| Highlights of Dawn | October 1953 |
By Inspiration of God
“I have more understanding than all my teachers: for Thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Thy precepts.” —Psalm 119:99,100
THE Apostle Paul wrote that the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. (I Cor. 3:19) One of the ways in which this is exemplified is through the Word of God, that wonderful Book of books which we call the Bible. Throughout hundreds of years of the ancient past, the Lord used many different men to write the various parts of the Bible, and its contents as a whole give eloquent testimony that these men were inspired by God, for they expressed wisdom along historical and scientific lines far in advance of the times in which they were living. Moreover, their prophecies of future events are the only ones recorded which have consistently proven true and continue to be fulfilled along the exact lines foretold.
During those long centuries when the various books of the Bible were being written by God’s “holy prophets,” various views on astronomy were being expressed and written. The modern telescope, piercing as it does into the far reaches and hitherto unknown depths of the universe, has proved all the ancient astronomers to be completely in error, but not so the Bible.
Anaximenes taught that the world was the shape of a flat disc floating in air. Leucippus taught that it was like a drum. Pindar said that it stood on pillars, while others claimed that it sat upon the head of Atlas. Then there were those who taught that the earth stood on the head of a huge elephant and that earthquakes were the result of the elephant moving. Plato, Aristotle, and Pythagoras tried to prove that the earth was a living, sentient being. Volcanoes, they insisted, were the earth vomiting.
The telescope, spectroscope, and around-the-world travel by sea, land, and air have exposed the fallacy of all these crude notions of the past. The Bible, however, written during that same general period of time, when human understanding of the earth and of the universe was so limited, is found to be in harmony with the latest scientific truths.
Thousands of years before Columbus conceived the idea—which in his time was rank heresy—that the earth is round and does not sit upon pillars or any other physical foundation, the prophet Job wrote concerning God that he “hangeth the earth upon nothing,” and Isaiah wrote that God “sitteth upon the circle of the earth.” (Job. 26:7; Isa. 40:22) Expressions of this sort could have no meaning except as applied to a planet which is round and held in place by gravitational power, as we now know to be true.
Geologically Correct
The first chapter of Genesis presents, ever so briefly, the story of creation. But despite the brevity of this record, it is being recognized more and more by the learned of today as scientific, and geologically correct. How this contrasts with all other ancient writings which pretend to describe the work of creation! Concerning the accuracy of the Genesis account of creation we quote from a tract published by Dean C. Dutton, Ph.D., of the Oklahoma State University:
“In the first chapter of Genesis we have the story of creation, which Yale’s greatest geologist says ‘is in perfect harmony with geology,’ and of which Harvard’s greatest geologist says, ‘The order of creation as given in Genesis is faultless.’ Princeton’s great geologist says, ‘The more the leaves of the book of earth are turned, the more they show that the Old Book, the Bible, is true.’”
Historically Correct
As the archeologists continue to sink their spades ever deeper into the sands and subsoil of ancient Babylonia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and other lands adjacent to Palestine, one after another of the Bible’s historical records is proved to be true. There was a time when modern higher critics insisted that most of the places and people mentioned in the Old Testament were mythical, that such places and people never did really exist.
But these modern unbelievers have been silenced. For example, instead of Ur of the Chaldeans, the home of faithful Abraham, being merely a legendary place, ruins of that ancient city have now been unearthed.
Not so many years ago the story of Joseph and the seven years of famine in Egypt, for which, by divine providence, he wisely prepared the people, was considered by the worldly-wise as a myth. Recently, it is claimed, archeologists have discovered tablets and monuments upon which this Bible story is recorded in great detail.
In the tract by Dean C. Dutton from which we have quoted, he informs us that to date 5,000 places spoken of in the Bible have been definitely located by explorers and archeologists. Should not this fact alone help to increase our faith in the inspiration of the Bible!
The story of Jonah and the whale, and the subsequent conversion of the Ninevites resulting from Jonah’s preaching, has long been held incredible by modern unbelievers. It was claimed, for example, that a whale does not have a throat large enough to swallow a man. It should be noted, however, that in Jonah 1:17 the explanation is given that “the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah.” This would indicate that it was not an ordinary whale.
It is now known that there are some sea monsters that could easily swallow a man. And certainly it was just as easy for the Lord to keep Jonah alive in the stomach of this “great fish” as it was to preserve the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace.
But even more difficult than this for many to believe is the seemingly incredible story that the wicked, godless, carefree people of Nineveh believed Jonah’s preaching. Why should all those worldly, irreverent, haughty Assyrians believe the utterances of a strange itinerant Jewish preacher? The sinful world has never believed any of the other prophets of God, from Noah on down—they have only scoffed at their repeated warnings of impending doom.
Imagine these Ninevites believing, from the greatest of them even to the least of them, with the king himself leading his wicked subjects in humble prayers to God, simply because a roaming, bedraggled stranger stood on the street corner and said, in effect, “Repent, or else you are doomed! Yet that is what the story plainly implies.
