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A study of Bible verses (some written
600 years before His birth) reveal over 1000 forecasts,
visions, revelations and prophecies that were fulfilled
in Jesus Christ and His Church.
Some of these visions, revelations and
prophecies forecast Jesus Christ’s life, passion
and death in astonishing detail and accuracy.
Christ
Himself said “…all things must needs be
fulfilled, which are written in the Law of Moses, and
in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.” – Luke
24:44.
A French mathematician, George Heron,
calculated that the odds of one man fulfilling only 40
of those prophecies are 1 followed by 157 zeros. Your
chances of winning the state lottery are 14 followed
by a mere 6 zeros.
Most of these prophecies took place
between 500 and 1000 years before the birth of Christ.
They foretell of Christ’s life in great detail,
even down to the village in which He would be born and
the details of His execution. No such claims can be made
for Mohammed or for any other religious leader. The
following are just a tiny selection from these hundreds
of predictions.
It was forecast:
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That Christ would be born
in Bethlehem: The prophet Micheas prophesied: “And
thou, Bethlehem Ephrata, art a little one among
the thousands of Juda: out of thee shall he come
forth unto me that is to be the ruler in Israel…” – Micheas
5:2. St Luke records: “And Joseph also went
up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth into
Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem:
because he was of the house and family of David,
to be enrolled with Mary his espoused wife, who
was with child. And it came to pass, that when
they were there, her days were accomplished, that
she should be delivered.” – Luke 2:4–6.
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That Christ’s coming
would be heralded by another: Isaias wrote, “The
voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare ye the
way of the Lord, make straight in the wilderness
the paths of our God.” – Isaias 40:3.
St Matthew writes, “And in those days cometh
John the Baptist preaching in the desert of Judea.
And saying: do penance: for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand.” Matthew 31–2.
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That Jesus would perform
miracles: Isaias foretold, “Then
shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the
ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall
the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of
the dumb shall be free:….” – Isaias
35:5–6. St Matthew records: “And
Jesus went about all the cities, and towns, teaching
in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of
the kingdom, and healing every disease, and every
infirmity.” – Matthew 9:35.
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That Christ will be the
heir to the throne of King David: Isaias
prophesied that “…he shall sit upon
the throne of David, and upon his kingdom; to establish
it and strengthen it with judgment and with justice,
from henceforth and for ever…” – Isaias
9:7. The New Testament records that Christ was
a descendant of King David, both on His mother’s
side and on His foster-father’s side.
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That a slaughter of innocent
children would occur at the birth of Christ: The
prophet Jeremias lamented, “Thus saith the
Lord: A voice was heard on high of lamentation,
of mourning, and weeping, of Rachel weeping for
her children, and refusing to be comforted for
them, because they are not.” – Jer.
31:15. St Matthew records: “Then Herod perceiving
that he was deluded by the wise men, was exceeding
angry; and sending killed all the men children
that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders
thereof, from two years old and under…” –Matthew
2:16
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That Christ, as a child,
would be called out of Egypt: The prophet
Osee wrote, “As the morning passeth, so hath
the king of Israel passed away. Because Israel
was a child and I loved him: and I called my son
out of Egypt.” – Osee.11:1. The New
Testament records that Joseph and Mary took the
Christ child and fled into Egypt to avoid the massacre
of the innocents and that they remained there until
the death of Herod.
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That Christ would be called
a Nazarene: The Old Testament foretells
that “…he shall be a Nazarite…” – Judges
13:5. St Matthew records: “And coming he
dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might
be fulfilled which was said by prophets: That he
shall be called a Nazarene.” – Matthew
2:23.
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That Christ would make
a triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey: The
prophet Zecharias wrote: “…Behold
thy King will come to thee, the just and saviour:
he is poor, and riding upon an ass…” Zecharias
9:9. St Mark records, “And they brought
the colt to Jesus; and they lay their garments
on him, and he sat upon him. And many spread their
garments in the way: and others cut down boughs
from the trees, and strewed them in the way. And
they that went before and they that followed, cried,
saying: Hosanna, blessed is he that cometh in the
name of the Lord.” – Mark 11:7–9.
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That Christ would enter
Jerusalem through the Golden Gate and then it would
be shut for ever: the prophet Ezechiel
foretold: “And he brought me back to the
way of the gate of the outward sanctuary, which
looked towards the east: and it was shut. And the
Lord said to me: This gate shall be shut, it shall
not be opened, and no man shall pass through it:
because the Lord the God of Israel hath entered
in by it…” –Ezechiel 44:1–2.
Today in Jerusalem the Golden Gate is not only
sealed with masonry and cement, but a Muslim cemetery
has been positioned in front of it.
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That Christ would be betrayed
by a friend: The Old Testament: “For
even the man of peace, in whom I trusted, who ate
my bread, hath greatly supplanted me.” – Psalm
40:10. St Mark records: “And Judas Iscariot,
one of the twelve, went to the chief priests, to
betray him to them.” – Mark 14:10.
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That Christ would be betrayed
for thirty pieces of silver: The Old Testament: “…And
I took the thirty pieces of silver, and I cast
them into the house of the Lord” – Zecharias
11:13. St Matthew records that Judas said to the
high priest: “What will you give me, and
I will deliver him unto you? But they appointed
him thirty pieces of silver.” Matthew 26:15.
