Prophecy

Or prediction, was one of the functions of the prophet. It has been defined as a “miracle of knowledge, a declaration or description or representation of something future, beyond the power of human sagacity to foresee, discern, or conjecture.” (See PROPHET.)

The great prediction which runs like a golden thread through the whole contents of the Old Testament is that regarding the coming and work of the Messiah; and the great use of prophecy was to perpetuate faith in his coming, and to prepare the world for that event. But there are many subordinate and intermediate prophecies also which hold an important place in the great chain of events which illustrate the sovereignty and all-wise overruling providence of God.

Then there are many prophecies regarding the Jewish nation, its founder Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3; 13:16; 15:5; 17:2, 4-6, etc.), and his posterity, Isaac and Jacob and their descendants (12:7; 13:14, 15, 17; 15:18-21; Ex. 3:8, 17), which have all been fulfilled. The twenty-eighth chapter of Deuteronomy contains a series of predictions which are even now in the present day being fulfilled. In the writings of the prophets Isaiah (2:18-21), Jeremiah (27:3-7; 29:11-14), Ezekiel (5:12; 8), Daniel (8; 9:26, 27), Hosea (9:17), there are also many prophecies regarding the events which were to befall that people.

There is in like manner a large number of prophecies relating to those nations with which the Jews came into contact, as Tyre (Ezek. 26:3-5, 14-21), Egypt (Ezek. 29:10, 15; 30:6, 12, 13), Ethiopia (Nahum 3:8-10), Nineveh (Nahum 1:10; 2:8-13; 3:17-19), Babylon (Isa. 13:4; Jer. 51:7; Isa. 44:27; Jer. 50:38; 51:36, 39, 57), the land of the Philistines (Jer. 47:4-7; Ezek. 25:15-17; Amos 1:6-8; Zeph. 2:4-7; Zech. 9:5-8), and of the four great monarchies (Dan. 2:39, 40; 7:17-24; 8:9).

But the great body of Old Testament prophecy relates directly to the advent of the Messiah, beginning with Gen. 3:15, the first great promise, and extending in ever-increasing fulness and clearness all through to the very close of the canon. The Messianic prophecies are too numerous to be quoted. “To him gave all the prophets witness.” (Comp. Micah 5:2; Hag. 2:6-9; Isa. 7:14; 9:6, 7; 11:1, 2; 53; 60:10, 13; Ps. 16:11; 68:18.)

Many predictions also were delivered by Jesus and his apostles. Those of Christ were very numerous. (Comp. Matt. 10:23:24; 11:23; 19:28; 21:43, 44; 24; 25:31-46; 26:17-35, 46, 64; Mark 9:1; 10:30; 13; 11:1-6, 14; 14:12-31, 42, 62; 16:17, etc.)

