All posts by RBWC

The Unmistakable Signature.

The Unmistakable Signature by the Divine hand.

One exceedingly, irrefutably and peerless aspect of Jesus of Nazareth’s life was that, literally hundreds of detailed foretelling and prophecies were made many centuries before He was born, such as the specific details regarding His birth, life, and death that no mere mortal could possibly have fulfilled. No imposter could have engineered such a fulfillment, for it required a sovereignty over circumstance that belongs to God alone.

The timing of His birth in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), the manner of His death among criminals yet without a broken bone (Psalm 22:16-18; Psalm 34:20), and the precise details of His betrayal for thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12-13) were events entirely outside the control of any mere man. They point to a providence that was superintending history itself, guiding it toward its climax in the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

The life and mission of Jesus of Nazareth stand as a divine telos – a purposeful fulfillment – of God’s Word, the Old Testament of the Bible. He displayed the exact features of the Messiah; He was, in His very person, the perfect and complete actualisation of the prophetic word, the living Logos who stepped into the narrative He Himself had authored.

The prophecies concerning the Messiah are a complex, divinely put together tapestry woven centuries in advance. They presented a profound theological paradox: a suffering servant who would be pierced for our transgressions (Isaiah 53) and yet a conquering king who would reign on David’s throne forever (2 Samuel 7:12-13). They foretold One, who would be both Divine (Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”) and human (Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”), both priest and sacrifice.

Therefore, the fulfillment of prophecy in Jesus of Nazareth is a powerful apologia – not merely as justification of a belief or evidence to be examined, but as a sign of God’s faithfulness to His covenant. It reveals a God who speaks promises into time and then, in the fullness of time (Galatians 4:4 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,”), enters time to keep them. In Jesus, all hope of all creation finds its yes and its amen in Him alone.

The Fulfillment of Prophecy – A Theological Testament of Divine Nature.

The fulfillment of prophecy is one of the multifaceted types of evidence for God. It rests on a central fundamental logical premise: the ability to predict or foretell specific, distant future events with 100% accuracy is impossible for humans, but not an issue for a transcendent Being outside of time. It is ultimately an argument from evidence that seeks to move from the observable fact of fulfilled prediction to the necessary conclusion of a Divine mind behind it.

The fulfilled prophecies are a collection of impressive foretelling that offers powerful compelling evidence of a profound form of Divine testimony. It’s a modality through which God chooses to reveal His character and authenticate His message. The meticulous fulfillment of specific prophecies moves beyond a logical argument for a generic deity and paints a vivid portrait of the God of the Bible, revealing His essential attributes in a historically grounded manner. They are the empirical evidence of this claim, proving a Mind unbounded by time and space.

God:

  1.  Knows the future (is Omniscience)
  2.  Controls history (is Omnipotent)
  3.  Communicates with humanity (is God of Revelation)
  4.  Keeps His promises (is Faithful)
  1. Knows the future (All knowing – Omniscience).

Prophecy as the Declaration of the End from the Beginning – a demonstration of Divine Omniscience. The human mind is fundamentally constrained by the linear progression of time. Our knowledge is inherently retrospective, pieced together from the past and projected into the future as mere probability and educated conjecture. Biblical prophecy stands in stunning opposition to this limitation, serving as a sovereign expression of God’s divine omniscience – His complete and all-embracing knowledge of all things, past, present, and future.

When the Scriptures record God announcing the specific name of Cyrus, a Persian king, centuries before his birth (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1), or detailing the precise rise, commercial ascendency, and ultimate destruction of the city of Tyre (Ezekiel 26:4), it does something far more significant than provide evidence. It demolishes the very constraint of time that binds all created beings. Such prophecies are not vague augury, open to interpretation; they are specific, historical, and verifiable. They represent a mode of knowledge that is utterly alien to humanity – the knowledge of One who exists outside the chronological time-based stream, for whom all moments are eternally present.

This is the profound truth declared in Isaiah 46:9-10:

“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:”

This passage reveals the inseparable link between God’s omniscience and His sovereignty:

i) The Nature of His Knowledge: God does not “foreknow” in the sense of calculating likely outcomes. He “declares the end from the beginning.” His knowledge is not learned or derived; it is intrinsic and creative. He speaks of future events not as possibilities, but as certainties because His knowledge is synonymous with His eternal decree. For God, the future is not a set of possibilities to be observed but a reality to be declared.

ii) The Purpose of His Declaration: This demonstration of omniscience here is fundamentally apophatic – it defines God by what He is not. There is none like Him. It shatters all rivals, whether the impotent idols of ancient times or the naturalistic philosophies of the modern age, which can only offer guesswork. It proves that the God of the Bible is the only true God, the uncaused Cause and the sovereign Lord of history.

iii) The Foundation of His Counsel: The certainty of prophecy is grounded in the immutability of God’s will – the revelation here is God’s sovereignty and is essentially cataphatic – defining God by what He is. His counsel “shall stand.” His omniscience is not passive observation but active determination. What He knows will happen is what He Himself has purposed to do. The future unfolds according to the perfect and unstoppable pleasure of His will.

Therefore, the fulfillment of specific, detailed prophecy is an astounding glimpse into the mind of God. It is the testimony of the Eternal One, breaking into our temporal existence to reveal that He alone holds the keys to history. In the ultimate fulfillment of prophecy – the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, foretold in minute detail – this Divine omniscience is put on full display for the salvation of all who would believe. It invites us to place our trust not in the uncertain tides of human history, but in the unwavering word of the God who sees the end from the beginning and holds all things in His hands.

2. Controls history (Sovereign).

The prophetic word of the Bible does more than merely make evident God’s omniscient knowledge of future events; it constitutes an authoritative and public unassailable assertion of His absolute sovereignty – His supreme authority and active control over all of history, nature, and the affairs of nations. To know the future with certainty is a profound attribute of Deity; to decree it and infallibly bring it to pass through the often-chaotic currents of human action is the sole prerogative of the One who reigns as King of kings.

Biblical Prophecy, therefore, is never merely passive foresight or detached prediction. It is an active declaration, a performative word that carries within it the power of its own fulfillment. The God of the Bible is the great “I AM” (Exodus 3:14), the one who speaks creation into being and who governs providence by the word of His power. He is not a distant observer peering through the veil of time but the sovereign Lord who “works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11).

The meticulous fulfillment of the prophecies against the Phoenician city of Tyre serves as a canonical case study in this Divine governance. The ambitions of powerful conquerors like Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander the Great – men who saw themselves as architects of their own destiny – were, in the divine economy, ‘unsuspecting’ instruments in the hand of the Almighty. Their campaigns, strategies, and victories were superintended to accomplish a judgment God had declared years prior. This staggering and confounding reality affirms the profound truth of Proverbs 21:1: “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. The most powerful human agents are, in the end, secondary causes, their own free wills mysteriously and perfectly compatible with the primary cause of God’s sovereign decree.

Thus, prophecy and its fulfillment bear witness that human history is not a meaningless sequence of random events, nor is it driven solely by blind fate or purely human agency. It is, rather, a grand and coherent narrative authored by God. It is His-story, moving with purpose and inexorable certainty toward its intended culmination: the final establishment of His kingdom and the glorification of God the Son, Jesus Christ, before whom every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11 “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”). This sovereign control is the bedrock of our hope, assuring us that no power of hell, no scheme of man, can ultimately thwart the redemptive purposes of the One who declares the end from the beginning.

  1. Communicates with humanity (Revelation).

The gracious act of Divine revelation: at its heart, the singularity of prophecy is not first about foreknowledge or control, but about God’s communication with humanity. It is a profound act of divine condescension, where the matchless, transcendent God, in His infinite grace, chooses not to remain silent, hidden in the unutterable light of His own perfection. Instead, He stoops to reveal His eternal counsels, His holy nature, and His glorious redemptive purpose to His creation. This self-disclosure is an act of love, a bridging of the chasm between the Creator and the creature, making the incomprehensible unknowable known.

This divine communication is the very foundation upon which faith is built. As the Bible declares, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17. The intricate prophecies concerning the Messiah – from the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15) and the line of Judah (Genesis 49:10) to the suffering servant who would be pierced for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:5)—were not given as cryptic puzzles: they were a divinely-authored rubric, a heavenly criterion given in advance by which the true Christ could be unmistakably identified and recognised. They provided the objective benchmark against which all claims to messiahship must be measured.

This pattern of promise and fulfillment establishes the Bible not as a mere human book of spiritual speculation or religious sentiment, but as the attested, verified and authoritative record of God’s self-disclosure. It is theopneustos – God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16) – and its Divine origin is authenticated by its Divine fulfillment. By performing His own words in the theatre of history, God vindicates His message and validates His messengers. He invites not blind belief but warranted trust. He speaks, and as His words come to pass with precision and power, He shows forth His character: He is both truthful in His utterance and trustworthy in His promises. This creates a sure foundation for the sinner’s faith, for if God can be trusted with the most intricate details of history, He can certainly be trusted with the eternal security of the soul.

  1. Keeps His promises (Faithfulness).

At its theological core, biblical prophecy is Covenant language it is not merely divine foretelling, but the solemn utterance of a God who bounds Himself by oath to His people. In His prophecies, God stakes His very character on His promises. The fulfillment of prophecy, therefore, stands as the ultimate evidence of God’s unwavering faithfulness – a faithfulness that emanates from His immutable nature (Malachi 3:6a “For I am the Lord, I change not;) and is the bedrock of His relationship with creation.”

Throughout Scripture, God’s covenantal dealings with humanity form the framework of His prophetic speech. When He pronounces judgment, it is a direct response to covenant faithlessness, a righteous upholding of the holy terms and conditions established. When He promises restoration, a new heart, and a New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34), He is not merely altering course; He is demonstrating His commitment to His original covenant purposes in the face of human failure. His word is bond, ensuring that His promises will not return void (Isaiah 55:11).

The arrival of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of hundreds of intricate Messianic prophecies is the supreme historical act of this Divine faithfulness. In the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, God was personally honouring the covenant promises made centuries earlier. He was fulfilling the pledge to Abraham that through his offspring all nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 22:18). He was establishing the throne of David’s greater Son forever (2 Samuel 7:12-13; Luke 1:32-33).

