Prophecy & Fulfillment
"Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.'"
— Isaiah 46:10 (ESV)Born of a Virgin
Prophesied ~735 BC — Fulfilled ~4 BC
Prophecy: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." — Isaiah 7:14
Fulfillment: Matthew 1:22-23 — "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet... 'Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son.'"
Born in Bethlehem
Prophesied ~700 BC — Fulfilled ~4 BC
Prophecy: "But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old." — Micah 5:2
Fulfillment: Matthew 2:1 — "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king..."
Triumphal Entry
Prophesied ~520 BC — Fulfilled ~AD 30
Prophecy: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey." — Zechariah 9:9
Fulfillment: Matthew 21:1-7 — Jesus sends for a donkey and rides into Jerusalem as crowds shout "Hosanna!"
Betrayed for 30 Silver
Prophesied ~520 BC — Fulfilled ~AD 30
Prophecy: "Then I said to them, 'If it seems good to you, give me my wages.' And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver." — Zechariah 11:12-13
Fulfillment: Matthew 26:15 — "And he said, 'What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?' And they paid him thirty pieces of silver."
Crucifixion Details
Prophesied ~1000 BC — Fulfilled ~AD 30
Prophecy: "They have pierced my hands and feet... they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots... 'He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him.'" — Psalm 22:16-18, 8
Fulfillment: Matthew 27:35-43 — Soldiers cast lots for His garments; mockers say "He trusts in God; let God deliver him." Written 1000 years before crucifixion was invented.
Pierced
Prophesied ~520 BC — Fulfilled ~AD 30
Prophecy: "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn." — Zechariah 12:10
Fulfillment: John 19:34 — "But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water."
Resurrection
Prophesied ~1000 BC — Fulfilled ~AD 30
Prophecy: "For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption." — Psalm 16:10
Fulfillment: Acts 2:31 — Peter at Pentecost: "He foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption."
The Suffering Servant
Prophesied ~700 BC — Fulfilled ~AD 30
Prophecy: "He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed." — Isaiah 53:5
Fulfillment: 1 Peter 2:24 — "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed."
Light to the Gentiles
Prophesied ~700 BC — Fulfilled ~AD 47
Prophecy: "I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." — Isaiah 49:6
Fulfillment: Acts 13:47 — Paul and Barnabas declare: "For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'"
New Covenant
Prophesied ~627 BC — Fulfilled ~AD 30
Prophecy: "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel... I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts." — Jeremiah 31:31, 33
Fulfillment: Luke 22:20 — "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood."