Recently, I read a blog post and accompanying comments which addressed an article I had previously written.  Unfortunately, the post and some of the comments focused on challenging the Word of God and denigrating believers in Jesus Christ.

But this is nothing new.  We’ve seen these types of comments before.

They go something like this…

“The bible is a fairy tale.”

“God is completely made up.”

“Why won’t God show Himself?”

“Where’s the evidence of God?”

“Christians are idiots with blind faith in fairy tales.”

Some of these statements are blatantly false opinions unsubstantiated by fact, while others are legitimate questions.  The remainder of this article will attempt address these points for the non-believer.

Is God Made Up?

God is certainly not a figment of man’s imagination.  In fact, it’s the idea that God doesn’t exist that’s a concept invented by mankind, not the other way around.

As God is quick to remind us…

“Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’” Psalm 14:1 (NLT)

It’s pure foolishness to deny the existence of God.

Why?

Because evidence of His existence is all around us, a point which will be addressed in detail momentarily.

But right now, we should be more concerned with where this idea comes from. Why do so many people outright reject the idea of God’s existence?  After all, even demons acknowledge God as evidenced by the following:

“As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet him. For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in a cemetery outside the town.  As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of him. Then he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please, I beg you, don’t torture me!”  For Jesus had already commanded the evil spirit to come out of him.”  Luke 8:27-29(NLT)

Not only do the demons acknowledge God’s existence, but also His power, because they beg for His mercy:

“The demons kept begging Jesus not to send them into the bottomless pit.”Luke 8:30 (NLT)

So if demons acknowledge God’s existence, why are so many people confused?

One reason is because the Prince of this world has successfully convinced many people that belief in God is incompatiable with rational thought and logic.

But is this really the case?

Blind Faith?

One of the favorite stand-by slanders utilized by those who deny the existence of God is the following…

“I don’t accept the truth of ancient texts with blind faith.  Our ancestors just made up the idea of God because they couldn’t explain the world.”

The insinuation is that if you accept the existence of God and God’s Word (the Bible), then you must throw all rationality and common sense out the window. Why?  Because there’s no evidence any of this stuff is true!

Does that line of irrational thought sound familiar?

It should.  I’ve heard it all my life, and this line of reasoning is just plain ignorant of the facts.

Why?

Because it…

1)      Equates faith with a blind unquestioning acceptance

2)      It assumes no evidence of God exists

Both are incorrect assumptions.

Faith is not blind acceptance, and faith is not an irrational embrace of uproven tradition.

Faith is trust.  Trust and belief that someone will hold true to their word.

And trust is built on reputation.

For instance, you might trust someone if they have a history of integrity, a track record of reliability, and an impeccable reputation of trustworthiness established over a long period of time.  In such a case, it’s reasonable and rational to expect the person’s trustworthiness will continue.

I have faith in Jesus Christ not because my ancestors did, and not because I cling to a false hope…  It’s just the opposite!

I have faith in Jesus Christ because I trust God.  I trust Him to keep His Word.

Here’s what God had to say hundreds of years before Jesus Christ came into this world…

“I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him.” Deuteronomy 18:18 (NLT)

God promised a prophet from among the Israelites.  He promised to put His own words in that prophet’s mouth.

Then when God sent His prophet, He and His servant John testified on His behalf…

“Then John testified, ‘I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.’” John 1:32-34 (NLT)

My well-reasoned, rational reason to have faith in Jesus Christ?  …Because God said to trust Him!

And given His track record, I’ll take God’s Word over the words of the world.

Will I fall victim to false hope?

Don’t count on it…

“And anyone who believes in Him will never be disappointed.” 1 Peter 2:6(NLT)

So why do I trust God’s Word?  What makes God so trustworthy?  What’s His track record?

And why would anyone accept anything written in the Bible as true?  Where’s the evidence?

Once I show you, you won’t equate faith in Jesus Christ with blind acceptance.  Instead, you’ll understand that faith in Jesus Christ is nothing more than trust in the Word of God.  And God has proven He deserves our trust.

The Evidence of God

One of the common arguments put forth by those who discount God’s existence is the following:

“Okay, if God exists…  Where’s the evidence?”

Unfortunately, most believers are unprepared to respond properly.  As a result, the self-righteous questioner believes he’s won his argument.

Yet nothing is farther from the truth.

There’s plenty of evidence of God’s existence.

Creation is one.  Bible prophecy is another.  And both directly testify to people who live today, and there’s no denying the reality of either.

Creation

The very existence of creation is evidence enough of God’s existence.

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God.  The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.  Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.” Psalm 19:1-4 (NLT)

Creation speaks to every person on a daily basis, literally proclaiming God’s existence to the world.  So how can anyone say there’s no evidence of God?

