It is common practice these days to write the Bible off as a book of fiction and fairy tales. The problem with that stance is, it doesn't take a serious look at the evidence. If anybody is serious about finding gold in the material world then they usually have to put in some hard work to uncover the gold and actually dig it out; the same is true of Biblical gold – the truth. The Bible provides its own verification and proof by its prophetic accuracy. About one third of the Bible is prophetic, and much of the prophecy has been fulfilled, and can be verified from historical records; and much of prophecy is actually being fulfilled in our own day and can be seen in daily newscasts. A major problem today is, all too few of we ordinary folk have sufficient knowledge of ancient history. Ever wondered why the upper-crust study ancient history and art?
Here is one astoundingly accurate prophecy that is verifiable from historical accounts. Isaiah, a prophet, lived between 740 and 681 BC. While Israel was still living it their own land and their Temple was still in use, before Israel was taken into captivity to Babylon and their Temple was destroyed, Isaiah prophecised to Israel that a Persian king by the name of Cyrus would later issue a decree that Israel could return to their own land and rebuild the Temple. Here is part of that prophecy:
Isaiah 44:24-28
Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb: "I am the LORD, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself; Who frustrates the signs of the babblers, And drives diviners mad; Who turns wise men backward, And makes their knowledge foolishness; Who confirms the word of His servant, And performs the counsel of His messengers; Who says to Jerusalem, 'You shall be inhabited,' To the cities of Judah, 'You shall be built,' And I will raise up her waste places; Who says to the deep, 'Be dry! And I will dry up your rivers'; Who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, "You shall be built," And to the temple, "Your foundation shall be laid." '
About 150 years after Isaiah made that prophecy, another Old Testament Israelite, Ezra, records the fulfilment of Isaiah's prophecy when Cyrus issued the decree prophecised 150 years earlier by Isaiah:
Ezra 6:3
In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus issued a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem: "Let the house be rebuilt, the place where they offered sacrifices; and let the foundations of it be firmly laid, its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits, A more full explanation can be read here:
http://www.bible-prophecy.net/articles/a2pws.htmAnother Old Testament prophet by the name of Daniel made some amazing and profoundly accurate prophecies that are being fulfilled in our own day. Sir Robert Anderson was head of the CID at Scotland Yard from 1888 to 1896, and he undertook to study the Old Testament Book of Daniel from the perspective of a criminal investigator. Sir Robert's analysis was compiled into a book under the title of “The Coming Prince”. The book is still in print, and is available under ISBN 978-0-8254-2575-2 .
Accurately fulfilled Bible prophecy provides the proof of the whole of the Bible's message. But finding the gold can take some effort.