Path of the Prophets—Old Testament Prophecy

PATH OF THE PROPHETS—OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY

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MESS IAH’S NTITY

ID ENCRYP TED

WITHIN

ANC I E N T Heb r e w PROP H E C Y.

58 • ARTICLE FIVE • THE PATH LAID BY PROPHETS © 2010, CruPress, All Rights Reserved. CruPress.comTHE PATH LAID BY PROPHETS • ARTICLE FIVE • 59 Today, Frank Abagnale is sought after by So, could Jesus have been a fake Messiah, So consider a prophet’s dilemma: death if above this man until it covered the whole This is said to be about the death of Prin- governments and corporations as an expert fooling even the most noteworthy religion GO D’S MOUTH he was proved wrong and the possibility earth. According to Dixon, this child would cess Diana. (You were probably thinking on detecting forgery, embezzlement, and scholars? Is it possible he was groomed PIE CES of death if he was right. No true prophet be a descendant of the ancient Egyptian Margaret Thatcher.) Prophecies like this are document falsification. But between the by his parents or undisclosed mentors to wanted to offend God, and just as few Queen Nefertiti. 1 as nebulous as seeing images in clouds. Yet ages of 16 and 21, he was one of the world’s become the long-promised king that Israel The God of the Hebrews spoke to his people wanted to be sawn in half. Thus most some insist this is evidence of a Nostrada- most successful con artists. He cashed $2.5 had been looking for? through prophets, men and women who prophets waited until they were absolutely Where is this guy? Have you seen him? And mus prophecy fulfilled. Highly suspect, but million in fraudulent checks in all 50 states were especially attuned to God and who convinced that God had spoken, or else how about that lasting world peace—it’s difficult to disprove. and 26 foreign countries. He also success- In fact, if Jesus was an imposter, he would may or may not have been a part of the reli- they kept their mouths shut. Kings began nice, huh? fully passed himself off as an airline pilot, not be the first person in the history of gious establishment. Some of the prophets’ to shudder at their words. A true prophet’s And this is generally the track record of an attorney, a college professor, and a Israel to have lied about being the Mes- messages were for the present; others, for messages were never wrong. In fact, an exhaustive search of her predic- psychics. When “The People’s Almanac” re- pediatrician before being apprehended by siah. Through the centuries prior to Christ’s the future. Either way, their role was to pro- tion yields two indisputable facts. Her rate searched the predictions of 25 top psychics, the French police. birth, and afterward as well, many self-pro- claim God’s declarations and disclosures to Now here’s a question: how would the ac- of accuracy is equivalent to those guessing 92 percent of the predictions had proved claimed messiahs arose, only to be shown the people. curacy of these biblical prophets match up the future (about 11 percent, and her most wrong. The other 8 percent were question- If this story sounds familiar to you, it’s prob- to be cons or lunatics. with today’s psychics? publicized fulfillments were prophecies so able and could be explained by chance or ably because you watched the 2002 movie In general, being a prophet ranked up intentionally vague as any number of events general knowledge of circumstances. 4 In

