One of the unique hallmarks of divine authenticity and most compelling proofs of the inspiration of the Holy Bible as the Word of God is its prophetic content. There are many writings that claim divine inspiration of one sort or another, but the absolute accuracy of fulfilment of the many prophecies detailed in the Bible sets it apart as being unique above all other writings that lay claim to divine origin. This article provides a brief overview of the prophetic nature of the message of the Bible, together with just a few samples of the many wonderful prophetic statements that have been made in the Bible and are fulfilled. There are also many prophecies in the process of fulfilment and yet to be fulfilled. The subject of Bible Prophecy is vast, and so it is not possible to cover extensively what it has to offer in a brief document such as this. Therefore, the primary purpose of this article is to provide the reader with an appreciation of the importance of the subject, in the earnest hope that it will encourage and inspire further examination and investigation into this important, fascinating and powerful subject. It is with the expectation of God’s blessing and with the author’s earnest prayer that embarkation on this brief journey of discovery is made.
Listen to audio Introduction Welcome to Revival Prophecy
The Bible is a Prophetic Book
It could be argued to some extent that the principal theme of the Bible is prophecy, for it contains at its core the pre-determined plan and purpose of God for mankind, supported by other material as necessary to carry forward the main thrust of the prophetic message. For example, in the first chapter of Genesis the Bible clearly states the ultimate purpose in God creating mankind in the first instance; addressing a question asked by people of every generation and pondered upon by every human on earth – “Why are we here?” The Bible reveals the answer. We are created “In His image” (Genesis 1:26), i.e. in the image of God. This statement can be viewed essentially as being a prophecy because mankind has surely not yet seen the ultimate fulfilment of that great purpose. It is in the process of being fulfilled, but not yet fully realized. Furthermore an examination of the word translated in our English Bible as “image” is the original Old Testament Hebrew word Tselem צֶלֶם, which means a “shadow”, “phantom” or ‘reflection’ (Strong, H6754)2. This provides us with insight into the fact that, as far as this prophecy is concerned, we are as it were, only a ‘shadow’ of what God has ultimately destined us to be; if we choose to follow God’s plan and purpose to the end of the course. As we know, a shadow is formed by light falling upon a real substance and casting an outline image on a surface at some point beyond the object. However, when light falls directly overhead of the real substance, and we align our vision directly normal to the object, the shadow disappears and we can then see exactly what the real substance of the object is. The result is that we no longer need to rely on the shape of the outline. However, we have not yet seen the actual substance of the ultimate fulfilment of the original prophecy. But by faith, for those who follow God’s purpose in Jesus Christ there will come a day of full realization. The Apostle John wrote:
“…but we know that, when he [i.e. Jesus Christ]1 shall appear, we [i.e. the true follower of Christ]1 shall be like him” (1 John 3:2).
The original Greek word translated as “like” in English is homuous, ὅμοιος, which literally means “similar in appearance and character” (Strong. G3664)2. This will mark the fulfilment of the original purpose for God creating us.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Church at Rome concerning those
“… who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality …” (Romans 2:7).The fact that Paul referred to “patient continuance” underlines the need for the earnest follower of Christ to exercise persistent and consistent application in pursuing the ultimate goal to the end. There will be obstacles, and there will be tribulations along the way, for no goal worth reaching is without a struggle, but in the end there will be joy unspeakable and it will be full of God’s glory (1 Peter 1:8).
God Declares the End from the Beginning
One of the unique characteristics of the nature of Almighty God is that of ‘Omniscience’, which is defined as having “universal or infinite knowledge”; one that is “all-knowing” (thefreedictionary.com). To have infinite knowledge means that God is not subject to the natural restrictions and limitations of time and space. This means that He transcends time itself; He knows the end from the beginning. Man is inherently limited to recording events after the fact. We call this history. God records pre-history – ‘His-story’ pre-determined before it happens. Whereas man can only speculate on the future, perhaps through some analysis of trends from the recent past, or by employing ‘intelligent guesswork’, the God of the Bible actually declares with total certainty what the future holds. Only the true and Almighty God can do this, and this is one of the unique features that make the Bible stand out above any other book, marking it as the true and accurate Word of God. No other book has done or can do this.
