I’m a Believer
I’m a Believer
By J.L. Robb
Everyone wants a ”sign”. Well, maybe not everyone. Some really do believe in God based purely on faith; but others who don’t believe, might if they just had a sign. I hear this a lot, ”show me the beef”. That was me 40 years ago.
Before I decided to do my own research, I knew most of the talking-points of the unbelieving crowd; but the more I researched, the more I realized there was plenty of beef. And one doesn’t have to look too diligently to find it.
Prophecy fulfillment was the proof of the pudding for me, but archeological discoveries over the last 200 years attest to the validity and accuracy of the Bible. Places and towns mentioned in the Bible from 3,500 years ago, towns that could not be verified as ever existing were discovered, including the possible remnants of Sodom and Gomorrah.
When John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Jeanne Dixon suddenly came to fame. In 1956, she predicted that the winner of the 1960 presidential election would be won by a democrat and the winner would be assassinated. When democrat John Kennedy won and was subsequently killed by an assassin’s bullets, Dixon’s fame soared. It was only later that the omitted facts (the devil’s in the details) became known. She admitted that she “saw” Richard Nixon as the winner and the assassination would occur in the president’s second term. Oops.
Then there’s Nostradamus. Prior to the infamous Mayan Apocalypse of December 21, 2012, the cable networks could not get enough of Michel do Nostredame, later shortened to Nostradamus. His accuracy was uncanny, eerie according to his fans. However, his predictions were wrapped in vagueness. He mentioned Hister, and his adoring fans 500 years later decided that Nosty must have meant Hitler. Hister sort of sounds like Hitler. Mississippi kind of sounds like Mrs. Hippy. Actually, Hister is a river in Germany; but let’s not confuse the fame with facts. Turns out Nostradamus’ accuracy rate ranged from 5% to 9%, depending on how many facts were omitted, about like everyone’s accuracy rate.
The ancient Jewish prophets on the other hand, not mentioned too much by the modern-day Church, were uncannily accurate if one calls 100% accuracy, uncanny. That was the first thing that got me hooked on the Bible. The second thing was the archeology.
Bible Archeology Review magazine is full of “proof” for those interested in researching. For instance, there is the Cyrus Cylinder.
King Cyrus was predicted to be the future king of Persia, 150 years before it happened, by Isaiah. You can read the story in Isaiah 40-45. Mentioning the future king not only by name, Isaiah also predicted his accomplishments and how Cyrus would free the Jewish people. It happened and can be verified.
Then there is the Moabite Stone,
But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. ~ 2 Kings 3:5 NIV
The Moabite Stone, also known as the Mesha Stele measures 2 feet x 4 feet and dates from approximately 850 BC. It details the story mentioned in the 2 Kings scripture above. Mesha was the King of Moab and was forced to pay tribute to Ahab, the seventh King of Israel. Ahab and his wife Jezebel were known for their nastiness. There’s even a song about King Ahab. When King Ahab died, King Mesha and the Moabites rebelled against Israel. Proof of the pudding. Until that time, scholars believed Moab was non-existent. The Moabite Stone resides in the Louvre.
What about this?
In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God. He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree. ~ 2 Kings 16: 1-4 NIV
Did King Ahaz really exist? Bible scholars of old wondered about Ahaz and other ancient Israeli kings or Judah kings mentioned in the Old Testament.
The King Ahaz Seal, now a part of the Schlomo Mosssaieff Collection in London, dates from the 8th century BC. The Hebrew inscription mentions the name of King Ahaz of Judah, as well as King Yehotam (Jotham), his father. There’s the beef.
There are many “proofs” like this, and the artifacts are stored in famous museums in Europe and Israel.
To the rabid unbeliever, DNA would not be enough evidence to convince them that the God of Abraham is not mythology. To a reasonable skeptic however, the archeology is pretty convincing.