Catch Me If You Can, in which Abagnale Ancient Hebrew prophecies had clearly there with working at a meatpacking plant could have been hailed as fulfillments. other experiments with the world’s fore- PROPA HETS S was played by Leonardo DiCaprio (who predicted the reign of a future king who among the world’s most hazardous oc- PSY CHICS? most psychics, their rate of accuracy has passed himself off as an actor in Titanic). would bring peace to Israel and be their cupations. Even when they were telling the Even the widely publicized prophecies of been shown to hover around 11 percent, Savior. A sense of expectancy filled the truth, prophets might be killed or thrown To consider whether modern psychics’ ac- Nostradamus have frequently been proved which might not be a bad average except What would it take to top Abagnale’s land and captivated Jewish hopes and aspi- into prison by people who didn’t like what curacy approaches that of biblical prophets, wrong in spite of his vague oracles, which for the fact that people making random performance as a con man? Well, if Jesus rations. In such an atmosphere as Israel’s, they were saying. (Some kings hated let’s take Jean Dixon as a case study. This are difficult to disprove.2 For example, here guesses about the future score at the same Christ wasn’t the Messiah he claimed to could not someone less qualified have been hearing bad news.) According to historical American psychic seemed to have a special is one of the predictions of Nostradamus: percentile. This doesn’t disprove all future be, there would be no contest. We’re not pressed into, or conformed himself to fit, the accounts, the prophet Isaiah was sawn in ability to foretell events. But upon analysis telling, but it certainly explains why psy- talking about conning thousands, as in mold of Messiah? The answer to that ques- half. her reputation seems unwarranted. Takes the Goddess of the Moon, for chics aren’t winning the lottery. the case of Abagnale. If Jesus Christ was tion hangs on the Old Testament prophe- his Day & Movement: an imposter, his con job has changed the cies pointing to the Messiah. For instance, Dixon had a vision that on A frantic wanderer and witness of course of 2,000 years of history and influ- February 5, 1962, a child was born in the Gods Law, enced billions. Middle East who would transform the world In awakening the worlds great by the year 2000. This special man would regions to Gods will (Ones Will).3 create a one-world religion and bring lasting world peace. She saw a cross growing

60 • ARTICLE FIVE • THE PATH LAID BY PROPHETS© 2010, CruPress, All Rights Reserved. CruPress.com THE PATH LAID BY PROPHETS • ARTICLE FIVE • 61 Today, Frank Abagnale is sought after by So, could Jesus have been a fake Messiah, So consider a prophet’s dilemma: death if above this man until it covered the whole This is said to be about the death of Prin- governments and corporations as an expert fooling even the most noteworthy religion GO D’S MOUTH he was proved wrong and the possibility earth. According to Dixon, this child would cess Diana. (You were probably thinking on detecting forgery, embezzlement, and scholars? Is it possible he was groomed PIE CES of death if he was right. No true prophet be a descendant of the ancient Egyptian Margaret Thatcher.) Prophecies like this are document falsification. But between the by his parents or undisclosed mentors to wanted to offend God, and just as few Queen Nefertiti. 1 as nebulous as seeing images in clouds. Yet ages of 16 and 21, he was one of the world’s become the long-promised king that Israel The God of the Hebrews spoke to his people wanted to be sawn in half. Thus most some insist this is evidence of a Nostrada- most successful con artists. He cashed $2.5 had been looking for? through prophets, men and women who prophets waited until they were absolutely Where is this guy? Have you seen him? And mus prophecy fulfilled. Highly suspect, but million in fraudulent checks in all 50 states were especially attuned to God and who convinced that God had spoken, or else how about that lasting world peace—it’s difficult to disprove. and 26 foreign countries. He also success- In fact, if Jesus was an imposter, he would may or may not have been a part of the reli- they kept their mouths shut. Kings began nice, huh? fully passed himself off as an airline pilot, not be the first person in the history of gious establishment. Some of the prophets’ to shudder at their words. A true prophet’s And this is generally the track record of an attorney, a college professor, and a Israel to have lied about being the Mes- messages were for the present; others, for messages were never wrong. In fact, an exhaustive search of her predic- psychics. When “The People’s Almanac” re- pediatrician before being apprehended by siah. Through the centuries prior to Christ’s the future. Either way, their role was to pro- tion yields two indisputable facts. Her rate searched the predictions of 25 top psychics, the French police. birth, and afterward as well, many self-pro- claim God’s declarations and disclosures to Now here’s a question: how would the ac- of accuracy is equivalent to those guessing 92 percent of the predictions had proved claimed messiahs arose, only to be shown the people. curacy of these biblical prophets match up the future (about 11 percent, and her most wrong. The other 8 percent were question- If this story sounds familiar to you, it’s prob- to be cons or lunatics. with today’s psychics? publicized fulfillments were prophecies so able and could be explained by chance or ably because you watched the 2002 movie In general, being a prophet ranked up intentionally vague as any number of events general knowledge of circumstances. 4 In

