In Josh McDowell’s old book “Evidence That Demands A Verdict,” he writes that a mathematician calculated that the chances of just 8 major prophesies coming true in one person was 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000 (100 quadrillion. Quadrillion is after trillion.)!
Then I found in “John MacArthur’s Bible Studies: The Future of Israel” (Pages 30-35), that according to Daniel 9:24-25 it would be 173,880 days from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem till the Messiah is revealed. Dr. MacAruthur shows how this prophecy was fulfilled to the day in his book (If you can’t find it, let me know & I’ll let you read mine.)! God is that precise when it comes to revealing his plans. Wow.
Then I looked through Herbert Lockyer’s classic book “All The Messianic Prophesies of the Bible” and came up with 109 prophesies that I thought interesting (Among hundreds others included in his text). Of those 109, I’d like to give you 15 with the Old Testament reference and the New Testament fulfillment. These should affirm for you that our God is God… the one who rules nations, rulers, time, and all human events.
The Messiah would… 1) Be born of a virgin (Is 7:14 with Mt 1:18, 24-25); 2) Be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2 with Mt 2:1); 3) Be preceeded by a messenger (Malachi 4:5-6 with Mt 3:1-2); 4) Have a ministry of miracles (Isaiah 35:5-6 with Mt 9:35); 5) Be betrayed by a friend (Ps 41:9 with Mt 10:4 & Jn 13:18); 6) Be sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12 with Mt 26:15); 7) Be mocked (Ps 22:7-8 with Mt 27:31); 8) Have hands & feet pierced (Ps 22:16 with Lk 23:33); 9) Not have bones broken (Ps 34:20 with Jn 19:33); 10) Be killed with thieves (Is 53:12 with Mt 27:38); 11) Be subject of people’s scorn (Ps 109:25 with Mt 27:39); 12) Have garments parted by lots (Ps 22:18 with Jn 19:23-24); 13) Have darkness over the land at death (Amos 8:9 with Mt 27:45); 14) Be buried in a rich man’s tomb (Is 53:9 with Mt 27:57-60); 15) Be resurrected from the dead (Ps 16:10 with Acts 2:31).
After His resurrection Jesus explained how the Old Testament prophesies were fulfilled in Him. Not just these 15, not just 8 a mathematician chose, not just the 109 I picked out, but all of them. Thus Luke 24:44-47… “Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.'”
The early Christians understood that all the events surrounding Jesus’ life were not accidents. They clearly believed every single event was planned and implemented by God Himself in order to insure salvation. Thus what is found in Acts 4:27-28! “Truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your plan had predestined to take place.”
What does this mean for us? We have a faith that is as much eternal past as eternal future. We have a faith that God did not leave to chance. We have a faith that is verifiable historically, intellectually, and logically. We have a God who is powerful enough to use willing individuals to carry out His plan without ever violating their will (God can make people do what He wants them to do to carry out His plan without violating their will!! See Ezra 6:22 for an example.). We have a God who is all loving… all powerful… gracious… merciful… and deliberate. Our God alone is God!