Biblical Prophecies.
There are an estimated 2000 prophesiesin the Bible. The fulfilment of many of these are recorded both in secular andBiblical history, and some of which are still being fulfilled in the present. Prophecyin the Bible is different from any other claims in any other religious textsand/or fortune tellers in that:
It can be proven that the prophecy was made beforethe event actually happened. Prophecy in the Bible of an event usually occurs along time before its fulfilment – enough time to prevent the possibility of aneducated guess could have been made.
The prophet has no way in which he/she can cause theprophecy to be fulfilled – The person(s) involved in the event are unable tomanipulate the event, even if they wanted to.
The prophecies are usually very unlikely to happen –so unlikely that coincidences and general predictions can be ruled out easily
They come true to the detail.
Below are a but a few of the many testimonies which show that the Bible could only have been revealed by The Supreme Being.
The Jewish Nation.
“Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sunfor a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a lightby night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hostsis His name: If those ordinances depart from before Me, saith the LORD, thenthe seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.Thus saith the LORD: If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations ofthe earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel forall that they have done, saith the LORD.” (Jeremiah 31:37)
This statement written by Jeremiah in between626-586 B.C. [20], is a very profound statement which still hasstood the test of time. Since this time, the existence of the nation of Israelhas been gravely threatened from their Babylonian captivity (during the time ofJeremiah), conquest by the Medes and the Persians, Greeks then the Romans (upto the time of Christ), to the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, where they werescattered among many nations (just as Deuteronomy 28:64 stated) for almost 1900years, prompting many, even some Christians at the time to believe that Israelwas truly abandoned and left for ruin. Even more recently while still scatteredduring World War II (1939-1945), the Jews went through the fire of theHolocaust, where 6 million of them died. Despite being scattered for millennia,the Jews have retained their identity and culture, distinct from the nationsamong whom they lived, while ancient world powers such as Babylonia are nowextinct. The threat of extinction continued even after their miraculous returnin 1948, in the 6-day war in 1967, where, being surrounded by enemy nations,more powerful and larger than themselves, a way was worked out for theirsurvival. The threat of extinction still faces the Jews now, with the on-goingwar in the Middle East. However, as we look in history, the fact that the Jewsstill stand is remarkable and shows that for these Words to have come true, itmust be as the Scripture states – that the Eternal Being is sustaining them, asthe events of history continue to show the Jews’ survival as being naturally very unlikely.
Holocaust images: From Deccan Chronicle
Yom Kippur War images: Israel News Agency
Destruction of Tyre, world's leading seaport at the time
The Bible predicts the fate of many nations and powers of the time: Babylonia, Ammon and Egypt to name a few.However, one of the most profound and detailed prophecies of cities whose fateis also confirmed in secular sources is the city of Tyre. Tyre was the capital of Phoenicia, and was the world’s leading maritime centre of commerce forcenturies – a rich and powerful city and port [21]. However, as the city dwellers were boasting about their feats and ridiculing the Israelites,rejoicing about Israel’s suffering, God through the prophet Ezekiel prophesied many detailed and stunning predictions about Tyre:
1. Many nations will fight against Tyre
“Now then, this is what I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying: I am your enemy, city of Tyre. I will bring many nations to attack you; and they will come like the waves of the sea.” (Ezekiel 26: 3)
Predicted Fate of Numerous Cities and Nations
Fishermen at the Sidonian (northern) port of Tyre, drying their nets as was prophesied by the Bible.
2. Tyre will be made bare and flat like the top of a rock.
“They will destroy your city walls and tear down your towers. Then Iwill sweep away all the dust and leave only a bare rock.” (Ezekiel 26:4)
3. Fishermen will spread their nets over the heap that was once Tyre.
“Fishermen will dry their nets on it, there where it stands in the sea. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken. The nations will plunder Tyre,” (Ezekiel 26: 5)
4. Weapon of defeat
“And with their swords they will kill those who live in her towns on themainland. Then Tyre will know that I am the LORD.” (Ezekiel 26:6)
5. Nebuchadnezzar will attack Tyre
“The Sovereign LORD says, “I am going to bring the greatest king of all– King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia – to attack Tyre. He will come from thenorth with a huge army, with horses and chariots and with cavalry...” (Ezekiel26:7-8).