They can’t…

“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” Romans 1:20 (NLT)

On its own, creation provides such indisputable evidence of God’s glory that people “have no excuse for not knowing God.”

So, in an effort to explain away God and creation, non-believers evolve various theories as to how creation came into existence…  Notice who’s engaged in the creative, ever-evolving storytelling here?  Hint, it’s not Bible believers.

So who’s irrational?  The man who looks at a snowflake and believes an intelligent designer created it?  Or the one who looks at the same snowflake and chalks it up to random chance?

Bible Prophecy

As if creation weren’t enough, God created a written account of His Word and gave it to the world.  He challenged mankind to test it and to live by it.

But have non-believers objectively tested God’s Word?

No.  If they did, they would be aware of hundreds and hundreds of fulfilled prophecies written in some cases thousands of years prior to their fulfillment. They would realize the statistical improbability of 100% of these prophecies reaching fulfillment, and they would believe in God.

After all, mankind can’t even fortell the direction of tomorrow’s stock market.

Yet God regularly fortells the rise and fall of nations centuries in advance!

And throughout the Old Testament, He points to this unique ability as evidence of His existence:

“I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens.” Isaiah 42:8-9 (NLT)

“‘Present the case for your idols,’ says the Lord. ‘Let them show what they can do,’ says the King of Israel. ‘Let them try to tell us what happened long ago so that we may consider the evidence. Or let them tell us what the future holds, so we can know what’s going to happen. Yes, tell us what will occur in the days ahead. Then we will know you are gods.’” Isaiah 41:21-23 (NLT)

“This is what the Lord says – Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies: ‘I am the First and the Last; there is no other God. Who is like me? Let him step forward and prove to you his power. Let him do as I have done since ancient times when I established a people and explained its future.’” Isaiah 44:6-7 (NLT)

So, how does God’s promise stand the test of time?

It stands up perfectly.  Hundreds of prophecies fulfilled, one-hundred percent accuracy.

This article doesn’t contain enough room to address every one of prophecies. But there’s one that’s undeniable to the modern day non-believer…

The birth of Israel as a nation.

Israel

Non-believers can dismiss the messianic prophecies as unfulfilled by claiming the Gospels were written by the followers of Jesus and that Medieval historians revised history.

But you can’t make the claim of historical revisionism when a prophecy is fulfilled in your own day.

And God’s Word was fulfilled in plain sight, for all the world to see, in May 1948.  That’s when Israel became a nation for the first time in almost 2,000 years.

2,600 years ago, the prophet Isaiah spoke on behalf of God, who promised to gather Israel’s children from the four corners of the earth and bring them back to the land He promised them:

“‘Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west and from north and south. I will bring my sons and daughters back to Israel from the distant corners of the earth. All who claim me as their God will come, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.” Isaiah 43:5-7 (NLT)

God also promised through the prophet Jeremiah to bring the people of Israel out of exile and back into their land:

“‘But the time is coming,’ says the Lord, ‘when people who are taking an oath will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who rescued the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.’ Instead, they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the people of Israel back to their own land from the land of the north and from all the countries to which he had exiled them.’ For I will bring them back to this land that I gave their ancestors.” Jeremiah 16:14-15 (NLT)

And, as if that weren’t enough, God reiterated His intentions through the prophet Ezekiel:

“Therefore, give the exiles this message from the Sovereign Lord: Although I have scattered you in the countries of the world, I will be a sanctuary to you during your time in exile. I, the Sovereign Lord, will gather you back from the nations where you were scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel once again.” Ezekiel 11:16-17(NLT)

The promise to restore Israel as a nation isn’t made just once, twice, or even three times in the Bible, but numerous times.  Space constraints simply don’t allow for an exhaustive look at all of God’s prophecies concerning Israel.

Nevertheless, it’s clear that long before the Jewish people ended an almost 2,000 year exile from the land of Israel, God promised their return.

These promises weren’t “made up” by mere men…  How could they be?  Who but God could have foreseen the Jewish exile and subsequent regathering?  What other nation of people in the history of the world faced a forced exile yet retained all the elements of their cultural, religious, and social heritage?

The modern day nation of Israel is bombshell testimony of God’s existence…

“Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.” 2 Peter 1:20-21 (NLT)

Which opens the door to even more evidence…

The Holy Spirit

Aside from creation and fulfilled bible prophecy, the Holy Spirit offers further evidence of God’s existence.  Those who believe and trust in Jesus Christ can testify to the existence of the Holy Spirit, which gives regular testimony of God’s existence.

