Facts on Prophecy

[Truth Seaker]

I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it come to pass you might believe. John 14:29
Bible Prophecy was given to increase our Faith as the events foretold came to pass. Preterism doesn't predict anything and the predictions of Futurism never "come to pass."
Neither interpretation can ever create faith.


Prophecy is foretelling an event 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 60 distinct predictions in regard to our divine Saviour Jesus Christ. Here is a sample of just 10 prophecies that foretold the crucifixion of Christ. Not only were the predictions made 1000 years before Christ came from heaven to earth, but they were made over 500 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 48 such prophecies and determined that the probability of one man randomly fulfilling them all is 1 in 10 to the exponent of 157. That is one followed by 157 zeros! Your chances of winning a typical lottery jackpot is about 1 in 108. (100,000,000) Yet, Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies!
Concerning his birth Prophesied Fulfilled
1. Born of the seed of woman Gen 3:15 Gal 4:4
2. Born of a virgin Isa 7:14 Mt 1:18-25
3. Seed of Abraham Gen 22:18 Mt 1:1
4. Seed of Isaac Gen 21:12 Lk 3:23+34
5. Seed of Jacob Num 24:17 Lk 3:34
6. Seed of David Jer 23:5 Lk 3:31
7. Tribe of Judah Gen 49:10 Rev 5:5
8. Family line of Jesse Isa 11:1 Lk 3:32
9. Born in Bethlehem Mic 5:2 Mt 2:1-6
10. Herod kills the children Jer 31:15 Mt 2:16-18
Concerning his nature Prophesied Fulfilled
11. He pre-existed creation Mic 5:2 1 Pet 1:20
12. He shall be called Lord Ps 110:1 Acts 2:36
13. Called Immanuel (God with us) Isa 7:14 Mt 1:22-23
14. Prophet Deut 18:18-19 Acts 3:18-25
15. Priest Ps 110:4 Heb 5:5-6
16. Judge Isa 33:22 Jn 5:22-23
17. King Ps 2:6 Jn 18:33-37
18. Anointed by the Spirit Isa 11:2 Mt 3:16-17
19. His zeal for God Ps 69:9 Jn 2:15-17
Concerning his ministry Prophesied Fulfilled
20. Preceded by a messenger Isa 40:3 Mt 3:1-3
21. To begin in Galilee Isa 9:1-2 Mt 4:12-17
22. Ministry of Miracles Isa 35:5-6 Mt 9:35;11:4
23. Teacher of parables Ps 78:1-4 Mt 13:34-35
24. He was to enter the temple Mal 3:1 Mt 21:10-12
25. Enter Jerusalem on donkey Zech 9:9 Mt 21:1-7
26. Stone of stumbling to Jews Isa 28:16; Ps 118:22 1 Pet 2:6-8
27. Light to Gentiles Isa 49:6 Acts 13:46-48
The day Jesus was crucified Prophesied Fulfilled
28. Betrayed by a friend Ps 41:9 Jn 13:18-27
29. Sold for 30 pieces of silver Zech 11:12 Mt 26:14-15
30. 30 pieces thrown in Temple Zech 11:13 Mt 27:3-5
31. 30 pieces buys potters field Zech 11:13 Mt 27:6-10
32. Forsaken by His disciples Zech 13:7 Mk 14:27+50
33. Accused by false witnesses Ps 35:11+20-21 Mt 26:59-61
34. Silent before accusers Isa 53:7 Mt 27:12-14
35. Wounded and bruised Isa 53:4-6 1 Pet 2:21-25
36. Beaten and spit upon Isa 50:6 Mt 26:67-68
37. Mocked Ps 22:6-8 Mt 27:27-31
38. Fell under the cross Ps 109:24-25 Jn 19:17; Lk23:26
39. Hands and feet pierced Ps 22:16 Jn 20:24-28
40. Crucified with thieves Isa 53:12 Mt 27:38
41. Prayed for enemies Isa 53:12 Lk 23:34
42. Rejected by His own people Isa 53:3 Jn 19:14-15
43. Hated without cause Ps 69:4 Jn 15:25
44. Friends stood aloof Ps 38:11 Lk22:54;23:49
45. People wag their heads Ps 22:7;109:25 Mt 27:39
46. People stared at Him Ps 22:17 Lk 23:35
47. Cloths divided and gambled for Ps 22:18 Jn 19:23-24
48. Became very thirsty Ps 22:15 Jn 19:28
49. Gall and vinegar offered Him Ps 69:21 Mt 27:34
50. His forsaken cry Ps 22:1 Mt 27:46
51. Committed Himself to God Ps 31:5 Lk 23:46
52. Bones not broken Ps 34:20 Jn 19:32-36
53. Heart broken Ps 69:20;22:14 Jn 19:34
54. His side pierced Zech 12:10 Jn 19:34+37
55. Darkness over the land Amos 8:9 Lk 23:44-45
56. Buried in rich man's tomb Isa 53:9 Mt 27:57-60
His Resurrection & Ascension Prophesied Fulfilled
57. Raised from the dead Ps 16:8-11 Acts 2:24-31
58. Begotten as Son of God Ps 2:7 Acts 13:32-35
59. Ascended to God Ps 68:18 Eph 2:8-10
60. Seated beside God Ps 110:1 Heb 1:3+13
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. You can trust it!
[http://www.bible.ca/b-prophecy-60.htm ]

