Bible prophecies explained:
Bible prophecies fulfilled by Jesus' life
Below is a selection of prophecies fulfilled by Jesus about 2000 years ago.
1. The Messiah would be preceded by a messenger
Bible passage: Isaiah 40:1-5,9
Written: Between 701-681 BC
In Isaiah 40:3, the prophet writes about a person in the desert who prepares the way for the Lord. This prophecy foreshadowed the life of John the Baptist, who played an important role in preparing the groundwork for the ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus was born shortly after John the Baptist about 2000 years ago. The book of Matthew records many events of the life of Jesus and of John the Baptist. In Matthew 3:1-2, it says: "In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea, and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
Isaiah 40:1-5,9:
1 Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD's hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice of one calling:
"In the desert prepare
the way for the LORD;
make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all mankind together will see it.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
9 . . . say to the towns of Judah,
"Here is your God!"
2. Isaiah foreshadows the ministry of Jesus
Bible passage: Isaiah 61:1-2
Written: Between 701-681 BC
In Isaiah 61, there are passages that speak of an anointed one who preaches the good news to the poor, frees the people who are imprisoned, heals the blind and releases the oppressed. About 700 years after the time of Isaiah, Jesus relates these Bible passages to Himself:
Luke 4:14-21 (NIV translation):
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.
15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read.
17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him,
21 and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
Footnote:
Luke 4:18-19 refers to Isaiah 61:1,2.
At this point during the ministry of Jesus, he had already been preaching the good news to the poor and he had already healed many people of various afflictions, including blindness, both in a physical sense and in a spiritual sense.
But Jesus had not yet begun the other part of his mission, which includes a "day of vengeance," which Bible scholar John Gill explains as "the day of vengeance of our God; when vengeance was taken on sin, in the person of Christ; when he destroyed the works of the devil, … and who will take vengeance on antichrist at his spiritual coming, and upon all the wicked at the day of judgment."
With this in mind, it is interesting that Jesus stopped reading Isaiah 61 mid way through verse 2, immediately before the mention of a "day of vengeance."
Isaiah 61:1-2:
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3. He would perform miracles
Bible passage: Isaiah 35:4-6
Written: Between 701-681 BC
Isaiah, who lived about 2700 years ago, prophesied that there would come a time when God would arrive and open the eyes of the blind, the ears of the deaf, the mobility of the the lame, and the voice of the mute.
Jesus literally fulfills the prophecy because he is God who allowed himself to be born as a man, to live among people, to teach them of God's will and of his offer of salvation. The New Testament records details for at least 34 miracles that Jesus performed during his ministry about 2000 years ago.
The miracles include healing people of blindness (ex: Matthew 9:27-31), deafness (ex: Mark 7:31-37), muteness (
Luke 11:14), and lameness (ex: John 5:5-17).
There are other miracles that show his power over the elements, such as by calming a storm (See Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25), and by walking on water (See Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-52; John 6:16-21).
Isaiah 35:4-6:
4 say to those with fearful hearts,
"Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you."
5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
6 Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.
4. God promised another prophet like Moses
Bible passage: Deuteronomy 18:15-18
Written: As early as 1400 BC
In Deuteronomy 18:15-18, Moses told the Jews that God would raise up another prophet like Moses.
After Moses, there was a succession of prophets, including Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, with Jesus being the final major Biblical prophet.
Jesus shared much in common with Moses:
• Both were delivered from death as infants. During the time of Moses' birth, the Pharaoh of Egypt commanded that all Hebrew male infants be killed, because he feared that the growing Hebrew population would be a threat to his power. During the time of Jesus' infancy, King Herod ordered the death of male infants in Bethlehem, because he feared that Jesus would be regarded as king instead of Herod. (Matthew 2:16).
• Both were born during times when the people of Israel were under heavy persecution from foreign powers. The people during Moses' time had left the land of Israel during a time of famine and eventually were enslaved in Egypt. During Jesus' time, the people of Israel were greatly oppressed by the Romans who ruled over a vast empire that included Israel.
• Both were adopted. Moses was adopted into the Pharoah's household. Jesus was adopted by Joseph.
