GOD’S PLAN IN DETAIL - THE STUDY GUIDE

Prophesy – why you should believe Scripture

Just suppose that some unknown person was to deliver a message to the people of New Zealand that he claimed was from God. This message might be personally delivered to the Prime Minister and be widely reported in the news. Let’s say that the message goes something like:

God has been observing the way that New Zealanders have been living and is very angry at the injustice and the widespread immorality resulting from our people following false religions. The message goes on to say that, if we don’t change our ways and return to following the only true God, then the following will happen:

Wellington, our centre of government, will be totally destroyed and become an uninhabited wasteland covered by both desert and swamp. Only wild desert animals will live there.
Auckland will be attacked on many occasions and will finally be completely demolished, never to be built on again. Devonport will be stripped bare of all its topsoil and become a place occupied by fishermen who will spread their nets over the bare rocks to dry them. It will finally be completely destroyed.
Hamilton will be attacked and overcome while its civic leaders are in a state of drunken revelry. It will first of all be flooded and then burned and demolished so completely that people in the future will not know where it was built.
Christchurch will continue, but all of its famous statues, museums and churches will be destroyed and never be rebuilt.
Whangarei will also continue even though it will be attacked and its people slaughtered on many occasions.

Such a message would be laughed at and ignored by all. The messenger would be discredited as yet another oddball fanatic predicting the end of the world, and people would continue with their daily activities, forgetting even what was said.

But substitute Babylon for Wellington, Tyre for Auckland and Devonport, Nineveh for Hamilton, Memphis for Christchurch and Sidon for Whangarei. These cities received the same messages, from the same God, and everything happened exactly as stated – right down to the last detail. Some of the prophecies occurred within a few years, while others took thousands of years before they were completely fulfilled. In the case of Tyre, the first part of the prophesy has been fulfilled in amazing detail. However, its final destruction has yet to come.

The above prophesies are recorded in:

Babylon: Isaiah 13, 14:23 NLTIsaiah son of Amoz received this message concerning the destruction of Babylon:

"See the flags waving as the enemy attacks. Cheer them on, O Israel! Wave to them as they march against Babylon to destroy the palaces of the high and mighty...For I will stir up the Medes against Babylon, and no amount of silver or gold will buy them off. The attacking armies will shoot down the young people with arrows. They will have no mercy on helpless babies and will show no compassion for the children.

Babylon, the most glorious of kingdoms, the flower of Chaldean culture, will be devastated like Sodom and Gomorrah when God destroyed them.

Babylon will never rise again. Generation after generation will come and go, but the land will never again be lived in. Nomads will refuse to camp there, and shepherds will not allow their sheep to stay overnight.

Wild animals of the desert will move into the ruined city. The houses will be haunted by howling creatures. Ostriches will live among the ruins, and wild goats will come there to dance. Hyenas will howl in its fortresses, and jackals will make their dens in its palaces.

Babylon's days are numbered; its time of destruction will soon arrive...I will make Babylon into a desolate land, a place of porcupines, filled with swamps and marshes. I will sweep the land with the broom of destruction.

I, the LORD Almighty, have spoken!" (783-704 BC) and Jeremiah 51:24-26,43 NLT"As you watch, I will repay Babylon and the people of Babylonia for all the wrong they have done to my people in Jerusalem," says the LORD.

"Look, O mighty mountain, destroyer of the earth! I am your enemy," says the LORD. "I will raise my fist against you, to roll you down from the heights. When I am finished, you will be nothing but a heap of rubble. You will be desolate forever. Even your stones will never again be used for building. You will be completely wiped out," says the LORD...

"Her cities now lie in ruins; she is a dry wilderness where no one lives or even passes by." (626-586 BC)
Tyre: Ezekiel 26 NLTOn February 3, during the twelfth year of King Jehoiachins captivity, this message came to me from the LORD:

"Son of man, Tyre has rejoiced over the fall of Jerusalem, saying, Ha! She who controlled the rich trade routes to the east has been broken, and I am the heir! Because she has been destroyed, I will become wealthy!

"Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am your enemy, O Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the waves of the sea crashing against your shoreline. They will destroy the walls of Tyre and tear down its towers. I will scrape away its soil and make it a bare rock! The island of Tyre will become uninhabited. It will be a place for fishermen to spread their nets, for I have spoken, says the Sovereign LORD.

Tyre will become the prey of many nations, and its mainland villages will be destroyed by the sword. Then they will know that I am the LORD...

