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The Power of Biblical Prophesy….
"Every single prophesy
that has been fulfilled, has been fulfilled literally. There are no
examples of an allegorical fulfilment of prophesy. The literal method is
biblical." Grant R. Jeffrey "Apocalypse".
The
most compelling evidence that supports the veracity of the Bible is the
proven fulfilment of Old T estament
prophesies surrounding the life of Jesus Christ.
For
example, the Old Testament contains over three hundred prophecies
concerning the first coming of Christ. Although some of those prophecies
are virtual duplicates, at least sixty distinct facets of Christ's life
and ministry were predicted, and all sixty, without exception, were
literally fulfilled.
Prophesy that is not literally fulfilled is not true prophesy, and
eventually it proves itself to be simply misguided human speculation.
There are no examples of any allegorical fulfilment of prophesy. The
literal method is biblical, practical and valid as we seek to understand
God’s message to the Church.
It is
therefore not only a matter of faith but of biblical principle to expect
the many prophecies of Christ's second coming to be fulfilled with equal
literalness and completeness.
Prophetic Interpretation.
A
popular phrase heard in Christian circles, seen in Christian
publications and spoken from church pulpits is: “It depends on how you
interpret prophesy.” I disagree. Bible teaching does not stand or fall
upon the “interpretation” of prophetic Scriptures. Prophesy should not
be interpreted. The question is not one of “interpretation;” the
question, when it comes to prophesy, is “Has there been fulfilment?”
The Laws of Probability
Throughout the Old Testament, there are hundreds of prophecies in which
God promised that He would send a Messiah to save humanity from their
sins. To illustrate the precision of biblical prophecy, let us initially
consider only three specific predictions made by three different
prophets and their detailed fulfilment in the life of Jesus Christ
hundreds of years later. I will also examine the probability or odds of
these events occurring by chance alone so that you can see how
impossible it is that these prophecies were made by man's wisdom.
The
Three Predictions.
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1. The Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah,
one of the twelve tribes descended from Jacob.
Old Testament Prediction:
(Genesis
49:10).
New Testament Fulfilment:
(Luke23-24) |
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2. He would be born in Bethlehem
Old Testament Prediction:
(Micah 5 2).
New Testament Fulfilment:
(Matthew 2:1). |
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3. He would be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver
Old Testament Prediction:
(Zechariah 11:12).
New Testament Fulfilment:
(Matthew 26:15). |
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Statistical theory shows that there is only one
chance in 120,000 that any man would fulfil all three
prophecies by chance.
For those who believe that Jesus simply arranged the events of His life
to fulfil these predictions, it is respectfully pointed out how
difficult it would be for most of us to arrange our ancestors,
the particular city of our birth,
and
the exact price in silver of our betrayal.
The odds dispel any possibility of chance in the fulfilment of Prophesy.
Of
the many hundreds of prophecies concerning the life of Christ some forty
eight are quite specific. Including several of the prophecies already
mentioned, the following is an analysis of eleven messianic predictions
made more than four hundred years before they were fulfilled.
The odds used are obviously arbitrary estimates. Some may find the odds
too liberal or, in some cases, too conservative.
However, regardless of the estimates, the combined mathematical
probabilities of these predictions coming true by chance are quite
mind-blowing.
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The
Eleven Messianic Predictions |
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1.The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
Old Testament
Prediction:
(Micah 5 2).
New Testament
Fulfilment:
(Matthew 2:1).
2 Be preceded by
a messenger.
Old
Testament Prediction:
(Isaiah 40:3).
New Testament
Fulfilment:
(Matthew 3:1-2).
3· Enter
Jerusalem on a colt.
Old
Testament Prediction:
(Zechariah 9:9).
New Testament
Fulfilment:
(Luke 19:35-37).
4. Be betrayed by a friend.
Old Testament
Prediction:
(Psalms 41:9).
New Testament
Fulfilment:
(Matthew
26:47-50)
5. Have His hands and feet pierced
Old Testament
Prediction:
(Psalm 22:16).
New Testament
Fulfilment:
(Luke 23:33).
6. Be wounded and whipped by His enemies
Old Testament
Prediction:
(Isaiah 5J:5).
New Testament
Fulfilment:
(Matthew 27:26). |
7. Be sold for thirty pieces of silver.
Old Testament Prediction:
Zechariah 11:12).
New Testament Fulfilment:
(Matthew 26:15)
8. Be spit upon and beaten.
Old Testament Prediction:
lsaiah 50:6).
New Testament Fulfilment:
(Matthew 26:67).
9. Have His betrayal money thrown in the Temple and given for a
potter's field.
Old Testament Prediction:
(Zechariah 11:13)
New Testament Fulfilment:
(Matthew 27: 5-7)·
10. Be silent before His accusers
Old Testament Prediction:
(Isaiah 53:7)·
New Testament Fulfilment:
(Matthew
27: 12-14).
11. Be crucified with thieves
Old Testament Prediction:
(Isaiah 53:12).
New Testament Fulfilment:
(Matthew
27:38). |
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The Combined Probability of these eleven prophesies being
fulfilled by chance is……
One chance in 10 to the 19th power or……..
one
chance in10,000,000,000,000,000,000!!!!
In other words, there is only one chance in 10 billion times a
billion that the prophets could have accurately predicted these
eleven specific prophecies by chance alone, or that any one
man's life could fulfil these detailed prophecies by chance
alone; in fact, it is obviously impossible!
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Fulfilling all
Forty Eight Prophesies!
A
mathematician, by the name of Peter W. Stoner has computed that the
probability of fulfilling all the forty-eight prophecies was one chance
in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion,
trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion!
Our
mind can't comprehend a number that big. This is a staggering
statistic, and Stoner went on to say that's equal to the number of
minuscule atoms in a trillion, trillion, trillion, billion universes the
size of our universe!
The odds alone say it would be impossible for anyone to fulfil the Old
Testament prophecies, yet Jesus, and only Jesus throughout all of
history managed to do it.
"But
those things which God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that
the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled" (Acts 3:18).
Perhaps its time for you to take the Bible seriously; to open it and
read it. To ask God to illuminate your mind and spirit, so that you can
come to a realisation of how much He truly loves you. Simply call on Him
and He will draw near to you. You too can enter into a meaningful and
authentic relationship with God through Jesus Christ His Son, and that
privilege was secured on the Cross of Calvary.
“For
God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16
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