Prophecies concerning Jesus’ first coming
Telling Muslims about prophecies concerning Jesus fulfills two purposes. On one hand, it demonstrates the reliability of the Bible. On the other hand, it demonstrates the importance of the Jesus they regard only as a prophet, below Muhammad.
The examples that were selected below not only show that the Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in the New Testament accounts of Jesus, they were also in agreement with what the Quran says about Jesus. Therefore, the Muslim cannot deny that such a thing actually happened.
The difference is that the Quran states these facts about Jesus after they happened. The Old Testament states these facts about Jesus hundreds and even thousands of years before they happened.
On the importance of prophecies concerning Jesus, one Muslim wrote, “But for me, the most impressive factor about Christ, were the multitudes of Old Testament prophesies about the coming of the Messiah. Some of these prophecies were so specific and they were fulfilled in the life of Jesus to such a detail that it amazed me to see how God had taken hundreds of years of Jewish history to prepare the coming of the Messiah; prophecies ranging from Messiah’s ancestry, his manner and place of birth, his life and ministry to the circumstances surrounding his death by crucifixion.”
Muslims regard Muhammad as their greatest prophet. By showing these prophecies, Muslims can see that so many prophecies are mentioned about Jesus, not Muhammad.
| The Messiah will be born of a virgin. | (Isa 7:14 NIV) Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. | (Luke 1:26-31 NIV) In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, {27} to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. {28} The angel went to her and said, {31} You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.Surah 19: 20. She said: “How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste?” 21. He said: “So (it will be): Thy Lord saith, ‘that is easy for Me: and (We wish) to appoint him as a Sign unto men and a Mercy from Us’: It is a matter (so) decreed.” |
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| The Messiah will come from the town of Bethlehem. | (Micah 5:2 NIV) “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” | (Mat 2:1-6 NIV) After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem {2} and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” {3} When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. {4} When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. {5} “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: {6} “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’”A hadith authenticated by both Ibn Hajar Haythami and Ibn Hajar Asqalani states that on the night of Isra’ and Mi’raj, Muhammad was ordered by Angel Jibril to pray two rak’ats in Bayt Lahm (Bethlehem), and Jibril asked him: “Do you know where you prayed? When the Prophet asked him where, he told him: “You prayed where ‘Isa was born.” |
| The Messiah will be supported by the Holy Spirit. | (Isa 11:1-2 NIV) A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. {2} The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him– the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD– | Matthew 3:16 (NIV) As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.Surah 2:254 PICKTHAL: Of those messengers, some of whom We have caused to excel others, and of whom there are some unto whom Allah spake, while some of them He exalted (above others) in degree; and We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs (of Allah’s Sovereignty) and We supported him with the holy Spirit. |
| The Messiah will be a miracle healer. | Isaiah 53:4 (NIV) Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. | Matthew 8:16-17 (NIV) When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.”Surah 5:110. Then will Allah say: “O Jesus the son of Mary! Recount My favour to thee and to thy mother. Behold! I strengthened thee with the holy spirit, so that thou didst speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. Behold! I taught thee the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel and behold! thou makest out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My leave, and thou breathest into it and it becometh a bird by My leave, and thou healest those born blind, and the lepers, by My leave. And behold! thou bringest forth the dead by My leave. And behold! I did restrain the Children of Israel from (violence to) thee when thou didst show them the clear Signs, and the unbelievers among them said: ‘This is nothing but evident magic.’ |
| The Messiah will lead a sinless life. | (Isa 53:11 NIV) After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. | (John 8:46 NIV) Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?Surah 19:19. He said: “Nay, I am only a messenger from thy Lord, (to announce) to thee the gift of a holy son.The word for “holy” in this verse, zakiyya, is applied to no other prophet in the book. The angel announces to Mary that she is to conceive a uniquely holy child. |
| The Messiah will be plotted against. | Psalms 2:1-2 (NIV) Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. | Acts 4:27 (NIV) Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. Surah 3: 54. And (the unbelievers) plotted and planned, and Allah too planned, and the best of planners is Allah.55. Behold! Allah said: “O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to Myself and clear thee (of the falsehoods) of those who blaspheme; I will make those who follow thee superior to those who reject faith, to the Day of Resurrection: Then shall ye all return unto me, and I will judge between you of the matters wherein ye dispute.Muslims may not agree that Jesus died on the cross but they cannot deny that the Jews plotted against him. |
Prophecies concerning Jesus’ second coming
The Qur’an alludes to the second coming of Jesus in only one verse: az-Zukhruf 43:61:
And (Jesus) shall be a Sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment): therefore have no doubt about the (Hour), but follow ye Me: this is a Straight Way.
This means that the second coming of Jesus will be a sign that the end of the world and the judgment of God is imminent.
The Quran is silent about what are the events that will take place in the last days, when Jesus will return.
The Bible, however, contains many prophecies on what the signs are in the last days. Many of these signs are taught by Jesus Himself in response to a question from His disciples.
