Douglas S. Winnail

Lists of great leaders who have influenced the course of history usually include names like Hammurabi, Plato, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Queen Victoria, and George Washington. Surprisingly, Jesus Christ is seldom placed in this category by modern, secular historians. Due to this omission or only limited references, millions of people have no idea of the tremendous impact Jesus Christ had on human history. Yet, when the curtain of silence is drawn back, the evidence of Jesus' historical influence is undeniable.

Why is the world filled with different religions? What is the source of these divergent views that have persisted down through the ages? The Bible offers an informative perspective that is largely ignored today, providing unique answers to these puzzling questions.

Does God really guide the course of history? Few today realize that Moses, the Exodus and the Israelite kings (David and Solomon) were part of one of the most significant turning points in the history of the world. That turning point affected other powerful nations during a 500-year period from 1400 to 900bc. The "trigger" for this historic change was a spectacular series of events that occurred around 1200bc. Those dramatic events provide a remarkable confirmation that God guides the course of human history—just as the Bible states: "He makes nations great, and destroys them" (Job 12:23), and "He removes kings and raises up kings" (Daniel 2:21).

Many believe that Western civilization was built on Roman law and Greek ideas of democracy that date from more than 2,000 years ago. However, few today realize that much of the culture and civilization of the Western world rests on the foundation of five books written 3,500 years ago by a man named Moses. Though skeptics claim that Moses is a fictional character and assert that taking his writings literally has been a detriment to humanity, such claims ignore the remarkable content and undeniable impact the books of Moses have had on the course of world history.

Why do we think and believe the way we do? What has molded and shaped our perspectives over the centuries? What has made the world the way it is? In this series, we are going to focus on individuals, ideas and events that have had a major impact on the world and changed the course of history. While many today assume the flow of history is random—that things just happen—others suspect there is evidence of purpose and direction, and that an outside force is guiding history. In spite of what critics believe, the Bible makes numerous claims that God determines the rise and fall of nations, and guides the course of history (Job 12:23; Daniel 2:21; 4:17).