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Bible Prophecies??? What are a few ways in which the bible fulfilled prophecy?

I keep hearing people say this and throwing out verses like Isaiah 7:14 (A young woman will give birth and name the child 'Manny'. Prophecy fulfilled millions of times. Hooray!) Is there anything better than that? Please give examples of things that couldn't have been deliberately set up to fulfill some prophecy ala Jesus riding into town on a donkey. Wow me.

Public Comments

1. No. None.

2. Jesus predicted the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.

3. Here is a drop in the ocean...

"The age of nations must end. The governments of nations have decided to order their separate sovereignties into one government to which they will surrender their arms." (U.N. World Constitution) Revelations speaks of a one world government around the end times. This is something that would have been utterly INCOMPREHENSIBLE until recently!

Seventy percent of Scripture is the story of Israel, start to finish.You never met a Hittite, an Amorite, a Hivite, a Jebusite, or any other "ite", right? They were all around at the times the bible was written, but no...they have long since morphed into the melee and the mix of the races. But we do still have pure Israelites! That in itself is an indication of God’s preservation for their future.

Just the fact that they’re still a people, recently back in thier land (as B says), and duly constituted as a nation (as B says) proves the bible has to be of a supernatural being - or of a time traveler!

In Matthew 24:14, the Bible says that the Gospel (the news about Jesus and his offer of salvation and eternal life) will be preached throughout the world. The Bible also says that sometime after this happens, the end will come. The Bible has been preached throughout the world for a long time. But now, with the increasing worldwide availability of television and the Internet, there is greater potential for the Gospel to be preached to everyone, everywhere.

4. I AM the Divine One and there is no other God, nor anyone like me; the One telling from the beginning the finale, and from long ago the things that have not been done.” (Isaiah 46:9, 10) So says Jehovah, the one able to foretell the future unerringly.
Man’s inability to predict the future accurately is notorious. That the Bible is a book of prophecy should therefore stimulate all truth-seekers to investigate its claim of divine authorship. Let us consider some Biblical prophecies that have already come true.
Ancient Civilizations
God foretold that Babylon would suffer permanent destruction and that Edom, Moab, and Ammon would also be destroyed forever. (Jeremiah 48:42; 49:17, 18; 51:24-26; Obadiah 8, 18; Zephaniah 2:8, 9) The disappearance of these peoples as distinct national groups testifies to the accuracy of God’s prophetic Word.
Of course, one might argue that anyone can predict that a nation, however mighty, will eventually pass out of existence. But that argument ignores the vital fact that the Bible went further. For example, it provided details as to just how Babylon would be overthrown. The Bible foretold that the city would be conquered by the Medes, that the invading soldiers would be under the leadership of Cyrus, and that the city’s defensive rivers would be dried up.—Isaiah 13:17-19; 44:27–45:1.
Not in all cases did the Bible predict that a conquered nation or people would cease to exist forever. On the contrary, in foretelling the overthrow of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, God said that the city would experience a restoration, despite Babylon’s policy of never releasing its captives. (Jeremiah 24:4-7; 29:10; 30:18, 19) This was fulfilled, and the Jews’ descendants continue to exist as a distinct people to this day.
Further, Jehovah foretold that Egypt would be overthrown as a world power but that “afterward she [would] be resided in as in the days of old.” In time, this ancient power would “become a lowly kingdom.” (Jeremiah 46:25, 26; Ezekiel 29:14, 15) This proved true as well. In addition, Jehovah predicted that Greece would be overthrown as a world power, but never did he say that this nation would cease to exist. What do we learn from the disappearance of civilizations about which Jehovah predicted annihilation and the presence of others about which he made no such prediction? That God’s Word contains genuine, reliable prophecy.
Amazing Detail
As noted above, Jehovah provided many details regarding the nature of Babylon’s fall. Similarly, in foretelling the downfall of Tyre, the book of Ezekiel said that its stones, woodwork, and dust would be placed “in the very midst of the water.” (Ezekiel 26:4, 5, 12) This prophecy was fulfilled in 332 B.C.E. when Alexander the Great had his army use the ruins of the vanquished mainland part of the city to build a causeway to the island part of Tyre, which was then conquered as well.
The prophecy recorded at Daniel 8:5-8, 21, 22 and 11:3, 4 also provided impressive details with regard to an unusually great “king of Greece.” This ruler would be cut down at the zenith of his power, and his kingdom would then be divided into four but not among his descendants. More than 200 years after this prophecy was recorded, Alexander the Great proved to be that mighty king. Secular history tells us that he was cut down by an untimely death and that his empire was eventually split among four of his generals—not his descendants.
Critics have claimed that this prophecy must have been recorded after the fact. Look again, though, at the above-cited account in the book of Daniel. When viewed from the standpoint of prophecy, its details are remarkable. But when viewed as history masquerading as prophecy, does there not seem to be a glaring lack of detail? If an impostor who lived after Alexander were trying to impress readers with a supposed prophecy, why did he not include the point that immediately following Alexander’s death, two of his sons would try to establish their kingship but would be assassinated? Why did he not mention that it would be decades before all four generals would establish themselves over different parts of Alexander’s empire? For that matter, why did he not mention the names of the great king and his four generals?
The claim that Bible prophecy was written after the event is a long-held but unproven assertion made by those who before examining the evidence have decided that foretelling future events is impossible. Because they refuse to accept the Bible as God’s Word, they are compelled to explain everything from a purely human, material standpoint. Nevertheless, God wisely inspired just enough prophetic detail to establish his authorship.