Thus, every fulfilled prophecy serves as a Divine down payment—a first installment and guarantee of God’s trustworthiness. If God has been meticulously faithful in fulfilling specific prophecies concerning the Messiah’s first coming – details beyond human control like His lineage, birthplace, and manner of death—then believers have an unshakeable foundation for hope. This track record of faithfulness assures us that His promises yet awaiting fulfillment—the return of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the final judgment, and the restoration of all things—are equally 100% certain.

The God of prophecy is a Covenant-Keeper. His fulfilled word is the stronghold for the believer’s confidence, providing the certainty that He who began a good work will bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6). Our hope is not wishful thinking, but the confident expectation grounded in the validated faithfulness of the Promise-Maker, who has proven, time and again, that He is utterly trustworthy.

In a world of uncertainty, the fulfilled prophetic word of God provides an unshakeable foundation for faith, assuring believers that the God who spoke truly in the past will likewise be faithful to His word in the future.

The Inference Concerning Fulfilled Prophecy:

The fact of fulfilled biblical prophecy – particularly those oracles which involve specific, non-obvious foretelling concerning individuals, nations, and events centuries removed from their declaration—carries profound theological implications. It stands as a unique form of Divine communication that fundamentally distinguishes the God of the Bible, from all finite beings and impotent idols. When such predictions are meticulously documented and later fulfilled with precise historical and Christological accuracy, they point unequivocally to a source of knowledge that transcends the temporal order. Human knowledge is inherently retrospective, inductive, and constrained by time; divine prophecy is prospective, revelatory, and unconstrained by temporal sequence.

This attribute of foreknowledge necessitates a perspective external to the flow of history – from a vantage point from which all moments are eternally present. The only entity that corresponds to such a description is a transcendent, sovereign, and omniscient God. He is the “High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity” (Isaiah 57:15), for whom a thousand years are as a day (Psalm 90:4 “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.”; 2 Peter 3:8 “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”). His omnipresence encompasses all times and places, His omnipotence ensures the effective execution of His will, and His omniscience perceives the end from the beginning. Thus, prophecy is not merely God speaking about the future; it is the eternal God speaking from outside time into time, revealing His sovereign purpose and foreknowledge.

Accurate prophecy, therefore, serves as a powerful witness to the supernatural origin of the Bible and the unique divinity of God. It demonstrates an attribute that belongs exclusively to God – comprehensive knowledge of future contingencies and including free-will human actions. This supernatural knowledge authenticates both the message and the Messenger. It confirms that the Bible is not a product of human speculation but the inspired revelation of the eternal God. Every fulfilled prophecy—from the rise and fall of empires, to the birth, death, and resurrection of the Messiah – functions as a Divine signature, verifying God’s authority, faithfulness, and lordship over history.

The Implication of Biblical prophecy which involves very specific, non-obvious predictions about people, places, and events far in the future times centuries later is such that when all specific predictions are documented and then later fulfilled with precise accuracy, it points to a source of knowledge that is not limited by time that requires a perspective from outside our temporal stream.
The only entity that fits this description is a transcendent, omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient God who exists outside of time, (as time is created by Him) and can sovereignly orchestrate history to bring His declarations to pass. Accurate prophecy demonstrates supernatural knowledge, which is a key attribute of God.

**Historical Note

The Prophecies Concerning Cyrus

Prophecy: Around 700 BC, the prophet Isaiah named Cyrus (Isaiah 44:28, 45:1) as the king who would decree that Jerusalem and the Temple should be rebuilt. At the time of the prophecy, Jerusalem was still standing and the Jewish exile had not even happened yet.
· Fulfillment: Approximately 150 years later, Cyrus the Great, emperor of Persia, conquered Babylon. In 538 BC, he issued a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple (2 Chronicles 36:22-23, Ezra 1). A specific king, by name, was predicted a century and a half before his birth to perform a very specific, non-obvious action.

The Destruction of Tyre.

Prophecy: The prophet Ezekiel (around 590-570 BC) predicted the complete destruction of the powerful island city of Tyre (Ezekiel 26). The prophecy was incredibly detailed: multiple nations would come against it, the city would be leveled, its rubble would be thrown into the sea, and it would become a “bare rock” where fishermen would spread their nets. It would “never be rebuilt.”
· Fulfillment: This was fulfilled in stages over 250 years by Nebuchadnezzar and later Alexander the Great. Alexander famously built a causeway to the island using the rubble from the demolished mainland city, precisely fulfilling the prophecy. The site of ancient Tyre remains a bare rock to this day.

Some Common Counter-Arguments raised by skeptics.

  1. “Prophecies were written after the events happened (“vaticinium ex eventu” – a historiographical term referring to a prophecy written after the author already had information about the events being “foretold”).”

Answer:  This is a historical-critical argument.  Rigorous textual criticism and archaeological evidence support the early dating of many prophetic texts. Moreover, independent historical sources often corroborate the events cited as fulfillments.

Robust scholarship and dating of manuscripts (like the Dead Sea Scrolls, which contain copies of Isaiah predating Christ by 100+ years) provide convincing evidence that the prophecies were indeed written centuries before their fulfillment.

  1. “The prophecies are vague and can be interpreted to fit many events.”

Answer: Many prophecies are remarkably specific, detailing names, locations, and timelines that make coincidental fulfillment highly improbable. Furthermore, established hermeneutical principles guide interpretation, minimising subjective bias.

Moreover, powerful examples are highly specific (e.g., naming Cyrus, the details of Tyre’s destruction, and the precise details of Christ’s death).

  1. The fulfillments are the result of deliberate action.

Answer: The sheer volume and specificity of the fulfilled prophecies make this not possible. Furthermore, some prophecies (like the rise of a specific king or the fate of a city) are far beyond any individual’s ability to deliberately fulfill.

  1. The New Testament writers manipulated the story of Jesus to fit the Old Testament prophecies.

Answer: Key details of Jesus’s life (like his birthplace, lineage, and especially his resurrection) were beyond his or his followers’ control to fabricate. The only explanation is that Jesus’ life was a deliberate fulfillment.

5, “It’s just coincidence or good guessing.”

Answer: The sheer volume and specificity of fulfilled prophecies, particularly those concerning Jesus Christ, defies any reasonable appeal to chance, and render a purely coincidental explanation statistically a statistical Impossibility: Mathematicians have calculated the probability of one man fulfilling just a selection of the major Messianic prophecies as astronomically small—far beyond the realm of chance.

Postscript:

The fulfillment of biblical prophecy is strong evidence for the Divine origin of the Bible. It points to a God who exists outside of time, who sovereignly governs history, and who has revealed His plan through His prophets. The objections, while intellectually serious, can be answered with robust historical, textual, and theological reasoning. The cumulative case presents a compelling reason to trust that the God who said, “I will do all that I please” (Isaiah 46:10), has done exactly that in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

The Purpose of Bible Prophecy.

The Purpose and Testimony of Biblical Prophecy: Divine Sovereignty and Self-Revelation.

The wonder of Bible prophecy offering a profound justification for the existence and character of the one true God, it’s a primary mode of God’s self-disclosure, revealing His eternal nature and His absolute sovereignty over all creation. Through the fulfilled prophetic word, we are taught that there is a God who not only exists but who actively reigns, orchestrating the entirety of human history according to the counsel of His will.

The purpose of prophecy is explicitly declared in Scripture. In Isaiah 46:9-10, the Lord Himself proclaims His unique divinity through this very lens:

“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

This passage reveals the dual purpose of prophecy:

1. To Reveal God’s Incomparable Nature:  He is the only God, utterly unique (sui generis) and without rival. His ability to declare the end from the beginning is an overwhelming attribute of His deity – a function of His omniscience, setting Him entirely apart from the impotent idols of human imagination.  God demonstrates that He alone is the “I AM” (Exodus 3:14), the self-existent One for whom all times are eternally present.

2. To Assert God’s Sovereignty Decree:  Prophecy is the tangible expression of God’s sovereign will. His counsel – His eternal, pre-ordained plan – is immutable and unstoppable. He does not merely foresee the future; He sovereignly decrees and infallibly brings it to pass through His providence, ensuring that His perfect pleasure is accomplished.  The fulfillment of prophecy is therefore the historical verification of the efficacy of the Divine will. What He has purposed, He will perform (Isaiah 14:24 “The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:”).

In Isaiah 48:3-5, God elaborates on His motive for giving prophecy:

“I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass. Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.”

Here, prophecy functions as a preemptive vindication of God’s glory. It is a divine strategy to eliminate any possible grounds for attributing the mighty acts of salvation and judgment to any false god or human agency. By announcing His actions beforehand, God secures for Himself the sole credit, proving that history is neither a series of random accidents nor the product of pagan fate, but the unfolding narrative of His redemptive plan.

Thus, fulfilled biblical prophecies authenticates God’s Word as Divinely inspired and stands as a public vindication of God’s trustworthiness.

The fulfillment of prophecy is far more than an intellectual proof; it is a divine testimony that engages our faith. When the predictions declared by God centuries in advance find their precise and literal fulfillment—most perfectly and comprehensively in the person, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—we are confronted with an undeniable reality. We can know with certainty that the God of the Bible exists, that He is in ultimate control of all events, and that His Word is utterly trustworthy. This knowledge invites not merely intellectual assent, but a posture of humble faith, worshipful trust, and confident hope in the God who holds the beginning, the end, and every moment in between.

The Virgin Birth Foretold.

In the 8th century B(efore)C(hrist), through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord Almighty issued a divine sign, it was a portent of God’s imminent intervention. “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”  Isaiah 7:14

For seven and a half centuries, this oracle’s echoes reverberated throughout the corridors of Israel’s history, a mystery awaiting its full revelation. Its ultimate meaning was veiled, a depth of meaning known fully only to God Himself.

Then, in the fullness of time, the eternal Word broke into human history. The angel Gabriel was sent not to a queen in a palace, but to a young virgin in Nazareth named Mary, (thereby emphasising the divine initiative grounded not in human merit but in grace), who announced to her that she would bear a son who would be called Immanuel, which means “God with us.” The angel’s announcement directly invoked the Isaianic prophecy, but now with its meaning unveiled: the child would indeed be called Immanuel.

