Are Biblical Prophecies Accurate?
Are Biblical Prophecies Accurate?
Prophecy is the prediction of future events. Fulfilled prophecy is very powerful evidence for the reliability of the Bible. There are many long-range predictions in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament. Fulfilled biblical prophecies are events that were foretold in the Bible, that have already taken place in history. If we can we show that prophecies in the ancient biblical manuscripts came true after the predictions were written, it’s obviously strong evidence for the accuracy of the Bible. The supernatural character of the Bible is also demonstrated, because foretelling details of the future with perfect accuracy is not a natural human ability.
In their efforts to deny that the Bible is a supernatural book, critics of the Bible have disputed the dates that prophecies were written. They claim that other authors inserted the prophecies into the biblical text after the events took place. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 was crucial in confirming the early date of the Old Testament prophecies. As we saw earlier, the Dead Sea Scrolls are copies of the Old Testament Scriptures that date to no later than 150 BC. All the evidence points to the fact that the original documents were written much earlier. There’s no indication in the Dead Sea Scrolls that the text of the Old Testament (including the prophecies) were tampered with or revised in any way after they were originally written.
Scribes followed rigid rules as they copied the Dead Sea Scrolls to ensure accuracy. Then the scrolls were reverently placed in clay jars and carefully hidden in remote desert caves. They lay hidden, untouched and unaltered, for almost 2000 years.
All the prophetic books of the Old Testament are included in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Even the most radical and extreme critics of the Bible have to admit that the Dead Sea Scrolls were in existence by 150 BC, and insertions could not have been added after that time. And since many of the Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled after 150 BC (including the many prophecies about the coming of the Messiah), the predictions are unquestionably the valid foretelling of future events.
Included in this chapter are just a few of the Old Testament predictions that have already occurred. These fulfilled prophecies are amazing evidence that the Bible is accurate.
A. The Miracle of Israel
1. The miracle of a great nation, through whom the blessing would come to all the earth
Genesis 12:2-3 – “I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous… All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”
God made this prophetic promise to Abraham around 2000 BC, before Abraham had any children. Moses recorded this prophecy in the book of Genesis sometime prior to 1400 BC. That was before the nation of Israel even existed — in fact, Abraham’s descendants were only a ragtag group of people traveling through the wilderness.
A critic may claim that this prophecy was inserted later. But remember, it would have had to be inserted before 150 BC, because it’s in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Was it inserted? And if so, when? Prior to the time of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Israel was never a nation that brought blessing to all the earth. But even the critics must agree that great blessing has come to this world through the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ, and the spread of Judeo-Christian (biblical) values. This is indeed an amazing prediction!
2. The miracle of many descendants who would positively affect all nations
Genesis 22:17-18 - “I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore… through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed...”
When this prophecy was spoken by God to Abraham around 2000 BC, Abraham certainly didn’t have numerous descendants. He only had two children! When Moses recorded this event, Abraham’s descendants (the people of Israel), were nomads in the wilderness. They were not as numerous as the stars, and they certainly weren’t a blessing to all the nations of the earth. In fact, this prediction wasn’t yet fulfilled when Genesis was copied by the scribes who produced the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Even a critic must admit that this prophecy has come true. The Jewish people have never ceased to exist. In spite of constant persecution, their numbers are innumerable. Great blessing as come to the entire world through the many technological, agricultural and medical advances that have been developed in the modern state of Israel. But the greatest blessing has come to the nations of the earth through the life and death of Jesus Christ! The teachings of Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, have resulted in health and education ministries of Christian missions around the world.
3. The miracle that the Jewish people were preserved, in spite of persecution and dispersion (scattering)
Deuteronomy 28:64-66 – “For the Lord will scatter you among all the nations from one end of the earth to the other… There among those nations you will find no peace or place to rest… Your life will constantly hang in the balance. You will live night and day in fear, unsure if you will survive.”
