Christianity And The Supernatural: Why the Bible is Relevant Today

By Mark Apelt

All of us want to believe in an afterlife. If it's true, then we must have a soul or spirit. We question this, however, because we are taught science has all the answers. It is science vs. the bible. Physical vs. supernatural. To believe in the afterlife is to believe in God. One area of research that has not been thoroughly examined in relationship to Christianity is the supernatural. This book explores how archaeology, scientific studies, and personal stories reveal the accuracy of the bible. Discover how we know we have a spirit, why select people encounter angels, and why some prayers are answered. It will show you that there is an afterlife, there is hope, and that there is a God! The stories of today resemble the stories of the bible. The mystical events that happened then are similar in almost all aspects to what the bible tells us will happen. Prophesies are continuing to be fulfilled. The foreknowledge He gave his chosen people are still applicable today. Angels are still sent to serve and protect us. Our spirit will rejoin with God as told by near-death experiencers. God does exist and millions of people (maybe even yourself) have witnessed Him through the supernatural. This leads to the conclusion- God, the bible, and the supernatural are relevant today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 9, 2017
• ISBN: 9781635250268

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Mark R. Apelt

christianity and the Supernatural

Why the Bible Is Relevant Today?

ISBN 978-1-63525-025-1 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63525-026-8 (Digital)

Copyright © 2016 by Mark R. Apelt

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

296 Chestnut Street

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Supernatural

Archaeological Evidence of the Exodus

Archaeological Evidence: Sodom and Gomorrah

Afterlife Evidence

Nearing-Death Awareness

Afterlife Encounters

Scientific Clairvoyance Evidence

Prophecy: A Form of Precognition

Prophecies Regarding the Messiah

Dreams and Visions

Angels

Prayer/Miracles/Healing

Evidence of the Resurrection

Conclusion

Bibliography

About the Author

Supernatural

Are you one of those people who attend church on a regular basis because you want to believe in God, but you are just not sure? You may have read many of the stories in the Bible and questioned if they could be true. Did God really part the Red Sea? Did he really rain down burning sulfur on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah? Does prayer really work? Do miracles actually happen? Are there such things as guardian angels? Most importantly, did God raise Jesus from the dead to give us eternal life? These questions, if proved possible, could have a profound impact on our lives. The events could not happen without a touch of the supernatural. So, to believe in God and the Bible, you must believe in the supernatural.

Perhaps you have had a touch of the supernatural yourself and question its authenticity. Have you seen an angel or had a vision and tried to tell people about it only to have them dismiss or ignore your experience? Maybe you or someone you know has had an out-of-body experience, near-death experience, or other supernatural occurrence but have been afraid to talk about it for fear that no one will believe you, or worse yet they tell you it was a dream. Is it possible a miracle has happened to you? Were your prayers answered? Had an afterlife encounter with someone deceased? Had a series of strange coincidences that led to a wonderful outcome, but people said you were just lucky, never considering it a divine intervention? This makes us all question if the event was real. If something paranormal has happened to you, don’t worry, you are not alone. Millions of people have had and continue to have them. These experiences occur rather frequently, just as they did in biblical times.

People do not like to talk about the supernatural. They fear what others may think. If they do speak up, they may hear common responses such as

• There has to be a logical explanation.

• He/she is losing it.

• That must have been a wild dream.

• Have you been on any different medication or drugs?

• Were you hallucinating?

When others begin to question us, then we begin to question ourselves. We want to believe life on earth is not the end, so we tentatively believe in God just in case. We begin to ask, Could these events really happen? Then we start to doubt supernatural events that happen to us, or wonder if they could exist at all. We are left with our own thoughts and feelings.

It is my intention in this book to show you that these supernatural events are real; they happen quite regularly, they happen to millions of people, and they match what the Bible teaches us.

The supernatural is commonplace in the Bible, but there are certain aspects of it the Bible tells us to avoid:

When you enter the land the

Lord

your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you . . . casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the

Lord

, and because of these detestable practices the

Lord

your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the

Lord

your God. (Deuteronomy 18:9–13)

God does tell us not to consult with the dead or with mediums or witchcraft. Activities such as those do not bring people closer to God; instead, they drive people away. God hates these practices. However, these activities are a lot different than learning what God is trying to tell us when he brings supernatural events to us. As you will see throughout this book, when some people encounter the supernatural, they feel it is their mission in life to spread the message. Others, unfortunately, remain quiet, fearing humiliation or ridicule.

