I m Very Sure 3 of 4

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I m Very Sure 3 of 4 #0226 Study given by W.D. Frazee It s a wonderful thing to be certain and especially to be certain concerning the most important things. In this little series of four studies we are examining the evidence concerning the religion of the Bible. Is the Bible true? Can we count on it? Can it be proved in this age that likes to look at things in a scientific way? You remember in our first lesson we started, shall we say, from scratch. We started to lay a foundation. I told you that in my mind, I was certain that everything in this universe is being run to make me happy and successful. Not only that, but that on beyond this present life, I know that there is a future life here on this planet, that will be successful, happy, full of joy for all who share in it. And I know that there s a place there for me. And all of that, dear friends, is not some myth, some fairy tale, or just some creed. There is evidence for it. You remember, we noted that if this is to be so, there must be a General Manager of this universe who is all wise, all powerful, and is motivated entirely and fully and eternally by love. In our second lesson we examined the evidence of nature. We looked at the design and became acquainted with the Designer. We studied the works of the Creator and became better acquainted with His plan. Here in nature we find evidence that there is Somebody who has wisdom far above ours, who s mighty in power, and who has enough love to think of us and arrange all these things in the universe to make us happy. It s true that we hear discordant voices. We hear the wails and groans of a sad world. And yet, to the reasoning mind, all that cannot shut out the mighty chorus of voices that teach us that this universe is not just a chance collection of atoms. That there is design here, and plan. Now, let me ask you something tonight as we think of all that. If this universe is charge of a mind like that, wonderful in wisdom, mighty in power, and so full of love that He s thinking of how to make us happy, wouldn t it be reasonable that He would seek to communicate with us, in some way, especially since it s evident that with the choice we have we can either cooperate with the plan of the universe or fail to cooperate? Take it in the matter of physical health. To many, sickness is a mysterious thing. And there are some diseases that are quite mysterious. But anyone who is in touch with even a small fraction of the evidence that is available today knows, for example, that most of the heart trouble, most of the heart attacks, could be prevented by simply learning and following the laws of health and life. This is just one illustration. 1

All through life there are similar things that show us that there are laws in the universe, physical and moral, which, if obeyed, tend to health and happiness, if disobeyed, the opposite is true. Sickness, pain, grief, sorrow, and death are the result. I ask again then, if all that is so, and what I choose affects the way the general plan of the universe works out in my life, would it not be a reasonable thing for One who has done so much to make everything wonderful for me, wouldn t it be wonderful if He would also communicate with me and let me know just how to cooperate with Him in fitting into His plans for the universe and His plans for my life? This is exactly what the Bible claims to be. It claims to be a revelation from the Creator, a guidebook showing me how to cooperate with His plans for the universe, and for my life. Now, the fact that it claims that, of course, doesn t prove it. Anybody can write a book and claim anything for it, but that doesn t prove it. So I raise the question: Is there any way that the Creator of the universe, if He is responsible for this book, could put something into this book that would prove to you and me that He is speaking? Yes, there is, and this is what I want to study with you tonight. One of the greatest evidences in this Book is the evidence of prophecy. In this Book the Creator foretells the future and in doing it, does what no human mind can do - predicts what will come to pass in the future. And I want you to see what a wonderful thing this is, friends, because it offers to this skeptical generation, this scientific minded generation, greater evidence than any other generation in the past has had. Wouldn t it be just like the wisdom of God and the love of God to present to this generation the greatest proof of all time? And how can that be? Simply this, my friends: as prophecies given through this book hundreds and thousands of years ago unroll, each passing year, provided those prophecies are fulfilled, that increases the evidence that the One who wrote them has a wonderful mind. Let me illustrate. Demonstration is indeed one of the greatest forms of evidence. Suppose here s a man that comes to me and says, Mr. Frazee, I understand that you re looking for someone to build a house for you. I d like to build a house for you. Well, I say, I ve never met you before. Are you a contractor? Yes. Have you ever built any houses? Yes. I ve built a house for Mr. Jones, down the street. Well, I d like to go over and see that and talk with him. Have you built for anybody else? Yes. I ve built for Mr. Smith over in the next town. Well, I ll go and talk to him. 2

