Accuracy of Bible prophecy

The Old Testament of the Bible was written more than 2000 years ago. Christians call it the Old Testament. Jews call it the Tanakh. Both regard it as the word of God. The Old Testament contains hundreds of prophecies about the future. These prophecies are not "predictions," they are promises from God. Many of these promises have found fulfillment in recorded historical events during the past 1900 years. Did you know that the Bible foretold the following events:

1. Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed.
2. The Jews would be exiled.
3. Israel would become a wasteland.
4. The Jews would be scattered worldwide.
5. The Jews would be persecuted worldwide.
6. The Jews would have a worldwide impact.
7. The Jews, and their national identity, would be preserved.
8. The Jews would return to their ancient homeland.
9. Enemies of the Jews would also reside in their homeland.
10. The Jews would have Israel again as their own country.

1. Jerusalem would be destroyed
Examples: Daniel 9:26, Deuteronomy 28:49-52, Deuteronomy 29:23, Hosea 3:4-5, Leviticus 26:31-32, Luke 21:24, Micah 3:11-12.

In Micah 3:11-12, the prophet Micah said 2700 years ago that Jerusalem would be destroyed and Zion (a central part of Jerusalem) would be "plowed like a field." Since the time of Micah, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem, in 586 BC. And then the Romans destroyed the city, twice, in 70 AD and in 135 AD.

According to a text in the Gemara - an ancient Jewish writing - the Romans ran a plow over Zion on the 9th day of the Jewish month of Ab. The Gemara said that Turnus Rufus, a Roman officer, plowed the area of the Temple. And there was a Roman coin minted during the era of Hadrian - the Roman general who destroyed Jerusalem in 135 AD - that shows an image of a man riding a plow over the site of Jerusalem. The coin was intended to commemorate the founding of the pagan Roman city called Aelia Capitolina on the ruins of Jerusalem.

2. The Jews would be exiled
Examples: Deuteronomy 4:25-30, Deuteronomy 28:36-37, Deuteronomy 28:65-67, Hosea 9:17.

The people of Israel were exiled from the northern part of their homeland by the Assyrians about 2700 years ago, and from the southern part of their homeland by the Babylonians about 2600 years ago. Some returned after those exiles. But the people again were exiled by the Romans, about 1900 years ago. The Romans banned Jews from living in Jerusalem. Even today, the majority of Jews live outside of their ancient homeland.

3. Israel would become a wasteland
Examples: Deuteronomy 29:23, Ezekiel 36:33-35 (indirectly), Isaiah 51:3, Leviticus 26:31-32.

In Deuteronomy 29:23, the Bible said Israel would become a wasteland. The land has often been described as having been a wasteland. American writer Mark Twain wrote this, in 1867, about the land of Israel, which at the time was called Palestine: "Palestine sits in sackcloth and ashes… the spell of a curse that has withered its fields and fettered its energies… Palestine is desolate and unlovely… It is a hopeless, dreary, heartbroken land." - from Mark Twain's Innocents Abroad. The Bible also said that the land again would become productive. This transformation has been taking place during the past century as many Jews have been working to restore Israel.

4. The Jews would be scattered worldwide
Examples: Deuteronomy 4:25-30, Deuteronomy 28:64, Deuteronomy 28:65-67, Genesis 28:10-15, Hosea 9:17.

Imagine that "prophets" from every country of the world had predicted in ancient times that their people would be forced out of their homeland and forcibly scattered to all nations of the world. How many of those countries would have prophets who would have been proven correct? None, except for Israel. Only one group of people, in the history of this world, has been forcibly scattered to every inhabited continent of this world - the Jews.

When the Assyrians, Babylonians and Romans ousted the Jews from their homeland, the Jews fled to countries near the Mediterranean Sea in north Africa, west Asia and southern Europe. When the Europeans tormented the Jews, they fled to the east into Arabic countries in Asia. And when they were tormented there, they fled to west to Europe. When the Spaniards oppressed the Jews in the late 1400s, many Jews boarded ships that traveled to South America. And when the Jews were marked for annihilation by the Nazis in Europe, they fled to Australia, South Africa, North America and South America. There have been Jewish settlements as far east of Israel as China, as far west as California, as far south as South America, South Africa and Australia, and as far north as Russia, Scandinavia and Canada. Persecution forced the Jews out of their homeland. And persecution forced the Jews out of their adopted countries and into other countries throughout the world, just as the Bible prophets had claimed more than 2000 years ago.

5. The Jews would be persecuted worldwide
Examples: Deuteronomy 28:65-67, Deuteronomy 31:16-17, Leviticus 26:31-32, Zechariah 8:13.

Imagine that "prophets" from every country of the world had predicted in ancient times that their people would be scattered worldwide and persecuted worldwide. How many of those countries would have prophets who would have been proven correct? None, except for Israel. Only one group of people in the history of this world has been forcibly scattered to every inhabited continent of this world and persecuted in every inhabited continent. And that group is the Jews. They were scattered worldwide and persecuted worldwide, just as the ancient Jewish prophets had foretold in the Bible.

6. The Jews would have a worldwide impact
Examples: Deuteronomy 28:64, Genesis 12:2-3, Genesis 15:5, Genesis 28:10-15, Genesis 35:9-12, Isaiah 27:6, Isaiah 42:1-9, Isaiah 49:6.

The people who wrote the Bible were Jews. Try finding someone who could plausibly deny that the Bible is the most published, the most circulated, the most widely read, and the most influential book in history.