4. MEDO-PERSIA. Daniel 8:1-8, 20-22. These predictions were given in 553BC
God tells Daniel of a series of battles that would occur 220 years later between Medo-Persia and Greece. Alexander the Great of Greece, pictured by a He-goat with a great horn (Alexander himself) severely crushes Darius III army of Medo-Persia (pictured by a ram with two horns).
This occurred in three battles: Granicus (334 BC), Issus (333BC) and Guagamela (331 BC) beside a river.
"The ram .... having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia." Daniel 8:20
"The rough goat is the king of Grecia, and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. (Alexander) Daniel 8:21.
Note the following aspects of this prophecy:
i) The Ram (Medio-Persia) pushes west, north, south. Daniel 8:4.
This prediction defines the area of influence of Medo-Persia, 536-330BC.
ii) One horn (Persia) was higher or stronger than the other (Medes). Dan 8:3. History proved Persia to be the stronger partner in the alliance.
iii) The He-goat (Greece) came from the West. Daniel 8:5.
Greece is west of Medo-Persia.
iv) The He-goat (Greece) crushed the Ram (Medo-Persia).
"He smote the ram, and brake his two horns." Daniel 8:6, 7.
v) The battle took place at a river. "He came to the ram which had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river .... " Daniel 8:6.
5. GREECE. Daniel 8:8, 21, 22.
These events were predicted in 553 BC and fulfilled in 331 BC, 222 years later.
Note these further accurate predictions:
i) Alexander, after conquering Medo-Persia, went on to conquer all the ancient world across to India.
“The he-goat waxed very great” Daniel 8:8, 22.
ii) Alexander, at the age of 32 drank himself to death at the peak of his strength. “When he was strong, the great horn was broken.” Dan 8:22
iii) After Alexander's death, the Greek empire was divided into four smaller powers, each ruled by one of his Generals.
"Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power." Daniel 8:8, 22.
The four empires into which Alexander's empire was divided were Greece, Asia Minor, Syria and Egypt.
iv) Alexander's kingdom was not given to his children but to his generals. "A mighty king shall stand up ...... his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided to the four winds of heaven, and not to his posterity ...." Daniel 11:3, 4.
6. ROME . Daniel 2:40, 41.
"The fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron ..... it shall break in pieces and bruise .... the kingdom shall be divided." Daniel 2:40, 41.
Notice the following predictions about Rome:
i) Rome, the fourth kingdom was as strong as iron. Rome ruled from England to Babylon, bringing peace, roads and strong government like an iron rule.
ii) Rome was the Empire ruling when the Messiah Jesus Christ first came " ...... shall Messiah be cut off .......... and the people (Romans) ......" Daniel 9:26.
iii) Rome destroyed Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple in 70AD.
".....shall Messiah be cut off ...... and the people (Romans) of the prince that shall come (Antichrist) shall destroy the city (Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (Temple) ....." Daniel 9:26.
iv) Rome was divided in 395AD into the Western Empire ruled by Rome, and the Eastern Empire ruled by Byzantine (or Constantinople), pictured by the two legs of the image in Daniel 2.
"The kingdom shall be divided." Daniel 2:41.
7. EGYPT. Ezekiel 29:1-15.
God promised that he would punish Pharaoh of Egypt because he claimed to be a god and to have created the Nile river.
"Thus saith the Lord God: Behold I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt ..... which hath said: `My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.'" Ezekiel 29:2, 9.
Notice these predictions that God made concerning Egypt
i) Egypt would not be inhabited for 40 years but desolate.
"I will make Egypt utterly waste and desolate from the tower of Syene to the border of Ethiopia ..... Neither shall it be inhabited forty years." Ezekiel 29:10-12. This prediction was made in 588 BC. In 579 BC, Nebuchadnezzar conquered Egypt then deported the Egyptians to other nations from 576 BC until they returned in 536 BC.
ii) Egyptians would return to Egypt after 40 years.
"Neither shall it be inhabited forty years." v.11.
"shall be desolate forty years". v.12.
"At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people where they were scattered ..... and will cause them to return to the land of Pathros (South Egypt) ..." Ezekiel 29:13, 14.
iii) Egypt will be a base kingdom "they shall be there a base kingdom." (Ezekiel 29:14) which they have always been since 536 BC.
iv) Egypt will be afraid of Israel. This is true today ever since Israel defeated Egypt in the six-day war in 1967.
"The land of Judah shall be a terror to Egypt." Isaiah 19:17.
II. CITIES
Four main cities have 30 detailed predictions given about them:
1. TYRE. Destruction of TYRE foretold. Ezekiel 26:1-14 in 590 BC.
Ezekiel 26 contains six prophesies for Tyre that have been fulfilled. If Ezekiel had looked at Tyre in his day and made these predictions in human wisdom, there would had been only one chance in 75,000,000 of them all coming true.
i) Nebuchadnezzar will destroy the mainland city of Tyre 26:7, 8-11. "I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon." (27:7) This was predicted in 590 BC. Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Tyre four years after the prophecy was made. After a 13 year siege (586-573 BC),
Nebuchadnezzar broke the gates down. He found the city empty because most people had moved by ship to an island half a mile off the coast and fortified a city there. The mainland city was destroyed in 573 BC as foretold, but the island city of Tyre still remained.
ii) "I will cause many nations to come against thee ........ as waves." Ezekiel 26:3 A succession of invaders came to attack Tyre over many years, such as Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander, Moslems, and Crusaders.
iii) "I will scrape her dust from her ..... like the top of a rock." 26:4 When island Tyre refused to submit to Alexander, he demolished the old city on the mainland. With the debris of the old city, he scraped it off the ground like you scrape dust off a rock, pushing it into the water. He thus built a causeway 60 metres wide by 800 metres long out to the island of Tyre, where he laid siege to it, conquered it, and destroyed the island city in 332 BC. The causeway still remains and old Tyre is as flat as a rock. This prediction was given 258 years before its fulfilment.
iv) "Fishermen will spread their nets over the site" 26:5, 14.
Fishermen today dry their nets on the rocks of old mainland Tyre.
v) "They shall throw the city debris into the water." When Alexander's engineers built the causeway, they used the remains of old Tyre, laying the stones, timber and dust into the midst of the water.
vi) The city is never to be rebuilt. "Thou shalt be built no more." 26:14. Old Tyre has been bare as a rock for 2500 years as God said, even though 10 million gallons of fresh water supply the site daily with enough water for a city. The city has not been rebuilt even today.
2. JERUSALEM
Jesus Christ made the following predictions about Jerusalem:
i) Not one stone of Herod's temple would be left standing on another. "There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." Matthew 24:1, 2.
The Roman army finally in September 70 AD stormed the walls of Jerusalem through the Antonia fortress. According to Josephus, they killed one million Jews and took 100,000 Jews captive as slaves. A soldier dropped a torch in the Temple setting it on fire. This melted the gold in the Temple, which flowed into the cracks in the Temple foundations, which the Romans dug up, destroying the Temple thus fulfilling Christ's prophecy of not one stone of the Temple to be left standing on another.
ii) Jerusalem would be surrounded by armies in a siege.
"When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh." Luke 21:20.
iii) The only way of safety was to flee Jerusalem when you see the armies. "Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out, and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto." Luke 21:21.
The Roman army surrounded Jerusalem for five days and its troops battered at the walls. Had not Luke in 53AD recorded Jesus' warning to leave Jerusalem when armies surrounded it? How could they escape if armies were all around the walls? Josephus the historian writes that "The Roman army retired from the city, without any reason in the world." Josephus continues: "The Jews were greatly encouraged by this, but many of the most eminent Jews then left the city." Hegessippus, another historian tells us that those leaving were Christians who knew Christ's command to flee in Luke 21:20, 21. This proves that Luke wrote well before 66AD when the Roman army first came.
iv) Many Jews in Jerusalem would be killed by the sword.
"And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations ...." Luke 21:24
v) Many Jews would be led away captive into all nations. Luke 21:24.
vi) In the starvation of the siege women ate their children.
"He shall besiege thee ..... thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters .... in the siege." Deut 28:52, 57.
vii) Jerusalem would be under Gentile control until Christ returns. "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." Luke 21:24. This occurred 40 years after it was predicted, when Titus the Roman General conquered Jerusalem in 70AD. Jerusalem has been under Gentile (non Jewish) control since 70AD as predicted by Jesus Christ.
viii) Jerusalem shall be plowed as a field. In 135AD the Jews rebelled against Rome again. Hadrian the Roman General, in a three-and-a-half year war killed 580,000 Jews and ran a plough over Jerusalem, thus fulfilling the prophesy of Micah 3:12 written 885 years earlier in 730BC. "Therefore shall Zion for your sakes be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps." Micah 3:12.
ix) Jews will return to Jerusalem in the end days. We all know that the Jews occupy part of Jerusalem and Israel today since 1948. God predicts that Jerusalem in the end days, being occupied by Jews, will be invaded by all nation's armies. Jesus Christ will then return to rescue the Jews, defeat the invading armies, and rule on earth in peace for 1000 years.
"I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle ...." Zech 14:1-4.
3. JERICHO.
Predicted in Joshua 6:26 (1451BC), and fulfilled in I Kings 16:34 (925BC). After the destruction of Jericho in Joshua's time, 1451BC, Joshua makes an amazing threefold prophecy about Jericho:
"Cursed be the man .... that builds this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it." Joshua 6:26.
i) Jericho would be rebuilt by a man with at least two sons
ii) The builder's oldest son would die when the city foundations were laid.
iii) The builder's youngest son would die when the city and it's gates were finished.
I Kings 16:34 records that this prediction was fulfilled in Hiel the Bethelite. No one would intend to fulfil this prophecy.
"In his (Ahab's) days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates in his youngest son Segub according to the Word of the Lord which he spake by Joshua."
Unger writes: "The rebuilding of Jericho is confirmed by archaeological diggings ..... there are no occupational levels from Joshua's time to Ahab's era, when small ruins from the 10th century BC point to Hiel's rebuilding the site." [Ungers Bible Handbook, p.220]
4. NINEVEH.
Predicted in Nahum (713BC) and fulfilled by history in 614BC.
God spared wicked Nineveh in 862BC at Jonah's preaching. At this time, archaeology reveals a change occurred from worshipping many gods to worshipping one god, called Nebo, the son in the Babylonian trinity.
Nineveh's wall was 100 feet tall, 50 feet thick, with 15 gates and 1200 towers each 200 feet high. Nineveh was 60 miles in circumference, with a 150 foot wide moat around it. Nahum in 3:8 writes just after Thebes (No) in Egypt was destroyed by King Ashurbanipal of Assyria in 663BC. Nineveh was destroyed in 612BC with ease after a three month siege. It fell like "first ripe figs falling if shaken." (3:12).