As Jesus promised:

“But I will send you the Advocate – the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry.” John 15:26-27 (NLT)

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NLT)

As Paul points out, the Holy Spirit transforms a person.  So those people are a testimony of Christ’s existence:

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

Unfortunately, evidence of the Holy Spirit is hidden from the non-believer:

“But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, ‘Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?’ But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:10-16 (NLT)

Believers in Christ can understand these things, because they “have the mind of Christ.”  But in the eyes of non-believers, the Holy Spirit and God’s existence sounds foolish.

Why Won’t God “Show” Himself?

Another typical argument put forward by the non-believing public is this one…

“If God exists, where is He?  Why won’t God show Himself?”

This shows ignorance on two fronts…

First, God shows Himself every day through the Holy Spirit to countless believers.  But since non-believers themselves can not experience the fruits of the Holy Spirit, they make an assumption that it does not exist.

Second, it ignores creation, bible prophecy, and the historical background of God “showing Himself” to mankind.

After all, God used to regularly show Himself to mankind.  Unfortunately, the non-believers of the Old Testament era got upset and asked God to no longer reveal Himself in the same way…

“And they said to Moses, ‘You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!’” Exodus 20:19 (NLT)

Why did they make this request?  Because God scared them!  He spoke with thunderous authority, and He made demands of mankind that mankind did not want to adhere to…

So what did God do?

Gentleman that He is, He honored their request.  God promised to no longer speak in thunderous tones from a mountain top.  Instead, He promised to send a prophet to speak on His behalf…

“Moses continued, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. For this is what you yourselves requested of the Lord your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai.  You said, ‘Don’t let us hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore or see this blazing fire, for we will die.’ Then the Lord said to me, ‘What they have said is right.  I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him. I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf.’”  Deuteronomy 18:15-19 (NLT)

The prophet God sent is Jesus Christ.  He is the physical and human manifestation of God Almighty Himself…  the very thing the non-believers demand!  Yet, in spite of His coming and fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies, non-believers continue to insist, “God does not exist…”

They continue to proclaim…

“There’s no evidence.”

They continue to demand…

“Why doesn’t God show Himself?”

Yet, God did and does show Himself.  His name is Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

While the non-believers of this world continue to insist a belief in God is utter foolishness, the exclusive domain of irrational intellectual Neandrathals who embrace fairy tales…  God has something else in mind.

It turns out the joke is on the intellectually arrogant.  For in the eyes of God, the wisdom of this world is nothing more than mere foolishness:

“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, ‘He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.’  And again, ‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless.’” 1 Corinthians 3:19-20 (NLT)

God exists.  Evidence abounds.

And God will soon show Himself to the world through the Glorious Appearing of His Son, Jesus Christ…

When it comes to Satan, hell, and bible prophecy, a number of myths and misunderstandings have taken root over the years.

Its important to correct these myths, because people need to know the truth.

Not only the truth about what is, but the truth about whats going to be

The bible has a lot to say about Satan, hell, and the future. And knowing what the bible says helps us to develop a worldview grounded in truth and perspective.

If we want to understand the world around us, now and in the future, its essential to know what the bible says.

So lets address two widespread myths which persist to this day

Myth #1: Satan Resides in Hell

One of the most persistent cultural myths in our lifetime is the idea that Satan resides in hell. In the images of pop culture, Satan is pictured as the undisputed ruler of hell.

But according to the bible, Satan is not in hell. In fact, according to the bible, Satan splits his time between this world and heaven.

This concept is clearly illustrated in the Book of Job, when Satan himself comes before the Lord

One day the members of the heavenly court came again to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. Job 2:1 (NLT)

Its clear from this passage that Satan isnt a prisoner of eternal torment in hell as conventional wisdom so often states.

On the contrary, the bible portrays him as having regular access to God. The Book of Revelation calls him, the one who accuses them before our God day and night. Revelation 12:10 (NLT)

This verse paints a portrait of Satan as a heavenly figure who accuses the followers of Christ day and night before the Lord of Creation. In its entirety, this prophetic passage also clearly states that Satan will be thrown down to earth

For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth the one who accuses them before our God day and night. Revelation 12:10 (NLT)

And that begs the question Thrown down from where? The obvious implication is that Satan will be thrown down from heaven, where he currently resides.

If this is true, where do we get the idea that Satan resides in hell?

Well, we get it from the bible But what is often misunderstood is that hell is not Satans present residence; its his future destination.

Right now (the pre-Tribulation period), Satan is in heaven. But his days in heaven are numbered. God will not endure Satans presence forever, and the time which is marked for Satans permanent exile from heaven is the mid-point of the Tribulation.

