Prophecy in the Bible

Prophecy is: 

the Lord speaking and making His Word known, either in a vision, a dream, mouth to mouth, an angel, or openly
to be heard by certain chosen men, at certain times. (Num 12:6-8, 2 Pet 1:21)

Prophets are:

certain persons of Israel chosen, set apart, appointed, and sent by the Lord
to speak for Him and to reveal to His People current and future events. (Acts 3:25, Jer 1:5-10, Amos 3:7)

All Prophecy, What the Prophets Declare, Must be Fulfilled

God will accomplish it, God will surely do it, God will bring it to pass, just as God intended
so it has happened, just as He planned it so it will stand,  (Isa 46:10-11, Isa 14:24)
Scripture says, God “cannot lie” and that He will not change His mind (Num 23:19, Titus 1:2).
What He has promised, He will do. What He has spoken, He will make it good, (Num 23:19).

Isa 55:10–11, So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;   
It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire,   And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

Prophecy by Angel to Joseph
Matthew 1:22, 21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

We Must: “Believe in all that the Prophets have Spoken ! ”

Luke 24:25–27, 25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken !
26 “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory ?”
27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets,
          He explained to them   the things concerning Himself  in all the Scriptures.  (in Old Testament)

What the Prophet says, is Not of Man, but of God

  • God puts His words in the prophet’s mouth and they speak them, Jer 1:9, Isa 51:16.
  • “no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will”, 2 Pet 1:20-21
  • Prophecy is made by “men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God”, 2 Pet 1:20-21, Acts 4:25
  • Prophecy is “just as the Holy Spirit says”, Heb 3:7
  • “The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet”, Acts 28:25
  • “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing Unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets”, Amos 3:7

Prophets are appointed Watchmen

Watchmen receive messages from God and are intermediaries to convey God’s messages to the people.
Watchmen (prophets) are sent and appointed by God to guard and warn the people.

Ezekiel 33:7, “Now as for you, son of man (Ezekiel), I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel;
      so you will hear a message from My mouth   and give them warning from Me. (also Ezek 3:17)

The OT Prophets spoke of: Jesus’ First Coming > in Gentleness
          (in gentleness, with salvation, to bless all nations, to be pierced for our transgression, to be resurrected)

  1. Messiah would be the seed/offspring of a woman (1st Coming) and would crush the head of Satan (2nd Coming) (Gen 3:15, Lk 1:31, Rev 20:1-4, 7-10).
  2. Messiah would come from the seed/offspring of Abraham and would bless all the nations on earth (Gen 12:3, Matt 1:1). (1st Coming)
  3. Messiah would be a “prophet like Moses” to whom God said we must listen (Deut 18:15, Matt 21:11).
  4. Messiah would be born in Bethlehem of Judah (Micah 5:2). (1st Coming)
  5. Messiah would be born of a virgin  (Isa 7:14). (1st Coming)
  6. Messiah would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey , righteous and having salvation, coming with gentleness (Zech 9:9-10, Matt 21:1-11). (1st Coming)
  7. Messiah would be pierced for our transgression and crushed for our iniquities (Isa 53:5, Acts 8:32-33, John 19:34, 37). (1st Coming)
  8. Messiah would die among the wicked ones but be buried with the rich. (Isa 53:9, Matt 27:57-60) (1st Coming)
  9. Messiah would be resurrected from the grave, for God would not allow His Holy One to suffer decay (Psalm 16:10, John 28:6-7). (1st Coming)

The OT Prophets spoke of: the LORD Jesus’ Second Coming > in Wrath
      [“the day of the LORD”, “the great day of the Lord”,  and  “the day of the Lord’s wrath”]
      (A day of: Lord’s wrath, trouble, distress, destruction, desolation, darkness, gloom, clouds, darkness, battle, blood pouring, fire.
      The Lord will make end of inhabitants of the earth, Lord fights all the nations.)

Zephaniah 1:14–18,
14 Near is the great day of the Lord, Near and coming very quickly;
        Listen, the day of the Lord!   In it the warrior cries out bitterly.
15 A day of wrath is that day, A day of trouble and distress, A day of destruction and desolation,
        A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 A day of trumpet and battle cry  Against the fortified cities And the high corner towers.
17 I will bring distress on men So that they will walk like the blind,
        (Reason) Because they have sinned against the Lord; And their blood will be poured out like dust And their flesh like dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold Will be able to deliver them On the day of the Lord’s wrath;
        And all the earth will be devoured In the fire of His jealousy, For He will make a complete end,
              Indeed a terrifying one, of all the inhabitants of the earth.  

Joel 1:15
15 Alas for the day !  For the day of the LORD is near,
        And it will come as destruction from the Almighty.   (Also Joel 1:16-20)

Joel 2:1–3
1 Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm on My holy mountain!
        Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the LORD is coming; Surely it is near,
2 A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness.
        As the dawn is spread over the mountains, So there is a great and mighty people;
               There has never been anything like it, Nor will there be again after it   (also Matt 24:21)
                       To the years of many generations.
3 A fire consumes before them And behind them a flame burns.
        The land is like the garden of Eden before them   But a desolate wilderness behind them,
                 And nothing at all escapes them.  

