Atheist's Attacks

Answering Humanist's Accusations Against the Bible

Christian Resources

The Bible and False Prophecy

Here is the first prophecies the humanists claim is false.

THE HUMANIST'S CLAIM: False Old Testament Prophecies

Genesis 2:17 says the Lord warned Adam and Eve about the fruit contained on the tree of knowledge. He stated: “[I]n the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” According to Genesis chapter 3, however, Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and didn’t die on that day.

What is death? If we do not understand death, we cannot understand what happened when Adam sinned.

Everyone knows about physical death. We all die physically. HOWEVER,.. Adam was different. Adam was created perfect and he would have lived physically forever. Before Adam disobeyed God by eating the fruit, there was no death. Anywhere. Absolutely no death. Adam's cells never died. So not only would he not die, he would not have aged. However, as soon as he disobeyed God, death entered his body. His cells began dying and he began aging. So yes, Adam ate the fruit, and that day parts him started to die. Eventually he physically died as his cells wore out . However, God was talking about more than physical death.

Sin Brings Death

You were dead in your trespasses and sins. - Ephesians 2:1

What Paul is saying in this verse is that unregenerate sinners, because of their sinful nature, exist in the realm of the dead. Although still alive physically, they are already in the land of the dead. As soon as Adam disobeyed God, he died. He was no longer among the living... he was dead in his sin.

What is spiritual death, also known as the second death? It is separation from God. God was talking about separation from God, sometimes called spiritual death, in Genesis 2:17. Paul describes it in Ephesians 4:18

Being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them.

Adam did immediately die. When he disobeyed God, he immediately was excluded from the life of God... separated from God. If you are a humanist reading this, consider what you are reading. What happened to Adam has already happened to you. You are dead and your only hope of life is Jesus Christ.

The first thing that happened after Adam ate the fruit was:

They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” - Genesis 3:8-9

Did God know where they were? Of course He did. However, He is showing them (and us) that they were now separated from God... excluded from the life of God... they are spiritually dead.

The Second Death

Adam was dead, but be could be saved from death. Just as He does for us, Jesus Christ could make Adam alive again. If we trust in Jesus as having paid the death penalty for sin on our behalf... He does it. He died in our place, giving us eternal life. However, if you do not trust Jesus Christ, you will experience the second death. A death that is permanent.

But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. - Revelation 21:8

Conclusion

This prophecy was fulfilled. The moment Adam ate of the fruit, disobeying God, he died. He was separated from God. That is the definition of death.

Next Prophecy:

Genesis 35:10 claims that God told Jacob: “[T]hy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name. . . .” But 11 chapters later, the Lord’s own act proved his prediction to be wrong. Genesis 46:2 relates: “God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.”

Was this actually a prophecy? Or is God just changing Jacob's name? Get the answer on the next page.