel, was the last Davidic king until Jesus was born. |
| 14 |
Micah 5:1-2 |
The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem |
Matthew 2:1-12, Luke 2:1-21 |
| 15 |
Genesis 17:15-21 |
The predicted miraculous birth of Isaac foreshadows the predicted miraculous birth of Jesus |
Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:26-38. Both births were the result of miracles and the fulfillment of prophecy. |
| 16 |
Isaiah 7:13-14 |
Isaiah foretold the miraculous virgin birth of Jesus and The original Christmas story |
Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:26-38 |
| 17 |
Isaiah 7:14 |
The Messiah would be called Immanuel (God with us) |
Matthew 1:23 |
| 18 |
Daniel 9:26 |
The Messiah would arrive before the (Roman) destruction of Jerusalem |
Luke 3:1-23. History: The Romans destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70. Jesus appeared as the Messiah in about AD 30. |
| 19 |
Malachi 3:1 |
The Messiah would arrive at a time when there was a Temple in Jerusalem |
Matthew 21:12. History: The Temple was destroyed AD 70, about 2,000 years ago, and has never been rebuilt. |
| 20 |
Isaiah 40:1-9 |
The Messiah would be preceded by a forerunner |
Matthew 3:1-4 |
| 21 |
Malachi 3:1 |
A messenger would prepare the way for the Lord |
Mark 1:1-11 |
| 22 |
Daniel 9:24-27 |
The Messiah would arrive 483 years after a call to restore and to build Jerusalem |
John 1:29-34. History: Artaxerxes began giving permission to restore and rebuild Jerusalem in 457 BC. Jesus began his public ministy in AD 26. |
| 23 |
Isaiah 61:1-2 |
The public ministry of Jesus is foreshadowed by Isaiah |
Luke 4:14-30 |
| 24 |
Isaiah 9:1-2 |
The Messiah would have a ministry in Galilee and be a light to Gentiles |
Matthew 4:12-17 |
| 25 |
Isaiah 35:4-6 |
The Messiah would perform miracles |
Matthew 4:23-25. Jesus performed miracles on 50 occasions, according to Jesus the Miracle Worker |
| 26 |
Psalm 78:1-2 |
The Messiah would teach in parables |
Matthew 13:3, 13-15 |
| 27 |
Deuteronomy 18:15-18 |
The Messiah would be like Moses, who was a prophet, leader, intermediary, deliverer and miracle worker |
John 5:45-47, 6:14 |
| 28 |
Isaiah 42:1-9 |
The Messiah would be humble and meek |
Matthew 11:28-30 |
| 29 |
Psalm 2:1-12 |
The Messiah would have a father-son relationship with God |
Matthew 14:33 |
| 30 |
Isaiah 9:6-7 |
The Messiah would be a son who would be called Mighty God |
Matthew 1:23, John 10:30, 20:27-29 |
| 31 |
Zechariah 9:9 |
He would humbly announce himself publicly as the Messiah by riding a lowly donkey into Jerusalem |
Matthew 21:6-9 |
| 32 |
Jeremiah 31:31-34 |
The Messiah would be associated with a “new covenant” involving forgiveness of sin |
Hebrews 8 |
| 33 |
Psalm 41 |
Psalm 41 foreshadowed the betrayal of Jesus |
John 13:18 |
| 34 |
Psalm 22:6 |
The Messiah would be despised |
Luke 23:21-23 |
| 35 |
Psalm 118:22-24 |
The Messiah would be rejected even though he is the cornerstone of a plan from God |
Matthew 21:42-43 |
| 36 |
Isaiah 53:1-3 |
The Messiah would be despised and rejected |
Matthew 27:21-23 |
| 37 |
Daniel 9:24-26 |
Daniel predicted the timing of when the Messiah would be rejected |
Mark 15:1-15 |
| 38 |
Isaiah 53:7 |
The Messiah would be persecuted |
Matthew 27:27-31 |
| 39 |
Isaiah 53:7 |
The Messiah would be silent before his accusers |
Matthew 27:12-14 |
| 40 |
Isaiah 50:6-7 |
The Messiah would be spat upon and beaten |
Matthew 26:67, 27:30 |
| 41 |
Psalm 35:19, 69:4 |
The Messiah would be hated without reason or cause |
John 15:25 |
| 42 |
Isaiah 53:12 |
The Messiah would be ‘numbered with the transgressors’ |
Luke 22:37, 23:32 |
| 43 |
Isaiah 50:4-10 |