Before we dive too far into this, let us define what supernatural actually means. Webster defines supernatural as something that surpasses human understanding. In other words, if there is no good way to explain why something occurs, it must be supernatural. Therefore, you could say the supernatural is anything that is not confined to scientific laws. That is how I will define it- something that defies scientific understanding.

When put in this light, it is easy to understand why the supernatural is a taboo subject. In school science class, we are taught about the laws of nature. Everything that happens in the world is subject to these laws. If we mention something supernatural, and start to talk outside these laws, we are considered an outcast or a dreamer or someone who does not deal in reality. Often times we are told that the event or happening was a coincidence, our imagination, or we got lucky. We are certainly not encouraged to speak openly about it. So we keep this information to ourselves and question whether or not the supernatural exists. Then we begin to question if God actually exists. We may actually stop going to church or not go as often as we think we should.

The purpose of this book is to provide evidence that the supernatural exists, and put it in context in relation to the Bible. When we compare the supernatural events of today, you will find that they match up well with the same types of events in the Bible. This book will show that all of us have a spirit that will separate from us when we die. The spirit will be able to interact with others who have passed on before us or are getting ready to pass on. Angels can intervene for us. Miracles happen to us. We don’t need to keep quiet and isolated in our faith.

Let us start by examining some of the major supernatural events of the Bible and the evidence that they actually occurred. The first story we will look at is the Exodus.

Archaeological Evidence of the Exodus

One of the big questions we need to answer is if the Bible can be trusted. In order to address this, we will look at a few stories that are often difficult to believe. The Exodus is probably one of the most well-known of the biblical stories. Several movies, including The Ten Commandments with Charleston Heston, have been made regarding the event. The Exodus refers to the time (around 1300–1500 BCE) when the Israelites were in bondage to Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Moses, one of God’s chosen people, led the Israelites out of Egypt, across the wilderness, through the Red Sea and then brought them to Mt. Sinai.

According to a New York Times article on April 3, 2007, the archaeologist Dr. Zawi Hawass claims that the Exodus is a myth (Slackman 2007). There are probably millions of others who share this same thought. I know of some Christians who think the Exodus is just a story rather than an actual event. Is there verification the Exodus actually occurred? You will realize this supernatural event happened when you read the overabundant amount of empirical evidence. Luckily for us who read the Bible, there is plenty of detail to help us prove or disprove its accuracy.

Since the Exodus story begins with the Israelites in bondage to the Egyptians, is there evidence that God’s people once lived in Egypt? According to Genesis 46:6, the Israelites migrated to Egypt and more specifically to the region of Goshen (Genesis 47). Archaeologists excavated the city of Rameses (at Tell el-Daba) in the land of Goshen and found evidence of a Semitic (Israeli) culture. What they found were weapons, tombs, houses, and pottery that were completely different than the Egyptian culture and was almost identical to the Israeli culture of the time. Some archaeologists speculate one of the houses excavated may have been the house of Joseph (Holladay 308-318).

While the Israelites were attempting to be freed from the Egyptians, God sent plagues upon the land according to Exodus 7–11. Ten plagues were used to try and convince the pharaoh of Egypt that the God of the Israelites was the true God and to release the Israelites from Egyptian control. The plagues were as follows:

1. Water turned into blood- The Lord said he would turn the Egyptian water supply into blood.

2. Frogs- Egypt was to be overrun with frogs.

3. Gnats- The Lord infested Egypt with gnats.

4. Flies- The Lord was going to infest Egypt with flies.

5. Pestilence- The Lord said he would destroy the livestock of the Egyptians.

6. Boils- The Lord said boils would form on both man and animals.

7. Hail- The Lord said hail would destroy all livestock and plants that were left in the field.

8. Locusts- The Lord sent locusts to eat whatever food was left over from the hail.

9. Darkness- The Lord was going to send darkness on Egypt for three days.

10. Death of firstborns- The last plague was the firstborns of both man and animals of the Egyptians would die.

According to the Bible, it was God who sent Moses, the leader of the Israelites, to go to the pharaoh, the leader of the Egyptians, and tell him that if he does not let the Israelites go he would send plagues upon them. All of these plagues are natural events and can’t be controlled or directed by man. If God was the one behind the plagues, then the plagues would have to be considered a supernatural event. Is there any evidence for the plagues that occurred while the Israelites were in Egypt? The Ipuwer Papyrus (IP)—now located in the National Archaeological Museum in Leiden, Netherlands—contains writings that seem to corroborate the writings in the Bible. Unlike the Bible, the IP was written by an Egyptian. Here are just a few of the excerpts:

