AMAZING FACTS
This Where in the Word? section is a bit longer than the others, but it’s important to lay a foundation before continuing, so let’s look at some amazing facts together.
The Bible contains:
•1,239 prophecies in the Old Testament
•578 prophecies in the New Testament
More than 27 percent of the entire Bible is prophetic in nature. The facts proclaim:
•500 of these prophecies have already been fulfilled
•all 500 were fulfilled with 100 percent accuracy
•there are 333 prophecies concerning Jesus
•109 of the 333 were fulfilled by Jesus’s birth, life, and resurrection
•all of them have been fulfilled with 100 percent accuracy
These statistics are staggering and amazing! According to mathematicians who have taken the time to figure this out, it is a mathematical impossibility for one person to fulfill 109 prophecies with 100 percent accuracy. With 109 prophecies fulfilled, this leaves 224 prophecies for Christ to fulfill in His second coming, which is not to be confused with the snatching away of all those who are in Christ (the New Testament Greek word harpazo, which means “to catch up, seize, carry off by force, claim for one’s self eagerly, to snatch out or away”). This is often referred to as the rapture and is a separate phase from the second coming. There are two phases of Christ’s return, which we’ll explore more, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
If 500 of the entire Bible’s prophecies have already been fulfilled with 100 percent accuracy, then that should ease any doubt about the remaining prophecies being fulfilled with 100 percent accuracy. God has already carried out His promises 500 times, and He will continue to do so until every single Bible prophecy is fulfilled.
There have been plenty of people throughout history who have made predictions about the future, but none of them have seen every single one of their predictions fulfilled with 100 percent accuracy. A prediction isn’t prophecy; many confuse the two. And when a crying-wolf prediction doesn’t come to pass (such as those associated with Y2K, when many predicted that the beginning of the new millennium would mean devastation and destruction for the world), people become skeptical and don’t want to hear about prophecy. There are even many Christians who confuse predictions with prophecy because they haven’t been taught the difference.
As David Reagan has pointed out, there is no other book—no other ancient or modern religious text in the world, including the Qur’an (Islam), the Vedas (Hindu), The Book of Mormon (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)—that contains fulfilled prophecies, thus confirming the supremacy of the God of the Bible.1 Only the one true God can prophesy the future with 100 percent accuracy.
PROPHECY UNFOLDS
Another misunderstanding is that many people assume a prophecy will be fulfilled relatively quickly. But the prophecies found in the Bible frequently aren’t fulfilled for a long period of time, and some of them have fulfillments that unfold over time. For example, Isaiah prophesied about the birth and rulership of Jesus 700 years before He was born in Bethlehem. The prophecy wasn’t fulfilled overnight. It was fulfilled in part when Jesus was born, and part of it remains to be fulfilled in the future.
Recently I read an article written by a respected radio host/author, and he wrote about a bestselling book from the 1970s about the second coming of Christ, saying, “But that was a long time ago, almost 50 years now. And still, Jesus hasn’t returned.” He then mentioned a series of bestselling books from the nineties and early 2000s about Christ’s return, and stated, “But still, with all the talk of Jesus coming any day now, with all the excitement about the prophecies being fulfilled, the Lord has not yet returned.”2
Just because we as Christians are expectant of Christ’s return doesn’t mean it will happen right away. Prophecy unfolds over time. We are still waiting for hundreds of prophecies to be fulfilled! If 700 years divided Isaiah’s prophecy about the birth of Christ and His actual birth, we can be assured that God will fulfill His promise about Christ’s return at the right time, even if some 2,000 years have gone by. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
God—and Only God—Can Do It
Time and again the Israelites rejected God, turning instead to idols. In Isaiah 41 we find God mocking their idols. Could they prophesy what would happen in the future?
Tell us, you idols,
what is going to happen…
Or declare to us the things to come,
tell us what the future holds,
so we may know that you are gods.
I look but there is no one—
no one among the gods to give counsel,
no one to give answer when I ask them.
See, they are all false!
Their deeds amount to nothing;
their images are but wind and confusion
(Isaiah 41:22, 23, 28-29).
In contrast, God says that He will tell us about things before they happen.
I am the LORD. That is my name…
The things I said would happen have happened,
and now I tell you about new things.
Before those things happen,
I tell you about them (Isaiah 42:8-9 NCV).
God placed prophecies all throughout the Bible! That His fulfillment rate is 100 percent proves that He alone is God. It’s impossible for so many prophecies to be accurately fulfilled by chance. They serve as the evidence that our doubting hearts need to confirm that God has done and will do exactly what He has said He will do. God went to great lengths to reveal His plans to us—to reveal, from the very beginning, what will happen in the end.
I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, “My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please” (Isaiah 46:10).
And in verse 11:
What I have said, that I will bring about;
what I have planned, that I will do.
WHAT IF EVIL CONTINUED?