However, after decades of scoffing at this Jonah story, scientists are now having to admit that it is all quite reasonable and probable. At the ancient site of Nineveh the excavators have found enough evidence to give us a fair picture of the Ninevites of Jonah’s day. They have found that the Assyrians at that time, with all their wickedness, were very superstitious. They worshiped God in a formal way and habitually pictured him under the guise of a great sea monster.
The Assyrian conception of deity was a being all-powerful, if not all-loving, and they represented him by the most powerful creature they knew—a monster of the mighty deep. Limestone reliefs of that period portray the kings of Nineveh clothed with “divine power”—and this they symbolized by a regal cloak made from the skin of a great fish, which reached from the monarch’s head down to his ankles.
This throws new light on the effects of Jonah’s preaching. Evidently the Ninevites believed him because they heard that he had come out of the mouth of a great fish. They had been accustomed to representing God as a powerful sea monster, and here was a prophet whom the mighty God had sent to them from the very jaws of the great deep, with a special message for them.
They dared not turn a deaf ear to such a prophet. They even trembled as he reminded them of their sins and warned them of impending destruction. Thus we see that a narrative which, apart from an understanding of all the factors involved, might be difficult to believe, when seen in its true light is recognized as a perfectly natural occurrence, and historically correct.
Prophetically Reliable
The prophecies of the Bible are also remarkably accurate in their forecasts of future events. Both ancient and modern history give us undeniable proof of the credibility and authenticity of the Bible by definitely recording numerous instances of its prophecies which have been fulfilled. No one, for example, can now point to a single city, kingdom, or dynasty that has ever survived a divine pronouncement of doom thereupon by any ancient biblical prophet.
When Jesus was on earth he upbraided certain unworthy cities of his day, saying, “Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! … And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shall be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.”—Matt. 11:21-23
These Galilean cities around Lake Gennesaret which Jesus thus condemned had been very highly favored, even by nature. According to a well-informed writer, “there were no such trees and no such gardens anywhere in Palestine as in the land of Gennesaret.” Oranges, figs, and grapes grew there in great abundance. Its waters were pure and refreshing; its air was balmy and sweet. There seemed no reason on earth why such prosperous cities as these mentioned by Jesus should ever pass away. His prophecy must have sounded to the inhabitants of that day like very idle words.
But where are Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Chorazin today? Two of them are marked by desolate heaps of ruins, while the third has disappeared so completely that now not even its exact former site can be definitely determined. On the other hand, the neighboring city of Tiberias, on which no woe was pronounced by Jesus, was not destroyed. It is now the most prominent city of the historic shores of Gennesaret’s celebrated blue lake—the Sea of Galilee.
Again, take the ancient city of Samaria, which was built by one of Israel’s kings soon after the rebellion of the ten tribes. Its king, Omri, did more to provoke the Lord to anger than had all his predecessors. (I Kings 16:25) Then came his son, Ahab, who, in vicious propensities, surpassed even the odious Omri. Under his rule, and that of his wicked wife, Jezebel, religious freedom was taken away from the Israelites, and they were compelled to worship false gods.
The people soon sank to a very low ebb of morality. So great was the infamy of the inhabitants that divine judgment was pronounced upon Samaria by the Prophet Micah, as follows: “Therefore I will make Samaria as an heap of the field, and as plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof.”—Micah 1:6
Where is Samaria today? A history of Syria and Palestine says: “Samaria is but a heap of stones. Her foundations discovered, her streets plowed up, she is now covered with cornfields and olive gardens. Samaria has been destroyed; her rubbish has been thrown into the valley, and her foundation stones lie scattered about on the face of the hill.”
Jesus foretold the destruction of Jerusalem, and particularly of its temple, saying that there would not be one stone left upon another. (Luke 21:5,6) This was literally fulfilled, even against the wishes of Titus himself. The one thing this Roman conqueror wished especially to save was the temple with its splendid stones, its rich furnishments, and its gold. History records that he gave positive orders that the temple be spared. But the prophetic decree was against him. The temple was destroyed and its stones scattered about, even as the Master had foretold.
And just as Jesus and the prophets foretold the destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering of the Israelites among the nations, the prophecies also foretold the regathering of this ancient people and their ultimate repossession of the land which had been given to their fathers.
These prophecies are being fulfilled in a very remarkable manner. Israel has already experienced a rebirth as a nation. Under the guiding hands of the returning exiles, the Land of Promise is rapidly being transformed into a paradise. None except those who had confidence in the prophecies of the Bible would, seventy-five years ago, have thought this possible.
World Developments Foretold
The fulfillment of prophecy in world developments of our times reminds us of our text, in which the psalmist states, “I have more understanding than all my teachers: for Thy testimonies are my meditation.” Beginning in the nineteenth century, the wise men of the world—those whom the people looked up to as their guides—under the influence of the unproved theory of human evolution, began to teach that the world was getting steadily better, that civilization was rapidly advancing, and that universal peace and prosperity were in sight for all.
This was contrary to the instructions of God’s Word, so those who had confidence in the prophecies really had more understanding of world events and their outcome than did these wise men of the world. One plainly stated prophecy of Daniel would have corrected this false notion of the worldly-wise, had they been willing to believe it. But they were not. Daniel foretold that there would be a “time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation.” (Dan. 12:1) The worldly-wise said that it was unthinkable that in this day of scientific development and general increase of knowledge there should come a time of trouble among the nations which would surpass anything which had ever taken place in the past.