God spoke through the writings of the prophet Isaiah:
Isaiah introduces us to the prophetic nature of God...
“To whom will ye liken me [i.e. God]1, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like? They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.” (Isaiah 46:5-7).
Isaiah continued:
“Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” (Isaiah 46:8-10).
Despite the general unbelief and contrary thinking of mankind, God is in ultimate sovereign, overruling authority. Man has been created for God’s pleasure. We are His creatures. He is the potter and we are the clay. He has the power to make us from a lump of clay and the power to do His pleasure with that clay (Romans 9:21). Yet, He has made us with a wonderful purpose in mind; to shape and mould us to His image, if so be that our free-will permits Him to do so. God has created man with something unique – a free will. We can choose our destiny. God shows us the outcome from the beginning. He offers us life and we can choose it. Other alternatives, apart from God results in death, and we can choose that also if we so desire. The fact is that we will all fulfil prophecy in one way or another, whether we believe it or not. There is a prophecy to everlasting glory and there is a prophecy to everlasting shame (Daniel 12:2). God appeals to us to choose life, but it is in our hands as to whether we do so or not.
Essential Light in a Dark Place
As light is fundamental to all natural life and our vision of what is happening in the natural world around us, so Spiritual light is fundamental to vision and understanding in the spiritual realm of God. The Word of God provides us with that light (Psalm 119:105); and Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh (John 1:14) is “The Light of the World” (John 1:1-4; John 8:12). Since Bible Prophecy is a major part of the Word of God, we are encouraged to pay close attention to it as it is essential to reveal the truth in this spiritually-darkened world. We read:
“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Peter 2:19-21).
The original Greek New Testament word translated in English as “more sure” is bebaios βέβαιος, which literally means “steadfast, firm” (Strong. G949)2. God’s Word cannot fail –Heaven and earth will pass away but God’s Word is steadfast (Matthew 24:35).
Categories of Prophecy Subjects
The Bible declares prophecies about many subjects, some of which are listed below:
(1) Christ The Messiah – First and foremost there are hundreds of prophecies concerning Jesus Christ in the Bible. These detail His eternal deity, miraculous birth, earthly ministry, death, resurrection, ascension, continued heavenly ministry, Second Advent and destined future glory.
(2) The Nation and people of Israel – There are many prophecies about the development and destiny of God’s national people Israel. This includes their scattering amongst the nations and eventual restoration.
(3) Other nations – many prophecies declare details about other nations, e.g. Egypt and Babylonia.
(4) The Church – There are many prophecies that declare the formation, blessings and eventual glory of the Church with Christ.
(5) Specific People – The Bible declares specific prophecies about prominent characters in history – e.g. Cyrus the Great and Alexander the Great.
(6) The Last Times – There are many prophecies identifying the modern days we now live in.
(7) Specific Places – The rise and fall of specific cities – e.g. Tyre and the city of Babylon.
(8) World Religions – The rise and fall of many false prophets and their religions.
(9) Unbelievers – the conditions of the ungodly, especially in the modern era we live in.
Example Messianic Prophecies
For the purposes of this article only a representative few of the many Messianic Prophecies fulfilled in Jesus Christ are referred to ...
(1) Messiah To be Born in Bethlehem
This prophecy was recorded around 700 years before Jesus was born (Nelson King James Study Bible. 1334), and Matthew recoded the fulfilment in his Gospel:
(2) Miraculous Virgin Birth
The prophet Isaiah declared this prophecy between 740-700 B.C. (Nelson King James Study Bible. 1018), and Luke recorded the fulfilment:
“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.” (Luke 1:26-31).
