Prophecy

Biblical Prophecies Fulfilled

No other religious book contains prophecy. The Bible is filled with it. The prophecies are specific and historical, not vague and subject to interpretation. About a quarter of the Bible was prophecy when it was originally written, and approximately half of those prophecies have already been fulfilled literally. Although skeptics have argued that these must have been added to the text after the the events came to pass, that contention does not hold up under close scrutiny.

Jesus fulfilled at least 33 specific Old Testament prophecies in the 24 hours before he died. The probability of that happening by chance is about 1 in 1,000,000,000,000,000,000. Many of those prophecies were written in Isaiah. The Dead Sea Scrolls include a complete copy of Isaiah probably copied before Jesus' crucifixion, and the community at Qumran had no reason to interpolate. Those prophecies are still contained in Jewish scriptures, despite the fact that Jews do not acknowledge that Christ was the promised Messiah. As an example, read Isaiah 53.

Prophecy allows us to independently verify whether the Bible originated with God or with man. It promises that any prophecy from God is 100% accurate. Anything short of 100% is not from God. "Seers" such as Nostradamus may be better than most of us at foretelling the future, but their prophecies are generally vague and unspecific and no one but God can claim a record of 100% accuracy. The following verses indicate that accurate prophecy is the mark of God.

Tell us what the future holds, so that we may know that you are gods. (Is. 41:23)
See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you. (Is. 42:9)
I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. (Is. 4:10-11)

Hundreds of prophecies have been fulfilled, some, such as the establishment of the nation of Israel, within living memory. Hundreds more remain to be fulfilled. The track record is such that it can't be brushed aside as coincidence.