• Indeed, all animals, their hearts weep; cattle moan because of the state of the land. (IP 5:12–13)

• Indeed, trees are felled and branches are stripped off. (IP 4:30)

• Indeed, men are few, and he who places his brother in the ground is everywhere. (IP2:28)

• Indeed, that has perished which yesterday was seen, and the land is left over to its weakness like the cutting of flax, commoners coming and going in dissolution. (IP 5:27–28)

• Indeed, the children of princes are dashed against walls, and the children of the neck are laid out on the high ground. (IP 5:14-15)

• Indeed, everywhere barley has perished and men are stripped of clothes, spice, and oil; everyone says: There is none. (IP 6:6-7)

• Indeed, [hearts] are violent, pestilence is throughout the land, blood is everywhere, death is not lacking, and the mummy-cloth speaks even before one comes near it. (IP 2:5-6)

• Indeed, the river is blood. (IP 2:18)

Reading through the IP is very depressing. There is absolutely nothing positive about it. People were stealing, starving, plundering, and dying. Archaeologists’ findings correlate well with both the Bible and the IP. There are mass graves with numerous bodies in Egypt from that time, which is highly unusual. There are also markings along the Nile River from the pharaoh’s of that time, which marked the height of the rivers. These markings were very high for several years in a row, indicating that crops could not be planted on time, causing a food shortage. Obviously things were not good for the Egyptians at that time. The skeptic may be thinking that these plagues were just a part of nature and nothing supernatural, certainly not God. Although I disagree with this, let me give them the benefit of the doubt and say it is possible. The fact that plagues occurred does go along with the archaeological evidence and the Bible, however.

We will now turn to one of the most well-known parts of the Exodus story—the Israelites crossing the Red Sea.

And the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. (Exodus 14:22)

The parting of a sea is certainly something that is not natural. This is the verse from the Exodus account that is most difficult to believe. Science has no natural explanation for a sea to split and water to be held back. Something supernatural must have caused it, if it happened at all. So, what evidence is there to support it? As it turns out, there is a lot.

Evidence points to the Israelites crossing the Red Sea at the Gulf of Aqaba, specifically at the shores of Nuweiba (still at the Gulf of Aqaba). There is an underwater land bridge that stretches from Nuweiba to Saudi Arabia that is approximately eight miles long and nine hundred meters wide. Others have suggested the Straits of Tiran as the place where the Israelites crossed. There is also an underwater land bridge at that location as well. At either location, there was literally a path where the Israelites could follow that would lead them to safety.

The land bridge at Nuweiba has almost no corals, no underwater mountains, and was composed of sand and gravel. These characteristics could easily allow the Israelites to walk across dry ground. Corals are found throughout the Red Sea, but corals can’t grow on sand. If corals can’t grow on sand, then why are they at that location? They need something to attach to. Are these corals the remains of the Egyptian army?

The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left (14:28–29).

If the water covered the people, chariots, horses, and other equipment, then there is a place for coral to attach. There is evidence in the coral of four, six, and eight-spoked chariot wheels. Why is this important? Because Pharaoh used all the chariots in Egypt.

And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. (Exodus 14:6–7)

It is only during this time period, the eighteenth dynasty (1550–1292 BCE), that Egypt used four, six, and eight-spoked wheels, which is thought to be the time period of the Exodus. In addition to the chariot wheels, divers have brought up a human thigh bone, and skeletal parts of cattle and horses. Dr. Lennart Moller, in The Exodus Case: New Discoveries Confirm the Historical Exodus, tells us

Altogether it can be said that there is a large quantity of skeletons and skeletal parts on the underwater bridge in the Gulf of Aqaba. It is highly probable that these skeletal parts represent human beings, horses and cattle. Some skeletal parts are petrified and thus probably several thousand years old. Most of the skeletal parts are covered by dead corals. The strange thing is that the skeletons and skeletal parts are collected in heaps, and in mixtures of skeletons from humans, horses and draught animals. Obviously, a number of humans, horses and draught animals lost their lives on the same occasion, and landed in large heaps. This event lies several thousand years back in time. (Moller 229)

