Truth or Deception, Choose: The Extraordinary Harmony Between History and Biblical Prophecy

By Marc Kamsu

Are you walking in truth or in deception? Find out.

Why can’t the devil be extinct? What sets God uniquely apart from any other being? Why only God could have saved human beings from their sinful state and desperate fate? What is the one talent that every human being possesses? What are the remaining climactic events to occur before the end of this age? How far are we from the end of this age? How can we live successful lives in these last and stressful days? How can we prepare for the end of the world? Please join Marc Kamsu on a revolutionary journey to explore and answer the latter questions in light of the Word of the one who knows everything. Also, in this well-planned journey, Marc strategically focuses on one feature of the Holy Bible which makes it unique: that is, prophecy. There are hundreds of prophecies in each Biblical testament, for a total of more than 1800 in the entire Biblical narrative! Thus, Biblical prophecies play a crucial role in the history of mankind as they allow us, at any time in history, to look back and learn from the past, and to look ahead and prepare for the future.

Furthermore, since practically every page of the Holy Bible has at least one prophecy, the literal fulfillment of Biblical prophecies as recorded throughout history is a very strong point in favor not only of the Holy Bible, but also of its author as being the true and living God, and of its religion, namely Christianity, as being the only true religion.

Finally, Marc convincingly shows how many of the events in history, including the contemporary ones such as the current Arab-Israeli conflict, the growing worldwide anti-Semitism, the ongoing rise of Islam, and the unprecedented persecution of Christians, were clearly predicted for our benefit and as a warning for us to not be deceived, but rather to walk in truth, and to take the proper course of actions as the greatest, last, and long-awaited climax in the history of humanity is approaching rapidly. Are you ready for it? Well, the good news is that you can be ready! Simply open this book along with your heart and mind to find out.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9781312245921

Book preview

Acknowledgments

All credit and glory go only to God Almighty and His Son Jesus Christ, for they alone are worthy! Surely, without God and His Son Jesus Christ, I can do nothing. But with them, I can do all things; yes, all things are possible with them!

Prologue

What is the meaning of life? Why are we here on earth? Where is the world heading? Are events just happening out of randomness and luck? Or is there a clearly revealed agenda? Is life on earth just an unending cycle? What awaits us after our physical death? Is there life after death? What is worth living for? How can we make sense of past, present, and future events? How can we make sense of history? How can we make sense of the world? Finally, is there absolute truth? And if so, what is it? These are some questions which you may have pondered on, thought about, or heard of before, and perhaps you never gave them much attention. Very likely, these are questions that most people do not even seriously think about and, as a result, they neither seek nor know the answer. One reason why people do not think about such questions is that the answer is not obvious and cannot be naturally and solely attained by human intellect and senses. For instance, no one spends his/her life deciding what clothes to wear or what foods to eat because it is obvious that one can only access the clothes and foods at his/her disposal. However, one may literally spend his/her whole life speculating on the previous questions and still not be satisfied with his/her findings. Personally, such questions take me out of the realm of myself and present time, and they force me to look for answers beyond my natural reasoning and experiences, given the fact that before me there have been billions of people who have walked on this earth, who have had different experiences than what I have gone through, and who may have had different views on these questions. Therefore, I cannot come up with the correct answer on my own; you see, what if each person came up with his/her own answer? How would we know who is right and who is wrong? Furthermore, how would we know if one’s answer in the 21st century would have applied to one living in the 10th century and will apply to one living in the 25th century? Also, how would we know if one’s answer in America could be relevant and applied to one living in Africa, Europe, or Asia? And we could go on and on. The point is that no one can naturally come up with the right answer to life’s most important questions solely through his/her limited reasoning and experiences. In fact, the answer needs to be outside of and greater than human intellect, senses, and experiences.

