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FIEDLER'S FORECASTING RULES
1. It is very difficult to forecast, especially about the future.
2. He who lives by the crystal ball soon learns to eat ground glass.
3. The moment you forecast, you know you’re going to be wrong--you just don’t know when and in which direction.
4. If you’re ever right, never let them forget it.
(Edgar R. Fiedler, economist, quoted in The Official Rules, Paul Dickson)
WRATH ON THE MESSENGER
I don't know about you, but one of my all-time favorite TV shows is M*A*S*H. I especially loved it when the company clerk Radar would have to give bad news to the head nurse "Hot Lips" Hoolihan. He would tell her the news and expect to have to face her wrath even though he was just the messenger. In fact, one time he even wore a battle helmet and shoulder pads!
Can't you imagine that this is how some of the Prophets in the Old Testament must have felt?
ANNE AND DOULOS
My friend Geoff was sitting with his wife praying for a woman they didn't know. Geoff prayed silently for this lady, asking God if he wanted to say something. Now, this doesn't usually happen to Geoff but he was aware of two words; 'Anne'; and 'Doulos'; so feeling a little nervous he offered these words to her.
"Is your name Anne by any chance?"
She replied, "Yes it is! Why?"
Geoff asked, "Does the word 'Doulos' mean anything to you?"
Anne said, "No, it doesn't. What does it mean?"
Geoff said, "Doulos is the name of a ship owned by Mercy Ships. It goes overseas to suffering communities with Doctors, nurses and other professionals."
Anne said, "You're kidding! My husband and I have been wondering for a while whether we should offer ourselves to Mercy Ships!
It's as if God was saying, "You are Anne. I know you. I've got a purpose for you. I'm sending you to work with Mercy Ships."
JESUS' FULFILLMENT OF PROPHECY
Let’s take it up a notch and calculated/probability/one person fulfilling 48/300 Messianic predications/OT would be:
one in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion. 14,000,000,000,000 to one.
• And Jesus fulfilled not 48 but all 300 of them!
CHRIST AND THE LAW OF COMPOUND PROBABILITY
In the book, Science Speaks, Professor Peter Stoner used "the Law of Compound Probability," to assess some of the prophecies relating to Christ. Simply stated, this law is used to calculate the odds against a "chance" fulfillment of such predictions when compounded by a specific set of conditions, requirements, or qualifications. His findings were carefully evaluated by the American Scientific Affiliation, and were found to be sound and convincing. By this method, he was able to show evidence that would rule out coincidence, chance or human manipulation in the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy.
Stoner started by calculating the probability of one individual who could precisely fulfill only eight prophecies relating to Christ. He computed the odds at 1 in 10 (17th power), the same as 1 followed by 17 zeros. This is the equivalent of covering the entire state of Texas 2 feet deep in silver dollars, specially marking one of them, and instructing a blindfolded man to pick the right silver dollar on the first try!
Dr. Stoner then computed the odds of one individual that could fulfill just 48 prophecies relating to Christ. He calculated the odds at 1 X 10 (to the 157th power) — or 1 followed by 157 zeros. This figure is astronomical and beyond human comprehension, but Christ fulfilled over 300 distinct prophecies, written by different men of different professions (from a shepherd to a King) living at different times, over a time period of 1400 years, in three different languages from 2 continents! Oh Boy, the harmony of the Scriptures when it comes to pointing to the COMING SAVIOR and its eventual fulfillment (I Coming) is jaw-dropping!
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