The Bible, the bestselling book in human history, is unique in many ways, particularly in its accurate predictions of future events by the prophets, the Creator’s messengers. Bible experts estimate more than 1,800 such prophecies are contained in the Bible, of which about 1,200 prophecies are described in the Old Testament. These prophecies encompass many promises made to the Jewish people. Among them were prophecies of a coming Messiah, a Jewish leader chosen by God to rescue their nation. In this section, we will focus on the prophecies made in the Old Testament, which foretell the Messiah and various factors surrounding his life. The Jewish “Messiah” was expected to be a male descendent in the linage of King David, sent to restore God’s kingdom here on earth. Christians believe Jesus is the Messiah prophesized in the Old Testament and confirmed in the writings of the New Testament.

Background

Of the 1,200 predictions in the Old Testament, there appear to be as many as 400 prophecies fulfilled by Jesus. (Alfred Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah). These predictions were documented hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus. They include details of his family lineage, city of birth, preaching the Good News, rejection by his own people, betrayal by a friend, execution, burial, and Resurrection (see list below). The New Testament describes, often from multiple sources, the fulfillment of these predictions. The ultimate confirmation of these Messianic prophecies of Jesus is when he clearly states, “I am he”, in reference to the anticipated Messiah as documented in the Old Testament, as well as his associated divinity (John 18:4–6; see 8:58–59).  As stated by author C. S. Lewis, “Either this man (Jesus) was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.”  Let’s explore these predictions a bit further.

Throughout the 19th and into the 20th century, theologians engaged in rigorous debates over the interpretation of biblical prophecies, particularly regarding their meaning over time. Given the 400 predictions, the case for Jesus fulfilling the promise of the Messiah appears to be unusually strong. In his book Science Speaks (1958), Peter Stoner, a mathematician, analyzes just eight prophecies Jesus fulfilled (according to Old and New Testament accounts). He estimates the probability of a single person accidentally fulfilling just these eight predictions would be an astounding 1 in 1017. That’s one in one hundred quadrillion (100,000,000,000,000,000)— or, a very, very small probability. Does this sound like a coincidence or random accident? If you’re able to acknowledge the reliability of only 8 of the 400 prophecies, then this analysis suggests that the likelihood that Jesus is the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament might be extremely high.  

The below table is a partial list of just fourteen of the Messianic “Predictions” contained in the Old Testament and their “Fulfillment” by Jesus in each case, as documented in the New Testament. These fulfilled prophecies offer strong evidence pointing towards Jesus as the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament. Dr. Norman Geisler, a recognized Christian theologian and philosopher, confirmed the uniqueness of Jesus in history by stating, "Only Jesus has prophecies made hundreds of years in advance made literally true."

Examples of Old Testament Predictions of Jesus and Their New Testament Fulfillment

Summary

The Old Testament prophecies that outline the qualities of the Messiah find a very strong correlation with—and thus fulfillment in—the historical life of Jesus. His alignment with these prophetic words is unique and unmatched in history. The chances of a single individual, out of the billions of the world’s populations over time, accidentally matching these requirements is infinitesimally small. The prophecies fulfilled by Jesus are only one dimension of many factors which support his uniqueness and the truth contained within the Christian story. Please also see the “Jesus is Unique” section/article of this website for more details.

Please click on the links to videos, documents, quotes, and books for further reference to the predictions of the Jewish Messiah, and how they were fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth. If you haven’t already, please consider making the Christian Decision.