12 FOUNDATION STONES
INTRODUCTORY NOTES 3.3
THE LIFE OF JESUS AND BIBLE BASICS

	 
Section 5: How Can We Know God Is Real? 

	If you are not sure if a Supreme Being, an all-powerful God, exists, then the first step to take is to ascertain that He does. The most obvious proof we have that a Divine Creator exists is the world and universe around us—the visible, natural creation.
	The following true incident is a fitting illustration: Dr. Robert A. Millikan was a renowned American nuclear physicist who won the Nobel Prize for his work in pioneering the splitting of the atom. One evening, at a banquet held in his honor, a young journalist approached him and said, 
	"Dr. Millikan, although you are undoubtedly a brilliant scientist, a great physicist, I've heard rumor that you still cling to the old-fashioned concept of a Creator, that you actually believe in God!—Is this true?"
	Millikan paused for a moment as he thoughtfully studied the young reporter's face. He then produced an elaborate gold pocket-watch from his vest and said, 
	"Just as behind this watch there had to be an intelligent designer and watchmaker, so behind the intricate precision and timing of this great Universe, there had to be a great Creator!”

	Romans 1:20—For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

	In other words, the existence of an invisible Creator is manifest or made evident by the wonderful world which He has created, His creation, the things which we can see.—The greatest credentials of the Creator are the marvelous things He has made!
	The sea, the sky, the mountains, the valleys, the trees, the flowers, they're all telling us something! When you gaze into the heavens on a clear night, beholding the stars, planets, and wonders of the cosmos, haven't you ever felt that there must be a reason, a purpose behind it all?—As if it all means something, says something?—Well, it is saying something!—It's all crying out, "Look!—There is a God! Look at the wonders He has made!" The Bible says:

	Psalm 19:1–3—The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. (2) Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. (3) There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.

	God's entire creation is a constant testimony of not only His existence, power and majesty, but also of His love, concern, and care for us in giving us such a beautiful world to live in!

Section 6: How Can We Know the Bible Is True?

	One way is to study the fulfilled prophecies of the Bible. There is a great deal of evidence that the Bible's prophecies have accurately foretold events of the future. If you study the prophecies, then you will have a chance to see that they really did come true. And, if you believe that only God can know the future, then you would have reason to believe that the Bible is truly the Word of God. There is also a great deal of archaeological and historical evidence that backs up the accuracy of what the Bible says. (These are subjects that we will examine in some detail during the 12 Foundation Stones course.)

	Here is one example of a fulfilled prophecy:
* 	Cyrus: The King God Named in Advance 
	Cyrus was the first king of the Medo-Persian Empire in the 6th century B.C. God had prophesied through the mouth of the prophet Isaiah, even naming him by name, more than 200 years before he was even born! He named Cyrus as the king who was going to order the release of the Jews. This was before they were even in captivity! 
	In the 8th century B.C., the Lord said through Isaiah:
	Isaiah 44:28—Who says of Cyrus, "He is My shepherd, and he shall perform all My pleasure, saying to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be built,' and to the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.'"
	Isaiah 45:1–4—Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held— to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut: (2) ‘I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron. (3) I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel. (4) For Jacob My servant's sake, and Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me.
	As it turned out, in the years that followed that prophecy, the Babylonians conquered the people of Judah. Then in 516 B.C., King Cyrus of the Persian Empire, which was the dominant world power, issued an edict letting them go back home.
	Cyrus was the son of Cambyses, the prince of Persia, and was born about 599 B.C.  In the year 559 B.C. he became king of Persia, the kingdom of Media being added to it by conquest. Cyrus was a great military leader, bent on universal conquest. Babylon fell before his army (538 B.C.) on the night of the Babylonian king Belshazzar's feast (Daniel 5:30).
	Hitherto the great kings of the earth had only oppressed the Jews. Cyrus was to them as a "shepherd." He did a service to God's people. He may possibly have gained, through contact with the Jews, some knowledge of their religion.
	Archaeological evidence: This decree was discovered "at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes" (Ezra 6:2). 
	A chronicle drawn up just after the conquest of Babylonia by Cyrus, gives the history of the reign of Nabonidus (Nabunahid), the last king of Babylon and co-regent with his son Balshazzar, and of the fall of the Babylonian empire. 
	In 538 B.C. there was a revolt in Southern Babylonia, while the army of Cyrus entered the country from the north. In June, the Babylonian army was completely defeated at Opis, and immediately afterwards the city of Sippara opened its gates to the conqueror. Gobryas (Ugbaru), the governor of Kurdistan, was then sent to Babylon, which surrendered "without fighting," and the daily services in the temples continued without a break. In October, Cyrus himself arrived, and proclaimed a general amnesty, which was communicated by Gobryas to "all the province of Babylon," of which he had been made governor. Meanwhile, Nabonidus, who had concealed himself, was captured, but treated honorably. 
	Cyrus now assumed the title of "king of Babylon," claimed to be the descendant of the ancient kings, and made rich offerings to the temples. At the same time he allowed the foreign populations who had been deported to Babylonia to return to their old homes, carrying with them the images of their gods. Among these populations were the Jews, who, as they had no images, took with them the sacred vessels of the temple.

	Section 7: How Can We Know Jesus Is God's Son?

	One way is observing how He fulfilled the prophecies of the Bible. There are a number of prophecies about a Messiah written in the Old Testament. Jesus fulfilled those prophecies.
	The Old Testament prophets accurately predicted that the Messiah would be born in the town of Bethlehem, of the tribe of Judah, as a descendant of the great King David, and that He initially would be rejected when He rode into Jerusalem to announce that He was the Messiah. His manner of death (by crucifixion) and burial were also predicted. 
	These are a few examples of prophecies that Jesus fulfilled. You can find more examples in Activated Issue #3 pages 8–9 in the article "Proof at Last." 
	 There are also more examples of prophecies fulfilled by Jesus in the class section "The Life of Jesus." 

* 	The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem
	Bible passage: Micah 5:2
	Written: sometime between 750-686 B.C.
	Fulfilled: Around 4 B.C.
	In this Bible passage, Micah says that a great ruler will be born in Bethlehem, a town in southern Israel. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, as recorded in Matthew 2:1, sometime around the year 4 B.C., about 2000 years ago.
	Although His earthly parents lived in the town of Nazareth, 100 miles to the north of Bethlehem, a decree from Rome demanded that all families return to their ancestral homes to register for a census. The decree came just as Mary's child was due to be born. Joseph and Mary journeyed to Bethlehem, and upon their arrival, Mary went into labor and Jesus was born. 
	Micah 5:2—But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.

* 	God's salvation would reach the ends of the earth
	Bible passage: Isaiah 49:6
	Written: perhaps between 701–681 B.C.
	Fulfilled: 32 A.D.
	In Isaiah 49:6, the prophet speaks of "God's servant" who would not only serve the people of Judah and Israel (the two kingdoms of the Hebrew people), but that this servant would be a light to the Gentiles (non-Jews), so that God's salvation would reach the ends of the earth. Christians believe that Jesus is the fulfillment of this promise, that Jesus has been a light to the Gentiles (there are now about 2 billion Christians in the world), and that Jesus made salvation available to everyone in the world.
	Isaiah 49:6—Indeed He says, "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth."