Tag Bethlehem

Evidence for our Faith: Jesus, Right on Time

The Preacher 1 Comment

The birth of Jesus Christ stands as one of history’s most profound events, not merely because of who He is, but because of when He came. The Old Testament, written centuries before His arrival, contains precise prophecies about the timing of the Messiah’s appearance. These predictions, fulfilled in Jesus, provide compelling evidence that He is the promised Christ. As Paul declares in Galatians 4:4, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.” These prophecies build unbreakable confidence in the Gospel today and obeying the gospel of the Kingdom of Christ is the right path because Jesus arrived precisely as foretold.

One of the most astonishing prophecies is Daniel’s 70 weeks (Daniel 9:24-27). Given around 538 BC, this vision outlines “seventy weeks” (or “sevens”) determined for the Jewish people to finish transgression, to make an end of sins, and anoint the Most Holy. Scholars widely interpret these as weeks of years; totaling 490 years. The prophecy begins “from the going forth of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem” until “Messiah the Prince.”

The clearest timing prophecy appears in Daniel 9:24–27. Daniel wrote during the Babylonian exile, yet he predicted the coming of “Messiah the Prince” with astonishing precision. He spoke of “seventy weeks” (symbolic weeks of years) counting from the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. Daniel declares that after the sixty-nine weeks, “shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself” (Daniel 9:26). This sets a specific window when the Messiah would appear and give His life as a sacrifice. History confirms that from the Persian decrees to rebuild Jerusalem to the first century AD fits Daniel’s prophetic timeline exactly; placing the arrival of the Messiah squarely at the time of Jesus of Nazareth. No other figure in history appears within that window fulfilling the works of the Messiah. That timing alone anchors our faith: God promised, and God delivered. Modern statisticians estimate 1 in 10^17 for Daniel’s Messianic prophecies alone.

Another key timing indicator is Genesis 49:10: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes.” Jacob prophesied that Judah’s tribal authority would endure until the Messiah (“Shiloh,” meaning “He whose right it is”). Judah retained self-governance, including the right to execute capital punishment, until around AD 6-7, when Rome stripped the Sanhedrin of this power under Archelaus’ deposition. Jesus, from Judah’s line (Matthew 1:1-16; Luke 3:23-33), was crucified shortly after; precisely when the “scepter departed.” Had the Messiah come later, Judah would have lost its authority too soon.

The period between Malachi (c. 430 BC) and Jesus also aligns prophetically. After Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, a 400-year prophetic silence ensued; no major prophets arose in Israel. This “silence” heightened anticipation, as Malachi promised Elijah’s return before the great day of the Lord (Malachi 4:5-6). John the Baptist fulfilled this as the forerunner (Matthew 11:13-14; Luke 1:17), announcing Jesus. The silence ended exactly when the Messiah appeared.

These timings were no coincidence. The Roman Empire (also a predicted kingdom Dan 2:44) provided roads and peace (Pax Romana) for Gospel spread; Greek language unified communication; Jewish synagogues worldwide prepared diaspora hearts. Jesus came in the “fullness of time;” politically, culturally, and spiritually ripe.

Today, this evidence strengthens faith. If God orchestrated history with such precision (down to years and events) then Jesus is undeniably the Christ. He fulfilled not just timing prophecies, but many, many more: born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), from David’s line (2 Samuel 7:12-16). His life, death, and resurrection confirm the Old Testament’s promises.

Believer, take heart: Obeying the Gospel of the Kingdom of Christ is sound because history proves Jesus arrived at the predicted moment. The same God who timed the Messiah’s birth can be trusted for eternal life.

Agape

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Evidence for our Faith: O Little Town of Bethlehem

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Jesus Was Born in the Exact Town God Named 700 Years Earlier

Imagine you’re trying to prove to a friend that the Bible isn’t just a religious book, but something that actually predicts the future with crazy detail. One of the strongest pieces of evidence is the prophecy about where the Messiah would be born. It’s not vague like a horoscope; it’s specific, and it came true in a way nobody could have staged.

About 700 years before Jesus was born, a prophet named Micah stood up and said something wild: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2)

Notice three things that make this jaw-dropping:

It names a tiny, no-name village. Bethlehem wasn’t Jerusalem, the capital. It wasn’t even a big town. In Micah’s day there were thousands of villages in Judah; picking Bethlehem is like saying “the Savior of the world will be born in Mayberry or some random small town nobody’s heard of.” There were maybe a couple hundred people living there. The odds of guessing the exact birthplace centuries ahead are ridiculous.

It says this Ruler existed “from of old, from everlasting.” That phrase in Hebrew literally means “from ancient days” or “from eternity.” In plain English: this isn’t just some future king who starts existing when he’s born; He already existed forever. Christians look at that and immediately think of John 1:1; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Same eternal person.

The prophecy says the promised Ruler will come out of Bethlehem. Not raised there, not crowned there; BORN THERE. Fast-forward 700 years. Mary and Joseph are living up north in Nazareth. Mary is nine months pregnant. There is zero reason for them to travel 90 miles south to Bethlehem. NONE. Except Caesar Augustus decides he wants a census and everybody has to go back to their ancestral hometown. Joseph’s family line goes back to King David… who is also from Bethlehem. So, a Roman emperor unknowingly forces a very pregnant woman to travel to the exact village Micah named centuries earlier. (Luke 2:1-7). God’s Son would be born in the precise delivery room He announced 700 years before.

Why is this one prophecy so powerful for our faith?

First, nobody could fake it. Joseph and Mary weren’t powerful people who could bribe officials or choose their birthplace. They were poor, ordinary, and obeying an inconvenient government order. The timing and location were completely out of their control.

Second, the Jewish leaders in Jesus’ day knew this prophecy very well. That’s why when the wise men showed up in Jerusalem asking, “Where is He who’s born King of the Jews?” the priests answered, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet” and quoted Micah 5:2 (Matthew 2:5-6). Even the people who rejected Jesus admitted the Messiah had to come from there.

Third, it shows Jesus is the Messiah promised of old. Seven centuries before it happened, God put the street address on record. Then His Son came into the world in that exact little town.

When you stack up details like this (tiny village named, eternal origin stated, Roman census forcing the trip), it’s not lucky guessing. It’s evidence that Someone outside of time knew the future and told us ahead of time so we’d recognize His Son when He showed up.

Bethlehem isn’t just a cute Christmas-card detail. It’s God saying, “I told you exactly where I was sending My Son; watch Me deliver.” And He did. That’s why this one prophecy still shuts down skeptics and strengthens believers two thousand years later. God kept His 700-year-old appointment to the very town He promised.

This is just one reason why the Bible can be trusted. The its fulfillment of this prophecy is just one rock in the mountain of evidence for our faith.

Agape

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