So then, in order to rightly pursue the true answer to those tough questions, we have to, at the minimum, consider the past and the future in addition to the present. In actual fact, we need to get acquainted with the stories of the very first human beings who lived on the earth, their descendants up to this day, today’s generation, and tomorrow’s generation up to the very last people who will inhabit the earth. Obviously, this is a daunting and impossible task for limited human minds: who fully knows the past, and the present, and the future? Again, this latter question suggests that the answer has to fully take into account or be fully familiar with the past, and the present, and the future. Moreover, the answer has had to be in place beforehand to witness all the past, and all the present, and all the future. Now whether one believes in creation or in evolution, we can all agree that there was a definite beginning of earth and of life on earth. As noted earlier, in order to correctly answer life’s most important questions, we definitely need to look at one who was already in place to witness the past (including the beginning of earth and of life on earth), the present, and the future. One source which offers a reasonable approach to meeting these requirements (namely, one who is outside of and greater than human intellect, senses, and experiences, and who was already in place to witness all the past, all the present, and all the future) is the Bible. As a matter of fact, the Bible presents this one as God, as stated throughout from its very first pages to the very last:

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:27

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Revelation 1:8

I am the Alpha [that is, the beginning] and the Omega [that is, the end], says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

Unlike any other being, God is unique in many ways, including the fact that only He is uncreated. In other words, He has no beginning and therefore He is the Creator or the Alpha (that is, the beginning) of all things and beings (Revelation 4:11). Also, God is almighty and eternal. In other words, He infinitely is more powerful and has more authority than any other being, and He has no end; therefore, He is the Judge or the Omega (that is, the end) of all things and beings (Ecclesiastes 12:14). Since God is presented not only as the one who has always been and who will always be, but also as the Creator and Judge of all things and beings (including human beings), it is then very logical to seriously pay attention to, know, consider, and test the credibility of what He has to say and how He answers life’s most important questions. One way to do this is to get familiar with His Word (that is, the Bible), specifically the prophecies (that is, the predictions given at certain times in history about events to take place in the future) that God revealed through His messengers as recorded in both the Old and New Biblical Testaments. Furthermore, since one may rightly argue that many religious beliefs hold the same claims that, In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them, we consequently need to look at what makes the God of the Bible and His Word uniquely different, trustworthy, and set apart as the only absolute truth. This aim will be achieved by taking a look at objective historical facts to determine if and how Biblical prophecies have been exactly and literally fulfilled.

Now one may ask, Why bother with Biblical prophecies? Well, first of all, compared to any other book or writings, prophecies are a unique feature of the Bible not found as numerous, precise, accurate, and relevant in any other book or writings. Second, prophecies, in one form or another, appear in practically every page and certainly every book of the Bible; thus, thoroughly checking them against history is a crucial and reasonable way to assess the accuracy of the Bible and the credibility of its source or author, namely God. Indeed, the Bible does not merely present 1, or 5, or 10 prophecies, but instead over 1800 prophecies! To be precise, it is estimated that there are 1239 prophecies in the Old Testament and 578 prophecies in the New Testament, for a total of 1817. These encompass 8352 verses.¹⁵ You see, just the enormous amount of prophecies in the Bible makes it already unique! Nonetheless, simply looking at their quantity is not sufficient to prove the truthfulness of God’s Word, we also need to look at their quality. And in order to do so effectively with the limited resources at our disposal, we will only look at a few prophecies given in the Old Testament and see how they were fulfilled, even hundreds of years later, as recorded in the New Testament. Additionally, we will also look at similar prophecies given in both the Old and New Testaments by different prophets at different times in history, and witness how these predictions have been exactly and literally fulfilled up to this day. Thankfully, because Biblical prophecies are very detailed and precise, this task will be very easily and convincingly accomplished. Frankly, by testing the quality of Biblical prophecies, not only we shall see how unbiased historical facts support the veracity of these prophecies, but also how the Old and New Testaments are in complete agreement with each other.

Surely, if different messengers of the God of the Bible at different times in history can give similar, accurate, and precise predictions of events to take place in the future, even after their death, not only does this show that they have a common source, but also a reliable and sovereign source! Of course, that source is the God of the Bible: not only does He fully know the past, and the present, and the future, but He is also in total control and in charge of all situations.

