A proof of God and a proof of the Bible are contained in the Book of Isaiah from chapters 41 to 49. Here is the method and the premises that the Bible gives to anyone wanting to verify its claims that God used humans to inerrantly communicate His thoughts to His creation in a language that they would understand. Some of the Biblical passages involved will be shown. YOU are fortunate to have been born into the last generation of this age while the most amazing prophecies are being fulfilled in the Mideast. Today, proving God and proving the Bible can be done with great certitude:
ONE: Only God can make predictions about random events in the future and make them come true with perfect accuracy (100.000%). These events must not only be random, but at the time He predicts them, the fulfillment must seem to be impossible or unlikely. These must not be self-fulfilling predictions:
8 But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. 9 Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. 10 ¶ Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. (Isaiah 41:8-10 AV)
9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: (Isaiah 46:9-10 AV)
3 I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass. 4 Because I knew that thou (Israel) art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; 5 I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them. 6 Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them. 7 They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them. (Isaiah 48:3-7 AV)
Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you. (Habakkuk 1:5 AV)
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? (Isaiah 53:1 AV)
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thessalonians 5:21 AV)
TWO: When a prophet (someone claiming to speak for God) makes this kind of prediction, and the fulfillment is 100.000% accurate, then the hearers are held responsible by God to believe and comply with His revelation. If a prediction is not fulfilled with 100.000% accuracy, it did not come from our Creator, and the person making it is a false prophet: Remember, God had Moses write the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible.
The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him. (Jeremiah 28:9 AV)
15 ¶ The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee (Israel) a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me(Moses); unto him ye shall hearken; 16 According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. 17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. 18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. 20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. 21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? 22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:15-22 AV)
17 ¶ Think not that I (Christ) am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-20 AV)
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine (Christ), and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. (Matthew 7:24-27 AV)
THREE: God has declared that he will use two servants, Israel and the Messiah, to prove that He is God, and to prove who His true prophets are. He will do this by predicting the important events of this age involving these two servants. Israel is His servant nation comprised of the blood descendants of Jacob, the 12 tribes formed by his 12 sons, and the land that He gave to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants forever. The Messiah is God Himself who will come to earth to establish God's kingdom on earth. God also makes predictions about other peoples and nations insofar as they interact with Israel (the Jewish people or the land, especially Jerusalem) or His Messiah: God's plan for this age is revealed through His prophets and involves declaring the course of this age, including its end, through His servant nation and His righteous servant the Messiah. The amazing secular history of Israel for over 3000 years is the 100.000% accurate fulfillment of the predictions of God's prophets, thus proving His revelations. And an amazing history it is, as we shall see! The fulfillment of the many amazing prophecies about the birth, life, and death of the Messiah prove that He is truly God's Messiah:
7 And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people?(Israel) and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them. 8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any. (Isaiah 44:7-8 AV)
8 ¶ Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears. 9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth. 10 Ye (Israel)are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. 11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. 12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you Israel) therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God. 13 Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it? (Isaiah 43:8-13 AV)
8 But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. 9 Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. 10 ¶ Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. (Isaiah 41:8-10 AV)
FOUR: The most important duty of man is to know God and His plan so that he can fulfill his role in the great plan of God, for all eternity. Only God's revelation can guide man through his dangerous journey on this earth and enable him to attain eternal life under the providence of his Creator:
Obviously, you must know about the great events in the secular history of the Jewish people, their nation Israel, and God's city of Jerusalem. A good encyclopedia makes this step fairly easy. Pay particular attention to the destruction of Jerusalem and the worldwide dispersion of the Jewish people by the Roman Empire shortly after AD 70, the things that happened to them during this dispersion, and their AMAZING regathering since 1948 back into the same land that was promised to them forever. They had lost title to this land for almost 2000 years. It is easy to prove that the Hebrew Scripture (Old Testament) has existed in its present form well before AD 70. The Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls verify this.
Christ used the Septuagint. The prophecies about Him and the Jewish people are in the Hebrew Scripture (Old Testament.) The Christian Scripture shows that Christ fulfilled what was written about Him in the Hebrew Scripture. If the language of Scripture seems strange, remember it was written in languages other than English thousands of years ago for the people then and now. In my Scripture references, I choose to use either the Authorized Version of 1769 (AV) published 300 years before the amazing modern day events in the Mideast, including the regathering of the Jewish people from the four corners of the earth and the rebirth of Israel during this century, or I use a modern version of it(NKJV). However, for this purpose, different versions of Scripture are extremely similar, including the Jewish versions. I hope that you have been able to study these things in an encyclopedia or appropriate history book. The impact of the prophecies will be lost without knowing the secular history of these events. Fortunately, the rebirth of Israel is very recent and predicted very extensively in Scripture. It is impossible that this event and the sufferings of the Jewish people could be predicted by human means, or is self-fulfilling. Any version of Scripture, Jewish or Christian can be used to verify all passages of Scripture.