5. The Messianic prophecies prove that Jesus is the Messiah: http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Miscellaneous/messianic_prophecies.htm

6. Everything 'predicted' in the bible occurred before the bible was written, including the destruction of the temple. The gospels weren't written down until many years after the alleged death of Jesus, and the bible itself wasn't compiled for a few more centuries.


Torg

7. this is an awsome prophecy video by a guy named John
courson,,,if you are willing to watch it I think you will look at the bible quite differently. http://www.joncourson.com/teaching/teachingsplay.asp?teaching=T435

8. Here are a couple, but there are many more:

Jeremiah 25:11-12: Jeremiah foretold that Babylon would rule over Judah for 70 years, but then Babylon itself would be punished and it would cease to exist forever. Until this very day, Babylon is a wasteland, and despite attempts to rebuild it (ex. Heussein) , this has never happened. It is also noteworthy that this wasn't the first time that the Babylonians were dealt a crushing defeat. The Assyrians had defeated the Babylonians earlier, but the Babylonian Empire was still able to recover and came back to defeat the Assyrians. The final crush was only when God foretold that he would punish Babylon and make it desolate after the 70 years.

Isaiah 45:1; 44:27-28: Isaiah specifically prophecies that a man named Cyrus would fulfill God's will in restoring the Jews to Jerusalem. The prophecy even specifies the way in which it was accomplished: by drying up the riverbed, etc... After defeating the Babylonians, Cyrus allowed the Jews to return and helped in the rebuilding of the temple.

Daniel 8:1-8: This one doesn't contain specific names like the others... it describes a great conquerer referred to as a two-horned Ram that went about conquering without any difficulty (obviously referring to the Medo-Persian empire {thus the two horned aspect},you need to read the actual details in the account and know some history b/c I'm not gonna write them all out here). But, then a Goat with one large horn emerges that is swiftly covering land, so the Ram charges the Goat (the Grecian empire led Alexander the Great aka the large horn, again you need to read the details for yourself) but can't stand against him. When the Medes and Persians try to defeat the Grecians, they are dealt a crushing defeat. The Goat continues to conquer and becomes Great (Alexander the GREAT...). But, at the height of his power, the large horn (Alexander) is broken off and becomes four smaller horns. History shows that Alexander the Great was struck down by illness at the height of his power, and four of his generals took control of the empire which was split up into four regions. The prophecy actually continues to describe more, but Im tired of typing...