Finally, once we have agreed that this God and His Word are absolutely and uniquely true, reliable, and trustworthy, the next logical and favorable step is to believe and obey what He says, because His Word ultimately presents the most hopeful approach and solution to the desperate condition of humanity. Right from the beginning of the Bible, God is already speaking and He has been doing so since then. In actual fact, He is the very first being to ever speak! Consequently, no other being should speak unless he/she has first listened to the words of God. Now why does God speak? More importantly, why does God speak to human beings and want them to hear His Word? Interestingly enough, the very first words of God to the human race are both a warning and a command in which God reveals that there is both good and evil in the world, and He calls the human race to make a choice: choosing good means obedience to God and results in eternal life, whereas choosing evil means disobedience to God and results in eternal death (Genesis 2:16-17). And as the Biblical narrative progresses and unfolds, it becomes increasingly clear that these 2 opposing attributes are not abstract, but actually they are fully embodied in 2 beings: that is, God = good and the devil = evil. Therefore, choosing good also means disobedience to the devil, and choosing evil also means obedience to the devil. Sadly, the Bible emphatically reveals that, ever since the very first days of mankind, all human beings have chosen evil by rebelling against their Creator in one way or another, and, as a result, they all rightly deserve eternal death (that is, everlasting punishment and separation from God, the Source of all life).

Now because the God of the Bible is perfect and infinite in justice, not only do all offenses have to be punished, but also all offenders have to be infinitely separated from the just, righteous, and holy God. Frankly, God could have decided to leave humans in their sinful state, and hopeless and terrible fate. But thankfully, in addition to being full of justice, He is also full of love! And out of His endless love, the God of the Bible strongly desires to be reconciled with human beings. As noted earlier, human beings are very special creatures because they are created in the image of God; for this reason, they can know, experience, and relate to God in a unique, special, personal, intimate, and superior way compared to other earthly creatures. Certainly, God greatly loves and cares for humans, and He wants His image to be accurately reflected in and through them. Now then, an important question arises: how can this perfectly just and loving God punish all offenses and still offer hope to rebellious humanity at the same time? The answer is found nowhere else but in His Word which reveals that in order to bridge the infinite gap between God and mankind (that is, between divinity and humanity), it cost Him everything! In fact, God, out of His limitless wisdom and foreknowledge, knew that simply warning human beings and giving them commandments would not get humans to stand strong against the devil who had been around long before them and was much more powerful and clever than them; and God also knew that they had to be made anew by Him sacrificially laying down His life and by them undeservingly receiving His divine, all-powerful, and undefeatable life. Hence, God sent His only begotten or divine Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, from Heaven to earth to live an innocent life and to be punished, on behalf of humanity, for all the offenses committed and to-be-committed by humanity, so that human beings may fully receive the life of God and therefore defeat the devil. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life – John 3:16. The Son of God was crucified, buried, and raised from the dead. Today He is alive, glorified, and enthroned as King of kings and Lord of lords – Revelation 19:16. Thus, this is the hopeful and good news that God desires all human beings to hear, know, and believe in order to be eternally reconciled to Him, their loving and just Creator and Judge, in such a powerful way that God and humans will never be separated again, provided humans meet His conditions.

In summary, the God of the Bible, who created the whole world, including human beings, has an awesome plan and purpose for His creation. We, humans, are not here on earth by accident, nor as a result of luck or a series of random events. We are not here on earth to wander aimlessly. There is a specific purpose for our existence. To explain, when someone invents a product, there is always a thought process involved and a purpose to be achieved. Likewise, God intentionally created the entire world and human beings with a clear purpose which is found nowhere else but in His written Word (the Bible) and which will be explored throughout this book.