"For the Sovereign LORD says: I will make Tyre an uninhabited ruin. You will sink beneath the terrible waves of enemy attack. Great seas will swallow you. I will send you to the pit to lie there with those who descended there long ago. Your city will lie in ruins, buried beneath the earth, like those in the pit who have entered the world of the dead. Never again will you be given a position of respect here in the land of the living. I will bring you to a terrible end, and you will be no more. You will be looked for, but you will never be found.

I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!" (592-570 BC)
Nineveh: Nahum 1:7-14 NLTThe LORD is good. When trouble comes, he is a strong refuge. And he knows everyone who trusts in him. But he sweeps away his enemies in an overwhelming flood. He pursues his foes into the darkness of night.

Why are you scheming against the LORD? He will destroy you with one blow; he won't need to strike twice! His enemies, tangled up like thorns, staggering like drunks, will be burned like dry straw in a field.

Who is this king of yours who dares to plot evil against the LORD?

This is what the LORD says: "Even though the Assyrians have many allies, they will be destroyed and disappear. O my people, I have already punished you once, and I will not do it again. Now I will break your chains and release you from Assyrian oppression."

And this is what the LORD says concerning the Assyrians in Nineveh: "You will have no more children to carry on your name. I will destroy all the idols in the temples of your gods. I am preparing a grave for you because you are despicable and don't deserve to live!", Nahum 2:1-6 NLTNineveh, you are already surrounded by enemy armies! Sound the alarm! Man the ramparts! Muster your defenses, and keep a sharp watch for the enemy attack to begin!

For the land of Israel lies empty and broken after your attacks, but the LORD will restore its honor and power again.

Shields flash red in the sunlight! The attack begins! See their scarlet uniforms! Watch as their glittering chariots move into position, with a forest of spears waving above them. The chariots race recklessly along the streets and through the squares, swift as lightning, flickering like torches.

The king shouts to his officers; they stumble in their haste, rushing to the walls to set up their defenses. But too late! The river gates are open! The enemy has entered! The palace is about to collapse!, Nahum 3:11-19 NLTAnd you, Nineveh, will also stagger like a drunkard. You will hide for fear of the attacking enemy. All your fortresses will fall. They will be devoured like the ripe figs that fall into the mouths of those who shake the trees. Your troops will be as weak and helpless as women. The gates of your land will be opened wide to the enemy and set on fire and burned.

Get ready for the siege! Store up water! Strengthen the defenses! Make bricks to repair the walls! Go into the pits to trample clay, and pack it into molds! But in the middle of your preparations, the fire will devour you; the sword will cut you down. The enemy will consume you like locusts, devouring everything they see. There will be no escape, even if you multiply like grasshoppers. Merchants, as numerous as the stars, have filled your city with vast wealth. But like a swarm of locusts, they strip the land and then fly away. Your princes and officials are also like locusts, crowding together in the hedges to survive the cold. But like locusts that fly away when the sun comes up to warm the earth, all of them will fly away and disappear.

O Assyrian king, your princes lie dead in the dust. Your people are scattered across the mountains. There is no longer a shepherd to gather them together. There is no healing for your wound; your injury is fatal. All who hear of your destruction will clap their hands for joy. Where can anyone be found who has not suffered from your cruelty? (661-612 BC)
Memphis: Ezekiel 30:13 NLTThis is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will smash the idols of Egypt and the images at Memphis. There will be no rulers left in Egypt; anarchy will prevail throughout the land! (592-570 BC)
Sidon: Ezekiel 28: 20-24 NLTThen another message came to me from the LORD: "Son of man, look toward the city of Sidon and prophesy against it. Give the people of Sidon this message from the Sovereign LORD:

I am your enemy, O Sidon, and I will reveal my glory by what happens to you. When I bring judgment against you and reveal my holiness among you, everyone watching will know that I am the LORD.

I will send a plague against you, and blood will be spilled in your streets. The attack will come from every direction, and your people will lie slaughtered within your walls. Then everyone will know that I am the LORD.

No longer will Israel's scornful neighbors prick and tear at her like thorns and briers. For then they will know that I am the Sovereign LORD. (592-570 BC)

It is not my intention to describe each of these prophesies and their fulfilment in detail here. There are many good books that already do this. ‘Evidence that demands a verdict’ by Josh McDowell is a good example.

There are also many detailed prophecies that describe what would happen to the Messiah. Isaiah 52:13-15 NIVSee, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.

Just as there were many who were appalled at him - his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness - so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand., Isaiah 53:1-12 NLTWho has believed our message? To whom will the LORD reveal his saving power? My servant grew up in the LORD's presence like a tender green shoot, sprouting from a root in dry and sterile ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected - a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we did not care.