See Part 2 on prophecy

[Truth Seaker]

Part 2 on Prophecy


Three times Nahum predicts that Nineveh will be destroyed with a flood:
1:8. "overrunning flood"
2:6. "gates of rivers"
2:8. "like a pool of water"
In 613BC the Assyrian army was away fighting Babylon, when heavy rains swelled the Euphrates River, flooding part of Nineveh and casting down four kilometres of wall length.
The King, believing an ancient prophecy of the river becoming their enemy, panicked and ordered he and his palace to be burned down. Babylonians, Medes, and Scythians attacked through this four kilometre gap, thus conquering Nineveh in 612BC. Twelve predictions about the destruction of Nineveh are given in Nahum 1-3.
Nahum's Prophecies Historical Fulfilments
1. The Assyrian fortresses around Ninevah would be easily captured. 3:12 Babylonian records state that the fortified towns around Nineveh began to fall in 614BC.

2. The besieged Ninevites would prepare bricks and mortar for emergency defence walls. 3:14 To the south of the gate, the moat is still filled with stone and mud bricks from the walls, heaped up when they were breached.

3. The city gates would be destroyed. 3:13 The main attack came on the north-west gate.

4. In the final hours of the attack, the Ninevites would be drunk. 1:10; 3:11 Siculus (20BC) wrote: "The Assyrian king gave much wine to his soldiers. Deserters told this to the enemy, who attacked that night."

5. Ninevites would be destroyed by a flood. 1:8; 2:6,8 Diodorus: “In the third year of the siege heavy rains caused the river to flood part of the city and break part of the walls.”

6. Nineveh would be destroyed by fire. 1:10; 2:13; 3:15, 13 The temple was burned as seen by a two inch layer of ash.

7. Many Ninevites would be massacred. 3:3 So many were killed that the flowing stream became blood red for a considerable distance.

8. Plundering would follow the overthrow of Nineveh. 2:9-10 They carried off much spoil, beyond counting.

9. Its people would try to escape. 2:8 King Sardanapalus sent away his three sons and two daughters.
10. Ninevite officers would weaken and flee. 3:17 The Assyrian army deserted the King (Babylonian Chronicle).

