From the BBS; often questions
and answers. From the Internet, by David Williams,
Computer Systems Manager, for the Mathematics Faculty, at the University of
Newcastle.
I think you'll find this edifying. Now remember, David Williams is a
mathematician. In this post he's responding to a Jewish user from Melbourne. His
subject is: Jesus and Prophecy. Here's what he says:-
"In a recent follow up to a posting by Leslie Brown I said I'd make a post
detailing the probability of Jesus fulfilling Old
Testament prophecy by chance. Here it is!
The reason why prophecy is an indication of the divine authorship of the
Scriptures, and hence a testimony to the trustworthiness of the Message of the
Scriptures, is because of the minute probability of fulfillment.
Anyone can make predictions. Having those prophecies fulfilled is vastly
different. In fact, the more statements made about the future, and the more the
detail, then the less likely the precise fulfillment will be.
For example, what's the likelihood of a person predicting today the exact
city in which the birth of a future leader would take place, well into the 21st
century? This is indeed what the prophet Micah did 700 years before the Messiah.
Further, what is the likelihood of predicting the precise manner of death that a
new, unknown religious leader would experience, a thousand years from now - a
manner of death presently unknown, and to remain unknown for hundreds of years?
Yet, this is what David did in 1000 B.C.
Again, what is the likelihood of predicting the specific date of the
appearance of some great future leader, hundreds of years in advance? This is
what Daniel did, 530 years before Christ.
If one were to conceive 50 specific prophecies about a person in the future,
whom one would never meet, just what's the likelihood that this person will
fulfill all 50 of the predictions? How much less would this likelihood be if 25
of these predictions were about what other people would do to him, and were
completely beyond his control?
For example, how does someone "arrange" to be born in a specific family?
How does one "arrange" to be born in a specified city, in which their parents
don't actually live? How does one "arrange" their own death -
and specifically by crucifixion, with two others, and then "arrange" to have
their executioners gamble for His clothing (John 16:19; Psalms 22:18)? How does
one "arrange" to be betrayed in advance? How does one
"arrange" to have the executioners carry out the regular practice of breaking
the legs of the two victims on either side, but not their own? Finally, how does
one "arrange" to be God? How does one escape from a grave and appear to people
after having been killed?
Indeed, it may be possible for someone to fake one or two of the Messianic
prophecies, but it would be impossible for any one person to arrange and fulfill
all of these prophecies.
John Ankerberg relates the true story of how governments use prearranged
identification signs to identify correct agents:
David Greenglass was a World War II traitor. He gave
atomic secrets to the Russians and then fled to Mexico after the war. His
conspirators arranged to help him by planning a meeting with the secretary of
the Russian ambassador in Mexico City. Proper identification for both parties
became vital. Greenglass was to identify himself with six prearranged signs.
These instructions had been given to both the secretary and Greenglass so there
would be no possibility of making a mistake. They were: (1) once in Mexico City,
Greenglass was to write a note to the secretary, signing his name as "I.
JACKSON"; (2) after three days he was to go to the Plaza de Colon in Mexico City
and (3) stand before the statue of Columbus, (4) with his middle finger placed
in a guide book. In addition, (5) when he was approached, he was to say it was a
magnificent statue and that he was from Oklahoma. (6) The secretary was to then
give him a passport.
These six prearranged signs worked. Why? With six identifying characteristics
it was impossible for the secretary not to identify Greenglass as the proper
contact (John Ankerberg, John Weldon and Walter Kaiser, "The Case for Jesus The
Messiah", Melbourne: Pacific College Study Series, 1994, 17-18).
How true, then, it must be that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, if he had
456 identifying characteristics well in advance, and fulfilled them all! In
fact, what does the science of probability make of this?
The science of probability attempts to determine the chance that a given
event will occur. The value and accuracy of the science of probability has been
well established beyond doubt - for example, insurance rates are fixed according
to statistical probabilities.
Professor Emeritus of Science at Westmont College, Peter Stoner, has
calculated the probability of one man fulfilling the major prophecies made
concerning the Messiah. The estimates were worked out by twelve different
classes representing some 600 university students.
The students carefully weighed all the factors, discussed each prophecy at
length, and examined the various circumstances which might indicate that men had
conspired together to fulfill a particular prophecy. They made their estimates
conservative enough so that there was finally unanimous agreement even among the
most skeptical students.
However Professor Stoner then took their estimates, and made them even more
conservative. He also encouraged other skeptics or scientists to make their own
estimates to see if his conclusions were more than fair. Finally, he submitted
his figures for review to a committee of the American Scientific Affiliation.
Upon examination, they verified that his calculations were dependable and
accurate in regard to the scientific material presented (Peter Stoner, Science
Speaks, Chicago: Moody Press, 1969, 4).