60 • ARTICLE FIVE • THE PATH LAID BY PROPHETS © 2010, CruPress, All Rights Reserved. CruPress.comTHE PATH LAID BY PROPHETS • ARTICLE FIVE • 61 The difference between psychics and prophets seems to be more one of kind According to the Hebrew requirement that According to the Hebrew requirements that a than one of degree. Prophets made specific a prophecy must have a 100 percent rate of prophecy must have a 100 percent rate of declarations about future events in relation accuracy, the true Messiah of Israel must to God’s unfurling plan—and did it with fulfill them all or else he is not the Mes- unwavering accuracy. Psychics are more accuracy, the true Messiah of Israel must siah. So the question that either vindicates mercenary, providing vague sketches of Jesus or makes him culpable for the world’s the future to a market willing to pay for fulfill them all or else he is not the Messiah. greatest hoax is, did he fit and fulfill these their services. They offer information with a Old Testament prophecies?

questionable track record. When forensic scientists discover a DNA And if you put this degree of accuracy into HM TA profile match, the odds of having the wrong everyday perspective, you can see how ARE person is frequently less than one in several astounding it is. For example, it would billion (something for deviants to keep in relig ious PROPH ECY I N have been miraculous if in 1910 you had mind). It would seem we are in the same predicted that a man named George Bush neighborhood of odds, and numbers of PERSPECTIV E would win the 2000 election. But imagine zeros, in considering a single individual if you had included some of these details in the ODDS ? fulfilling these prophecies. Prophecy can be rather mystical, meta- But in the world of religion, prophecy serves your prediction: physical, and—for lack of a better word— an important function. It becomes one sure Let’s look at two of the specific prophecies Professor of mathematics Peter Stoner gave creepy. It conjures up images of séances way to know if someone is speaking from • The candidate with the most about the Messiah in the Old Testament. 600 students a math probability problem and other worlds. In Star Wars there is the God or if he is not, for only an omniscient total votes would lose the election. that would determine the odds for one foretelling of one who would bring balance God could exhaustively know the future. • All major TV networks would You, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are person fulfilling eight specific prophecies. to the Force. The Lord of the Rings movies And on this point the prophecy in the Old announce the winner and then only a small village in Judah. Yet a (This is not the same as flipping a coin weave their imaginary themes around Testament stands as unique, for most of reverse themselves. ruler of Israel will come from you, eight times in a row and getting heads scenes of prophetic utterances. But such is the renowned holy books are devoid of • One state (Florida) would swing one whose origins are from the each time.) First the students calculated the world of imagination. predictive prophecy. For example, while the the election. distant past. (Micah 5:2) the odds of one person fulfilling all the Book of Mormon and the Hindu Veda claim • The U.S. Supreme Court would conditions of one specific prophecy, such Regarding the real world, it has been said divine inspiration, there is really no means ultimately determine the winner. The Lord himself will choose [a] as being betrayed by a friend for 30 pieces that if a person knew just one minute of the to corroborate their claims; you’re simply sign. Look! The virgin will conceive of silver. Then the students did their best to future he could rule the world. Think about left with “Yeah, that sounds like something Had such occurred, there would be a child! She will give birth to a son estimate the odds for all of the eight proph- it. One minute of knowing every hand dealt God might say.” churches named after you and dashboard and will call him Immanuel—“God ecies combined. at the Trump Casino. You’d become the statuettes bearing your likeness. But you is with us.” (Isaiah 7:14) richest person in the world and Donald Bible scholar Wilbur Smith compared the didn’t, so there aren’t. As difficult (or The students calculated that the odds would become a postal worker. prophecies of the Bible with other historical impossible) as it would have been in 1910 Now, before considering the other 59 proph- against one person fulfilling all eight books, stating that the Bible “is the only to have accurately predicted this precise ecies, you have to stop and ask yourself prophecies are astronomical—one in 1021. volume ever produced by man, or a group of sequence of events, the odds are incredibly how many people in the category of poten- To illustrate that number, Stoner gave the men, in which is to be found a large body of more difficult for Jesus, or any one person, tial Messiah throughout history were born following example: “First, blanket the entire prophecies relating to individual nations, to to have fulfilled all the Hebrew prophe- of a virgin in the town of Bethlehem. “Well, Earth land mass with silver dollars 120 feet Israel, to all the peoples of the earth, to cer- cies for the Messiah. Contained within the let’s see, there’s my neighbor George, but high. Second, specially mark one of those tain cities, and to the coming one who was Old Testament, written hundreds of years … no, never mind; he was born in Brook- dollars and randomly bury it. Third, ask a to be the Messiah.”5 Thus the Bible lays out before the birth of Jesus, are 61 specific lyn.” In the case of 61 detailed prophecies person to travel the Earth and select the its claim for inspiration in such a way that prophecies and nearly 300 references about being fulfilled by one person, we are talking marked dollar, while blindfolded, from the it can be either substantiated or disproved. the Messiah.6 about virtually impossible odds. trillions of other dollars.”7

