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Thursday, January 26, 2012

The Most Astounding Fulfilled Prophecies

One of the best proofs of the Bible's validity is fulfilled prophecy. However, people often focus on OT prophecies about Jesus. These are of little use apologetically, since skeptics do not trust the NT account of Jesus. Therefore, I have decided to compile a list of the five most impressive fulfilled prophecies that cannot be denied.

The Conquest of Cyrus of Persia (Isaiah 45:1-7)

Scripture

 Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus,
   whose right hand I have grasped,
to subdue nations before him
   and to loose the belts of kings,
to open doors before him
   that gates may not be closed:
“I will go before you
   and level the exalted places,
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
   and cut through the bars of iron,
I will give you the treasures of darkness
   and the hoards in secret places,
that you may know that it is I, the LORD,
   the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
For the sake of my servant Jacob,
   and Israel my chosen,
I call you by your name,
   I name you, though you do not know me.
I am the LORD, and there is no other,
   besides me there is no God;
   I equip you, though you do not know me,
that people may know, from the rising of the sun
   and from the west, that there is none besides me;
   I am the LORD, and there is no other.
I form light and create darkness,
   I make well-being and create calamity,
   I am the LORD, who does all these things.

Fulfillment

Isaiah was written in the eighth century. Many liberal scholars say that the prophecies were written much later, but they arrive at that conclusion primarily on the basis that they don't believe in predictive prophecy. This circular reasoning leaves no good reason to doubt the single authorship after Uzziah died. Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, came to power over 100 years later. He returned the Jews to Israel and conquered many nations, just as Isaiah prophesied.

The Restoration of Israel (Jeremiah 30:10-11, Isaiah 43:5, among others)

Scripture

Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the LORD, 
   nor be dismayed, O Israel; 
for behold, I will save you from far away, 
   and your offspring from the land of their captivity. 
Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, 
   and none shall make him afraid.

Fear not, for I am with you; 
   I will bring your offspring from the east, 
   and from the west I will gather you.

Fulfillment

Everyone knows that Israel has been restored. No historian doubts that Israel was scattered among the nations for thousands of years, only to just recently be brought back together as a nation in 1948.

Desolation of Edom

Scripture (Ezekiel 25:12-14)

Thus says the Lord GOD: Because Edom acted revengefully against the house of Judah and has grievously offended in taking vengeance on them, therefore thus says the Lord GOD, I will stretch out my hand against Edom and cut off from it man and beast. And I will make it desolate; from Teman even to Dedan they shall fall by the sword. And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they shall do in Edom according to my anger and according to my wrath, and they shall know my vengeance, declares the Lord GOD.

Fulfillment

This prophecy has been fulfilled over the course of history. The region of Edom, contained in part of what is now Jordan, has been utterly desolate for ages. It's barren and inhospitable.

Defeat of Tyre

Scripture (Amos 1:9-10, Ezekiel 26:3)

 Thus says the LORD:
   “For three transgressions of Tyre, 
   and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, 
because they delivered up a whole people to Edom, 
   and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood. 
So I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre, 
   and it shall devour her strongholds.”

therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves.

Fulfillment

Almost all scholars, even secular, agree that Amos was written in the eighth century BC. In the sixth and fourth centuries, Tyre was thoroughly conquered by Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander the Great, respectively.

Insignificance of Egypt

Scripture (Ezekiel 29:13-16)

For thus says the Lord GOD: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered, and I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and bring them back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom. It shall be the most lowly of the kingdoms, and never again exalt itself above the nations. And I will make them so small that they will never again rule over the nations. And it shall never again be the reliance of the house of Israel, recalling their iniquity, when they turn to them for aid. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD.

Fulfillment

For the longest time, Egypt was a powerful nation. It was one of the superpowers of the ancient world. Then Ezekiel prophesied it would be attacked and broken. After that, it would be restored but never to prominence again. In history, Egypt has fallen to insignificance. Only recently has Egypt even become an independent nation again, but after over two and half thousand years it is still dwarfed in importance by many others.