Do you know of anyone who can accurately predict the future? Let’s consider the prophecies in the Word of God which at the time, predicted the future. Many Prophecies were uttered in the Old Testament by both men and women. The key component to a prophecy is whether or not it was fulfilled (i.e. a true prophecy). Prophecies given by human beings themselves are not likely to happen because, as we all know, human beings are not perfect. However, God is perfect and it is His Spirit that can speak through a person just as His Spirit could move an author to write a portion of God’s Word. God provided a mechanism to determine whether or not a prophecy was true: “If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed” (Deuteronomy 18:22).
Prophecies are critical to God’s Word because they speak of the purity of the Word. There are approximately 2500 of them. About 2000 have been fulfilled,[1] the rest will be fulfilled by the time we all arrive at our eternal state as recorded in Revelation 21-22. Here are some examples of prophecies related to Jesus Christ as prophesied in the Old Testament (OT) and fulfilled in the New Testament (NT):
| Prophecy about Jesus | OT Reference | NT Fulfillment |
| Born of a virgin | Isaiah 7:14 | Luke 1:26-28 |
| His ministry in Galilee | Isaiah 9:1 | Matthew 4:12-15 |
| Teacher of parables | Psalm 78:2 | Matthew 13:34 |
| Crucified with thieves | Isaiah 53:12 | Matthew 27:38 |
| His resurrection | Psalm 16:10 | Acts 2:31 |
| His ascension | Psalm 68:18 | Acts 1:9 |
[1] David B. Curtis, “Is the Bible Trustworthy?” last modified January 7, 2001, accessed January 11, 2022, https://www.bereanbiblechurch.org/transcripts/2timothy/is_bible_trust.htm.