Hey, Google Gang.

I've noticed quite a few religious questions here on GA with
well-researched, thought provoking answers. So, I've got another one
for you.

I was raised Roman Catholic, but as I grew up I found myself less and
less able to believe in God. The Christian tradition rests on a book
that has been handed down for nearly 2000 years (and longer, in the
case of the Old Testament), translated and retranslated from ancient
languages, and manipulated and abused by men seeking power. It
describes events that are rarely, if at all, mentioned in other
historical sources. Because of this, I now consider myself agnostic. I
am certainly open to the idea that there is a God who created the
universe, as science hasn't given us any better answers. But I want
some proof.

I've read that Jesus' life fulfilled hundreds of Jewish prophecies,
far beyond what one could expect from mere coincidence. I've also read
that many of these prophecies were so vaguely worded that they could
be interpreted to mean almost anything, like Nostradamus' writings.
I've even heard some say that the writers of the New Testament made
things up to make Jesus "fulfill" the prophecies and appear more
genuine. What I am looking for is a list of these prophecies,
detailing how they apply to Jesus, as well as criticisms of them and
important prophecies that Jesus DIDN'T fulfill, if any. If there are
too many to cover here, I will accept an analysis of major prophecies,
with a simple list of the others.

Any other information is welcomed, too. I am interested in any
information that could help me to decide one way or another about the
existence of God and whether Jesus was really the Messiah. For
example, documents that contradict or confirm the Bible and are
considered by experts to be at least somewhat genuine. And, since
Google researchers all seem to be pretty intelligent people, I'd also
be curious as to why you believe what you do, whatever it is. But
PLEASE don't resort to that tired old phrase, "You just need to have
faith".

Steve

PS. I realize that this will probably involve a lot of work, so I
intend to tip the researcher who answers the question fairly well.
($50+, depending on how much detail you put in.) I just felt that a
question about a topic this significant HAD to be asked for $42. ;-)

Steve~

There are over 300 references to the Messiah in the Old Testament;
multiple volumes could be written on the topic, but I?ll cover the
basic points here :)


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A FEW MAJOR PROPHECIES


BORN OF A VIRGIN: Is. 7:14. ?Therefore the Lord Himself will give you
a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she
will call His name Immanuel.? (The Hebrew word is ?bethulah,? which
means a virgin maiden.)

Fulfilled. See Mat. 1:8, 24, 25 & Luke 1:26-35. Jesus was born to
Mary, who was a virgin.

SON OF GOD: Ps. 2:7 (and 1 Chron. 17:11-14; II Samuel 7:12-16). ?I
will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ?Thou art
My Son, Today I have begotten Thee.?

Fulfilled. See Matt. 3:17 (also Mat. 16:16, Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35,
22:70, Acts 13-30-33, John 1:34, 49) Jesus referred to himself as ?I
AM,? which was God?s name.

SEED OF ABRAHAM: Gen. 22:18, 12:2,3. ?And in your descendants all the
nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My
voice.? (The original Hebrew word translated into ?descendants? is
literally ?seed.?)

Fulfilled. See Mat 1:1 and Gal 3:16. Jesus? lineage indeed went back to Abraham.

OF ISAAC: Gen 21:12 ?But God said to Abraham?through Isaac your
descendants shall be named.? (Literally, the translation is ??your
seed will be called.?)

Fulfilled. See Luke 3:23, 24 and Matt 1:2. His lineage also included Isaac.

OF JACOB: Num. 24:17, Gen. 35:10-12. ?I see him, but not now; I behold
him, but not near; a star shall come forth from Jacob, And a scepter
shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab,
And tear down all the sons of Seth.? (The Jewish Targum Onkelos
states: ?I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not night. When a
king shall arise out of Jakob, and the Meshiha be anointed from
Israel?? From early times, Jews have believed this to be a Messianic
prophecy.)

Fulfilled. See Luke 3:23, 24, Matt. 1:2, Luke 1:33. Yep, Jacob was
part of Jesus? lineage, too.

TRIBE OF JUDAH: Gen. 49:10, Micah 5:2. ?The scepter shall not depart
from Judah, Nor the ruler?s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh
comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.? (The Jewish
Targum Jonathan states, "Kings shall not cease, nor rulers, from the
house o Jehuda, nor sapherim teaching the law from his seed, till the
time that the Kind, the Meshiha, shall come, the youngest of his sons;
and on account of him shall the peoples flow together. How beauteous
is the Kind, and Meshiha who will arise from the house of Jehuda!?)

Fulfilled. Luke 3:23, 33, Matt. 1:2, Heb. 7:14. Jesus did descend from
the tribe of Judah.

FAMILY OF JESSE: Is. 11:1, 11:10. ?Then a shoot will spring from the
stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.?

Fulfilled. See Luke 3:23, 32, Mat. 1:6. The family of Jesse was also
part of Jesus? heritage.

HOUSE OF DAVID: Jer. 23:5, II Sam. 7:12-16, Ps. 132:11. ??Behold, the
days are coming,? declares the Lord, ?When I shall raise up for David
a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely And do
justice and righteousness in the land.?? (The Talmud refers to the
Messiah as being ?son of David,? also. ?Behold the days are coming? is
a common phrase used in Messianic prophecy.)

Fulfilled. See Luke 3:23, 31, Matt. 1:1, 9:27; 15:22, 20, 30, 31,
21:9, 15, 22:41-46, Mark. 9:10, 10:47, 48, Luke 18:38, 39, Acts
13:22,23 Rev. 22:16. Jesus descended from the house of David.


BORN IN BETHLEHEM: Mic.5:2 ?But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too
little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for
Me to be ruler in Israel. His going forth are from long ago, From the
days of eternity.?

Fulfilled. See Matt. 2:1, John 7:42, Matt 2:4-8, Luke 2:4-7. Jesus was
born in this city.

GIVEN GIFTS: Ps. 72:10, 12-15, Is. 60:6. ?Let the kings of Tarshish
and of the islands bring presents; The kings of Sheba and Seba offer
gifts.?

Fulfilled. See Matt. 2:1, 11. Baby Jesus was given gifts by the wise men.

MURDER OF CHILDREN: Jer/ 31:15. ?Thus says the Lord, ?A voice is heard
in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel is weeping for her
children; She refuses to be comforted for her children Because they
are no more.? (The Jews considered the passage from 30:20 through
33:26 Messianic in nature.)

Fulfilled. See Matt. 2:16. Herod fulfilled this part of the prophecy.

CALLED LORD: Ps. 110:1, Jer. 23:6. ?The Lord says to my Lord: ?Sit at
My right hand, Until I make Thin enemies a footstool for Thy feet.?
(The Jewish Midrash Tehillim, written in 200-500AD, states: ?God calls
King Messiah by His own name??)

Fulfilled. See Luke 2:11, Matt 22: 43-45. Jesus was called by the Lord?s name.

EMMANUEL:  Is. 7:14. ?Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign:
Behold, a virgin shall be with child and bear a song, and she will
call His name Emmanuel.?

Fulfilled. See Mat 2:23, Luke 7:16. Was called Emmanuel.

PROPHET: Deut. 18:18. ?O will raise up a prophet from among their
countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth and he shall
seek to them all that I command him?

Fulfilled. See Matt. 21:11, Like 7:16, John 4:19, 6:14, 7:40. Jesus was a prophet.

PRIEST: Ps. 110:4. ?The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind,
;Thou art a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.?

Fulfilled. See Heb. 3:1, 5:5-6. Jesus took over the role of priest.

JUDGE: ?Is. 33:22. ?For the Lord is our judge, The Lord is our
lawgiver, The Lord is our king; He will save us??

Fulfilled. See John 5:30, II Tim. 4:1. Jesus was judge.

KING: Ps. 2:6, Zech. 9:9, Jer. 23:5. ?But as for Me, I have installed
My King upon Zion, My holy mountain.?

Fulfilled. See Matt 27:37, 21:54, John 18:33-38. Jesus was spiritual king.

SPECIALLY ANNOINTED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT: Is. 11:2, Ps. 45:7, Is.
42:1, 61:1-2. ?And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The spirit
of wisdom and understanding. The spirit of counsel and strength, The
spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.? (The Jewish Targum
Isaish says, ?And a king shall come forth from the sons of Jesse, and
an Anointed One [or Messiah] from his sons? sons shall grow up. And
there shall rest upon him a spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of
knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord?but he shall judge with truth
the poor, and adjudge with faithfulness the needy among the people.?)

Fulfilled. See Matt 3:16, 17, Matt 12:17-21, Mark 1:10-11, Luke
4:15-21, 43, John 1:32. Jesus fills these guidelines.

PRECEEDED BY MESSENGER: Is. 40:3, Mal. 3:1. ?A voice is calling,
?Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the
desert a highway for our God.?

Fulfilled. See Matt. 3:1-3, 11:10, John 1:23, Luke 1:17. John the Baptist.

MINITRY BEGINS IN GALILEE: Is. 9:1. ?But there will be no more gloom
for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of
zebulun and the land of Napthtali with contempt, but later on He shall
make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles.?

Fulfilled. See Matt. 4:12-13, 17. Jesus, indeed, began his ministry in this city.

PERFORM MIRACLES: Is. 35:5-6, Is 32:3-4. ?Then the eyes of the blind
will be opened, And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the
lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb will shout for
joy.?

Fulfilled. See Mat. 9:35, 11:4-6, Mark 7:33-35, John 5:5-9, 9:6-11,,
11:43-44, 47. Jesus was well known for his miracles.

TEACH PARABLES: Ps. 73L2. ?I will open my mouth in a parable; I will
utter dark sayings of old??

Fulfilled. See Matt. 13:34. Jesus mostly taught in parables.

ENTER JERUSALEM ON DONKEY: Zech 9:9. ?Rejoice greatly, O daughter of
Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, you king is
coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and
mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.?

Fulfilled. Luke 19:35-17, Matt. 21:6-11. Jesus did enter the city, riding a donkey.

?LIGHT? TO GENTILES: Is 60:3, 49:6. ?And nations will come to your
light, And kinds to the brightens of your rising.?

Fulfilled. See Acts 12:47-48, 26:23, 28:28. Jesus didn?t minister only
to Jews, but reached out to Gentiles.

RESSURECTION: Ps. 16:10, Ps. 30:3, 41:10; 118:17; Hosea 6:2. ?For Thou
wilt not abandon my soul to Sheol; Neither wilt Thou allow Thy Holy
One to see the pit.?

