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VIL

USA
586 Posts

Posted - Mar 17 2007 :  12:04:45 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
Great post, Doc, thanks, I appreciate it.



VIL
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Doc

USA
394 Posts

Posted - Mar 30 2007 :  07:26:05 AM  Show Profile  Visit Doc's Homepage  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply

Excerpts from: Notes on the Orthodox Easter
by M.J. Montes

History

Between AD326 and AD1582, Christianity determined Easter using an algorithm approved by a Church Council in AD325, with the equinox defined as March 21. From AD1054, when the Orthodox and Catholic Churches split in the Great Schism, through AD1582, both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches celebrated Easter on the same date, still using the algorithm from AD325.

The Julian Calendar was used by the European Christan communities until the Gregorian reform of 1582. Since AD1582 October, when the Gregorian Calendar was adopted by much of Catholic Europe, the Orthodox Easter usually falls on dates different than the Western Christian Easter, although apparently the Churches are discussing using the same formula to determine Easter - probably a formula different than that currently used by either Church.

Calendar Reform in the Orthodox Church

In the 1923 May there was a well documented meeting that provided for Calendar Reform in of the Orthodox Church. Among other measures, the Orthodox Calendar would have been adjusted to match the Gregorian calendar date; the proposed leap year rule was different than the rule in the Gregorian Calendar, however the calendars would not disagree until AD2800; more often than not, Easter would be celebrated on the same date in both the Eastern and the Western Churches.

Except for sporadic use in the 1920's, the calendar reform was not adopted. A wonderful resource examining the calendar reform and its lack of acceptance may be found in the excellent article Counter-reformation in Russian Orthodoxy: Popular Response to Religious Innovation, 1922-1925 by Gregory L. Freeze that appeared in the Summer 1995 issue of Slavic Review. Freeze mentions that soon after the adoption by the second (renovationist) council in 1923 May, the renovationists had a full-scale parish revolt on their hands - the common Orthodox parishioners, especially in Russia, did not accept the changes of this council, and indeed, had many other arguments with the renovationists. Other articles concerning Orthodox Calendar Reform that may be found online are: 1) On the Question of the "Revised Julian Calendar" by Father George Lardas; 2) The "Revised" Julian Calendar which offers some explanation of the "New Calendarist views"; and 3) On the Calendar by Father Alexander Lebedeff, which argues for the "Old Calendarist" views.

Notes on Feasts with Fixed Dates in the Orthodox Calendar

The date of Fixed celebrations in the Orthodox calendar is made more difficult by the fact that there are currently differing schools of thought on whether to use the Gregorian or the Julian calendar to determine the date of the Feasts that occur on fixed dates. The two schools of thought are the "Old Calendarists" and the "New Calendarists".

The Old Calendarists use the Julian Calendar to determine the date of ALL religious feasts. This means that Christmas and Epiphany (for example) are 25 Dec. and 6 Jan. JULIAN, repectively. This (currently!) translates to 7 Jan. and 19 Jan. Gregorian, respectively.

The New Calendarists use the Julian Calendar to determine the date of Easter (and celebrations related to Easter) while using the Gregorian calendar to determine the date of fixed celebrations. Thus New Calendarists celebrate Christmas and Epiphany on the same date as the Western Christians, Dec. 25 and 6 Jan. GREGORIAN (respectively). Currently, the New Calendarists are celebrating the fixed feasts 13 days prior to the celebrations of the Old Calendarists.

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Doc

USA
394 Posts

Posted - Mar 30 2007 :  09:52:42 AM  Show Profile  Visit Doc's Homepage  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply

Excerpts from: Byzantines.net/feasts/easter

Since the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ took place during the celebration of the Jewish Passover, which foreshadowed our redemption, it was only natural that some Jewish paschal themes and customs have been introduced into the Christian liturgical services. Even the ancient name, "Pascha," was accepted from the Hebrew word "pesach" meaning "to pass over"; hence the English name for the holy-day is the Pasch or Passover.

Our traditional term, "Pascha," in its liturgical application, has three various meanings:

Firstly, it means the historical passover, the liberation of the Jews from Egyptian slavery and their crossing over the Red Sea into the Promised Land. In the New Testament, the term is applied in a typical sense to our liberation from the slavery of sin and our mystical passing "from death to life," and from earth to heaven (comp. Jn. 5:24; 13:1). Thus at the Resurrection Matins we sing: "The Passover is the Lord’s Passover, since Christ our God has brought us from death to life and from earth to heaven" (Irmos of the First Ode).

