The Abrahamic religion
Sarah, desperate to have a child, offered her servant Hagar to her husband Abraham. Hagar became pregnant and begot a son named Ishmael. Sarah became pregnant in her turn and had a son named Isaac.
God establishes his covenant with Isaac that Sarah bore to him. Sarah asked Abraham to drive out Hagar and Ishmael. So, God said to Abraham:
God establishes his covenant with Isaac that Sarah bore to him. Sarah asked Abraham to drive out Hagar and Ishmael. So, God said to Abraham:
And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.
Genesis 17: 20-21
Ishmael gave birth to a great nation, that of the Arab nation. But the covenant was made with Isaac from which Shiloh (Genesis 49:10) or the Messiah was to come from. When Abraham died, his two sons buried him (Genesis 19:19). There is no Messiah, no savior and no prophet of Ishmael. The Savior comes from Isaac. It was known to all that Abraham wanted a son from Sara. So when Ishmael was cast out with Hagar, the only son from the offspring leading to the Messiah is Isaac. He then became the only son of Abraham according to the promise once made by God.
Although Ishmael was blessed by God and the Bible sometimes mentions his name, the Word of God focuses on the descendants of Isaac and the coming of the Messiah. Thus, the prophets began to reveal information leading to the recognition of the promised Messiah.
The prophecies announcing the coming of the Messiah in relation to the life of Jesus
I'm talking about prophecies that we read textually in the Bible. I give you approximately the number of years before the birth of the SAVIOR and the probability of their fulfillment. There are seventeen (17), all fulfilled in the holy person of Jesus Christ.
TABLE 1 – Prophecies, announcing the coming of a MESSIAH
Prophecies Place and time Probability 1 The birth of Jesus at Bethlehem in the tribe of Juda
Micah 3 :1 (600 years BC), Genesis 49 :10, (1400 years BC)
1 chance on 2400
2 Jesus will be preceded by a messenger
Isaiah 40 :3 (900 years BC)
1 chance on 20 3 Jesus will enter in Jerusalem on a donkey
Zachariah 9 :9 (600 years BC)
1 chance on 50 4 He shall be betrayed by a disciple
Psalm 41 :10 (1000 years BC)
1 chance on 10 5 His hands and his feet would be pierced
Psalm 22 :17 (1000 years BC)
1 chance on 100 6 He would be hurt by his enemies Isaiah 53 :5 (900 years
BC)
1 chance on 10 7 The price of betrayal for 30 pieces of silver
Zachariah 9 :9 (600 years BC)
1 chance on 50 8 They shall spit on him and beat him
Isaiah 50 :6 (900 years BC)
1 chance on 10 9 The price of betrayal would be thrown into the temple, and then given to buy the potter's field
Zechariah 11: 13 (600 years BC)
1 chance on 200
10 Jesus remained silent before his accusers
Isaiah 53: 7 (900 years BC)
1 chance on 100 11 He would be crucified along with thieves
Isaiah 53: 12 (900 years BC)
1 chance on 100 12 People would draw lots for his clothing
Psalm 22: 19 (1000 years BC)
1 chance on 100 13 His side was pierced Zechariah 12: 10 (600 years BC)
1 chance on 100 14 None of his bones was broken Psalm 34:21 would (1000 years BC)
1 chance on 20 15 His body would not see corruption
Psalm 16:10 (1000 years BC)
1 chance on 10000 16 His burial in the tomb of a rich man
Isaiah 53: 9 (900 years BC)
1 chance on 100 17 The darkness covering the earth on the day of Atonement
Amos 8: 9 (800 years BC)
1 chance on 1000
The probability that all these prophecies be accomplished in the life of the
Savior in accordance with the Word was 1 chance on :
48 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000, i.e. one chance on 480 billion X
1 billion X 1 trillion. From every indication, such work is supernatural and can
only be possible with God just as the creation of the world.
As proof, I will quote Isaiah 53 and Psalms 22. All this was written in advance - that the death of Christ would be the price claimed by God to reconcile men to Himself.
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the L ORD revealed?
For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have t urned every one to his own way; and the L ORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: h e is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it pleased the L ORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the L ORD shall prosper in his hand.
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Isaiah 53:1-11 (600 BC)
And