No group of people in the world has ever had this kind of impact on the world. In fact, write down a list of the most influential people in theology, governance, philosophy, music, science, literature and commerce. And then check to see which group of people appears prominently on all lists. And yet the Jews are small in number, comprising less than 1 percent of the world's population. Please note that the authors of this article are non-Jews who are simply trying to point out what they believe is plainly true to anyone who is honest - that the Jews have had a far greater impact on the day-to-day life of people worldwide than any other group of people.

7. The Jews, and their identity as a group, would be preserved
Examples: Isaiah 66:22, Jeremiah 30:11, Jeremiah 31:10, Jeremiah 31:35-36, Jeremiah 32:36-37, Jeremiah 46:28, Leviticus 26:3-8, Leviticus 26:44, Zechariah 8:13.

What other group of people has survived so many centuries of worldwide dispersion and managed to preserve their ancient culture, their ancient religion and their ancient language? None. What other group of people, after enduring 19 centuries of exile, has been able to return in large numbers to their ancient homeland and even reclaim sovereignty over a significant portion of it? None. Only the Jews. What other group or nation had prophets who said that their people would be exiled and scattered worldwide, and that they would remain a distinct, viable group of people, and that they would one day return to their ancient homeland and reclaim it as their own land? None. Only the Jews.

8. The Jews would return to their ancient homeland
Examples: Amos 9:14-15, Deuteronomy 4:25-30, Deuteronomy 30:3-5, Ezekiel 20:34, Ezekiel 34:13, Ezekiel 36:24, Genesis 28:10-15, Isaiah 27:12-13, Isaiah 43:5-6, Jeremiah 23:3-6, Jeremiah 32:36-37, Jeremiah 32:37-41, Zechariah 8:7-8.

During the late 1800s, after about 17 centuries of exile, the Jews began to return to their ancient homeland, which at that time was called Palestine and was ruled over by the Ottoman Empire. A few million more returned shortly before and after the World War II Holocaust, in which the Nazis sought to destroy all Jews as part of their so-called "Final Solution." When the Jews reclaimed sovereignty for Israel in 1948, it was the first time in about 2000 years that the Jews had sovereignty over any part of their homeland. It was also the first time in about 2900 years that Israel was both a united and sovereign country. Has any other country endured such lengthy intervals of independence? Has any other country endured such intervals with the additional challenge of having its residents exiled and scattered throughout the world?

9. Enemies of the Jews would also reside in their homeland
Example: Leviticus 26:31-32.

In Leviticus 26:31-32, the Bible said that Israel would become a wasteland and that it would be inhabited by enemies of the Jews. Both parts of this prophecy have been clearly documented throughout history. Many Jews were forced out of their homeland by the Assyrians, Babylonians and Romans. Each time, other people were able to move into the land. These people often had conflicts with the Jews when the Jews returned to their homeland. When the Jews began returning during the 1800s and 1900s, they had skirmishes with the peoples living there, including the Arabs, who continue to live in parts of Israel. Perhaps every country in the world has "enemies" residing within. But how many of those countries have enemies that seek the destruction of the host nation? And how many of those countries had prophets who predicted it?

10. The Jews would have Israel again as their own country, again
Examples: Amos 9:14-15, Ezekiel 4:3-6, Ezekiel 11:17, Ezekiel 36:24, Ezekiel 37:10-14, Ezekiel 37:15-19, Ezekiel 37:21-22, Genesis 15:18, Genesis 28:10-15, Genesis 35:9-12, Isaiah 66:7-8, Jeremiah 16:14-15, Jeremiah 32:44, Micah 7:8-11.

In Isaiah 66:7-8, the prophet foreshadowed the re-birth of Israel. Isaiah describes a woman giving birth before going into labor, and he speaks of a country being born in one day. This accurately describes what happened on May 14, 1948 - when the Jews declared independence for Israel as a united and sovereign nation for the first time in 2900 years.

During that same day, the United States issued a statement recognizing Israel's sovereignty. And, only hours beforehand, a United Nations mandate expired, ending British control of the land. During a 24-hour span of time, foreign control of the land of Israel had formally ceased, and Israel had declared its independence, and its independence was acknowledged by other nations. Modern Israel literally was born in a single day.

Isaiah also said the birth would take place before there would be labor pains. And that too is precisely what happened. A movement called Zionism began in the 1800s to encourage Jews worldwide to move to Israel, which at that time was called Palestine. When the Jews declared sovereignty in 1948, the declaration did not follow a war for independence, but rather a war for independence followed the declaration. The birth was peaceful, the aftermath was painful. Within hours of the declaration, Israel was attacked by Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Israel prevailed in that war and expanded the size of the country by 50 percent.

Take the test:

1. Can you deny that any one of the following events happened during the past 1900 years:

1. Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed.
2. The Jews were exiled.
3. Israel did become a wasteland.
4. The Jews were (and still are) scattered worldwide.
5. The Jews have been persecuted worldwide.
6. The Jews have had a tremendous worldwide impact.
7. The Jews, and their national identity, have been preserved.
8. The Jews are returning to their ancient homeland.
9. Enemies of the Jews are residing in their homeland.
10. The Jews do have Israel again as their own country.

2. Can you deny that the Bible's prophets had said each of those things would happen?

3. Can you deny that the Bible said each of those things more 2000 years ago? Or that all of those things have happened since then?

If you can - please tell us how. Our email address is:
abpquestions@yahoo.com

By George and Raymond Konig
Copyright ©2001-2006 George Konig