9. Right from the beginning, in Genesis, After the 'fall' God tells Adam and Eve, "One will be born of Mankind, Who's heel will be bruised by satan, yet He will crush his head"
Referring to Jesus, Who was indeed wounded for our sins, yet He destroyed satan's 'rulership' of mankind.
Though Adam and eve lived a pretty long time, there's noooo way they could have set that into motion, so far into the future!

10. Honestly, I don't think you can be wowed.

Nevertheless, there are over 300 prophecies of a Jewish Messiah in the Old Testament. The prophecies range from the very vague to the very specific. Jesus Christ fulfilled every one. Even when the Jewish people rejected Jesus as the Messiah, they did so based upon their expectations for his political prowress, and not because he did not fulfill Messianic prophecy.

Interestingly, the Old Testament also predicts the death of the Messiah by crucifixion. This prophecy is conclusively dated to more than 400 years prior to the invention of crucifixion.

The prophet Ezekiel predicted that the Israelites would be scattered around the globe. In 70 AD, when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem, this prophecy came true. Ezekiel also predicted that the Jewish people would maintain their identity as a nation. Despite being spread around the world, they have remained a nation. Show me another nation that can stay together after being conquered and dispersed; have you ever seen an Ammonite? A Moabite? Do slaves retain tribal identities with their original kindred? Yet exactly as predicted, the Jewish people remained a nation.

Ezekiel also predicted that the Jews would return to their homeland. In 1948, this also occurred. Ezekiel also predicted that the Jewish people would have great wealth, even greater than they did in the days of Solomon. This hasn't come true yet, but there are at least two serious efforts to find oil in Israel, using Biblical prophecies and cues as a guide.

Daniel predicted the rise and fall of a succession of empires, all of which came true. He also predicts the re-establishment of an empire formed out of the same territory that the Roman Empire encompassed (and he predicted this before the Roman Empire's existence, by the way.) Today the Eurpoean Union covers the same territory, and is arguably the most powerful economic force on the globe. Daniel predicts further changes to the power structure of this union, and interestingly, such changes are being proposed in Europe today.

The Bible predicts two interesting alliances that will play a part in the final days of the earth. Russia and Persia (now modern-day Iran) are predicted to be allied (and today they are) as are China and Japan (and their relationship is strengthening now for the first time in history.)

That's a lot ... the point is that Biblical prophecy is extensive, accurate, and contemporary. It is worth understanding and studying.

11. If there ever was a prophecy fulfilled, it was because the writers wrote them into their story.

12. YES... The Bible has predicted MANY things even thousands of years in advance... I wrote a paper about this that is 13 pages long.. I can email if you are interested, here is some things.. I have more if you want as well.. Please do not hesitate.. I will give you as much as you want.. Bible prophecy is my favorite subject, because it shows truth...


Here is why I believe in the Bible.
I have studied some of the teachings of religions and different denomonations within the Bible. Prophecy is the one thing which leads me to accept the accuracy of the Bible as the written word of God.
First of all the Bible is not any mans interpretation. Men spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy spirit.. The Bible has been written over thousands of years on 3 continents.. All of it coincides one from another.. The problem with interpretation occurs when one feels their finite human knowledge can discern the meaning of Holy scriptures which have manifold meaning. Not one atheist has asked for the Holy spirit to discern the Bible. And those who have asked have received abundantly.
Furthermore the prophecies described in the Bible are the proof.. They are NOT vague and general..
There have been prophecies which described Jesus ministry, when he would die. How he would die, where he would die, what would happen after he died, who would do what with his clothing, which family he would come from. How long the ministry would last..
THE BIBLE PREDICTED THE RISE AND FALL OF THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE(Dan 7:4), to MEDO PERSIAN with its three provinces Egypt, Lydia, and Babylon. (Dan 7:5)(Dan 8:20), to GREECE(Dan8:21) with its four heads representing 4 generals.(Dan 7:6)(Dan 8:22), to Rome, and the Western Roman divided empire(Dan 7:7)..the Bible foretold the Medo Persian Empire Prophecies of Alexander the great(Dan 8:5) His four generals(Dan 8:8), how alexander would die. Prophecies of Rome uprooting 3 kingdoms(Dan 7:8; 8:9) during the expansion of the roman empire after the year 538 when emperor Justinian gave the keys of the kingdom to the arch bishop of rome, and he moved his kingdom to Constantinople... Please study History, and then read Daniel and the Revelation.. I please email me if you would like proof of these prophecies.. I have the 125 prophcies recorded of Jesus. Not to mention the prophecies about all the empires..
It is my understanding that if the Bible makes a prediction, and no one understands History(which doesn't lie) than how will they know if the Bible is telling the truth?
God Bless you!