The New Testament tells us that: “Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” Mary’s question is the critical pivot point of salvation history. It is the human question that necessitates a Divine answer. Her virginity is not a peripheral detail but the very heart of the theological truth being revealed.

“And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:34-35. The language is profoundly theological. The Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, is the active agent in this conception, ensuring that the child is not born of human will or agency, but from God. The term “overshadow” (episkiazo) evokes the Shekinah glory of God – the same Divine presence that “overshadowed” the Tabernacle in the wilderness (Exodus 40:35) – it is as if Mary becomes the new Ark of the Covenant, the holy vessel bearing the very presence of God.

In the person of Jesus Christ, God is not merely among us, or for us in a distant way; in the most intimate and tangible way possible, God is with us. The prophecy is thus transformed from a promise of God’s accompaniment into the stunning reality of His Incarnation.

The Fulfillment of Prophecies: The Divine Signature.

The fulfillment of prophecies recorded in the Old Testament – there are over 300 specific prophecies about the Messiah in the Old Testament that were fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.

(Jesus Himself accepted and owned the title “Jesus of Nazareth” as an accurate label for who He was. During His exchange with Saul on the road to Damascus, the resurrected Jesus declared “… I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.” Acts 22:8b. Jesus chose these same words to identify Himself post-resurrection.

Jesus possesses both a Divine nature and a human nature in one person. Jesus is fully God and fully man: united in one person without mixing or losing either nature. God the Son took on human flesh – the Incarnation.

Jesus had two faculties of knowledge. In His Divine nature, He knew all things. He is God omniscient. As the Author of All Things, He did not need instruction. Jesus is God from before time began. Uncreated, without beginning or end. There was never a time when Christ “became” God. He always “is” God and always was.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.” John 1:1-2 

In His human nature, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary and became man. Jesus could grow and learn, because it is not in human nature to know all things from the beginning. After Jesus was found in the temple by Mary and Joseph, and returned home with them, Scripture says : “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”

Yet He did not relinquish any of His Divine attributes. He possessed them all continuously.)

Jesus’ own claims. In the New Testament, Jesus is shown as both understanding and declaring Himself to be the Messiah. A pivotal moment is recounted in John 4:25-26 when Jesus unequivocally and unambiguously confirms his messiahship in a conversation with a Samaritan woman at the well. When she spoke of the coming Messiah, Jesus’ response was:  “I that speak unto thee am he.” This declaration, among others, is clear evidence of Jesus’ self-awareness of His messianic role and mission. This direct claim is one of several instances where Jesus affirms His messianic identity.

There are many other occasions where Jesus and the apostles themselves referred to Old Testament passages as pointing to him. For example, Jesus teaching that the Scriptures testify about Him (John 5:39) and on the cross, Jesus quoting from Psalm 22; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for instance, often quoted Old Testament prophecies and relate them directly to events in Jesus’ life, such as his birth, miracles, crucifixion, and resurrection.

Prophecies with clear Messianic description that provided distinct characteristics such as lineage (descendant of David), birthplace (Bethlehem), timing of arrival, and actions (suffering servant) aligned closely with the life and ministry of Jesus. Jesus’ role as the suffering servant is central to His messianic mission. Jesus states in Mark 10:45 “ For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.  This sacrificial aspect of His mission is seen as the fulfillment of the redemptive work foretold in the Old Testament. Many other passages explicitly cited in the New Testament as fulfilled by Jesus.

Prophecies given centuries before Jesus’ birth that match specific historical precise details about Jesus such as the place of birth in Bethlehem, coming from the tribe of Judah, suffering and death by crucifixion, is never ever coincidental.

28 Prophecies Fulfilled on the Day of Jesus’ Crucifixion.

 

Mathematical probability.

Quote:

“For one person to fulfill just 8 prophecies We find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 1017 (1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000).

Stoner went on to calculate the probability of one person fulfilling 48 prophecies: 1 in 10157.

Peter Stoner’s Method of Calculations Regarding Messianic Prophecy. https://christinprophecy.org/articles/applying-the-science-of-probability-to-the-scriptures/

In case you’re questioning whether Professor Stoner’s math was wrong, H. Harold Hartzler, PhD, of the American Scientific Affiliation, Goshen College, writes in the forward of Stoner’s book:

The manuscript for Science Speaks has been carefully reviewed by a committee of the American Scientific Affiliation members and by the Executive Council of the same group and has been found, in general, to be dependable and accurate in regard to the scientific material presented. The mathematical analysis included is based upon principles of probability which are thoroughly sound and Professor Stoner has applied these principles in a proper and convincing way.”  https://nickcady.org/2020/02/18/the-statistical-probability-of-jesus-fulfilling-the-messianic-prophecies/

Unquote

If fulfilling 48 direct prophecies is essentially impossible for any human being through chance alone, what does that say about Jesus?” that one individual could fulfill multiple detailed prophecies from of ancient times, making the case that these fulfillments compellingly validating Divine foretelling, as prophesied in the Old Testament.

Imperative and central points:

  • Statistical Improbability: The mathematical odds of one person fulfilling even a small number of these prophecies by chance are astronomically low, which is why they are considered powerful evidence for the case for Christ Jesus.
  • Messianic Interpretation: These passages of the Bible has been spiritually and messianically fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth.
  • Purpose: These prophecies were not merely predictions but a divine plan revealed way in advance, showing that God planed and worked out history for the redemption of humanity through Jesus Christ.

The primary evidence that Jesus was the promised Messiah. 

Here are some of the most significant and compelling fulfilled prophecies they foretold and fulfilled, categorised by the aspect of Jesus’s life.

  1. Concerning Jesus’ Birth & Lineage.
Old Testament Prophecies Fulfillment in the New Testament Implication
Born of a virgin
Isaiah 7:14 ” Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Matthew 1:22-23
Luke 1:26-35
Confirms a miraculous, divine origin, setting Jesus totally apart from all other human beings.
Born in Bethlehem
Micah 5:2 ” 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.”
Matthew 2:1-6
Luke 2:4-7
Pinpoints the exact, on the face of it, an insignificant town of Jesus’ birth, despite His parents living in Nazareth. Bethlehem is about 164 km from Nazareth.
From the line of Abraham & David
Genesis 12:3; 2 Samuel 7:12-13; Isaiah 11:1-10 

 

From the Tribe of Judah Genesis 49:10

 

 

Spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt have I called my son.”Hosea 11:1

Matthew 1:1-17
Luke 3:23-38
Romans 1:3 

Luke 3:33; Hebrews 7:14

 

Matthew 2:14-15

Establishes Jesus legal and royal right to the throne of David as the promised Messiah.

 

His specific tribal lineage.

 

 

Jesus’ family would flee to Egypt (Herod wanted to kill all children 2 yrs and under) and later return.

 

  1. Concerning Jesus’ Ministry and Life.
Old Testament Prophecies Fulfillment in the New Testament Implication
Preceded by a messenger
Isaiah 40:3-5 “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord…'”
Matthew 3:1-3
John 1:23
John the Baptist perfectly fulfilled this role, preparing for Jesus’s ministry.
Ministry in Galilee
Isaiah 9:1-2 “…but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan— The people walking in darkness have seen a great light…”
Matthew 4:12-16 Jesus’s primary ministry was centered in the region of Galilee, exactly as prophesied.
Would perform miracles
Isaiah 35:5-6 ” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.”
Matthew 11:4-5
John 11:47
Jesus miraculous healing ministry was a direct sign that He was the expected Messiah.
Would teach in parables
Psalm 78:2 “I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:”
Matthew 13:34-35 Jesus distinctive teaching style, many in parables, was foreseen.
Would enter Jerusalem on a donkey
Zechariah 9:9  “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 an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”
Matthew 21:1-11
John 12:12-16
This was a deliberate, public act by Jesus to declare His messianic kingship in humility and peace.
  1. Concerning Jesus’ Betrayal, Suffering, and Death.

This category contains some of the most stunningly specific prophecies.

Old Testament Prophecies Fulfillment in the New Testament Implication/Remarks
Betrayed by a friend
Psalm 41:9  “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”
Matthew 26:14-16, 47-50
John 13:18
The stinging betrayal by Judas, one of Jesus’ twelve closest disciples, was foreknown.
Sold for 30 pieces of silver
Zechariah 11:12b – 13b “..So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.” “…And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord.”
Matthew 26:14-15 (price)
Matthew 27:3-10 (money used to buy potter’s field)
The exact price of Jesus’ betrayal was foretold and its subsequent use.
Forsaken by His disciples
Zechariah 13:7 “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.”
Matthew 26:31, 56 At Jesus’ arrest, all of His disciples fled, abandoning Him.
Falsely accused
Psalm 35:11 “False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.”.”
Matthew 26:59-61 The dishonest trials of Jesus relied on false witnesses.
Silent before His accusers
Isaiah 53:7 “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.”
Matthew 27:12-14 Jesus answered nothing in His own defense before Pontius Pilate.
Beaten, mocked, and spat upon
Isaiah 50:6 “I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.”
Matthew 26:67, 27:26, 30 The physical abuse Jesus endured was detailed centuries in advance.
Pierced hands and feet

Psalm 22:16 “For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.”

