Bible Prophecy Summary

1. Why Prophecy? • Fulfilled prophecy sets Bible apart from other beliefs. No one, not even Nostradamus can produce such accurate and detailed prophecy (Who, What, When, Where, Why, How, after effects). Many Old Testament foreshadows and prophecies are not included simply because of the vast quantity. This fact alone, destroys so many bad objections to the bible and God like “it was written by idiots” and “they just created it to control people.” The prophets are the ones who wrote the texts and Jewish law was false prophets are put to death. • It shows God really does have a plan amongst all the evil happening in the world. 2. Sceptics • The Septuagint (Greek translation of Hebrew Old Testament) was translated around 200-150BC. This proves that the predictions were made centuries before Jesus was born. And it was the early church and apostles that preached the gospel by pointing out the fulfilled prophecy to the Jews. • Jesus can’t have just “tried to fulfill these things.” Keep in mind, Jesus has no control over where he is born, or by who, nor being betrayed (and for a specific amount), his type of death, the betting of his clothes, the transformation of those who claimed to see him resurrected, the transformation of billions since, the status or actions of the man who took his corpse, and many other things. • Sceptics will quickly point out that a number of fulfilments only happen in the New Testament, meaning it is a biased source. There are multiple responses to this: The Bible is historically accurate all throughout time when it has faced criticism and doubt, archaeology has repeatedly vindicated more and more of the scriptures. It has not disqualified itself yet as a historical document but only proven itself, it would be circular to dismiss parts of it just because you don’t believe in prophecy. • The other reason these should be trusted is because the Jews themselves wrote of a figure that looks exactly like Jesus and yet they are ones rejecting him! And that rejection was prophesied too! The messiah is supposed to ride into Jerusalem on a donkey, do you know what that means? The Jews right now are waiting for their messiah to show up on earth in this day and age on a donkey! 3. The Timing of Jesus • The OT indicates in multiple places that the Messiah must come before the temple destruction, so not only does it predict what happens in 70AD, but it narrows down Jesus’ arrival to before that! • This prophecy comes from Dan 9. In this chapter it even talks about the gospel-the same gospel that Jews were predicted to reject! “To put an end to sin, to atone for their guilt.” • Archaeologists have discovered 3 possible decrees from which the countdown begins. Cyrus’ in 539BC, Artaxerxes’ in 456-457BC or one in 444BC. The original word for week is 7 so when it says “7 weeks and 62 weeks” it is saying a period of 49 years and 434 years, 483 in total. Also, a year in the bible is consistently referred to as 360 days. • Most don’t count Cyrus’ because he only mentions the temple not the city. So applying the years to the other 2 decrees gets you to either 27AD or 33AD. This is why people in the gospels seemed so expectant and constantly asking Jesus if he’s the one they’ve been waiting for. According to Josephus, the rebuilding took 49 years which explains the “7 weeks” in the prophecy, why not just lump it all together? • And ALSO predicts a judiciary execution “the Anointed One shall be cut off but not for himself, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the temple.” Again, predicting Jerusalem’s demise soon after the messiah comes, just like what actually happened. • If we go back to the prophecy, you will see that it referred to 69 weeks in total. A 70th week is predicted which refers to his second coming. • After the time of Jesus, Jewish Rabbis put a curse on anyone who tries to calculate the dates of Dan 9. Talmud Sanhedrin 97b. • Because of this notice ahead of time, Jesus rebukes Jerusalem for not recognizing the “time of his visitation.” And indeed, says this is why the temple and Jerusalem will be destroyed shortly. Luke 19 41-44 4. From Whom and Where • Gen 3:15 is the first prediction of the Messiah, Jesus destroys Satan while Satan leaves a non-fatal, temporary injury (crucifixion). • Gen 22 is the story of Abraham nearly sacrificing his son. This was clearly symbolic, because God kept repeating and emphasizing the willingness to sacrifice his “one and only son.” And that is the first time the word love is used in the bible. This passage narrows the lineage to come through Abraham. • Gen 21-Narrows down the “Seed” to Isaac’s lineage. In the last two chapters the Messiah is referred to as ‘the seed’. • Num 24-Narrows down to Jacob • Gen 49-Narrows down to Judah. Specifying that the ‘coming one’ will arrive before the “scepter departs”, which it did in 70AD when all the Jews were scattered, temple destroyed and genealogical records were lost. • Isa 11 and 2 Sam 7:16 and Jer 23 narrows down to family of Judah-House of David. The gospels offer two genealogies for Jesus, while ignorant sceptics will call it a contradiction, the obvious answer is that Joseph’s side is a legal genealogy while Mary’s is biological. Both linking back to David. • Micah 5:2-Narrows down place of birth to Bethlehem, a place with less than 1000 people. 