Biblical prophecies
prophecies are always favorite topics of discussion not only for Christians but even for skeptics, agnostics, atheists, occultists, and even fortunetellers. What fascinates and puzzles many of us is the mystery behind the amazingly perfect predictions in the Holy Bible which come to pass with a 100 percent accuracy, without error down to the minutest detail. God’s messages are spoken through men who are called prophets.
At least one fourth of the Holy Bible deals with prophecy. Of the 31,124 verses in the Bible, 8,352 refer to prophecies. And of about 590 significant events predicted to happen, all except 20 have been fulfilled.
The great mystery of prophecies is not just the perfect accuracy of the predictions but their relevance not just for a particular generation but for all times. And so, prophecies in the Old Testament still have meaning for this generation. In the Book of Zechariah of the Old Testament, the prophet Zechariah predicted a catastrophe that would cause the consumption of the flesh, eyes, and tongues before the victims can run for cover. On August 15, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped in the Japanese city of Hiroshima and in less than 60 seconds, the city was burned and about 100,000 people living within a radius of one mile from the center of the explosion suffered – human flesh disappeared, eyes melted and tongues dissolved as after-effects of a nuclear blast. Before the mid-20th century, anybody reading Zechariah’s prophecy in the Holy Bible would not have been able to comprehend what Zechariah was saying.
Nowadays, people are watching with great suspense what is happening to the Jewish people and Israel. In countless prophecies, our Lord predicted the exile of the Jews throughout the world and their regathering to the Promised Land. Jerusalem, Israel’s capital, has twice been taken away and twice it has been restored to Israel. No other state has been the subject of numerous attempts to relegate her to memory as Israel. Up to now all these attempts have failed, confirming truly the Biblical prophecies about Israel.
How did God communicate His revelation to His prophets who foretold future events? God used different situations to foretell future events. Here are some examples. The Holy Bible reveals that angels reassured Abraham that he would have a son with his wife Sarah despite their old age. Abraham was then 99 and Sarah was 89. The three Wise Men were forewarned of Herod’s evil plan in a dream. The apostle John received the Book of Revelation in a vision. God spoke through a loud voice when He instructed Noah to build an ark. And in one of the funny situations in the Holy Bible, God spoke to Balaam through the mouth of a donkey!
Biblical prophecy is simply history written in advance. How else can we describe the absolute accuracy with which Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection was narrated in the Holy Bible. In the Old Testament, there are about 37 prophecies relating to the anticipated Savior that were fulfilled by our Lord while upon this earth. Some of these prophecies were that He would be born of a virgin; that He would be born in Bethlehem and be presented with gifts by the magi; that He would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver; that He would be crucified between two thieves; that His garments would be parted and gambled for; that He would be raised from the dead; and that He would ascend to Heaven.
May this article strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ. May we be inspired and stimulated to read the Holy Bible and know more about our living and loving God who is in control of everything. And finally may this account of Biblical prophecies confirm once again the omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence of our Almighty and sovereign God now and forever.
By the way, it is very heartening to note that the profile of the readers of this column requesting for copies of the Holy Bible is so varied – from an 8-year- old girl to a 95-year-old lady lawyer; from a housemaid to a judge; from the Ilocos to Sulu; and from an atheist to a priest.
This column continues to give out copies of the Holy Bible for free to those who cannot afford to buy their own copies. If interested, please send your letter-request to Ms. Nelly Favis Villafuerte, 5233 LRV Building, Fahrenheit St., Palanan, Makati City. Kindly mention if it is the Tagalog, English, Cebuano, or Ilocano Bible that is preferred.
Be joyful and forgiving! (Comments may be sent to Ms. Villafuerte’s email: villafuerte_nelly@ yahoo.com)