The Testimony of Messianic Prophecy
This is a collection of over 100 predictions (a conservative estimate) in the Old Testament about the long-awaited Messiah of the Jewish people. These predictions were written by multiple authors, in numerous books, over approximately 1,000 years. Messianic Prophecy is so dramatic today, because with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the reliability of the Septuagint version of the Old Testament (both of which have been proven to exist prior to the time Jesus walked on the earth) you can be assured that these prophecies were not "conspired" after-the-fact.
One principle of Bible reliability is Prophecy, or predictive ability. The Bible records predictions of events that could not be known or predicted by chance or common sense. Surprisingly, the predictive nature of many Bible passages was once a popular argument against the reliability of the Bible. Critics argued that the prophecies actually were written after the events and that editors had merely dressed up the Bible text to look like they contained predictions made before the events. Nothing could be further from the truth, however. The many predictions of Christ's birth, life and death (see below) were indisputably rendered more than a century before they occurred as proven by the Dead Sea Scrolls of Isaiah and other prophetic books as well as by the Septuagint translation, all dating from earlier than 100 B.C.
Old Testament prophecies concerning the Phoenician city of Tyre were fulfilled in ancient times, including prophecies that the city would be opposed by many nations (Ezekiel 26:3); its walls would be destroyed and towers broken down (26:4); and its stones, timbers, and debris would be thrown into the water (26:12). Similar prophecies were fulfilled concerning Sidon (Ezekiel 28:23; Isa. 23; Jeremiah 27:3-6; 47:4) and Babylon (Jeremiah 50:13, 39; 51:26, 42-43, 58; Isaiah 13:20-21).
Since Christ is the culminating theme of the Old Testament and the Living Word of the New Testament, it should not surprise us that prophecies regarding Him outnumber any others. Many of these prophecies would have been impossible for Jesus to deliberately conspire to fulfill - such as His descent from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 12:3; 17:19; Numbers 24:21-24); His birth in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2); His crucifixion with criminals (Isaiah 53:12); the piercing of His hands and feet at the crucifixion (Psalm 22:16); the soldiers' gambling for His clothes (Psalm 22:18); the piercing of His side and the fact that His bones were not broken at His death (Zechariah 12:10; Psalm 34:20); and His burial among the rich (Isaiah 53:9). Jesus also predicted His own death and resurrection (John 2:19-22). Predictive Prophecy is a principle of Bible reliability that often reaches even the hard-boiled skeptic!
Messianic prophecy was fulfilled by the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Although many Jews did not accept Jesus as their Messiah, many did, and they became the Jewish sect later known as the Christians. Christianity, based in dramatic part on the fulfillment of historical prophecy, spread rapidly throughout the Roman Empire of the 1st Century. Examine the prophecies yourself, and calculate the probability of one man fulfilling just a handful of the most specific ones, and you'll be amazed.
And He said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me. Luke 24:44
The Old Testament verses are the prophecy; the New Testament verses proclaim the fulfillment. Check them for yourself.
Born of a virgin: Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:21-23
A descendant of Abraham: Genesis 12:1-3; 22:18; Matthew 1:1; Galatians 3:16
Of the tribe tribe of Judah: Genesis 49:10; Luke 3:23, 33; Hebrews 7:14
Of the house of David: 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Matthew 1:1
Born in Bethlehem: Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4-7
Taken to Egypt: Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:14-15
Herod´s killing of the infants: Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:16-18
Anointed by the Holy Spirit: Isaiah 11:2; Matthew 3:16-17
Heralded by the messenger of the Lord (John the Baptist): Isaiah 40:3-5; Malachi 3:1; Matthew 3:1-3
Would perform miracles: Isaiah 35:5-6; Matthew 9:35
Would preach good news: Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:14-21
Would minister in Galilee: Isaiah 9:1; Matthew 4:12-16
Would cleanse the Temple: Malachi 3:1; Matthew 21:12-13
Would first present Himself as King 173,880 days from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem: Daniel 9:25; Matthew 21:4-11
Would enter Jerusalem as a king on a donkey: Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:4-9
Would be rejected by Jews: Psalm 118:22; I Peter 2:7
Die a humiliating death (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53),
involving...
rejection: Isaiah 53:3; John 1:10-11; 7:5,48
betrayal by a friend: Psalm 41:9; Luke 22:3-4; John 13:18
sold for 30 pieces of silver: Zechariah 11:12; Matthew 26:14-15
silence before His accusers: Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 27:12-14
being mocked: Psalm 22:7-8; Matthew 27:31
beaten: Isaiah 52:14; Matthew 27:26
spit upon: Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 27:30
piercing His hands and feet: http: Psalm 22:16; Matthew 27:31
being crucified with thieves: Isaiah 53:12; Matthew 27:38
praying for His persecutors: Isaiah 53:12; Luke 23:34
piercing His side: Zechariah 12:10; John 19:34
given gall and vinegar to drink: Psalm 69:21; Matthew 27:34; Luke 23:36
no broken bones: Psalm 34:20; John 19:32-36
buried in a rich man's tomb: Isaiah 53:9; Matthew 27:57-60
casting lots for His garments: Psalm 22:18; John 19:23-24
would rise from the dead: Psalm 16:10; Mark 16:6; Acts 2:31
ascend into Heaven: Psalm 68:18; Acts 1:9
would sit down at the right hand of God: Psalm 110:1; Hebrews 1:3
Messianic prophecy is phenomenal evidence that sets the Bible apart from the other "holy books." You are encouraged to read the Old Testament prophecies and the New Testament fulfillments listed above.
