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Proverbs 27:1 - Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

James 4:14 - You do not know what will happen tomorrow. Man does not even know he will be alive tomorrow, let alone know what he will do tomorrow.

If the prophets of the Bible did predict the future successfully, and if those predictions invariably came true, consider the significance regarding evidence for the claims of the Bible.

The Bible Claims that Prophecy Proves God Exists and Is the True God.
Isaiah 41:21-23 - Jehovah challenged the idols to prove they are gods. God can show us what will happen, declaring things to come hereafter. Man cannot, but God can. If idols cannot, then they are not gods.

Isaiah 42:8,9 - God declares new things before they spring forth. This proves He deserves to be honored as God. That honor should go to no one else. [Isaiah 44:6-8,24-28]

Isaiah 46:8-11 - God is the true God and there is no other, for He can declare the end from the beginning, even from ancient times things that are not yet done. [48:3]

It must take a Supreme Being to consistently foretell the future accurately. If the God of the Bible can do this, then He must exist and must be the true God.

The Bible Claims that Prophecy Proves Which Men Served as God's Approved Spokesmen.

Deuteronomy 18:21,22 - If a man attempts to predict the future and fails, we can know that the Lord did not speak through Him.

Jeremiah 28:9 - When a prophet predicts the future and the prediction comes true, this is evidence that the Lord sent him.

Since mere men cannot infallibly predict the future, if the Bible writers could repeatedly and accurately predict the future in detail, surely this would confirm their claims that God was working through them.


Examples of Failed Prophecies of False Prophets

When men attempt to predict the future but their predictions fail, that constitutes proof that the person is a false prophet, not a true spokesman for God (Deut. 18:21,22).

In order to appreciate the predictions of Bible writers, let us first consider some examples of failed prophecies so we can compare them to Bible prophecies.

Jean Dixon
She became famous by predicting the death of President Kennedy. But one rarely hears about her predictions that failed. These include:

* World War III would begin in 1958. (Did it?)
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* Russia would put the first man on the moon. (A good guess since they led the space race at the time. But America was first; Russia still has not done it.)
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* Lyndon Johnson would be democratic candidate for president in 1968. (Since he was already president, he would have been the logical choice. But he refused to run.)
* President Ford would resign and Rockefeller would replace him. (Ford never resigned; Rockefeller was never president.)
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* Reagan would be the Republican candidate for president in 1976. (Ford won the nomination instead).
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Joseph Smith, Jr.

* Jesus would come within 56 years of 1835
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* The temple would be rebuilt within a generation of 1832
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* Several Mormon apostles (alive in his day) would live to see Jesus return
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* The Civil War would be a "full end of all nations"
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Mohammed

Mohammed once predicted there would be 73 sects of Islam, of which only one would survive. But Moslems admit there have been far more than 73.

And today many sects, not just one, still survive. [Encyclopedia Britannica, XII-711]

These examples illustrate how false prophets fail when they attempt to predict the future.

By comparison, note the repeated accuracy of Bible predictions.III. Examples of Fulfilled Prophecy in the Bible

The Bible contains hundreds of prophecies that have been fulfilled. Notice just a few examples and consider how these predictions were made in detail, often many years or even hundreds of years before their fulfillment.

Prophecies Concerning the Nation of Israel
The promises to Abraham

God made three great promises to Abraham regarding his descendants. Their fulfillment became the basis of much of Bible history.

Genesis 26:3,4; 28:13,14 - These verses state the promises most concisely as God repeated them to Isaac and Jacob. The promises and their fulfillment are as follows:
1) Abraham's descendants would become a great nation, numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore
2) The promise: Genesis 22:17; (26:4; 28:14; 12:2; 15:5; 18:18; 32:12; Ex. 32:13). This was promised when Abram and Sarah had no children and were too old to have children (Acts 7:5).
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* The fulfillment: Exodus 1:7 - Israel increased in Egypt and became so numerous they filled the land. (Numbers 1:45,46)
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3) His descendants would receive the land of Canaan

The promise: Genesis 12:7 (13:15,17; 15:7,18; 24:7; 26:4; 28:4,13). This was promised at a time when Abram owned none of the land (Acts 7:5).
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* The fulfillment: Joshua 21:43-45 - God gave Israel all the land He promised to their fathers. They took possession and dwelt in the land. None of God's promises failed; all came to pass. (Joshua 23:14; 1 Kings 8:56)
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1 Kings 14:15,16 - When the northern tribes formed a separate nation (chap. 12), a prophet said they would be scattered beyond the River (Euphrates).

