A Note Before Beginning

The Exploring the Bible course is a STUDY exercise. To get the most from your participation it is necessary that you have an interest in learning and understanding the Bible.The following are a few simple steps that are suggested for you to follow so that you are soon on your way to exploring the Bible confidently and effectively yourself.

The Bible is the Text Book. Read through the Bible chapter given at the head of your notes. Initially there may be some things that you have difficulty understanding - don't worry, you soon will.
Read through the notes. Look up the Bible quotes and they will help your understanding of the section. If you have questions then list them and write to us about them.
If you have a Bible with a margin, use it for added support references. Often it will direct you to passages that can help you to interpret what you are reading.
If the margin mentions that the verse you are considering is quoted in the New Testament then look it up. The best help that you can have in understanding a passage is the explanation given by Jesus Christ or one of the apostles.
When you have read through the notes look at the points that are listed at the end of each section.
Make your own notes as you read through. This will help you to become familiar with the important points in your future studies.
It is a great help and important tool if you wish to explore the Bible to know where the books of the Bible are. It does not take long to memorise the books of the Bible - just a little patience and effort and you will soon be as familiar with them as you are with the alphabet.
Remember - there was a time for most of us, before we commenced taking a serious look at the Bible, that we knew very little about it. So be patient, it can seem confusing at the start but with continued reading and prayer to God exploring the Bible will become exciting and rewarding.

THE BIBLE - THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD

Some Prophecies Concerning the Nations
The prophet Isaiah lived in Israel between BC 760-700. In his day the two major powers in the world were Assyria in the north and Egypt in the south. In his 13th chapter God revealed through him the rise and then the fall of Babylon. We need to realise that his prediction of Babylon becoming a major
power was made at least 100 years before the event. However his prophecy does not only concern the rise but also the overthrow of Babylon by the Medes. The Medes overthrew Babylon in BC 536 so this prediction was made nearly 200 years before it took place.
Not only did Isaiah tell of the destruction of Babylon but he said that the city would remain uninhabited and a desolation. This was a remarkable prediction for a city which in its day was one of the wonders of the ancient world (Isaiah 13:17-22).
Yet this is not all! Isaiah also gave the name of the king who would over-throw Babylon - a man named Cyrus (Isaiah 45:1-2). Added to this Isaiah told of the decree that Cyrus would make urging scattered Jews to return to Jerusalem, saying that the Temple of Jerusalem should be rebuilt (Isaiah 44:27-28; Ezra 1:1-4). These prophetic utterances go far beyond what man can predict. Only God can foretell the future.

Consider what such a prophecy would mean in today's world.
It would necessitate:
• Predicting the nation which would be the ruling world power 100 years from now.
• Then predicting the nation that would overthrow this first power 200 years from now.
• Naming the ruler of this second nation.
• Stating a decree that he would make when he came to power.
Obviously this is impossible for man to predict. However God, through His prophet Isaiah, did exactly this. Thus God can not only predict the future, but is also able to bring it to pass.

Daniel's Remarkable Prophecies
Daniel lived between BC 600-534. His prophecy foretold:
• The fall of Babylon's Empire (Daniel 5:25-31)
• The rise and fall of the Medo-Persian Empire (Daniel 8:20)
• The rise and fall of the Greek Empire (Daniel 8:21)
• The destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70 (Daniel 8:9-11)
• The year of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ (Daniel 9:24-27)
The accuracy of Daniel's prophecies have been a source of amazement to the genuine seeker of truth, and a great difficulty to the sceptic and atheist.

What has God Predicted for the Future?
We can read the Bible with confidence, knowing that as God has fulfilled His prophecies in the past, He will just as surely fulfil what He has predicted for the future.
Here is a brief preview of events predicted for our age:
• There will be a collapse of morality and decency in society (Luke 17:26-30)
• The Jews will return to the land of Israel, with Jerusalem becoming the centre of international tension (Zechariah 12:2-3; Ezekiel 38:8,12)
• Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly to the earth (Acts 1:9-11)
• God will establish His Kingdom on this earth which will replace man's rule (Daniel 2:44)
• This Kingdom will fulfil the Lord's Prayer: "Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:9-10)
• Jerusalem will be the capital of this Kingdom (Jeremiah 3:17)
• Jesus Christ will be King in that day (Revelation 11:15,18)
• Then the people of the world will willingly learn God's way and there will be no more war (Isaiah 2:2-4)

Is there a Personal Message in the Bible for Us?
Yes, there is. God offers men and women the hope of sharing this new world
order with the Lord Jesus Christ when he returns. This message of hope is called the gospel, which means the good news or glad tidings of the coming Kingdom of God, and salvation from sin and death through the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the message that Jesus Christ and his disciples preached
(Mark 16:15-16).

Summary Points
The Bible is God's inspired Word given by the power of His Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21)
It was given so that people might know the plan and purpose of God and come to understand His ways (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

The accurate fulfilment of the prophecies of the Bible confirms that God exists and that the Bible is His inspired Word (Isaiah 46:9-10)

Prophecies yet unfulfilled foretell that Jesus Christ will soon return to this earth to set up God's Kingdom on earth (Daniel 2:44, Matthew 6:9-10; Acts 1:9-11)