5. Messiah Requirements-Messiahments • All the things that must be true of the Messiah. Remember, it has been narrowed down to a specific gender, of a specific family in a specific small town, in a very small window of time. So, these are just more statistical improbabilities. • Would speak on the father’s behalf. Deut 18. • Enter Jerusalem on a donkey. Zech 9. • Isaiah  Written over 700 years before Jesus and 400 years before crucifixion.  Born of a virgin. Isai 7  The Messiah would be God. Isai 9.  There would be a forerunner before him. Isai 43:19, Mal 3.  Received by the gentiles. Isai 49.  He will be highly exalted. Yet also says he was despised and rejected. Isa 52-53  Died without descendants. Life cut short midstream.  Yet when he is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants…  Oppressed and afflicted but didn’t open his mouth to defend himself despite being innocent. Isa 52-53  Killed for other people’s sin, specifically “pierced” and “beaten” and “whipped”, this isn’t even one infliction of pain it is multiple steps in a roman crucifixion process. Isa 52-53  Taken from prison and judgement. Isa 52-53  Put in a rich man’s grave. Isa 52-53 • Psalms  Written 1000 years before Jesus and 700 before Roman crucifixion.  God forsakes him  Mocked and insulted-verbatim-“is this the one who relies on the Lord?”  Surrounded by enemies at death, which include powerful people  Poured out like water  Bones out of joint paired with Psalm 34:20 makes a very subtle and accurate depiction, how unintuitive to suggest bones being out of joint yet not broken? This is a key crucifixion feature and also a fulfillment of a Passover foreshadow-the sacrifices were to not have their bones broken.  Weak heart  Killed, yet delivered as well…?  Pierced hands and feet  Divided garments and threw dice for clothing  After this death, the whole world will worship the God of Israel.  Be rejected. Psalm 22.  Enemies plot to kill him. Psalm 31.  Friends are afraid to come near him. Psalm 31. Jesus makes Psalm 22 about him by quoting it on the cross, he does that with this psalm as well (V5 and 22).  Be betrayed by close friend. Ps 41, 109, and Zech 11:12. Again, Jesus quotes Psalm 41 as relevant to his betrayal. And Zech 11 gives the exact amount Judas betrayed him for and where the money would go! “30 pieces of silver” and “threw (the money) to the potter in the temple of the Lord.” 700 years after this was written, Judas throws the money down in the house of the Lord and the priests take the money and buy the Potter’s field. 6. Destruction of Tyre • Ezekiel was written in 587BC. Sceptics don’t attack the dating of the book but rather say that it wasn’t fulfilled. • Tyre was the capital of the Phoenician empire which included main lands and an island. The prediction of its downfall would have sounded ridiculous since it had been standing and occupied for 2000 years and was known as the “Queen of the Seas” because it controlled trade through the whole Mediterranean Sea and was very wealthy, it was the world’s biggest empire and had massive walls that had never been breached. • Predicting what would happen and how and in specific detail. Like who would do it and the after effects. These are not vague educated guesses. Secular history can confirm all of this.  “Many nations will come against you like waves of the sea.”  “They will destroy the walls and tear down its towers.”  “I will scrape away its soil and make it a bare rock. It will just be a rock in the sea.”  “Its mainland villages will be destroyed by the sword.”  “From the north I will bring King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon against Tyre. He…brings his horses, chariots, charioteers and great army.”  “First he will destroy your mainland villages, then he will attack you by building a siege wall, constructing a ramp and raising a roof of shields against you”  “He will pound your walls with battering rams and demolish your towers with sledgehammers.”  “They will plunder all your riches…and destroy your lovely homes and dump your stones and timbers and even your dust into the sea. • There are verses saying “he” will destroy, these are of King Nebuchadnezzar, which is short term prophecy for the people of Ezekiel’s day. When the pronoun switches to “they”, it is foretelling 200 years later when Alex the Great fulfills the rest. • Like casting stones and timber into the sea was not a normal warfare tactic, what a strange prediction. He did this to make a causeway to march his army to the island. • “Never to be rebuilt”-the original word is to be restored or returned to prior state. This is safely fulfilled since it was never a world empire again! Historians follow this line of reasoning as well, Edward Creasy “not content with crushing her, he took care that she should never revive...and forever changed the track of world commerce.” • Alex the Great also fulfills Zech 9:4 by setting Tyre on fire. 7. Daniel and the World Powers • Daniel was written from 604BC to 532BC. Scholars believe this to be a second century BC work literally because the prophecies are too accurate. Now that is close minded circular logic! Even if it was written then, it still correctly predicted the timing of Jesus! Of course, there is evidence that it is far older than that! • The prediction is of 4 world empires before the final one: God’s kingdom. The 4th one comes up in Revelation. It is the new world order, mentioned by name in the bible and by countless politicians today. • From the last book of the Old Testament to the first of the New, there is 400 years of silence. Perhaps this is why God predicted what would take place in these 400 years. • Daniel had a vision of 4 beasts, he was told each beast was a kingdom.  