This was fulfilled when they were taken captive by Assyria hundreds of years and many kings later in 722 BC: 2 Kings 17:1-18,23.

Isaiah 39:3-7 - After Israel had been taken captive (chap. 37), Isaiah predicted that the possessions and descendants of Hezekiah (king of Judah) would be taken to Babylon.

This was fulfilled many years and kings later when Judah was besieged by Babylon in 606 BC, 597 BC, and Jerusalem was destroyed in 586 BC: 2 Chronicles 36:11-21; 2 Kings 25:8-21 (24:10-15; 25:1-7).

Jews are still scattered all over the earth. You can see this fulfillment for yourself.

* They would become a reproach and byword (Deut. 28:37; cf. Jer. 19:8; 29:18)
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Even today Jews are ridiculed and persecuted (as in the holocaust).

This does not justify us in mistreating them, but the Bible accurately predicts the opposition they would face.

* They would not be completely consumed but would return from captivity (Deut. 30:1-5)
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Jeremiah 4:27; 5:18; 30:10,11; 46:28; Isaiah 10:20-22 - When Judah went into captivity, Jeremiah said God would not make a complete end of them (in contrast to their enemies).

Jeremiah 25:11,12; 29:10-14 - They would return to Judah after 70 years. Note that the exact length of the captivity was clearly prophesied.

Isaiah 44:24-45:7 (spoken about 710 BC) - When Israel went into captivity, Isaiah said a king named Cyrus would allow God's people to return and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple.

Note that Cyrus is here identified by name hundreds of years before he was born!

Fulfillment: Cyrus, king of Persia, authorized the rebuilding of the temple - 2 Chronicles 36:22,23; Ezra 1:1-3.

Three groups of captives returned: 536 BC, 458 BC, and 444 BC. These returns began 70 years after the captivity began - 2 Chronicles 36:21. [Ezra 9:6-9]

* No descendant of Coniah would reign in Judah (Jeremiah 22:28-30).
Coniah was the direct descendant of David and heir to the throne, hence no heir of David would reign again in Judah.

None has from that time till today, but Jesus reigns in heaven over His spiritual kingdom (John 18:36; Colossians 1:12,13).

Other specific predictions

* Rebuilding of Jericho - Joshua 6:26
After Joshua led Israel to destroy Jericho, he prophesied that the city would be rebuilt. But the man who did it would lose his firstborn son when the foundation was laid, and would lose his youngest son when the gates were set up.

Fulfillment: 1 Kings 16:34.

* Prediction of the destruction of Jeroboam's altar - 1 Kings 12:26-30; 13:1-3.
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Jeroboam built altars and led the northern tribes of Israel to worship golden calves. A prophet predicted a descendant of David named Josiah would burn men's bones on that altar, and the altar would split and the ashes be poured out. The king who would do this was named generations before he was born!

The fulfillment: 2 Kings 23:15,16.

* Prediction of the death of Ahab and Jezebel - 1 Kings 21:19-24
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Because of the wickedness of Ahab and Jezebel, Elijah predicted that dogs would lick Ahab's blood in the very place where Jezebel had caused Naboth to be slain, and dogs would eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.

Fulfillment: 1 Kings 22:38; 2 Kings 9:30-36.

* Prediction of relief from famine in a siege of Samaria - 2 Kings 7:1,2
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A siege of Samaria caused severe famine. Elisha predicted the famine would be completely lifted within one day. A skeptical officer would see it but not eat of it. Fulfillment: vv 14-20.