Fulfilled. See Acts 2:31, 13:33, Luke 24:46, Mark 16:6, Matt 28:6.
Jesus rose from the dead.

ASCENTION: Ps. 68:18. ?Thou hast ascended on high??

Fulfilled. See Acts 1:9. 

TIMING OF JESUS? MINISTRY: Gen. 49:10. ?The scepter shall not depart
from Judah, Nor the ruler?s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh
comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.? (The word
for ?scepter? means ?tribal staff;? recall that Judah was a Hebrew
tribe.)

Fulfilled. Herod the Great was the first ruler to have no Jewish blood.

DESTRUCTION OF TEMPLE: Mal. 3:1. ??And the Lord, whom you seek, will
suddenly come to His temple?? (See also Ps. 118:26, Dan. 9:26, Zech.
11:13, Hag. 2:7-9, which say the Messiah comes while the temple still
stands in Jerusalem.)

Fulfilled: Temple destroyed  in 70 AD., after Jesus died.





The following prophecies were all completed within one day:

BETRAYED ONE FRIEND: Ps. 41:9, Ps. 12-14. ?Even my close friend, in
whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.?

Fulfilled. See Matt. 10:4, 26:49-50, John 13:21. His name was Judas.

BETRAYED FOR 30 PIECES OF SILVER: Zech.11:12. ?And I said to them, ?If
it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind!?
So they weighted out thirty shekels of silver as my wages.?

Fulfilled. See Matt. 26:15, 27:3. Judas ?sold? Jesus for 30 pieces of silver coin.

SILVER TO BE THROWN IN GOD?S HOUSE: Zech. 11:13. ??So I took the
thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of
the Lord.?

Fulfilled. See Matt. 27:5

MONEY TO POTTER?S FIELD: see Zech 11:13, above.

Fulfilled. See Matt. 27:7

FORESAKEN BY FOLLOWERS: Zech. 13:7. ??Strike the Shepherd that the
sheep may be scattered??

Fulfilled. See Mark 14:50, 14:27, Matt. 26:31. Jesus? followers
abandoned him in his hour of crisis.

ACCUSED BY FALSE WITNESSES: Ps. 35:11. ?Malicious witnesses rise up;
They ask me of things that I do not know.?

Fulfilled. See Matt. 26:59-60. Witness told lies at Jesus? trial.

SILENT BEOFRE ACCUSERS: Is. 53:7. ?He was oppressed and He was
afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth??

Fulfilled. See Matt. 27:12.

BODILY HARM: Is. 53:5, Zech. 13:6. ?But He was pierced through for our
transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for
our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.?

Fulfilled. See Matt. 27:26

SPAT UPON: Is. 50:6. ?I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My
cheeks to those who plunk out the beard; I did not cover My face from
humiliation and spitting.?

Fulfilled. See Matt. 26:67, Luke 22:63. The crowds spit on Jesus.

MOCKED: Ps. 32:7-8. ?All who see me sneer at me; They separate with
the lip, they wag the head, saying, ?Commit yourself to the Lord; let
Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.??

Fulfilled. Matt. 27:31. The crowds mocked Jesus.

HANDS AND FEET PIERCED: Ps. 22:18, Zech. 12:10. ??They pierced my
hands and my feet.?

Fulfilled. Luke 23:33, John 20:25. Crucifixion, a method of death
unknown at the time the Old Testament verses were written, put holes
in Jesus? extremities.

DIED WITH CRIMINALS: Is. 53:12. ??Because He poured out Himself to
death, And was numbered with the transgressors??

Fulfilled. See Matt. 27:38, Mark 15:27-28. Jesus died alongside thieves.

INTERCESSION FOR THOSE AGAINST HIM: Is. 53:12. ??Yet He Himself bore
the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.?

Fulfilled. Luke 23:34

REJECTED BY HIS PEOPLE: Is. 53:3, Ps. 69:8, 118:22. ?He was despised
and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; And
like one from whom men hide their faces. He was despised, and we did
not esteem Him.?

Fulfilled. See John 7:5, 48, John 1:11, Matt. 21:42,-43.

HATED WITHOUT CAUSE: Ps. 69:4. ?Those who hate me without a cause are
more than the hairs of my head??

Fulfilled. See. John 15:25

FRIENDS NOT STAND WITH HIM: Ps. 38:11. ?My loved ones and my friends
stand aloof from my plague; And my kinsmen stand afar off.?

Fulfilled. See Luke 23:49, Mark 15:40, Matt 27:55-56. Jesus friends denied him.

HEADS SHAKE: Ps. 109:25, ?I also have become a reproach to them; When
they see me, they wag their head.?

Fulfilled. See. Matt. 27:39

GARMENTS SEPARATED AND LOTS CAST: Ps. 22:18. ?They divide my garments
among them, And for my clothing they cast lots.?

Fulfilled. See John 19:23-24. This is exactly what happened to Jesus? clothes.

THIRSTY: Ps. 63:21. ??And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.?

Fulfilled. See John 19:28, Matt. 27:34, John 19:28-29. Jesus was
thirsty on the cross, and was offered drink.

BONES NOT BROKEN: Ps. 34:20. ?He keeps all his bones; Not one of them is broken.?

