Sometimes somebody will come to me, with intentions to convert me back to christianity. This is a list of "fulfillments" given by various people, an almost identical list from at least 4 different people, with my own responses added below. I kind of threw this page together, so if anybody sees any mistakes i made or information that was omitted, or any other relevant points that could be added, or you just don't like something, write to me at "doctorfrog at mad dot scientist dot com". I will update this page soon, and i do read emails, which will be considered valid until proven false. Emails with attachments will be erased without being read. I am interested more in truth than propaganda, so anybody who can convince me otherwise will do so.

"Jesus said to them, 'This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.'" Luke 24:44 (NIV)

These are only some of the Old Testament verses of messianic prophecy; the New Testament verses proclaim the fulfillment. Check them all out for yourself!

Click on a link to jump to the response

Born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:21-23)
A descendant of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; 22:18; Matthew 1:1; Galatians 3:16)
Of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10; Luke 3:23, 33; Hebrews 7:14)
Of the house of David (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Matthew 1:1)
Born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4-7)
Taken to Egypt (Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:14-15)
Herod's killing of the infants (Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:16-18)
Anointed by the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2; Matthew 3:16-17)
Heralded by the messenger of the Lord (John the Baptist) (Isaiah 40:3; al. 3:1; Matthew 3:1-3)
Would perform miracles (Isaiah 35:5-6; Matthew 9:35)
Would preach good news (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:14-21)
Would minister in Galilee (Isaiah 9:1; Matthew 4:12-16)
Would cleanse the Temple (Malachi 3:1; Matthew 21:12-13)
Would first present Himself as King 173,880 days from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (Daniel 9:25; Matthew 21:4-11)
Would enter Jerusalem as a king on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:4-9)
Would be rejected by Jews (Psalm 118:22; I Peter 2:7)
Die a humiliating death (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53)
involving:
- rejection (Isaiah 53:3; John 1:10-11; 7:5,48)
- betrayal by a friend (Psalm 41:9; Luke 22:3-4; John 13:18)
- sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12; Matthew 26:14-15)
- silence before His accusers (Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 27:12-14)
- being mocked (Psalm 22: 7-8; Matthew 27:31)
- beaten (Isaiah 52:14; Matthew 27:26)
- spit upon (Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 27:30)
- piercing His hands and feet (Psalm 22:16; Matthew 27:31)
- being crucified with thieves (Isaiah 53:12; Matthew 27:38)
- praying for His persecutors (Isaiah 53:12; Luke 23:34)
- piercing His side (Zechariah 12:10; John 19:34)
- given gall and vinegar to drink (Psalm 69:21, Matthew 27:34, Luke 23:36)
- no broken bones (Psalm 34:20; John 19:32-36)
- buried in a rich man's tomb (Isaiah 53:9; Matthew 27:57-60)
- casting lots for His garments (Psalm 22:18; John 19:23-24)
Would rise from the dead!! (Psalm 16:10; Mark 16:6; Acts 2:31)
Ascend into Heaven (Psalm 68:18; Acts 1:9)
Would sit down at the right hand of God (Psalm 110:1; Hebrews 1:3)

My Replies:
(mostly from other sources, but they all check out with the text)


Born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:21-23)
1) The original language (hebrew) does not say virgin.
2> It is a prophecy concerning the time of king Ahaz; it is neither messianic, nor is it referring to a time 700 years in the future (the time of jesus). therefore, whether it says virgin or not is irrelevant.
Go
here for more details. (I wanted to keep this page "relatively" uncluttered, so I moved sections of long answers to another page.)

A descendant of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; 22:18; Matthew 1:1; Galatians 3:16)
So are millions of other Jews, Arabs, and many other various peoples. Abraham is the father of nations, and has literally over a billion descendants, perhaps even over 2 billion.
If jesus was born from a father, he did not fulfill this requirement, nor did he fulfill the following two, or anything else requiring a lineage. Why? because kingly lineage and tribal affiliation go through the male line.
More details here.

Of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10; Luke 3:23, 33; Hebrews 7:14)
Judah was the largest tribe in israel, and most practicing jews alive today and in those days are of the tribe of Judah.

Of the house of David (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Matthew 1:1)
1000 years of descendants with all the wives he and Solomon had, it is hardly a small number.

Born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4-7)
One question that arises in making Jesus born in Bethlehem, was that Joseph dragged a very pregnant Mary about to give birth for about 50 miles so that that Jesus could be born in Bethlehem. One major flaw in that story is that women were not counted in the census, and there was no need for Mary to tag along.
Furthermore, Micah speaks of Bethlehem in that the messiah would be able to trace his lineage back to King David, something which a man born of a virgin cannot do, due to the lack of a father. Go
here for the rest of this.

Taken to Egypt (Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:14-15)
Notice that Luke, John, and Mark don't have him taken to Egypt; neither is there any mention of it in the rest of the NT. Matthew's theme was that Jesus was the new Moses. If you follow Matthew closely, you will read the recapitulation of the Exodus because of this theme.

Herod's killing of the infants (Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:16-18)
Also not in Luke for the same reason as the above. By the way, no one else reports the occurrence of this extermination of children by Herod. Verily, it was a tough neighborhood, but you would think that Josephus or Philo would have written about such an event.