For example, concerning Micah 5:2, where it states the Messiah would be born
in Bethlehem Ephrathah, Stoner and his students determined the average
population of BETHLEHEM from the time of Micah to the present; then they divided
it by the average population of the earth during the same period.
They concluded that the chance of one man being born in
Bethlehem was one in 300,000, (or one in 2.8 x 10^5 - rounded),
After examining only eight different prophecies (Idem, 106), they
conservatively estimated that the chance of one man fulfilling all eight
prophecies was one in 10^17.
To illustrate how large the number 10^17 IS (a figure with 17 zeros), Stoner
gave this illustration :
If you mark one of ten tickets, and place all 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 10^17 silver
dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They'll 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 as 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've 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 them in their own wisdom (Idem, 106-107).
In financial terms, is there anyone who would not invest in a financial
venture if the chance of failure were only one in 10^17? This is the kind of
sure investment we're offered by god for faith in His Messiah.
From these figures, Professor Stoner, concludes the fulfillment of these
eight prophecies alone proves that God inspired the writing of the prophecies
(Idem, 107) - the likelihood of mere chance is only one in 10^17!
Another way of saying this is that any person who minimizes or ignores the
significance of the biblical identifying signs concerning the Messiah would be
foolish.
But, of course, there are many more than eight prophecies. In another
calculation, Stoner used 48 prophecies (Idem, 109) (even though he could have
used Edersheim's 456), and arrived at the extremely conservative estimate that
the probability of 48 prophecies being fulfilled in one person is the incredible
number 10^157. In fact, if anybody can find someone, living or dead, other than
Jesus, who can fulfill only half of the predictions concerning the Messiah given
in the book "Messiah in Both Testaments" by Fred J. Meldau, the Christian
Victory Publishing Company is ready to give a ONE thousand dollar reward! As
apologist Josh McDowell says, "There are a lot of men in the universities that
could use some extra cash!" (Josh McDowell, Evidence that Demands a Verdict,
California: Campus Crusade for Christ, 175).
How large is the number one in 10^157? 10^157 contains 157 zeros! Stoner
gives an illustration of this number using electrons. Electrons are very small
objects. They're smaller than atoms. It would take 2.5 TIMES 10^15 of them, laid
side by side, to make one inch. Even if we counted 250 of these electrons each
minute, and counted day and night, it would still take 19 million years just to
count a line of electrons one-inch long (Stoner, op. cit, 109).
With this introduction, let's go back to our chance of one in 10^157. Let's
suppose that we're taking this number of electrons, marking one, and thoroughly
stirring it into the whole mass, then blindfolding a man and letting him try to
find the right one. What chance has he of finding the right one? What kind of a
pile will this number of electrons make? They make an inconceivably large
volume.
This is the result from considering a mere 48 prophecies. Obviously, the
probability that 456 prophecies would be fulfilled in one man by chance is
vastly smaller. According to Emile Borel, once one goes past one chance in
10^50, the probabilities are so small that it is impossible to think that they
will ever occur (Ankerberg et. al., op. cit., 21).
As Stoner concludes, 'Any man who rejects Christ as the Son of God is
rejecting a fact, proved perhaps more absolutely than any other fact in the
world (Stoner, op. cit., 112).'
God so thoroughly vindicated Jesus Christ that even mathematicians and
statisticians, who were without faith, had to acknowledge that it is
scientifically impossible to deny that Jesus is the Christ. our thanks to David
Williams, a mathematician who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Last century, a lecturer on Russian literature, Carlyle, Emerson, Tolstoy and
others discovered the amazing mathematical design in the Bible, firstly in the
Greek, and later in Hebrew. He found that the Bible is divisible by seven in 56
DIFFERENT ways. This was Ivan Panin, author of 'God's
Amazing Seal', the 'Numerical Bible' and 'The Inspiration
of the Scriptures Scientifically Demonstrated'.
Applying the same criteria to the books of other religions, Panin proclaimed
'No order at all; and not of God'. He discovered that everything in God's
creation: animal, vegetable, or mineral, has a unique mathematical signature.
Yes, sir, God so thoroughly vindicated Jesus Christ the unbeliever will be
speechless at the judgment. But Jesus Christ was sent to Israel at the end of
their dispensation, when their denominations were apostate. And God is no
respecter of persons. He promised to reveal and vindicate Jesus Christ to us
Gentiles at the end of our dispensation, when our denominations are apostate.
God never leaves Himself without a witness. Jesus said, 'As it was in the
days of Lot, so will it be when the Son of man is revealed' by the same Sign
which vindicated Him to be Messiah in the days of His flesh.