One principle of Bible reliability is Prophecy, or predictive ability. The Bible records predictions of events that could not be known or predicted by chance or common sense. Surprisingly, the predictive nature of many Bible passages was once a popular argument against the reliability of the Bible. Critics argued that the prophecies actually were written after the events and that editors had merely dressed up the Bible text to look like they contained predictions made before the events. Nothing could be further from the truth, however. The many predictions of Christ's birth, life and death (see below) were indisputably rendered more than a century before they occurred as proven by the Dead Sea Scrolls of Isaiah and other prophetic books as well as by the Septuagint translation, all dating from earlier than 100 B.C.
Old Testament prophecies concerning the Phoenician city of Tyre were fulfilled in ancient times, including prophecies that the city would be opposed by many nations (Ezekiel 26:3); its walls would be destroyed and towers broken down (26:4); and its stones, timbers, and debris would be thrown into the water (26:12). Similar prophecies were fulfilled concerning Sidon (Ezekiel 28:23; Isa. 23; Jeremiah 27:3-6; 47:4) and Babylon (Jeremiah 50:13, 39; 51:26, 42-43, 58; Isaiah 13:20-21).
Since Christ is the culminating theme of the Old Testament and the Living Word of the New Testament, it should not surprise us that prophecies regarding Him outnumber any others. Many of these prophecies would have been impossible for Jesus to deliberately conspire to fulfill - such as His descent from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 12:3; 17:19; Numbers 24:21-24); His birth in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2); His crucifixion with criminals (Isaiah 53:12); the piercing of His hands and feet at the crucifixion (Psalm 22:16); the soldiers' gambling for His clothes (Psalm 22:18); the piercing of His side and the fact that His bones were not broken at His death (Zechariah 12:10; Psalm 34:20); and His burial among the rich (Isaiah 53:9). Jesus also predicted His own death and resurrection (John 2:19-22). Predictive Prophecy is a principle of Bible reliability that often reaches even the hard-boiled skeptic!
Messianic prophecy was fulfilled by the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Although many Jews did not accept Jesus as their Messiah, many did, and they became the Jewish sect later known as the Christians. Christianity, based in dramatic part on the fulfillment of historical prophecy, spread rapidly throughout the Roman Empire of the 1st Century. Examine the prophecies yourself, and calculate the probability of one man fulfilling just a handful of the most specific ones, and you'll be amazed.
And He said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me. Luke 24:44
The Old Testament verses are the prophecy; the New Testament verses proclaim the fulfillment. Check them for yourself.
Born of a virgin: Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:21-23
A descendant of Abraham: Genesis 12:1-3; 22:18; Matthew 1:1; Galatians 3:16
Of the tribe tribe of Judah: Genesis 49:10; Luke 3:23, 33; Hebrews 7:14
Of the house of David: 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Matthew 1:1
Born in Bethlehem: Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4-7
Taken to Egypt: Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:14-15
Herod´s killing of the infants: Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:16-18
Anointed by the Holy Spirit: Isaiah 11:2; Matthew 3:16-17
Heralded by the messenger of the Lord (John the Baptist): Isaiah 40:3-5; Malachi 3:1; Matthew 3:1-3
Would perform miracles: Isaiah 35:5-6; Matthew 9:35
Would preach good news: Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:14-21
Would minister in Galilee: Isaiah 9:1; Matthew 4:12-16
Would cleanse the Temple: Malachi 3:1; Matthew 21:12-13
Would first present Himself as King 173,880 days from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem: Daniel 9:25; Matthew 21:4-11
Would enter Jerusalem as a king on a donkey: Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:4-9
Would be rejected by Jews: Psalm 118:22; I Peter 2:7
Die a humiliating death (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53),
involving...
rejection: Isaiah 53:3; John 1:10-11; 7:5,48
betrayal by a friend: Psalm 41:9; Luke 22:3-4; John 13:18
sold for 30 pieces of silver: Zechariah 11:12; Matthew 26:14-15
silence before His accusers: Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 27:12-14
being mocked: Psalm 22:7-8; Matthew 27:31
beaten: Isaiah 52:14; Matthew 27:26
spit upon: Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 27:30
piercing His hands and feet: http: Psalm 22:16; Matthew 27:31
being crucified with thieves: Isaiah 53:12; Matthew 27:38
praying for His persecutors: Isaiah 53:12; Luke 23:34
piercing His side: Zechariah 12:10; John 19:34
given gall and vinegar to drink: Psalm 69:21; Matthew 27:34; Luke 23:36
no broken bones: Psalm 34:20; John 19:32-36
buried in a rich man's tomb: Isaiah 53:9; Matthew 27:57-60
casting lots for His garments: Psalm 22:18; John 19:23-24
would rise from the dead: Psalm 16:10; Mark 16:6; Acts 2:31
ascend into Heaven: Psalm 68:18; Acts 1:9
would sit down at the right hand of God: Psalm 110:1; Hebrews 1:3
Messianic prophecy is phenomenal evidence that sets the Bible apart from the other "holy books." You are encouraged to read the Old Testament prophecies and the New Testament fulfillments listed above.