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 Heaven | Ps 68:18 | Eph 4:8-10; John 3:13 |
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!
The evidence of divine prophecy presented here is just a tiny
portion of the proofs available to establish the divine origin
of the Bible. Yet, they are more than sufficient to prove the
inspiration of the Bible. There will always be men who scoff at
the Bible. You, however, can be confident when you read your Bible
that God is the author, for it is written:
"We constantly thank God that when you received from us the
word of God's message, you accepted it not as the word of men,
but for what it really is, the word of God" (1 Thessalonians
2:13).