Secondly, the term is applied to the yearly commemoration of this event, the Feast of Passover. For us Christians it is a yearly commemoration of Christ’s glorious resurrection, which has been celebrated since Apostolic times according to the testimony of St. Paul: "Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed, let us celebrate the feast" (I Cor. 5:7). In our liturgy, the Pasch is described as "feast of feasts and solemnity of solemnities" (Irmos of the Eighth Ode).

Thirdly, the Pasch is applied to the paschal meal at which the Jews feasted on the sacrificial lamb, which prefigured the "Lamb of God," Jesus Christ (Jn. 1:29). Jesus Himself referred this term to the paschal banquet, telling His disciples: "Go and make preparation for us to eat the Pasch" (Lk. 22:8). Thus, the Easter Canon extols Jesus Christ as our Pasch, since He "willingly sacrificed Himself like a yearling lamb for all of us" (Troparion of the Fourth Ode).

Blessings to All ~

Doc

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VIL

USA
586 Posts

Posted - Apr 01 2007 :  09:36:57 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
Great post, Doc:

"Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can you loose the cords of Orion? Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs? Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set up God's dominion over the earth? Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water? Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, 'Here we are'? Who endowed the heart with wisdom or gave understanding to the mind? Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens." Job 38:31-37

Another perspective is that it can also mean the "passing over" from one era to the next, as Christ was born in the time of Pisces (the Fish) and was the final sacrificial, ransomed, Lamb for the previous ignorant generation ruled by Aries (the Lamb/Ram) and was resurrected as an Augury of the next Sun (of Man) being reborn once again in Aquarius (the Water Bearer), which some say that we are in or soon to be in as the sun Processes or "passes over" the Equinox.

Sidereal Astrology is Wisdom derived from the ancients of the astronomical aspects of the stars (Vedic Astrology) and has nothing to do with many astrology systems frequently used today:

"Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?" So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. Say to the owner of the house he enters, 'The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there." The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them." Matt 14:12-16

A good admonition from the multidimensional Teachings of Christ, to the generation of Pisces, to follow the next Manifestation - and is incidentally the "last supper" for the previous era of Pisces as the Sun precesses the ecliptic into Aquarius - said to be approximately 2,150 years from the time of Christ - as noted that by the astronomical phenomenon of the earth wobbling on its axis (Precession of the Equinox) - where it moves backward one degree approximately every 72 years, which represent the "72 Names of God", in my opinion, wherein there is a new resurrection of both the Sun of Man and the Son of Man once the age is complete:



VIL


Edited by - VIL on Apr 01 2007 10:03:16 AM
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Doc

USA
394 Posts

Posted - Apr 01 2007 :  9:42:15 PM  Show Profile  Visit Doc's Homepage  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply

Hi VIL!

Nice post! Very interesting and thought provoking to be sure.

Doc
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Doc

USA
394 Posts

Posted - Apr 02 2007 :  10:58:39 PM  Show Profile  Visit Doc's Homepage  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
Hi everyone!

With the imminent arrival of Pascha/Easter, I thought that this article entitled The Resurrection of Christ: Myth or Reality? might be appropriate and interestinag here at this time. Enjoy!

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Del...449/res.html
http://www.christusrex.org/www1/sistine/H-m.jpg

Adonai Yeshua ha-Mashiach Racham. Amin.


Doc

Edited by - Doc on Apr 02 2007 11:40:25 PM
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Doc

USA
394 Posts

Posted - Apr 05 2007 :  2:31:06 PM  Show Profile  Visit Doc's Homepage  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
Here's another interesting article on the same topic:

Excerpts from The Resurrection: Fact or Fiction? by Pat Zukeran

The most significant event in history is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the strongest evidence that Jesus is the Son of God. Throughout the centuries, however, there have been scholars who have attempted to deny the account of the Resurrection.

There are several highly accurate historical documents that attest to Jesus.

First, let's look at the four Gospels themselves. The textual evidence decisively shows that the Gospels were written and circulated during the lifetime of those who witnessed the events. Since there are so many specific names and places mentioned, eyewitnesses could have easily discredited the writings. The New Testament would have never survived had the facts been inaccurate. These facts indicate that the Gospels are historically reliable and show Jesus to be a historical figure.

