Prophecy in Perspective
The fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy in the New Testament provides us with powerful evidence of the truth of God’s Word. In no account is this truer than the arrival and life of Jesus. As early as Genesis 3:15, Scripture foreshadows the coming of God’s Son. The relationship between prophecies and the events they foretold provides several realities to consider.
The fact that Old Testament Scriptures exactly predicted multiple future events over tremendous spans of time compels an honest student to examine the Bible with greater confidence, especially when considering contemporary doubts about prophecy’s relevance and accuracy.
The significance of Jesus fulfilling Old Testament prophecies is not just that the predictions were accurate, but that this fulfillment reassures the audience of God’s unwavering faithfulness. It confirms that Jesus is indeed the promised Messiah, inspiring trust in God’s promises for their lives.
The manner of fulfillment confirms God’s faithfulness. In Joshua 23:14, the Bible reads, “…not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed.” While these words were spoken before the birth of Jesus, they reveal God’s character, as verified throughout the Bible. Not only did God do what He said He would do, but He did it exactly as promised.
This accuracy between prediction and occurrence validates the reliability of Scripture. When events foretold centuries before they occur happen as described, it lends credibility to the source—the Bible. While worldly minds look for inconsistencies in Scripture, their only sources are passages taken out of context or presented only partially. When the Bible is honestly examined in context, its reliability does not falter, rendering its authority absolute.
Finally, the fulfillment of prophecies reveals God’s plan of redemption. While these fulfillments are powerful evidence for God and Christ, for the faithful, the greatest value lies in the verification of God’s plan. Scripture increasingly reveals God’s purpose to save man from sin through Jesus Christ. In Genesis 22:18, Scripture records, “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed…” In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he confirms Christ as the fulfillment of that promise: “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ” (Galatians 3:16).
Fulfilled prophecy assures Christians that God, who planned redemption from the beginning, accomplished it perfectly in Jesus Christ and will faithfully deliver on every remaining promise. Because God’s Word has proven trustworthy throughout history, believers can live with confident faith and joyful expectation as they await the return of Christ.
—Martin Kent Miller