62 • ARTICLE FIVE • THE PATH LAID BY PROPHETS© 2010, CruPress, All Rights Reserved. CruPress.com THE PATH LAID BY PROPHETS • ARTICLE FIVE • 63 The difference between psychics and prophets seems to be more one of kind According to the Hebrew requirement that According to the Hebrew requirements that a than one of degree. Prophets made specific a prophecy must have a 100 percent rate of prophecy must have a 100 percent rate of declarations about future events in relation accuracy, the true Messiah of Israel must to God’s unfurling plan—and did it with fulfill them all or else he is not the Mes- unwavering accuracy. Psychics are more accuracy, the true Messiah of Israel must siah. So the question that either vindicates mercenary, providing vague sketches of Jesus or makes him culpable for the world’s the future to a market willing to pay for fulfill them all or else he is not the Messiah. greatest hoax is, did he fit and fulfill these their services. They offer information with a Old Testament prophecies?

People can do some pretty squishy things with numbers (especially with a last name like And over the years a similar claim has been made by skeptics about Jesus’ fulﬁllment of befor years 150 to ments

that), so it’s important to note that Stoner’s work was reviewed by the American Scientiﬁc Old Testament prophecy. They have granted that Jesus fulﬁlled messianic prophecies but docu- the of some dated experts commissioned checked and r and checked

Association, which stated, “The mathematical analysis … is based upon principles of prob- have accused him of living his life in such a way as to intentionally fulﬁll them. A reason- the last At dating. the echecked

ability which are thoroughly sound, and Professor Stoner has applied these principles in a able objection, but not as plausible as it might seem. experts implied, ﬁndings the what checked

proper and convincing way.” 8 experts dating, early the at Surprised Jesus. of

Consider the nature of just four of the messianic prophecies: birth the to prior transcribed were copies these

dr eds of year earlier year of eds

With that as an introduction, let’s add six more predictions to the two we’ve already con- that conﬁrmed tests dating ,

sidered, giving us a total of Professor Stoner’s eight: • His lineage would come from David (Jeremiah 23:5). hun- written prophecies original the of copies e well-preserved well-preserved e

• His birth would occur in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). wer documents these Although

Prophecy: The Messiah would be from the lineage of King • He would migrate to Egypt (Hosea 11:1). scientiﬁcally. documents the date to missioned

Ar chaeologists and paleographers wer paleographers and chaeologists Jeremiah 23:5 600 b.c. com- e David. • He would live in Nazareth (Isaiah 11:1).9 Fulﬁllment: “Jesus … the son of David …” Luke 3:23, 31 4 b.c.

Prophecy: The Messiah would be betrayed for 30 pieces of climate. desert dry the in unchanged

Zechariah 11:13 487 b.c. Now, what could Jesus do about fulﬁlling these prophecies? Neither he nor his parents had

emarkably emarkably silver. r them, found boy curious a until turies

any control over his ancestry. His birth in Bethlehem was the result of a census mandated

pr eserve them. And ther And them. eserve Fulﬁllment: “They gave him thirty pieces of silver.” Matthew 26:15 a.d. 30 cen- for remained they e

by Caesar Augustus. His parents’ move to Egypt was prompted by King Herod’s persecu- Prophecy: The Messiah would have his hands and feet to caves in documents community other and

