6. Some Intriguing Observations (1)

Design or Coincidence?

In the 1997 movie Contact the main character, Dr. Eleanor Arroway (played by Jody Foster) receives a signal from space on a SETI radio telescope. This signal turns out to be no random noise, but a string of prime numbers. This is interpreted as a sign of design, composed by intelligent beings, because the chance of such sequence of primes by mere chance is remote. [1]

Likewise, we ask, what if we find similar structures or messages in the Bible? Would that not also show these texts were designed and coordinated, not just written independently of one another over the centuries? Would the presence of such “codes” not make it more likely that the Bible is inspired and even orchestrated by God?

This chapter will survey structures and messages that appear more than mere coincidence. We will discover remarkable surprises. However, here’s a disclaimer on this topic. Yes, we will find this type of messages, and I personally think they are intriguing and surprising. However, I do not consider them objective, undisputable evidence that God inspired the Bible. I believe that, in connection with the previously presented evidences, they corroborate the Bible as God’s Word. Solely on their own merits, they are likely subject to much skeptical analysis and rejection. Many will claim they were edited intentionally into the texts by scribes and/or are in fact only coincidence. Thus they are included in this book to be thought provoking illustrations, not as exhibits of evidence. As they are presented, we will evaluate each on a case-by-case basis, using the following criteria:

• Significant: Is the message, pattern, or structure significant or “just coincidence?”
• Unique: Is the phenomenon unique to the Bible or is it also observed in other (ancient) books?
• Not intentional: Is it abundantly clear the feature was not intentionally inserted in the Scripture by a later imposter?