Bible Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:14-21 KJV
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21a KJV
In Part 1 of this devotional we learned that God wants you to know that He is real and that He is who He says He is. We also noted that 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. We then listed several of the 300 prophecies of the coming Messiah that have already been fulfilled. Below is more details on just eight of the fulfilled prophecies:
1. Micah 5:2 - Probability of being born in Bethlehem
"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."
In this verse it is prophesied that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem. Dr. Missler calculates the probability of that happening as such:
Bethlehem has a population of less that 7,000, pretty much unchanged throughout history. Using round, conservative numbers. Assuming the average population of Bethlehem over the last 2000 years was 2,000 and the average population of the earth over the same period was 1,000,000,000 (one billion). Using round numbers 104/109=1:105 or 1:100,000 (read as 1 in 100,000) of someone randomly being born in Bethlehem.
2. Zechariah 9:9 - Probability of presenting themselves as a king riding a donkey
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass."
How many people have presented themselves as being the king of Jerusalem riding a donkey? In fact no one really knows, but to be highly conservative, let's say 1:100.
3. Zechariah 11:12 - Probability of being betrayed for exactly 30 pieces of silver
"And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver."
How many people throughout history have been betrayed for exactly 30 pieces of silver? Again, no one really knows, but to be highly conservative, let's say 1:1,000.
4. Zechariah 11:13 - Probability of a transaction in the Temple where the potter ended up with the money
"And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord."
Matthew 27:3-8, "[3] Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, [4] Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. [5] And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. [6] And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. [7] And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. [8] Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day."
Note that in Zechariah 11:13:
- The price is 30 pieces of silver
- Location of the transaction: House of the Lord (Temple)
- Who ends up with the money? The potter (the person that owns the field)
Let's conservatively estimate the probability of all this happening as 1:100,000.
5. Zechariah 13:6 - What would be the probability of wounded in their hands in the house of their friends?
"And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends."
What does the house of my friends mean? Consider Thomas' unbelief (John 20:25-27):
25 "The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing." John 20:25-27
What wounded Jesus in Zechariah 13:6? Was it the nails? No, it was Thomas' unbelief.
What is the probability of someone being wounded in their hand in the house of their friends? Again, going conservatively, let's say 1:1000.
6. Isaiah 53:7 - What would be the probability of an innocent person charged with a capital crime not defending themself?
"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth."
Jesus went through six trials that night, three were Jewish and three were Roman. He made no defense. What is the probability of a prisoner charged with a capital crime, making no defense even though the person is innocent? Again, let's conservatively estimate it at 1:1000.
7. Isaiah 53:9 - What would be the probability of dying with the wicked but buried with the rich?
"And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth."
How many died with the wicked, yet were buried with the rich? Let's conservatively estimate it at 1:1000 once again.
8. Psalm 22:16 - What would be the probability of being killed by having their hands and feet pierced?
"For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet."
This was written 800 years before the death of Jesus and 700 years before crucifixion was invented. In Israel the form of capital punishment was stoning. Crucifixion was invented by the Persian in 70 B.C. How many people have been killed by having their hands and feet pierced? Estimating this at 1:10,000 is conservative.
In Part 3 we will calculate the probability of all eight of these prophecies being fulfilled.
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"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."
In this verse it is prophesied that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem. Dr. Missler calculates the probability of that happening as such:
Bethlehem has a population of less that 7,000, pretty much unchanged throughout history. Using round, conservative numbers. Assuming the average population of Bethlehem over the last 2000 years was 2,000 and the average population of the earth over the same period was 1,000,000,000 (one billion). Using round numbers 104/109=1:105 or 1:100,000 (read as 1 in 100,000) of someone randomly being born in Bethlehem.
2. Zechariah 9:9 - Probability of presenting themselves as a king riding a donkey
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass."
How many people have presented themselves as being the king of Jerusalem riding a donkey? In fact no one really knows, but to be highly conservative, let's say 1:100.
3. Zechariah 11:12 - Probability of being betrayed for exactly 30 pieces of silver
"And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver."
How many people throughout history have been betrayed for exactly 30 pieces of silver? Again, no one really knows, but to be highly conservative, let's say 1:1,000.
4. Zechariah 11:13 - Probability of a transaction in the Temple where the potter ended up with the money
"And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord."
Matthew 27:3-8, "[3] Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, [4] Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. [5] And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. [6] And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. [7] And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. [8] Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day."
Note that in Zechariah 11:13:
- The price is 30 pieces of silver
- Location of the transaction: House of the Lord (Temple)
- Who ends up with the money? The potter (the person that owns the field)
Let's conservatively estimate the probability of all this happening as 1:100,000.
5. Zechariah 13:6 - What would be the probability of wounded in their hands in the house of their friends?
"And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends."
What does the house of my friends mean? Consider Thomas' unbelief (John 20:25-27):
25 "The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing." John 20:25-27
What wounded Jesus in Zechariah 13:6? Was it the nails? No, it was Thomas' unbelief.
What is the probability of someone being wounded in their hand in the house of their friends? Again, going conservatively, let's say 1:1000.
6. Isaiah 53:7 - What would be the probability of an innocent person charged with a capital crime not defending themself?
"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth."
Jesus went through six trials that night, three were Jewish and three were Roman. He made no defense. What is the probability of a prisoner charged with a capital crime, making no defense even though the person is innocent? Again, let's conservatively estimate it at 1:1000.
7. Isaiah 53:9 - What would be the probability of dying with the wicked but buried with the rich?
"And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth."
How many died with the wicked, yet were buried with the rich? Let's conservatively estimate it at 1:1000 once again.
8. Psalm 22:16 - What would be the probability of being killed by having their hands and feet pierced?
"For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet."
This was written 800 years before the death of Jesus and 700 years before crucifixion was invented. In Israel the form of capital punishment was stoning. Crucifixion was invented by the Persian in 70 B.C. How many people have been killed by having their hands and feet pierced? Estimating this at 1:10,000 is conservative.
In Part 3 we will calculate the probability of all eight of these prophecies being fulfilled.
Are you Saved? - Previous | Next