John 19:18, 37, 20:25-27 Crucifixion was a Roman invention, yet this specific form of execution was described hundreds of years before it existed.
Crucified with criminals
Isaiah 53:12b “…because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
Matthew 27:38 Jesus was placed between two thieves.
Gambled for His garments
Psalm 22:18 “They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.”
John 19:23-24 A specific, ostensibly minor detail that was fulfilled exactly.
Given vinegar to drink
Psalm 69:21 “They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”
John 19:28-30 This happened while Jesus was on the cross.
No bones broken
Psalm 34:20 “He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.” Exodus 12:46 (Passover Lamb)
John 19:33-36 Unlike the two thieves, the Roman soldiers did not break Jesus’s legs to speed death. This also connects Him to the Passover Lamb.
Pierced side
Zechariah 12:10b “…and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced,”
John 19:34 A Roman soldier pierced Jesus’ side with a spear to confirm death.
Buried in a rich man’s tomb
Isaiah 53:9 “He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death…”
Matthew 27:57-60 A rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who was Jesus’ disciple,  laid Jesus in his own new tomb.
  1. Concerning Jesus’ Resurrection and Glory.
Old Testament Prophecies Fulfillment in the New Testament Implication
Resurrected from the dead
Psalm 16:10 “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”Isaiah 53:10
Matthew 28:1-10
Acts 2:22-32
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 Acts 10:40
The resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate validation of Jesus’ identity and is the core of the Christian faith.
Ascended to God’s right hand
Psalm 110:1 “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”
Acts 1:9, 2:33-35
Hebrews 1:3
Jesus now reigns in a position of ultimate authority.

More detailed list of prophecies fulfilled -> https://believersportal.com/360-plus-old-testament-prophecies-fulfilled-in-jesus-christ/

The Divine Authentication.

The identity of Jesus of Nazareth as the long-promised Messiah finds its ultimate confirmation not only in the alignment of His life with the prophetic scriptures of the Old Testament, nor solely in the apostolic testimony of the New, but decisively in the sovereign act of God in raising Him from the dead.

The resurrection stands as the divine seal of approval upon His person and work, the culminating vindication without which the message of the Gospel would collapse into mere spiritual speculation (1 Corinthians 15:14 “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.”). It is the objective, historical event that constitutes the very cornerstone of the Christian faith, transforming the crucifixion from a tragic execution into the victorious atoning sacrifice for sin.

The empty tomb and the post-resurrection appearances of Christ to His disciples serve as the incontrovertible evidence of this Divine intervention. 

See also https://rainbowwonderchoices.com/thoughts/why-jesus-resurrection-matters-greatly-and-its-impact-is-for-eternity/

In these encounters, the risen Jesus did not merely resume His previous mode of existence; He manifested His glorified humanity, now freed from the limitations of corruption and death. Crucially, He accepted acts of worship (Matthew 28:9; John 20:28), a prerogative reserved for God alone (Exodus 34:14a “For thou shalt worship no other god:”), thereby affirming the astonishing truth of His divine nature. Throughout His ministry, He had already demonstrated authority that belonged exclusively to God – forgiving sins directly (Mark 2:7; Luke 7:48) and applying the sacred divine name “I AM” (ἐγώ εἰμι, ego eimi) to Himself (John 8:58). The resurrection is God the Father’s powerful, public declaration that these claims were true. It is the Divine “Amen” to the Son’s perfect obedience, ratifying the efficacy of His atoning death and proclaiming His total victory over the powers of sin, death, and Satan (Romans 1:4; Colossians 2:15).

Furthermore, the Ascension of Jesus, recorded in Acts 1:9-11, is not a mere epilogue to the resurrection but its necessary theological consummation. In His glorious ascent, the incarnate Son returned to the heavenly glory He shared with the Father from eternity (John 17:5). This act represents His final and full vindication, a coronation ceremony confirming His installation as the reigning King at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:3; Psalm 110:1). The Ascension validates the absolute sufficiency of His cross, demonstrating that the penalty for sin had been once and for all fully paid, and that the purified conscience of the believer now has bold access to the very throne of grace (Hebrews 1:3; 10:19-22).

By ascending, Christ did not abandon His people but entered heaven as their forerunner and eternal High Priest (Hebrews 6:20), where He continually intercedes for them (Romans 8:34) and administrates His kingdom through the sending of the Holy Spirit (John 16:7; Acts 2:33). The promise of His return in the same manner as He departed (Acts 1:11) secures the Christian hope, affirming that the same Jesus, who is both fully God and fully man, will come again to judge the living and the dead and to fully establish His messianic reign over a new heaven and a new earth.

Thus, the resurrection and ascension together form the twin pillars of divine authentication. They declare with power that Jesus Christ is Lord, the unique Son of God, the promised Messiah, and the Saviour of the world, to the glory of God the Father.

The Symphonic Revelation of the Messiah.

Therefore, the case for Jesus of Nazareth is not a mere assemblage of facts, but a symphonic convergence – a multi-dimensional divine revelation and testimony, orchestrated by the Holy Spirit across the grand arc of salvation history, to bear witness to the glory of the eternal Son. In this divine opus, each element finds its telos and its full power only in its harmonic relation to the whole.

The prophecies of the Old Covenant – the Old Testament, form the divinely-composed score, its themes of sacrifice, kingship, and redemption written by the ‘finger’ of God across centuries. The Resurrection is the symphony’s overwhelming eschatological crescendo—God the Father’s and God the Holy Spirit’s mighty amen to God the Son’s finished work, the public vindication of His claims, and the first fruits of the new creation, shattering the tyranny of sin and death. One God in Three Persons. (The description concerning God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit as revealed in Scripture, in the Trinity shows the ‘relationships dimension’ within the ONE GOD-head). The redeemed and transformed lives of the saints are the symphony’s ongoing performance across the nations, a living testament (2 Corinthians 3:3 “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.”) that this music possesses transformative, sanctifying power.

And at the center, Jesus’ own person and claims are the Conductor and the Logos—the unifying Word who gives meaning to every note. He is the revelation of the Godhead, the perfect icon of the invisible Father (Colossians 1:15), in whom the fullness of Deity dwells bodily (Colossians 2:9). This symphony ultimately reveals His hypostatic (where human and Divine natures are united) reality: truly God and truly man, the sole Mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5).

This symphonic convergence engages the whole person: it appeals to the intellect through history, stirs the heart through experience, and recalibrates the soul to the ultimate reality of God’s kingdom. Consequently, it issues not a mere call for intellectual assent, but a summons to participatory faith—a vocation to step out of the audience, to take up one’s cross, and to join the performance. It is an invitation to become a living note, indwelt by the Spirit, in the everlasting song of redemption with echoes that reverberate throughout the corridors of heaven, to the praise of His glorious grace (Ephesians 1:6 “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”, 12  “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.” , 14 “Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”).

Theological Conclusion: 

i) How does this impact you, if you have not reconciled with God while still living on planet Earth?

The fulfillment of prophecies is a direct and personal message with eternal implications from God to you. It is His proof that He is the only real and genuine God – His Word is true. This is a challenging message, which focus on human response to prophetic warnings and promises; there’s the consequences of our choices – as our decisions made today shape our reality tomorrow.

God’s offer of salvation is both urgent and genuine – it removes all excuses and reveals God who has been reaching out to you all these whiles.

There is a faithful promise-keeping God who has the ultimate power, and the fulfillment of prophecy is a testament to that fact. Fulfilled prophecies are among one of the strongest types of evidence for the credibility of the Bible, the revealed Word of God Himself; it isn’t merely human in origin. (2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”) Its Author knows the end from the beginning.

This means the Bible message about you and your need for a Saviour is true and trustworthy. It truly means that Jesus is ‘Who He claimed to Be’, and we ignore Jesus’s claims at our own eternal peril. The whole Old Testament reference and points to a coming Messiah. Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled over 300 specifics, precise prophecies mentioned in the Old Testament. As we have seen, the statistical odds of one person fulfilling even 48 by chance of the prophecies is already astronomically not possible.

Jesus provided the ultimate proof as who He claimed to Be, by satisfying everything written about Him – this completely validates His authority and His exclusive claims: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6. God tells us “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

The most important question is: ” How will you respond to the God who came to save you?” (Remember the Bible reveals to us that Jesus is both fully God and fully man.)

It also means God’s judgement and mercy are real. Prophecies are about blessings and justice. God fulfilled prophecies of judgement against sin and rebellion proves that He takes sin seriously. God’s judgement on sin fell on Jesus on the Cross, so that HIs mercy could be offered to you. The fulfilled prophecy of the Cross guarantee that forgiveness is available. And God will fulfil the future prophecies of final judgement on men who don’t repent of their sin and receive His offer of salvation and while alive on earth.

Matthew 25:41 – “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:”

Revelation 20:10 – And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Revelation 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Revelation 14:11 – And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

See also https://rainbowwonderchoices.com/thoughts/destiny/destiny/passages-in-the-bible-where-jesus-warns-about-hell-and-the-lake-of-fire/

The corollary is, you are not lost by accident but by your own choice – And praise be to God, that can change.

You are lost because, like all of us, you have chosen to go your own way. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6 The colossus, gigantic signpost from God saying ‘The way home to heaven is here, and it is true is from the fulfilled prophecies.

The accomplishment of the fulfillment of prophecies is God’s gracious gift of rock-solid evidence – it is meant to crush skepticism, confirms truth and lovingly compels anyone to turn from being lost to being found – the choice is yours, and the ball is NOW at your feet.

God said TODAY is the time/day of salvation. “(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)” 2 Corinthians 6:2.

We must not wait too long as tomorrow is never promised.

Jesus of Nazareth is the One to whom the Law and the Prophets pointed, the One anointed by God to redeem, restore all things and to reign forever and ever. To encounter Christ is to encounter the living God who knows the end from the beginning, sovereignly rules over all things, has perfectly revealed Himself, and remains faithful to His promises for all eternity.

The marvel and wonder of fulfilled prophecies in the person of Jesus Christ function not as a mere historical footnote, but as a divinely-constructed bridge from empirical evidence to transformative encounter. It is a means of grace whereby God invites us to perceive all of history as His-story; a sovereignly ordained narrative culminating in the revelation of His Son. In Christ, the scattered threads of prophetic utterance find their perfect coherence and telos; He is the living, breathing fulfillment, the ultimate Yes and Amen to all God’s promises.

Therefore, the evidence of fulfilled prophecy issues a summons that transcends intellectual curiosity not just of intellectual assent, it demands a response of faith trust, and worship – a whole-hearted trust in the person and work of the One who was foretold. It calls for worship—the only fitting posture for a creature in the presence of their Redeemer-King.

The messianic identity of Jesus of Nazareth, attested by these prophecies, is the very instrument through which God accomplishes our eternal salvation.