11. Nineveh's idols would be destroyed. 1:14 The Ishtar goddess lay headless in Nineveh's ruins.

12. Nineveh would never be rebuilt. 1:9, 14 Many cities were rebuilt, eg. Jerusalem, but not Nineveh.
III. INDIVIDUALS.
The Bible makes detailed predictions about five main individuals. Two are mentioned by name: Josiah was predicted 350 years before he lived, and Cyrus King of Persia was predicted 175 years before he lived. How can such detailed predictions be made? God wrote the Bible, is the only possible answer.
1. Josiah, King of Judah was prophesied by name in 975BC by an unnamed man of God in I Kings 13:1-3 that: "a future King Josiah by name would burn idolatrous priests' bones on the altar at Bethel." Those idolatrous priests burned incense on the same altar under evil King Jeroboam I of Israel.
350 years later in 624BC Josiah, a King of Judah, while cleansing Israel of pagan practices, broke down the altar and high place of King Jeroboam at Bethel. "Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar and polluted it, according to the Word of the Lord, which the man of God proclaimed." II Kings 23:15, 16.
The two main predictions here are that:
i) Josiah's name is given 350 years before the event. I Kings 13:2.
ii) Josiah's action of burning the false prophets' bones is given.
2. CYRUS, King of Persia, was predicted by name and action in Isaiah 44:28-45:4 in 712BC and that he would conquer Babylon. "That saith of Cyrus. He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, thou shalt be built, and to the Temple, thy foundation shall be laid." Isaiah 44:28. "Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him ..... to open before him the two-leaved gates: and the gates shall not be shut." Isaiah 45:1.
Notice the following prophecies that have been fulfilled about Cyrus:
i) Cyrus of Persia is named as the man who would conquer Babylon. Isaiah 45:1 This prediction was made 176 years before the event occurred.
ii) The two leaved gates of Babylon shall not be shut. According to Heroditus (1:191), the double gates of Babylon were carelessly left open during the night of revelry when the city was taken.
iii) Cyrus gave permission for Jerusalem to be rebuilt and for the Temple foundation to be laid. II Chronicles 36:22, 23; Ezra 1:1-4.
iv) "I will give thee the treasures of darkness and the hidden riches of secret places." 45:3. God gave Cyrus possession of the treasures of darkness, the wealth of conquered nations, so called because the valuables taken from nations were hidden in dark, secretly concealed, subterranean vaults. These predictions given in 712BC were fulfilled in 536BC, 176 years later.
Question: What is the probability of guessing the exact name "Cyrus" of the man who would conquer Babylon?
Answer: It could not be guessed. This proves that the Bible is the Word of the all-knowing, all-powerful Creator/God.
3. ALEXANDER THE GREAT. Daniel 8:1-8, 20-22 and 11:1-4.
Although Daniel does not mention Alexander by name, he is clearly referred to in Daniel 8:21 as "the great horn that is between the He-goat's eyes is the first king." (Alexander). Alexander crushed the Persians at the Battle of Issus in 333BC. Josephus the historian who lived from 37 to 100AD, states that when Alexander approached Jerusalem to conquer it, he was met at the gates by Jaddua the High Priest who showed him in Daniel 8:1-8, 20-22 that he as the first king of the Greek empire, would conquer the Persians. This was predicted in 553BC, and was fulfilled in 333BC, 220 years later. Alexander was so impressed at this prediction o***reek conquering the Persians, that he worshipped God, offered sacrifices and spared Jerusalem.
Note: Unbelieving critics who can't accept the Bible predicting the future, say that Daniel was written around 300-200BC which make it after the events, as history not prophecy. This is clearly disproven by Josephus quoting Jaddua who quotes Daniel 8:1-8, 20-22 to Alexander in 340BC. This proves that Daniel was written well before 340BC and is truly predictive prophecy of the supernatural God. (Antiques of the Jews, Josephus, par 244).
[http://www.users.on.net/mec/answers/_2_ful.htm ]

Bible Prophecy and The Messiah (continued)
To comprehend this amazing fact, an illustration is helpful. Suppose you take not 300 predictions but only 8. What are the odds that 8 predictions might all be fulfilled in one person? The likelihood is that of one in 10 to the 17th power (1 in 1,000,000,000,000,000,000)!
To make this statement more meaningful, Josh McDowell put this into the form of a picture. Imagine, he said, that you cover the state of Texas with silver dollars to a depth of 2 feet, and on one of those silver dollars you place a mark. Now blindfold a man and tell him to pick up just one silver dollar—how likely is he to pick up the one that you marked? That is parallel to all eight prophecies being fulfilled in one man! (Josh McDowell, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, vol. 1, pp. 144, 167).
Following are charts of some of the prophecies of Christ’s first coming that were fulfilled, along with the references to their fulfillments. Click on the PDF symbols or the text links to see the charts.
[http://www.megiddo.com/prophecy/prophecypart1006a.html]

Rank Subject Prophecy Fulfillment
1 The Messiah would be announced to his people 483 years, to the exact day, after the decree to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. Daniel 9:25 John 12:12-13
2 The Messiah's hands and feet would be pierced. Psalm 22:16c Matthew 27:38
3 The Jew's authority to administer capital punishment would be gone when the Messiah arrived. Genesis 49:10c John 18:31
4 The Messiah would be killed before the destruction of the temple. Daniel 9:26c Matthew 27:50-51
5 The Messiah would be rejected. Isaiah 53:3b Matthew 27:21-23
6 The Messiah would die for the sins of the world. Isaiah 53: 1 John 2:2
7 The Messiah would be born of the "seed" of a woman. Genesis 3:15a Luke 1:34-35
8 The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Micah 5:2a Matthew 2:1-2
9 The Messiah would be sacrificed on the same mountain where God tested Abraham. Genesis 22:14 Luke 23:33
10 The Messiah would be killed. Daniel 9:26a Matthew 27:35

[http://www.messiahrevealed.org/]

The acid test for identifying a prophet of God is recorded by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:21-22. According to this Bible passage (and others), God's prophets, as distinct from Satan's spokesmen, are 100 percent accurate in their predictions. There is no room for error.
As economy does not permit an explanation of all Biblical prophecies that have been fulfilled, what follows is a discussion of a few that exemplify the high degree of specificity, the range of projection, and/or the "supernature" of the predicted events. Readers are encouraged to select others, as well, and to carefully examine their historicity.
…………….
Given that the Bible proves so reliable a document, there is every reason to expect that the remaining 500 prophecies, those slated for the "time of the end," also will be fulfilled to the last letter. Who can afford to ignore these coming events, much less miss out on the immeasurable blessings offered to anyone and everyone who submits to the control of the Bible's author, Jesus Christ? Would a reasonable person take lightly God's warning of judgment for those who reject what they know to be true about Jesus Christ and the Bible, or who reject Jesus's claim on their lives?
[http://www.believers.org/hughross.htm ]

Jesus
How do you respond to someone's claim that the Bible is not inspired? Is there a way to prove inspiration or, at least, intelligently present evidence for its inspiration? The answer is "Yes!" One of the best ways to prove inspiration is by examining prophecy. There are many religious books in the world that have many good things to say. But only the Bible has fulfilled prophecies--with more fulfillments to come. The Bible has never been wrong in the past, and it won't be wrong in the future. It claims inspiration from God (2 Tim. 3:16). Since God is the creator of all things (Isaiah 44:24), then He is also the creator of time. It is under His control. Only God, then, would always be right about what is in the future, our future.
Fulfilled prophecy is strong evidence that God is the author of the Bible because when you look at the mathematical odds of prophecy being fulfilled, you quickly see a design, a purpose, and a guiding hand behind the Bible. If just one prophecy failed, then we would know that God is not the true God, because the creator of all things, which includes time, would not be wrong about predicting the future. Deut. 18:22 says, "If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously" (NIV). Isaiah 46:9-10 says, "Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. 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."
One approach to use with an unbeliever is to turn to Psalm 22 and read verses 12-18. This is a detailed description of the crucifixion--1000 years before Jesus was born. After you read the section ask him what it was about. He'll say, "The crucifixion of Jesus." Then respond with something like, "You're right. This is about the crucifixion. But it was written 1000 years before Jesus was born. And on top of that, crucifixion hadn't even been invented yet. How do you think something like this could happen?" After a brief discussion, you could show him (or her) a few other prophecies like where Jesus' birthplace was prophesied (Micah 5:2), that He would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), that His side would be pierced (Zech. 10:10), etc.