And suppose that I m so anxious to be absolutely certain that I go to 20 different houses that this contractor has built, and I examine the building and talk with the occupants. If in each case I find that it s well built and that the occupants are satisfied. What do I know by the time I ve examined those 20 houses? I know he can build one more for me. - Right? Yes. And so, my dear friends, it is with the prophecies of God s Book. They were wonderful when they were given. They were wonderful when they began to be fulfilled. But each passing century witnesses anew and adds its evidence to the total that here indeed we have a marvelous work and a wonder the ability to foretell the future. Now, there re many prophecies in the Bible from Genesis, the first book to Revelation, the last. This evening I d like to call attention to the book of Daniel. Daniel was written about 500 years before the Christian era, so it s nearly 2,500 years old. It was written in the days of the Babylonian empire, when Nebuchadnezzar was ruling the world empire centered in the city of Babylon. God wanted to give to that man, that heathen king, a demonstration of His wisdom and His love. He knew that this king was interested in what would happen in the future. And so, one night God gave him a dream. He was very impressed with this dream, but he couldn t remember what it was. And in the providence of God, this young man, Daniel, a prophet of God, was brought in touch with the king, to tell him what the dream meant to explain the dream and its interpretation. And in the 2 nd chapter of the book of Daniel we have this wonderful story. This particular prophecy was given to the king under the symbol of a great image, the figure of a man with a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, and feet part of iron and part of clay. In the dream, as the king beheld this mighty image, he saw a stone cut out of the mountain, without hands, which smote the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke it all to pieces, ground it fine as chaff, and the wind carried it all away. Then the stone became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. Now, the dream itself was impressive, but its great message was in the interpretation given by this youthful prophet, Daniel. And what was it? Why, he said to the king, You ve been wondering what would come to pass hereafter, and the great God of heaven, the One who made the heavens and the earth, He is telling you in this dream, what will come to pass hereafter. You, Nebuchadnezzar, and your kingdom are represented by that head of gold. After you is coming another kingdom, the silver kingdom. Then a 3rd kingdom of brass, a 4th of iron, and that will be the last universal kingdom. That 4th kingdom will be divided, and those who rule those divided kingdoms will seek to weld together again into one universal empire, but they will fail. And finally a stone will smite the image, the kingdom of man. And that, he says, means this : 3

in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever Daniel 2:44. Now, remember, this is Daniel speaking, over 2,500 years ago. What happened? Have the events of history borne out the predictions of prophecy? Did a 2nd kingdom follow Babylon? Yes, Medo-Persia. Did a 3rd kingdom come along? Yes, Greece under Alexander the Great. Did a 4th one come along? Yes, Rome under the Caesars. Is it a fact that that 4th kingdom was divided? Yes. And thus we have the kingdoms and nations of medieval and modern Europe England, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and the rest. Is it a fact that for hundreds of years they have tried to weld those different nations together? Yes. Is it a fact that, that has been done by military campaigns, by matrimonial alliances, by congresses, leagues, and other efforts? All of these things have been done to try and weld Europe together. And friends, everyone has failed. Europe today is divided. It has been for over a thousand years. And in the days of these kings, that have tried to weld together and failed, God, it says, is going to set up a kingdom. You see, then, two great facts here. One is that so far the prophecy has been fulfilled item by item in exact sequence. This proves that the One who gave this dream, this prophecy, can foretell the future. The second great fact is, there s only one act left in this drama. That is the stone will smite the image, God will set up His kingdom in this world, and destroy all human kingdoms. My dear friends, when we look, then, at the evidence, and see that again and again and again, down through history what has happened was foretold, what was foretold has happened, is it not a reasonable thing to believe that the next act will come just as all the others have come? Do you see the power of that evidence? Then turn over to the 7 th chapter of Daniel. Here, a similar prophecy was given to Daniel, himself, in a great vision in which the empires of men were revealed, as the cartoonist would depict them, as various animals. Babylon was represented by a lion, Medo-Persia by a bear, Greece by a leopard, and Rome by a great, terrible beast with 10 horns. And what does the interpreting angel say is represented? These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth Daniel 7:17. And in the 23 rd verse he says: The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth Daniel 7:23. 4

Again we have the four great empires of history brought to view Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. And then what comes? Here in this 7 th chapter of Daniel, as this 4th beast carries on his opposition to God, there comes the hour of judgment. And in heaven, court is in session. The deeds of men are examined as the books of record are opened. And as the result, the saints of God take the kingdom, all human nations and governments as we have them today, are destroyed, and a kingdom of everlasting peace is ushered in. So we read in the 27 th verse: the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom Daniel 7:27. Here again item after item has come to pass just exactly as the prophet predicted. One event remains the setting up of God s everlasting kingdom. Now we come to the 8 th chapter, and here s another prophecy, a wonderful prophecy. This prophecy was given just as Babylon was about to leave the stage. So here we have Medo-Persia represented by a ram; and it s mentioned by name in the 20 th verse as Media and Persia. And then a rough goat attacking the ram and that is said to be Greece, in the 21 st verse. These kingdoms engage in battle. Greece finally overcomes Medo-Persia and takes the scepter of universal dominion. It s divided into 4 parts. And this is exactly what history tells us happened. And out of one of them comes an exceeding great power, which history tells us is Rome. But as the persecution of God s people proceeds from age to age; as the powers of earth seem to be carrying on successfully the plans of the enemy of God to blot out His people, the prophet hears one asking, How long will this be? And an inspired answer is given in the 14 th verse: he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed Daniel 8:14. There is something about the cleansing of the sanctuary, then, that has the answer to the age-long question, how long will sin seem to triumph in this world? How long will strife and misery and woe and bloodshed and opposition to God be carried on? How long will it last? And so we have here in this 8 th chapter of Daniel a long mathematical prophecy. And you know, dear friends, when you deal with mathematics, you re dealing with something very strict, very accurate, very specific 12 inches in a foot, 12 months in a year, and 10 dimes in a dollar. When we deal with figures, we re dealing with something, as I say, strict, accurate, and specific. Two thousand three hundred days and as beasts in prophecy represent kingdoms, days in Bible prophecy represent years. That s said in Ezekiel 4:6. Then 5