This salvation is far more than a legal transaction; it is a cosmic deliverance from the tyranny of sin, eternal punishment, and alienation. Through His atoning sacrifice, Christ secures for us reconciliation with the Father, shattering the chains of the manacles of enmity, that separated us from God (Romans 5:10-11 “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.”) He offers not just a prolonged existence, but the promise of eternal life—a participation in the very life of God Himself, beginning now and consummated in glory for all eternity – without end.

ii) How to be saved and have eternal life with God in heaven before our sojourn on earth ends. 

In His merciful self-disclosure, God has graciously made known the way of redemption. This divine revelation, encapsulated in the living and active Word of God, illumine the path from condemnation to a glorious eternal existence in God’s presence. It proclaims that the free gift of salvation – the full forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with a holy God – is not attained through human striving, merit, or works of the law. It is, from first to last, a sovereign act of divine grace, received through the instrument of faith alone, in the person and finished work of Christ alone. As God unequivocally declares, via His revealed Word, the Bible: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9. This foundational truth demolishes all human boasting and establishes salvation firmly upon the mercy and grace of God.

The required human response is thus not one of achievement, but of reception. To all who receive Him – who entrust themselves to His person and authority – He grants the irrevocable right to become children of God (John 1:12). This adoption is not merely a legal status but a transformative reality, by which believers are made “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17), securing their inheritance of eternal life as promised (Titus 3:7).

Therefore, the biblical principles regarding what a person must do to be saved are not a ‘set of steps to be performed’, but a posture of the heart to be assumed. This posture consists of:

  • Repentance: A Spirit-wrought turning away from sin and self-directedness, acknowledging one’s need for a Saviour (Acts 3:19).

  • Faith: A whole-hearted trust in and reliance upon the Lord Jesus Christ—embracing His atoning death as the full payment for sin and His resurrection as the guarantee of our justification (Romans 10:9).

  • Confession: The acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as Lord, both privately in belief and publicly in life and word (Romans 10:9-10).

This is the gracious invitation extended to all: to cease striving and to rest entirely upon the work of Christ, who is the sole mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5), and in doing so, to pass from death into life (John 5:24).

God has thus revealed to us through His Word on how we may receive the forgiveness of our sin and be reconciled to Him and be heirs of salvation.

May the Almighty God bless you.

See also the link below. https://rainbowwonderchoices.com/thoughts/fascinating-facts-about-human-dna-length/

August 31, 2025

Dr. Cheong Kok Weng

The Creator God: From Cosmology to Consciousness, Reason, Science, … the Evidence for a Divine Mind.

The Creator God – the more prominent arguments for Divine existence.

The existence of God has been a pivotal question in philosophy and theology for millennia and numerous rational arguments have been advanced to demonstrate that belief in a Creator God is coherent, well-grounded and intellectually compelling.

God did not call us to commit intellectual suicide, in fact God tell humans to reason, He said “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord:…” Isaiah 1:18a

The foregoing arguments for God’s existence each, contributes to a cumulative case for a necessary, intelligent, and morally perfect First Cause – God.

  1. The Cosmological Argument: The Necessity of a First Cause.

Premise: Everything that begins to exist has a cause. The universe began to exist.
Conclusion: Therefore, the universe must have a cause, an uncaused, necessary being (God).

This argument, articulated by thinkers like Thomas Aquinas and refined by modern philosophers, posits that an infinite regress of causes is impossible. There must be a metaphysically necessary being – one that exists by its own nature – to explain why there is something rather than nothing. This being is identified as God: timeless, spaceless, immaterial, and absolutely powerful.

Theological Implication: God is the uncaused Cause, the foundational reality upon which all contingent beings depend.

God revealed to us:

“God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.” Acts 17:24-28

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” Colossians 1:16-17

Additional points:

‘If the universe needs a cause, then why doesn’t God need a cause?

https://rainbowwonderchoices.com/if-the-universe-needs-a-cause-then-why-doesnt-god-need-a-cause-a-brief-discourse/

The definition of “cause” used here is “the chief agent causing something to be made.”

Someone may quote ‘The law of causality’ which says that if everything has a cause then God must have a cause. If “everything needs a cause” then it does make sense to ask what caused God; but it is not true that everything that exists must have a cause – there is no such law that says everything must have a cause.

But anything that exists either exists in and of itself or is produced by something else. Every effect must have a cause because for something to be an effect or come into being; or in other words, every contingent or dependent must have a cause. “Contingent” means that everything that begins – or is caused – owes its origin to something else. A contingent reality is something that is caused (begins), is dependent (an effect), and lacks an explanation in itself (unexplained). A contingent reality definitely could not bring itself into existence from nothing.

That does not mean that everything that is, is contingent or is an effect.  Though Self-Creation is a nonstarter, Self-Existence is not. If it’s not eternal, it’s not self-existent.

God asserts and revealed to mankind that He is an eternal being who exists in and of Himself. He is not an effect and He is not contingent. He is not created and He did not have a beginning. He is eternal and nothing produce Him. There is no law of logic that this concept violates because there is nothing baseless or irrational about the idea of an eternal uncaused being. It is reasonable and necessary that there be such a being if anything were to exist at all. Something must have the power of being independent from some precursor causal agent or nothing could exist.

The evidence for the beginning of the universe points to an external cause outside of space, time, and matter. The physical universe of space, time, and matter cannot create itself.

 

  1. The Teleological Argument: The Evidence of Design

As Voyager 1 launched by NASA in 1977 continues its galactic travel, https://youtu.be/w_T0Xt_PooM?si=NeqoVuApecbUleAS  

we must not lose sight of the fact that Voyager 1 is the evidence of intelligent human design, and it did not come about by random occurrence, that it just assembled itself or evolved by itself. If Voyager 1 evidenced a human designer, then do not, the planets, stars and the Universe bears evidence of the handiwork of a Designer? Creation is shown to be intentionalordered, and meaningful.

Premise: The universe exhibits remarkable fine-tuning (e.g., gravitational constant, cosmological constants, DNA complexity) that permits life.

The laws in physics have one highly unusual characteristic in common—they are precisely the values needed to establish and sustain a universe capable of producing life. Scientists have found some 30 constants or laws of physics that govern the universe. All are unrelated to each other and yet are finely tuned to incredible proportions to make life possible.  If any were slightly off, complex structures of stars, galaxies and life on planet earth would not be possible. This is another enormous and virtually uncontested proof for a universe that has been carefully designed. The evidence points to “Someone” calibrated and tuned all of these laws, setting the parameters purposefully so they would work in unison.

The Bible revealed this truth long before any scientist discovered these facts. As Jeremiah 33:25 states, “Thus saith the Lord; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; “

The quantum leap from non-living organic and inorganic chemicals to the self-replicating information-driven living cells is confoundingly and astoundingly unfathomable by science.

Biologists have found that life began with an enormous amount of precise information already embedded in the cell. The human genome alone is a molecule with approximately 3 billion genetic letters, all precisely ordered to give instructions to the cell. From the most primitive cells to human beings, all have the same basic operating system of mind-boggling complexity, with codes, transmitters and receivers all working together. Thus, from the intricate structure of DNA to the precise physical constants allowing for a life-permitting universe, the teleological argument contends that blind natural processes cannot account for such specified complexity. The odds of random fine-tuning are astronomically low to the point of zero, pointing instead to intentional design.

The Irreducible complexity of biological systems of the bacterial flagellum or the immune system for that matter, requires all their individual components to be present and functional simultaneously, as by removing any parts render the system nonfunctioning. Thus, such systems couldn’t evolve via step-by-step Darwinian processes.

Conclusion:   The utter unlikelihood of life arising spontaneously through haphazard chemical processes commingled with highly developed information storage and processing in even the most rudimental cells advocate for an intelligent source for such establishment. It argues for premeditated design and intentional engineering.

Additionally, the extreme precision of the laws of physics and the fundamental constants, proclaim the existence of an intelligent Designer (God) and never the occurrence by random chances.

Theological Implication: The Designer is supremely intelligent, purposeful, and personal.

God revealed to us:

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” Psalm 19:1

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” Romans 1:20

 

  1. The Moral Argument: The Foundation of Objective Goodness.

Premise: Objective moral values exist (e.g., “stealing is wrong”).

Humans across omnifarious cultures share an intrinsic sense of objective moral values and duties (human trafficking is wrong, for example) C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity, says that we all have an innate sense of right and wrong—a moral law within us. Even when we disagree on moral issues, there are universal truths that transcend culture, time, and place.

Lewis put it this way:

“A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?”

His point is that our sense of justice points to a moral lawgiver—a moral God. We cannot call something unjust unless we have a sense of what justice is, and this sense is embedded in us by God.

Conclusion: If the universe is accidental and merely material, objective universal human intuition of moral values cannot be accounted for. An ultimate moral lawgiver (God) best explains these values.

If morality is not merely subjective (a product of evolution or cultural preference), then a higher source must ground it. Atheistic materialism struggles to explain why moral duties are binding. God, as the ultimate standard of goodness, provides the necessary foundation for objective moral truths.

Theological Implication: God is the holy and just source of morality.

God revealed to us:

“The 10 commandments”. Exodus 20

“There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: …” James 4:12a

 

  1. The Ontological Argument: (A Priori Argument – based on knowledge, justification, reason and deduction.)

Premise: God is defined as the greatest conceivable being.
Anselm of Canterbury’s a priori argument posits that if we can conceive of a maximally great being (one that is omnipotent, omniscient, and morally perfect), then such a being must exist by definition—for a being that exists in reality is greater than one that exists only in the mind.

Conclusion:  God must exist (by definition), as existence is greater than non-existence.

Theological Implication: God is the absolute, necessary being whose existence is self-evident in pure reason.

God revealed to us:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:11

 

  1. The Argument from Consciousness: The Mind Beyond Matter

Premise: Consciousness exists. Human minds possess intentionality, self-awareness, abstract thoughts, moral reasoning and qualia (subjective experience) – these are essentially different from the uniquely physical processes of the brain. If the brain were merely matter, subjective experience such as “Why I am who I am?” would be inexplicable – how may material substance and electrical impulses give rise to thoughts and reasoning?