The Messiah would serve God with perfect obedience |
Matthew 26:39, John 8:28 |
| 44 |
Isaiah 50:4-10 |
The Messiah would willingly submit to the will of God and the abuse of people |
Matthew 26:47-56 |
| 45 |
Genesis 22:1-18 |
The near-sacrifice of Isaac foreshadows the sacrifice of Jesus |
John 19:1-37 |
| 46 |
Psalm 22 |
Psalm 22 foreshadows the crucifixion of Jesus |
Matthew 27:32-44, John 19:1-37, 20:27 |
| 47 |
Psalm 22:8 |
The Messiah would be mocked for his faith in God |
Matthew 27:39, 27:43 |
| 48 |
Psalm 22:17-18 |
The Messiah would be stripped of his clothing |
Luke 23:34-35 |
| 49 |
Psalm 22:18 |
Onlookers would cast lots for his clothing |
Matthew 27:35, Luke 23:34, John 19:23 |
| 50 |
Psalm 22:16 |
The Messiah’s hands and feet would be pierced |
John 19:37, 20:27 |
| 51 |
Psalm 22:15 |
The Messiah’s suffering would include thirst |
John 19:28 |
| 52 |
Psalm 22:1 |
The Messiah would cry out to God |
Matthew 27:46 |
| 53 |
Zechariah 12:10 |
Zechariah foreshadows the piercing of Jesus |
John 19:34-37 |
| 54 |
Isaiah 53:12 |
The Messiah would intercede for sinners |
Matthew 10:32, Luke 23:34, Romans 8:34 |
| 55 |
Isaiah 53:4-9 |
The Messiah would suffer and die for the sins of others |
John 19:1-37, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 John 4:10 |
| 56 |
Isaiah 53:8-9 |
The Messiah would be “cut off out of the land of the living” (executed) |
John 19:1-37 |
| 57 |
Daniel 9:26 |
The Messiah would be “cut off” (executed) |
John 19:1-37 |
| 58 |
Daniel 9:24 |
The Messiah’s sacrificial death would bring an end to the problem of sin |
Galatians 1:3-5 |
| 59 |
Genesis 3:15 |
The Messiah would defeat evil at his own expense |
John 19:1-37, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 John 4:10 |
| 60 |
Isaiah 53:9 |
The Messiah would be buried in a rich man’s grave |
Matthew 27:57-61 |
| 61 |
Psalm 16:8-11 |
God’s holy one (the Messiah) would be resurrected |
John 20:1-18; Acts 2:29-32, 13:32-37, 1 Corinthians 15 |
| 62 |
Isaiah 53:10-12 |
The Messiah would be resurrected and see the results of his atoning death |
John 20:1-18, Acts 1:8 |
| 63 |
Psalm 110 |
The Messiah would be seated at the right hand of God the Father, meaning he would ascend into heaven |
Matthew 26:64, Luke 24:50-53, John 20:17, Acts 1:1-12. Jesus ascended 40 days after his resurrection. |
| 64 |
Isaiah 11:10 |
The Messiah would appeal to Gentiles |
Acts 1:8, 13:47-48. History: Christianity is the world’s largest religion. |
| 65 |
Isaiah 42:1-4 |
The Messiah would affect people throughout the world |
Matthew 28:19-20, John 12:18-21 |
| 66 |
Isaiah 42:6 |
The Messiah would be a light to people around the world |
Luke 2:22-40 |
| 67 |
Zechariah 9:9-11 |
The Messiah would have a worldwide impact |
Acts 1:8, 13:47-48. |
| 68 |
Isaiah 49:6 |
The Messiah would bring salvation to the ends of the earth |
Acts 13:47-48. History: Christianity is the world’s most widespread religion. |
| 69 |
Psalm 110 |
The Messiah will return to preside over Judgment Day |
Daniel 7:13-14, 12:1-2. To be fulfilled in the future when Jesus returns. |
| 70 |
Daniel 7:13-14 |
The Messiah will reign eternally over the Kingdom of God, also known as the Kingdom of Heaven |
Luke 1:31-33 |
| this content comes from about-jesus.org |
Dr. Peter Stoner
Peter Stoner (June 16, 1888 – March 21, 1980)[1][2] was a Christian writer and Chairman of the departments of mathematics and astronomy at Pasadena City College until 1953; Chairman of the science division, Westmont College, 1953–57; Professor Emeritus of Science, Westmont College; and Professor Emeritus of Mathematics and Astronomy, Pasadena City College. (Wikipedia).
