that Gen. 12:3 was “ the Gospel.” (See Gal. 3 :8 ). Gen. 49:10—The Messiah of Israel and Saviour of the world was to come through the tribe of Judah. II Sam. 7:12-16— Israel’s King was to come through the house of David. A certain family of a certain tribe of a certain nation of all the human race! What definite, specific prophe cies God gave to the world concern ing the coming of the Saviour! But let us hurry on, to note yet other re markable predictions, given us cen turies before Jesus was born in Bethlehem: Isa. 7:14—Seven hundred years be fore Christ was born in Judea, God’s Holy Spirit said to Isaiah that He would be bom of a virgin; cf. Matt. 1 :22, 23. Micah 5:2—Seven hundred years before He was bom of the Virgin Mary, Micah foretold the very city of His b ir th — Bethlehem; cf. Matt. 2:5, 6. Dan. 9:26—Daniel, the prophet, gave us the time of His coming into the world, to be “ cut off”— crucified. Hos. 11:1—The flight into Egypt of Joseph and Mary with the Christ- Child was predicted by Hosea; cf. Matt: 2:15. Jer. 31:15—The w eep in g prophet foretold the weeping of the moth ers in Israel, as they would mourn for their babies in the time of Herod; cf. Matt. 2:16-18. Matt. 2:23—“ He shall be called a Nazarene,” the prophets had said. Isa. 40:3—John the Baptist, the forerunner of the King, was fore seen by Malachi (3 :1 ), as well as by Isaiah; cf. Matt. 3:3. Isa. 42:1; Matt. 3:17 — Marvelous prophecy of the Father’s delight in His Son, our Saviour! cf. Matt. 12:15-21. Isa. 42:6, 7—This is but one of many prophecies which foretold our Lord’s coming into the world to heal the sick, to relieve suffering, and to be a Light “ to the Gen tiles,” as well as to the Jews; cf. Matt. 4:14-16. Zech. 9:9—The triumphal entry into Jerusalem was foretold; cf. Matt. 21:4, 5. Psalm 8:2—The p ra ise s of the children, our Lord Himself said, were foretold by David a thousand years before He came to earth. Psalm 110:1—Again David looked down the centuries and saw the ascended Lord, following His death and resurrection, seated on the right hand of the Majesty on high; cf. Matt. 22:41-46. Psalm 118:22, 23—Christ, a “ stum-
these prophecies, which have already been literally fulfilled, give undenia ble evidence of the divine inspiration of the Word of God. 1. Old Testament Prophecies con cerning Christ. The testimony of Christ concerning the Bible is proved to be authoritative and ir refutable, once His eternal deity is acknowledged; and His deity is es tablished beyond controversy by the Old Testament prophecies concern ing His Person and work. Of course, this is only one of “many infallible proofs” of His deity; for there are others, equally wonderful—His vir gin birth by the Holy Spirit of God; His sinless life; His mighty works, including many miracles; His pro found teachings; the testimony of His Father’s voice from heaven; the testimony of John the Baptist and all the apostles; His own predictions of His death by crucifixion and His bodily resurrection; and finally, His resurrection from the dead. These are some of the other Bible proofs of our Lord’s deity. Add to these the voice of the ages, in that even secular history dates from His birth. Add to these His power to transform human life, giving peace and victory over sin found in no other source. Whole volumes have been written on the deity of our Lord. But, for our purposes here, we want to consider only the one proof of Old Testament prophecies concerning His first coming into the world; for these prove also that the Bible is the eternal Word of God. These fulfilled prophecies con cerning the Lord Jesus Christ ap pear all the more remarkable to us as we remember that some of them were written thousands of years be fore He was born in Bethlehem’s manger. And why did God write these detailed prophecies hundreds and thousands of years before Jesus came to die for sinners? The Lord Jesus Himself gave us His own an swer to our question when he said, “Now I tell you before it comes, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he” (John 13:19). Here are some of the most re markable Old Testament prophecies concerning our crucified and risen Lord Jesus. There are more than three hundred, which foretold His first coming into the world: Gen. 3:15—As the “ Seed of wom an,” He was to be the virgin-born Son of Man, “God manifest in the flesh.” Gen. 12:3—The Redeemer was to come from the Nation of Israel, for Abraham was the father of the Hebrew nation; and Paul said
tion of God and is profitable for doc trine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (II Tim. 3:16, 17). “No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (II Peter 1:20, 21). References of the apostles to the inspiration of the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, could be m u ltip lied manifold. Who could speak with the voice of authority so well as they, after the Lord Himself had gone back to heaven? Had they not sat at His feet, listened to His teachings, received from Him their power and authority? Indeed, the risen Christ prepared them for the very ministry of giving to the world His final and complete message, con tained in the pages of Holy Writ. For this testimony the apostles laid down their very lives. Surely their testimony stands in the court of heaven — and in any earthly court that is impartial and honest in judg ment. The weight of their testimony . is irrefutable! The fulfillment of literally hun dreds of Bible prophecies bears si lent testimony to the inspiration of the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit of God. Prophecy is the finger of God. No mere man knows the future; no mere man can foretell the future unless God has spoken to him. But God-given prophecy, fulfilled to the very letter, is an incontestable proof of the authority of the Bible and of Christianity. How great has been Satan’s victory in abolishing proph ecy from many pulpits! You can go into a thousand churches without hearing a sermon on the prophetic teaching of the Word of God. Now there are several lines of prophecy found in the Old Testa ment, the chief of which are these: One pertaining to the Lord Jesus Christ; one referring to the Jewish nation; one, to the Gentile nations. The New Testament, likewise, deals with these three prophetic themes, adding many ever-unfolding details concerning them, and adding also some definite prophecies concerning the condition of the professing church as this age of grace draws to a close. Let us consider briefly how THE TESTIMONY OF FULFILLED PROPHECY
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APRIL, 1965
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