* Prediction of relief from the siege of Assyria - 2 Kings 19:3-7
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The king of Assyria besieged Jerusalem, boasting that no one could successfully oppose him (18:17-37). Hezekiah prayed and God said the Assyrian king would give up the siege, return home, and be slain. Fulfillment: vv 35-37. [Cf. Isaiah 36,37.)

* Death of Hananiah - Jeremiah 28:10-17
Hananiah falsely prophesied that the Babylonian captivity would end within two years. In contrast, Jeremiah predicted Hananiah would die within one year. He did (v17).

Prophecies Concerning Other Nations/Cities

Tyre - Ezekiel 26:3-14

The prophecy (spoken approximately 590 BC)
* Many nations would come against Tyre one after another like waves of the sea (v3).
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* Nebuchadnezzar would attack and breach the city (vv 7-11). Note that one attacker is specifically named. [Note that Nebuchadnezzar is referred to as "he," in contrast to the many nations who are referred to as "they" - cf. vv 3-6 to v12. So v12 refers to the nations, not specifically to Nebuchadnezzar.]
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* Her stones, timbers, and dust would be laid in the midst of the sea (v12).
* She would be built no more (v14).
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Note v6 - "Then they shall know that I am the Lord." This would prove who is God!

The fulfillment

In Ezekiel's day, Tyre was a thriving, famous seaport on the mainland of Phoenicia.
Predicting its destruction would be like predicting the destruction of modern Boston or London. However, so far as I can determine, the following is what happened:

* Many nations did attack the city, including Nebuchadnezzar who did defeat the city.
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* However, the inhabitants would survive such attacks by fleeing to an island offshore, where the invading armies could not defeat them.
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* When Alexander the Great attacked the city, he took the stones, timber, and dirt from the city and threw it into the sea to make a causeway to the island, thereby capturing it.
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* This fact is well known in history (see encyclopedias). Thereby the stones, timbers, etc., were thrown into the sea as Ezekiel prophesied.
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* The city on the mainland still lies in ruins - it has never been rebuilt, as God says.
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* Ezekiel did not say who would finally destroy that city (it may or may not have been Alexander), but it is evident that it would not happen for a long time, since he said "many nations" would attack it.
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* But someone eventually destroyed it till it was not rebuilt, for the ruins of the city are visible.
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The site of ancient Tyre can be visited. Pictures show the fulfillment of the prophecy.

Sidon - Ezekiel 28:22,23

The prophecy (spoken approximately 590 BC)

Regarding this sister city of Tyre, God said simply that He was against her, so He would send pestilence, blood would flow in her streets, and the sword would come on her from every side.

In contrast to Tyre, note that the prophecy nowhere states that the city would be destroyed and especially it never claims the city would never be built again.

In Ezekiel's day Sidon was smaller and less significant than Tyre. If either city would cease to exist, one would have expected it to be Sidon, not Tyre.

Yet God predicted the opposite.
Note the significance: Vv 22,23 - "Then they shall know that I am the Lord." It proves God!

The fulfillment

Although the city was attacked and defeated, as God predicted, even by many of the same armies that attacked Tyre, the city was never completely destroyed. It stands today on the same spot it has always stood.

Note the contrast: God said Tyre would eventually be destroyed till it was not built again. The site of the ancient city is a ruins even today. Yet God prophesied no such destruction for Sidon, and it exists even today.

Again, the city of Sidon can be visited, and pictures demonstrate the fulfillment of prophecy.

Nineveh -
The prophecy (spoken approximately 625 BC)

* Assyria would be destroyed and her capital city Nineveh would be made desolate.
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* Nineveh would be dry as a wilderness
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* Herds would lie down and beasts would lodge there.
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* Those who pass by would mock and shake their fist.
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The fulfillment

* Nineveh fell to Babylon in 612 BC.
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* The eventual destruction of the city was so complete that 200 years later a great army passed by without even realizing a city had stood on that spot.
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* Jenkins visited the site of ancient Nineveh and observed shepherds grazing their sheep on the ruins of the city (Jenkins, p. 102).
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Again, these ruins can be visited, and pictures demonstrate the fulfillment of prophecy.