His book “Science Speaks” is considered to be a classic in the context of Apologetics.
In his book, “Science Speaks,” the author, Dr. Peter Stoner, looked at 8 prophecies and then calculated the chances of one man in history fulfilling all of them.
1) “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2).
2) “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me” (Mal. 3:1).
3. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation: lowly, and riding upon … a colt the foal of an ass” (Zech. 9:9).
4. “And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends”(Zech. 13:6).
5. “And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver” (Zech. 11:12).
6. “And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prized at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord” (Zech. 11:13).
7. “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth” (Isa. 53:7).
8. “For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet”(Ps. 22:16).
Let us try to visualize this chance. If you mark one of ten tickets, and place all of the tickets in a hat, and thoroughly stir them, and then ask a blindfolded man to draw one, his chance of getting the right ticket is one in ten. Suppose that we take 1017 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far s he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote using their own wisdom. (Science Speaks)
Every Book of the Bible is About Jesus
In Genesis, I was the Word of God, creating the heavens and the earth.
In Exodus, I was the Passover Lamb, whose blood was sprinkled on the doorposts of your heart so that you could escape the bonds of slavery.
In Leviticus, I was the temple, the holy place where you met with God.
In Numbers, I was your ever-present guide, your pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night.
In Deuteronomy, I was the prophet coming who is greater than Moses.
In Joshua, I was the conquering warrior leading you into the Promised Land.
In Judges, I was the broken Savior rising up to rescue you.
In Ruth, I was your kinsman-redeemer.
In 1&2 Samuel, I was the pure-hearted shepherd king, who rushed out to face your giants all alone.
In 1&2 Kings, I was the righteous ruler.
In 1&2 Chronicles, I was the restorer of the kingdom.
In Ezra, the faithful scribe.
In Nehemiah, the rebuilder of the walls.
In Esther, I was your advocate, risking my life to restore you to royalty.
In Job, I was your living Redeemer.
In the Psalms, I was the one who hears your cries.
In Proverbs, I am wisdom personified.
In Ecclesiastes, I am the meaning that lets you escape the madness.
In the Song of Solomon, I am your lover and your bridegroom.
In Isaiah, I was the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, wounded for your transgressions and bruised for your iniquities.
In Jeremiah, I am the Spirit that writes God’s laws on your hearts.
In Lamentations, I was the weeping prophet.
In Ezekiel, I was the river of life bringing healing to the nations.
In Daniel, the fourth man in the fire.
In Hosea, I was the ever-faithful husband pursuing my unfaithful bride.
In Joel, I was the restorer of all that the locusts have eaten.
In Amos, I was your burden bearer.
In Obadiah, the judge of all the earth.
In Jonah, the prophet cast out into the storm so that you could be brought in.
In Micah, the everlasting ruler born to us in Bethlehem.
In Nahum, the Avenger of God’s elect.
In Habakkuk, your reason to rejoice even when our fields are empty.
In Zephaniah, I am the great Reformer.
In Haggai, the cleansing fountain.
In Zechariah, the pierced Son whom every eye on earth will one day behold.
And in Malachi, I am the Sun of Righteousness rising with healing in my wings.
In Matthew, he’s the King of the Jews.
