argue that all this happened by accident or by human cleverness. Mathematics says it could not do so. This

marvellous system of numbers occurs right throughout the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. Attempts have

been made to find the same thing in human authors, specially those who lived about the same time as the writers of

the Bible, but no such system has been discovered; it is only found in the Word of God. The smallness of our space

prevents us from taking this subject any further, but readers who like figures may be stimulated to go into this aspect

of things more fully.

The Unity of the Bible - We must remember that the Bible was not written in a few years. Actually its

writing was spread over nearly 2,000 years and all sorts of people were used by God to contribute to it, high, low,

rich and poor, ranging from cattle keepers like Amos, and fishermen like Peter and John, to kings (David and

Solomon). Imagine men of themselves arranging to write a book like this spread over such an immense period and

allowing every sort of person to make his contribution. What a hotch potch it would be. Yet the Bible is not just an

odd collection of books - it is a unity, every book pointing in some way to the Lord Jesus Christ and God's revealed

plan through Him. Each shows some aspect of His wonderful Person and the work He came to earth to do, that is, to

accomplish your salvation and mine.

The Evidence of Prophecy - One of the most remarkable things about the Bible is the way it pin-points future

events and lifts them out with definiteness and absolute accuracy. It is one thing to speak in a general way about the

future, leaving plenty of loopholes for events to take this turn or that; it is quite another to tie them down to the

smallest detail and still be perfectly correct in one's forecast. For instance, we could prophesy and say that next

summer during the months of June, July and August there will be rain somewhere in the British Isles. That would

be a very safe prophecy because we have made it so general. It would be an extraordinary thing if in England,

Wales or Scotland there was no rain for a long period like three months. But supposing we were to say that on

August 12th next year there will be heavy rain at 10.30 a.m. in the place where we live but nowhere else in the

country, we should have made the prediction so definite, and multiplied the chances of being wrong so much, that it

would be just as extraordinary if it actually came to pass.

Now the prophecies of Scripture are as definite as this, but they are never wrong, not one has failed or ever will

fail. Let us look at the birth of Christ. Long before this happened an Old Testament prophet had forecast His birth,

not in any vague way by saying it would occur somewhere in the East, but that it would take place in the little

obscure village of Palestine called Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). How could he have known? It was impossible to obtain

such knowledge from human sources as he wrote it centuries before it actually occurred, but Peter assures us that

`Prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy

Ghost' (2 Pet. 1:21). Scriptural prophecy is God the Holy Spirit writing history in advance.

Coming now to the Crucifixion, the predictions of the Word of God become more and more remarkable. The

following are Old Testament prophecies together with their New Testament fulfilment:

The Lord's disciples were to forsake Him.

Prophecy: Zechariah 13:7

Fulfilment: Mark 14:27

`Awake, O sword, against My

`... Jesus saith unto them, All

Shepherd, and against the Man

ye shall be offended because of

that is My fellow, saith the LORD

Me this night: for it is written,

of Hosts: Smite the Shepherd,

I will smite the Shepherd, and

and the sheep shall be scattered'.

the sheep shall be scattered'.

He was to be dumb before His accusers.

Prophecy: Isaiah 53:7

Fulfilment: Matthew 27:12-14

`He was oppressed, and He was

`And when He was accused of

afflicted, yet He opened not His

the chief priests and elders, He

mouth: He is brought as a lamb

answered nothing. Then said

to the slaughter, and as a sheep

Pilate unto Him, Hearest Thou

before her shearers is dumb, so

not how many things they wit-

He openeth not His mouth'.

ness against Thee? And He