we have a long time prophecy stretching from Daniel s time, way on down through history for over two millenniums. And the finger of the Creator is pointing at a date down here in these days. And at that time the great climax of history is to take place. As this 8 th chapter of Daniel is studied, we find the prophet seeking for clearer light on what it all means. As the beasts are explained to him to be Medo-Persia on one hand, and Greece, followed by another world dominion, on the other; we find him wondering about this long time prophecy. And in the 9 th chapter, in answer to prayer, it is explained. A starting point is given for it. And the first part of it is set off as a time to prove the prophecy, to seal up the vision in prophecy. And how is this done? By measuring off the first 483 years of this prophecy according to the 25 th verse, and boldly stating that at the end of that time the Messiah will appear. All through the Old Testament prophecies of a coming Deliverer, a Savior, a Redeemer, are found. Here, for the first time, the time of His arrival was predicted. And it was to be 483 years from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem. At the time Daniel had this vision, Jerusalem was in ruins. It had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. But, in answer to the prayers of God s people, and in fulfillment of the divine prediction, the day came when the decree was issued to restore and to build Jerusalem, by the kings of Persia. The going forth of that decree took place in the year 457 B.C. And 483 years later, in the fall of the year A.D. 27, Jesus of Nazareth was baptized by John in Jordan, and was anointed by the Holy Spirit, and entered upon His work as the Messiah, exactly fulfilling this prophecy. And Christ Himself pointed to this prophecy as the evidence that He was the true Messiah. In the first chapter of Mark, we hear Him saying as He begins His work: The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel Mark 1:15. But this is only the beginning of the marvelous accuracy of this mathematical prophecy. According to this prophecy, there would be seven years after the appearance of the Messiah, during which, a message of salvation would be offered, especially to the Jewish people. And in the midst of that week, in other words, three and a half years from the beginning of this time, the Messiah would be cut off and would cause the sacrifices of the ancient temple service to cease by His death. This is exactly what happened. And I call your attention to this. The enemies of Jesus, both the Jews and Romans, thought that in crucifying Him they were proving that what He claimed was false. In reality, friends, His death on the cross proved forever that He was the true Messiah. He came on time; He died on time exactly three and a half years after His baptism. As He hung upon the cross there, the record of this prophecy is, He s cut off not for Himself. According to the Bible, that sacrifice made on Calvary was to put an 6

end to sins, to bring such a revelation of God s love to men, and such a revelation of the result of sin, that men would turn from sin and accept the love of Jesus. And soon all who will listen to that evidence will have been convinced, and will have yielded their lives to Him, and then the rest of these prophecies which we ve noted tonight will be fulfilled in the coming of Jesus to set up His everlasting kingdom. Now, friends, I ve gone over these very briefly. And any of you that are hearing these things for the first time will need time and opportunity to examine this evidence. We re happy to give you that evidence in printed form, or to sit down and study with you, personally. This is the evidence which, if examined, will convince any reasonable mind of three things: First, my dear friends, the Author of the Bible has proved that He can foretell the future. He did it in Daniel 2, Daniel 7, Daniel 8, and Daniel 9. And may I tell you there are scores of other prophecies all through this Bible that have been fulfilled as these have. But these I have given you tonight, I give you as Exhibit A, Exhibit B, Exhibit C. Here is evidence that the One who wrote this Book can foretell the future. How does He prove He can do it? - by doing it. Second, this being proved, we are face to face with this fact: The next great act in this drama is the setting up of God s everlasting kingdom of peace. That will put an end to all the wars, all the sickness, all the rioting, all the crime, and all the human problems that cause tears and blood to flow. Isn t that a wonderful thing, friends? Isn t that a wonderful hope? And isn t the evidence wonderful? But ah, there s a third great fact here tonight, and this is the one that I hope stands out like Mount Everest. The One who had all this written for us, is not only the Creator who made this world, He s the Redeemer who hung upon Calvary s cross, and gave His life for us. This wonderful prophecy of Daniel shows that the One who died upon that cross in the midst of the week, in the spring of A.D. 31, that He was none other than the Messiah, the Son of God; the One who made this world, and who gave His life for us. I say that s wonderful, dear friends. Don t you? To think that the One who made the universe thinks so much of you and me that He ll not only make beautiful flowers, lovely sunsets, delicious food, but He will come down here and give His life for us, so that you and I can be redeemed from sin and share with Him in His glorious kingdom. Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. W.D. Frazee Sermons P.O. Box 129, Wildwood, GA 30757 1-800-WDF-1840 / 706-820-9755 www.wdfsermons.org support@wdfsermons.org 7