Dispersion and persecution of the Jews has been constant throughout history, but this prophecy was made in 1400 BC, when the Jews had not even gained a national identity and land. Critics are forced to admit that the Nazi Holocaust is just one example of a prophecy that was fulfilled after 150 BC (the time of the Dead Sea Scrolls).
4. The miracle that Jewish identity was preserved, over hundreds of years, with no national or religious center
Hosea 3:4 - “Israel will go a long time without a king or prince, and without sacrifices, sacred pillars, priests, or even idols!”
There hasn’t been a king in Israel since the days of the Jews’ captivity in Babylon in the 5th century BC. And since the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD, there has been no Temple, no sacrificial system, and no priesthood in Israel. Yet Jewish culture and customs remain distinct.
5. The miracle that Jewish identity was preserved, in spite of dispersion around the world
Jeremiah 30:10-11 – The Lord declared, “For I will bring you home again from distant lands, and your children will return from their exile… I am with you and will save you… I will completely destroy the nations where I have scattered you, but I will not completely destroy you.”
This prophecy was written in about 600 BC. Other ancient nations have vanished completely, but the Jewish people have never lost their identity, in spite of all the efforts that have been made to destroy them. Critics who tried to claim that this prophecy was written during the 400 years between the time of the Old and New Testament are required to deny the evidence of its early origin from the Dead Sea Scrolls. Even if someone was to claim that this prophecy was not written until the time of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the amazing accuracy of this prophecy since that time cannot be denied.
6. The miracle of the Jews returning to the land of Israel from all nations
Deuteronomy 30:3-5 - “The Lord your God will restore your fortunes… and gather you back from all the nations where he has scattered you… The Lord your God will return you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will possess that land again. Then he will make you even more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors!”
This prophecy was given through Moses in about 1400 BC, when the nation of Israel didn’t possess even one single piece of land! How could anyone dare to write such a prophecy, even as late as the time of the Dead Sea Scrolls? Critics of the Bible must agree that this ancient prophecy has been, and continues to be, fulfilled.
The return of Israel to its historic land is unique in history. After nearly 2,000 years of non-existence as a nation—and despite its people being scattered, intermingled, and persecuted through centuries of dispersion—the Jews have returned to their ancient homeland and established a nation. They have revived their ancient language, and even their ancient currency!
Isaiah 11:11–12 – “The Lord will reach out his hand a second time to bring back the remnant of his people… and gather the scattered people of Judah from the ends of the earth.”
This prophecy is one of the most amazing predictions in the Bible. It predicted that the Jews would be exiled from their land and return, not once, but twice! Isaiah’s prophecy was written in about 700 BC. The Jews were indeed driven from their land in 586 BC by the Babylonian armies, and returned in 538 BC.
However, this amazing prophecy does not describe the return of the Jews from exile in 538 BC. In the first return, they came only from Babylon, not “from the ends of the earth.” However, the Jews were once again driven from their homeland by the armies of Rome in 70 AD. Isaiah 11:11-12 predicts the second return of the Jews to the land of Israel, and this time it was from all over the earth. This “return” is taking place in our time, as every year more and more Jews return to the land of Israel from all around the earth!
7. The miracle of the Jews resettling Israel and the land regaining its prosperity
Ezekiel 36:33–35 - The Lord says, “I will repopulate your cities, and the ruins will be rebuilt. The fields that used to lie empty… will again be farmed. And people will say, ‘This former wasteland is now like the Garden of Eden! The abandoned and ruined cities now have strong walls and are filled with people!’”
This prophecy, written in about 580 BC, has been partially fulfilled in the land of Israel today, and it will continue to be fulfilled until the Lord returns. Ancient towns have been revived and resettled. Desperately impoverished swampland or desert areas prior to the early 1900s have been irrigated and cultivated, and is now fertile and amazingly productive. Critics of the Bible must acknowledge that Ezekiel was written before the time of the Dead Sea Scrolls. And the critics must admit that if this isn’t an inspired prophecy, then the writer was incredibly “lucky” to have “guessed” that there would be such a coincidental fulfillment!
