CHAPTER 2:
Its prophecies come true

The words set off alarm bells. "This is so cool," said a client and cherished friend, embarking on a story involving her cocker spaniel. "I took Maggie to the vet," she said, "and he implanted a computer chip in her back. Now if she's ever lost we can identify her by using a scanner."

She even went on to add, "I told him this is such a great idea! We ought to do it with all the kids at the junior high."

Revelation chapter 13, verses 16 and 17 apparently have never caught my friend's attention.

"And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand, or on their forehead, and he provides that no one should be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name," (NAS).

I later prodded her gently, "Isn't it amazing that these words were written 2,000 years ago - before computers, electricity, and possibly even before surgical procedures?"

End-time Bible prophecy study is a subject that fascinates me. Can you write a description of the world 2,000 years from now? Then it should amaze you, too, to read of:

• The regathering of the Jews to their Promised Land.
• Wars, rumors of wars, and nation rising against nation.
• Pestilences.
• Famines.
• Earthquakes in divers places.
• A revived Roman Empire (the European Community, perhaps?).

Many more elements of today's world could be enumerated. But you quickly realize that correlating world events to endtime Bible prophecy involves a good deal of speculation. Credibility is crushed whenever a doomsday prophet misses the mark, overlooking the fact that "no man knows the day nor the hour."

If you believe that Jesus died, resurrected, and ascended into heaven, then you have to know he's coming again - because he said he would.

But you don't have to agree with speculation to see how the Bible proves itself. Just look at the correlation of Easter and Passover, and how Jesus fulfilled this event.

Messiah Pinpointed

The Easter story was a hallmark of Catholic childhood. I remember being dragged each Good Friday to noon-to-3:00 p.m. stints at Our Lady of Victory church, where we would perform the stations of the cross. It is because of Station 12, a depiction of Jesus dying on the cross, that I vividly recall the impassioned plea of his almost-last breath:

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

I was approaching 40 years of age when Psalm 22 zinged my consciousness, inattention for which I am responsible. Written by King David approximately 500 years before Jesus, Psalm 22 begins with the precise statement Jesus gasped while dying upon the cross.

Crucifixion as a form of execution did not exist at the time of David's writing, yet his psalm pinpointed much of what our Lord experienced on Calvary.

Don't be confused by Psalm 22 sounding as if David, the writer, is making the statement in reference to his own situation. That's typical of Old Testament prophecies. Our Lord was speaking through the prophets, which in this case was David. This is evident in the New Testament, where writers such as Paul and Peter (read 1 Peter 1:10-12) apply the first-person words of David to Jesus the Messiah.

Perhaps Jesus was calling out a scripture reference so that we would read the entire psalm, as one last confirmation of his saviorship? At that time, the Bible was without verse indexing. Bible references were made by reciting the opening line of the particular book, psalm or proverb.

Or, perhaps Jesus was reacting naturally - without premeditated thought - to the ultimate penalty of sin, which he took upon himself for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). That penalty is separation from God.

Either way, Psalm 22 is a prophesy of Jesus' crucifixion. Its verses indicate the piercing of his hands and feet; the casting of lots for his garments, the ridicule directed toward him, and many other events climaxed at Calvary.

The Odds on Jesus

Our Lord fulfilled - in part - the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament, written hundreds to thousands of years before his birth (the part not yet fulfilled relate to his Second Coming, likewise recorded in the Old Testament). From 20/20 hindsight, fulfilled prophecy seems obvious and is easily overlooked.

From his birth to his death, resurrection and ascension - recorded historical facts - Jesus fulfilled an estimated 300 Old Testament prophecies. The probability of one man satisfying all these predictions is beyond comprehension. A researcher named Peter Stoner took just eight of the prophecies Jesus fulfilled - eight of approximately 300 - and computed the mathematical probability as being one in 10 to the 17th power, meaning one out of 100,000,000,000,000,000. This number of silver dollars would provide a two-foot-thick layer of carpet over the entire state of Texas.

No other religion in the world, incidentally, can match the historical basis of Christianity. None other offers sacred writings with the proof of prophecy.

The Bible is not a fairytale. This is true of the Old Testament as well as the New. The writings of the Apostles clearly indicate knowledge of and reliance upon Hebrew Scripture. Furthermore, the apostles wrote about contemporary events to an audience containing eye witnesses. Any fabrication could certainly be investigated and denounced.

Remember, also, that these writers lived during a time without cable TV, movies, compact discs, and professional sports. Their attention was not diverted to technologically dazzling amusements. Their existence depended on their fields and their herds. People everywhere were interested in the concept of a supreme being or beings. As the seed of Abraham, the Jews knew the one, true almighty God, because He chose to reveal himself to them.

Unlike apathetic America approaching the 21st century, these people were well versed in the five books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy), as well as the prophets and other books of what would later be formalized into the Old Testament.

In his New Testament letter designated 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Paul indicated:

"For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins *according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures..." (emphasis mine).

Notice prevalence of the phrase "according to the Scriptures." It reminds me of a college journalism class where the professor demanded "attribute, attribute, attribute," concerning information in news articles. In this passage, Paul seems to place authority of prophetic scripture ahead of even eyewitness accounts. As earlier mentioned, many who had seen Jesus and witnessed his miracles were alive at the time.

