History in Advance

TEXT:

‍Prophecy — Fulfillment

Isaiah 9:6-7 — Matthew 1:16

Isaiah 7:14 — Matthew 1:18-25

Micah 5:2 — Matthew 2:1

Prophecy Yet to be Fulfilled

Acts 1:10-11

1 Corinthians 15:51-52

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Throughout the 4000 years of history before the coming of Christ, we can see how God masterminded His plan of salvation which would be fulfilled in Christ. In the Old Testament we find many authors of different ages and places supplying the bits, pieces, types, shadows, and detailed predictions which describe Christ’s purpose in coming to this earth, His manner of life, the reason for His death, and His triumph over death through the Resurrection.

The same prophets who gave us advance details of Christ’s first coming speak expressly of a coming day when righteousness will triumph over evil. As surely as the details predicted were fulfilled in Christ’s first coming, just so surely shall this earth experience the Rapture of the saints, and then the coming of Christ with His saints for 1000 years of peace, good will toward men!

QUESTIONS

1. What is prophecy? (Consult Webster or a Bible dictionary.)
2. What is the mark of a true prophet? See Jeremiah 28:9.
3. Who received this promise, “. . . and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed”? See Genesis 12:3. Explain in your own words what this promise might mean.
4. Isaiah wrote over 700 years before Christ was born. Compare Isaiah 7:14 with Matthew 1:18-25 and comment on how we benefit by studying prophecy and its fulfillment. See also 2 Peter 1:21.
5. Why is the virgin birth of Christ important? See Luke 1:26-27, 35.
6. Who is the prophet referred to in Matthew 2:5-6? And how do we know that the Jewish scribes of King Herod’s time knew about this prophecy and understood it?
7. Memorize the five beautifully descriptive terms used in Isaiah 9:6 to denote Christ’s names. Place the name which you think best applies opposite the New Testament Scriptures given below:
   Matthew 21:15; Acts 2:11;
   Matthew 28:20;
   John 14:27;
   John 3:1-2;
   John 10:29-30.
8. Describe in your own words the future event pictured in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
9. Summarize the event prophesied by the angels in Acts 1:11 which has not yet happened. See Zechariah 13:1-2,6,9; 14:3-11 and Revelation 20:4. How are we certain that this event will take place?
10. In Matthew 24, Jesus gave us signs which were to immediately precede His return to earth. These included the appearance of false Christs, wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, persecution of Chris- tians, apostasy of previous believers, worldwide preaching of the Gospel, and the re-emergence of Israel as a nation. Seeing these signs around us, we cannot help but conclude that we are living in the time of the soon coming of our Lord. Among the living, who will be caught up to join the Lord in the air when the Trumpet of the Lord sounds for the Rapture of the saints? See John 8:31; 1 John 1:7 and Revelation 2:3.