13. In fact, there are many false or unfilled prophecies in the Bible. Despite the misrepresentations of Bible believers, some prophecies were total failures.

One example is Ezekiel's prophecy that Nebuchadrezzar's army would totally destroy Tyre and that it would never be rebuilt (Ezekiel 26; Nebuchadrezzar was preparing to attack Tyre when Ezekiel made his prophecy). But Nebuchadrezzar failed to destroy Tyre (the war ended in a stalemate after 13 years), so Bible believers say it was fulfilled with Alexander's destruction of Tyre two and a half centuries later. But that is not what the prophecy says; Ezekiel made it clear that Nebuchadrezzar would destroy Tyre, and his prophecy was directed against the Tyrians of his own time because they had reveled in Jerusalem's destruction. Moreover, contrary to Ezekiel's prophecy that it would never be rebuilt, Tyre was rebuilt not long after Alexander's destruction and it is still an important city today. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyre_(city)

In any case, cities destroyed during wars were common at that time (as I mentioned above, Jerusalem had also been destroyed), so the destruction of a city then was hardly unique. The point is that Ezekiel said Tyre would never be rebuilt. Yet it was and you can visit it even today.

Ezekiel also prophesied that Nebuchadrezzar would conquer Egypt and that Egypt would be abandoned for forty years and its inhabitants scattered among all the nations (Ezekiel 29). That prophecy was also a total failure. Bible believers, of course, rarely mention this prophecy because it would be too hard to make it seem as if it were fulfilled.

Some of the prophecies were made after the fact and written to appear as if they were made before the fact. The prophecies in the book of Daniel were of this type. There is considerable evidence that that book was written in the second century B.C. instead of the sixth century B.C., when it was supposed to have been written. For example, the spelling of the name of the Babylonian king in Daniel is Nebuchadnezzar, which reflects the later Greek pronunciation, rather than Nebuchadrezzar, which reflects the original spelling used during the sixth century B.C. (Ezekiel used the original spelling in his book, which WAS written in the 6th century B.C.). There are also anachronisms, such as language usage that place it in the second century B.C., In fact, the Book of Daniel was probably written about 167 B.C. This is because there are many anachronisms in the book that place it about that date. For example, the "prophecies" in the book accurately reflect events up to 167 B.C., but are wrong for events after that date, which indicates that the writer of Daniel "prophesied" historical events from his standpoint, but when he tried to actually predict what would happen in the future he failed.

http://www.theskepticalreview.com/TSRmag/984bad.html
http://www.inu.net/skeptic/daniel.html

In addition, many of the so-called prophecies in the Bible are vaguely stated, were written after the fact, or were interpreted in a way that had nothing to do with the intent of the "prophets" who had originally uttered them.

Isaiah 7:14 is one such prophecy. The original Hebrew word translated as "virgin" actually means "young woman." A totally different Hebrew word means "virgin," and Isaiah used that word in several other places in his book, so he would have used it in 7:14 if he intended that meaning. The prophecy had nothing to do with Jesus. It was actually about a child who would be born a short time later and about some events that would take place by the time the child would know to accept good over evil. Matthew was desperate to find a passage in the scriptures to support his idea about the virgin birth, so he misapplied the Isaiah passage. He was misled because he used the Greek translation of the scriptures, which translated "young woman" with a Greek word that was more ambiguous.