In Psalm 68, verses 10 and 11, Jesus speaks through David of his resurrection:

"For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

Sheol was then the holding place of departed souls. It is where Jesus descended upon his death in order to lead the righteous to heaven. References to the right hand correspond to his position with God Almighty - he's seated at the right hand.

In Psalm 71:20-21, David writes on behalf of Jesus:

"You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, shall revive me again, and bring me up again from the depths of the earth. You shall increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side."

The prophet Hosea also foretold Christ's resurrection.

"Come, and let us return to the LORD; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight. Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth," (Hosea 6:1-3).

If the meaning of these scriptures is unclear, remember that English is an ever-changing, imprecise language, as indicated earlier. Apply the deciphering techniques mentioned.

The Cyrus Sign

Those as skeptical as I used to be might think of Bible prophecy as being a case of mixing a zillion words with enough intervening years and, presto, sooner or later you have a match! If the 300 events relating to the life of one man, Jesus the Messiah, don't convince you, examine King Cyrus II of the Medo-Persian Empire circa 558 to 529 B.C.

Two hundred years before this man's birth the prophet Isaiah recorded that:

1. A man named "Cyrus" would arise and overthrow Babylon.

"Thus says the Lord to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held - to subdue nations before him and to loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut: I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel," - Isaiah 45:1-3.

2. This man would not only allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem, but they also would be granted the privilege of rebuilding the temple.

"Who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd and he shall perform all My pleasure, even saying to Jerusalem, 'You shall be built,' and to the temple, 'Your foundation shall be laid,'" - Isaiah 44:28, NKJ

The startling aspects of Isaiah's Cyrus prophecies are:

• Isaiah called Cyrus by name.
• The Jews were not in captivity at the time.
• The nation of Israel was then well established and secure.
• It had been 800 years since deliverance from Egypt.
• Jerusalem had become a bustling city of commerce.
• Solomon's Temple, which Isaiah said would be rebuilt, was still standing.
• The city of Babylon was identified in Isaiah 45:1 by its "the double doors," or "two leaved gates." These gates were as indigenous of the Babylonian Empire as the Eiffel Tower is to Paris, Big Ben is to London, and the Lincoln Memorial to Washington, D.C. The "two leaved" gates were the most familiar entrance into the city of Babylon and were well known by that name.
• The Babylonian Empire was unequaled at the time of Isaiah's prophecy, making it inconceivable that anyone would even attempt to overthrow Babylon.
• Approximately 100 years after Isaiah's prophecy, the Jews signed a peace treaty with Babylon. This was still 100 years before the prophetic fulfillment of their return from captivity.
• History records that Cyrus escaped a king's death sentence at infancy. His grandfather, King Astyages, was troubled by a dream in which he saw Cyrus lead an uprising. He therefore ordered the infant put to death. But just like Moses (Exodus Chapter one) and later Jesus (Matthew 2:16-18), each of whom escaped attempts on their lives at infancy, Cyrus was preserved. Even when Astyages 10 years later discovered that a stillborn child had been substituted for Cyrus, the king was persuaded to let his grandson live.

Prophecies of Doom

Ancient Babylon is merely one of numerous empires whose demise was scripturally foretold. The most magnificent city of ancient times, and perhaps forever, could not defy what God's word predicted:

"Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the Babylonians' pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah," (Isaiah 13:19, NIV).

The city had been an impregnable fortress. Its walls were 187 feet thick at the base, 200 feet high, with towers that extended to 300 feet. It enclosed 196 square miles. But God said, "Babylon's thick wall will be leveled and her high gates set on fire," (Jeremiah 51:58a). Julian the Apostate fulfilled this prophecy in the 4th century A.D. But not only was Babylon to be destroyed, according to Scripture it would also be forever desolate (Jeremiah 50:13, 39). Situated in the most fertile part of the Euphrates valley (modern-day Iraq), this unlikely situation persists today.

From Sodom and Gomorrah to Tyre and Sidon, Old Testament prophecies concerning cities and empires always hit their mark. God explains why He provided this pinpoint accuracy of prediction:

"Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please." - Isaiah 46:9-10, NIV.

The apostle Peter relied on the prophecy proof of God's mandates to counter blasphemous instruction that was affecting an infant church of the first century. "And so we have the prophetic word made more sure," he recorded in 2 Peter 1:19, "to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts."

Historical Collaboration

If you are skeptical enough to lament the Bible as both predictor and recorder of the events it has forecast, remember that the historical scribe was a venerated professional. He was similar in status to the White House photographer. Where would we be without those intimate, behind-the-scenes pictures of President Kennedy?

The works of Flavius Josephus can be consulted for collaboration on the life of Jesus of Nazareth. You'll find it in Christian bookstores. Although it is not the purpose of this chapter, archaeology provides even more testimony to the bible's accuracy. Many discoveries have borne out the words and indications of holy scripture.

The ultimate proof of God's word is inner feeling, knowing in your knower. This comes through relinquishing control of your life. But with 8,352 verses out of a total of 31,124 possessing predictive value, bible prophecy fashions its own proof positive. In chapter 9 we will examine "Today's Pearls of Prophecy."

"Predictions are also promises," points out Dr. D. James Kennedy, in Why I Believe (1980, Word). "He also promised that he that believeth on the Son shall never die, but have everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but shall have the wrath of God upon him forever. The truthfulness of those words and the certainty of their fulfillment is attested by over two thousand prophecies which have already come to pass."

You will see even stronger evidence as we continue.

... keep reading ...