The Testimony of Prophecy

EVIDENCE OF DIVINE INSPIRATION THROUGH FULFILLED PROPHECY:

A. Isaiah lived and prophesied sometime between 701 and 681 B.C. Yet he named the Persian Emperor Cyrus and said he would release the Jews in exile and allow Jerusalem to be rebuilt over 130 years before Cyrus was even born! {Isaiah 45:11-13; cf. Ezra 1:1-4}.

B. Tyre was a very ancient, very important city of trade established by the Phoenicians. Geographically, part of the city was on the mainland of present day Lebanon and part of it was situated on a small island just off shore. Ezekiel 26 is one of several passages containing prophecies against this commercial center. Verses 7-8 declare that Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon will attack the mainland portion. History tells us that that is exactly what happened; many Tyrians fled to the island which Nebuchadnezzar was unable to assault. Verses 4 and 12 predict that Tyre will be scraped bare and the rubble will be cast into the sea. History records that some 200 years after Ezekiel prophesied, Alexander the Great attacked the island city. He did this by scraping the building materials from the ruined mainland portion into the sea, thus building a causeway from which to besiege the city. Verse 14 predicts that Tyre will not be rebuilt, but will be an area where fishnets are spread. There are many important ancient cities that have been destroyed and rebuilt several times over and are still existing today. Sidon, not far to the north of Tyre, is one of them. Tyre, however, is not. Today, there is nothing but a small fishing village called Sur on the site where mighty Tyre once thrived. Who would have guessed?!

C. Then there are the 300+ prophecies concerning the birth, life, death, and resurrection of one Jesus Christ that have been fulfilled to the letter though predating him by 100's and 1000's of years.

    The foregoing is but a small sampling of the accurately predicted and fulfilled prophecies throughout the Bible pages. These were not vague sayings that could be interpreted many ways like modern horoscopes or the writings of Nostradamus. They were specific, often down to the very names of people and places. The Bible has been demonstrated to be a trustworthy historical source. Compared to its religious contemporaries, the religion of the Bible proves to be rational, sane. Its observations on the natural realm proved to be viable and way ahead of its time. Its ability to predict future people and events reveals an uncanny accuracy. The one explanation for this one-of-a-kind book that best fits the facts is that it is the product of Divine Revelation. God was communicating to the writers.