When we see violence and corruption on a massive scale from rulers of the world, we can feel as if there is nothing we can do. While most of us are ordinary citizens that do not set policy or make major decisions that dramatically affect world affairs, Christians do have a premier resource of which we should be reminded. When Paul addressed Timothy regarding the church’s focus, he wrote, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (1 Tim. 2:1-2). Prayer is a tremendous aid for Christians. Christians need to be reminded of prayer in general, but particularly here Paul urges that in addition to prayers for all Christians should pray for kings and those in authority (v. 2). Some people have negative attitudes toward rulers. Many first-century Jews despised paying taxes to Rome, what they considered a heathen power. Some first-century Gentile Christians may have had the mistaken notion that because Jesus was their Lord, they did not need to heed any government. While there are limits to what a government can tell us to do since their authority is delegated by God Who has supreme authority (Acts 5:29), Christians must be reminded of the general principle of a respectful attitude toward those in power (Rom. 13:7; 1 Pet. 2:17).

The bigger picture Christians must understand is that God works in the world and can even have His hand in events associated with the rulers of the world. God put Pharaoh on the throne (Ex. 9:16). Pharaoh did not even acknowledge God (Ex. 5:2); however, God used Pharaoh. God does not take away the free will of world leaders, nor whisper something in their ears. Yet, a king’s heart is in His almighty hand (Prov. 21:1). Nations may never intend to be serving God, yet He can use them as instruments (Isa. 10:5-7). Often only God knows the reasons why He allows certain people to have power (Dan. 4:17, 25).

The reason Christians should pray for kings and those in authority is for peace (1 Tim. 2:2). To live a tranquil and quiet life where we can work, worship, and raise our families without violent attacks is a blessing we must not take for granted. God certainly does not approve of all the actions of world leaders. He has ordained governing authorities to function as a terror and punishment to evil works (Rom. 13:1-4; 1 Pet. 2:14).

While prayer often is a general term for addressing God, some other specific words are used in 1 Timothy 2:1. One aspect of prayer mentioned is giving thanks. Too often today people focus on the negative and get angry when they don’t receive that to which they feel entitled. Think instead of all the blessings for which we should be thankful and glorify God. But prayer involves more than expressing thanks. The request aspect of prayer taps into the powerful resource to bring about change. The word supplications refers to requests or petitions based on a deep sense of need. Intercessions are prayers to the Father on behalf of another. While Christ intercedes for Christians (Heb. 7:25), and the Holy Spirit intercedes for Christians (Rom. 8:26), Christians may also intercede for others. We can go to God in prayer on behalf of a fellow Christian (Eph. 6:19; Col. 4:3; Philem. 22; Jas. 5:16; 1 Jn. 5:16) or non-Christians (Mt. 5:44; Lk. 6:28). Christ is the only mediator that can represent God to man and man to God (1 Tim. 2:5), but all of us as Christians can offer intercessory prayers on behalf of others for good. When the righteous pray, the results are effective (Jas. 5:16). Don’t forget to pray.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            -Mark Day

The Christian Bible holds the Guinness world record as the best-selling book of all time, stating, “…research conducted by the British and Foreign Bible Society in 2021 suggests that the total number probably lies between 5 and 7 billion copies.” They go on to say there are an estimated 80 million copies printed each year. That equates to ~219,000 copies printed around the globe every day. The Bible is indisputably the most popular book in human history, but that fact does not mean the Bible is of divine origin. Let’s briefly examine a few indicators that the Bible is in fact the word of God.

