We serve God who knows all things without the limitations of time that we have.  He knows the future as well as He knows the past and present.  To help us (and those before us) to have greater faith, He made promises in the prophecies and then fulfilled them in minute detail.  Jesus said, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me” (Luke 24:44). 

 For example:

Isaiah (some 800 years before) prophesied that Jesus would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14).  Matthew 1:22,23 says, “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, ‘Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel,’ which being interpreted is, God with us.”

Other examples of the New Testament explaining the prophecies include:

Jesus came out of Egypt.                                                                               Hosea 11:1 & Matthew 2:15

The innocent babies would be slaughtered.                                                      Jeremiah 31:15 & Matthew 2:17       

The Lord would work in the area of Capernaum.                                                Isaiah 9:1,2 & Matthew 4:14  

Jesus came to bear our infirmities and sicknesses.                                          Isaiah 53:3,4 & Matthew 8:17

The Lord showed great compassion.                                                               Isaiah 49:6 & Matthew 12:17

The Spirit of the Lord was upon Jesus.                                                            Isaiah 61:1 & Luke 4:21

People would hear and not understand.                                                           Isaiah 6:9,10 & Matthew 13:13,14; John 12:37-41

Jesus would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt.                                         Zechariah 9:9 & Matthew 21:4

Judas would betray Jesus.                                                                             Psalms 41:9 & John 13:18                 

Jesus was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver.                                                      Zechariah 11:12,13 & Matthew 27:9

Jesus was numbered with the transgressors.                                                   Isaiah 53:12 & Mark 15:28

The soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ clothes.                                                         Psalms 22:18 & Matthew 27:35; John 19:24

Not one of Jesus’ bones would be broken.                                                       Psalms 34:20 & John 19:36

The odds of all of these (and more) being so perfectly fulfilled defy the skeptics to regard these as chance.  Instead, our faith in God and in His word, the Bible, grows when we see that He always keeps His word.  When we apply this to those promises for us, we have a hope that no one can take away from us.  Jesus promised that He is coming back.  He always keeps His promises.  Let’s make sure we are ready.  (Roger Wright)