Last time, we began looking at Bible prophecy. You can read Part 1 here.

There are well over a thousand fulfilled prophecies in Scripture. Some events are prophesied and fulfilled within the pages of the Old Testament, while others point to later times.

Some prophecies receive their fulfillment in the New Testament, of which more than 300 point to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

These prophecies speak of the place, time, and manner of His birth and His teaching and healing ministry.

Examples include but are not limited to the following.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
-Isaiah 7:14

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.
-Micah 5:2

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
-Isaiah 9:6

Peter quotes the following passage, identifying Jesus as the rock of offense, rejected by men, that became the cornerstone of the spiritual house God is building. We are the building blocks of this spiritual abode, the living body of Christ, when we turn to Him in faith (1 Peter 2:4-8).

therefore thus says the Lord God,
“Behold, I am the one who has laid[a] as a foundation in Zion,
a stone, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation:
‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’
-Isaiah 28:16

Others provide details of the final twenty-four hours leading to His crucifixion and resurrection from the dead.

I gave my back to those who strike,
and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;
I hid not my face
from disgrace and spitting.
-Isaiah 50:6

Jesus was whipped, beaten, and spat upon, But He never complained.

Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
-Psalm 41:9

Judas, one of Jesus’ twelve closest companions, who shared bread with Him at the last supper and doubtless, many times before, betrayed Him for 30 pieces of silver.

Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver.
-Zachariah 11:12

One of the most prolific prophetic passages in scripture, out of which come many Messianic prophecies and is often quoted by Christians, is Isaiah 53. Here is an excerpt.

Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
-Isaiah 53:7

Jesus references the fiery serpent from Numbers 21:8 in John’s Gospel as a foreshadowing of His crucifixion.

And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.
-Numbers 21:8

Jesus said,

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
-John 3:14-18

After the soldiers lifted Him up, Jesus hung, pieced hands and feet, bones out of joint, thirsty. They mocked and scorned Him and cast lots for His clothing. Listen to this Psalm of David, written centuries earlier.

I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.

For dogs encompass me;
a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet[b]—
I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
they divide my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.
-Psalm 22:14-18

Manuscripts existing today from the Dead Sea Scrolls, only discovered in 1948 in the caves in Qumran and dated before Jesus’ birth, contain these prophecies. The age of these manuscripts eliminates any doubt about the prophetic nature of the writings and their fulfillment in Jesus.

The scrolls discovered in Qumran contain parts of all Old Testament Scriptures except for Esther and Nehemiah. In addition, they include a nearly complete copy of Isaiah, including many Messianic prophesies committed to writing before Jesus was born.

When God speaks through a prophet, what He says is as good as done.

God exists outside of time and space, simultaneously seeing our past, present, and future. When He sends a prophetic message or vision, He is, at that moment, watching and directing its fulfillment. That is why every God-given prophecy is accurate to the smallest detail. It is based on factual observation of God-delivered activity and not guess-work;

The examples I have presented are merely a sampling of the prophecies in Scripture. Please explore this topic further and in greater detail for yourself. It is a rewarding endeavor.

Next time, we will look at the origin of the Qur’an.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.