• → Concerning Jesus
  • See JESUS
• → Concerning the church
  • See CHURCH
• → PROPHECIES CONCERNING
• → (Relating to various countries, nations, and cities, see under their respective titles)
• → (Respecting individuals, see under their names)
  • Inspired Isa 28:22; Lu 1:70; 2Ti 3:16; 2Pe 1:21
  • “;The word of the Lord came to,” etc., to
  • Elijah 1Ki 17:8; 21:17,28
  • Isaiah Isa 2:1; 8:5; 13:1; 14:28; 38:4
  • Jeremiah Jer 1:4; 7:1; 11:1; 13:8; 16:1; 18:1; 25:1,2; 26:1; 27:1; 29:30; 30:1,4; 32:1,6,26; 33:1,19,23; 34:12; 35:12; 36:1; 37:6; 40:1; 43:8; 44:1; 46:1; 49:34; 50:1
  • Ezekiel Eze 3:16; 6:1; 7:1; 11:14; 12:1,8,17,21; 13:1; 14:12; 15:1; 16:1; 17:1,11; 18:1; 20:45; 21:1,8,18; 22:1,17,23; 23:1; 24:1,15,20; 25:1; 26:1; 27:1; 28:1,11,20; 29:1,17; 30:1,20; 31:1; 32:1,17; 33:1,23; 34:1; 35:1; 36:16; 37:15; 38:1
  • Amos Am 7:14,15
  • Jonah Jon 3:1
  • Haggai Hag 2:1,10,20
  • Zechariah Zec 1:7; 4:8; 6:9; 7:1,4,8; 8:1,18
  • Publicly proclaimed Jer 11:6
  • Exemplified in pantomime Eze 4; 5:1-4; Ac 21:11
  • Written by an amanuensis (copyist, transcriber) Jer 45:1
  • Written in books Jer 45:1; 51:60
  • Proof of God' s foreknowledge Isa 43:9
  • Sure fulfillment of Eze 12:22-25,28; Hab 2:3; Mt 5:18; 24:35; Ac 13:27,29
  • Cessation of La 2:9
  • Of apostasy 1Jo 2:18; Jude 1:17,18
  • False teachers 2Pe 2; 3
  • Tribulations of the righteous Re 2:10
• → CONCERNING THE MESSIAH, AND THE FULFILLMENT
• → OLD TESTAMENT MESSIANIC PASSAGES QUOTED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT Ge 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; with Ac 3:25; Ga 3:8. Ge 17:7,19; 22:16,17; with Lu 1:55,72-74. De 18:15,18; with Ac 3:22,23. Ps 2:1,2; with Ac 4:25,26. Ps 2:7; with Ac 13:33; Heb 1:5; 5:5. Ps 8:2; with Mt 21:16. Ps 8:4-6; with Heb 2:6-8. Ps 16:8-11; with Ac 2:25-28,31. Ps 16:10; with Ac 13:35. Ps 22:1; with Mt 27:46; Mr 15:34. Ps 22:18; with Mt 27:35; Mr 15:24; Lu 23:34; Joh 19:24. Ps 22:22; with Heb 2:12. Ps 31:5; with Lu 23:46. Ps 41:9; with Joh 13:18; Ac 1:16. Ps 45:6,7; with Heb 1:8,9. Ps 68:18; with Eph 4:8-10. Ps 69:21; with Mt 27:48; Mr 15:36; Lu 23:36; Joh 19:28,29. Ps 69:25; 109:8; with Ac 1:20. Ps 95:7-11; with Heb 3:7-11; 4:3,5-7. Ps 102:25-27; with Heb 1:10-12. Ps 110:1; with Mt 22:44; Mr 12:36; Lu 20:42; Ac 2:34,35; Heb 1:13. Ps 110:4; with Heb 5:6. Ps 118:22,23; with Mt 21:42; Mr 12:10,11; Lu 20:17; Ac 4:11. Ps 118:25,26; with Mt 21:9; Mr 11:9; Joh 12:13. Ps 132:11,17; with Lu 1:69; Ac 2:30. Isa 7:14; with Mt 1:23. Isa 9:1,2; with Mt 4:15,16. Isa 9:7; with Da 7:14,27; with Lu 1:32,33. Isa 11:10; with Ro 15:12. Isa 25:8; with 1Co 15:54. Isa 28:16; with Ro 9:33; 1Pe 2:6. Isa 40:3-5; with Mt 3:3; Mr 1:3; Lu 3:4-6. Isa 42:1-4; with Mt 12:17-21. Isa 49:6; with Lu 2:32; Ac 13:47,48; 26:23. Isa 53:1; with Joh 12:38; Ro 10:16. Isa 53:3-6; with Ac 26:22,23. Isa 53:4-6,11; with 1Pe 2:24,25. Isa 53:4; with Mt 8:17. Isa 53:9; with 1Pe 2:22. Isa 53:12; with Mr 15:28; Lu 22:37. Isa 54:13; with Joh 6:45. Isa 55:3; with Ac 13:34. Isa 59:20,21; with Ro 11:26,27. Jer 31:31-34; with Heb 8:8-12; 10:16,17. Ho 1:10; with Ro 9:26. Ho 2:23; with Ro 9:25; 1Pe 2:10. Joe 2:28-32; with Ac 2:16-21. Am 9:11,12; with Ac 15:16,17. Mic 5:2; with Mt 2:5,6; Joh 7:42. Hab 1:5; with Ac 13:40,41. Hag 2:6; with Heb 12:26. Zec 9:9; with Mt 21:4,5; Joh 12:14,15. Zec 11:13; with Mt 27:9,10. Zec 12:10; with Joh 19:37. Zec 13:7; with Mt 26:31,56; Mr 14:27,50. Mal 3:1; with Mt 11:10; Mr 1:2; Lu 7:27. Mal 4:5,6; with Mt 11:13,14; 17:10-13; Mr 9:11-13; Lu 1:16,17
  • See JESUS, PROPHECIES CONCERNING
  • See PROPHETESS
  • See PROPHETS
• → MISCELLANEOUS, FULFILLED
  • The birth and zeal of Josiah 1Ki 13:2; 2Ki 23:1-20
  • Death of the prophet of Judah 1Ki 13:21,22,24-30
  • Extinction of Jeroboam' s house 1Ki 14:5-17
  • Extinction of Baasha' s house 1Ki 16:2,3,9-13
  • Concerning the rebuilding of Jericho Jos 6:26; 1Ki 16:34
  • The drought, foretold by Elijah 1Ki 17:14
  • Destruction of Ben-hadad' s army 1Ki 20:13-30
  • The death of a man who refused to strike a prophet 1Ki 20:35,36
  • The death of Ahab 1Ki 20:42; 21:18-24; 22:31-38
  • The death of Ahaziah 2Ki 1:3-17
  • The transporting of Elijah to the heavens 2Ki 2:3-11
  • Cannibalism among the people of Israel Le 26:29; De 28:53; 2Ki 6:28,29; Jer 19:9; La 4:10
  • The death of the Samaritan lord 2Ki 7:2,19,20
  • The end of the famine in Samaria 2Ki 7:1-18
  • Jezebel' s tragic death 1Ki 21:23; 2Ki 9:10,33-37
  • The striking of Syria by Joash 2Ki 13:16-25
  • Conquests of Jeroboam 2Ki 14:25-28
  • Four generations of Jehu' s descendants to sit upon the throne of Israel 2Ki 10:30; with 15:12
  • Destruction of Sennacherib' s army, and his death 2Ki 19:6,7,20-37
  • The captivity of the southern kingdom (Judah,) 2Ki 20:17,18; 24:10-16; 25:11-21
  • Concerning Christ
  • See JESUS, PROPHECIES CONCERNING
  • Also see above
  • Concerning John the Baptist (as the forerunner of the Messiah) Mt 3:3
  • Rachel weeping for her children (the slaughter of the infants in Bethlehem predicted and fulfilled) Jer 31:15; Mt 2:17,18
  • The deliverance of Jeremiah predicted and fulfilled Jer 39:15-18
  • The invasion of the southern kingdom (Judah) by the Chaldeans predicted Hab 1:6-11
  • The invasion of Judah by the Chaldeans fulfilled 2Ki 25; 2Ch 36:17-21
  • The betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot predicted Ps 41:9
  • The betrayal of Jesus by Judas fulfilled Joh 13:18; 18:1-9
  • Judas Iscariot' s self-destruction predicted Ps 69:25; Ac 1:16,20
  • Judas' self-destruction fulfilled Mt 27:5; Ac 1:16-20
  • The outpouring of the Holy Spirit predicted Joe 2:28,29
  • The outpouring of the Spirit fulfilled on the day of Pentecost (thirty A. D.) Ac 2:1,6-21
  • Spiritual blindness of the Jewish leaders predicted Isa 6:9; 29:13
  • That blindness fulfilled Mr 7:6,7; Ac 28:25-27
  • The mission of Jesus predicted Ps 68:18
  • That purpose fulfilled Eph 4:8,10
  • See JESUS, MISSION OF
  • Captivity of the Jews predicted and fulfilled Jer 25:11,12; 29:10,14; 32:3-5; Da 9:2; with 2Ki 25:1-8; Ezr 1
  • The destruction of the ship (on which Paul and the others sailed) predicted and fulfilled Ac 27:10,18-44