Another document that supports the historicity of Jesus is the work of Josephus, a potentially hostile Jewish historian. He recorded Antiquities, a history of the Jews, for the Romans during the lifetime of Jesus. He wrote, "Now there was about that time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man." Josephus goes on to relate other specific details about Jesus' life and death that correspond with the New Testament. Roman historians such as Suetonius, Tacitus, and Pliny the Younger also refer to Jesus as a historically real individual.

In proving a historical event like the Resurrection, we must look at the historical evidence.

Examining the Evidence

Three facts must be reckoned with when investigating the Resurrection: the empty tomb, the transformation of the Apostles, and the preaching of the Resurrection originating in Jerusalem.

Let us first examine the case of the empty tomb. Jesus was a well known figure in Israel. His burial sight was known by many people.

Jewish and Roman sources both testify to an empty tomb. If the tomb had not been empty, the preaching of the Apostles would not have lasted one day. All the Jewish (or Roman) authorities needed to do to put an end to Christianity was to produce the body of Jesus.

Along with the empty tomb is the fact that the corpse of Jesus was never found. Not one historical record from the first or second century is written attacking the factuality of the empty tomb or claiming discovery of the corpse.

Tom Anderson, former President of the California Trial Lawyers Association states: "Let's assume that the written accounts of His appearances to hundreds of people are false. With an event so well publicized, don't you think that it's reasonable that one historian, one eyewitness, one antagonist would record for all time that he had seen Christ's body? The silence of history is deafening when it comes to the testimony against the resurrection."

Second, we have the changed lives of the Apostles. It is recorded in the Gospels that while Jesus was on trial, the Apostles deserted Him in fear. Yet 10 out of the 11 Apostles died as martyrs believing Christ rose from the dead. What accounts for their transformation into men willing to die for their message? It must have been a very compelling event to account for this.

Third, the Apostles began preaching the Resurrection in Jerusalem. This is significant since this is the very city in which Jesus was crucified...immediately after it occurred. Every possible fact could have been investigated thoroughly.

Five Common Explanations

The Wrong Tomb Theory

Proponents of this first argument state that according to the Gospel accounts, the women visited the grave early in the morning while it was dark. Due to their emotional condition and the darkness, they visited the wrong tomb. Overjoyed to see that it was empty, they rushed back to tell the disciples Jesus had risen. The disciples in turn ran into Jerusalem to proclaim the Resurrection.

There are several major flaws with this explanation. First...the tomb site was known not only by the followers of Christ but also by their opponents. The Gospels make it clear the body was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Jewish council. If the body still remained in the tomb while the Apostles began preaching, the authorities simply would have to go to the right tomb, produce the body, and march it down the streets. Remember, the preaching of the Resurrection began in Jerusalem, fifteen minutes away from the crucifixion site and the tomb. These factors make this theory extremely weak.

The Hallucination Theory

This second theory holds that the Resurrection of Christ just occurred in the minds' of the disciples. Hallucinations occur only at particular times and places and are associated with the events. The Resurrection appearances occur in many different environments and at different times. Finally, hallucinations of this nature occur to those who intensely want to believe. However, several such as Thomas and James, the half brother of Jesus were hostile to the news of the Resurrection.

The Swoon Theory

A third theory espouses that Jesus never died on the cross but merely passed out and was mistakenly considered dead. After three days He revived, exited the tomb, and appeared to His disciples who believed He had risen from the dead. This theory was developed in the early nineteenth century, but today it has been completely given up for several reasons.

First, it is a physical impossibility that Jesus could have survived the tortures of the crucifixion. Second, the soldiers who crucified Jesus were experts in executing this type of death penalty. Furthermore, they took several precautions to make sure He was actually dead. They thrust a spear in His side. When blood and water come out separately, this indicates the blood cells had begun to separate from the plasma which will only happen when the blood stops circulating. Upon deciding to break the legs of the criminals in order to speed up the process of dying, they carefully examined the body of Jesus and found that He was already dead.

After being taken down from the cross, Jesus was covered with eighty pounds of spices and embalmed. It is unreasonable to believe that after three days with no food or water, Jesus would revive. Even harder to believe is that Jesus could roll a two-ton stone up an incline, overpower the guards, and then walk several miles to Emmaeus. Even if Jesus had done this, His appearing to the disciples half-dead and desperately in need of medical attention would not have prompted their worship of Him as God.