Jesus’ disciples asked Him about the signs of His second coming
(Mat 24:3 NIV) As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Increase of wars
(Mat 24:6-7 NIV) You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. {7} Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
Never have there been so many wars all over the world involving so many nations on so many occasions. eg. World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, China/Vietnam, Falklands, Ireland, Israel-Arab wars of 1948, 1967, 1972, 1980, Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Angola, Iran/Iraq, Iraq Gulf War 1991, Croatia 1991, Cold War, terrorist wars etc to name a few.
The world has never been so unstable. It is indeed gearing itself up for war. China has increased its defense budget by 50%. Russia has an army of six million soldiers. The world has enough nuclear weapons to destroy itself many times over.
Increase in famines
(Mat 24:7 NIV) There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
Famines are also coming up in many places as predicted by Jesus. We would have thought that with the advance of science and biotechnology, we would get rid of hunger forever. Yet there are more people starving now than ever. The World Health Organization says that as many as two billion people are starving every day – that’s one third of the human population!
Increase of earthquakes
(Mat 24:7 NIV) There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
Earthquakes are on the rise like never before. If we just look at major earthquakes with a Richter scale of 7.0 and above, we see that the frequency of earthquakes have risen phenomenally in these last days. In the past, there had been about one major earthquake every 10 years. From 1900 to 1949, it averaged three major earthquakes a decade. From 1949 the increase became more drastic with nine killer earthquakes in the 1950s, 13 in the 1960s, 56 in the 1970s and an amazing 74 major earthquakes in the 1980s. Finally, in the 1990s, there are more than 180 major earthquakes. (Source : U.S. Geological Survey) Look at the chart below.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Earthquakes 7.0 or greater on Richter scale
Increase in pestilences
(Luke 21:11 NIV) There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
Since the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic 15 years ago, the virus has infected more than 47 million people in the world. With more than 2.2 million deaths in 1998, HIV/AIDS has now become the fourth leading cause of mortality and its impact is going to increase. An estimated 340 million new cases of curable Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in adults have occurred throughout the world in 1995. (Source : World Health Organization)
As you can see, the prophecies of Jesus about the last days are coming true in frightening details.
Prophecies fulfilled in our current generation
The rebirth of Israel
The rebirth of Israel is one of the most unlikely prophecies in the Bible. No other ancient nation ever ceased to exist for a period of centuries and then returned to take its place on the stage of world history.
(Isa 66:8 NIV) Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.
Most nations evolved gradually over the centuries. In the time of ancient prophecies, no one had ever witnessed a nation being created in one day. Yet Isaiah made that prophecy, that Israel will come into existence in one day. This prophecy was fulfilled precisely on May 15, 1948.
Present Arab-Israeli conflict
Three thousand years ago God inspired King David to predict that the reborn nation would be immediately surrounded by enemies, including the Arab nations of Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
(Psa 83:2-8 NIV) See how your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads. {3} With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish. {4} “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more.” {5} With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you– {6} the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites, {7} Gebal, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre. {8} Even Assyria has joined them to lend strength to the descendants of Lot. Selah
In this incredible prophecy, King David described the modern states of Middle East by naming the ancient nations that have now joined with the Palestinians in their attempt to destroy the Jewish state in the last days.
The Bible predicted that many exiled Jews will return to their homeland.
(Zep 3:10 KJV) From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.
The Ethiopian Jews returned to the land of Israel after being separated from their brethren for almost three thousand years. In the later part of the 1980s and especially in 1991, over 85,000 black Jews returned home to Israel from Ethiopia in fulfillment of Zephaniah’s ancient prophecy.
Another prophet, Isaiah, also confirmed this prediction.
(Isa 43:6 NIV) I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth–
Here Isaiah prophesied the return of the Jews not only from Ethiopia (the south) but also Russia (the north). There are now a million Jews in Israel who came from Russia and the former Soviet Union.
Restoration of the Hebrew language
God predicted through His prophet Zephaniah that when the Israelites return after their period of judgment, they will be speaking a pure and unified language.
(Zep 3:9 KJV) For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.
The Bible prophesied that the Jews would once again call upon the name of the Lord in the pure language they once did. And they will do it with one consent.
This was fulfilled when God restored the ancient dead language of Hebrew as the living, spoken language of Israel. Hebrew ceased to be the common language of the Jews long before the birth of Christ. No other nation has ever lost its language and later recovered it. No one is speaking ancient Egyptian or Chaldee today.
A Jewish scholar by the name of Eliazar ben Yehuda began working early in the 20th century to revive the dead language of Hebrew with its original seven thousand words related to temple worship as used by the priests.
As the Jews began to return from seventy different nations in 1948 after two thousand years of exile, the government began to unify these widely divergent peoples into a united people through teaching them the revived Hebrew language.
Astonishing fertility of Israel
The prophet Isaiah predicted that Israel would become fertile again.
(Isa 27:6 NIV) In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit.
The prophet Ezekiel prophesied the same thing.