Now, in the days of Lot, the Gentile civilization was in a Sodom condition.
Homosexuality was rampant. Before God sent Fire from heaven which destroyed
them, He sent three witnesses to those who claimed to be His Own. Two went and
preached to Lot's group, the nominal, worldly church down in Sodom.
Our Gentile civilization is in a Sodom condition. God's
sent two witnesses to the nominal church of the world: a Billy Graham and Oral
Roberts. The world knows about it. By the great ministry of these God-given men,
He's shaken the nations. They performed no miracles. Only blinded a few eyes.
Preaching the Gospel blinds the unbeliever.
But, remember, the word 'CHURCH' means, "called out." Abraham had separated
himself from all that. The third One stayed behind and talked with Abraham, who
called Him 'LORD'. That was God. Read your Bible; Abraham called Him, capital,
"L-O-R-D", Elohim, "Lord God." Abraham fed Him the meat of a calf, milk of a
cow, butter, and cakes. He ate it. And He was Elohim.
He stayed with the elect Church. He never went down to the church in Sodom;
He came to the called out, the elected church: Abraham.
He was a stranger. And while He was talking, He said, 'Abraham'. Now,
remember, He NEVER called him Abram. Just a few days before that, his name had
been changed from Abram to Abraham. He said, "Abraham, where is Sarah (not
Sarai, Sarah, her new name - which had been changed just a few days before)?
Where is Sarah, thy wife?"
He was God, veiled behind the flesh of a created Man, and
He proved He was the Word by discerning the thoughts and intents of Abraham and
Sarah's heart. That's the Messianic Sign.
God veiled Himself behind the virgin-born flesh of
Jesus Christ and discerned the thoughts and intents of the people's hearts to
vindicate that in him dwelt the fullness of the godhead bodily.
You'll remember, Jesus told Peter his name - and the name of his father. When
Jesus discerned Nathanael's heart, Nathanael called Him 'Elohim' ... Lord. So
did the little prostitute at the well, when Jesus told her all about herself.
Jesus said this would repeat in our day, just before God destroys all life by
Fire from heaven. In this day He veiled Himself behind the flesh of a sinner saved by grace, revealing 'Jesus Christ the same,
yesterday, and today, and forever' - discerning the thoughts and intents of
people's hearts around and around the world, before congregations of up to
500,000; healing the sick, restoring sight, raising the dead, and casting out
demons.
This is the last Sign promised to the Gentiles. And God
vindicated His Word in the ministry of the late William Branham. His ministry
restored the apostolic faith, finished the mystery of God, and is now calling
the wise and foolish virgin out of Babylon; bringing His elect into oneness with
the word and maturity for the manifestation of the Sons of God and the
translation.
God vindicates His Word so thoroughly, and not in a secret place. Will you
search the Scriptures to recognize YOUR day and ITS Message.
***
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a local call.
Every now and again I receive an enquiry through Bible Believers' web site or
this program concerning the Sabbath. The confusion on this topic among those
who've never been born-again, is because several cults preach that Christians
must observe a Sabbath day.
The typical Sabbaths of the Law of Moses have been abolished. Paul calls
Sabbath day observance, 'traditions of men and the rudiments of the world'. He
expounds on this in Colossians 2:9-17 which I'll paraphrase for you.
'The fullness of the attributes, (or character and nature of God), was
manifested bodily in Jesus Christ. So when we have Christ, we too have the
fullness, through our Spiritual union in Him, which is the new birth, because
He's Head of all principality and power.
When we come to Christ, He sets us free from our evil desires; not by
physical circumcision but a spiritual circumcision of the soul, by the Baptism
of the Holy Ghost, cutting away the carnal desires of our flesh and mortal
spirit.
We are accounted buried with Him in death when we're baptized with the Holy
Spirit; and also as risen with him, because of our faith in God's vindicated
Word, Which raised Him from the dead. (Colossians 3:3; Romans 8:11; Ephesians
2:6).
You were dead in your sins (or unbelief of your mind or spirit) and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, then God brought you to Life together with Jesus,
having forgiven you all trespasses; blotting out the charges proved against you:
the list of His Commandments you had not obeyed. He took this list and destroyed
it by nailing it to Christ's cross. There Christ took our place, and paid the
penalty for our sin.
In this way God took away Satan's power to accuse you of sin, and God openly
displayed to the whole world Christ's triumph at the cross where your sins were
all taken away.
So let no man judge you for what you eat, or drink, or in respect of Jewish
holydays and feasts, or of the new moon or sabbath days. For these were only
temporary rules, foreshadowing things to come, having only symbolic value; but
the body (or thing which cast the shadow) is the substance or reality of things
hoped for, and belongs to Christ (Colossians 2:9-17). radio034.html