The Stolen Body Theory

This fourth argument holds that Jewish and Roman authorities stole the body or moved it for safekeeping. It is inconceivable to think this a possibility. If they had the body, why did they need to accuse the disciples of stealing it? (Matt. 28:11-15). Why would the disciples deceive their own people into believing in a false Messiah when they knew that this deception would mean the deaths of hundreds of their believing friends? If they really knew where the body was, they could have exposed it and ended the faith that caused them so much trouble and embarrassment. Throughout the preaching of the Apostles, the authorities never attempted to refute the Resurrection by producing a body. This theory has little merit.

The Soldiers Fell Asleep Theory

The fifth and most popular theory has existed since the day of the Resurrection and is still believed by many opponents of Christianity. This explanation remains an impossibility for several reasons.

First, if the soldiers were sleeping, how did they know it was the disciples who stole the body?

Second, it seems physically impossible for the disciples to sneak past the soldiers and then move a two-ton stone up an incline in absolute silence. Certainly the guards would have heard something.

Third, the tomb was secured with a Roman seal. Anyone who moved the stone would break the seal, an offense punishable by death. The depression and cowardice of the disciples makes it difficult to believe that they would suddenly become so brave as to face a detachment of soldiers, steal the body, and then lie about the Resurrection when they would ultimately face a life of suffering and death for their contrived message.

Fourth, Roman guards were not likely to fall asleep with such an important duty. There were (death) penalties for doing so....and the disciples would have needed to overpower them. A very unlikely scenario.

Finally, in the Gospel of John the grave clothes were found "lying there as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself separate from the linen" (20:6-7). There was not enough time for the disciples to sneak past the guards, roll away the stone, unwrap the body, rewrap it in their wrappings, and fold the head piece neatly next to the linen. In a robbery, the men would have flung the garments down in disorder and fled in fear of detection.

Conclusion: Monumental Implications

These five theories inadequately account for the empty tomb, the transformation of the Apostles, and the birth of Christianity in the city of the crucifixion. The conclusion we must seriously consider is that Jesus rose from the grave. The implications of this are monumental.

First, if Jesus rose from the dead, then what He said about Himself is true. He stated, "I AM the Resurrection and the Life; he who believes in me shall live even if he dies" (John 11:25). He also stated, "I AM the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no man comes to the Father, but through me" (John 14:6). Eternal Life is found through Jesus Christ alone...because Jesus has Conquered Death..."Death has been swallowed up in Victory" 1 Cor. 15:54
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Doc

USA
394 Posts

Posted - Apr 06 2007 :  10:44:20 AM  Show Profile  Visit Doc's Homepage  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
MESSIANIC PROPHECIES FULFILLED IN JESUS

Will the Real Messiah Please Stand Up?

Jesus had various credentials to support His claims to being Messiah, God's son. One credential often overlooked, one of the most profound, is the fulfillment of prophecy in His life.

Over and over again Jesus appealed to the prophecies of the Old Testament to substantiate His claims as the Messiah. Galatians 4:4 says, "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law." Here we have reference to the prophecies being fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures (Luke 24:27).

Jesus said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled" (Luke 24:44). He said, "For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote of Me" (John 5:46). He also said, "Abraham rejoiced to see My day" (John 8:56).

The apostles, the New Testament writers, etc., constantly appealed to fulfilled prophecy to substantiate the claims of Jesus as the Son of God, the Savior, the Messiah..."But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ should suffer, He has thus fulfilled." (Acts 3:18).

"And according to Paul's custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures [meaning the Old Testaments], explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, 'This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.'" (Acts 17:2,3).

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures [in other words, Christ's death was prophesied in the Old Testament], and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:3,4).

In the Old Testament there are sixty major messianic prophecies and approximately 270 ramifications that were fulfilled in one person, Jesus Christ. It is helpful to look at all these predictions fulfilled in Christ as His "address." You've probably never realized how important the details of your name and address are, and yet these details set you apart from the five billion other people who also inhabit this planet.

An Address in History

With even greater detail, God wrote an address in history to single out His Son, the Messiah, the Savior of mankind, from anyone who has ever lived in history -past, present, or future. The specifics of this address can be found in the Old Testament, a document written over a period of a thousand years, which contains more than three hundred references to His coming. Using the science of probability, we find the chances of just forty-eight of these prophecies being fulfilled in one person to be right at one in 10157 (a one followed by 157 zeros!).