Ezek 36:30 I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine. 34 The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it.
The returning Jews have transformed the previously deserted and desolate land into the most agriculturally efficient land on earth according to the United Nations. Israel now supplies over 90% of the citrus fruits consumed by hundreds of millions of Europeans.
Rebuilding of Babylon
The Bible prophesied that the once great city of Babylon would be rebuilt and later destroyed by God in judgment.
(Isa 13:6 NIV) Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. 19 Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the Babylonians’ pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.
The Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein has spent much money rebuilding the ancient city of Babylon that now lies in ruins.
Shafqa Mohammed Jaafar, the chief archaeologist of Babylon, explains —
Because Babylon was built in ancient times, and was a great city, it must be a great city again in the time of our new great leader, Saddam Hussein.
As of February 1990, over sixty million bricks had been laid in the reconstruction of Nebuchadnezzar’s city. On the exact site of ancient Babylon, he has reconstructed the Southern Palace of Nebuchadnezzar, including the Procession Street, a Greek theater, many temples, what was once Nebuchadnezzar’s throne room, and a half-scale model of the Ishtar Gate.
Hussein plans to rebuild the hanging gardens, once considered one of the seven wonders of the world: he has offered a $1.5 million prize to any Iraqi who can devise a plan to irrigate the gardens using only the technology available in ancient Babylon.
One world government
Over two thousand years ago the prophets Daniel and John described that there would be a world government led by the coming dictator in the last days, the Antichrist.
(Rev 13:7-8 NIV) He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. {8} All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast–all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
This can become a reality when global organizations are becoming more and more powerful, like the United Nations. The Anti-Christ will probably head one or more of these global organizations. The power of the United Nations has increased substantially through the years. Instead of functioning with a temporary army, it is now asking for a permanent and lethal force to act as deterrent against any potential aggressor nation (Article 43 of United Nations General Assembly Resolution). This powerful army will not be under the command of the elected Presidents of the respective countries but under the direct command of the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
President George Bush in the Chicago Tribune , September 12, 1990, said “Iraq is the first test for the new world order.” He stated emphatically that the Iraq War is Saddam Hussein against the world. The United Nation troops are continually referred to as the multi-nation forces.
The Mark of the Beast
(Revelation 13:16-18) He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, {17} so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. {18} This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.
In Revelation chapter 13, the Bible prophesies that a world dictator will soon rule over a world government. He will cause all people on the earth to receive a number without which they will be unable to buy or sell. We are seeing this prophecy fulfilled before our eyes in a most astonishing way. With the advancement of computers, every human being in the world can now been assigned a number, and many already have been. Under a United Nations proposal, every person in the world would be fingerprinted and registered under a universal identification scheme to fight illegal immigration and people smuggling.
Even our present bar code system that is on almost every item on sale is a precursor of the mark of the beast that we will see in the last days. In the bar code, different type of lines represent different numbers. There are three identical lines at every start, middle and end of a bar code. Those lines represent 6.
The world is moving into a cashless society and in America, as much as 97% of the total money is cashless (i.e. electronic money). Many of our purchases are done with one’s personal identification mark, of either the credit card or the bankcard. We know that these physical cards have limitations as they can be lost, stolen or used in an unauthorized way by others. People are now looking at ways to make these limitations disappear. One obvious way is to have the information embedded in one’s body. This is now a possibility and experiments have been carried out successful to embed a miniature computer chip under one’s skin. In the last days, the Anti-Christ will make it impossible for anyone to buy or sell if their personal marks do not include his mark i.e. if they do not submit their allegiance to him.
Is the human body a fit place for a microchip? The debate is no longer hypothetical. On Monday, Aug. 24, 1998, Professor Kevin Warwick, director of cybernetics at the University of Reading in the U.K., became the first human to host a microchip. During a 20-minute medical procedure doctors inserted into Warwick’s arm a glass capsule not much bigger than a pearl. The capsule holds several microprocessors.
Notes
Under Article 42 of the Charter, the Security Council has the authority to take military action to maintain or restore international peace and security. While such action should only be taken when all peaceful means have failed, the option of taking it is essential to the credibility of the United Nations as a guarantor of international security. This will require bringing into being, through negotiations, the special agreements foreseen in Article 43 of the Charter, whereby Member States undertake to make armed forces, assistance and facilities available to the Security Council for the purposes stated in Article 42, not only on an ad hoc basis but on a permanent basis. Under the political circumstances that now exist for the first time since the Charter was adopted, the long-standing obstacles to the conclusion of such special agreements should no longer prevail. The ready availability of armed forces on call could serve, in itself, as a means of deterring breaches of the peace since a potential aggressor would know that the Council had at its disposal a means of response.
Such units from Member States would be available on call and would consist of troops that have volunteered for such service. They would have to be more heavily armed than peace-keeping forces and would need to undergo extensive preparatory training within their national forces. Deployment and operation of such forces would be under the authorization of the Security Council and would, as in the case of peace-keeping forces, be under the command of the Secretary-General.