B. The History of Cities
Some of the Old Testament prophecies about nations and cities have been dramatically fulfilled, while others have not yet been completely fulfilled. Here are several examples of predictions about ancient cities that have already been fulfilled.
Petra
This ancient city, carved out of towering red sandstone cliffs, was the well-fortified, wealthy and populous capital of Edom. It was a major center for trade. Petra flourished even into the Roman period, but now it’s a ghost town — an archaeological site in the present-day nation of Jordan. Read Isaiah 34:5-11 and Jeremiah 49:17-18. As predicted, Petra is deserted except for tourists and wild animals. Ezekiel 35 said that trade and travel would cease in Petra, and Obadiah predicted that Petra would be “brought down.” All these predictions are contained in the copies of the scrolls of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Obadiah, that were found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The predictions were not fulfilled until long after the date of the Scrolls.
Sidon
Sidon was a town in Phoenicia (Lebanon today). Read Ezekiel 28:22-23, and notice the prediction that blood will flow in the streets of Sidon, and “the sword” will be “against her on every side.” Over the years, there has been much bloodshed in Sidon. In Persian times, 140,000 Sidonians committed suicide rather than surrender to the Persian army. There was a Greek invasion in 330 BC. During the Muslim/Crusader period, Sidon was conquered and re-conquered six times. In current times, because of conflicts in Lebanon, there has been blood in the streets of Sidon.
Tyre
Tyre was a city on the Mediterranean coast in the nation of Phoenicia (now Lebanon). In 590 BC, Ezekiel predicted the destruction of Tyre in great and accurate detail. (See Ezekiel 26). The mainland city of Tyre was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 573 BC. “I will bring it against Tyre… Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon… he will break down your towers… he will trample all your streets…” (v7-11).
Then the well fortified island-city of Tyre was defeated by Alexander the Great in 330 BC. He had the rubble from the destruction of the mainland city scraped into the Mediterranean Sea to make a causeway for his armies to cross and invade the island: “…they will lay your stones, your timber, and your soil in the midst of the water” (v12-13).
After the smaller, rebuilt city was conquered by Muslim armies in 1291 AD, Tyre was destroyed. The modern city of Tyre is not on the same location as the ancient city. Tyre has never been rebuilt since its final destruction: “…you shall never be rebuilt” (v14). The ancient site of Tyre is now a fishing area: “…you shall be a place for spreading nets” (v14).
Samaria
Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel. In about 700 BC, the prophet Micah predicted that Samaria would become a “heap of rubble” and vineyards would grow in the ruins (Micah 1:6-7). This prophecy was fulfilled centuries after Micah’s prophecy, and well after the copies of Micah found in Dead Sea Scrolls were made. Samaria remained a flourishing city until about 250 AD - 800 years after the prophecy was written, and 400 years after Micah’s prophecy was copied in the Dead Sea Scrolls. If we were to visit ancient Samaria today, we would see grapevines growing in the deserted ruins. This shows the extremely detailed accuracy of the biblical prophecies.
C. The Sequence of Ancient Empires
Daniel 2: In his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, Daniel gave a preview of the sequence of world empires, beginning with Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar, then predicting the Persian, Greek and Roman empires to follow. Read the details of these empires in Daniel 2, and in Daniel’s vision in chapter 7. All these prophecies have been filled exactly as predicted.
Daniel 11 gives amazing details about events involving Persia, Greece, Syria, Egypt, and Israel. All these events took place subsequent to Daniel’s time, and many of them were not fulfilled until after the Dead Sea Scrolls, including Daniel, were copied and hidden. History confirms these prophetic details, so it’s very difficult for critics of the Bible to refute them.
D. The Promise of the Messiah
Throughout the Old Testament, the Jewish people had an awareness of a personal Messiah. Many predictions and details about the ancestry, birth, life, and death of the Messiah were written down hundreds of years before the time of Jesus, the Messiah. Here are just four:
1. Ancestry
He would be human: predicted in Genesis 3:15, with fulfillment recorded in Matthew 1:25.
