How do we know the Bible is God’s word?
Regarding the authenticity of the Bible: The Bible was written in three different languages over a period of approximately 1500 years by more than 40 authors. Nonetheless, the Bible is unique in its unity of theme (man’s fall and ultimate redemption) from beginning to end. This unity is an internal evidence of the Bible’s Divine origin as God moved men to record His word.
Another internal evidence is seen in its detailed prophecies relating to the nation of Israel, the future of mankind, the date when Messiah would first appear, where he would be born, what family he would come from, and how he would die and rise again on the third day. There are over 300 prophecies alone concerning Jesus Christ. For example, Daniel 9:24-27 pinpointed when the Messiah would appear: seventy weeks (490 years) after the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. The book of Micah disclosed that Messiah would be born in David’s town of Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). Isaiah foretold that he would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). The prophet Malachi predicted that Messiah’s coming would be heralded by someone like Elijah (Malachi 4:5-6). That person was John the Baptist.
Daniel, just as all the prophets before him, received his gift of prophecy directly from God. Critics of the Bible say that Daniel’s prophecies must have been written much later after the fact because their accuracy is so precise. For example, beginning with King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the image in Chapter 2, Daniel distinguishes four kingdoms. Later, in Chapter 8, he identifies the third kingdom by name as Greece and tells that the Grecian empire would be split into four parts. It would have been impossible to account for this understanding approximately 150 years prior to the event, except to acknowledge Divine inspiration.
We believe that there is ample proof that the Bible is the inspired Word of God.
For more detailed information on the Bible’s integrity listen to, “So Where Does the Bible Come From?”