Perhaps the most amazing prophecy in the Hebrew Scripture is Moses' prediction of Israel's future from the time before the Israelites crossed over the Jordan river to take over the promised land until the very end of this age, including the present day events in the Mideast. I will make historical comments to supplement your study of the events in Israel's history mentioned above. Although not necessary, you can better understand the context of the prophecy by studying all of chapters 28, 29, and 30 in the Book of Deuteronomy. Moses wrote this book around 1400 BC. Remember, you must be somewhat familiar with the major events of the history of Israel. More than 3000 years ago, Moses predicted that the words God gave him to say to Israel would never pass away:
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: (Deuteronomy 30:19 AV)
The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:29 AV)
The next passages were given by Moses over 3000 years ago, just before the Jewish people crossed over the Jordan river to initially claim their land:
23 Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee. 24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. 25 When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger: 26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. 27 And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you. 28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. 29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. 30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; 31 (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them. 32 For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it? (Deuteronomy 4:23-32 AV)
Before we examine the specific prophesies about Israel, we need to put them in context, as it might seem that God has been more displeased with Israel than the gentile nations. The existence of Israel as a nation resulted from God's great displeasure with the nations that existed before Abraham as described in the first eleven chapters of the book of Genesis. Neither Jews nor Gentiles have been faithful to God. But God has been selecting people from both groups for His eventual kingdom. Here are just a few passages that show the special nature of Israel in God's eyes:
1 ¶ Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, 2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. 3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed? (Amos 3:1-3 AV)
6 Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee? 7 ¶ Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee. 8 When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. 9 For the LORD'S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. 10 He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. 11 As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: 12 So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him. (Deuteronomy 32:6-12 AV)
Paul, the apostle to the gentiles (Peter was the apostle to the Jews), warns the gentile Christians not to be "wise in their conceits" about Israel. Unfortunately, to put it mildly, most of the Christian church has not heeded this admonition. In Romans Chapters 9-11, Paul addresses Israel's past unbelief, but I will only quote part of this discourse:
11 I say then, Have they (Israel) stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, to provoke them (Israel) to jealousy. 12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? (when Israel accepts the Messiah and God's kingdom commences on this earth) 13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: 14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. 15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? 16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, (gentiles)wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree (Jews); 18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. 24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? 25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance (unchangeable). 30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. (Romans 11:11-32 AV)
Incidentally, Peter acknowledged that Paul's epistles were Scripture: 15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:15-16 AV)
God's promises to Abraham will be completely implemented through his son Isaac, then Jacob, and finally through Jacob's descendants:
1 ¶ And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. 2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: 3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed (descendants), I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; 4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; 5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. (Genesis 26:1-5 AV)
10 ¶ Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. 12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: "I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. 14 "Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 15 "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you." (Genesis 28:10-15 NKJV)
PROOF FROM PRESENT DAY EVENTS IN THE MIDEAST
Since we can be assured that the Bible was written many hundreds of years before the present, we will first look at the events in the Middle East since the rebirth of Israel as a nation in 1948, a most amazing 100% accurate fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Remember that in AD 135 the Romans renamed Jerusalem Aelia Capitolina and vowed to eliminate the memory of Jewish Jerusalem forever. The Jews were not allowed in their city, under penalty of death, for the next 500 years and wandered from nation to nation for over 1800 years enduring many persecutions as predicted by Moses. After examining the amazing present day fulfillment of many ancient predictions, we will go back and examine the predictions about Israel for the two millennia prior to 1948.
Chapters 12 to 28 of the book of Genesis relate the giving of the Promised Land to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Jacob's descendants forever. God changes Jacob's name to Israel in Chapter 32. If Israel does not keep their covenant with God, He will allow gentile nations to occupy the land and rule over it while the Jewish people are driven out to the Four Corners of the earth. Then, shortly before the end of this age and the establishment of the Messianic age, he will regather them back into that same land for the climactic end of this age. This will occur very shortly after the year 2000. The gentile nations that have occupied the promised land since AD 135 include the Roman Empire, the Persians, the Byzantines, the Moslems, Baghdad, Egypt, the Seljuks, the Crusaders, the Ottoman Empire, Turkey, and Great Britain. In 1948, Great Britain and the United Nations give the Jewish people international title to a portion of the Promised Land and a great Jewish exodus back to the land started. In 1967, after being attacked by the Arabs, Israel reclaimed Jerusalem, but not the Temple Mount, a religious site that Moslems consider the third most holy place in Islam. With this brief background, let's see what Scripture has to say about these events that are making the Middle East the focus of the world:
23 Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee. 24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. 25 When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger: (the Jews did break the covenant) 26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. (the Jews were driven from their land for 1800 years by the Romans in AD 135)27 And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, (the Jews were scattered among the nations) and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you. (due to persecutions, the Jews were few in number) 28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. (the Jews adopted many of the religions where they went) 29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. 30 When thou art in tribulation, (the tribulation is still future, but the current events in the Middle East are setting the stage for it)and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; 31 (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them. (the Jews still exist as a people) (Deuteronomy 4:23-31 AV)
1 ¶ And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee, (the blessing and curse did occur to the Jews)2 And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; 3 That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee. (this regathering started in 1948 and will be completed by Messiah after he comes) 4 If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: 5 And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. 6 And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. (this will happen when Messiah comes as described in Zechariah 12:10)(Deuteronomy 30:1-6 AV)