He would be Jewish: predicted in Genesis 22:18, with fulfillment recorded in Matthew 1:1.
He would be from the line of Isaac: predicted in Genesis 26:4, with fulfillment recorded in Matthew 1:2
He would be from the line of Judah: predicted in Genesis 49:10, with fulfillment recorded in Luke 3:33.
He would be a descendant of King David: predicted in Isaiah 9:6-7, with fulfillment recorded in Matthew 1:1 and 6.
2. Birth
He would be born in Bethlehem: predicted in Micah 5:2, with fulfillment recorded in Luke 2:1-7.
3. Life
He would have a “messenger” to go before Him: predicted in Malachi 3:1, with fulfillment recorded in Mark 1:1-8.
He would have a healing and teaching ministry: predicted in Isaiah 35:4-6 and 61:1-2, with fulfillment recorded in Matthew 9:35 and 11:2-6, as well as all the other Gospels.
4. Death
He was scourged and spit upon (Isaiah 50:6) and mocked (Psalm 22:6-8).
They gambled for his garment (Psalm 22:18).
His death was with criminals (Isaiah 53:12).
He was given sour wine to drink (Psalm 69:21).
His side was pierced (Zechariah 12:10).
His bones were not broken (Psalm 34:20).
Other details of his death by crucifixion (which was an unknown form of execution in Old Testament times) are given in Psalm 22:6-8, 16, 18, and Isaiah 53:5. The fulfillment is recorded in all four Gospels.
In addition to all this, a detailed time frame for the coming of the Messiah and the future End Times is outlined in Daniel 9. Even the most radical critic is forced to acknowledge that a straightforward reading of Daniel 9:25-26 leads to the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth in the 1st century AD.
The fact that so many predictions of the coming Messiah were fulfilled in Jesus Christ can only be explained in one way: the Old Testament prophets were inspired by God! That fact that these prophecies match the facts of the ancestry, life, and death of Jesus cannot be denied. And prophecies about his death by Roman crucifixion cannot be manipulated or artificially fulfilled. The possibility that any one person could dream up all these predictions of the Jewish Messiah “just by chance” are so small that it’s impossible to comprehend such an improbability.
Here’s an illustration to demonstrate how impossible it would be to randomly predict these prophecies:
Imagine a huge ball of sand, with the radius equal to the distance from earth to the nearest star (not the sun). Consider more than 400 of those balls. Now take one grain of sand, paint it red, and hide it in one of those huge balls of sand. What are the chances that someone, blindfolded, could pick out that one red grain of sand hidden in those 400+ immense sand balls — on the first try? No chance! The amazingly accurate predictions about the life of Jesus Christ are beyond chance. They’re supernatural!
E. The Prediction of Christianity
1. Malachi 1:11 – “from the rising of the sun even to its setting, my name will be great among nations…” (NASB)
This prophecy will be completely fulfilled when the Lord returns and establishes His Kingdom. However, the spread of Christianity around the world is even now a foreshadowing and a partial fulfillment of this prophecy. The Name of the GOD of Israel is known in worship around the world today – everywhere that Christianity has spread!
2. John 8:12 and John 9:5 – “I am the light of the world.”
Throughout the years since the statement was made, the message of Jesus Christ has brought enlightenment and advances in education, medicine, and charities, etc.
3. Matthew 24:35 – “My words will by no means pass away.”
The words of Jesus have not passed away. In fact, they have spread worldwide.
4. Matthew 16:18 – “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
Clearly, this prophecy has come true.
5. Acts 1:8 – “ you shall be witnesses to me… to the end of the earth.”
In the past 2000 years, this prediction has certainly been fulfilled as Christians and missionaries have spread the good news of Jesus Christ around the world.
At first glance, these prophecies may not seem like powerful Christian evidences, but think about it. No matter what position people take concerning the predictions of Christianity, they must admit that they were made and written down at a time when Christianity seemed about to be snuffed out again by the pagan Roman empire — but the prophecies have come true!