(3) To be Resurrected from the Dead
”For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” (Psalms 16:10)
This prophecy was declared by King David of Israel, who was born in 1085 B.C. (International Bible Dictionary. 112) and reigned between 1056-1016 B.C. (ibid. 510-512).
The Gospel of Mark records the fulfilment:
“And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.” (Mark 16:6-7)
Prophecies Concerning the Church
The following are 2 examples of prophetic statements that point to the birth of the Church and the incorporation of the Gentiles into the one body of Christ.
(1) Pouring out of the Holy Spirit
The prophet Joel declared the following prophecy around 800 B.C. during the reign of King Uzziah (International Bible Dictionary. 231)
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.” (Joel 2:28-29)
Luke recorded the fulfilment in the Book of Acts, relating to events that took place on the Day of Pentecost in 31 A.D.:
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4)“But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:” (Acts 2:14-18)
“This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.” (Acts 2:32-33)
(2) The Gentiles to Hear and Obey The Gospel
The prophet Isaiah declared the following prophecy between 740-700 B.C. (Nelson King James Study Bible. 1018):
“And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.” (Isaiah 11:10)
Luke recorded in the Book of Acts the preaching of Peter to the first Gentiles and their conversion; and event that took place around 38 A.D. (International Bible Dictionary. 529):
“And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.” (Acts 10:42-48)
Between 56 and 58 A.D. (Nelson King James Study Bible. 1727) Paul wrote to the Church at Rome to remind them of the fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah:
The Rise of Great Historical Figures Prophesied
The following prophecies are examples of 2 great figures that have arisen, that the Bible clearly identified beforehand, and whose exploits and fame can be independently verified through the pages of secular history.
(1) King Cyrus the Great of Persia
Amazingly, King Cyrus the Great of Persia was named by the Old Testament prophet Isaiah around 150 Years before he was even born. (Cyrus: God’s Anointed Shepherd. Bible-prophecy.net). God nominated Cyrus as His Shepherd; the instrument whereby the Jews would return to Jerusalem. The Bible also declared that Cyrus would conquer Babylon and described the exact means in which he would accomplish it; all of which were fulfilled.
“Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.” (Isaiah 45:1-4)
The exploits of King Cyrus the Great are well documented in history, including the details of his capture of Babylon recorded on a clay cylinder known as the “Cyrus Cylinder”, housed in the British Museum in London today. (britishmuseum.org).
(2) King Alexander the Great of Greece
In his web article “Alexander the Great in Prophecy”, Wayne Blank states:
“The prophetic book of Daniel was written approximately 250 years before Alexander was born, and yet it describes him in amazing detail, from his death at a young age, to his being succeeded by four of his generals.” (keyway.ca).
“Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him. And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia. And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.” (Dan 11:1-4)
The 3 kings in Persia were Cambyses, Son of Cyrus (529-521 B.C.), Psuedo-Smerdis (521 B.C.) and Darius I (521-487 B.C.). The 4th and most powerful Persian king was Xerxes (485-464 B.C.), also known as Ahasuerus in the book of Esther. The “mighty king” referred to was the king of Grecia, Alexander the Great (336-323 B.C.). History verifies that after Alexander’s death his 4 generals took over his dominions, which was separated into 4 provinces. The generals were Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleucus and Ptolemy. (Nelson King James Study Bible. 1285, 1291).
How accurate the foreknowledge of the God of the Bible is.
Prophecies about Nations
The Bible declares many prophecies about specific nations and peoples.
(1) Egypt to Remain Low and Impoverished
God pronounced judgement against Egypt as a nation, through His prophet Ezekiel, who prophesied between 593-571 B.C. (Nelson King James Study Bible. 1193).
“It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations: for I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations.” (Ezekiel29:15)
Egypt was once a great civilization, which ruled the nations as the most powerful empire on earth. From the pronouncement of God’s judgment it has never recovered its greatness. To this day, a visit to Egypt reveals its impoverished state, as it remains essentially a ‘third-world’ country. Recent political turmoil only verifies the Bible declaration that it would be the “basest of the kingdoms”. When God pronounces judgment it stands. In this instance God’s judgement has remained exactly as stated for over 2500 years. No other writings can do this.
