The Old Testament contains a very large number of clear prophecies about Jesus Christ, all written between 400 and 1700 or so years before He was born in the stable in the little town of Bethlehem. Many of these prophecies, recorded by holy men of God . . . moved by the Holy Spirit [2PE 1:21], were literally fulfilled during the life of Christ on Earth about 2000 years ago. Just as surely as those were fulfilled the many other prophecies in both the Old and New Testaments will yet come to pass.

Some 1700 years before His first coming, Moses wrote that He would be born as the seed of the woman [GEN 3:15]. 700 years before He came, the prophet Isaiah recorded that He would be born of a virgin [ISA 7:14]. Matthew and Luke record this event after it happened. It was written by Moses that He would be a descendant of Abraham and be born of the tribe of Judah [GEN 22:18. See also GAL 3:16; GEN 49:10]. Again about 700 years before Christ's birth the prophet Micah said that He would be born in Bethlehem [MIC 5:2. See also MAT 2:5, 6]. Many other clear prophecies were given in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the life of the Lord Jesus in the days of His Earthly ministry. For example: He would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey; He would perform many miracles; He would be rejected by His brethren; He would be rejected by rulers; He would be betrayed by a friend; He would be forsaken by His disciples; He would be sold for 30 pieces of silver; His betrayal money would be used to purchase a place for burying the poor and He would be beaten on the cheek and spit upon. Still other details were given concerning His death by crucifixion. Isaiah explained the meaning of His sacrificial death. Zechariah foretold the piercing of His hands. Not one of His bones was to be broken and about this the Apostle John wrote: The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation [Friday], that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day . . . asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they broke not His legs: . . . For these things were done THAT THE SCRIPTURE SHOULD BE FULFILLED, A bone of Him shall not be broken, [JOH 19:31, 32, 33, 36. See also PSA 34:20].

The fulfilled prophecies of the Bible are one of the evidences that God in fact has revealed Himself to mankind in the Bible and that therefore the Bible is indeed the very Word of God. Men ought therefore to pay close attention to what He says. Just as surely as many prophecies have already been unmistakably fulfilled the numerous others surely will be fulfilled. A wicked and perverse generation may mutilate and disregard the Bible yet one day they will give account for their perversity. A day of reckoning is surely coming. Every man may do what is right in his own eyes [JDG 21:25] now, but God says, It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment [HEB 9:27]. We urge you therefore, Seek the Lord while He may be found [ISA 55:6].

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This Page Last Updated: 12/08/98 A. Allison Lewis aalewis@christianbeliefs.org