Babylon - Isaiah 13:17-21 (cf. Jeremiah 50,51)
The prophecy (Isaiah spoke in approximately 710 BC)

* The Medes would come against them.
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* Their glory would become like Sodom and Gomorrah (complete destruction - not that the fall would occur in the same manner). (Cf. Jeremiah 50:39,40)
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* It would never be inhabited or settled from generation to generation. (Cf. Jeremiah 50:13,39,40; 51:26,29,37,43,62.)
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* Arabs would not camp there, shepherds would not make sheepfolds there (cf. the prediction regarding Nineveh), but only wild animals would live there.
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* The city would be left as a heap (Jeremiah 51:37).
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The fulfillment

* The Medes did capture the city in 539 BC (cf. Daniel 5). The city continued to be inhabited for some time, but was completely ruined soon after the time of Christ.
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* Jenkins says it is today one of the most desolate ruins he ever. He quotes travelers and archaeologists who describe the complete desolation of the city.
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* Unlike Nineveh, where he observed flocks of sheep, Jenkins observed that Arabs and shepherds do not dwell at the site of Babylon. Only wild animals are found. (Jenkins, p. 104)
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* The city is completely uninhabited as God predicted. The government has built a few buildings in the area as a tourist attraction and archaeologists have done some excavating, but the city itself is a heap.
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Again, these ruins can be visited, and pictures demonstrate the fulfillment of prophecy.

Note Jeremiah 30:10,11; 46:28

God would make a full end of the nations where the Jews were driven (specifically, Assyria and Babylon), but would not make a full end of the Jews.

Today, descendants of the Jews are scattered across the world, but who today claims to be an Assyrian or Babylonian?

People today dwell in Jerusalem, in Athens the capital of the Greek empire, and in Rome the capital of the Roman Empire. But who dwells in the capital cities of the Assyrian or Babylonian empires?

How did the prophets know all these details so far ahead of time?


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We have examined just a few quotations (passages) containing predictions regarding events (or specific aspects of events).
These predictions were made by at several different prophets and were recorded in different books of the Bible.

Fulfillments of these prophecies are recorded by at least 12 different historians (writers) in more than 15 different books of the Bible.

In addition, people today can observe for themselves the fact that at least 6 of the predictions remain fulfilled till this day.

Many prophecies predicted things that were completely opposite of what people expected, many were highly unlikely or improbable, some were contrary to the law in existence at the time, and some were downright impossible by natural law.

Many prophecies provided great detail about specific events, sometimes even naming specific individuals, nations, cities, or countries, yet the predictions were often made hundreds of years before the events and sometimes hundreds of years before the people who fulfilled the prophecies were even born.

Compare Bible prophecies to attempted predictions by other "prophets" who falsely claim to speak for God or to be able to predict the future.

Such false prophets usually make vague, general statements that anyone could guess or that would almost surely come true with someone somewhere.

Yet when they attempt specific prophecies (even approaching the degree of detail in Bible prophecies), they fail again and again and are in fact usually wrong.

If Bible writers were not from God, we should be able to prove their predictions wrong the vast majority of the time.

Why is there no evidence of obvious repeated errors in the majority of their prophecies, like the errors repeatedly made by false prophets?

Why were Bible writers able to predict the distant future in such detail and get it right time and time again? Why weren't they repeatedly and obviously wrong like false teachers are wrong?

Mere men, writing by their own human wisdom, could never have predicted the future like this. But the Bible writers did so time and again.

No other religious system in the world even comes close to having the evidence of fulfilled prophecy such as we see in the Bible.

This witness testifies that God exists and that He spoke through these men.

Since Jesus fulfilled a lot of prophecies and since He Himself repeatedly predicted the future accurately, He must be the Messiah, the King, the Prophet, Savior, and God.. sent into the world.

Todays study is an attempt at wetting your appetite. This was a small sample of hundreds and hundreds of biblical prophecies.

I urge you to study them more so you can share it with others God brings before you.

Thank you
God bless you and your families

[spiritonetwothree]

Amen

"Wetting your appetite"