Thus, this book is written to:

Metaphorically speaking, let me guide you through the flow of this book using a story. Imagine a group of people on a journey during which they settle in a certain city. After carefully observing and exploring the city, they start to exploit it by creating farms, restaurants, schools, businesses, hospitals, sports and recreation centers, amusement parks, movie theaters, casinos, night clubs, and so on. It seems that these people are at peace and even in unfailing love not only with one another, but also with that city since it has so much to offer and is apparently a safe place. However, shortly after their settlement, a message is brought to them by someone hastily coming from a nearby mountain and boldly proclaiming, An intense and unstoppable flood is approaching with great speed to entirely destroy this city, and the only place of refuge is the top of the mountain. Come, follow me, and I will lead you there. In bringing this urgent message, this person also provides the people in the city with the tools that he himself has made and which are absolutely needed in order for them to arrive at that safe destination. Chapters 1 through 4 of this book contain that message and the tools they need to successfully climb and reach the peak of the mountain. Now on one hand, some people, out of their love of comfort, pride, and affection for that city, choose to ignore the messenger and reject his offer; on the other hand, others take the message seriously, quickly pick up and arm themselves with the tools, and immediately head to the mountain with the guide by their side. As they come nearer to the mountain, with each further step their walking pace gradually slows down, and they are increasingly overwhelmed and intimidated not only by its colossal size, but also by the fact that the mountain does not seem to be frequently visited. In addition, upon noticing its rocky soil along with trees, plants, animals, and many other species that they are not familiar with, they quickly become aware of the fact that in order to climb this mountain successfully, they will have to adapt to this new environment. Now standing still and gazing at the foot of the mountain, they don’t know where to start, and in desperation, they turn to the messenger and say to him, Sir, you have picked the wrong crew. We are not experienced mountain climbers! We will never make it to the top on our own! With compassion in his voice and a smile on his face, the messenger confronts their despair, saying, Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for I am with you and I know the way! Just stick with me and you will make it through. For narrow is the road that leads to the haven, and only through me can you find it. After listening to him, they regain their enthusiasm and find strength not only in the fact that they have a guide with the tools to lead them safe and sound to the top of the rugged mountain, but also in the promise that they will be able to survive the upcoming ferocious flood. Now as they climb the mountain, they make startling discoveries found in Chapters 5 through 10 which definitely reassure them that their decision to flee from the city to this mountain is right; and even though climbing the mountain is dangerous, painful, and tiring at times, their unwavering trust in the guide and their diligent usage of his tools propel them to patiently persevere and endure the hardships along the way. Additionally, with great sadness and conviction, they also perceive that their loved ones who decided to stay in the city to enjoy what it has to offer are on their way to destruction. Thereupon, without further delay and out of love for the people still in the city, the ones climbing the mountain decide to motion and shout, with tears in their eyes, to the ones in the city to come and join them before it is too late. Upon hearing them, some people in the city eventually realize that, despite all of its pleasures and attractions, there has to be more to live for than what they have experienced in the city. Accordingly, they too decide to leave the city and climb the mountain in search of greater purpose and meaning, and lasting satisfactions. Still, many in that city, even after hearing their loved ones and seeing others depart for the mountain, persistently turn their backs on the mountain and plunge into their busy lives. Actually, some, after weighing the options, find excuses to not leave the things that they have worked their entire lives to achieve, and they tell their relatives on the mountain, After all, climbing that mountain does not look appealing, easy, comfortable, or fashionable. Who can endure it? Who can enjoy it? You guys may even die along the way and never make it to that promised land. As for us in this city, we are safe here. Why should we put ourselves at risk? Just leave us alone. We will make this city great while you follow that small, difficult, and narrow road.