Fulfilled. See John 19:33. (In addition, Ps. 22:14 mentions the
Messiah?s bones being out of joint, which they would have been from
crucifixion.)

SIDE PIERCED: Zech. 12:10. ??They will look on Me whom they have pierced??

Fulfilled. See John 19:34. A spear went into Jesus? side. (The Hebrew
word implies a knife or spear.)

DARKNESS: Amos 8:9. ??And it will come about in that day,? declares
the Lord God, ?That I shall make the sun go down at noon And make the
earth dark in broad daylight.?

Fulfilled. See Matt. 27:45. The sun went dark upon Jesus? death.

BURIED IN RICH MAN?S TOMB: Is. 53:9. ?His grace was assigned to be
with wicked men, Yet with a rich man in His death??

Fulfilled. Matt. 27:57-60



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



COMMON OBJECTIONS TO FULFILLED PROPHECIES:

?Jesus and his disciples purposefully fulfilled the Messianic prophecies.?

This might be viable for some prophecies, but certainly isn?t for many
others. Jesus could not control his birth place, his manner of birth,
his family lineage, his betrayal, his manner of death, his burial,
etc. How could Jesus or his followers control where the 30 pieces of
silver would end up, how could he arranged his very important
ancestry, or that his bones would remain unbroken? Etc.


?It was an accident that Jesus happened to fulfill these prophecies.?

The statistical probability of a mere 8 prophecies applying to someone
is 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. (Statistics reviewed by the American
Scientific Affiliation members and found reliable.) The chances of one
person fulfilling 48 of the over 300 prophecies is one chance in a
trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion,
trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion. [?Evidence
That Demands a Verdict? p.167 and ?The Case for Christ,? p. 183]



?The ?prophecies? were added to the Old Testament after Jesus lived and died.?

Historians tell us that The Septuagint (the Greek translation of the
Old Testament) was undertaken during the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus
(285-246 BC). Clearly, then the Old Testament was complete before
Jesus ever lived.


?The New Testament writers fabricated things so that it would appear
Jesus fulfilled prophecies.?

As Louis S. Lapides, M.DIV., TH. M., states, ?When the gospels were
being circulated, there were people living who had been around when
all these things happened. Someone would have said to Matthew, ?You
know it didn?t happen that way.?? [ ?The Case for Christ,? p. 184]
Indeed, many people who openly hated Christianity (some of them
powerful) could have said or written that these things did not happen.
*Would* have done so, in fact, if they could have?but they did not,
because there were people alive who?d witnessed it.


?Passages that Christians call prophetic of the Messiah are just
wishful thinking; they could mean anything.?

Most passages Christians considered Messianic, Jews also have, for
countless generations.


?Not all the prophecies were fulfilled.?

Some folks point out that Jesus didn?t fulfill all the Messianic
prophecies. Namely, they say, Jesus didn?t build the Third Temple
(Ez.l 37:26-28), bring Jews back to Israel (Is. 43:5-6), usher in
world peace (Is. 2:4), and become ?King over all the world? (Zech.
14:9).

Christians believe the latter reference is meant spiritually. The
Messiah would not be a worldly king, but a spiritual one. Some
Christians also believe that if the prophecy is meant to be
interpreted as a worldly king, it refers to the ?end times.? Elsewhere
in the Bible, the building of the Temple, etc. are all pinpointed to
the end times.

This idea that the Messiah comes more than once, and in two different
fashions, is bolstered by the fact that the Messianic prophecies seem
to discuss two different Messiahs. Jewish scholarship refers to
Messiah ben-David and Messiah ben-Yosef--the victorious Messiah who
ushers in a kingdom of peace, the other the suffering servant.
 
 In addition, Jews feel that Jesus was not the greatest prophet in
history, (Is. 11:2);  ?Jesus was not a prophet; he appeared on the
scene approximately 350 years after prophecy had ended. ? (?Why Jews
Don?t Believe in Jesus,? Jewish World:
http://www.aish.com/jewishissues/jewishsociety/Why_Jews_Dont_Believe_In_Jesus.asp
) They also don?t  feel the Messiah will be anything more than a mere
man. Finally, Jews believe the Messiah comes to address nationality,
not really spirituality. It should be added that many Jewish concepts
of the Messiah come from texts outside of the Old Testament, as will
be seen to a small degree in the above link.

Some rabbis insist that Christians are mis-translating Old Testament
texts in order to get the results they desire; however, ?unbiased?
language experts disagree. Other rabbis interpret certain phrasing
differently than Christians do. For example, they point out that Jesus
didn?t save Jews from their sins in any way they can see.

The Second Coming theory seems to incite a lot of rolling of the eyes
among a certain group of skeptics, because they interpret the timing
of Jesus? second coming in a different fashion from Christians. They
take Jesus words in Matthew 16 as the only mention of the timing of
the second coming, but ignore Jesus? that no one will know the hour of
his second arrival. (Matthew 24:36; 25:13; Matthew 24:37, 1
Thessalonians 5:2, 4; 2 Peter 3:10)


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


FOR FURTHER STUDY:
The verses given above should be read in context. Even so, an
understanding of prophecy in the Old Testament takes time and
study?and, hopefully, an understand and training about Old Testament
history.  Therefore, I encourage you to use this Answer as a
launch-pad for a more in depth study. The following sources are just a
handful of materials that may prove helpful.