Anointed by the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2; Matthew 3:16-17)
"Messiah" (Mashiach) means "anointed," so the Messiah will be "messiah". As for Isa 11:2 (assumed to be quoted by Matt 3:16, in the Hebrew it says And the spirit of Hashem shall rest upon him. The verse describes the qualities of the one picked by G-d to do the job.

Heralded by the messenger of the Lord (John the Baptist) (Isaiah 40:3; al. 3:1; Matthew 3:1-3)
Isaiah 40:3 Hark! one calleth: 'Clear ye in the wilderness the way of HaShem, make plain in the desert a highway for our G-d' "Hark" in Hebrew literally means "a voice." A heavenly voice is heard calling for a highway to be prepared for HaShem, Who is leading the exiles back. The language signifies the removal of all obstacles to their return, part of the hopeful message of Isaiah. More about
John the baptist

Would perform miracles (Isaiah 35:5-6; Matthew 9:35)
35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped 35:6 Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing; for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert
In the perfect time Isaiah is describing, the defects of the people and the land will be removed by HaShem. A physically fit and healthy people will enjoy their land. Besides, jews are taught by the Torah not to rely on miracles as a sign; even in Pharoah's court, the miracles of Moses and Aaron were only there for Egypt to see, Israel had a different way of knowing.

Would preach good news (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:14-21)
The spirit of the L-rd G-d is upon me; because HaShem hath anointed me to bring good tidings unto the humble; He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the eyes to them that are bound
Isaiah is announcing his mission. If the messiah has come, why do people still remain in bound in slavery and captivity to this day?

Would minister in Galilee (Isaiah 9:1; Matthew 4:12-16)
Isaiah 9:1 is 8:23 in Hebrew version. For is there no gloom to her that was stedfast? Now the former hath lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but the latter hath dealt a more grievous blow by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, in the district of the nations.
A forgiveable mistake by the translators; The Hebrew galil means "district", not "the Galilee". The area being described by Isaiah, Naphtali and Zebulon is the most northern part of the Galilee. This district is being singled out because it was the first conquered as the Assyrians swept down from the north, and they were the districts under foreign rule the longest.

Would cleanse the Temple (Malachi 3:1; Matthew 21:12-13)
Behold, I send My messenger, and he shall clear the way before Me; and the L-rd, whom ye seek, will suddenly come to His temple, and the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in, behold, he cometh, saith HaShem of hosts
This speaks of cleansing the way to the temple. As for the cleansing by jesus, the moneychangers had a good reason to be there; it is customary in the jewish religion to donate to charities while praying; but roman, greek, and other various currencies were not allowed to enter the temple because they bore images relating to idolatry. Therefore, before entering the temple, they would exchange their secular coins for holy shekels. (Roman money had images of idols, which were forbidden from entering the temple)

Would first present Himself as King 173,880 days from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (Daniel 9:25; Matthew 21:4-11)
coming soon This is referring to king Cyrus, who rebuilt the second Temple; Jesus supposedly existed around the time the temple was destroyed, and was it not rebuilt in his time, nor for 1930 years afterward.

Would enter Jerusalem as a king on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:4-9)
Zechariah, in describing the agriculturally employed donkey upon which the messiah will arrive, is emphasizing the peaceful nature of his entry, the donkey, instead of a horse which is an instrument of war. It is an either-or prophecy; if Israel merits it, the messianic age could come swiftly, on the wings of an eagle. (jeremiah 49:22) but if Israel continues in her sins, then slowly, he will come like a donkey. Zechariah uses the repetition that in Hebrew grammar is used for emphasis but that the Greek translator mistook for a donkey and a foal of a donkey.
More about the donkey.

Would be rejected by Jews (Psalm 118:22; I Peter 2:7)
118:22 The stone which the builders rejected is become the chief corner-stone.
It is a keystone in either the foundation or the one that completes the building. Isaiah is saying that Israel, despised by her neighbors, has been appointed by HaShem to have an essential function in the construction of HaShem's kingdom on earth.

Die a humiliating death (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53) involving: rejection (Isaiah 53:3; John 1:10-11; 7:5,48)
The servant who was "despised and forsaken of men," was the nation Israel in exile.

betrayal by a friend (Psalm 41:9; Luke 22:3-4; John 13:18)
In Psalms 41:5-10 the sufferer of sickness speaks about the added mental anguish over the machinations of his enemies, and, in particular, one man whom he considered a friend who proved to be a traitor. There actually was such an incident in David's life when his faithless friend, Ahitophel told David's son Absalom to "go into his father's concubines"

sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12; Matthew 26:14-15)
The silver and the potter's field/cast to the potter, can be seen as being lifted out of Zechariah. For Judas hanging himself we can go back to that same Ahitophel in 2 Samuel. For the other story of Judas' death in Acts, in which he fell and his bowels fell out, we can turn to the story of Joab and Amasa in 2 Samuel 20:1-10. That story also had Joab kiss his friend Amasa before he ran him through with his sword, reminiscent of Jesus and Judas. The whole Judas story makes it evident that the gospel narratives could've been written with the Greek OT open in front of the NT writers. By the way, notice that Matthew mistakenly credits Jeremiah with the prophecy and not Zechariah. This is the same Matthew who was a little sloppy with
the two donkeys.

