Some Select Bible Prophecies
Too much to read? I left out about 290 other Messianic prophecies and countless general prophecies.
1. "I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.'' Gen 3:15
The first messianic prophesy of the bible, in the 3rd chapter of the first book of the bible. God tells Satan of his inevitable defeat by the "woman's seed" which is a reference to the virgin birth. Written by Moses about 1500 years before the birth of Christ. "Bruise you on the head".......Satan's total defeat at the cross. "bruise him on the heel".....Christ's temporary death and resurrection.
2. "And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." Gen 12:2-3
God's promise to Abraham that foretold of the nation of Israel and the event of which all peoples of the Earth will be blessed, the coming of the savior from his descendants the nation of Israel.
3. "It shall come about that as the LORD delighted over you to prosper you, and multiply you, so the LORD will delight over you to make you perish and destroy you; and you will be torn from the land where you are entering to possess it. Moreover, the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth." Deut 28:63-64
A summary of the Jewish nation's future upheavels; 1000 years beforehand. From the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities of the 6th Century BC to the Roman-Jewish war of the 1st century AD which scattered the Jews literally "to the other end of the earth" From the Maccabean period, the Roman 70 AD destruction of Jerusalem, the Islamic invasions and the crusades of the middle ages, to the Nazi death camps in WWII, Israel has certainly seen its share of destruction.
4. Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply. Jer 23:3
God's mercy is shown toward the Jews after they turn back to Him and they are let back into the land of Israel. As so often is with prophesy, this passage has more than one fulfillment. The first was in the 6th century BC when the Medo-Persians allowed the Jews to return to Israel after they defeated the Babylonians. The second was in 1948 when the United Nations voted to allow a nation of Israel to exist in Palestine. There are many prophecies similar to this one concerning Israel's' return to their land.
5. "What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! Ps 8: 4-5
If King David wasn't talking about Christ in this passage from 900 BC then WHO WAS he talking about? Many references to Christ call Him "the son of man", including that reference by Jesus himself.
6. I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And my tongue cleaves to my jaws; And You lay me in the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots. Ps 22: 14-18
David prophetically tells of the scene at the cross as Jesus is dying, and David tells about this including "pierced hands and feet" centuries before the Romans invented crucifixion. David never had an event like this in his life; what is he saying?
7. The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet". The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek". The Lord is at Your right hand; He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath. Ps 110:1,4-5
When David the king of Israel says "The Lord says to my Lord.......", who does David mean as "my Lord".........who else but Christ? This prophecy tells of Christ's ascension to heaven and His heavenly priesthood that will become an earthly Kingship and priesthood after "the day of His wrath". Meanwhile back here on earth the Lord is busy making "Christ's enemies a footstool for His feet".
8. The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone. Open to me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD; The righteous will enter through it. I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me, And You have become my salvation. Ps 19-22
What is the gate of righteousness? Christ! "This [Christ] is the gate of the Lord" "You" (have become my salvation) is also Christ. "You" is also "the stone which the builders rejected" This refers to the Jew's refusal of Christ in his first visitation. Christ will become the chief cornerstone in His kingdom.
9. Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist. Then in that day The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious. Is 11:1-5;10
Jesse is King David's father, so the person this passage speaks of is a descendant of Jesse and David (shoot that springs from Jesse). But how is it this same person who is a descendant of Jesse is also called "the root of Jesse"? (one Jesse comes from) Two verses explain this; Gen 1:26 "Then God said, ""Let Us make man in Our image". Who was the other part of "Us" in God's conversation concerning the creation of man?. John 1:3 says "All things came into being through Him (Jesus)". So Jesse was the forefather of the one who created him. The person this passage speaks of is obviously Christ.
10. For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. Is 9:6-7
Isaiah assigns deity to the person he describes that will be forthcoming: "Mighty God and Eternal Father". Isaiah has so many Messianic prophecies! And an interesting note about the book of Isaiah; a complete copy of the book was found amongst the dead sea scrolls. The copy was almost word-for-word in agreement with what had been the previous oldest copy of these writings dating much later than the scroll copy.
11. Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Is 53
The mission of Christ in a nutshell; 600 years before it happened. "Rejected by men......" the gospels are full of His rejection. "Took up our infirmities; pierced for our transgressions; punishment that brought us peace; by His wounds we are healed; laid on him the iniquities of us all; cut off from the land of the living; [see also Daniel 9:26 "Messiah will be cut off and have nothing"]; assigned a grave with the wicked and with the rich; he will justify many; made intercession for the transgressors." These details are all through the four gospels.
12. But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.'' Micah 5:2
All the prophet Micah does here is fortell the birthplace of Jesus. He also tells of the eternal nature of Messiah. Jesus was not just a man! And Jesus will return to be "Ruler in Israel".
13. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.'' And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.'' Luke 4:17-21
This last passage I present to you is a very interesting passage in which Jesus himself tells the people as he teaches that he is fulfilling old testament prophecy at that very moment in time. The passage Jesus quotes is from Isaiah 61:1-2; which was written over 600 years earlier. But there is an interesting note to this passage Jesus speaks that is easily overlooked. Jesus does not quote the entire part of verse 2. Verse 2 reads in its entirety "To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God. Why does Jesus leave out the text in bold print? Because Jesus will not fulfill this second part of verse 2 at that time. It remains as yet unfulfilled. Are you ready for the fulfillment of the second part of verse 2? BE READY FOR THAT DAY!