* ?Why Should We Believe Jesus was the Messiah??:
http://www.christian-thinktank.com/falsechrist.html  An interesting
overview of the two different types of Messianic prophecies, Messiah
ben-David and Messiah ben-Yosef

* ?Messianic Expectations in 1st Century Judaism:?
http://www.christian-thinktank.com/messiah.html  A basic overview of
what Jews expected in a messiah, and how we know this.

* ?Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus,? bprc: http://www.bprc.org/topics/fulfill.html  

* ?Are the Biblical Texts Reliable?? :
http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/bib-docu.html A very basic
introduction into the issue of whether or not the Bible as we have it
today is accurate.

* ?How Do You Know The Bible Is True?? World Net Daily:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=29091  An
interesting read

* ?Jews Should Not Believe In Jesus,?
http://www.karaite-korner.org/light-of-israel/loi8.shtml  Some more
reasons Jews reject Jesus as Christ

* ?Messiah,? The Jewish Encyclopedia:
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=510&letter=M&search=Messiah
 How Jews define the Messiah today.

* I also highly recommend two books mentioned here, ?Evidence That
Demands A Verdict? (
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0785243631/qid=1087547212/sr=8-2/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i2_xgl14/104-6380403-8211920?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
), which is a very comprehensive book of evidence (historical, text
based, science-based, etc.) that supports Christianity, and ?The Case
For Christ? (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0310209307/qid=1087547279/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-6380403-8211920?v=glance&s=books
), which contains less evidence, but is easier to digest and contains
interesting interviews with a variety of experts.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally, I must admit it is a *very* late hour when I post this, so
hopefully my blurring eyes haven?t left behind silly typos and such.
HOWEVER, should anything here be unclear, please don?t hesitate to
request a clarification before rating this Answer.



Kind regards, and I hope this is helpful,
Kriswrite


RESEARCH STRATEGY: 
Researcher?s personal knowledge
Reference works in the Researcher?s library

Google Searches, including:
prophecies Jesus "did not fulfill"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&c2coff=1&q=prophecies+Jesus+%22did+not+fulfill%22&btnG=Search

prophecies Jesus fulfill
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&c2coff=1&q=prophecies+Jesus+fulfill&btnG=Search

This was exactly what I was looking for. At some point, we all have to
examine our beliefs, and Kriswrite has given me an excellent starting
point with numerous references. Thanks a lot! And thanks to all of the
researchers who added comments, too.

Hi, ade3ada-ga:

It is a memorable price to offer for this Question; perhaps some day
we can laugh about it with Douglas Adams!  One of the other
Researchers and I have an ongoing argument about whether there is any
reliable evidence for a historical Jesus.  So I suppose given the
breadth of disagreement about that basic element of your Question,
almost anything might be contended.

In that connection I've made an appointment to speak with an expert on
some ancient Jewish commentaries on Scripture.  Perhaps I'll glean
something that may be of interest to this thread.

regards, mathtalk-ga

If anybody wants some points of reference to either challenge, accept
or simply use as an anchor point, there may be some interesting things
in the comments section of this question:
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=358437

ahem, - - - "One of the other Researchers and I have an ongoing
argument about whether there is any reliable evidence for a historical
Jesus."

Well, it continues.  Though I don't know if it is really an argument. 
He is a Zen Baptist.  How can one argue with a Zen Baptist?

But anyway, I do not believe there is.  That does not mean I don't
believe a historical Jesus lived, though not as a God, but as a man
and a teacher, it just means there is no way to prove it.

Digs

Dear ade3ada-ga;

I will offer you these examples of fulfilled prophecy taken from the
Holy Bible itself:


PROPHECY: Isaiah 9:6 
?For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and his name
shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting
Father, The prince of Peace.?

FULFILLED: 
?A child is born? in Luke 2:7
?And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling
clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them
in the inn.?

He is the Christ:
?A son is given?, is fulfilled in John 3:16 
?For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life.?

. . . . . . . . 

PROPHECY Psalm 41:9 
?Yea, mine own friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat my bread, hath
lifted up his heel against me.?

FULFILLED: Matthew 26:50
Judas betrayed Christ in the garden in Matthew 26:50: 
?And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come?  Then came
they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.?

. . . . . . . . 


PROPHECY Zechariah 11:12 
?And I said unto them, if ye think good, give me my price; and if not,
forbear.  So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.?

FULFILLED: Matthew 26:15
Fulfilled when Judas went to the high priests to betray Jesus.  
?And said unto them, What will you give me, and I will deliver him
unto you?  And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.?

. . . . . . . . 


PROPHECY Zechariah 11:13 
?And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price
that I was prised at of them.  And I took the thirty pieces of silver,
and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord.?

FULFILLED: Matthew 27:7
Judas tried to give the silver back to the priest that he got it from
and fulfilled this prophecy.
?And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter?s field, to
bury strangers in.?

. . . . . . . . 


PROPHECY Micah 5:2 
?But thou, beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the
thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that
is to be ruler in Israel; whose going forth have been from of old,
from everlasting.?

FULFILLED Matthew 2:1
Jesus was born in Beth-lehem. 
?Now when Jesus was born in Beth-lehem of Judea in the days of Herod
the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem. V.6
And thou Beth-lehem, in the land of Juda, art not least among the
princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall
rule my people Israel.?

