Prophecy, fulfilment of OT

The principle that all prophecy achieves its purpose

Isaiah 55:10–11 NKJV

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

See also Dt 18:22

Fulfilment of prophecy concerning individuals in the OT

1 Kings 20:35–36 NKJV

Now a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbor by the word of the Lord, “Strike me, please.” And the man refused to strike him. Then he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, surely, as soon as you depart from me, a lion shall kill you.” And as soon as he left him, a lion found him and killed him.

See also 1 Ki 8:15–21; 1 Ki 8:23–24; 1 Ki 13:21–22; 1 Ki 13:24–26; 1 Ki 14:12–13; 1 Ki 14:17–18; 2 Ki 1:6; 2 Ki 1:17; 2 Ki 7:1–2; 2 Ki 7:16–18; 2 Ki 22:15–20; 2 Ki 23:30

Fulfilment of prophecy concerning the nation of Israel

1 Kings 12:15 NKJV

So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from the Lord, that He might fulfill His word, which the Lord had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

See also 1 Ki 11:29–39

Fulfilment of prophecy concerning the royal house

1 Kings 15:29 NKJV

And it was so, when he became king, that he killed all the house of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam anyone that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite,

See also 1 Ki 14:7–11; 1 Ki 16:1–7; 1 Ki 16:12; 1 Ki 21:20–29; 2 Ki 9:30–10:11; 2 Ki 10:30; 2 Ki 15:12

Fulfilment of prophecy concerning battles

1 Kings 20:13–21 NKJV

Suddenly a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand today, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’ ” So Ahab said, “By whom?” And he said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘By the young leaders of the provinces.’ ” Then he said, “Who will set the battle in order?” And he answered, “You.” Then he mustered the young leaders of the provinces, and there were two hundred and thirty-two; and after them he mustered all the people, all the children of Israel—seven thousand. So they went out at noon. Meanwhile Ben-Hadad and the thirty-two kings helping him were getting drunk at the command post. The young leaders of the provinces went out first. And Ben-Hadad sent out a patrol, and they told him, saying, “Men are coming out of Samaria!” So he said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; and if they have come out for war, take them alive.” Then these young leaders of the provinces went out of the city with the army which followed them. And each one killed his man; so the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them; and Ben-Hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with the cavalry. Then the king of Israel went out and attacked the horses and chariots, and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter.

See also 1 Ki 22:17; 1 Ki 22:35–38; 2 Ki 19:20–37

Fulfilment of prophecy concerning the Babylonian exile

The rise of the Babylonians

Habakkuk 1:6–11 NKJV

For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, A bitter and hasty nation Which marches through the breadth of the earth, To possess dwelling places that are not theirs. They are terrible and dreadful; Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves. Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And more fierce than evening wolves. Their chargers charge ahead; Their cavalry comes from afar; They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat. “They all come for violence; Their faces are set like the east wind. They gather captives like sand. They scoff at kings, And princes are scorned by them. They deride every stronghold, For they heap up earthen mounds and seize it. Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god.”

See also 2 Ch 36:17

The fall of Jerusalem and exile of the population

2 Kings 20:17–18 NKJV

‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,’ says the Lord. ‘And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’ ”

See also 2 Ki 21:10–15; 2 Ki 24:2; 2 Ki 24:10–16

The fate of King Zedekiah

Jeremiah 21:3–7 NKJV

Then Jeremiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you fight against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the walls; and I will assemble them in the midst of this city. I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger and fury and great wrath. I will strike the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they shall die of a great pestilence. And afterward,” says the Lord, “I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, his servants and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence and the sword and the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life; and he shall strike them with the edge of the sword. He shall not spare them, or have pity or mercy.” ’

See also Je 32:3–5; Eze 12:12–14; 2 Ki 25:1–7; Je 39:1–7

The length of captivity

Jeremiah 29:10 NKJV

For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place.

See also 2 Ch 36:21; Da 9:2

Fulfilment of prophecy concerning Jesus Christ

Luke 24:44 NKJV

Then He said to them, “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.”

See also Lk 18:31; Ac 3:18

Fulfilment of other prophecy

Acts 2:14–21 NKJV

But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’

See also Joe 2:28–32; Jos 6:26; 1 Ki 16:34; 1 Ki 13:1–3; 2 Ki 23:16–18; 1 Ki 17:14; 1 Ki 17:16; Mt 2:17–18; Je 31:15; Mt 3:1–3; Is 40:3

Prophecies modified before fulfilment

1 Ki 21:20–26; Is 38:1; Is 38:4–5