• Is the foretelling of future events Ge 49:1; Nu 24:14
• God is the author of Isa 44:7; 45:21
• God gives, through Christ Re 1:1
• A gift of Christ Eph 4:11; Re 11:3
• A gift of the Holy Spirit 1Co 12:10
• Came not by the will of man 2Pe 1:21
• Given from the beginning Lu 1:70
• Is a sure word 2Pe 1:19
• THEY WHO UTTERED
  • Raised up by God Am 2:11
  • Ordained by God 1Sa 3:20; Jer 1:5
  • Sent by God 2Ch 36:15; Jer 7:25
  • Sent by Christ Mt 23:34
  • Filled with the Holy Spirit Lu 1:67
  • Moved by the Holy Spirit 2Pe 1:21
  • Spoke by the Holy Spirit Ac 1:16; 11:28; 28:25
  • Spoke in the name of the Lord 2Ch 33:18; Jas 5:10
  • Spoke with authority 1Ki 17:1
• God accomplishes Isa 44:26; Ac 3:18
• Christ the great subject of Ac 3:22-24; 10:43; 1Pe 1:10,11
• Fulfilled respecting Christ Lu 24:44
• Gift of, promised Joe 2:28; Ac 2:16,17
• Is for the benefit of after ages 1Pe 1:12
• Is a light in dark place 2Pe 1:19
• Is not of private interpretation 2Pe 1:20
• Despise not 1Th 5:20
• Give heed to 2Pe 1:19
• Receive in faith 2Ch 20:20; Lu 24:25
• Blessedness of reading, hearing, and keeping Re 1:3; 22:7
• Guilt of pretending to the gift of Jer 14:14; 23:13,14; Eze 13:2,3
• PUNISHMENT FOR
  • Not giving ear to Ne 9:30
  • Adding to, or taking from Re 22:18,19
  • Pretending to the gift of De 18:20; Jer 14:15; 23:15
• Gift of, sometimes possessed by unconverted men Nu 24:2-9; 1Sa 19:20,23; Mt 7:22; Joh 11:49-51; 1Co 13:2
• How tested De 13:1-3; 18:22