From the beginning, God has known the heart of man. When left to ourselves, we are capable of the most heinous acts. In Genesis 6:3 God said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever” (NASB). Just as it was in the days of Noah, there will be a boiling point for God in the end of days, at which time He will judge the earth for evil and wickedness. How could we ever call God good, or call Him a loving Father, if there was no judgment for evil—if wickedness, suffering, pain, rape, murder, torture, genocide, bombings, terrorism, rebellion, etc., were allowed to continue forever? That’s not what a good parent would do. That’s cruel. There must be an end to this earth, which has been corrupted by sin, and there must come a new, refurbished earth, where sin is abolished. Again, in His goodness, God lays out that plan for us through His Word, and we know that His Word can be trusted to be 100 percent accurate because of the prophecies that have already been fulfilled.
EXAMPLES OF OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES THAT HAVE BEEN FULFILLED:
•Abram’s descendants would be strangers in a land not their own and slaves for 400 years (Genesis 15:13-16). Fulfilled.
•Babylon would fall to the Medes (Isaiah 13:17-19). Fulfilled.
•Judah would be taken captive by Babylon for 70 years (Jeremiah 25:1-14). Fulfilled.
•The Jews would not only survive captivity but return to their homeland (Jeremiah 32:36-37). Fulfilled.
•Four great empires would rule the world successively (Daniel 2 and 7: they were Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome). Fulfilled.
•The coming of The Messiah (some verses include: Daniel 9:25, Psalm 2:1-12, Numbers 24:17, 2 Samuel 7:12-16). Fulfilled.
•Jerusalem would be a heap of ruins and the Temple Mount overgrown (Micah 3:12). Fulfilled.
EXAMPLES OF OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES THAT CHRIST FULFILLED
•A Deliverer who will crush our great enemy, Satan (Genesis 3:15). The arrival of this Deliverer, Jesus, is confirmed in Luke 2:4-11 and Galatians 4:4. From the time of Adam, the first man, to Christ, 4,000 years went by, so you can see that this prophecy didn’t come to fruition overnight!
•He was a descendant of Abraham (Genesis 12:3, 7; 22:18) and of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10). Matthew 1:1 confirms that Jesus fulfilled these prophecies.
•He was of the house of David and would have a throne, a kingdom, and a dynasty that would start with King David and last forever (2 Samuel 7:12-13, 16; Jeremiah 23:5). The New Testament fulfillment is found in Matthew 1:1, 6, Luke 1:32-33; and Revelation 22:16.
•He would be born of a virgin and called Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). We read about the fulfillment of the virgin birth in Matthew 1:22-23.
•He would be born and called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace,” and “the government will be on his shoulders” (Isaiah 9:6-7). This prophecy was given 700 years before the birth of Jesus, and we are still waiting for the fulfillment of the prophecy in its entirety. The first part of the prophecy has been fulfilled: a child has been born; a Son has been given. But the government is not yet on the shoulders of Jesus. He isn’t on the throne of David, upholding justice and righteousness over a kingdom of peace. We are still waiting for that part of the prophecy to be fulfilled. It is in this sense that we see prophecy continuing to unfold.
•He would be born in the specific location of Bethlehem Ephrathah (Micah 5:2) in Judea, so as not to be confused with Bethlehem near the Sea of Galilee. Fulfilled in Luke 2:4.
•Infants would be slaughtered in His birthplace (Jeremiah 31:15). This was fulfilled in Matthew 2:16-18.
•He was forsaken by His disciples (Zechariah 13:7). Fulfilled in Matthew 26:56 and Mark 14:50.
•A friend would betray Him (Psalm 41:9). Judas fulfilled this in Matthew 26:47-50, Luke 22:47-48, and John 18:1-6.
•He was treated like a criminal (Isaiah 53:12), and lots were thrown for His clothes (Psalm 22:18). Fulfilled in Matthew 26:47-48, Mark 14:53-65, Luke 23, and John 18-19.
•His sacrificial death would pay the price for the sins of mankind (Isaiah 53). Fulfilled in passages like Matthew 20:28, Romans 5:8, Galatians 2:20, and Hebrews 9:22.
•He would have a forerunner (Isaiah 40:3-5 and Malachi 3:1). John the Baptist fulfilled this in John 1:23, Matthew 3:1-3 and 11:14.
•He was in Egypt for a time (Hosea 11:1). Fulfilled in Matthew 2:14-15.
These are just a small sampling of prophecies that have been fulfilled. We can be assured that the Bible prophecies that are remaining to be fulfilled will come true in time!
WHAT IS BIBLE PROPHECY?
Simply put, prophecy reveals God’s plans for the future. Mark Hitchcock says,
Bible prophecy is important because it tells us the end of the story. It is our guidance system and tells us where we are going. It reveals that just as our world had a definite beginning in Genesis 1:1, it will also have an ending. This world will not continue on forever through infinite cycles of history. Bible prophecy reveals to us that there is an end.3
He further states, “Predicting events before they come to pass is the proof that the Bible is the inerrant, inspired Word of God. More than that, it’s the bottom-line basis for believing in Jesus.”4
Ron Rhodes says that “when we study Bible prophecy our faith in God greatly increases, our confidence in Him grows, spiritual lethargy is cured and we become powerfully motivated to live our lives for the Lord.”5 The Holman New Testament Commentary on Matthew says the purpose of prophecy isn’t to satisfy our curiosity about the future, but to stimulate holiness in our present lives. When we study and learn about prophecy, we get excited because we realize that God says what He means and does what He says, and we want to share those truths with others.