Jesus quoted this prophecy of Daniel and applied it to the time of his return and the end of the age. (Matt. 24:21,22) In a description of what would be involved in this foretold trouble, Jesus said that there would be “distress of nations, with perplexity,” and that the hearts of the people would fail them for fear as they looked ahead to the things coming upon the earth. (Luke 21:24,25) How accurately these and similar prophecies of the Bible have been, and continue to be, fulfilled in the experiences of a crumbling and dying world!
Rise and Fall of Empires
The Bible not only foretold the present period of international distress and chaos that would come upon an unexpectant world but also gave a preview of four great empires that would succeed each other during a period of more than twenty-five hundred years, beginning with ancient Babylon. This prophecy is found in the 2nd chapter of the Book of Daniel.
This forecast of the rise and fall of empires is contained in the prophet’s interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in which he saw a humanlike image with head of gold, breast and arms of silver, thighs of brass, and legs of iron. The feet of this image were of iron and clay mixed. In his dream, the king saw a stone cut out of the mountain without hands, which smote the image on its feet. Then the image fell; it was ground to powder, and the wind blew away the fragments like chaff from a summer threshing floor. The stone which smote the image then grew until it became a great mountain which filled the whole earth.
In Daniel’s interpretation of this dream, he identified Nebuchadnezzar, the head of the Babylonian Empire, as being represented by the head of gold. The prophet pointed out that following Babylon there would be a succession of three other empires, or “kingdoms,” as he called them. These are easily identified in history as Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.
The accuracy of the prophecy is shown in the interpretation of what was illustrated by the feet of the image; namely, a gradual weakening of the Roman Empire, and its ultimate division as represented in the various states of Europe, as they existed just prior to the first World War. This was shown, as Daniel explained, by the admixture of clay with the iron, and by the toes of the image.
When Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that he was represented by the head of gold on that image, he said to the king, “The God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom.” (Dan. 2:37,38) This was an important part of the prophecy; that is, it foretold a succession of Gentile governments which would rule by divine permission and authority.
This concept of government came on down through the centuries and still prevailed in the hereditary ruling houses of Europe as they governed that old Roman world prior to 1914. But “in the days of these kings” that claim has already been destroyed, and the governments which held the people under control by virtue of it have passed off the scene.
This, then, is the prophetic explanation of what we have seen occur in the world since 1914. It is true that we have seen a world crumbling. But others see that also and are ever striving to prevent the inevitable. They hope against hope that the evidence of a doomed civilization which they see all around them means something else. Wishfully, they still think there may be a chance to save the world.
But because we have the guidance of the prophecies, we understand why the world is falling apart. We “understand more than the ancients,” not because we are more brilliant than the wise of this world, but because we have confidence in the Word of God and its wonderful promises and prophecies.
Yet to Come
As we have seen, the evidence from every standpoint is that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. At a time when the world’s best philosophers and scientists held the crudest of notions as to the shape of the earth and other facts concerning it, the writers of the Bible were inspired to give utterance to thoughts which are fully in harmony with what scientists now know to be the truth. We have observed, briefly, that the Bible’s account of creation is geologically correct.*
*NOTE: See the booklet “Creation”
We have called attention to a few of the prophecies which have had remarkable fulfillments and some that are being fulfilled at the present time. We have seen that the Bible’s preview of present world conditions foretells the setting up of the Lord’s kingdom. All this evidence of the divine inspiration of the Bible should give us full confidence in its testimony concerning events yet to come.
And because “this present evil world” is coming to an end, we can be certain that God’s new world, the laws of which will be administered by the authority and power of Christ’s kingdom, is very near. During the thousand years of that kingdom all the wonderful promises of God pertaining to the salvation and blessing of the human race will be fulfilled.
God promised that “all the families of the earth” were to be blessed, and they will be blessed. They will be given an opportunity to accept the grace of God through Christ, obey the laws of the kingdom, and live forever.—Gen. 12:3; 22:18; Gal. 3:8,16,27-29
This promised blessing of all people calls for the resurrection of the dead, and God has promised to raise the dead. (John 5:28,29; Acts 24:15) These promises will also be fulfilled. Yes, ultimately all mankind will rejoice in giving testimony that there has not failed one word of all God’s good promises.
It is because we know even now that this is to be the final outcome of God’s loving design toward his human creation that we can live above the turmoil and chaos by which we are surrounded. More than that, while standing on this “sea of glass” we can, and should, bear testimony to those around us that in the Word of God alone will they find the answer to their questions pertaining to world problems and the destiny of men and nations.
Knowing the meaning of what is transpiring, and having confidence in God’s promises pertaining to the outcome, let us rejoice in the privilege of telling the world these blessed tidings. Let us be among those who proclaim “good tidings of good” and publish salvation. Let us continue together to lift up the voice of truth, that glorious truth of the divine plan, revealed to us in the “sure word of prophecy.”—Isa. 52:7; II Pet. 1:19