When the wall of water was allowed to return, it is no wonder that no one survived. It would also make sense that the remnants would be found in piles. Think about the tsunamis that occurred and how walls of water literally killed thousands of people. The tsunami over the Indian Ocean in 2004 killed over 230,000 people, making it one of the greatest natural disasters in history. Although that was a tragic event, it shows that what the Bible claims to have happened with the force of water killing the Egyptians could literally have happened.

Isaiah substantiates it was God who allowed the Israelites to cross: Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea so that the redeemed might cross over? (Isaiah 51:10).

The evidence keeps mounting that the story of the Exodus is an actual event and not just a myth or a story used to illustrate a point.

Ron Wyatt was diving in the Gulf of Aqaba and has taken pictures of chariot wheels covered in coral and claims to have seen skeletal remains of skulls, a hip bone, and horse’s hoof, as well as chariot cabs, some with wheels on their axels and some that were off. If you search Google for Red Sea crossing images, you will come across several pictures of chariot remains.

Further evidence for the Gulf of Aqaba being the actual site of the Israelite crossing are two steles (cylinders) found at each side of the crossing. Here are some interesting facts regarding these cylinders:

1. The cylinders are made of red granite. There are several columns in ancient Egypt that are made of red granite, so it is likely these were made in Egypt. However, the columns are similar in design to those found in Israel and not Egypt, supporting the fact that the Israelites were in Egypt.

2. The cylinders are very large and heavy, weighing approximately eleven and a half tons. They have a diameter of about thirty inches. Being that heavy and having red granite not found in that geography, someone thought it was important enough to memorialize this area on both sides of the Red Sea. The stele has been removed by Saudi authorities and been replaced by a metal flag.

Sinai Inscriptions

There is still additional evidence for the supernatural parting of the Red Sea. The Sinai inscriptions are ancient writings found on the rocks in Wadi Mukatteb in the Sinai Peninsula. Wadi Mukatteb means valley of writing, and there are about three kilometers worth of writings on the rocks. Several of the writings pertain to the Exodus and crossing of the Red Sea. Some of the inscriptions are deciphered as follows (Jeffrey 55):

1. The wind blowing, the sea dividing into parts, they pass over.

2. The Hebrews flee through the sea; the sea is turned into dry land.

3. Moses causeth the people to haste like a fleet-winged she-ostrich crying aloud; the cloud shining bright, a mighty army propelled into the Red sea is gathered into one; they go jumping and skipping. Journeying through the open channel, taking flight from the face of the enemy. The surge of the sea is divided.

4. Their enemies weep for the dead, the virgins are wailing. The sea flowing down overwhelmed them. The waters were let loose to flow again.

These writings correlate very well to how the story of the Red Sea crossing is described by Moses in the Bible:

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the

Lord

drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. During the last watch of the night the

Lord

looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, "Let’s get away from the Israelites! The

Lord

is fighting for them against Egypt." Then the

Lord

said to Moses, Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen. Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the

Lord

swept them into the sea. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. (Exodus 14:21–29)

The descriptions written on rocks and cliffs closely match what Moses had written, yet in different words. How do we know these inscriptions were written at the time of Moses and not forged by others at a later date? For one, the historian Diodorus Siculus (writing in the first century before Christ) talks about the inscriptions in his Library of History book, so we know they were at least written several thousand years ago. Second, the letters in the Sinai inscriptions were primarily Hebrew, while the language pattern was Egyptian. The Israelites had been in bondage in Egypt prior to the Exodus, so the Hebrew language pattern being Egyptian makes it highly likely that it was the Israelites at the time of the Exodus who had written the inscriptions.

Details Regarding Mt. Sinai

Once the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, they made their way to Mt. Horeb (also known as Mt. Sinai, which is also thought to be Jebel al-Lawz). If the Israelites crossed at the Gulf of Aquaba, that would put Mt. Sinai in Saudi Arabia, near ancient Midian. What do we know about Mt. Sinai? According to the Bible,

The mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness (Deuteronomy 4:11), and "Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because