This Week's Bulletin

RENEW YOUR MIND
Predictive Prophecy
Brad Harrub, Ph.D.

One of the most impressive internal proofs of the Bible's inspiration is its predictive prophecy. If the Bible is inspired of God, it should contain such valid, predictive prophecy. In fact, the Bible's prophecy – completely foretold to the minutest detail and fulfilled with the greatest precision – has confounded critics for generations. The Bible contains numerous prophecies about individuals, nations, cities, and even the promised Messiah.

In order for a prophecy to be valid, it must meet certain criteria. First, it must be a specific, detailed statement – not something that is vague or general in nature. Second, there must be enough time between the prophetic statement and its fulfillment so that there is no chance whatsoever of the prophet having the ability to influence the outcome. Third, the prophecy must be stated in clear, understandable terms. Last, the fulfillment must be unmistakable, and must match the prophecy in every detail.

A great example can be found in Ezekiel 26:1-14, where the Bible foretells the destruction of the city of Tyre with miraculous precision. The prophet Ezekiel predicted that Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, would destroy the city (Ezekiel 26:7-8). Many nations would come up against Tyre (26:3). The city would be leveled and scraped clean like a bare rock (26:4). The city's stones, timbers, and soil would be cast into the sea (26:12). The surrounding area would become a place for the spreading of fishermen's nets (26:5). And, finally, the city never would be rebuilt to its former glory (26:14).

History records that each of these predictions came true. Tyre, a coastal city from ancient times, had a rather unusual arrangement. In addition to the inland city, there was an island about three-fourth's of a mile offshore. Nebuchadnezzar besieged the mainland city in 586 B.C., but when he finally was able to inhabit the city in about 573 B.C., his victory was hollow. He did not know that the inhabitants had left the city and moved to the island-a situation that remained virtually unchanged for the next 241 years. Then, in 332 B.C., Alexander the Great conquered the city – but not with ease. To get to the island, he literally had his army "scrape clean" the inland city of its debris, and then employed those materials (stones, timbers, and soil) to build a "land bridge" to the island. Yet even though Alexander inflicted severe damage on the city, it still remained intact. In fact, it waxed and waned for the next 1,600 years until finally, in A.D. 1291, the Muslims thoroughly destroyed Tyre. The city never regained its position of wealth and power. The prophet Ezekiel looked 1,900 years into the future and predicted that the city of Tyre would be a bald rock where fishermen gathered to open their nets. And that is exactly what history records as having happened!

[Brad Harrub is an apologist who works full-time with Focus Press-www.focuspress.org.]