The task of matching up God's address with one man is further complicated by the fact that all the prophecies of the Messiah were made at least 400 years before He was to appear. Some might disagree and say that these prophecies were written down after the time of Christ and fabricated to coincide with His life. This might sound feasible until you realize that the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, was translated around 150-200 B.C. This Greek translation shows that there was at least a two-hundred-year gap between the prophecies being recorded and their fulfillment in Christ.

Certainly God was writing an address in history that only the Messiah could fulfill. Approximately forty major claims to be the Jewish Messiah have been made by men. Only one-Jesus Christ-appealed to fulfilled prophecy to substantiate His claims, and only His credentials back up those claims.

What were some of those details? And what events had to precede and coincide with the appearance of God's Son?

To begin, we need to go way back to Genesis 3:15. Here we have the first messianic prophecy. In all of Scripture, only one man was "born of the seed of a woman" -all others are born of the seed of a man. Here is the one who will come into the world and undo the works of Satan ("bruise His head"). In Genesis 9 and 10 God narrowed the address down further. Noah had three sons, Shem, Japheth, and Ham. Today all of the nations of the world can be traced back to these three men. But in this passage, God effectively eliminated two-thirds of them from the line of Messiahship. The Messiah will come through the lineage of Shem.

Continuing on to the year 2000 B.C., we find God calling a man named Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees. With Abraham, God became still more specific, stating that the Messiah will be one of his descendants (Genesis 12; 17; 22). All the families of the earth will be blessed through Abraham. Abraham had two sons, Isaac and Ishmael, but many of his descendants were eliminated when God selected his second son, Isaac (Genesis 17;21).

Isaac had two sons, Jacob and Esau, and God chose the line of Jacob (Genesis 28; 35:10-12; Numbers 24:17). Jacob had twelve sons, out of whom developed the twelve tribes of Israel. God singled out the tribe of Judah for Messiahship and eliminated 11/12ths of the Israelite tribes. And of all the family lines within Judah's tribe, the line of Jesse was the divine choice (Isaiah 11:1-5). One can see the probability of Jesus being the Messiah building.

Jesse had eight children and in 2 Samuel 7:12-16 and Jeremiah 23:5 God eliminated 7/8ths of Jesse's family line: We read that God's man will not only be of the seed of a woman, the lineage of Shem, the race of the Jews, the line of Isaac, the line of Jacob, the tribe of Judah, but that He will also be of the house of David.

A prophecy dating 1012 B.C. (Psalm 22:6-18; cf. Zechariah 12:10 and Galatians 3:13) also predicts that this man's hands and feet will be pierced (i.e., He will be crucified). This description was written eight hundred years before crucifixion began to be practiced by the Romans.

Isaiah 7:14 adds that this man will be born of a virgin -a natural birth of unnatural conception, a criterion beyond human planning and control. Several prophecies recorded in Isaiah and the psalms describe the social climate and response that God's man will encounter: His own people, the Jews, will reject Him and the Gentiles will believe in Him (Isaiah 8:14; 28:16; 49:6; 50:6; 52:53; 60:3; Psalms 22:7,8; 118:22). There will be a forerunner for Him (Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1), a voice in the wilderness, one preparing the way before the Lord, a John the Baptist.

Thirty Pieces of Silver

Notice, too, the seven ramifications of a prophecy (Zechariah 11:11-13; cf. Psalm 41, Jeremiah 32:6-15, and Matthew 27:3-10) that narrows the drama down even further. Here God indicates the Messiah will be (1) betrayed, (2) by a friend, (3) for thirty pieces, (4) of silver, that will be (5) cast onto the floor, (6) of the Temple, and (7) used to buy a potter's field.

In Micah 5:2 God eliminated all the cities of the world and selected Bethlehem, with a population of less than a thousand, as the Messiah's birthplace.

Then through a series of prophecies He even defined the time sequence that would set His man apart. For example, Malachi 3:1 and four other Old Testament verses (Psalm 118:26; Daniel 9:26; Zechariah 11:13; Haggai 2:7-9) require the Messiah to come while the Temple of Jerusalem is still standing. This is of great significance when we realize that the Temple was destroyed in A.D. 70 and has not since been rebuilt.

