A SATISFYING LIFE How to Attain It

3.  The Book of Reliable Guidance

The Bible is also a book of prophecy. (2 Peter 1:20, 21)  The word "prophecy" -may immediately bring to your mind unfulfilled words of  self-proclaimed prophets. But leave any preconceptions behind, and open your Bible to Daniel chapter 8.  Here Daniel describes a vision of a struggle between a ram with two horns and a  hairy he-goat  with "a conspicuous horn." The he-goat prevails, but its great horn is broken. In its place  four horns come up.  What does the vision mean?  Daniel's account continues:  "The ram that you saw possessing the two horns stands  for the king of Greece; and as for the great horn that was between its eyes, it stands for the first king. And that one having been broken, so that there were four that  stood up instead of it, there are four kingdoms from his nation that will stand up, but not with his power." -Daniel 8:3-22.  

Was this prophecy fulfilled?  The writing of the book of Daniel was completed in about 536 B.C.E Macedonian King Alexander the Great, who was born 180 years later, in 356 B.C.E., conquered the Persian Empire.  He was "the great horn" between the eyes of the hairy he-goat." According to the Jewish historian Josephus, upon entering Jerusalem before his victory over Persia, Alexander was shown  the book of Daniel. He concluded that the words of Daniel's prophecy that were pointed out to him referred to his own military campaign involving Persia.  What is more, in textbooks on world history, you can read of the course that Alexander's empire took after his death in 323 B.C. E. Four generals eventually took over this empire, and by 301 B.C.E., the 'four horns' that stood up instead of "the great horn" divided the domain into four sections. Once again, we have every reason to wonder, 'How could a book so vividly and accurately  foretell what would take place some 200 years later? 

The Bible itself answers the above questions:  "All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial." (2 Timothy 3:16)The Greek word translated "inspired of God"literally means "God-breathed." God "breathed" the information  we now find in the Bible books into the minds of some 40 writers.  The  few examples-scientific, historical, and prophetic-that we have considered clearly point to but one conclusion. This unique book, the Bible, is a product, not of human wisdom, but of divine origin.  Yet, many today are skeptical about the existence of its Author-God. How about you? 

Next time: A SATISFYING LIFE How to Attain It - 4. The Author of the Unique Book

From the Watchtower magazine