• Both performed miracles. Moses, in fact, is the first person in the Old Testament recorded as having performed miracles, and Jesus is the first in the New Testament.
• Both spent part of their lives in Egypt. Moses was born in Egypt because his forefathers had left Israel during a time of famine to seek refuge in Egypt. Jesus, as an infant, was taken to Egypt because his life was being threatened in Israel (by King Herod).
• Both humbled themselves in their service to others. Moses forfeited his position of authority in Egypt before leading his people out of slavery. (Hebrews 11:24-25). Jesus is God himself who allowed himself to be born as a man to live among people. (Philippians 2:6-8).
• Moses offered to die, if necessary, if God would forgive the sins of the people that Moses was leading (see Exodus 32:30-33). Jesus did die for our sins, so that people could enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
No other prophet is as much like Moses than Jesus. Moses led the Jews out of the bonds of slavery in Egypt into the Promised Land of Israel. Moses died shortly before the Jews entered Israel. Jesus leads people - anyone who accepts Jesus as their Savior - out of the bonds of sin and into the Promised Land of Heaven.
Deuteronomy 18:15-18:
15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.
16 For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, "Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die."
17 The LORD said to me: "What they say is good.
18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.
5. The Messiah would enter Jerusalem while riding on a donkey
Bible passage: Zechariah 9:9
Written: Between 520 and 518 BC
In Zechariah 9:9, the prophet speaks of a future king presenting himself to Jerusalem while riding on a humble donkey. This foreshadowed something that happened about 500 years later: As explained in Luke 19:35-37, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and presented Himself as the Messiah, the King.
Alfred Edersheim, a Christian Jew who lived during the 1800s, studied ancient Rabbinical writings, and said that Zechariah 9:9 was often interpreted as being about a Messiah. In the book, "The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah," Edersheim wrote: "The Messianic application of this verse in all its parts has already been repeatedly indicated. We may here add that there are many traditions about this donkey on which the Messiah is to ride; and so firm was the belief in it, that, according to the Talmud, `if anyone saw a donkey in his dreams, he will see salvation' (Ber 56 b)."
The name "Jesus," means "salvation" in Hebrew.
Zechariah 9:9:
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
6. Jesus proclaims that he is the Messiah
Bible passage: John 4:19-26
Written: During the first century
In Matthew 5:17, John 4:25-26, and in other verses, Jesus proclaims that he was the Messiah promised by the Old Testament writers.
Jesus is not unique in this regard, there were other who made the same claims. But none had followers who were willing to write about them, to evangelize them, to die for them.
And so, history has never provided us with even a possible alternate messiah who was ever widely embraced by people over a sustained period of time. Nor has history provided with a single prophet after the time of Jesus who spoke of some other future Messiah.
Even so, there were numerous people claiming to be the Messiah. Here are some examples:
That guy from Egypt that Josephus wrote about.
That guy from the 1700s.
Simon bar Kochba.
And numerous others. But none caught on. None were able to fulfill the prophecies that the Messiah would become internationally known and respected.
John 4:19-26:
19 "Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet.
20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."
21 Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.
23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
25 The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
26 Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."
7. Jesus proclaims that he is the Son of God
Bible passage: Isaiah 9:6-7
Written: Between 701-681 BC
According to the New Testament, Jesus is the Son of God. This can be a difficult concept for people to understand - that God could have a Son, and yet there would still be only one God. This could only be possible if the Son is one with the Eternal Father. In Isaiah 9:6-7, which was written about 700 years before the time of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah speaks of a son who would be called or named "Mighty God" and "Eternal Father." Isaiah also indicates that this son would reign on the throne of King David and that this reign would be everlasting. King David is the great, God-obeying king who reigned from about 1050 BC to about 1010 BC. God had promised King David that the reign from David's throne would be everlasting. Christians believe this promise is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, whose reign is everlasting. Today, the teachings of Jesus govern the lives of an estimated 2 billion Christians worldwide. The New Testament also says that Jesus will return in the future to establish an everlasting kingdom.
Isaiah 9:6-7:
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.