Notice that Micah 5:2 says ?from of old? which means from God. God is
repeatedly refereed to in scripture as ?everlasting? and ?the great I
Am? from the old days.  In Genesis God is described this way: ?In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God.? Meaning that there is nothing ?older? so clearly ?from of old?
in this scripture refers to God, and Jesus, begat by God, is God?s
only son.

. . . . . . . . 

PROPHECY Zechariah 9:9 
?Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem:
behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation;
lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.?

FULFILLMENT Matthew 21:7
This seemingly simple but quite meaningful prophecy, written several
hundred years before Jesus was even born, was fulfilled when Jesus
rode into Jerusalem on the donkey.
?And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and
they set him thereon.?

. . . . . . . . 

PROPHECY Zechariah 13:7 
?Awake, O sword, against my Shepherd, and against the man that is my
fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep
shall be scattered: and I will turn my hand upon the little ones.?

FULFILLMENT Matthew 26:31 
When the soldiers came and arrested Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane
and his disciples were scattered this prophecy was fulfilled.
?Then Jesus said unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me
this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the
sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.? (see also Mark 14:27)

. . . . . . . . 

PROPHECY Psalms 35:11 
?False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.?

FULFILLMENT: Matthew 26:59
David?s PROPHECY several hundred years before Jesus? birth was
fulfilled at the trial for Jesus when the priest and elders sought out
false witnesses against him
?Now the chief priest, and elders, and all the council, sought false
witness against Jesus, to put him to death.?

. . . . . . . . 

PROPHECY Isaiah 50:6 
?I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off
the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.?

FULFILLED Matthew 27:26 
When Jesus was tried and turned over to the soldiers this several
hundred year old prophecy was also fulfilled.
?Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus,
he delivered him to be crucified.? V.30 ?And they spit on him, and
took the reed, and smote him on the head.?

. . . . . . . . 

PROPHECY Isaiah 53:5 
?But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his
stripes we are healed.?

FULFILLED Mark 14:65 
?And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet
him, and to say unto him, Prophecy: and the servants did strike him
with the palms of their hands.?

. . . . . . . . 

PROPHECY Micah 5:1 
?Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid
siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon
the cheek.?

FULFILLED Matthew 27:30 
When Jesus was scourged he was struck with a stick as prophesied:  
?And they spit upon him, and took the reed and smote him on the head.?

. . . . . . . . 

PROPHECY Isaiah 53:7 
?He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth:
he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her
shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.?

FULFILLED 
When Jesus stood before his accusers he refused to speak in his own defense:
Mark 15:3 - ?And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he
answered nothing.
John 19:9 ? ?And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto
Jesus, Whence art thou?  But Jesus gave him no answer.
Acts 8:32 ? ?The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was
led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his
shearer, so opened not his mouth.?

. . . . . . . . 

PROPHECY Isaiah 50:5 
?The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither
turned away back.?

FULFILLED Matthew 26:53 
After praying to God in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus had asked God
to let the cup pass from him if possible. God opened Jesus mind to the
necessity for his sacrifice and even in the face of death Jesus did
not turn away from God?s will. After praying to God Jesus told Peter:
?Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall
presently give me more than twelve legions of angels??

. . . . . . . . 

PROPHECY Psalms 22:16
Written by David several hundred years BEFORE Romans even began using
crucifixion as a means of execution:
?For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed
me: they pierced my hands and my feet.?

FULFILLMENT: This was clearly fulfilled when Jesus was nailed to the cross.  

. . . . . . . . 

PROPHECY Psalms 22:8 
?He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver
him, seeing he delighted in him.?

FULFILLMENT Matthew 27:43
When Jesus was hanging on the cross and the passers-by mocked him he
trusted God would deliver him:
?He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, If he will have him: for
he said, I Am the Son of God.

. . . . . . . . 

PROPHECY Zechariah 12:10 
?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.?

FULFILLMENT John 19:34 
Jesus? side, hands and feet were pierced partially fulfilling this prophecy.
John 19:34 - ?But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side,
and forthwith came there out blood and water.?
John 19:37 ? ?And again another scripture saith, They shall look upon
him whom they have pierced.?

. . . . . . . . 

PROPHECY Psalms 69:21 
?They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me
vinegar to drink.?

FULFILLMENT 
Again, hundreds of years later when crucifixion was the means of
execution (something David could not have predicted or foreseen) the
soldiers tried to give this very thing to Jesus to drink on the cross.
Matthew 27:34 - ?They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and
when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.?
Matthew 27:48 - ?And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge,
and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to
drink.?
Mark 15:36 ? ?And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put
it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see
whether Elias will come to take him down.?
Luke 23:36 ? ?And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and
offering him vinegar.?
John 19:29 ? ?Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they
filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to
his mouth.?
John 19:39 ? ?When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said,
It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.?

. . . . . . . . 

PROPHECY Psalms 34:20 
?He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.?

FULFILLMENT: John 19:33
Jesus died before the soldier came to break his legs and hasten his death:
John 19:33 ? ?But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead
already, they brake not his legs.?

. . . . . . . . 

PROPHECY Isaiah 53:12 
?Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall
divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul
unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare
the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.?

