The Evidence Of Divine Prophecy
Categories: Bible Study LessonsProphecy is foretelling an even in such detail before it happens so as to necessarily require divine guidance. The Bible is a book containing hundreds of detailed prophecies. There are, for example, well over sixty distinct predictions in regard to our divine Savior Jesus Christ. Not only were some these predictions made one thousand years before Christ came from heaven to earth, but regarding His crucifixion, they were made over five hundred years before crucifixion was first used anywhere in the world as a form of capital punishment! Crucifixion didn’t exist when the prophecies were made!
A scientist picked out forty-eight such prophecies and determined that the probability of one man randomly fulfilling them all is one in ten to the exponent of one hundred fifty-seven. That is “one” followed by one hundred fifty-seven zeros! Yet, Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies! In this article, let us look at sixty prophecies of Christ by subject categories and observe their fulfillment.
Concerning His Birth
1) Born Of The Seed Of woman
Prophesied – Genesis 3:15
Fulfilled – Gal. 4:4
2) Born Of A Virgin
Prophesied – Isaiah 7:14
Fulfilled – Matthew 1:18-25
3) Seed Of Abraham
Prophesied – Genesis 22:18
Fulfilled – Matthew 1:1
4) Seed Of Isaac
Prophesied – Genesis 21:12
Fulfilled – Luke 3:23,34
5) Seed Of Jacob
Prophesied – Numbers 24:17
Fulfilled – Luke 3:34
6) Seed Of David
Prophesied – Jeremiah 23:5
Fulfilled – Luke 3:31
7) Tribe Of Judah
Prophesied – Genesis 49:10
Fulfilled – Rev. 5:5
8) Family Line Of Jesse
Prophesied – Isaiah 11:1
Fulfilled – Luke 3:32
9) Born In Bethlehem
Prophesied – Micah 5:2
Fulfilled – Matthew 2:1-6
10) Herod Kills The Children
Prophesied – Jeremiah 31:15
Fulfilled – Matthew 2:16-18
Concerning His Nature
11) He Pre-existed Creation
Prophesied – Micah 5:2
Fulfilled – 1 Peter 1:20
12) He Shall Be Called Lord
Prophesied – Psalm 110:1
Fulfilled – Acts 2:36
13) Called Immanuel (God With Us)
Prophesied – Isaiah 7:14
Fulfilled – Matthew 1:22-23
14) Prophet
Prophesied – Deuteronomy 18:18-19
Fulfilled – Acts 3:18-25
15) Priest
Prophesied – Psalm 110:14
Fulfilled – Hebrews 5:5-6
16) Judge
Prophesied – Isaiah 33:22
Fulfilled – John 5:22-23
17) King
Prophesied – Psalm 2:6
Fulfilled – John 18:33-37
18) Annointed By The Spirit
Prophesied – Isaiah 11:2
Fulfilled – Matthew 3:16-17
19) His Zeal For God
Prophesied – Psalm 69:9
Fulfilled – John 2:15-17
Concerning His Ministry
20) Preceded By A Messenger
Prophesied – Isaiah 40:3
Fulfilled – Matthew 3:1-3
21) To Begin In Galilee
Prophesied – Isaiah 9:1-2
Fulfilled – Matthew 4:12-17
22) Ministry Of Miracles
Prophesied – Isaiah 35:5-6
Fulfilled – Matthew 9:35; Matthew 11:4
23) Teacher Of Parables
Prophesied – Psalm 78:1-4
Fulfilled – Matthew 13:34-35
24) He Was To Enter The Temple
Prophesied – Malachi 3:1
Fulfilled – Matthew 21:10-12
25) Enter Jerusalem On Donkey
Prophesied – Zechariah 9:9
Fulfilled – Matthew 21:1-7
26) Stone Of Stumbling To Jews
Prophesied – Isaiah 28:16; Psalm 118:22
Fulfilled – 1 Peter 2:6-8
27) Light To Gentiles
Prophesied – Isaiah 49:6
Fulfilled – Acts 13:46-48
The Day Jesus Was Crucified
28) Betrayed By A Friend
Prophesied – Psalm 41:9
Fulfilled – John 13:18-27
29) Sold For Thirty Pieces Of Silver
Prophesied – Zechariah 11:12
