Isaiah’s Prophecies

One of the many proofs that the Bible is God’s word and not just a book is the many prophecies it foretells. Thousands of its prophecies have come true and have been verified by history. Unfilled prophecies are expected to be fulfilled shortly.

A prophecy is absolute proof that the Bible is God’s Word. Only God can know the future. Those that claim to tell the future have been proven repeatedly to not be accurate in their guesses. God’s word has always been accurate.

Of the many futuristic predictions within the Bible’s pages over 1000 foretold the Christ, way before Jesus was even born. They told of the One who would come and bear the sins of man; so, through his death, people could have their iniquities forgiven and have a way to heaven. They all came true as Jesus Christ lived and died.

Although scripture is peppered with prophecies of His coming, there are many found in Isaiah 53. If you read it for yourself, you will find prophecies about Jesus’ life and death 712 years before his birth. The over 40 predictions that all came true in chapter 52 include:

• Many would have unbelief: (vs.1) “Who hath believed our report?”
• Many would not understand: (vs.1) “and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?” 
• The Christ came quietly, silently, and gently into the world. (vs. 2)” For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant,” 
• From an unimportant, unpopular family: (vs. 2) “and as a root out of a dry ground:” Jesus’ mother, being a virgin, was also ‘dry ground’. 
• Would not be unusual appearing or have uncommon beauty: (vs. 2) “he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” 
• He would be hated by some: (vs.3) “He is despised and rejected of men;”, (vs.3) “he was despised,”
• He would not have an easy life: (vs.3) “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:”
• Not many would care what happened to Him: (vs. 3) “and we hid as it were our faces from him; and we esteemed him not.”, (vs. 4) “yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.” 
• He would die for our sins and take our sins upon Himself: (vs. 4)” Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows:”, (vs. 5) “But he was wounded for our transgressions, (vs. 6) “and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all”, (vs. 8) “for the transgression of my people was he stricken”, (vs.10 ) “when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin,” (vs. 11) “by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”
• He would be beaten: (vs. 5) “he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”, (vs. 7) “and he was afflicted” 
• Many would turn against Him: (vs. 7) “He was oppressed,”
• He would take the beatings and not cry out: (vs. 7) “yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” 
• He would go to prison: (vs. 8) “He was taken from prison”
• Men would judge Him: (vs. 8) “and from judgment:”
• He would preach to the people of His time: “and who shall declare his generation?”
• He would be killed: (vs. 8) “for he was cut off out of the land of the living:”
• He would die like the sinners he died for: (vs. 9) “And he made his grave with the wicked,” (vs. 12) “because he hath poured out his soul unto death”, (vs. 12) “and he was numbered with the transgressors;” 
• He would be buried with the rich: (vs.9) “and with the rich in his death;” 
• He would do no wrong: (vs. 9) “because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.” 
• It would be God’s will and way that the Saviour would die the way God allowed Him to die: (vs. 10) “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief:” 
• His life would not end at His death: (vs. 9) “he shall prolong his days,” 
• God will be pleased with what the Saviour would do: (vs. 9) “and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand”, (vs. 11) “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied,” (vs. 12) “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;”
• He would pay for all mankind’s sin with His death: (vs. 12) “and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” 

Reading the New Testament, especially its first four books, will reveal that all the above prophecies came true many years after. How could that happen? Coincidence! Hardly. The only way they could have all come true is that the futuristic predictions were recorded by God in His perfect, preserved book! The Bible is not just another book!