The Bible forecasts thousands of
specific events
in detail-often centuries before they occurred.
Just how accurate are those predictions?
Several hundred of the prophecies recorded in the Old Testament point toward the coming Savior. A sampling is listed below along with an estimate of the odds that each prediction could be fulfilled by chance.
Would be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver.
In the fifth century B.C., the prophet Zechariah (in Zechariah 11:12) predicted
that the Messiah would be betrayed for the price of a slave and that the money would be
used to buy a burial ground for poor foreigners. See fulfillment in (Matthew 27:3-10).
Probability of chance fulfillment: 1 in 10^6 (the number 1 followed by six zeros, or
1,000,000).
Would be crucified.
Some four hundred years before crucifixion became a standard form of execution, the
Messiah’s death was predicted in words that vividly portray crucifixion (Psalms 22 14-16) (Psalms 34:20) (Isaiah 53 12) (Zechariah 12 10). His quick death eliminated the usual breaking of leg bones. Probability of chance
fulfillment: one in a million (1 in 10^6). (Click here to see medical
insights into crucifixion)
Soldiers would gamble for His clothing.
(Psalms 22:18) predicted this division of Jesus’ clothes a thousand years before the
prophecy was fulfilled in (Matthew 27:35). Probability of chance fulfillment: one in a thousand (1 in 10^3).
The combined odds of just these four predictions occurring in an individual’s life is 1 in 10^18 (the number 1 with 18 zeros or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000).
Let us try to visualize this chance. . . Suppose that we take 10 to the 18th power of silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state of Texas two feet deep. Now color one of these silver dollars black and stir the whole mass thoroughly. . . Blindfold a man and tell him. . . he must pick up the one black silver dollar . . . What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these four prophecies and having them all come true in any one man.
Facts about fulfilling 48 prophecies
The probability of 48 prophecies being fulfilled in one person is the incredible number 10^157. In fact, if anybody can find someone, living or dead, other than Jesus, who can fulfill only half of the predictions concerning the Messiah given in the book "Messiah in Both Testaments" by Fred John Meldau, the Christian Victory Publishing Company is ready to give a one thousand dollar reward!
How large is the number one in 10^157? 10^157 contains 157 zeros! Here is an illustration of this number using electrons. Electrons are very small objects. They are smaller than atoms. If you took 10^15 of electrons and them, laid side by side, they would equal 1/4 inch. Even if we counted 250 of these electrons each minute and counted day and night, it would still take 4.75 million years just to count a line of electrons 1/4 inch long.
O the depth of the riches
both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out!
Romans 11:33
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