Fulfilled – Matthew 26:14-15
30) Thirty Pieces Thrown In Temple
Prophesied – Zechariah 11:13
Fulfilled – Matthew 27:3-5
31) Thirty Pieces Buys Potters Field
Prophesied – Zechariah 11:13
Fulfilled – Matthew 27:6-10
32) Forsaken By His Disciples
Prophesied – Zechariah 13:7
Fulfilled – Mark 14:27,50
33) Accused By False Witnesses
Prophesied – Psalm 35:11,20,21
Fulfilled – Matthew 26:59-61
34) Silent Before Accusers
Prophesied – Isaiah 53:7
Fulfilled – Matthew 27:12-14
35) Wounded And Bruised
Prophesied – Isaiah 53:4-6
Fulfilled – 1 Peter 2:21-25
36) Beaten And Spit Upon
Prophesied – Isaiah 50:6
Fulfilled – Matthew 26:67-68
37) Mocked
Prophesied – Psalm 22:6-8
Fulfilled – Matthew 27:27-31
38) Fell Under The Cross
Prophesied – Psalm 109:24-25
Fulfilled – John 19:17; Luke 23:26
39) Hands And Feet Pierced
Prophesied – Psalm 22:16
Fulfilled – John 20:24-28
40) Crucified With Thieves
Prophesied – Isaiah 53:12
Fulfilled – Matthew 27:38
41) Prayed For His Enemies
Prophesied – Isaiah 53:12
Fulfilled – Luke 23:34
42) Rejected By His Own People
Prophesied – Isaiah 53:3
Fulfilled – John 19:14-15
43) Hated Without Cause
Prophesied – Psalm 69:4
Fulfilled – John 15:25
44) Friends Stood Aloof
Prophesied – Psalm 38:11
Fulfilled – Luke 22:54; Luke 23:49
45) People Wag Their Heads
Prophesied – Psalm 22:7; Psalm 109:25
Fulfilled – Matthew 27:39
46) People Stared At Him
Prophesied – Psalm 22:17
Fulfilled – Luke 23:35
47) Cloths Divided And Gambled For
Prophesied – Psalm 22:18
Fulfilled – John 19:23-24
48) Became Very Thirsty
Prophesied – Psalm 22:15
Fulfilled – John 19:28
49) Gall And Vinegar Offered Him
Prophesied – Psalm 69:21
Fulfilled – Matthew 27:34
50) His Forsaken Cry
Prophesied – Psalm 22:1
Fulfilled – Matthew 27:46
51) Committed Himself To God
Prophesied – Psalm 31:5
Fulfilled – Luke 23:46
52) Bones Not Broken
Prophesied – Psalm 34:20
Fulfilled – John 19:32-36
53) Heart Broken
Prophesied – Psalm 69:20; Psalm 22:14
Fulfilled – John 19:34
54) His Side Pierced
Prophesied – Zechariah 12:10
Fulfilled – John 19:34,37
55) Darkness Over The Land
Prophesied – Amos 8:9
Fulfilled – Luke 23:44-45
56) Buried In Rich Man’s Tomb
Prophesied – Isaiah 53:9
Fulfilled – Matthew 27:57-60
His Resurrection And Ascension
57) Raised From The Dead
Prophesied – Psalm 16:8-11
Fulfilled – Acts 2:24-31
58) Begotten As Son Of God
Prophesied – Psalm 2:7
Fulfilled – Acts 13:32-35
59) Ascended To God
Prophesied – Psalm 68:18
Fulfilled – Ephesians 2:8-10
60) Seated Beside God
Prophesied – Psalm 110:1
Fulfilled – Hebrews 1:3,13
Conclusion
Today, the only way Bible scoffers can explain away this astronomical probability is to discredit the prophecies in one way or another. Their only alternative is to accept that God is the author of the Scriptures. The Bible is a reliable book of genuine divine prophecy – We can trust it!
The evidence of divine prophecy presented in this article is just a tiny portion of the “proofs” available to establish the divine origin of the Bible. Yet, they are more than sufficient to prove the inspiration of the Bible. There will always be men who scoff at the Bible. As Christians, however, we can be confident when we read our Bibles that God is definitely the Author, for it is written:
“We constantly thank God that when you received from us the word of God’s message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).