You may have heard claims that Bible prophecies that came true were written after the fact. While that may or may not be the case, it’s hard to dismantle some predictions that came true almost to the letter.
Humans can’t foretell the future, but they can make predictions, and if they’re lucky, these predictions may come true. On the other hand, Bible prophecies that came true are evidence of divine inspiration rather than authors rewriting the Holy Book to fit events.
Here are seven Bible predictions that came true throughout history.
1. The Destruction of Tyre
“They will destroy the walls of Tyre and pull down her towers; I will scrape away her rubble and make her a bare rock.” Ezekiel 26:4
Ezekiel was an outstanding prophet of his time. He talked about the destruction of Israel’s northern neighbor, Tyre, which had turned its back on God. In 332 BC, Alexander the Great conquered this fortress. To do so, he built a causeway from the ruins of the old city.
His conquest fulfilled Ezekiel’s prophecy, although it came hundreds of years later. At the time of Ezekiel’s prediction, the fortress hadn’t even been built.
2. Witnessing Events at the Same Time They Happen
“For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.” Revelation 11:9-10
While this Revelation prediction seems dire, we can look at it in a different light. Consider television and the internet. Through them, we can witness events at the same time they happen. The prophecy refers to days. Communication is now instantaneous.
Nobody could have predicted this at the time this prophecy was made. Information took weeks to months to cross countries and seas throughout the Roman Empire.
3. The Coming of Messiah
“Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.” Daniel 9:25
Like many predictions, this prophecy is somewhat obscure at face value, but it was fulfilled. After the rebuilding of Jerusalem, 49 years (seven weeks of years) passed until it returned to its glory days. After 62 weeks of years more (490 years), the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign happened.
According to Luke 3:1, this is the year Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and publicly identified as the son of God. As such, he became the Messiah.
4. Large-Scale Conflicts and Wars
“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. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.” Matthew 24:6-7
You may think predicting wars is easy since humans are prone to conflict. Unfortunately, it is true that if we were to predict more wars today, we’d be proven correct in no time.
However, if we look at the destruction two world wars wreaked over Europe and Asia and the conflicts that took over 150 million lives throughout the 20th century, we feel that the Bible may have been on to something. Such a large scale of death and destruction couldn’t have been predicted randomly.
5. The Destruction of the Jerusalem Temple
“Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. ‘Do you see all these things?’ he asked. ‘Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.'” Matthew 24:1-2
It appears that Jesus was very specific when he predicted the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple. He was also very accurate. Not even a stone remained unturned when this event occurred in 587 BC.
King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylonia removed the Temple’s treasures and razed the building. He also deported the Jews to Babylonia, fulfilling Jesus’s prophecy in the Bible. The prediction’s fulfillment strengthened the beliefs of the Judaic people, and it didn’t have the effect the king wanted.
6. Famines and Food Shortages
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.” Matthew 24:7
Famines and food shortages have occurred throughout history. Nevertheless, you’re forgiven if you thought they were a thing of the past. Unfortunately, they’re not. This prophecy keeps happening despite all the resources we have access to.
Today, up to 783 million people—one in 10 of the world’s population—face chronic hunger even though we produce enough food to feed everyone, including these people.
So, is this prophecy fulfilled? The sad answer is “yes.”
7. Self-Indulgence in the Age of Social Media
“People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” Timothy 3:2-5
We’re not claiming we’re “in the last days.” However, the above behaviors are obvious to anyone with social media accounts. Many of our contemporaries only value themselves, their money, and their pride.
Their various accounts make them disloyal to friends and they demand attention and affection despite not offering much. Maybe we’re too harsh, but we think social media has more than adequately fulfilled this prediction.
Several Biblical People, Events, and Places Have Been Proven True
While not a prophecy, many biblical people, events, and places have been confirmed by archeology after the fact to have actually existed.
The Bible is not a book of made-up fairy tales. It tells the true stories of real people who really lived, worked, and breathed long ago. For example:
- Archaeological evidence suggests that the ancient city of Jericho did experience a destruction event around the time indicated in the Bible.
- Archaeologists discovered a broken stone slab (known as the Tel Dan Stele) that honors a Damascus king’s victory over two rival enemies. Most historians accept this inscription as evidence of the existence of a royal house in the Ancient Near East that bore king David’s name.
- The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus confirmed Jesus’s existence just decades after his death.
And these are just a few examples of biblical facts that have been proven true!
Not All Prophecy Has Been Fulfilled (Yet)
While many of the Bible’s prophecies and predictions have already come through (whether in whole or in part), God isn’t finished with his grand plan yet. There are still many prophecies, signs, and wonders still left to be fulfilled.
These unfulfilled prophecies leave many Christians searching for signs that Christ Jesus is coming back again soon.
Mark 13:32 tells us, “But about that day or hour [Jesus returns] no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
Signs of the Upcoming Apocalypse
The fact that the Bible warns us that we can’t know the time or date doesn’t stop people from searching, guessing, and looking intently for signs of Christ’s second coming, however.
Many people believe that the following signs indicate that Jesus will be returning soon:
- Global Unrest and Wars
- Natural Disasters
- Moral Decline
- False Prophets and Deception
- Technological Advancements
- and more.
When is Christ Coming Back?
We won’t know the specific time, date, or details until Christ does return, but that doesn’t mean we should forget all about it until then.
As Christians, we are called to prepared ourselves now for his eventual return, knowing that it is coming at some point and we want to be ready. We can do this by repenting of our sins, seeking the kingdom of God, and putting God first.
And how to do we that, practically speaking? We follow the spiritual disciplines like prayer and regular Bible study, and we seek to listen and obey God in all that we do. It’s not always easy, but when Jesus returns, we’ll be so glad we did.
10 Common Bible Misconceptions Too Many People Believe
Of all the books in history, the Holy Bible is among the most available and most translated. For a text this ancient and common, it is surprising to realize that there is a lot of faulty thinking surrounding it.
Even lifelong Christians can be told one way of viewing Scripture and cling to that belief without realizing that it is tradition or cultural rather than truly Biblical.
Here are 10 common misconceptions about the Bible way too many people believe that can create confusion and withhold a deeper enjoyment and trust in God’s Word.
10 Common Bible Misconceptions Too Many People Believe
The 10 Most Confusing Things Jesus Ever Said or Did
Think Jesus is always polite, meek, and mild-mannered? Think again.
While we know that Jesus is perfect love in human form, he did say many things that are hard for us (as humans with limited understanding) to wrap our heads around.
I hope, that when we get to Heaven, we’ll be able to ask him, “What did you mean by that??” but in the meantime, here are 10 questionable things Jesus said or did that still cause us to scratch our heads in confusion two thousand years later.
The 10 Most Confusing Things Jesus Ever Said or Did
Brittany Ann is an ECPA bestselling author and founder of Equipping Godly Women and Monetize My Ministry. She’s also a Christian speaker, podcaster, and conference host. Her work has been featured on numerous TV, radio, and online ministries, including CBN, MSN, Christianity Today, Evangelical Alliance, Patheos, Crosswalk, and more.
