Bible Reading: 2 Peter 1:14-21 KJV
- 2 Peter 1:21 KJV
God wants you to know that He is real and that He is who He says He is. The saved know that He is real by the changes in their life and the Holy Spirit that dwells within them. But what about an agnostic that says, 'Sure I believe a higher power created the world, but why should I believe it is your God.'?
One of the best ways to prove the validity of the Bible is to look at what was prophesied in the Bible and see if it came true, and consider the difficulty of the prophecy.
One of the best ways to prove the validity of the Bible is to look at what was prophesied in the Bible and see if it came true, and consider the difficulty of the prophecy.
Below is a short summary of three ten-minute videos from the late Chuck Missler titled "What Are The Odds Statistically: Jesus/Prophecy" in which he calculates the probabilities of a few of the 300 Old Testament prophecies about Jesus that were fulfilled in the New Testament. Links to the videos are available at the end of the article in the footnotes.
The Old Testament (The Tenach) were translated into Greek by 270 BC. The process began around 285 BC when Ptolemy II Philadelphus funded 70 scholars to translate the Hebrew scriptures into Greek. This is important because as a matter of history we have copies of that work product around three centuries before the birth of Jesus. This is a matter of secular record. They contain over 300 prophecies detailing the coming Messiah that were fulfilled.
Here is a sample of the prophecies that are quoted in the new testament as being fulfilled:
- Jesus was to come from the lineage of David: 2 Sam 7:12-16; Psa 89:3-4, 110:1, 132:11; Isa 96:6-7, 11:1;
- He would be born of a virgin: Isa 7:14;
- He would be born in Bethlehem: Mic 5:2;
- He would sojourn in Egypt: Hos 11:1;
- He would live in Galilee: Isa 9:1-2;
- He would live in Nazareth: Isa 11:1;
- He was to be announced by an Elijah-like herald: Isa 40:3-5; Mal 3:1, 4:5;
- He would proclaim a Jubilee to the word: Isa 58:6; 61:1;
- His mission would include the Gentiles: Isa 42:1-4;
- His ministry would be one of healing: Isa 53:4;
- He would teach through parables: Isa 6:9-10; Psa 78:2;
- He would be disbelieved and rejected by rulers: Psa 69:4, 118:22; Isa 6:10, 29:13, 53:1;
- He would make a triumphal entry into Jerusalem: Zech 9:9; Psa 118:26;
- Betrayed by a friend for 30 pieces of silver: Zech 11:1-13; Psa 41:9;
- He would be like a smitten shepherd: Zech 13:7;
- He would be given vinegar and gall: Psa 69:21;
- They would cast lots for his garments: Psa 22:18;
- His side would be pierced: Zech 12:10; Psa 22:16;
- Not a bone would be broken: Ex 12:46; Num 9:12; Psa 34:20;
- He would die among malefactors: Isa 53:9-12;
- His dying words foretold: Psa 22:1, 31:5;
- He would be buried by a rich man: Isa 53:9;
- He would rise from the dead on the 3rd day: Gen 22:4; Psa 16:10-11; Jon 1:7; Hos 6:2;
- Resurrection followed by destruction of Jerusalem: Dan 9:26, 11:31, 12:1-11
In Part 2 of 3 of this devotional, we will focus in on the details of just eight of these prophecies and look at the probability of them being fulfilled individually. Then in Part 3 of 3 we will calculate the probability of all eight of them being fulfilled together.
