More Sure
by Terry Wane Benton
The prophetic word is made “more sure” (II Peter 1:19).
In other words, it was sure on its own merits, by its own credibility, by its own historical accuracy, by its own factual detail, and dedication to truth without fear or favor of man. But now that Jesus has fulfilled its many prophecies, we can know it is even “more sure.”
The prophecies of Jesus are remarkable. His mission was laid out early to “bless all nations” (Genesis 12:1-3), to “provide” a sacrifice to God in the place where Abraham offered Isaac (Genesis 22). There are many details about this descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that limit the number of possible candidates for this mission to exactly one. In other words, the predictions are not so vague that anyone can fulfill the prophecies, but rather the predictions are so clear that no one but a divine being could fulfill them. The prophecies say that a child would be born and he would be called “Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6f). How many human candidates could fill that prediction? He would be born in Bethlehem but was from "everlasting" (deity) (Micah 5:2). How many candidates from Bethlehem have been called “mighty God” and "everlasting?" Only one.
His lineage would be traced to King David (II Samuel 7:12-16). The candidate would be a priest and Lord over David (Psalms 110). He would not be a priest from the tribe of Levi, but after a different order, after the order of Melchizedek. With just these few prophecies, no vagueness allows anyone to fulfill them, but a clarity that says only one can ever fulfill them. Jesus is the only one who fulfills these and many other predictions.
However, to strengthen the case, Daniel laid out a timetable for all of this to happen. Daniel 9:24-27 indicates that the Messiah would be cut off, and subsequently, the temple would be destroyed after it had been rebuilt. Guess what? Jesus was cut off (executed), and within a generation, the temple was destroyed for the last time. Not only did Daniel predict it, but the disciples of Jesus recorded Him saying that the temple would be destroyed in that generation (Matthew 24:1-34). Guess what? Daniel was right, Jesus was right, and the disciples of Jesus were right.
There are too many lucky guesses to say that mere men using human wisdom alone could have written these things. No! The Bible claims to be the word of God, it seems to be the word of God, and it proves to be the word of God. The Bible reveals the mind of God, the way He thinks, and what He thinks, including truths we might not be comfortable facing, but that, too, is what proves it to be what it claims. Yes, the Bible is "more sure" because of the fulfilled prophecies that men could not have predicted and fulfilled apart from God's direct involvement.