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God for his own sins! But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed! All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the guilt and sins of us all.

He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. From prison and trial they led him away to his death. But who among the people realized that he was dying for their sins - that he was suffering their punishment? He had done no wrong, and he never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man's grave.

But it was the LORD's good plan to crush him and fill him with grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have a multitude of children, many heirs. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD's plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of what he has experienced, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. I will give him the honors of one who is mighty and great, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among those who were sinners. He bore the sins of many and interceded for sinners.. Others describe the fate of Israel and Judah should they reject their true God to follow false gods. Leviticus 26:14-39 CEVIf you disobey me and my laws, and if you break our agreement, I will punish you terribly, and you will be ruined. You will be struck with incurable diseases and with fever that leads to blindness and depression. Your enemies will eat the crops you plant, and I will turn from you and let you be destroyed by your attackers. You will even run at the very rumor of attack.

Then, if you still refuse to obey me, I will punish you seven times for each of your sins, until your pride is completely crushed. I will hold back the rain, so the sky above you will be like iron, and the ground beneath your feet will be like copper. All of your hard work will be for nothing - and there will be no harvest of grain or fruit.

If you keep rebelling against me, I'll punish you seven times worse, just as your sins deserve! I'll send wild animals to attack you, and they will gobble down your children and livestock. So few of you will be left that your roads will be deserted.

If you remain my enemies after this, I'll remain your enemy and punish you even worse. War will break out because you broke our agreement, and if you escape to your walled cities, I'll punish you with horrible diseases, and you will be captured by your enemies. You will have such a shortage of bread, that ten women will be able to bake their bread in the same oven. Each of you will get only a few crumbs, and you will go hungry.

Then if you don't stop rebelling, I'll really get furious and punish you terribly for your sins! In fact, you will be so desperate for food that you will eat your own children. I'll destroy your shrines and tear down your incense altars, leaving your dead bodies piled on top of your idols. And you will be disgusting to me. I'll wipe out your towns and your places of worship and will no longer be pleased with the smell of your sacrifices. Your land will become so desolate that even your enemies who settle there will be shocked when they see it.

After I destroy your towns and ruin your land with war, I'll scatter you among the nations. While you are prisoners in foreign lands, your own land will enjoy years of rest and refreshment, as it should have done each seventh year when you lived there. In the land of your enemies, you will tremble at the rustle of a leaf, as though it were a sword. And you will become so weak that you will stumble and fall over each other, even when no one is chasing you. Many of you will die in foreign lands, and others of you will waste away in sorrow as the result of your sins and the sins of your ancestors..

One of the most detailed prophecies, set out by four different prophets who lived more than 300 years apart, concern the destruction and rebuilding of Jerusalem:

Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest. Micah 3:12 (730 BC).

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the city shall be built to the LORD from the tower of Hananeel unto the gate of the corner. And the measuring line shall yet go forth over against it upon the hill Gareb, and shall compass about to Goath. And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east, shall be holy unto the Lord; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever. Jeremiah 31:38-40 (606 BC).

Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. Ezekiel 44:2 (c. 500 BC).

All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate, unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses. Zechariah 14:10 (c. 400 BC).

The re-contouring of Jerusalem began soon after and was followed by its complete destruction in 70 AD. Today, after 1,900 years, Jerusalem is being repopulated exactly as foretold. This is described in some detail by Arthur Custance in one of his ‘Doorway Papers’ titled ‘Some Striking Fulfilments of Prophecy.’ This can be viewed online at www.custance.org/Library/Volume7/Part_III/Introduction.html

There is no way that any human person, however knowledgeable, could know in such detail what would happen so far into the future. The God who inspired the Holy Bible to be written also determines what the future will be. He is the true author of all prophesy, and backs up everything that he says by making those events come to pass. 2 Peter 1:20-21 NLTAbove all, you must understand that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophets themselves or because they wanted to prophesy. It was the Holy Spirit who moved the prophets to speak from God., Isaiah 46:9-10 NLTAnd do not forget the things I have done throughout history. For I am God - I alone! I am God, and there is no one else like me.

Only I can tell you what is going to happen even before it happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish..

These prophesies were recorded for our benefit today. Many were not completely fulfilled until hundreds of years after Yeshua. Some are still being fulfilled.

All of the books contained in the Bible were inspired by the same God who inspired these prophesies. They are not books for us to read and make up our own minds about what they mean. They mean what they say and are backed up by their author. Our choice is only whether or not we will listen to what God is saying and to decide what we will do after receiving that knowledge.