(2) Jews to Return to their Homeland
The prophet Isaiah proclaimed (between 740-700 B.C.) that the Jews would one day return to their homeland from the east, the west, the north and the south.
“Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;” (Isaiah 43:5-6)
At the time during which this prophecy was made, the Assyrians had taken the northern kingdom of Israel into captivity, including some from the Southern Kingdom of Judah (Jews). Later Babylon invaded Judah and Jerusalem, taking the Judahites (or Jews) into captivity to Babylon. In 70 A.D., the Romans destroyed the city of Jerusalem and killed an estimated 1 million Jews, with many being eventually scattered to virtually every country in the world. However, “during the past century, millions of Jews have returned to Israel, from the east, the west, the north and the south”. (therefinersfire.org). This is just as Isaiah had prophesied more than 2700 years ago. In fact in 1948 the state of Israel was born, and in 1967 the old city of Jerusalem came back into Jewish possession, after the Israelis defeated the Arab nations led by Egypt in only 6 days. In itself, this was a fulfilment of prophecy:
“In that day shall Egypt be like unto women: and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the Lord of hosts, which he shaketh over it. And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, every one that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the Lord of hosts, which he hath determined against it.” (Isaiah 19:16-17)
Egypt, who in the early to mid-20th century attempted to set themselves up as a leader of the Arab nations against Israel, were utterly defeated, and they have never risen to any prominence since that time.
The Return of Jesus Christ
As demonstrated in the few preceding samples in this article, the fulfilment of Bible Prophecy verified in past events provides a wonderful and powerful confirmation of God’s overruling sovereignty. Furthermore, the record of the past, and the fulfilments of God’s Word today should encourage us to believe and trust in the prophetic statements that are yet to be fulfilled in the future. There is no doubt that the highlight and summation of all prophecy is to come in the promised return of Jesus Christ; widely anticipated and hoped for by Bible-believing Christians. Jesus clearly stated that no man knows the day or hour:
“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. “(Matthew 24:36-39)
Nevertheless, Paul did write concerning the fact that the Church is not to be ignorant of the “times and the seasons”, and to be prepared for Christ’s coming:
“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11)
Summary
This article has covered some important aspects of Bible Prophecy, emphasizing its importance as a wonderful proof of the inspiration of the Bible and the power of God’s pre-determined Word. Many more things could be covered on the subject and the prayerful and patient student of Bible Prophecy will certainly not go unrewarded in blessing and comfort, should they look further into this fascinating and compelling subject. It remains only to reserve our praise and thanksgiving to the Lord Jesus Christ for revealing such wonderful treasures, for His testimony is “The Spirit of Prophecy” (Revelation 19:10).
Notes
1. Author’s emphasis within square brackets for clarification purposes only. The words within the square brackets do not appear in the scripture.
2. Coded to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.
Works Cited
Holy Bible. Nashville: Holman Publishers, 1999. Authorized King James Version. Print.
“Omniscience”. thefreedictionary.com. Web. 7 July 2012.
Strong, James. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. Grand Rapids, 1978. Print.
Nelson King James Study Bible. Nashville: Nelson Publishers, 1988. Print.
International Bible Dictionary: Logos International Publishers, 1977. Print.
“Cyrus: God’s Anointed Shepherd”. Bible-prophecy.net. Web. 7 July 2012.
“Explore – Highlights: Cyrus Cylinder”. Britishmuseum.org. Web. 7 July 2012.
Blank, Wayne. “Alexander The Great in Bible Prophecy”. Keyway.ca. Web. 7 July 2012.
“Ten Bible Prophecies Fulfilled Recently”. Therefinersfire.org. Web. 7 July 2012.