The existence of minds suggests a supreme Mind as the source of consciousness. Materialism struggles to explain how mere matter produces consciousness. God best explains the existence of consciousness.

Conclusion: Materialism cannot fully explain it; a transcendent Mind (God) best accounts for imbuing matters with these capabilities.

Theological Implication: God is the ground of all rationality and personhood.

God revealed to us:

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Genesis 1:27

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” John 1:1-4

 

  1. The Argument from Religious Experience: Universal Encounter with the Divine

Premise: Many people across history report profound encounters with a divine presence.
Conclusion: The best explanation is that God actually reveals Himself.

Consistent testimonies of divine encounter suggest an objective reality behind religious experience. C.S. Lewis argued that just as our senses perceive the physical world, our spiritual faculties may perceive God.

Theological Implication: God is relational and self-revealing.

God revealed to us:

“And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

“that they would seek God, if perhaps they might feel around for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;” Acts 17:27

 

  1. The Argument from Miracles & Historical Evidence: Divine Intervention.

Premise: Miracles (e.g., Christ’s resurrection) are attested by credible witnesses.

See also https://rainbowwonderchoices.com/thoughts/why-jesus-resurrection-matters-greatly-and-its-impact-is-for-eternity/

Conclusion: Supernatural acts confirm God’s existence and activity in history.

The resurrection of Jesus, supported by historical evidence (e.g., empty tomb, post-mortem appearances, transformed disciples), serves as a divine authentication of Christianity. If Jesus rose, then God exists.

Theological Implication: God acts in history, confirming His power and truth.

God revealed to us:

“And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” John 20:30-31

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

Conclusion: A Cumulative Case for God

Individually, each argument presents a strong case for God’s existence; collectively, they form an interwoven web of evidence pointing toward a necessary, supremely intelligent, moral, and personal Creator. While objections exist, and in the midst of inferences to the best explanation that point beyond the merely material, theism remains the most reasoned, coherent and all-embracing account for reality’s existence, order, morality, and meaning.

Thus, belief in God is not a blind leap, but a reasoned faith (theology is defined by some as faith finding reason) – a judicious conclusion grounded in philosophical rigour, empirical observation, and existential experience. As God revealed to us:
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” (Psalm 19:1)

Scientists now have come to the realisation that more than 200 conditions have to be “just right” for life to exist and thrive. As author Eric Metaxas explains: “Today there are more than 200 known parameters necessary for a planet to support life – every single one of which must be perfectly met, or the whole thing falls apart. Without a massive planet like Jupiter nearby, whose gravity will draw away asteroids, a thousand times as many would hit Earth’s surface. The odds against life in the universe are simply astonishing” (“Science Increasingly Makes the Case for God,” The Wall Street Journal, Dec. 25, 2014).

The Bible tells us: “For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.” Isaiah 45:18

The universe has been found to be mathematically designed. It follows orderly laws that can be described in mathematical terms. Sir James Jeans, one of the great astronomers of the 20th century, remarked: “From the intrinsic evidence of his creation, the Great Architect of the Universe now begins to appear as a pure mathematician . . . The universe begins to look more like a great thought than like a great machine” (The Mysterious Universe, 1930, pp. 134, 137). Einstein noted, “The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible.” He meant that it could be understood in mathematical terms but that an explanation for that was beyond math.

The rationality and order that scientist’s study and examine in the universe and which make scientific inquiry of all kinds achievable, point to a Creator that is the birthplace of all rational thought.

The intelligibility of the universe, as scientists continue to uncover, shows the Creator shares His causal powers with creation in a way that would have been impossible to imagine in the pre-scientific world.” The universe is a marvel to behold, there are essentially no explanations without God, no believable way around the wonder. Science offers many proofs from our physical universe that point to the existence of God.

Faith and reason plus science are not adversaries but collaborators and allies – leading to the same definitive Truth.

August 7, 2025

Dr. Cheong Kok Weng

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” Psalm 19:1

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, And night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, Where their voice is not heard.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭19‬:‭1‬-‭3‬

When we looked up at a starry night sky, we ponder the universe’s origin.

Image result for pale blue dot

(Seen from about 6 billion km from the sun, Earth appears as a tiny dot – less than a pixel, within deep space: the blueish-white speck, photo taken on Feb 14, 1990, by the Voyager 1 space probe.)

God has revealed to us as to how our world and the Universe came to be, showing forth His awesome and incredible power plus creativity, among other attributes.

The finely tuned Universe with planet earth as a pale dot in the vast expanse of space, whisper to us day by day that there is a Creator God. ~ Dr. Cheong Kok Weng.

The crown of God’s creation is man. (Genesis 1:1 -31)

(Note. After God created man, He said it was very good, but the rest of Creation it was good.)

Humans are fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)

For instance, each of some of our cells has 6 billion base pairs in our DNA. One strand of chromosome has 3 billion base pairs of DNA!

Very Briefly

Humans are complex organisms made up of trillions of cells, each with their own structure and function. Scientists have come a long way in estimating the number of cells in the average human body. Most recent estimates put the number of cells at around 30 trillion.  https://www.healthline.com/health/number-of-cells-in-body

New data show that the number of bacterial cells inside a human body is around 38 trillion. Thus, there are more bacteria cells in our body than our cells in the human body. 🙂

When we look at a cell’s worth of DNA under the microscope, we can see that DNA is actually organised into structures called chromosomes. The human genome of Homo sapiens is stored on 23 chromosome pairs, each one of them consists of double-stranded DNA.

Most cells in our body have two copies of the genome with 6 billion base pairs of DNA. Germ cells only have one copy of the genome made up of 3 billion base pairs of DNA. When the egg and sperm come together at conception, the two genomes combine. This is why we ultimately have two genomes in each cell.

(We know that the cells in our body have two genomes and germ cells have one genome. Every genome is housed in an area of the cell called the nucleus. Not all of the cells in our body have copies of the genome. Red blood cells, and some cells in our skin, hair, and nails don’t have any genomes in their nuclei. They start off with genomes in order to grow properly. But getting rid of their nuclei later on is important for the job they have in the body.)

Earth From Voyager 1

Earth from Voyager 1

https://sl.bing.net/dSnaPTSwajI

The Account of Creation – God has spoken to us in Genesis Chapter 1.

  • Day 1 – light and darkness (Gen 1:3-5)

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

  • Day 2 – the sky and “separated” waters (Gen 1:6-8)

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

  • Day 3 – dry ground, bodies of water, and plants (Gen 1:9-13)

And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

  • Day 4 – the sun, moon, stars, and planets (Gen 1:14-19)

14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

  • Day 5 – every living creature of the seas and every winged bird (Gen 1:20-23)

20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

Day 6 – land animals and humans (Gen 1:24-30; 2:7)

24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Genesis 2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Image result for pale blue dot

Note:

The establishment of “light” on Day 1 and the subsequent formation of the sun on Day 4 are neither contradictory nor incongruous when considering that God can create light independently of the celestial bodies. The passage states that God spoke light into existence (Gen1:3). The text does not indicate that God needed a physical luminary, but rather that God Himself generated or called forth luminosity.

Since the Bible consistently teaches that God has the power to create ex nihilo (“out of nothing”), the creation of light by His sheer command falls within the realm of His sovereign ability.

 

Does God love everyone unconditionally?

God is love (1John 4:8) and God hates (Hosea 9:15a “All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickednes…”)

“…And God is angry with the wicked every day.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭7‬:‭11‬ b
“… But the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭11‬:‭5‬ ‭b

It is the sinner who goes into the lake of 🔥, not sin, after the White Throne Judgement.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭16-‭18‬ ‭

“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭20‬:‭15‬

“And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭20‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭

“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭20‬:‭10‬ ‭

“Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Matthew 7:1

What does the Bible mean that we are not to judge others?

Judge not, that ye be not judged.  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:1-5

In these aforesaid verses in Matthew 7, Jesus is intensely concerned about hypocritical judgment. His message is that we must not judge others for what we are guilty of. Every time we hypocritically criticise someone, we are condemning ourselves. God must not find in us any wrong we see in others. Those who judge hypocritically are frequently hiding something about themselves. Their criticism of others becomes an ostentatious machinate or manoeuver intended to flummox others from their faults -their rational is that nobody would be suspicious that the man moralising that people should not steal, is actually robbing others blind.

The salient issue that Jesus is addressing here is not the notion of judgment per se, but of hypocrisy; that is, judging others while doing the same thing you are accusing them of. He is not forbidding judging. That is made clear as the passage goes on, as Jesus discourses about seeing a speck in another’s eye while having a plank in your own.

In addition, when Jesus says “judge not, lest you be judged,” He is telling us that the standard we use for judgment will be applied to us. Thus we are to beware of the pitfall of  being rigid, severe,  magisterial and supercilious in condemning others – in the process, we became proud and conceited in justifying ourselves.

Nonetheless, many people exploit this verse in an attempt to inappropriately muzzle their critics, rendering Jesus’ meaning as “You don’t have the right to tell me I’m wrong.” Taken in isolation, Jesus’ command “Judge not” prohibits all negative evaluation and judgements. However, there is much more to the passage than those seven words.

Non-Christians use this verse against Christians, saying that Jesus told us not to judge others, so when Christians make assertions of what’s right or wrong, they are being disobedient to Jesus’s word. When we examine the verse in its immediate and complete context of the Bible, we see that Jesus does not mean that we are not to judge on what’s right or wrong and what is true and false, but rather that we need to be circumspect when we do so (explanation as below).

Lots of people also use Matthew 7:1 “Judge not lest ye be judged” to advocate a broad-mindedness that often emboldens and fosters the acceptance of behaviours the Bible forbids. We know that wasn’t Jesus’ intention as that would contradict what Jesus and Scripture say in the other parts of the Bible. So, what did Jesus mean when He told us not to judge? So, although Jesus says we should not judge in Matthew 7:1, He also says we should judge in Luke 12:57  “Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?”