Psalm 22:16 1000 b.c. tion. And once Herod died, Jesus’ parents naturally decided to resettle in Nazareth.

pierced. scrolls biblical their hid them of some that, before Fulﬁllment: “They came to a place called The Skull. All three But time. that at slaughtered were Essenes the were cruciﬁed there—Jesus on the center cross, and the two Luke 23:33 a.d. 30 Even if at a young age an imposter Jesus looked at the prophecies he had accidentally

criminals on either side.” fulﬁlled and decided to go for it and see if he could make the rest (like someone deciding all possibly, Quite revolt. Jewish a down putting

Prophecy: People would cast lots for the Messiah’s clothing. Psalm 22:18 1000 b.c. to shoot the moon in the card game Hearts), the deck would still have been impossibly of process the in area the through marched

an end in the late 60s a.d. when Roman tr Roman when a.d. 60s late the in end an oops oops

Fulﬁllment: “The soldiers … took his robe, but it was seam- stacked against him. Consider some of the factors in the prophecies we’ve already looked Qumran community Qumran

less, woven in one piece from the top. So they said, ‘Let’s John 19:23-24 a.d. 30 at: the Messiah would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver; he would be killed by means of to came location) their after , not tear it but throw dice to see who gets it.’ ” the (called community the that goes theory The cruciﬁxion; and people would cast lots for his clothes. These prophecies all came true for Prophecy: The Messiah would appear riding on a donkey. Zechariah 9:9 500 b.c.

Jesus, yet what control did he have over the fulﬁllment of any of them? Fulﬁllment: “They brought the animals to him and threw their caves. the near

Matthew 21:7 a.d. 30 garments over the colt, and he sat on it.” community a in lived who Ages) Middle the of

Bible scholars tell us that nearly 300

oup called the Essenes (a little like monks monks like little (a Essenes the called oup Prophecy: A messenger would be sent to herald the Mes- gr gious Malachi 3:1 500 b.c.

siah. references to 61 speciﬁc prophecies of the seems they originally belonged to an ascetic reli- ascetic an to belonged originally they seems

Fulﬁllment: John told them, “I baptize with water, but right Messiah were fulﬁlled by Jesus Christ.

How did these manuscripts get ther get manuscripts these did How e? W e? John 1:26 a.d. 27 it ell, here in the crowd is someone you do not know.” The odds against one person fulﬁlling that Two conclusions

many prophecies would be beyond all emerge: First, only a seen. ever had scholars manuscripts The eight prophecies we’ve reviewed about the Messiah were written by men from differ- mathematical possibility. It could never

transcendent Being biblical oldest the far by were these importantly,

ent times and places between about 500 and 1,000 years before Jesus was born. Thus there happen, no matter how much time was every Old Testament book except Esther. Most Most Esther. except book Testament Old every

was no opportunity for collusion among them. Notice too, the speciﬁcity. This is not the allotted. One mathematician’s estimate of could orchestrate such clay jars were well-preserved manuscripts from from manuscripts well-preserved were jars clay

genre of a Nostradamus prediction—“When the moon turns green, the lima bean will lie those impossible odds is “one chance in a events. And second, how valuable these scrolls were. Inside those those Inside were. scrolls these valuable how

cloaked by the roadside.” trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, tril- it makes all of Jesus’ time the at knew one No scrolls. ancient were

lion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, other claims credible jars the inside that discovered he surprise, initial

trillion, trillion.”10

contained some clay jars. After Muhammad’ After jars. clay some contained and worthy of serious s

out CONTROL of HIS that Sea Dead the near cave limestone a ered Bertrand Russell, adamant atheist, was consideration.

Imagine winning a Powerball lottery with merely asked in a Look magazine interview what discov- Muhammad named boy Arab an 1947 In

HELD ES V CA one ticket among tens of millions sold. Now imag- evidence it would take for him to believe in THE ine winning a hundred of these lotteries in a row. God. Russell responded, “Well, if I heard a at wh What would people think? Right, “It was rigged!” voice from heaven and it predicted a series