6. The debris from the buildings in Tyre will be thrownin the water.
“Your enemies will help themselves to your wealth and merchandise. Theywill pull down your walls and shatter your luxurious houses. They will take thestones and wood and all the rubble, and dump them into the sea.” (Ezekiel 26:12).
7. Tyre will never be rebuilt and its glory will never berestored
“I will leave only a bare rock where fishermen can dry their nets. Thecity will never be rebuilt. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken.” (Ezekiel 26:14).
8. The ruins of the ancient city of Tyre will never be found
“I will make you a terrifying example, and that will be the end of you.People may look for you , but you will never be found.” The Sovereign LORD hasspoken. (Ezekiel 26:21).
Ezekiel wrote these prophesies about 586 B.C. At the time Ezekiel made these prophecies. Tyre was a powerful city holding a stature much like that of New York City today. From historical records, king Nebuchadnezzar did in fact attack the city of Tyre after they refused to surrender to the Babylonian armies, as they themselves had a powerful fleet, and relied on their ownstrength. In the 6th Century, Nebuchadnezzar destroyed many of the people of the mainland of Tyre, using swords – the same weapon foretold in the Bible,and not any of the other favoured methods of war by the Babylonian armies. However, some managed to escape to the island of Tyre where they fortified themselves and remained a powerful city for some centuries. During this time itmust have seemed that Ezekiel's prophecy was not wholly correct, but, as the prophecy says: “Many nations will attack Tyre”, eventually they did. The following is a quote from the secular historical encyclopedia Brittanica:
“Alexander the third in his wars with thePersians eventually defeating Darius the third at the Battle of Isis in 333 B.C. marched South-West towards Egypt, calling up the Phoenician cities to open their gates. The citizens of Tyre refused to do so, and Alexander laid siege tothe city, Possessing no fleets, he demolished old Tyre mainland, and with the debris, built a moat 200 ft. wide across the straits separating the old and new towns, erecting towers and war engines at the far end.”
Secular historian PhilipMyers also confirmed the historicity of what the Bible predicted long ago:
“Alexander the Great reduced Tyre to ruins in 332 B.C. She recovered a measure from this blow, but never regained her place she had previously gained in the world. The large part of the side of the once great city, is now as bare as the top of a rock; a placewhere the fishermen still spread their nets to dry”
Without even realizing that he was fulfilling prophecy, Alexander the third’s decision to scrape the debris from mainland Tyre and dump it into the sea (see prophecies 2 and 6 above) to build a moat, is undeniably spectacular.
ABSOLUTELY NO HUMAN BEING could have predicted that the mighty city of Tyre would have fallen; ONLY GOD could have revealed these.
Despite all strength of Tyre ,God’s Word prevailed The Tyre prophecy is but one of about 1500 Old Testament prophesies of minute detail relating to cities or nations that have already been fulfilled.
Messianic Prophecies
The specific prophecies present in the New Testament with detailed descriptions of the roles, actions,works, death and even resurrection of the Messiah whom the LORD revealed to theJewish people that would come to save His people, are some of the most remarkable, written many centuries before this one Person, named Jesus,embodied to the detail, in events surrounding His birth, ministry, type of death and resurrection.
Events surrounding Jesus’ death
Most have heard passages such as: "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that broughtus peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed (Isa 53:5)"or “He willingly gave his life and shared the fate of evil men. HE took the place sinners and prayed that they might be forgiven”, or "All who see me mock me; they hurlinsults, shaking their heads: 'He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him.Let him deliver him, since he delights in him" (Ps 22:7-8), which all vividly point to a person who will suffer a horrible type ofdeath on behalf of many evil people so that forgiveness may be possible.
What is equally remarkable about these scriptures, particularly "They have pierced my hands and my feet” (Ps 22:16) ,a Psalm written by David, dated approximately 1000 B.C. ( Halley, 1965,p.34) is that this type of death where the hands and feet were pierced,was invented no earlier than the 6th Century B.C. accordingto the secular source Encyclopedia Brittanica Online [22],that is, about 400 years after David wrote it in Psalms 22:16. These and hundreds of more prophesies made at times several centuries before being fulfilled in only one man named Jesus Christ, show that these predictions couldnot have come from human origin.