Born of the Seed of the Woman
Gen. 3:15, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." Matt. 1:20, "But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit."
Born of a Virgin
Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Matt. 1:18,25, "This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary...was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit... But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus."
Son of God
Psalm 2:7, "I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son today I have become your Father." Matt. 3:15, "And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.'"
Seed of Abraham
Gen. 22:18, "and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." Matt. 1:1, "record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:"
Son of Isaac
Gen. 21:12, "But God said to him, 'Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.'" Luke 3:23-34, "Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli...the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,"
House of David
Jer. 23:1, "The days are coming, declares the LORD, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land." Luke 3:23-31, "Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli...the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,"
Born at Bethlehem
Micah 5:2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." Matt. 2:1, "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem."
He shall be a Prophet
Deut. 18:18, "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him." Matt. 21:11,"The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."
He shall be a Priest
Psalm 110:4, "The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: 'You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.'" Heb. 3:1, "Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess."
Heb. 5:5-6, "So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, 'You are my Son; today I have become your Father.' And he says in another place, 'You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.'"
He shall be a King
Psalm 2:6, "I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill." Matt. 27:37, "Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS."
He shall judge
Isaiah 33:22, "For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us." John 5:30, "By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me."
He would be preceded by a Messenger
Isaiah 40:3, "A voice of one calling: 'In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.'" Matt. 3:1-2, "In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.'"
Rejected by His own people
Isaiah 53:3, "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not." John 7:5, "For even his own brothers did not believe in him."
John 7:48, "Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?"
His side pierced
Zech. 12:10, "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one mourns for an only son." John 19:34, "Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water."
Crucifixion
Psalm 22:1, Psalm 22:11-18, "For the director of music. To the tune of "The Doe of the Morning." A psalm of David. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?...Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan. Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." Luke 23:33, "When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals -- one on his right, the other on his left."
John 19:33, "But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs."
John 19:23-24, "When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. Let's not tear it, they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did."

The Mathematical Odds of Jesus Fulfilling Prophecy
The following probabilities are taken from Peter Stoner in Science Speaks (Moody Press, 1963) to show that coincidence is ruled out by the science of probability. Stoner says that by using the modern science of probability in reference to eight prophecies, 'we find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 1017." That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. In order to help us comprehend this staggering probability, Stoner illustrates it by supposing that "we take 1017 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep.
"Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man."

See Part 3 on Prophecy

[truth seeker]

Part 3 on Prophecy

Part 3 on Prophecy


Stoner considers 48 prophecies and says, "we find the chance that any one man fulfilled all 48 prophecies to be 1 in 10157, or 1 in
100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
The estimated number of electrons in the universe is around 1079. It should be quite evident that Jesus did not fulfill the prophecies by accident."
__________________
This information was taken from the book Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell.

[Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell. ]

Can I Trust the Bible? | Is The Bible Historically Reliable? |
Historical Evidence for the Bible
Unique among all books ever written, the Bible accurately foretells specific events -- in detail -- many years, sometimes centuries, before they occur. Approximately 2500 prophecies appear in the pages of the Bible, about 2000 of which already have been fulfilled to the letter -- no errors. (The remaining 500 or so reach into the future and may be seen unfolding as days go by.) Since the probability for any one of these prophecies having been fulfilled by chance averages less than one in ten (figured very conservatively) and since the prophecies are for the most part independent of one another, the odds for all these prophecies having been fulfilled by chance without error is less than one in 102000 (that is 1 with 2000 zeros written after it)!
God is not the only one, however, who uses forecasts of future events to get people's attention. Satan does too. Through clairvoyants (such as Jeanne Dixon and Edgar Cayce), mediums, spiritists, and others, come remarkable predictions, though rarely with more than about 60 percent accuracy, never with total accuracy. Messages from Satan, furthermore, fail to match the detail of Bible prophecies, nor do they include a call to repentance.
The acid test for identifying a prophet of God is recorded by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:21-22. According to this Bible passage (and others), God's prophets, as distinct from Satan's spokesmen, are 100 percent accurate in their predictions. There is no room for error.
As economy does not permit an explanation of all Biblical prophecies that have been fulfilled, what follows [is] a discussion of a few that exemplify the high degree of specificity, the range of projection, and/or the "supernature" of the predicted events. Readers are encouraged to select others, as well, and to carefully examine their historicity.
(1) Some time before 500 B.C. the prophet Daniel proclaimed that Israel's long-awaited Messiah would begin his public ministry 483 years after the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem (Daniel 9:25-26). He further predicted that the Messiah would be "cut off," killed, and that this event would take place prior to a second destruction of Jerusalem. Abundant documentation shows that these prophecies were perfectly fulfilled in the life (and crucifixion) of Jesus Christ. The decree regarding the restoration of Jerusalem was issued by Persia's King Artaxerxes to the Hebrew priest Ezra in 458 B.C., 483 years later the ministry of Jesus Christ began in Galilee. (Remember that due to calendar changes, the date for the start of Christ's ministry is set by most historians at about 26 A.D. Also note that from 1 B.C. to 1 A.D. is just one year.) Jesus' crucifixion occurred only a few years later, and about four decades later, in 70 A.D. came the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus. (Probability of chance fulfillment = 1 in 105.)
* The estimates of probability included herein come from a group of secular research scientists. As an example of their method of estimation, consider their calculations for this first prophecy cited:

Since the Messiah's ministry could conceivably begin in any one of about 5,000 years, there is, then, one chance in about 5,000 that his ministry could begin in 26 A.D.

Since the Messiah is God in human form, the possibility of his being killed is considerably low, say less than one chance in 10.

Relative to the second destruction of Jerusalem, this execution has roughly an even chance of occurring before or after that event, that is, one chance in 2.