silence before His accusers (Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 27:12-14)
spit upon (Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 27:30) The verses quoted are referring to the prophet himself or the nation Israel.

being mocked (Psalm 22: 7-8; Matthew 27:31)

beaten (Isaiah 52:14; Matthew 27:26)

spit upon (Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 27:30)

piercing His hands and feet (Psalm 22:16; Matthew 27:31)
Nowhere in the Psalm does it say "piercing." The Hebrew is k'ari "like a lion." It looks like a purposeful mistranslation, a word that is correctly translated as "lion" elsewhere, but not here.

being crucified with thieves (Isaiah 53:12; Matthew 27:38)
53:12 does not say "crucified with thieves." You must be referring to "And he was numbered with the transgressors." In that verse, Isaiah is talking about HaShem rewarding the suffering servant, the righteous remnant of Israel, for his suffering for being numbered so erroneously. As for the "two theives" in the new testament, the Greek text uses the word for "rebels", not theives.

praying for His persecutors (Isaiah 53:12; Luke 23:34)

piercing His side (Zechariah 12:10; John 19:34)
because they have thrust him through. "They" are the nations. Those slain in the defense of Israel were thrust through by the invaders. Of course that Jewish explanation of Jewish scripture says nothing of the details of the death on the cross, which were tailored retroactively to these verses as the NT writers scoured Jewish sacred history for connections to the crucifixion and every other aspect of Jesus' life and statements. In fact, the following few examples often offered, vinegar to drink, no broken bones, casting lots for his garments could be answered the same way. Are these examples of fulfillment of prophecies, or are the accounts of the NT tailored to those verses?

given gall and vinegar to drink (Psalm 69:21, Matthew 27:34, Luke 23:36)

no broken bones (Psalm 34:20; John 19:32-36)
34:20 Many are the ills of the righteous, but HaShem delivereth him out of them all 21 He keepeth all his bones; not one of them is broken 22 Evil shall kill the wicked; and they that hate the righteous shall be held guilty 23 HaShem redeemeth the soul of His servants; and none of them that take refuge in Him shall be desolate
Judaism does not promise immunity from harm to the righteous. In fact, just because one adheres to doing good, they may be in greater danger of becoming victims. This Psalmist is offering a hymn of praise about HaShem for His deliverance of his servants. The quote is part of that praise. The wounds that fall on His righteous servant may be serious and painful, but they do not disable him permanently. With HaShem’s help, the righteous servant of HaShem recovers quickly.

buried in a rich man's tomb (Isaiah 53:9; Matthew 27:57-60)
Maybe that’s the source of the gospel story. You call it fulfillment of an isolated verse and we call it matching an isolated verse. And they made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich his tomb; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
"Grave" represents the exile and "the rich" may have referred to the wealthy exiled Jews who had abandoned Judaism. Because of their suffering, the righteous remnant were classified as sinners by the nations. Surely they would share the fate of the sinners and find their graves in exile. Isaiah’s message was that the remnant would survive.

casting lots for His garments (Psalm 22:18; John 19:23-24)
They part my garments among them,
Competing religions, such as Christianity and Islam, for example. They tear at the garments, e.g. Scriptures, of Judaism, shredding it like dogs.
and cast lots upon my vestures
They each claim to have the truth in anticipation of the downfall of David, i.e. the Jewish people, casting lots so to speak about who has the truth, who will wear the kingly vestures.

Would rise from the dead!! (Psalm 16:10; Mark 16:6; Acts 2:31)
16:9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth; my flesh also dwelleth in safety 16:10 For Thou wilt not abandon my soul to the nether-world; neither wilt Thou suffer Thy godly one to see the pit
These verses are among the rare references to immortality, the soul’s deathlessness, in Jewish Scripture.
But my flesh also dwelleth in safety raises an interesting point. But what does it have to do with Jesus’ supposed resurrection?

Ascend into Heaven (Psalm 68:18; Acts 1:9)
This Psalm is about the triumphant march of HaShem through the past history of Israel as the hope of His kingship over all the earth in the future. Verse 19, (christian bible's 18), is referring to God. I suppose for some it’s Jesus, but for Jews it’s God.

Would sit down at the right hand of God (Psalm 110:1; Hebrews 1:3)
A Psalm of David. HaShem saith unto my lord: 'Sit thou at My right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.'
God is saying to David to sit at his right hand, a mark of distinction. God is bestowing this honor on him at a critical time when surrounding nations were hostile towards him, nations that would become his "footstool" as one places one’s foot on the neck of a defeated general or king.
Is there a telescope that could prove Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God? There is no reason to think he is at the right side of anything other than that the new testament says so.

If you have the predictions already, it's easy to construct a story around them and then reinterpret them to relate to the predictions; Especially when writing for an audience who isn't familiar with the proper context.

What are the messianic prophecies, those which tell us how to identify the messiah?

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