At last, the ones who have decided to climb the mountain arrive at its peak. This peak is Chapter 11 where they discover that the guide, though he looks like a son of man, is no mere human being. And as they look around, to their surprise, they notice no immediate sign of the flood, and, furthermore, they are constantly tempted by the attractions, opportunities, pleasures, lusts, and ambience of the city down below. Surely enough, after a few days on top of the mountain, some turn and say to their fellow mates, Now what? Is this all there is? What good is there in forsaking our comfort? Where is the flood? The people down below are right, there is no flood! We will climb down and resettle in our city. No, no, please don’t! cry the rest, We must believe the message that we have heard; and although we do not yet see the flood, we do well to believe it is coming. Remember the amazing discoveries we made in Chapters 5 through 10, and the numerous warnings and promises in Chapters 12 through 16. But it is also true that we cannot make the decision for you. In fact, as we learned in Chapter 17, each person has to make his/her own decision. Regardless, some decide to climb down the mountain to enjoy the city and to indulge in their former ways of living, while the rest remain committed to their decision of sticking with the messenger and his tools for survival; and as they see their fellow mates returning to the city, they comfort one another, saying, He who safely brought us out of the city, through the narrow path, to this haven has been and still is faithful to sustain us and keep us alive, even in the days of adversity. Henceforth, these brave and loyal ones embrace their new identity in Chapter 18, their present challenges and future rewards in Chapter 19, their special duty in Chapter 20, their inexhaustible resource in Chapter 21, and their new ways of living in Chapters 22 through 26. Moreover, as they reflect and think about their former lifestyle and to the immense privilege that has been granted to them through the messenger and his tools, they shockingly discover in Chapter 27 that they do not deserve such a precious and priceless gift, and therefore they choose to simply be thankful for it instead of complaining, neglecting, or throwing it away as their relatives have done. Finally, in Chapter 28, as they look back on all that they have gone through, including the fact that their lives have been totally changed as they have had to adapt to their new environment, and as they look ahead to the fulfillment of the warnings and promises they have heard, they learn that the honor that they have been given a guide with the proper tools to trust in and rely on for a successful exile from the city to this haven and for a bright destiny not only is the reason for their existence, but is also where real purpose, meaning, and satisfaction can only be found; and thus, that is worth living for!

Now, dear reader, put yourself in the previous story: what would you have done? Do you believe that an intense and unstoppable flood is coming rapidly to destroy this city called the world? Have you welcomed and received the guide into your life? Have you let him guide and lead you to find refuge at the top of the mountain? Are you wearing and using his tools? Do you know the reason why you exist?

In closing, my prayer and desire in writing this book is that your knowledge and understanding of history will expand, and that, more importantly, your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in His Word as the only absolute truth will be stirred up, will come to life and maturity, and will be strengthened inasmuch as my personal commitment to Him and to His Word has grown due to the veracity, reliability, authority, relevance, and excellence of the revelations that I have personally and graciously received directly from Him, based on His Word and by the power of God the Holy Spirit, and for which I am infinitely grateful! Before we continue, let me ask you a question that should inspire you to be hopeful, committed, and faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as you read this book and live your life: If from the dust of the ground God created a living, complex, intelligent, beautiful, and wonderful human body, what then will He do with a soul redeemed by the precious and priceless blood of His only Son? As you ponder on the latter question, keep in mind that nothing is impossible with God, and let your imagination give you a glimpse of the eternal, exceeding, and powerful glory and destiny that await those who truly believe in Jesus the Son of God and are committed to Him, as revealed in His Word.

1

The Holy Place

Daniel 9:16

O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us.

Daniel 9:20

While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the Lord my God for the holy hill of my God…

Matthew 24:15

So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)…

What is the holy hill or the holy place being referred to by the prophet Daniel and the greatest prophet Jesus Christ? Before we answer this question, let’s first note that the prophet Daniel and the Lord Jesus Christ individually appeared at different times in history. In actual fact, the Lord Jesus Christ came to earth in human flesh more than 400 years after Daniel’s time.¹⁶ Now back to the previous question, the use of the definite article the suggests that this is a very specific hill and there is only one hill being referred to. We learn from Daniel 9:16 and Daniel 9:20 that this hill is found in Israel, precisely in Jerusalem. For this hill to be holy, the presence and glory of God Almighty would have resided there at some time in history. The only hill which exactly fits these criteria is the hill on which the temple built