The Bible is extraordinary because it contains numerous precise and in-depth prophecies about Jesus, despite the fact that the first half (the “Old Testament”) was written hundreds of years before Jesus was born!
Summary
“This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem,” said Jesus, summarizing the Old Testament’s message (Luke 24:46-47).
If only Jesus’ disciples had properly understood the Old Testament, they would not have been surprised that the Son of God had to be crucified. 1,000 years beforehand, King David had already described Jesus’ death in great detail… even though, back then, crucifixion had not even been invented yet (Psalm 22; cf. Mark 15)! King David also predicted Jesus’ resurrection, prophesying that God would not let His “Holy One see decay” (Psalm 16:10; cf. Acts 2:24-32). Another Old Testament writer who foresaw Jesus’ death and resurrection was the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah explained that God’s servant would suffer for the sins of God’s people and then rise to life again (Isaiah 53; cf. 1 Peter 2:24), and that this good news of salvation would spread beyond Israel “to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6; cf. Luke 2:32)! Other Old Testament predictions about Jesus Christ include His ancestry (Genesis 49:10; 2 Samuel 7:12-16); His miraculous conception (Isaiah 7:14); the time and place of His birth (Daniel 2:36-45; Micah 5:2); His miracles (Isaiah 35:4-6); His burial (Isaiah 53:9); His ascension to heaven (Daniel 7:13-14); and much, much more.
Far too precise
The prophets were obviously too accurate to have been merely speculating! They were aware of all these facts about Jesus before He was even born, for whatever reason. However, how? The explanation is found in the New Testament (1 Peter 1:10–12; 2 Peter 1–20–21). The prophets wrote because God Himself was providing them with unique, miraculous insight into the future. Because of this, the Bible is referred to be “The Word of God” (Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:23-25).
Not yet come true
But the Bible does contain some prophecies that haven’t yet come to pass. According to the Bible, Jesus will make a second appearance on earth to judge humanity at the end of time (Revelation 20:11–15). The Bible makes it very evident that everyone will be held accountable for their crimes on the Day of Judgment (Ephesians 2:1–3) and that the only individuals who will be spared are those who really believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).
Putting our faith in Jesus, the Son of God, and believing and abiding by the Bible, God’s Word, is the reasonable course of action. Because the Bible accurately predicted Jesus’ first coming, we can be certain that it will accurately predict His second coming as well.