FULFILLMENT Matthew 27:38 
This was fulfilled when Jesus was hung on the cross between the two thieves.  
?Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand
and another on the left hand.?
(see also Mark 15:27 ?And with him they crucify two thieves; the one
on his right hand, and the other on his left. And the scripture was
fulfilled, which saith, He was numbered with the transgressors.?)

. . . . . . . . 

PROPHECY Psalms 22:18 
?They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.?


FULFILLMENT Matthew 27:35 
This was fulfilled when the soldiers that crucified Jesus gambled for his clothes.
?And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that
it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my
garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.?
(see also Mark 15:24 and John 19:23)

. . . . . . . . 

PROPHECY Isaiah 53:9 
?And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his
death; because he had done no violence, neither was there any deceit
in his mouth.?

FULFILLMENT Luke 23:34, Matthew 27:57  
Jesus harbor no hatred for those who crucified him. 
Luke 23:34  - ?Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know
not what they do.?

He died with the wicked (two thieves) and was buried among the wealthy
in the tomb of a rich man, Joseph of Arimathaea:
Matthew 27:57 ? ?When the even was come, there came a rich man of
Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus? disciple:  He
went to Pilate , and begged the body of Jesus.  Then Pilate commanded
the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he
wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb,
which he had hewn out in the rock.?

. . . . . . . . 

PROPHECY Isaiah 53:6 
?All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his
own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.?

FULFILLMENT
This prophecy was fulfilled when the sins of the world were placed on
Jesus Christ. In the same way sheep were sacrificed in the Old
Testament, Jesus was sacrificed:

Colossians 2:14 ? ?Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was
against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way,
nailing it to the cross?

Hebrews 8:12 ? ?For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and
their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.?

Hebrews 10:17 ? ?And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.?

. . . . . . . . 

PROPHECY Isaiah 61:1 
?The spirit of the Lord is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me
to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the
broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening
of the prison to the that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year
of the Lord....?

FULFILLMENT Luke 4:21
This was fulfilled when the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus and he
preached to them in the synagogue:

?And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

. . . . . . . . 

PROHECY Jeremiah 23:5 
?Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a
righteous branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall
execute Judgement and justice in the earth.?

FULFILLED John 15:1
Jesus likened Himself to a ?righteous branch? and ?the prosperous King?.

John 15:1 ? ?I Am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.  I
am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him,
the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.?

. . . . . . . . 

PROPHECY Psalms 16:10 
?For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer
thine Holy One to see corruption.?

FULFILLED Acts 2:25-35
When Jesus died on the cross and went into the depths of the earth
after death this was fulfilled.  Peter mentions this on the day of
Pentecost after the upper room when the men were filled with the Holy
Spirit?

Acts 2:25-35 - ?He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of
Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see
corruption.?

. . . . . . . . 

PROHECY Isaiah 8:13  
Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be a stumbling stone to the Jews.
To this day, the nations as a whole have not accepted Jesus as
Messiah.

Isaiah 8:13 ? ?Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your
fear, and let him be your dread. And he shall be for a sanctuary; but
for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses
of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be
snared, and be taken.?

FULFILLED Romans 9:32  
This has been fulfilled because Jesus, as the cornerstone of the
church, has been rejected.

Romans 9:32  - ?Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as
it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that
stumblingstone;
Ch.33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and
rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.?

1 Peter 2:7 ? ?Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but
unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders
disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner.?
. . . . . . . . 

PROPHECY Malachi 3:1 
?And the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even
the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall
come, saith the LORD of hosts.?

FULFILLED Matthew 21:12
Without warning Jesus suddenly entered the temple and cast out the money changers:

?And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that
sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the
moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves.?
. . . . . . . . 


PROPHECY Ezekiel 34:10
Jesus was promised to be the good shepherd.

?Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I
will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from
feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any
more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not
be meat for them. For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will
both search my sheep, and seek them out.?

FULFILLED 
John 10:11 ? ?I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his
life for the sheep.?
Hebrews 13:20 ? ?Now the God of peace, that brought again from the
dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the
blood of the everlasting covenant.?

. . . . . . . . 

PROPHECY Psalms 2:7
God promised his only begotten son.

?I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my
Son; this day have I begotten thee.?

FULFILLED Acts 13:33 
?God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath
raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou
art my Son, this day have I BEGOTTEN thee.?
. . . . . . . . 


I don?t know if this helps to answer your question or not or if there
even is a way to provide you with convincing proof. As for my belief,
since ?having faith? does not appeal to you as an ?excuse?, I?d have
to say ?why not??. As I see it, there?s certainly no harm in it.

I?d be interested to know how closely this comes to answering your
question (from my perspective at least ? which is, after all, what you
basically asked for).

Best regards;
Tutuzdad ? Google Answers Researcher

www.messiahrevealed.org is a website with a comprehensive list of
Messianic prophecies and their fulfillment.  You might also check out
www.jewsforjesus.org/answers/index.htm , where I got the link.  As you
can imagine, Jewish people, more than most, have some interesting
questions about the Messiahship of Jesus(in Hebrew, Yeshua)...