Hence the probability of chance fulfillment for this prophecy is 1 in 5,000 x 10 x 2, which is 1 in 100,000, or 1 in 105.
(2) In approximately 700 B.C. the prophet Micah named the tiny village of Bethlehem as the birthplace of Israel's Messiah (Micah 5:2). The fulfillment of this prophecy in the birth of Christ is one of the most widely known and widely celebrated facts in history. (Probability of chance fulfillment = 1 in 105.)
(3) In the fifth century B.C. a prophet named Zechariah declared that the Messiah would be betrayed for the price of a slave -- thirty pieces of silver, according to Jewish law -- and also that this money would be used to buy a burial ground for Jerusalem's poor foreigners (Zechariah 11:12-13). Bible writers and secular historians both record thirty pieces of silver as the sum paid to Judas Iscariot for betraying Jesus, and they indicate that the money went to purchase a "potter's field," used -- just as predicted -- for the burial of poor aliens (Matthew 27:3-10). (Probability of chance fulfillment = 1 in 1011.)
(4) Some 400 years before crucifixion was invented, both Israel's King David and the prophet Zechariah described the Messiah's death in words that perfectly depict that mode of execution. Further, they said that the body would be pierced and that none of the bones would be broken, contrary to customary procedure in cases of crucifixion (Psalm 22 and 34:20; Zechariah 12:10). Again, historians and New Testament writers confirm the fulfillment: Jesus of Nazareth died on a Roman cross, and his extraordinarily quick death eliminated the need for the usual breaking of bones. A spear was thrust into his side to verify that he was indeed, dead. (Probability of chance fulfillment = 1 in 1013).
(5) The prophet Isaiah foretold that a conqueror named Cyrus would destroy seemingly impregnable Babylon and subdue Egypt along with most of the rest of the known world. This same man, said Isaiah, would decide to let the Jewish exiles in his territory go free without any payment of ransom (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1; and 45:13). Isaiah made this prophecy l50 years before Cyrus was born, 180 years before Cyrus performed any of these feats (and he did, eventually, perform them all), and 80 years before the Jews were taken into exile. (Probability of chance fulfillment = 1 in 1015.)
(6) Mighty Babylon, 196 miles square, was enclosed not only by a moat, but also by a double wall 330 feet high, each part 90 feet thick. It was said by unanimous popular opinion to be indestructible, yet two Bible prophets declared its doom. These prophets further claimed that the ruins would be avoided by travelers, that the city would never again be inhabited, and that its stones would not even be moved for use as building material (Isaiah 13:17-22 and Jeremiah 51:26,43). The description is, in fact, the well-documented history of the famous citadel. (Probability of chance fulfillment = 1 in 109.)
(7) The exact location and construction sequence of Jerusalem's nine suburbs was predicted by Jeremiah about 2,600 years ago. He referred to the time of this building project as "the last days," that is, the time period of Israel's second rebirth as a nation in the land of Palestine (Jeremiah 31:38-40). This rebirth became history in 1948, and the construction of the nine suburbs has gone forward precisely in the locations and in the sequence predicted. (Probability of chance fulfillment = 1 in 1018.)
(8) The prophet Moses foretold (with some additions by Jeremiah and Jesus) that the ancient Jewish nation would be conquered twice and that the people would be carried off as slaves each time, first by the Babylonians (for a period of 70 years), and then by a fourth world kingdom (which we know as Rome). The second conqueror, Moses said, would take the Jews captive in ships, selling them or giving them away as slaves to all parts of the world. Both of these predictions were fulfilled to the letter, the first in 607 B.C. and the second in 70 A.D. God's spokesmen said, further, that the Jews would remain scattered throughout the entire world for many generations, but without becoming assimilated by the peoples or of other nations, and that the Jews would one day return to the land of Palestine to re-establish for a second time their nation (Deuteronomy 29; Isaiah 11:11-13; Jeremiah 25:11; Hosea 3:4-5 and Luke 21:23-24). This prophetic statement sweeps across 3,500 years of history to its complete fulfillment -- in our lifetime. (Probability of chance fulfillment = 1 in 1020.)
(9) Jeremiah predicted that despite its fertility and despite the accessibility of its water supply, the land of Edom (today a part of Jordan) would become a barren, uninhabited wasteland (Jeremiah 49:15-20; Ezekiel 25:12-14). His description accurately tells the history of that now bleak region. (Probability of chance fulfillment = 1 in 105.)
(10) Joshua predicted that Jericho would be rebuilt by one man. He also said that the man's eldest son would die when the reconstruction began and that his youngest son would die when the work reached completion (Joshua 6:26). About five centuries later this prophecy found its fulfillment in the life and family of a man named Hiel (1 Kings 16:33-34). (Probability of chance fulfillment = 1 in 107.)
(11) The day of Elijah's supernatural departure from Earth was predicted unanimously -- and accurately, according to the eye-witness account -- by a group of fifty prophets (2 Kings 2:3-11). (Probability of chance fulfillment = 1 in 10.)
(12) Jahaziel prophesied that King Jehoshaphat and a tiny band of men would defeat an enormous, well-equipped, well-trained army without even having to fight. Just as predicted, the King and his troops stood looking on as their foes were supernaturally destroyed to the last man (2 Chronicles 20). (Probability of chance fulfillment = 1 in 108.)
(13) One prophet of God (unnamed, but probably Shemiah) said that a future king of Judah, named Josiah, would take the bones of all the occultic priests (priests of the "high places") of Israel's King Jeroboam and burn them on Jeroboam's altar (1 Kings 13:2 and 2 Kings 23:15-18). This event occurred approximately 300 years after it was foretold. (Probability of chance fulfillment = 1 in 1013.)
Since these thirteen prophecies cover mostly separate and independent events, the probability of chance occurrence for all thirteen is about 1 in 10138 (138 equals the sum of all the exponents of 10 in the probability estimates above). For the sake of putting the figure into perspective, this probability can be compared to the statistical chance that the second law of thermodynamics will be reversed in a given situation (for example, that a gasoline engine will refrigerate itself during its combustion cycle or that heat will flow from a cold body to a hot body) -- that chance = 1 in 1080. Stating it simply, based on these thirteen prophecies along, the Bible record may be said to be vastly more reliable than the second law of thermodynamics. Each reader should feel free to make his own reasonable estimates of probability for the chance fulfillment of the prophecies cited here. In any case, the probabilities deduced still will be absurdly remote.
Given that the Bible proves so reliable a document, there is every reason to expect that the remaining 500 prophecies, those slated for the "time of the end," also will be fulfilled to the last letter (see Signs of the End, Tribulation Dooms, and The Rapture Promise). Who can afford to ignore these coming events, much less miss out on the immeasurable blessings offered to anyone and everyone who submits to the control of the Bible's author, Jesus Christ? Would a reasonable person take lightly God's warning of judgment for those who reject what they know to be true about Jesus Christ and the Bible, or who reject Jesus' claim on their lives?
Now is the day of salvation! Now is the time of God's favor! Please do not let it go by without further consideration.
[http://www.gospeloutreach.net/bible4.html ]