8. The Messiah would be rejected
Bible passage: Isaiah 53:1-3
Written: Between 701-681 BC
In Isaiah 53:1-3, we are told that the Messiah would be rejected and despised.
The rejection of Jesus took on fatal proportions. He was rejected by people within the town of Nazareth, where he grew up. And throughout his ministry, which many scholars believed lasted about 3-and-a-half years, Jesus was rejected by many religious leaders in Jerusalem, to the point of being taunted. These rejections eventually lead to the crucifixion of Jesus by the Romans.
The verses in Isaiah 53:1-3 are part of a broader prophecy that spans from Isaiah 52:13 through Isaiah 53:12, which provides a detailed portrait of the Messiah being rejected, being "pierced for our transgressions" (Isaiah 53:5), suffering and dying for our sins, and ultimately being "raised and lifted up and highly exalted." (Isaiah 52:13).
The fact that Isaiah 52:13-53:12 is a Messianic prophecy has been confirmed by various Rabbis throughout the ages. Here are two examples:
• "Our Rabbis with one voice accept and affirm the opinion that the prophet is speaking of the King Messiah, and we shall ourselves also adhere to the same view." - Rabbi Moshe Alshekh, a 17th-century expositor from Safed, Israel.
• "But he was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the meaning of which is that since the Messiah bears our iniquities which produce the effect of his being bruised, it follows that whoso will not admit that the Messiah thus suffers for our iniquities, must endure and suffer for them himself." - Rabbi Eliyyah de Vidas, who wrote during the 16th century.
One source for the two quotations is The Fifty-Third Chapter of Isaiah According to the Jewish Interpreters, translated by S.R. Driver and A.D. Neubauer, KTAV publishing House, New York, 1969.
Isaiah 53:1-3:
1 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
9. Daniel predicted when an anointed one would be rejected
Bible passage: Daniel 9:24-26
Written: About 530 BC
The prophet Daniel was a Jew who lived during the time of the Babylonian Captivity, about 500 years before the birth of Jesus. During Daniel's lifetime, the Babylonians had destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple and had taken many Jews as captives to Babylon. Daniel, while in Babylon, delivered a prophecy of what would happen during the centuries that followed. Here is our summary of Daniel 9:24-26:
1. There would be a decree to rebuild Jerusalem.
2. Jerusalem and the Temple would be rebuilt.
3. Then an anointed one (messiah) would be "cut off" (an idiom for "rejected" or "killed").
4. Then Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed again.
All of these events later happened, in the same order in which they are described in Daniel 9:24-26:
1. After the Medo-Persians had conquered the neo-Babylonian empire about 2500 years ago, they ruled a vast empire that included the land of Israel. About 2400 years ago (about 445 BC), Persian king Artaxerxes gave permission to the Jews to rebuild Jerusalem, which was still in ruins after having been destroyed earlier by the Babylonians.
2. The Jews rebuilt the Temple and the city of Jerusalem.
3. Then, about 2000 years ago, Jesus entered Jerusalem as the Messiah who had been promised by Old Testament prophets. But, many people rejected Jesus as the Messiah and He was crucified by the Romans.
4. About 40 years after Jesus was crucified, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. (The Temple has not been rebuilt since then).
Daniel 9:24-26:
24 "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.
25 "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.
26 After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.
Notes: Bible verses are from the New International Version (NIV) translation.
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A selection of Bible prophecies explained
• End time prophecies
• Prophecies fulfilled by Jesus' birth
• Fulfilled by Jesus' life
• Fulfilled by his crucifixion
• Others involving Jesus
• Fulfilled by Israel - part 1
• Fulfilled by Israel - part 2
• Fulfilled by Babylon
• Fulfilled by Tyre
• Fulfilled by Nineveh
• Fulfilled by other nations
The life and
teachings of
Jesus Christ
• Early life
• 1st year of ministry
• 2nd year of ministry
• 3rd year of ministry
• The final months
• Persecution of Jesus
• Resurrection of Jesus
• Christianity basics
• Things Christians can do
• Salvation
• Taking the next step
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