We thus need to hermeneutically determine exactly what He means because Jesus does not contradict Himself.  Jesus says: “ But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” Matthew 18:16 

As the Bible has God as the ultimate Author, it does not contradict itself. We must let Scripture interprets Scripture – thus the interpretation of the Word of God has to harmonise with other portions of Scripture and be interpreted in the context and counsel of the whole Bible. In context Christ is not forbidding personal opinion, godly wisdom, or righteous judgement, nor is He disallowing the correction of false doctrine or heretical teachings. Christ is forbidding hypocritical judgment.

It was the problem of unrighteous judgement, hypocritical conclusions, pompous reasonings, legalistic pride, and malicious  criticisms that caused Jesus to utter the warning: “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Christ knew that the standard by which we judge others, will become the self-same standard by which we ourselves are measured.

It does not mean that we cannot exercise appropriate judgement and have discernment. Immediately after Jesus says, “Judge not…,” He says, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” Matthew 7:6 “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:15–16 How then are we to judge when “we are supposed to not cast our pearls before swine”, or know who are the sheep, wolves and false prophets, unless we have the ability to make a judgment call on a situation, doctrines and deeds? Jesus is giving us guidance to adjudicate right from wrong.

The argument Christ uses to dissuade from this evil, which the Jews were very prone to, is, “that ye be not judged”; meaning for such censorious persons rarely have the good will of their fellow men, for such persons take upon them the place of God, usurp His prerogative, as if they knew the hearts and states of men. It refers to rash judgment, interpreting men’s words and deeds to the worst sense, and censuring them in a very severe manner; even passing sentence on them, with respect to their eternal state and condition.

In addition, saying “judge not, that ye be not judged,” Jesus is reminding us to avoid the damaging cycle of harsh unwarranted criticism and judgement. Rather, He invites us to practice humility, self-awareness, and compassion and grow personally and develop relationships based on love and understanding. Rather than pre-occupying with the shortcomings of others, we should acknowledge our own need for growth and approach everyone with care and acceptance.

The Bible’s command that we not judge others does not mean all actions are equally moral, or that truth is relative. God tells us through his Word that truth is objective, eternal, and inseparable from God’s character. Anything that contradicts the truth is a lie – to call something a “lie” is to pass judgement. To call stealing or murder a sin is equally, to pass judgement, it’s also to agree with God.

Believers of Jesus, are called to judge. Indeed, there are many scriptures in the Bible asking us to do so. A whole book in the Bible details the activities of judges, (called and appointed by God Himself) for the promotion of His righteousness.

 Jesus gives a direct command to judge “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” John 7:24 This shows Jesus wants us to judge, but we must judge righteously. There is the right type of judgement versus the wrong type. When Jesus said not to judge others, it refers to the sinful type of judgement:

  • Untrue judgment is wrong. The Bible clearly forbids bearing false witness. “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” Exodus 20:16 “A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.” Proverbs 19:5.
  • Self-righteous judgement is wrong. We are called to humility, and “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” James 4:6. The Pharisee in Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector was confident in his own righteousness and from that position judged the publican; however, God sees the heart of the Pharisee’s sin (Luke 18:9–14).
  • Superficial judgement is wrong – judging according to appearance, for instance, Simon the Pharisee passed judgment on a woman based on her appearance and un-savoury reputation, but he could not see that the repentant woman had been forgiven; Simon drew Jesus’ rebuke for his unrighteous judgment (Luke 7:36–50). It is also foolish to jump to conclusions before investigating the facts “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” Proverbs 18:13.
  • Hypocritical judgement is wrong. Jesus’ command not to judge others in Matthew 7:1 is preceded by comparisons to hypocrites. (Matthew 6:2,5,16 respectively “.. as the hypocrites do in the synagogues..” ; “the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues..”; “..as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance..”) and followed by a warning against hypocrisy (Matthew 7:3–5, as above verses). When we point out the sin of others while we ourselves commit the same sin, we condemn ourselves. Romans 2:1 “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.”
  • Harsh, unforgiving judgement is wrong. It is the merciful who will be shown mercy. “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” Matthew 5:7 and, as Jesus warned, “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Matthew 7:2

Is it Ever Appropriate to Judge?

Christians are often accused of “judging” or narrow-mindedness when they speak out against sin as defined in the Bible. But to be in opposition to sin is not incorrect. Holding high-up, the standard of righteousness inherently defines unrighteousness and of those who choose sin over godliness. John the Baptist incurred the fury of Herodias when he spoke out against her adultery with Herod (Mark 6:18–19). She eventually silenced John by having him beheaded, but she could not silence the truth. “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8 The Word of God is truth. “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” John 17:17

Believers are warned against judging others unfairly or unrighteously, but Jesus commends “right judgment” (John 7:24). We are to be able to tell the difference, be discerning. “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21. We are to speak the whole counsel of God, including the Bible’s teaching on sin. “For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” Acts 20:27; “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.” 2 Timothy 4:2. We are to practice church discipline (Matthew 18:15–17). We are to speak the truth in love. “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:” Ephesians 4:15

In addition, does it also mean that judgement is not to be pronounced in the civil courts of judicature, which ought to be made and pass, according to laws of the land, as one of the examples? The modern judicial system, including its judges, is a necessary part of society. In saying, “Do not judge,” Jesus was not saying, “Anything goes.” The Bible’s command that we not judge others does not mean there should be no process or system to dealing with sin.

The Law of Moses says in effect: In righteousness, you shall judge your neighbour.   Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour; I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:16

In fact, the judges in the Old Testament were raised up by God Himself (“And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge:” Judges 2:18a).

While the Bible censures “faultfinding”, it applauds “fruit inspecting” – judging. “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” Matthew 7:15,16,20 Does this not involving judging?

When a church member was involved in sexual sin Paul said “For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,” (1 Corinthians 5:3). He judged the man’s behaviour based on the Scriptures. Paul made sound judgments based on the bad fruit he saw. The apostle judged some believers as worldly and others in the church as false believers who intended to bring the church into bondage. Paul’s judgment in discerning the spiritual condition of the saints helped him protect and instruct the church.

If a person has a pattern of wrong or malicious behaviour, many don’t want to appear judgmental, that information helps us make sound decisions as the Bible says. “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” Ephesians 5:11

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 We must exercise judgement if we are to “rightly interpret” the Word of God and apply them correctly as God has intended. “But he that is spiritual judgeth all things,..”  1 Cor 2:15a

Exercising right judgement is important. When we sense something is wrong, we must not let a distorted view of “judge not” guilt us into disregarding this “sensor” that God has given us. Adolf Hitler said, “What luck for leaders that men don’t think.” May that not be true of us. We must not let the fear of being called “judgmental” impel us to toss away our God-given judicious judgement. We need the wisdom and discernment to judge between that which is good and that which is evil – right judgement and discernment protects us. “Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.” Proverbs 4:14-15

Dr. Cheong Kok Weng

Oct 12, 2024

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul.”

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:16-17

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul.” Mark 8:36 Jesus asked of us.

The value of our immortal soul – everyone of us has an undying soul. Our soul will exist for all eternity, it is not annihilated and it will never die – it is an undying soul.

At the maximum, man can live no more than 120 years on earth. The death that all men will experience, does not make an end to the soul of men. When our last breath is exhaled, and when we are buried (a few feet of earth is sufficient to cover the body) or cremated, the tenant, which is our soul, will leave the body. From here onwards we will spend forever in eternity – in heaven, or in hell awaiting the White Throne Judgement of God, and thereafter into the lake of fire.

What is not visible is the soul and there are millions of things on earth which is not visible to the naked eyes yet they are exceedingly real; e.g., the air that we breathe, the sound that we hear or is out of our range to hear, the gravitational force that we experience, the power of electricity, and all those things seen under an electron microscope or a telescope, etc.

Anyone may lose his soul his own soul in hell and then to the lake of fire and we are eminently close when we have no sense of our guilt of sin before a Holy God and not be reconciled with God while living on earth.

The living man cannot know the importance of a world to come. The soul once lost, is lost forever more, it cannot be retrieved. Who is responsible for the loss of our soul? No one but we ourselves, the blood is on our own hands.

“Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,” Romans 1:19-22

Where will the soul go when it is lost? The lost soul shall go to hell, waiting for the Final White Throne Judgement and thereafter to the Lake of Fire.

God warns us all through His inspired Word, in unmistakable clarity in many verses of Scripture.

“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20: 12-15

“The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” Psalms 9:17

“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matthew 25:41

“Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” Mark 9:48

“And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 13:42

“And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.” Isaiah 66:24

“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8

“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:14,15

“The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Revelation 14:10-11

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Revelation 20:10

We must not commit the utmost eternal folly of losing our own soul. The loss of any man’s soul is the gravest as well as the most irreparable and devastating lost, he can suffer. We may have all the material riches of the whole world and the adulation of the masses; the mammon we have to leave behind and we will be forgotten once we leave this world – naked we came into the world and “naked” we will leave the world. The honour of this earth that man enjoys is only temporary and it will soon be over and be forgotten by man, as they gathered to their fathers and be no more on earth.

What then must I do to be saved?

While it called today, we need to know the value of the immortal soul. Seek to know the value of the soul now while we are still alive on earth. We must not neglect our own soul. Never forget the one thing that is needful – never forget our soul is immortal. Time is short and it may well be changed into eternity at any time for any of us. We must be ready to meet our Creator and we must not just live for the present and forget the eternity that is to come. We must move on from today and never be ashamed to care for our very precious soul, let others laugh and mock you. They will not mock or laugh at you one day when they meet their Creator.

“And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Daniel 12:2

Any man’s soul can be saved. Come to Christ Jesus without delay and be saved right at this moment; to be delivered from the power and consequences of sin – “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

God desires all to be saved. “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:4

There is no barrier to eternal life as provided by God except your own will – which God has given you the mandate to will as you will. “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth,” Luke 15:7a The believers’ hope is eternal and their joy will never come to an end.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” John 6:47

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” John 3:36

“That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:15

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Romans 10:9

Come to believe in Christ Jesus and your soul shall live forever more. Anyone who reads God’s Word and is not saved cannot blame the Gospel. If you are lost, it is not because there is no mediator between God and man, no fountain open to clean sinners, no open door; it is because you want to have your own way, because you want to cleave to your sins, as you would not come to Christ to be forgiven by God; that in Christ you might have eternal life.