A lion that has its eagles’ wings plucked, then stands like a man and given man’s heart (or mind).  Then a bear, raised on one side (or on its hind legs), 3 ribs in mouth, told to rise and devour much flesh.  Then a leopard with 4 wings, 4 heads and given dominion.  Then a strong, terrifying beast. Destroys with iron teeth, unlike the others. Has 10 horns. 3 of those are ripped out and replaced with 1 small horn. This horn has eyes of a man and spoke great things. • Archaeology has confirmed a strong link between Babylon and the use of a lion with eagle’s wings. Wings symbolize swiftness and aggression, before its fall, Babylon did cease to be the conquering power it was. J. D Michaelis notes that the Chaldeans were once barbarians but became civilized referring to ‘being given a man’s heart/mind.’ • Following the chronology, the Medo-Persian empire is the next one, led by King Cyrus II later Artaxerxes II. Before combining, Persians were more powerful hence ‘raised on one side’. The 3 ribs are the 3 nations it conquered and took over (Babylon, Lydia, Egypt). Isa 13 and Jer 52 also predict Medes and Persians taking over Babylon. • Next was the Greek Empire. Leopard with wings for Alex the great’s speed in conquering. He achieved his whole empire in the same time it took Nebuchadnezzar to siege one city-Tyre. 4 heads on the beast because when Alex died the empire was given to 4 generals. Dan 8 even says “Grecia” will subdue the Medo-Persian empire. Grecia=Greece. • Daniel had another vision about world powers:  A ram with 2 high horns beside a river, one horn higher. The higher one came up last.  The ram was pushing west, north and south so no animal could withstand him, he did what he wanted and no one could stop him.  Then a male goat came from the west, across the whole earth without touching the ground. It had a notable horn between its eyes. He ran at the ram with furious power, he broke its two horns. He trampled the ram and no could help.  When the goat became strong the large horn was broken and in place of it 4 others came up. One grew south, another east, and one toward the glorious land.  Out of one of the 4 horns came a little horn which grew to heaven and cast some of the host down and some stars and trampled them. He exalted himself high and he took away daily sacrifices and cast truth to the ground and prospered.  This horn is also called a fierce king, a master of intrigue, he will become strong but not by his own power, cause a shocking amount of devastation, devastating God’s holy people, master of deception, he will be broken but not by human power. • The angel Gabriel tells Daniel that the horns are Media and Persia (explains the disparity like the last vision). Also, Media was big and first but Persia became bigger hence the ‘came up last.’ The empire’s first king Cyrus was prophesied by name in Isa 44:28 and 45:1-4 and what he would do 150 years before existing. Going in 3 directions was the conquering of Babylon, Lydia and Egypt as described in the last vision as well. • The goat is Greece. The horn being Alex the Great. Not touching the ground represented his speed. Coming from the west was accurate. The horn breaking is Alex’s untimely death and then the 4 generals who took over are the 4 horns again. The goat figure could be because Alex was a Macedonian and they were symbolized by goats. His son’s name can be translated ‘son of the goats.’ • The little horn was Antiochus IV (Epiphanes). 215-164BC, King of the Seleucid empire. He wasn’t in line to be king, he got there through treachery and deal making “master of deception and intrigue”, gaining power that wasn’t his “not by his own power.” • Like Alex the Great, most kings would tolerate religions because it made it easier to rule, but the bible correctly predicts Antiochus devastating God’s holy people. He tried to exterminate the Jews, destroyed copies of the Torah, commanded them to eat pork, not circumcise, sacrifice to Zeus or die, he killed 40,000 in 3 days. He sold the high priest position, plundered the temple, stopped sacrifices, slaughtered pigs on altar, put Zeus in the temple, connected himself to Zeus calling himself a reincarnation. He was clearly trying to have himself worshiped as a god. He also got randomly ill and died “he will be broken but not by human power.” • That’s a lot of things to get right. But yet sceptics will jump back and forth between saying it wasn’t specific and fulfilled properly and it was a forgery written after the fact. 8. Conclusion • In The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict, Josh McDowell identifies 61 fulfilled prophecies and over 270 implications concerning the birth, life and death of Jesus Christ. • Maths and astronomy professor Peter W. Stoner examined the likelihood of just 8 prophecies being fulfilled by anyone by chance. No specific prophecies taken into account. It came to 1 in 10.17 Jesus fulfills nearly 8 prophecies just by being born! (Place of birth, lineage, time period). The math was affirmed by the American Scientific Affiliation.