1. Internal Claims – the Bible itself claims to be the inspired word of God (2 Tim. 3:16), meaning it claims to have been “God-breathed” (theopneustos). This self-ascribed description is the first item to consider regarding the origin of the Bible.
2. Unity of Message – we think of the Bible as a single book, however in reality it is a library containing 66 books written by ~40 authors in 3 languages from various geographical locations on 3 continents composed over a span of ~1,500 years covering historical events that span ~4,000 years, yet there are no contradictions nor departures from the single, unified, consistent theme found throughout.
3. Historical Accuracy – from the accounts found in Genesis through the historical records provided by Luke in the book of Acts in the New Testament the Bible has provided an accurate depiction of historical events as verified by secular history. For example, Luke mentions 32 countries, 54 cities, 9 Mediterranean islands, and 95 different people in his record of Acts, and secular history concludes that Luke is accurate in all his claims. Stan Mitchell of www.forthright.net describes skeptic and historian Sir William Ramsay as stating, “The book of Acts, he declared, was full of errors, and to prove this contention, he traveled to Asia Minor to demonstrate Luke’s unreliability.” Mitchell goes on to state, “Ramsay the skeptic returned to Great Britain a believer. Every one of Luke’s facts checked out.” While historical accuracy does not directly indicate divine inspiration, a divinely inspired book must be historically accurate.
4. Scientific Accuracy and Foreknowledge – unbiased science is not the enemy of true religion, and God Himself proves this in His inspired word. From the time God told man to subdue and have dominion over the earth (Gen. 1:28) man has been examining the glory of God throughout His creation (Rom. 1:20; Psa. 19). The Bible avoids errors in the fields of astrology, medicine, witchcraft, geography, and the like, which contemporary cultures contained at the time of its writing.
5. Predictive Prophecy – there are numerous verifiable prophecies regarding historical events that have been fulfilled. One such prophecy was made by Ezekiel in the year 597 BC regarding the fall of the city of Tyre. He predicted that Babylon would conquer the city, and he even went so far as to describe the way it would fall. Secular history verifies this historical event took place in 330 BC in the exact manner in which it was prophesied.

Space does not allow for a more detailed description of the divine properties contained within the pages of the Bible, but it is evident that the Bible contains features that prove it to be of supernatural origin. As Christians, we may take comfort in the fact that God has proven Himself in His word. For more detailed explanations of specific instances of predictive prophecy and scientific foreknowledge I would recommend examining material from Apologetics Press and World Video Bible School.

In the fifth chapter of Daniel, the Babylonian king Belshazzar made a great feast and used the vessels taken from the temple in Jerusalem to drink wine from; in his debauchery, he desecrated vessels that had been sanctified for worship of the one, true God. God gave a message to Belshazzar of four words written by a hand on the wall: Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin (Dan. 5:25). Mene meant that his kingdom had been numbered and finished (Dan. 5:26).  Tekel meant he had been weighed on the scales and found wanting (Dan. 5:27). Parsin meant that his kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and the Persians (Dan. 5:28). That night, just as God said, Belshazzar was slain, and his kingdom was given to Darius the Mede (Dan. 5:30-31).

God’s word, the Bible, is accurate. Until the middle of the nineteenth century, skeptics claimed for years that the existence of king Belshazzar was pure invention, that the Bible was mistaken and Nabonidus was in fact the last king of Babylon; however, archeological discoveries of cuneiform tablets, housed in the British Museum, contain references that Belshazzar was co-regent with his father Nabonidus.[1] Belshazzar’s promise to make Daniel “third ruler in the kingdom” (Dan. 5:16, 29) fits with this truth, since Nabonidus and Belshazzar would be the first and second rulers in the kingdom. Belshazzar was ruling when Babylon fell to the Medo-Persian empire, a significant event in world history. Chapters 50 and 51 of Jeremiah describe the fall in detail. A century before Babylon’s fall, the prophet showed how a coalition of nations including the Medes would come from the north to take Babylon, that though Babylon had well-supplied storehouses and lofty fortifications her sea, the Euphrates river, would be dried up suddenly during a feast. Diverting the river that flowed under the city’s walls was evidently how Babylon was taken.

The Bible also speaks of how each one of us will be subject to the judgment of God (Acts 17:30-31; 2 Cor. 5:10; Heb. 9:27; Rev. 20:11-15). We will be weighed; our lives will be put on one side of the scale and God’s holy word will be put on the other side. Certainly, extremely wicked people will not measure up (Rev. 21:8). Yet, even good people that do a lot of great things will not be able to balance the scales by their goodness (Lk. 17:10). Our words and actions will condemn us in light of a perfectly holy God (Hab. 1:13) who has a perfect standard (Ecc. 7:20; Mt. 12:36; Rom. 2:12; 3:23; Gal. 3:10-12). Successful people according to the world’s standards will meet a similar end as Belshazzar: their days are numbered, their own accomplishments will find them lacking when weighed on God’s balance, and they will die and leave their possessions to be divided by those who shall come after them. However, with Christ there is hope (Rom. 5:1-2). By God’s grace, the blood of Jesus provides the means by which the scales are tipped and one can stand justified before God (Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Heb. 9:12-14; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Rev. 1:5; 12:11). Are you washed in the blood and ready to stand before God (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3-7)?

[1] Raymond Philip Dougherty. Nabonidus and Belshazzar: A Study of the Closing Events of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1929), 13.