As the Book of Revelation reveals

Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world was thrown down to the earth with all his angels. Revelation 12:7-9 (NLT)

Its a commonly held belief that Satan and his rebellious angels were banished from heaven long ago, but thats a myth.

Satans banishment is a future event, one slated for the last days.

And Satan will not become a resident of hell until after the Glorious Appearing of Jesus Christ, when he is bound and thrown into the lake of fire

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. He seized the dragon that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan and bound him in chains for a thousand years. The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished.Revelation 20:1-3 (NLT)

And that leads us to a second myth

Myth #2: Satan Will Rule Over Hell

The second myth involves Satans ultimate role in hell.

If you buy into the conventional wisdom, Satan is the undisputed ruler of hell, a place where he wields power over fellow inhabitants, torturing them day and night.

But the bible paints a different picture

Its a picture of Satan as a defeated being who is mocked mercilessly and ridiculed by the very people he led astray

In the place of the dead there is excitement over your arrival. The spirits of world leaders and mighty kings long dead stand up to see you. With one voice they all cry out, Now you are as weak as we are! Your might and power were buried with you. The sound of the harp in your palace has ceased. Now maggots are your sheet, and worms your blanket. Isaiah 14:9-11 (NLT)

Rather than facing an eternal future as dictator of hell, Satan faces a humbling future as the lowest of the low in hell

How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world.For you said to yourself, I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above Gods stars. I will preside on the mountain of the godsfar away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High. Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths.Everyone there will stare at you and ask,Can this be the one who shook the earth and made the kingdoms of the world tremble?Is this the one who destroyed the world and made it into a wasteland?Is this the king who demolished the worlds greatest citiesand had no mercy on his prisoners? Isaiah 14:12-17 (NLT)

Despite his ambition, this is Satans ultimate fate.

And he knows it. After all, Satan also studies the scriptures, as evidenced by his use of scripture in his temptation of Jesus:

Then the devil took him to the holy city, ml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you wont even hurt your foot on a stone. Matthew 4:5-6 (NLT)

Here, Satan exhibits full knowledge of Psalm 91:11-12, and you can be absolutely certain he knows Isaiah 14, Revelation 12, Revelation 20, and the rest of Gods Word.

Thats why, when Satan is thrown down to earth, he arrives in great anger.Because he knows his time is short

Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time. Revelation 12:12 (NLT)

In a last ditch effort to avoid to his fate, Satan will attempt to annihilate the Jews

When the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. Revelation 12:13(NLT)

Why is Satan trying to annihilate the Jews?

Because, if hes successful in doing so, he wins an enormous victory over God.

After all, God made a promise to Abraham

The Lord had said to Abram, Leave your native country, your relatives, and your fathers family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you. Genesis 12:1-3(NLT)

And Gods promise included the land of Israel

Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, I will give this land to your descendants. Genesis 12:7 (NLT)

If Satan can eliminate the physical descendants of Abraham, then he makes God a liar. Does this help shed some light on why anti-Semitism persists and why Hitler so vehemently pursued the Holocaust?

Satan was, and is, behind it all.

But this hatred isnt reserved exclusively for the Jews. Gods promise to Abraham included Abrahams spiritual descendants as well

Clearly, Gods promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to Gods law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. If Gods promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless. Romans 4:13-14 (NLT)

And who are Abrahams spiritual descendants?

Those who forge a right relationship with God that comes by faith.

When Satan is thrown down to the earth, he will ruthlessly pursue those people too

And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war against the rest of her children all who keep Gods commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus. Revelation 12:17 (NLT)

Does this help you better understand Christian persecution throughout the ages?

Satan hates Jews and Christians, because both are beneficiaries of Gods promise to Abraham Gods promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants.

Right now, Satan commands great influence over the inhabitants of this world

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who dont believe. 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT)

But Satans rule is destined to come to an end, and he knows it.

Thats why the Tribulation is such a terrible time in human history. Knowing he has little time, Satan will deploy the full use of his power in a feeble attempt to prove Gods Word false and avoid his ultimate destination Hell.

As a result, terrible times are coming, but those with faith will avoid the great time of testing

Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. All who are victorious will become pillars in theTemple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name. Revelation 3:10-12 (NLT)

In the meantime

We should trust in Christ. We should obey His commandments, and use what little time we have left on this earth to bring glory to God. We should preach His Word to those who will listen. And we should show love for friends and enemies alike, doing unto to others as we would have them do unto us.

We should live our lives as faithful servants of Christ, and look forward to the day when we hear a loud voice shouting across the heavens

It has come at last salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth the one who accuses them before our God day and night. And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice!Revelation 12:10-12 (NLT)

Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!