In the Old Testament of the Bible, the prophets prophesied many things, many of which came to pass. This can especially apply to the prophesies about Jesus. Jesus fulfilled so many of them. (In this website link they reveal about forty of them.)
Other prophesies such as Pharoah's dreams about the skinny cows eating up the fat cows (Genesis 41), were interpreted by Joseph, with God's help. Sure enough, seven years of severe famine followed on the heels of seven years of abundant harvest.
Jeremiah prophesied that the children of Israel would be taken into captivity to Babylon and beyond (Jeremiah 29:10). Despite the no repentance-"business as usual"-attitude of the people, what was prophesied, did happen. They were trussed up for seventy years. (Ezra and Nehemiah, two other prophets, with books of the Bible named after them, report of happenings once they were released at the conclusion of those seventy years, to return to their homeland.
It's been said that to be able to identify whether a prophet is a true prophet or not, you must wait and see if what they prophesied comes true (Deuteronomy 18:22). If it does, then that man or woman must be telling the truth. The experience verified the proclamation.
Peter has a go on this subject. He writes the following in 2 Peter 1:12-21 (NIV),
"So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have...For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to Him fro the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with Him on the sacred mountain. We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."
Peter announces that he, along with others, were "eyewitnesses'" (vs 16) of Jesus; all He'd done and the hearing of God's voice. He was explaining that what prophets of ancient yore spoke about, came to pass. He saw it. He experienced it. The experience verified the words but the words also lent truth to the experience.
Peter and cohorts had known the words. The words "played out" before their very own eyes. There was even more credence because the words that men (the prophets) had uttered, came straight from God to begin with!
Do we believe this? This is not talking about "seeing is believing" to override faith. However, God, being His ever gracious Self, gives us His Words and experience, as He wills, to verify our human, hard-to-believe-minds, to help us understand those Words.
That's a verified fact.
~ERC November 2019~
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