The Bible: Prophecies Fulfilled
No religious book other than the Bible contains prophecy. The Bible is filled with specific, historical prophecies that are not vague or subject to interpretation. About a quarter of the Bible was prophecy when it was originally written, and approximately half of the prophecies have already been fulfilled, literally. Although skeptics say that the prophecies were added to the text after the events they foretold had occurred, their argument 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 believed to have been copied before Jesus' crucifixion. The community at Qumran was not Christian had no reason to interpolate after the fact. The prophecies in question are still contained in Jewish scriptures, despite the fact that Jews do not acknowledge Christ as the promised Messiah. As an example, read Isaiah 53.
Prophecy allows us to independently verify whether the Bible originated with God rather than man. It promises that any prophecy originating with God will be 100% accurate. Anything short of 100% is not from God. "Seers" such as Nostradamus may do better than most of us at foretelling the future, but their prophecies are generally vague and unspecific. No one but God claims 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. (Isaiah 41:23)
- See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you. (Isaiah 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. (Isaiah 4:10-11)
Hundreds of prophecies have been fulfilled. Some, such as the establishment of the nation of Israel, have been fulfilled within living memory. Hundreds more prophecies remain. No one can prove that they will be fulfilled, but the track record to date seems unlikely to be a coincidence.
Related articles on this web site:
- Is Evolution True?
- Is the Bible True?
- Whatsoever Thing Are True (a book I wrote a few years after the articles above)
Source: www.SusanCAnthony.com, ©Susan C. Anthony