In Mark, he’s the Son of God.
In Luke, he’s the Savior born to us in the city of David, Christ the Lord.
In John, he’s the Word become flesh, dwelling among us.
In Acts, he is Christ the risen Lord, proclaiming salvation to the nations.
In Romans, he’s the Justifier.
In 1&2 Corinthians, the Spirit at work in the churches.
In Galatians, he is the righteousness imputed to us by faith.
In Ephesians, our righteous armor.
In Philippians, the God who meets our every need.
In Colossians, the firstborn of all creation.
In 1&2 Thessalonians, he’s descending from heaving with a shout, coming to meet us together in the clouds.
In 1&2 Timothy, the one mediator between God and man.
In Titus, our faithful pastor.
In Philemon, our Redeemer, restoring us to service.
In Hebrews, our great high priest.
In James, the life at work in our faith.
In 1&2 Peter, our living cornerstone.
In 1, 2, and 3 John, our advocate, pleading his righteousness in our place.
In Jude, he’s God our Savior, the one who keeps us from stumbling and presents us blameless in his presence with great joy.
And in Revelation, he’s the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
(J.D. Greear Ministries)
Bottom line: The Old Testament provides a very specific historical address for Jesus. Everything from His lineage, the place of His birth, His crucifixion, how He would be introduced by John the Baptist, the way in which He would be betrayed…It’s an amazing list of details, some of which pertained to things that weren’t even in existence at the time the prophecy was first documented.
For example, crucifixion. While impalement is referenced in Genesis 40:19, it’s specifically referenced in Deuteronomy 21:23 as being indicative of God’s curse being on the person being impaled (see also Gal 3:13).
But it’s in Isaiah 53, where you encounter specific references to the way Christ was going to be “pierced…”
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Is 53:5 [see also Ps 22:16])
It’s here where you see a picture of a criminal having been nailed to a pole or a tree, which matches the image of crucifixion – a practice that was virtually unknown until the time of the Romans.
The history of crucifixion as a mode of punishment for cime must be studies as a part of the Roman system of jurisprudence…The Hebrews, for example, adopted or accepted it only under Roman compulsion: under their own system, before Palestine became Roman territory, they inflicted the death penalty by stoning.
…In 63 B.C., Pompey’s legions cut their way into the Judean capital. Palestine became a Roman province, though nominally a puppet Jewish dynasty survived.
Thus, the type of death picture in Isaiah 53 and Psalms 22 did not come into practice under the Jewish system until hundreds of years after the account was written.7
Conclusion
In addition to the way in which the credibility of the Old Testament can be validated from an academic standpoint, it’s the way it so vividly describes Christ that demonstrates its True reliability. You could argue that every book in the Bible references the Son of God in some way, shape, or form (see sidebar).
From that perspective, yes, the text of the OT can be trusted, but it is the Message that needs to be embraced and believed.
For even more information about the credibility of the Old Testament, click
here
1. The Rise and Fall of Assyria”, Lenormant and E. Chevallier, LM Publishers
2. “Evidence That Demands a Verdict”, Josh McDowell, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN, 1979, p299
3. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “Enlightenment” https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/enlightenment/, accessed April 8, 2017
4. AnswersInGenesis, “Scientific Accuracy”, https://answersingenesis.org/is-the-bible-true/5-scientific-accuracy/, accessed April 8, 2017
5. “Evidence That Demands a Verdict”, Josh McDowell, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN, 1979, p58
6. Josh McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict (San Bernardino, CA: Here’s Life Publishers, Inc, 1972, 1979, p144
7. Ibid, p161, 162
In many ways, this one quote is a slam dunk. Here’s a man who had access to people who were contemporaries of Christ. He was born only seven year after Jesus died and the fact that he mentions Jesus’ resurrection in what would be considered a secular text is equivalent to Christ’s Resurrection being reported in the news. Some have very vehemently attempted to discount this quote as something that Josephus could not have written. However, this same passage written by Josephus was quoted by Eusebius in the fourth century and is included in the most recent Loeb edition of his works.10 It is credible.