1. The Seer and Speaker of God:
According to the uniform teaching of the Bible the prophet is a speaker of or for God. His words are not the production of his own spirit, but come from a higher source. For he is at the same time, also, a seer, who sees things that do not lie in the domain of natural sight, or who hears things which human ears do not ordinarily receive; compare 1 Samuel 9:9, where nabhi', "speaker," and ro'eh, "seer," are used as synonymous terms. Jeremiah 23:16 and Ezekiel 13:2 f are particularly instructive in this regard. In these passages a sharp distinction is made between those persons who only claim to be prophets but who prophesy "out of their own heart," and the true prophets who declare the word which the Lord has spoken to them. In the latter case the contents of the prophecy have not originated in their own reflection or calculation; and just as little is this prophecy the product of their own feelings, fears or hopes, but, as something extraneous to man and independent of him, it has with a divine certainty entered the soul of the prophet. The prophet has seen that which he prophesies, although he need not have seen it in the form of a real vision. He can also "see" words with his inner eyes (Isaiah 2:1, and often). It is only another expression for this when it is frequently said that God has spoken to the prophet. In this case too it is not necessary that there must have been a voice which he could hear phonetically through his natural ear. The main thing is that he must have been able sharply to distinguish the contents of this voice from his own heart, i.e. from his personal consciousness. Only in this way is he capable of speaking to the people in the name of God and able to publish his word as that of Yahweh. In this case he is the speaker of Yahweh (nabhi'), or the mouth of the Lord (compare Ezekiel 7:1 with 4:16). Under these conditions he then regards it as absolute compulsion to speak, just as a person must be filled with fear when he hears a lion roar nearby (Amos 3:8). The words burn in his soul until he utters them (Jeremiah 20:7,9).
2. Prophetical Inspiration:
The divine power, which comes over a human being and compels him to see or to hear things which otherwise would be hidden from him, is called by various terms expressive of inspiration. It is said that the Spirit of God has come over someone (Numbers 24:2); or has fallen upon him (Ezekiel 11:5); or that the hand of Yahweh has come over him and laid hold of him (2 Kings 3:15; Ezekiel 1:3; 3:14,22, and often); or that the Holy Spirit has been put on him as a garment, i.e. has been incorporated in him (1 Chronicles 12:18; 2 Chronicles 24:20); or that the Spirit of revelation has permanently descended upon him (Numbers 11:25; 2 Kings 2:15; Isaiah 11:2; 61:1); or that God has given this Spirit of His (Numbers 11:29; Isaiah 42:1); or pours Him out upon man (Joel 2:28; Hebrews 3:1). But this inspiration is not such that it suppresses the human consciousness of the recipient, so that he would receive the word of God in the state of sleep or trance. But rather the recipient is in possession of his full consciousness, and is able afterward to give a clear account of what happened. Nor is the individuality of the prophet eliminated by this divine inspiration; unconsciously this individuality cooperates in the formal shaping of that which has been seen and heard. In accordance with the natural peculiarity of the prophet and with the contents of the message, the psychological condition of the recipient may be that of intense excitement or of calmness. As a rule the inspiration that takes possession of the prophets is evidenced also by an exalted and poetical language, which assumes a certain rhythmical character, but is not bound to a narrow and mechanical meter. It is, however, also possible that prophetical utterances find their expression in plain prose. The individual peculiarity of the prophet is a prime factor also in the form in which the revelation comes to him. In the one prophet we find a preponderance of visions; another prophet has no visions. But the visions of the future which he sees are given in the forms and the color which have been furnished by his own consciousness. All the more the form in which the prophet gives expression to his word of God is determined by his personal talents and gifts as also by his experiences.

See Part 4 on Prophecy

[Truth Seeker]

Part 4 and conclusion on Prophecy


3. Relation to Dreams:
In a certain respect the dream can be cited as an analogous phenomenon, in which also the ideas that are slumbering in the soul uninvited put in their appearance without being controlled by consciousness and reason. On the other hand, prophecy differs pecifically from dreams, first, because the genuine prophetical utterance is received when the prophet is clearly conscious, and, secondly, because such an utterance brings with it a much greater degree of certainty and a greater guaranty of its higher origin than is done even by a dream that seems to be prophetical. In Jeremiah 23:25 it is declared that these two are entirely dissimilar, and the relation between the two is compared to straw and wheat. The Moslem Arabs also put a much lower estimate on the visionary dream than on the prophetic vision in a waking condition.
4. Freedom of Inspiration:
Because this Spirit of God acts with full freedom, He can select His organs at will from among every station, age, or sex. The Spirit is not confined to any priestly class or organization. It indeed was the case at times that a prophet gathered disciples around himself, who could themselves in turn also be seized by his spirit, although the transmission of this spirit was a difficult matter (2 Kings 2:10). Yet genuine prophecies continued to be at all times a free gift of the sovereign God. Amos (7:14 f) appeals expressly to this fact, that he did not himself choose the prophet's calling nor was the pupil of a prophetic school, but that he had been directly called by Yahweh from his daily occupation as a shepherd and workman. In the same way we indeed find prophets who belonged to the priestly order (Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and others), but equally great is the number of those who certainly did not so belong. Further, age made no difference in the call to the prophetic office. Even in his earliest youth Samuel was called to be a prophet (1 Samuel 3:1), and it did not avail Jeremiah anything when he excused himself because of his youth (Jeremiah 1:6). Then, too, a woman could be seized by this Spirit. From time to time prophetesses appeared, although the female sex is by no means so prominent here as it is in the sorcery of the heathen. See PROPHETESS. As an exceptional case the Spirit of God could lay hold even of a person who inwardly was entirely estranged from Him and could make an utterance through him (compare Saul, 1 Samuel 10:11; 19:24; Balaam, Numbers 23; Caiaphas, John 11:51). As a rule, however, God has selected such prophetic organs for a longer service. These persons are called and dedicated for this purpose by Him through a special act (compare Moses Exodus 3:1; 1 Kings 19:16,19; Isaiah 6501/A; Jeremiah 1501/A>; Ezekiel 1501/A). This moment was decisive for their whole lives and constituted their authorization as far as they themselves and others were concerned. Yet for each prophetic appearance these men receive a special enlightenment. The prophet does not at all times speak in an inspired state; compare Nathan (6. The Fulfillment:
In genuine prophecy, according to Biblical conceptions, the fulfillment constitutes an integral part. This is set up by Deuteronomy 18:21 f as a proof of the genuineness of a prophetic utterance. The prophetic word "falls to the ground" (1 Samuel 3:19) if it is not "raised up" (heqim, "fulfil," for which we more rarely find mille', but regularly in the New Testament plerousthai "being fulfilled") by the course of events. It would remain an empty word if it did not attain to its full content through its realization. In fact, in the word spoken by the prophet itself there dwells a divine power, so that at the moment when he speaks the event takes place, even if it is not yet visible to man. This realization is also not infrequently represented symbolically by the prophet in confirmation of his prediction. Thus in a certain sense it is the prophet himself who through his word builds up and pulls down, plants and roots out (Jeremiah 1:10; 25:15). But the fulfillment can be judged by the contemporaries in the sense of Deuteronomy 18:22 only when this fulfillment refers to the near future and when special emphasis is laid on external events. In these cases the prediction of certain events assumes the significance of a "sign" (compare Jeremiah 28:16; Isaiah 8:1; 37:30, and elsewhere). In other cases it is only later generations who can judge of the correctness of a prediction or of a threat. In this way in Zechariah 1:6 the fulfillment of a threat is declared, and in the New Testament often the fulfillment of a promise is after a long time pointed out. But it is not the case that a genuine prophecy must be fulfilled like an edict of fate. Such prophecy is not an inevitable decree of fate, but is a word of the living God to mankind, and therefore conditioned ethically, and God can, if repentance has followed, withdraw a threat (Jeremiah 18:2; case of Jonah), or the punishment can be mitigated (1 Kings 21:29). A prediction, too, Yahweh can recall if the people prove unworthy (Jeremiah 18:9) . A favorable or an unfavorable prediction can also be postponed, as far as its realization is concerned, to later times, if it belongs to the ultimate counsels of God, as e.g. the final judgment and deliverance on the last day. This counsel also may be realized successively. In this case the prophet already collects into one picture what is realized gradually in a longer historical development. The prophet in general spoke to his hearers in such a way as could be understood by them and could be impressed on them. It is therefore not correct to demand a fulfillment pedantically exact in the form of the historical garb of the prophecy. The main thing is that the divine thought contained in the prophecy be entirely and completely realized. But not infrequently the finger of God can be seen in the entirely literal fulfillment of certain prophecies. This is especially the case in the New Testament in the appearance of the Son of Man, in whom all the rays of Old Testament prophecy have found their common center.
[International Encyclopedia of the Bible ]

