By Ray Konig | about-jesus.org
Jesus is unique among all people in history in that he is the fulfillment of centuries of prophecies, which are found in the Old Testament of the Bible, that foretold his place of birth, details of his life, his mission, his nature, his death, and his resurrection. The prophecies are sometimes called "Messianic prophecies," because they refer to the Messiah, which means "anointed one" or "chosen one."
Some scholars estimate that there are more than 300 Messianic prophecies in the Bible's Old Testament that refer to the Messiah (Jesus). You can learn more about Bible prophecy at AboutBibleProphecy.com, and we have included a sampling below. These prophecies, as well as the books of the Old Testament, were written centuries before Jesus was born.
Many people think of Bible prophecies as being predictions about the future. Strictly speaking, they are not predictions, they are promises from God. Whereas a prediction can be a guess, a prophecy is more than a guess, it is a revelation from God about the future. To the extent that this article uses the word "prediction," the word is used synonymously with "foretelling," "foretold," or "promised." The commentaries below were compiled by George Konig and Ray Konig, who are the authors of the book, 100 Fulfilled Bible Prophecies.
See Matthew 20:17-19, as an example.
Many of the early Christians, some of whom personally knew Jesus, were willing to risk death to tell others about Jesus and his offer of salvation and eternal life with God. In fact, some of Jesus' early followers were martyred, meaning they died for their belief in Jesus.
See 2 Samuel 7:16 as an example.
There's more than one Messianic prophecy in the Old Testament that predicted that the line of kings that began with King David, about 3000 years ago, would be everlasting or eternal. History shows that most dynasties throughout history, throughout the world, were lucky if they lasted more than a few generations. But, because Jesus is fully God and fully human, he is able to be both eternal and a descendant of King David. Jesus is unique in his ability to fulfill this promise that God had made to David, that his throne would endure forever.
See Isaiah 49:6.
Isaiah, who was a prophet during the Old Testament era, gave many prophecies from God about a Messiah. In this particular example, he reveals that the Messiah would have a worldwide impact in that salvation would be brought to people throughout the world. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy. His promise of salvation has been evangelized to people all over the world.
See Micah 5:1-2.
About 2700 years ago, the prophet Micah prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, a small village near Jerusalem. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy about 2000 years ago. Although Jesus was raised in the town of Nazareth, he was born in Bethlehem.
See Jeremiah 23:5.
There are many Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament that predicted the lineage of the Messiah. In Jeremiah 23:5, as well as in other prophecies, we are told that the Messiah would be a descendant of King David. David ruled over the land of Israel about 1000 years before Jesus was born. Jesus is recorded in the New Testament books of Matthew and Luke as being a descendant of King David.
See Isaiah 9:6-7.
Isaiah, who lived before the time of Jesus, gave a prophecy about a "son" who would be called "Mighty God." Jesus, the Son of God, is fully human and fully God. As such, he is both "son" and "Mighty God."
See Isaiah 53:1-3.
Although Jesus was accepted by some people as being the Messiah, he also was rejected by many people. In fact, the rejections led to him being executed, through crucifixion. Isaiah, in the 53rd chapter of the book of Old Testament book of Isaiah, foretold that the Messiah would be rejected. Despite what some modern scholars try to claim, the prophecies of Isaiah 53 have been widely regarded for many, many centuries by Christians and Judaists as being about a Messiah.
See Daniel 9:24-26.
The prophet Daniel provided a chronology of events that included the revelation that the Messiah would be rejected before the destruction of the second Temple in Jerusalem. The Romans destroyed the Temple in 70 AD, about 40 years after Jesus was crucified. The Temple has never been rebuilt.
See John 3:16.
There are, according to some scholars, nearly 2000 prophecies in the Bible. Some of those prophecies make is clear that no matter what happens to the world, or to you, salvation is real, and you can have it. Anyone can have salvation. Salvation is guaranteed for believers, and that means forgiveness of sins and eternal life in heaven. One of the Bible verses that promises this is found in John 3:16, which says:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV)
Learn more about Bible prophecy at AboutBibleProphecy.com
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