Dear friends and readers,
The subject of todays article is Biblical prophecy. Several questions present themselves where prophecy is concerned. First, can it be relied upon? Second, is there actual proof that Biblical prophecy has been fulfilled? Third, do we really have any accurate idea about where we are in relationship to the end times?
Frankly we do have some fairly accurate information but there is also a lot of speculation that is merely that---speculation. In fact there is so much speculation that it represents a very large suitcase full of a combination of fact and fantasy.
Today I intend to unpack that suitcase.
Lets take them in order; 1). Can Biblical prophecy be relied upon? For the answer to that one must ask themselves a question? Do I accept the Bible as written? Do I believe what it says? If you can say yes to both of those then the answer is found in Amos chapter 3 verse 7 (God speaking through His prophet) "SURELY THE LORD GOD DOES NOTHING, UNLESS HE REVEALS HIS SECRET TO HIS SERVANTS THE PROPHETS"! Bottom line is that God says exactly what He means and means exactly what He says. Yes, the Bible can absolutely be relied upon and that has even been proven repeatedly through historical research and in many cases scientific study.
2). Is there actual proof that Biblical prophecy has been fulfilled? The answer? WOW, yes in deed there has.
Long standing Hebrew theology states that a Biblical Messianic prophecy (having to do with the identity of the Messiah) must be fulfilled at a rate of 100% accuracy in order for any person to be recognized as Messiah. It should be noted here that depending upon which scholar you are reading, estimates range from 63 to over 300 Messianic prophecies recorded in the Bible. Having reviewed them all, I personally believe that 63 are absolutely clear and up to 100 are valid with sufficient study. Above that figure some of the prophecies that are sometimes attached to Messianic fulfillment are nebulous at best.
AN EXAMPLE: One must ask themselves how many people since creation have ever been born of a virgin mother? In the town of Bethlehem? Well lets see now, actually I can only think of one, how about you? Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel and the head of the church. See Isaiah 7:14 and Micah 5:2 for verification.
In forensic science, when examining the DNA of any particular person, the mathematical odds of any two people (of different family groups) having the very same DNA is said to be less than 1 chance in several billion. There is a Professor named Peter Stoner who came up with an example that was verified by the American Scientific Association. You may have heard this example used elsewhere; His group was calculating the odds of one individual fulfilling ALL the conditions of one single Biblical prophecy. In this case a person being betrayed by a friend for 30 pieces of silver, (Zechariah 11:13, prophesied about Messiah in 487 B.C. and fulfilled in 30 A.D. Matthew 26:15).
Professor Stoner calculated the odds of one person exactly fulfilling this one prophecy plus 7 more Messianic prophecies as follows; An astronomical amount of one in ten to the 21st power (10/21). He illustrated that with an inspiring example. First blanket the entire earth land mass with silver dollars 120 feet high which would be several Trillion coins. Mark only one of these dollars with an X and randomly bury it somewhere within that immense pile of coins. Blind fold one person and ask them to travel the earth and find that one single coin marked with an X. Yes, you are correct, that would be impossible.
That is the chance mathematically of one single person exactly fulfilling just 8 Messianic prophecies.
Now lets proceed to a single person exactly fulfilling just 63 Messianic prophecies (which Jesus did plus some). That would represent one chance in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion. That's right, 1 chance in 13 trillion.
To sweeten the pot for you; How much is 1 trillion? It is 10 hundred billion, and 1 billion represents 10 hundred million. Another example you may have heard; If you were alive when Christ walked the earth and someone gave you one trillion dollars and every single day of the past 2000 years you gave away 1 million dollars, you would still have money left over today! From only 1 trillion and Jesus fulfilled a minimum of 1 chance in 13 trillion.
But that's not all; The modern nation of Israel once again becoming a reality on May 14, 1948 fulfilled a minimum of 10 Biblical prophecies (I can actually pinpoint far more than that).
The Jewish people returning back to Israel from all the nations of the world they were once dispersed to represents an additional 85 Biblical prophecies which are still in the making. This would, when complete also represent a fulfillment of Ezekiel chapter 37, the "Dry Bones" prophecy of Israel's restoration.
Have any doubt now? Yes, very much Biblical prophecy has been fulfilled already and we have solid proof. AND there is a huge amount of Biblical prophecy yet to come and will do so all the way through the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
At this very moment calls have been put out by key Islamic leadership throughout the Middle East to assemble an army of MILLIONS of Muslims to march on Israel and destroy her once and for all. If that huge army becomes a reality could it be a fulfillment in the near future of the war listed in Psalm 83?
Russia, Persia (Iran) and Turkey are all working together with Syria on or near Israel's northern border of the Golan heights in a bid for total Middle East dominance. Could that represent a runup to the Gog from the land of Magog war listed in Ezekiel chapters 38-39?
Hezbollah the terror organization who has all but taken over Lebanon, currently has an estimated 150,000 rockets and missiles pointed at Israeli cities. Israel is currently building up to an all out war footing for a war with Hezbollah.
Hamas, another terror group currently in charge of the Palestinians living on the Gaza strip are bitter enemies of Israel and are once again being armed by Iran. Could wars between the Syrian coalition, Hezbollah, Hamas and Israel result in the final total destruction of the ancient Syrian city of Damascus as prophesied in Isaiah chapter 17?
All of these things and more may well be on the immediate horizon not to mention ongoing extreme tension between the fanatical religious leadership in Iran and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia who has loudly declared that if the United States and other world powers do not (SOON) deny Iran's desire to obtain nuclear weaponry, then he (the Crown Prince) will also!
I will be writing an article next week surrounding the upcoming Biblical feast days of Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits. That time frame begins just 10 days from now on March 30th.
Why would that be important to followers of Christ?
First, Jesus is and always will be the Messiah of Israel.
Second, Jesus chose to give His life (for the atonement of mankind sins) exactly on Passover.
He was buried precisely on Unleavened Bread.
He was risen from the grave precisely of First Fruits.
Some theologians believe the rapture of the church could happen some year during the 40 day period following the feast of Passover and just prior to Jesus ascension to heaven. According to many (not myself by the way---I do not set dates), the rapture could happen on or before the traditional date of Jesus Ascension to heaven which on the Gregorian calendar this year is sometime after sunset on May 10th.
Personally what I do know is two things: First, the rapture is an IMMINENT event and requires no Biblical prophecy to be fulfilled prior to it happening.
Second, I have no idea when the rapture will occur but I do know that the world is currently in the greatest mess it has seen since World War II and becoming more and more dire by the day.
Biblical prophecy is being fulfilled before our eyes at an unprecedented rate. To answer the third and final question, are we in the end times? I believe so. What do you think?
Prophetically speaking, what time is it for the world??? You decide!
God bless,
Pastor Rance.