REVELATION
The Time of Jacob’s Trouble will use passages from all throughout the Bible to lay out God’s plan for the end of days, and much will be taken from the last book in the Bible, the book of Revelation, also known as “the Revelation of Jesus Christ.” To understand Revelation, we need to draw understanding from verses in both the Old and New Testaments. Warren Wiersbe said that of the 404 verses of Revelation, 278 contain references to the Old Testament. So you can see there is a great need for us to have an understanding of the Bible as a whole when we open the pages of Revelation.
Revelation is translated from the Greek word apokalypsis, which translated to English is the word apocalypse. When we hear the word apocalypse, we typically associate it with Hollywood disaster movies dealing with the end of the world. In the original Greek text of the New Testament, the word means “an uncovering, an unveiling, a manifestation of.” In simple terms, the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ is the uncovering or unveiling or manifestation of Jesus. David Jeremiah says, “The primary purpose of the book of Revelation is not to paint a picture of the end times, although it does do that. It was written primarily to unveil, or uncover, the majesty and power of Jesus Christ.”6
When you read through Revelation, it’s interesting to note that the word and is used 1,200 times, and according to Ed Hindson,
This is the little Greek word kai that connects the book together to say this is not a cyclical prophecy going around in circles. It’s moving from one event to another to another to another. This happens and then this and then this. It creates anticipation as you read the book. Something exciting is coming in the future, and it’s Jesus!7
TRIFOLD BLESSING
In the opening of Revelation we read, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near” (Revelation 1:3).
This is the only book in the Bible that promises not just a blessing, but a trifold blessing for
those who read it aloud
those who hear the words of the prophecy
and for those who take to heart what is written in this book
Notice that the words in verse three don’t say, “Be afraid—be very afraid for what you’re about to read!” There’s no other book in the Bible that says we’re blessed for reading it aloud. Aloud! My husband and I and our three children read it aloud one evening, and not one of us was afraid. I encourage you to read it aloud as well.
Revelation is meant to be a blessing as it unveils Christ to us. For far too long, people have feared the book. Pulpits have been mostly silent concerning the last pages of the Bible and have missed the blessing. We weren’t meant to be kept in the dark, but it has been decades since I’ve heard a pastor teach from Revelation, with the exception of sermons about the letters written to the seven churches found in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, the only chapters that many pastors are willing to teach from.
The promise of Revelation’s blessing is so important that John, the writer of the book, repeats it again in chapter 22:
“These words can be trusted and are true.” The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must happen soon.
“Listen! I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who obeys the words of prophecy in this book” (verses 6-7 NCV).
Jesus tells us three times in Revelation 22 that He is “coming soon” (verses 7, 12, 20). That’s a blessing in itself! We are reminded to keep our hearts looking up for and anticipating His coming.
CONFUSION SURROUNDING REVELATION
An Allegory
There are some who suggest that the book of Revelation is allegory, nothing more than metaphors, but if that were true, then John would have told us that beforehand, just as Paul did in Galatians 4:24 when he specifically said, “Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants” (ESV). Or as Ezekiel did in Ezekiel 17:2: “Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell it to the Israelites as a parable.”
A Parable
If Revelation was meant to be a c
ollection of parables, John would have told us that, just as Matthew said in Matthew 13:34-35: “Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: ‘I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.’”
A Song
If Revelation was meant to be a song, then John would have said that, as Solomon said in Song of Solomon 1:1: “The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s” (ESV), or John would have labeled it as something like the Song of Moses, which is what we read in the opening verse of Exodus 15. The book of Psalms served as a hymnal for the Hebrew people, containing songs of praise, thanksgiving, and lament.
A Prophecy
If John was writing in any of the above-listed styles of literature he would have told us, but he never alerts us that what he has written is allegory, parable, song, or anything other than prophecy as stated in Revelation 1:3: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy” (emphasis added), so we must interpret Revelation literally.
John stresses five additional times that Revelation is a book of prophecy:
•“It is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus” (Revelation 19:10).
•“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll” (Revelation 22:7).
•“Then he told me, ‘Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near’” (Revelation 22:10).
•“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll” (Revelation 22:18).
•“If anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll” (Revelation 22:19).
John didn’t intend for Revelation to be taken figuratively. People tend to resort to allegorical assumptions when the literal meaning of Revelation’s prophecies are difficult to accept, or hard to explain, and they feel they must interpret the book in a less literal, offensive, or frightening way. But we’re told in Revelation 22:6 that “these words can be trusted and are true” (NCV). John goes on further and issues a word of warning to us.
The Time of Jacob's Trouble Page 19