The precise lineage; the place, time, and manner of birth; people's reactions; the betrayal; the manner of death. These are just a fraction of the hundreds of details that made up the address to identify God's Son, the Messiah, the Savior of the world.

Objection: Such Fulfilled Prophecy Was Coincidental
"Why, you could find some of these prophecies fulfilled in Kennedy'. King, Nassar, etc." replies a critic. Yes, one could possibly find one or two prophecies fulfilled in other men, but not all 60 major prophecies and 270 ramifications. H. Harold Artzler, of the American Scientific Affiliation, in the foreword of a book by Peter W. Stoner writes:

"The manuscript for Science Speaks has been carefully reviewed by a committee of the American Scientific Affiliation members and by the Executive Council of the same group and has been found, in general, to be dependable and accurate in regard to the scientific material presented. The mathematical analysis included is based upon principles of probability which are thoroughly sound, and Professor Stoner has applied these principles in a proper and convincing way."

The following probabilities are taken from that book to show that coincidence is ruled out by the science of probability. Stoner says that by using the modern science of probability in reference to just eight prophecies, "we find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 1017." That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. In order to help us comprehend this staggering probability, Stoner illustrates it by supposing that:

"Now these prophecies were either given by inspiration of God or the prophets just wrote them as they thought they should be. In such a case the prophets had just one chance in 10 17 of having them come true in any man, but they all came true in Christ."

This means that the fulfillment of these eight prophecies alone proves that God inspired the writing of those prophecies to a definiteness which lacks only one chance in 1017 of being absolute.

Objection: Jesus Tried to Fulfill Prophecies

Another objection is that Jesus deliberately attempted to fulfill the Jewish prophecies. This objection seems plausible until we realize that many of the details of the Messiah's coming were totally beyond human control. For example, the place of birth. I can just hear Jesus in Mary's womb as she rode on the donkey: "Mom, we won't make it!"

When Herod asked the chief priests and scribes, "Where is the Christ to be born?" they said, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet" (Matthew 2:5). The time of His coming. The manner of His birth. Betrayal by Judas and the betrayal price. The manner of His death. The people's reaction. The mocking and spitting, the staring. The casting of dice for His clothes. The non-tearing of His garment, etc. Half the prophecies are beyond His fulfillment. He couldn't work it out to be born of the seed of the woman, the lineage of Shem, the descendants of Abraham, etc. No wonder Jesus and the apostles appealed to fulfilled prophecy to substantiate His claim.

Why did God go to all this trouble? I believe He wanted Jesus Christ to have all the credentials He needed when He came into the world. Yet the most exciting thing about Jesus Christ is that He came to change lives. He alone proved the hundreds of Old Testament prophecies that described His coming to be correct. He alone can fulfill the greatest prophecy of all for those who will accept it -the promise of new life: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you" (Ezekiel 36:25-27). "Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
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Doc

USA
394 Posts

Posted - Apr 06 2007 :  9:51:16 PM  Show Profile  Visit Doc's Homepage  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
On this Great Friday of Holy Week, I offer the following article which details the torture and crucifixion of Jesus on this day long ago. I hope the forensic medical analysis of His Passion and Death gives you a better understanding and appreciation of the horrors of these events, and of the fact that only an Act of God could restore life to a body so profoundly dead!

http://www.e-forensicmedicine.net/Turin2000.htm

http://www.historian.net/shroud.htm

http://www.shroudofturin4journalist...pathol13.jpg

http://www.catholictradition.org/Ch...ly-face4.jpg


Edited by - Doc on Apr 06 2007 10:31:22 PM
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Doc

USA
394 Posts

Posted - Apr 07 2007 :  09:44:01 AM  Show Profile  Visit Doc's Homepage  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
Hi to all ~

Here's an intriguing article entitled Resurrection View by N.T. Wright, which presents the scientific findings regarding the apparent dematerialization of the body laid to rest in the Shroud of Turin. Quite interesting and thought provoking indeed!

http://www.shroudstory.com/faq-ntwright.htm

Blessed Be All!

Doc
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VIL

USA
586 Posts

Posted - Apr 14 2007 :  10:15:25 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
Hey, Doc, good posts:

What about the Scripture that states that Christ's body was wrapped in strips of linen? Wasn't the shroud considered unauthentic?:



VIL
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