Apologetics Session 2 Prophecy 1 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect - 1 Peter 3:15 Apologetics 1- Choices Other Religions (Done) 2- Prophecy (Today) 3- Archeology 4- Science of the Bible Creation v Evolution 5- Science of the Bible Other 6- What Else? 2 Apologetics Defense, Acts 17 Paul Reasoned Not for arguing, defending Not blind faith Strengthen your faith treasure things in your heart Luke 2:19 3 Todays Questions What makes Christianity different? Arent Bible Prophesies really vague so they can mean anything you want it to mean? 4 Why Prophecy? Let them (other gods) bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place; As for the former events, declare what they were, That we may consider them and know their outcome. Or announce to us what is coming; Declare the things that are going to come afterward, That we may know that you are gods; -Isaiah 41:22-23 NASB Now I tell you before it comes, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am [He]. -John 13:19 NASB 5 Prophecies About Jesus 6 7 The Prophecy of Daniel Daniel lived in Babylon Wrote the book during the fifth century BC 8 Daniels 70th Week (Daniel 9:25-26) From the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat even in times of distress Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut-off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary... 9 Timeline 10 Decree to rebuild temple Messiah is cut-off 69 weeks Jerusalem Destroyed 7 weeks62 weeks Calculation = 69 weeks 69 X 7 = 483 Hebrew/lunar years 483 X 360 = 173,880 days 173,880 days / 365 = 476 Solar years Note: In Genesis and Revelation a 360 day year is used Week/seven = period of 7 years 11 When? Neh 2:1-8 And it came about in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of King ArtaxerxesI said to the king, "If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild it." 12 When? 13 Timeline 14 Decree to rebuild temple Messiah is cut-off 476 solar years Jerusalem Destroyed March 14, 445 BCApril 7, 32 AD 476 solar years (no 0 AD) (Nehemiah 2:1-8)(Luke 19:42-44) 15 What happened on that day? The triumphal entry (aka Palm Sunday) And when Jesus approached, He saw the city (Jerusalem) and wept over it, saying, If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days shall come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank before you and surround you, and hem you in on every side, and level you to the ground and your children with you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation. -Luke 19: Does God hold us accountable? You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why do you not analyze this present time? -Luke 12:56 17 More about Jesuss birth Who were the magi from the east? Daniel 4:9 master of the magicians Daniel 5:11 magicians, astrologers, etc 18 Other Prophecies... 19 More Prophecies/Types Sacrifice in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:21) Enoch Flood Noah (Genesis 5:24; 6) Abraham Sacrificing Isaac (Genesis 22) Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18; Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 7) Isaac and Rebekah his Bride (Genesis 24) The Passover Lamb (Exodus 12) Egypt to Wilderness to Promised Land (Exodus-Judges) The Tabernacle/Sacrificial System (Exodus 26-28) Moses striking the Rock (Exodus 17) Moses speaking to the Rock (Numbers 20) Serpent in the Wilderness (Numbers 21 & John 3:14) Boaz and Ruth his Bride (Ruth) (see article on Abraham and Isaac) 20 Prophecies About Israel 21 Ezekiel Ezekiel's ministry was conducted in Jerusalem and Babylon in the first three decades of the 6th century. Before the first surrender of Jerusalem, he was a functioning priest. He was among those deported in 597 to Babylonia. Ezekiel's religious call came in July 592. He subsequently prophesied until 585 and then was not heard of again until 572. His latest utterance can be dated at about Ezekiel I have assigned you the same number of days as the years of their sin. So for 390 days you will bear the sin of the house of Israel. After you have finished this, lie down again, this time on your right side, and bear the sin of the house of Judah. I have assigned you 40 days, a day for each year. -Ezekiel 4:5-6 Punishment = 390 years + 40 years = 430 years 23 History of Israel Because of their disobedience to God's commands, the Israelites (Jews) were taken captive in 605 B.C. by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar (2 Chronicles 36:5-21). Later, King Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon. In 536 B.C. Cyrus allowed the Jews to leave Babylon and return to their homeland. Punishment completed = 70 years (605 B.C 536 B.C.) Punishment remaining = 430 year 70 years = 360 years 24 History of Israel Even though King Cyrus gave all Jews permission to return home, only a small number actually accepted the offer. The Jews had become comfortable in pagan Babylon and chose to stay in exile. "And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I (God) will punish you seven times more for your sins. -Leviticus 26:18 (Leviticus 26:18, 26:21, 26:24 and 26:28) New Punishment = 360 years x 7 = 2,520 years 25 Calculation... 2,520 Hebrew/lunar years 2,520 X 360 = 907,200 days 907,200 days / = Solar years B.C Israel taken into Babylonian captivity (1 st Siege) - 69 Years for 70 years (69 solar years) = 537 B.C. End of first 70 years of judgment Years Add the 2,484 years remaining + 1 Year Add 1 year (no "0" B.C. or A.D.) = 1948 A.D. End of judgment against nation Israel What happened on that day? 27 What about Jerusalem? 587 B.C Jerusalem destroyed in 3 rd seige by Bablyon - 69 Years (69 solar) = 518 B.C. Completion of rebuilding walls Years Add the 2,484 years remaining + 1 Year Added because there is no "0" B.C. or A.D. = 1967 A.D. Jerusalem becomes capital of Israel 28 More Israel returning to the land I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. Ezekiel 34:13 For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down, and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. -Jeremiah 24:5 and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it. - Jeremiah 30:3-4 29 Ezekiel 37/38 30 "Thus says the Lord God: 'Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land." (Ezekiel 37:21) Prophecies In Our Future 31 32 33 Nebuchadnezzers Dream Head of Gold - Babylon ( BC) Chest and Arms of Silver - Medo-Persia ( BC) Belly and Thighs of Brass - Greece ( BC) Legs of Iron - Rome (168 BC AD) Feet of Iron and Clay - ??? 34 Yet to Come 35 Archeology Teaser Israel in the Wilderness and Red Sea Crossing Battle of Jericho Joseph 36 The inscription on this brick translates: 'Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, who cares for Esagila and Ezida, eldest son of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon'. Esagila was the temple of the supreme god Marduk in Babylon, while Ezida was the temple of Nabu, god of writing, in the neighbouring city of Borsippa. The king's most famous construction works were in Babylon where, along with Esagila, he built the famous Ishtar Gate and the 'northern' palace. He also rebuilt the ziggurat tower called Entemenanki. 37 Proof of People 38 "Yehosef bar Qafa'" (Joseph son of Caiaphas) Tiberieum/[Pon]tius Pilatus/[Praef]ectus Iuda[eae], "Tiberius [the Roman emperor of the period]/Pontius Pilate/Prefect of Judea." king of Israel, and [I] killed [Ahaz]iahu son of [Jehoram kin-] g of the House of David. And I set [their towns into ruins and turned] Questions/Appendix 39 One of the first Prophecies 40 Adam Seth Enosh Kenan Mahalalel Jared Enoch Methusaleh Lamech Noah Man Appointed His Death Shall Bring Mortal Sorrow The Blessed God Shall Come Down Preaching Despairing Rest is but the NAMEMEANING Israelites in the Wilderness The people spoke against God and Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food." The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. So the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and you; intercede with the LORD, that He may remove the serpents from us." And Moses interceded for the people. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery {serpent,} and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live." And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived. -Numbers 21:6-9 Israelites in the Wilderness "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. -John 3:14-18