Third, no book has as many prophecies as the Bible. In fact, the prophecies in the Bible account for much of its content. These prophecies address many matters. For example, the Bible prophesied two thousand years ago concerning the condition of society in the last age. The prophecies in the Bible have either been fulfilled or are being fulfilled.
Concerning the situation in the last age, 2 Timothy 3:1 says, “In the last days difficult times will come.” Difficult also means “perilous.” The days in which we live today are perilous; they are not peaceful. All of us admit that these days are truly perilous. Verse 2 says that “men will be lovers of self.” If we compare this generation with previous generations, we can see that people in this generation love themselves and care for themselves much more than before. People today not only care for themselves; they are lovers of self. This verse also speaks of “lovers of money.”
In this age people become lovers of self and then become lovers of money. Young people today all desire to be rich, and money is the most attractive thing to them. They think that money is so powerful that it can even influence people, demons, and the “gods” behind their idols. Actually, the money of this generation has no real value, but more people love this worthless money than ever before because of its ability to influence others. This is not the situation of only the people in China, because people in every country are lovers of self and lovers of money. People in every country are selfish and love money.
Verse 2 of chapter 3 speaks of those who are “boasters, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents.” In previous generations there were not many who were boastful, arrogant, reviling, and disobedient to parents. But among young people today, the level of boasting, arrogance, and despising of parents is almost beyond control. Even though this is a cultured age, there has not been a generation with as little restraint as the current one. The people of this generation are “unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, not lovers of good, traitors, reckless, blinded with pride, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (vv. 2-4). Look at the theaters, dance halls, bars, restaurants, and public places of entertainment. Even with a devaluation of currency and difficulties in earning a livelihood, many are crowding into entertainment establishments, lining up to buy movie tickets, and eating in restaurants. People love pleasure and love to be carefree.
This situation is a result of the fact that people do not want to be “lovers of God” (v. 4). People choose to be lovers of self, lovers of money, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. When a person does not love God, he has no joy; when there is no joy, he looks for other sources of happiness. He enters into sin in order to find happiness; sin becomes his only option.
In 1936 I was preaching the gospel in Nanching. A young woman came to me after the meeting, expressing a desire to believe in Jesus if I could give her a satisfactory answer to her question. She asked, “After I believe in the Lord, can I still watch movies?” I realized that if I said she could not, she would not accept the Lord, but if I said she could, this would not be proper either. So I asked her, “If your child is holding a knife and playing with it, what would you do?” She answered, “I would spread some candy on the floor so that he would drop the knife in order to pick up the candy.” Then I said to her that Jesus is just like the candy and that she did not need to focus on the knife in her hand but on the sweetness of the Lord Jesus.
Today people are searching for happiness apart from God. They are like children playing with knives. They take risks because they do not have Jesus. The thirst of those who do not have Jesus is like the unquenchable thirst associated with the lake of fire. In order to quench their thirst, they go to places of entertainment to dance and watch movies. They are drinking “poison” in order to quench their thirst. This situation is prophesied in the Bible.
James 5:1 says, “Come now, you rich, weep, howling over your miseries, which are coming upon you!” This is the situation of society today; tragedy and sufferings are upon the rich. The portion continues, saying, “Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten; your gold and your silver have rusted, and their rust will be a testimony against you and will eat your flesh like fire” (vv. 2-3). According to these verses, the rich will be condemned, and their riches will eat their flesh. Many rich people speak of the pain that money brings to their lives. Verses 3 and 4 say, “You have stored up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the workmen who mowed your fields, which have been withheld by you, cry out; and the cries of those who reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of hosts.” These vivid descriptions are prophecies written in the Bible two thousand years ago.
After World War I ended in 1918, a peace treaty was enacted in June of the following year. The whole world celebrated, and certain newspapers and magazines commented that mankind had entered a civilized age in which there would be no more wars but only lasting peace. In 1920 the League of Nations was established, and later a treaty was formulated specifically for maintaining international peace. On the surface it seemed as if world peace would not be a problem. Soon after this I was saved, and I started to read the Bible, which says that wars would increase more and more. At the same time I also saw that many books did not agree with the view that there would be lasting peace in the world.
Within ten years Japan initiated the “Incident of September 18” in 1931 in Manchuria. Even though this incident was not the direct cause of World War II, the fighting throughout China began to spread. There was intermittent fighting for ten years, which continued during World War II. This fighting lasted until 1945 when Japan surrendered. In all, there were fifteen years of war, six of which were included in World War II. In this great war the manpower, material resources, and financial resources of many countries were devastated. Germany collapsed, Japan was defeated, and China suffered great devastation from innumerable attacks. The whole world was filled with the smell of gun powder. Yet even today the brutality of this war has not caused the human race to be vigilant to keep peace, and many countries are still preparing for war. There is much money and scientific research involved in the preparation for war.
God is also keeping His word that the Jews would be blessed in Palestine. Whereas they were once dispersed among the nations because they did not listen to God’s word, they are now returning to Israel. The experience of the Jews has been different from people in other countries conquered through war. For example, India was conquered by England, and Korea was conquered by Japan, but even though they were conquered by another nation, the Indian and Korean people still remained in their own country. Only the Jews were dispersed to other nations after being conquered. Before the restoration of Israel, the Jews were dispersed throughout the world; they lived in every country of Europe, in America, and even in China. Although they were dispersed and had no country of their own, they did not assimilate into these countries. Although they were Germans and Americans by national citizenship, they remained as Jews ethnically and culturally. Because the Jews would never assimilate, Hitler was able to persecute and massacre them and to seize their properties. This brought the Jews tremendous suffering and forced them to flee in all directions. This was a fulfillment of the prophecies in the Bible regarding the dispersion of the Jews and their sufferings. What is more amazing is that the Bible prophesied that the Jews would eventually be restored to their country. This matter has been fulfilled; the Jews have formed the nation of Israel.
The principles of morality spoken of in the Bible are higher than the standards of morality contained in any other book. Not only does the Bible speak of loving others as one’s self, but even of loving one’s enemies (Matt. 5:44). When Jesus was being crucified and suffering unbearably on the cross, He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). This shows the high standard of morality in the Bible.
Not only have many prophecies in the Bible been fulfilled, but the Bible also has special power, especially the power to change people.
The Bible has been translated into over one thousand languages. Even primitive people have a Bible to read in their language. Furthermore, if the books written about the Bible were laid side by side, the distance would be greater than the width of the Pacific Ocean.
Furthermore, the Bible is also the deepest and most mysterious book. Some people devote their whole life to study the Bible, and at the end they still do not understand its mysteries. However, the Bible is a book that is easy to read and not difficult to comprehend.
Of all the books ever published, only the Bible meets the criteria of being the word of God. The Bible is surely God’s word; it is a book of revelation from God. Second Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed.” Second Peter 1:20-21 also says, “No prophecy of Scripture is of one’s own interpretation; for no prophecy was ever borne by the will of man, but men spoke from God while being borne by the Holy Spirit.” Only through the Bible can we know God Himself and touch His intention concerning man. Through the Bible we can contact God, fellowship with God, and gain and enjoy God Himself.