ZECHARIAH'S PROPHECIES OF THE PRESENT CONFLICT OVER JERUSALEM
It is not difficult to see that Jerusalem, the promised land, and the Temple Mount have become the center of bitter controversy between the Arabs and the Jews. Nuclear and biological weapons are proliferating in the Middle East, and the Bible has much to say about the outcome of this conflict. The following passages written 2500 years ago describe Jerusalem's troubles after the regathering and are of paramount importance right now:
1 ¶ The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. 2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem (Scripture declared thousands of years ago that Jerusalem would exist today with Jews back in their land!)a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. 3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. (We are seeing the U.N. and most of the nations of the world attempting to divide up Jerusalem rather than recognizing that God intends that all of it is for Israel.)4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. 5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God. 6 In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem. 7 (God is going to give the Jewish people the strength to defend themselves against all the nations fighting to take Jerusalem from the Jews.)The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah. 8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. 9 ¶ And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. (It is at this time that every Jew alive at this time will finally recognize that Christ, pierced by the Crucifixion is their long awaited Messiah.) (Zechariah 12:1-10 AV)
1 ¶ Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives,(Just as He ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives, He will descend to the Mount of Olives) which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. 6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: 7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. 8 ¶ And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. 9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one. 10 All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses. 11 And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited. 12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. (Students of Scripture will have a seven year warning before Christ returns and a 3 1/2 year warning before the Great Tribulation begins.) (Zechariah 14:1-12 AV)
EZEKIEL'S PREDICTION OF ISRAEL'S END TIME REGATHERING AND TROUBLE:
1 ¶ Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD: 2 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession: (Israel's Temple Mount has been occupied by Islam for over 1000 tears) 3 Therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and are an infamy of the people: 4 Therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that are round about; 5 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea, which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey. 6 Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because ye have borne the shame of the heathen: 7 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I have lifted up mine hand, Surely the heathen that are about you, they shall bear their shame. (Ezekiel 36:1-7 AV)
16 ¶ Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 17 Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman. 18 Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it: 19 And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them. 20 And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land. 21 But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. 22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. 23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. 24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. 25 ¶ Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. 29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. 30 And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. 31 Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. 32 Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. 33 Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. 34 And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. 35 And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited. 36 Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it. (Ezekiel 36:16-36 AV)
SOME OTHER AMAZING FULFILLMENTS OF BIBLE PROPHECY
The gentile domination of Jerusalem for the past 1900 years was clearly predicted by Christ, as well as Paul, speaking through the Spirit of God:
20 ¶ And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed (surrounded) with armies, then know that the desolation (by the Romans in AD 70)thereof is nigh. 21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee (those that believed Christ fled to Petra) to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. 22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, (their travel will be impeded) in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. (Flavius Josephus records that 1,100,000 Jews perished during Titus' seige of Jerusalem ending in AD 70.)24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, this occurred until June of 1967) until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. (Luke 21:20-24 AV)
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. (Romans 11:25 AV)
CHRIST'S AMAZING PROPHECY ABOUT CURRENT AND FUTURE EVENTS
1 ¶ And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 4 ¶ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (With radio, TV, the worldwide web, and missionaries, the gospel is now being preached to all the nations.)15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, (This will be the desecration of the third Jewish Temple to be built soon on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which God considers to be His Holy Place and Temple on this earth.) spoken of by Daniel the prophet, (Daniel chapters 8, 9, and 11) stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! (Difficult to travel) 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: (Jesus knew that, after 1900 years, Jews would be observing the Sabbath in Jerusalem) 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Similar, but much worse than their war with the Roman Empire during the first century.)22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: (nuclear allusions) but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. 23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. 29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 32 ¶ Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, (religious Jews in Jerusalem-see Luke 13:6-9 and Matt. 21:18-19) ye know that summer is nigh: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, (The generation starting in 1967)till all these things be fulfilled. 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42 Watch therefore: (Not many are watching by searching Scripture and comparing events in the Middle East with God's prophecies.) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. We won't know the hour or the day, but we will eventually know the year and month during the last seven years of this age. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 24:1-51 AV)
Isaiah, during the 8th century BC, specifically spoke of the present day reestablishment of Israel for the SECOND time:
And it shall come to pass in that day, (the latter days) that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time (the first time was the return from the Babylonian captiviy)to recover the remnant of his people, (Israel) which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. (Isaiah 11:11-12 AV)
There are hundreds of prophesies about Israel and the Jewish people, but I have limited my examples to fulfillments that occurred after the known dates of the Septuagint (second century BC) and the Dead Sea Scrolls (first century BC), thus showing that the prediction preceded the fulfillment. In your spare time you may wish to read all of Deuteronomy Ch. 28, 29, &30 and Ezekiel Ch. 36, 37, 38, & 39. These passages are predictive of current and future events in the Middle East.
I hope that, by now, you have at least a perception of the amazing predictive elements in Scripture and that God's work is evident in it.