There is salvation for the sinner. Jesus Christ has come to die for our sins and make atonement for us before God – that we might come before Him. Christ by His death on the Cross has made atonement and satisfaction for the law that we have broken. It is His death that propitiates or pays for the sins of the whole world, Jesus paid an enormous debt (which we cannot pay) of us to God and open up heaven to all believers – this enables God to be just and yet be the justifier of the unjust.

At the Cross, God’s love and mercy meets His Justice and holiness. As Christ died for the ungodly, anyone can be saved. He came to receive all who believes Him and who come to God by Him.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6

“The heavens declare the glory of God“

“The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, And night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, Where their voice is not heard.” Psalm‬ ‭19‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭

God’s eternal power & glorious existence is partially expressed in the visible heavens, so vast and spacious, and magnificently adorned with stars and planets, so various and admirable in their courses in the heavenly places, declare the glory of God. 

God’s infinite wisdom and glory; all of which they exhibited and make so visible and evident to all men of reason, that it is vacuous and preposterous to deny or doubt God’s power – it’s ridiculous to think of far simpler works of art, mansions or watches, that they were made without an artist, or without a hand behind it.

“Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.” Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭26‬ ‭

God also tells us:

“It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:” Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭22‬

“By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; And all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.” Psalm‬ ‭33‬:‭6‬

“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.”Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭

“Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.” Jeremiah‬ ‭10‬:‭11‬-‭12‬

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬-‭25‬ ‭

 

 

Are We Predestined? Do We Choose to be Saved?

A brief discussion on the topic concerning Free Will and Predestination.

The concept of Freewill was ‘first mentioned’ in Scripture by God in the Garden of Eden – both Adam and Eve had that freewill. God told them they may eat the fruits from ANY tree except fruit from ONE tree in the garden of Eden – that’s freewill or choice, given to human kind.

There are Scriptural support that God wants all to be saved and not His will that any should perish.
(But the reality is, the majority of mankind will not make it because they chose not to: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭)

God wants everyone to be saved; however the choice to receive salvation rest with man himself.
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, *not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”*
‭‭2 Peter 3‬:‭9‬ ‭

God tells us categorically that He wants all to be saved. And preferred that all to come to repentance. Therefore He will not or predestine anyone to damnation without reason based on the revealed truth of Scripture – based on His love for us and that He is Holy and Righteous too, among His other attributes.

“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭29‬ ‭

Based on God’s foreknowledge He predestined; so based on God’s foreknowledge of how a person will respond, even before the foundation of the world, He predestined.

There is also the falling away (as chosen by man himself), as per Scripture:
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;”
‭‭2 Thes‬salonians 2‬:‭3‬ ‭

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;”
‭‭1 Tim‬othy 4‬:‭1

Derek Prince comes across as very balanced in the aforesaid topic concerning Free Will and Predestination.

We need to embrace what is true for the sake of our soul – comprising the intellect, mind, will and emotions of our being.

Dr. Cheong Kok Weng

Aug 31 2024

 

 

If the universe needs a cause, then why doesn’t God need a cause? A brief discourse.

Earthrise: Bearing Witness to Our Planet

‘If the universe needs a cause, then why doesn’t God need a cause?

The definition of “cause” used here is “the chief agent causing something to be made.”

Someone may quote ‘The law of causality’ which says that if everything has a cause then God must have a cause. If “everything needs a cause” then it does make sense to ask what caused God; but it is not true that everything that exists must have a cause – there is no such law that says everything must have a cause.

BUT anything that exists either exists in and of itself or is produced by something else. Every effect must have a cause because for something to be an effect or come into being; or in other words, every contingent or dependent must have a cause. “Contingent” means that everything that begins – or is caused – owes its origin to something else. A contingent reality is something that is caused (begins), is dependent (an effect), and lacks an explanation in itself (unexplained). A contingent reality definitely could not bring itself into existence from nothing.

That does not mean that everything that is, is contingent or is an effect.  Though Self-Creation is a nonstarter, Self-Existence is not. If it’s not eternal, it’s not self-existent.

God asserts and revealed to mankind that He is an eternal being who exists in and of Himself. He is not an effect and He is not contingent. He is not created and He did not have a beginning. He is eternal and nothing produce Him. There is no law of logic that this concept violates because there is nothing baseless or irrational about the idea of an eternal uncaused being. It is reasonable and necessary that there be such a being if anything were to exist at all. Something must have the power of being independent from some precursor  causal agent or nothing could exist.

It is a flawed postulation that everything came from nothing (ex nihilo). There’s plenty of prevailing engrossing scientific cosmological evidence that the universe is finite and had a beginning. (In fact, it can be measured as a span of the hand of God, as in Isaiah 40:12a “Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, …)

The evidence for the beginning of the universe points to an external cause outside of space, time, and matter. The physical universe of space, time, and matter cannot create itself.

Moreover, the universe isn’t personal and therefore would lack the volition to create other things. The universe cannot be “causa sui” or “self-caused” (a preposterous notion, for how can something that has no being, produce other beings like humans, for instance?), but rather, only God is “sine causa” or “without a cause”.  Something, after all, always had to have existed, the physical came from a state of non-matter, non-space, non-time. But it didn’t come from absolute nothingness, because how may no thing create some thing. Who created the universe from its non-existent state at the beginning?

Cosmologist Paul Davies, recognising the dilemma presented by the evidence, writes, “One might consider some supernatural force, some agency beyond space and time as being responsible . . . or one might prefer to regard the [beginning of the universe] as an event without a cause. It seems to me that we don’t have too much choice. Either… something outside of the physical world… or… an event without a cause.” This inference of a cause “outside the room” is reasonable, given the strength of diverse evidence for a caused universe, and the inadequacy of efforts to stay “inside the room” of the universe for an explanation.

Either the universe has self-existence, or something beyond the universe does. Otherwise, nothing would exist. Since the universe is not self-existent (it began to exist at the Big Bang, for those who believe in the Big Bang theory), it is consummately logical to assume that something beyond the universe has the attribute of self-existence. It must be something that itself has no cause (outside the room) and that caused everything else. This reality is logically inescapable, though many people debate over what—or who— has no cause: is it a personal Being or it is “non personal – a thing”?

Logically, the “One outside the room” must be eternal. Since it is not itself “caused,” it cannot have a beginning. God, according to the Bible, fits this description, as the only thing in existence that was not “made.” John 1:3 makes a specific distinction between things that are made and things that are not made. God, as it stands, is the only “Being” that was not made. He is eternal, always existing (“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. ” Psalm 90:2). Combining reasons with observation not only leads us to the idea with a description that’s identical to the God of the Bible, who reveal Himself to us. God is, in fact, philosophy’s “outside the room”; the best fit. “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” John 1:3

The non-contingent Being is necessary – without it, nothing else can exist. So, “the one outside the room” must exist, and there can be no reality where it does not. God, again, matches this description, as the One who simply “is” and must be and as the One who created—who caused—all other things.

According to God’s revealed truth, the Bible, God is self-existent. God’s attribute of aseity means God does not need, nor does he depend upon, anything outside himself, such as the creation for His continued existence. Unlike all creatures, the source of God’s everlasting existence is found within Himself, as He is self-sufficient. As the only uncreated and uncaused being, everything else that exists in the entire created order, depends upon His creative and sustaining power. God’s eternality is His aseity; with respect to time – He is Lord of time, existing apart and above it and absolutely free to enter it to accomplish His purposes. God’s attribute of self-existence or aseity is revealed in Acts 17:24-25  “God made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;”

Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Hebrews 1:3a – “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power,”  In the context of the passage, “his” refers to Christ Jesus. Genesis 2:3 “And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” Colossians 1:16 “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:” Again, in the context of the passage, “him” refers to Jesus Christ.

Observation of the universe suggests additional details about “the One outside the room”.  The existence of intelligent life in a finely tuned universe to make life possible, the mind-boggling and staggering structure and intricate complexity of the universe, with a great deal of multiplicity diversity in the natural world, suggests the Being is creative, personal, phenomenally intelligent, astoundingly mighty and powerful. He must be; in order to create and sustain all of these things. The same is true of “personal” concepts such as morality.

The Bible speaks of exactly this outside of the room Being. “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” Job 38:1–7

Logic and observation also suggest that God is ONE God – as a triune being, is easily the best explanation of the Being who is outside the room. The universe exhibits both uniqueness and unity—different parts but a single system. The universe exhibits both diversity and unity, it makes sense for that cause to be both diverse and unified, as is the Trinity – to reflect His identity as He has revealed to His creation.

Einstein’s general relativity, which has much experimental support, shows that time is linked to matter and space. Therefore, time itself would have begun along with matter and space. Since God, by definition, is the creator of the whole universe, he is the creator of time; as such He is not limited by the time dimension He created, so has no beginning in time—God is ‘the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity’ (Isaiah. 57:15). Thus, He doesn’t have a cause.

God, as creator of time, is outside of time. Since therefore He has no beginning in time, He has always existed, so doesn’t need a cause. “The first moment of time is the moment of God’s creative act and of creation’s simultaneous coming to be.”

The same logic and explanations that lead us to conclude there is a Being outside the room – which point toward the God of the Bible. While the terminology might be different, depending on whether one approaches through philosophy, science, or theology, the end result is the same – God, as defined according to the Bible; where God has revealed Himself to mankind through His inspired Word to various men (about 40 men)  who were from different cultural, economic, geographical and educational backgrounds over the course of some 1,500 years, from three continents, namely Asia, Africa and Europe, and in three languages, specifically Hebrew, everyday Greek (called “Koine”), and a dash of Aramaic (an ancient language originating in Syria) with one unified message in a collection of 66 books – 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament.

Dr. Cheong Kok Weng                                                                                                         Aug 17, 2024

Planting Good Thoughts

Some good thoughts (or refreshers)to plant/replant:

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” —Winston Churchill

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” —Milton Berle

 “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.” —Tony Robbins

Positive quotes and affirmations can help us stay on track, remind us that God has given us the power to guide and instruct our brain to think constructively and optimistically.  Changing  perspective and having a grateful heart can make a lot of difference too.