May 1925
THE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
200
The Scriptures are Accurate in their Prophecies By Dr. F. E. Marsh, London, England
The fifth of an unusually interesting, illuminating and inspiring series of articles on “Is the Bible the Word of God?” by this well known and well loved Bible Teacher and Preacher. Some phases of the subject already discussed by Dr. Marsh have been “Importance of Bible Doctrine” ; “Divisions of Bible Doctrine” ; “The Scriptures are Complete in Their Testimony” ; “The Scriptures are Complete in Their Structure.” These messages furnish splendid ammunition for defenders of the faith.
to an island in their possession, half a mile from the shore. After the Babylonian invasion they deserted the old city, and made no attempt to rebuild it. They thought they were safer with a girdle of water round them; therefore that part of the prophecy which related to the ruins being thrown into the sea had to be fulfilled. In v. 12 we read: “And they shall make a spoil of thy riches, and make a prey of thy merchandise, and they shall break down thy walls, and lay the stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water,” Here we find the pronoun is changed from the singular to the plural, and instead of reading “he” as in the previous verses we read “they.” The fact is the latter part of the prophecy was fulfilled by Alexander the Great. Two hundred years after Nebuchadrezzar’s invasion, it was made known that the Grecian conqueror was invading the East. He approached Tyre. A representative hastened to meet him, who was graciously received. It seemed that everything was to pass peaceably, when suddenly Alexander expressed a wish to worship in the City. The inhabitants knew only too well that if the Grecians came as worshippers they would remain as masters. They therefore determined to fight for their own. The army of Alexander marched to the sea shore, and found there was half a mile of water between it and the city. Alexander was determined to conquer the city, so he proceeded to make a causeway from the land to the island. The ruined buildings of the old city were pulled down as the Lord had said, and cast into “the midst of the sea.” It is said that, “so great was the demand for material in this vast undertaking, that the very dust seems to have been scraped from the site, and laid in the sea.” Thus God’s word was fulfilled,to the very letter. Mark the five points: 1. Prediction— the city was to be overthrown. 2. Revelation—Nebuchadrezzar is named as the instru ment. 3. Specificàtion— the buildings were to be cast into the sea, and the site of the city was to be scraped and more than one person was to be employed. 4. Inspiration— God caused the prophet to pen the pre diction as he said, “I the Lord have spoken it.” 5. Completion^—the details were fulfilled in every par ticular. (In June, “The Scriptures are Unique in Their Details”.) Remember, the Sunday School Lessons are issued as a separate Quarterly, but included in the regular subscription price of $1.25 for The King’s Business
are five things which must terminate in the of fulfilled prophecy. Events must be pre- beforehand, the events must be beyond a knowledge, the events must he definite as
to detail, the predictions must have the stamp of Divine authority, and the prophecy must be unmistakable in its fulfilment. All the prophecies have these marks. Let us apply these five rules bf prediction, revelation, specifica tion, inspiration and completion to .one prophecy, namely: THE PROPHECY ABOUT TYRE In the twenty-sixth chapter of Ezekiel we have a proph ecy about the proud city of Tyre. It was to be overthrown, the site was to be scraped and be as bare as a rock, and be a place for the spreading of nets, the King of Babylon was to come against it, and it was to be spoiled and cast into the sea. 1. Prediction of Tyre’s Overthrow In vs. 7-11 we have a graphic description of Nebuchad nezzar’s invasion and conquest of Tyre. He was the instru ment in God’s hands to punish the haughty city, and leave it in ruins, but the ruins of the city were not cast into the sea, nor was it left as bare as a rock. Was the prophecy only partially fulfilled? It was only partially fulfilled by the King of Babylon, but then it does not say he was the only instrument in its fulfilment. ■The probability of Tyre being conquered was remote, for “it was a strong and opulent city, which had never been subject to any foreign power, and was in great repute for its commerce.” Nebuchadrezzar had no light task in his endeavor to conquer the city, and it took him many years to make himself master of it. Rollin says, “his troops suf fered incredible hardships before it, so that according to the prophet’s expression, ‘every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled’ (Ezek. 29:18-19). Before the city was reduced to the last extremity, its inhabitants retired with the greater part of their effects into a neighboring isle, half a mile from the shore, where they built a new city; the name and glory whereof extinguished the remembrance of the old one, which from thenceforward became a mere village, retaining the name of ancient Tyre.” Thus the ancient Tyre being conquered by the King of Babylon, ful filled thè prediction of the prophet. 2. Revelation ' The King of Babylon is distinctly named. Not a king of Babylon but “Nebuchadrezzar” in particular. He did not know he was a pawn on the chess board of history, and that the Great Mover was the “God of Heaven,” but he had to learn the fact as Daniel declared he would, “seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever He w ill” (Dan. 4:25). 3. Specification What are the facts of history? We now come to inter esting details. Before the overthrow of the old City of Tyre, the Tyrians removed the greatest part of their treasure
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