Professor Peter Stoner calculated the probability of just 8 messianic prophecies being fulfilled by chance in one person:
That's 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000
To visualize: Cover Texas two feet deep in silver dollars, mark one coin, and the chance of randomly selecting that coin equals the probability of 8 prophecies occurring by chance.
This timeline contains 191 documented prophecies.
~4 BC - Bethlehem, Judea
After centuries of prophecy, the Messiah is born. Over the next 33 years, He fulfills every prediction about His life, ministry, death, and resurrection.
Prophecies written centuries before Christ's birth,
preserved by both believers and skeptics,
fulfilled with mathematical precision.
Following the Temple's destruction in 70 AD, Jewish scholars at Jamnia (Yavneh) worked to formalize the Hebrew Bible canon. This process excluded seven books that had been part of the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) used extensively by early Christians.
These books, known as the Deuterocanon in Catholic tradition, were part of the Septuagint used by Jesus' apostles and early Christians. They contain passages that early Christians interpreted as messianic prophecies:
• Wisdom 2:12-20 describes the persecution of a righteous man who claims to be God's son, remarkably paralleling Christ's passion
• Sirach emphasizes the merit of good works and almsgiving in atonement for sin
• 2 Maccabees 12:39-46 shows prayers and sacrifices for the dead, supporting concepts of purification after death
• Multiple references to angelic intercession and the resurrection of the righteous
The exclusion of these books occurred during a period of intense Jewish-Christian separation. Some scholars suggest several factors may have influenced this decision:
Response to Christian Use: Early Christians heavily cited the Septuagint, including these books, in arguments for Jesus as Messiah. Passages about the suffering righteous one (Wisdom) and resurrection (2 Maccabees) were interpreted christologically. As Christianity emerged as a distinct religion after 70 AD, rabbinic leaders may have sought to distinguish Jewish scripture from Christian usage.
Language and Origin: These books were primarily preserved in Greek rather than Hebrew, and some were written during the Hellenistic period. Post-70 AD Judaism emphasized Hebrew texts and pre-exilic authority.
Historical Note: The fact that these books were excluded, rather than simply dismissed as fictional, suggests they held significant weight. If the prophetic connections to Christ were weak or unconvincing, there would have been little need to formally remove them from the canon. Their exclusion may indicate they were compelling enough to warrant theological distancing.
The Lawgiver who led Israel out of Egypt and received the Torah at Mount Sinai. His writings contain foundational messianic prophecies.
The shepherd-king and psalmist who established Jerusalem as Israel's capital. His psalms contain vivid prophecies of Messiah's suffering and glory.
The "Messianic Prophet" whose detailed descriptions of the Suffering Servant are the most cited prophecies in the New Testament. Isaiah 53 alone contains multiple fulfilled prophecies.
A contemporary of Isaiah who prophesied to both Israel and Judah. Famous for pinpointing the exact birthplace of the Messiah.
Jewish prophet in Babylonian captivity who received visions of future kingdoms and the precise timing of Messiah's coming.
Post-exilic prophet who encouraged the rebuilding of the Temple and gave detailed prophecies about Messiah's first and second comings.