Fulfilled Prophecy Tenakh/Hebrew Scripture New Testament
His pre-existence Micah 5:2 John 1:1, 14
Born of the seed of a woman Genesis 3:15 Matthew 1:18
Of the seed of Abraham Genesis 12:3 Matthew 1:1-16
All nations blessed by Abraham's seed Genesis 12:3 Matthew 8:5, 10
God would provide Himself a Lamb as an offering Genesis 22:8 John 1:29
From the tribe of Judah Genesis 49:10 Matthew 1:1-3
Heir to the throne of David Isaiah 9:6-7 Matthew 1:1
Called "The mighty God, The everlasting Father" Isaiah 9:6 Matthew 1:23
Born in Bethlehem Micah 5:2 Matthew 2:1
Born of a virgin Isaiah 7:14 Matthew 1:18
His name called Immanuel, "God with us" Isaiah 7:14 Matthew 1:23
Declared to be the Son of God Psalm 2:7 Matthew 3:17
His messenger before Him in spirit of Elijah Malachi 4:5-6 Luke 1:17
Preceded by a messenger to prepare His way Malachi 3:1 Matthew 11:7-11
Messenger crying "Prepare ye the way of the Lord" Isaiah 40:3 Matthew 3:3
Would be a Prophet of the children of Israel Deuteronomy 18:15 Matthew 2:15
Called out of Egypt Hosea 11:1 Matthew 2:15
Slaughter of the children Jeremiah 31:15 Matthew2:18
Would be a Nazarene Judges 13:5; Amos 2:11;
Lam. 4:7 Matthew 2:23
Brought light to Zabulon & Nephthalm, Galilee of the Gentiles Isaiah 9:1-2 Matthew 4:15
Presented with gifts Psalm 72:10 Matthew 2:1, 11
Rejected by His own Isaiah 53:3 Matthew 21:42; Mark 8:31, 12:10; Luke 9:22, 17:25
He is the stone which the builders rejected which became the headstone Psalm 118:22-23; Isaiah 28:16 Matthew 21:42; I Peter 2:7
A stone of stumbling to Israel Isaiah 8:14-15 I Peter 2:8
He entered Jerusalem as a king
riding on an ass Zechariah 9:9 Matthew 21:5
Betrayed by a friend Psalms 41:9 John 13:21
Sold for 30 pieces of silver Zechariah 11:12 Matthew 26:15; Luke 22:5
The 30 pieces of silver given for the potter's field Zechariah 11:12 Matthew 27:9-10
The 30 pieces of silver thrown in the temple Zechariah 11:13 Matthew 27:5
Forsaken by His disciples Zechariah 13:7 Matthew 26:56
Accused by false witnesses Psalm 35:11 Matthew 26:60
Silent to accusations Isaiah 53:7 Matthew 27:14
Heal blind/deaf/lame/dumb Isaiah 35:5-6; Isaiah 29:18 Matthew 11:5
Preached to the poor/brokenhearted/captives Isaiah 61:1 Matthew 11:5
Came to bring a sword, not peace Micah 7:6 Matthew 10:34-35
He bore our sickness Isaiah 53:4 Matthew 8:16-17
Spat upon, smitten and scourged Isaiah 50:6, 53:5 Matthew 27:26, 30
Smitten on the cheek Micah 5:1 Matthew 27:30
Hated without a cause Psalm 35:19 Matthew 27:23
The sacrificial lamb Isaiah 53:5 John 1:29
Given for a covenant Isaiah 42:6; Jeremiah 31:31-34 Romans 11:27/Galatians 3:17, 4:24/Hebrews 8:6, 8, 10; 10:16, 29; 12:24; 13:20
Would not strive or cry Isaiah 42:2-3 Mark 7:36
People would hear not and see not Isaiah 6:9-10 Matthew 13:14-15
People trust in traditions of men Isaiah 29:13 Matthew 15:9
People give God lip service Isaiah 29:13 Matthew 15:8
God delights in Him Isaiah 42:1 Matthew 3:17, 17:5
Wounded for our sins Isaiah 53:5 John 6:51
He bore the sins of many Isaiah 53:10-12 Mark 10:45
Messiah not killed for Himself Daniel 9:26 Matthew 20:28
Gentiles flock to Him Isaiah 55:5, 60:3, 65:1; Malachi 1:11;
II Samuel 22:44-45; Psalm 2:7-8 Matthew 8:10
Crucified with criminals Isaiah 53:12 Matthew 27:35
His body was pierced Zechariah 12:10; Ps. 22:16 John 20:25, 27
Thirsty during execution Psalm 22:16 John 19:28
Given vinegar and gall for thirst Psalm 69:21 Matthew 27:34
Soldiers gambled for his garment Psalm 22:18 Matthew 27:35
People mocked, "He trusted in God, let Him deliver him!" Psalm 22:7-8 Matthew 27:43
People sat there looking at Him Psalm 22:17 Matthew 27:36
Cried, "My God, my God why hast thou forsaken me?" Psalm 22:1 Matthew 27:46
Darkness over the land Amos 8:9 Matthew 27:45
No bones broken Psalm 34:20, Numbers 9:12 John 19:33-36
Side pierced Zechariah 12:10 John 19:34
Buried with the rich Isaiah 53:9 Matthew 27:57, 60
Resurrected from the dead Psalm 16:10-11; 49:15 Mark 16:6
Priest after the order of Melchizedek Psalm 110:4 Hebrews 5:5-6; 6:20; 7:15-17
Ascended to right hand of God Psalm 68:18 Luke 24:51
LORD said unto Him, "Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool Psalm 110:1 Matt 22:44; Mark 12:36;, 16:19; Luke 20:42-43; Acts 2:34-35; Hebrews 1:13
His coming glory Malachi 3:2-3 Luke 3:17

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