I, too, was raised with a Roman Catholic background, and I therefore
grew up with the constant notion in the back of my mind, "God has GOT
to be more than this."  I was right -- but it took me a long time to
realize that the Bible really had something to offer.  I'm sorry to
hear that your experience thus far has led you to question the Bible
so deeply and seriously.  Some of the things you've been led to
believe about the Bible's authenticity (or lack of it, perhaps) are
just not true.

The Roman Catholic Church, by the way, does NOT base its doctrine on
the Bible; it bases its doctrine on itself (i.e., its own traditions
and what it's decided is right).  I've done a lot of study over the
last few years, as one who had similar questions.  If you would like
some more websites, on either subject, from the list I've compiled,
email me at mashiachyeshua@yahoo.com.

Ade3ada, thank you for the terrific rating, and the generous tip! I'm
glad you found my Answer helpful!

Regards,
Kriswrite

I just wanted to comment that nearly all of the evidence of Jesus
fulfilling prophecy is found in the Bible, which is not exactly an
unbiased source.

One of the biggest questions we face these days is..Is the Bible we
have now accurate or has it been excessively tampered with. Would an
all powerful God who wants only the best for us, allow His " Text
Book" to be altered, due to man`s unreliable memory or to " Bignote"
ourselves. A God who created the whole universe and eventually man
himself surely has the power to do this. But did He tell us that He
would protect His own book. Yes!. Revelation 22, verse 18, right in
the very last page of the Bible. " I am bearing witness to EVERYONE
that hears the words of THE PROPHECY of this scroll. If anyone makes
an addition to these things God will add to him the PLAGUES THAT ARE
WRITTEN IN THIS SCROLL. [19] And if anyone takes anything away from
the words of the scroll of this prophecy, God will takehis portion
away from the trees of life, and out of the holy city, things which
are written about in this scroll . The scroll is the complete Bible,
and the main religions that have put tradition in front of very
specific " DO NOT`S" are even now suffering the consequences.

For a deeply considered, highly researched, and profound take on this
subject, read "The Pagan Christ: Recovering the Lost Light" by Tom
Harpur. See http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0887621457/qid=1089311476/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/702-0391760-2451221
( http://tinyurl.com/39keh )

Cheers!

maenad

I am perhaps a little late to this thread but would be extremely
interested to know if the reply you recieved tipped the balance for
you in any way as to your beliefs. I would've thought that the writers
of the 'fulfilled' prophecies would've been sure to say that they were
fulfilled and give accounts of 'events' to back this up - after all
they had the OT as a reference and had a messiah to promote?!

Exsisting, they usually did do just that. Typically, by saying
something like "It is written that..." and then quoting the OT.

Kriswrite

Thanks for response. But wouldn?t this therefore just be a case of
self fulfilling prophecy if the prophecy has already been outlined? I
suppose I am saying that these events are not actual events but
?invented? and written down to tally with certain expectations.  For
instance the concept of a messiah was a common theme in Biblical times
& therefore not a surprise that this ?prophecy? was fulfilled? & some
of the prophecies are vague enough to be interpreted in a way to
conform to these expectations? This has always been my confusion with
fulfilled prophecies- it would not be hard to say that they were
fulfilled as it cannot be contradicted (or corroborated outside of the
Bible) as most events probably did not take place at all. ?

Give it up, existing.

People's religious beliefs are not logical, so it is pointless to try
to have a logical discussion about them. Yes, proving the truth of the
bible by pointing to prophecies in the bible which are later fulfilled
in the bible is entertainingly circular.  Even more so is the argument
that the bible can't have been altered over the years because in the
bible it says that God would not allow such changes.

The architects of these circles are not going to explain away the
flaws in their reasoning.  Nor are you going to convince them of
anything.  This ground has been covered a thousand times.  So just
enjoy humor in it all.

Racecar I hear what you?re saying but wanted to post because of the
original question from ade3ada as they sound like they are genuinely
searching for answers as opposed to circular ?evidence?. Also, I
wanted to mention to kriswrite as with regards to the reliability of
the bible, I checked out one of the links above, the World Net Daily
?how do you know the bible is true?? & was simply staggered at the
writers reasoning. (I am assuming that you are sympathetic with his
argument and that is why you gave the link). ?We just know it is
right? like we ?just know? murder is wrong. But the Bible sanctifies
the stoning to death of women who cannot prove their virginity (Deut
22:13-21) and the dashing of little ones on stones (psalm 137:8-9) and
the execution of anyone who works on a Sunday (Exodus 35:2)??? Also,
using the same reasoning David Kupelian uses, don?t we ?just know?
that slavery is wrong? Yet the Bible never once condemns this immoral
institution and even gives guidelines regarding the level of beating
that should be inflicted (Luke 12:47-48). He says the bible is very
clear on homosexuality being an abomination, but I doubt he would
mention that the bible is clear on the abomination of eating shellfish
((Lev 11:10-12) or the ?uncleanness? of eating pigs (Lev 11:7) or even
wearing a mixture of fabrics for that matter (Lev 19:19). Yet do we
?just know? that a cotton/polyester T-shirt is ?wrong?? His reasoning
is quite absurd. Yes we know murder is wrong, but the Bible is not an
exemplary guide on this moral! I was just astounded that his argument
for the veracity of the bible was, in a nutshell, ?we just know.?
Sorry racecar, I?m sure these points have all been made a 100 times
before but I am not yet exhausted enough with these types of debates
to give up!