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That the thirty pieces
of silver returned by Judas would be used to buy
the potter’s field as a burial place for
foreigners: The prophet Zecharias wrote, “And
the Lord said to me: Cast it to the statuary, a
handsome price that I was prized at by them. And
I took the thirty pieces of silver, and I cast
them into the house of the Lord to the statuary” – Zecharias
11:13. The Hebrew word for “statuary” is
also translated “potter”. It
was called “the potter’s field” because
the land was unfit to grow crops, and therefore
only used by potters to dig clay. St Matthew
records: “But the chief priests having taken
the pieces of silver, said: It is not lawful to
put them into the corbona, because it is the price
of blood. And after they had consulted together,
they bought with them the potter’s field,
to be a burying place for strangers.” – Matthew
27:6–7. The “corbona” was a place
in the Temple where the people placed their gifts
or offerings.
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That at the crucifixion
the solders would divide out Christ’s clothing
and cast lots for his cloak: The Old Testament
records that “They parted my garments amongst
them; and upon my vesture they cast lots” – Psalm
21:19. St John, the only Apostle who remained
at the foot of the cross, records: “The soldiers
therefore, when they had crucified him, took his
garments, (and they made four parts, to every soldier
a part) and also his coat. Now the coat was without
seam, woven from the top throughout. They said
then one to another: Let us not cut it, but let
us cast lots for it…” – John
19:23–24.
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That Christ will be condemned
by false witnesses at His trial: The Jewish
scriptures foretell: “…for unjust
witnesses have risen up against me…” – Psalms
26:12. St Mark, the scribe of St Peter, records: “And
some rising up, bore false witness against him,
saying: We heard him say, I will destroy this temple
made with hands, and within three days I will build
another not made with hands.” – Mark
14:57.
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That Christ would rise
from the dead: This was foretold by the
prophet Osee: “He will revive us after two
days: on the third day he will raise us up, and
we shall live in his sight.” – Osee
6:3. St Luke records that when the holy women came
to the empty tomb, the angel said to them: “He
is not here, but is risen. Remember how he spoke
unto you, when he was in Galilee, saying: The Son
of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful
men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” – Luke
24:6–7.
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That none of Christ’s
bones would be broken: People executed
by crucifixion died of asphyxiation. When they
became too weak to raise themselves up by their
legs and take their weight off their arms, they
could no longer breathe. The Romans broke the legs
of victims to hasten asphyxiation. However, it
was predicted that none of Christ’s bones
would be broken: “The Lord keepeth all their
bones, not one of them shall be broken.” – Psalms
34:20. St John records: “The soldiers therefore
came; and they broke the legs of the first, and
of the other that was crucified with him. But after
they were come to Jesus, when they saw that he
was already dead, they did not break his legs.” – John
19:32–33.
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That Christ’s side
would be pierced: “…and they
shall look upon me, whom they have pierced…” – Zecharias
12:10. St John again recounts: “…one
of the soldiers with a spear opened his side, and
immediately there came out blood and water.” – John
19:34.
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That Christ would remain
silent before His accusers: The Prophet
Isaias writes: “…he shall be led as
a sheep to the slaughter, and shall be dumb as
a lamb before his shearer, and he shall not open
his mouth.” – Isaias 53:7. St Matthew
writes of Christ’s trial: “And when
he was accused by the chief priests and ancients,
he answered nothing. Then Pilate saith to him:
Dost not thou hear how great testimonies they allege
against thee? And he answered him to never a word…” – Matthew
27:12–14.
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That Christ would be spat
upon and struck at His trial: Isaias wrote: “I
have given my body to the strikers, and my cheeks
to them that plucked them: I have not turned away
my face from them that rebuked me and spit upon
me.” – Isaias 50:6. In the New
Testament, St Mark records: “And some began
to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet
him, and to say unto him: Prophesy: and the servants
struck him with the palms of their hands.” – Mark
14:65.
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That Christ would
be deserted by His followers: The
Prophet Zecharias wrote: “…strike
the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered…” All
Christ’s Apostles deserted Him at His trial.
Peter, the first Pope, even betrayed Him. Only
John stood at the foot of the Cross. Jesus Himself
said, “…strike the shepherd, and
the sheep shall be dispersed.” – Mark
14:27.
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That Christ would be hated
without reason: The Psalmist wrote: “They
are multiplied above the hairs of my head, who
hate me without cause…” – Psalm
68:5. St John records Christ saying, “…but
now they have both seen and hated both me and my
Father. But that the word may be fulfilled which
is written in their law: They hated me without
cause.” –John 15:23–25.
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That Christ at His death
would agonize with thirst: The Psalmist
foretells: “My strength is dried up like
a potsherd, and my tongue hath cleaved to my jaws:
and thou hast brought me down into the dust of
death.” – Psalms 22:16. The New Testament
records: “Afterwards, Jesus knowing that
all things were now accomplished, that the scripture
might be fulfilled, said: I thirst.” – John
19:28.
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That Christ would be fed
gall and vinegar at His death: The Psalmist
wrote: “And they gave me gall for my food,
and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” – Psalm
68:22. St John records, “Now there was a
vessel set there full of vinegar. And they, putting
a sponge full of vinegar and hyssop, put it to
his mouth.” – John 19:29–30.
St Matthew records: “And they gave him wine
to drink mingled with gall. And when he had tasted,
he would not drink.” – Matthew 27:34.
Jesus never wrote a book, He owned
no property, won no medals, never held any political
or religious office, commanded no army, yet no other
individual in history has had such a profound influence
upon the human race and history.
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