Zechariah 14:1–3 (Also Zech 12:8)
1 Behold, a day is coming for the Lord……..
2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem
        to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished
                and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city.
3 Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle.

The OT Prophets spoke of: the LORD Jesus Coming > to Reign as King over all the earth
         Jesus shall reign and prosper as King over all the earth and execute judgment and righteousness.

Jeremiah 23:5-6
5 “Behold, the days are coming says the LORD, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness;
        a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
6 In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name
        by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

Zechariah 14:9–11
9 And the LORD will be king over all the earth;   in that day the LORD will be the only one,
        and His name the only one.
10 All the land will be changed into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem;   
        but Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site ……..
11 People will live in it, and there will no longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security. 

Jer 31:31-33
31 “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—
32 “not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers
        in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt,
                My covenant (Mosaic) which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD.
33 “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD:
        I will put My law in their minds, and write it (law) on their hearts; and I will be their God,
                and they shall be My people,    (Also, Ezek 11:19-20, 36:24-28, Zech 12:10, Jer 32:37-41)

The OT Prophets spoke of:  When the LORD Jesus is Reigning as King over all the earth

  • The LORD Jesus’ Government and Worship, in Jerusalem, Isa 2:3-5
  • World-wide peace, blessed with righteousness and justice, Isa 9:6-7, 11:4-5, 42:3-4, Isa 2:4
  • The government will rest on His shoulders, Isa 9:6
  • His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace, Isa 9:6
  • No end to the increase of His government or (increase) of peace, Isa 9:7
  • The LORD Jesus on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
            to establish it and to uphold it (David’s Kingdom) with justice and righteousness,
                    From then on and forevermore, Isa 9:7

The OT Prophets spoke of:  Judah and Jerusalem, in the last days, when Jesus is Reigning

  • Concerning Judah and Jerusalem, In the last days, Isa 2:1
  • the mountain of the house of the Lord and the house of the God of Jacob, Isa 2:2
    will be the chief of the mountains, raised, and all nations will stream to it, Isa 2:2
  • Many peoples will go up to the mountain, that He may teach us concerning His ways.
    For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, Isa 2:3
  • The Lord will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; Isa 2:4
  • The nation of Israel will be the prime nation in the world, Isa 49:22-23, Isa 60:1-60:18, Isa 62:7
  • The glory of the Lord will be over Mount Zion and Jerusalem, like a canopy, Isa 4:5, Isa 40:5
  • “the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord, Isa 11:9

The OT Prophets spoke of: “times of refreshing” and “the period of restoration of all things”

Peter speaking to unbelieving Men of Israel
Acts 3:17-21
17 “And now, brethren, I (Peter) know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also.
18 “But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets,
        that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. (1st Coming)
19 “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away,
        in order that   times of refreshing    may come   from the presence of the Lord (2nd Coming);
20 and that He may send   Jesus, the Christ (2nd Coming)   appointed for you,
21 whom heaven must receive until   the period of restoration of all things  (2nd Coming)  
        about which (2nd Coming) God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.

The OT Prophets spoke of: Land of Israel and the Earth Restored and Time of Peace

  • The land of Israel will no longer be a place of desolation, Isa 62:3-5
  • “the fruit of the earth” will be  the pride of Israel, Isa 4:2
  • “Waters will break forth in the wilderness,”and the deserts will become pools of water, Isa 35:6b-7
  • Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high, Isa 32:15
  • And the wilderness becomes a fertile field, And the fertile field is considered as a forest, Isa 32:15
  • Then justice will dwell in the wilderness And righteousness will abide in the fertile field, Isa 32:16
  • And the work of righteousness will be peace, Isa 32:17
  • And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever, Isa 32:17
  • Then my people will live in a peaceful habitation, Isa 32:18
  • And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places; Isa 32:18

The OT Prophets spoke of: People in the Land > will have offspring, be born, will die, and will live long lives

  • People (in mortal bodies) will have offspring in the flesh, Isa 65:23
  • People (in mortal bodies) will have lifespans, to “the lifetime of a tree”, Isa 65:22
  • People (in mortal bodies) will die, Isa 65:20
  • “No longer will there be in it (the land) an infant who lives but a few days,
            Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred
                    And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred  Will be thought accursed”. Isa 65:20
  • No People homeless or hungry, Isa 65:21-22
  • No sickness, or blind or deaf or lame or dumb, Isa 33:24, 35:5-6
  • All People’s labor will be redeemed, it will be productive, Isa 65:23
  • They will build houses and inhabit them; Isa 65:21
  • They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit, Isa 65:21

The OT Prophets spoke of: Animals Restored and at Peace

  • Animal kingdom will be restored and at peace with each other and with Man, Isa 11:6-9, 65:25
  • “The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; Isa 65:25
  • and dust will be the serpent’s food, Isa 65:25
  • They (animals) will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,” says the Lord, Isa 65:25
  • They (animals) will graze and eat together as vegetarians.