Many today question the accuracy of the Bible, but consider a few facts and quotes about this amazing book.

Dozens of biblical prophecies have already been fulfilled, helping to confirm the validity of the Bible and of its prophecies for the future. Here are some fulfilled prophecies and resources that describe them in more detail:

• Soon after the kingdom of Israel split from Judah in 931 B.C., God began warning that Israel would be taken into captivity "beyond the River" Euphrates if they didn't end their idol worship (1 Kings 14:15For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the LORD to anger.
See All...). God's patient warnings continued for nearly 200 years through prophets such as Micah (approximately 735-710 B.C.), who foresaw the destruction of the capital, Samaria (Micah 1:6Therefore I will make Samaria as an heap of the field, and as plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof.
See All...).

These prophecies were fulfilled when Assyria took Israel captive in successive invasions culminating about 722 B.C. ( History Proves the Accuracy of Bible Prophecy ).

• The people of Judah were also warned of impending captivity for their sins. Jeremiah even foretold the length of their captivity. They would "serve the king of Babylon seventy years" (Jeremiah 25:11And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
See All...).

Even more amazingly, Isaiah recorded the name of the ruler—Cyrus, king of Persia—who would, many decades in the future, permit the Jews' return (Isaiah 44:28That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.
See All...; 45:1-4). These prophecies were fulfilled down to the last detail ( History Proves the Accuracy of Bible Prophecy ).

• Daniel 11 records the Bible's most detailed prophecy. Much of the prophecy has already been fulfilled, as can be verified by a study of the Persian and Greek empires. No man could foresee such fine historical detail ( The Bible and Prophecy ).

The Jewish New Testament lists 52 prophecies fulfilled in Jesus Christ's birth, life and death as stated in 81 Old Testament passages (pp. xxv-xxix). Some of these include:

• He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
See All...; Matthew 2:1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
See All...).

• The price of His betrayal would be 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.
See All...; Matthew 26:15And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
See All...).

• The 30 pieces of silver would buy a potter's field (Zechariah 11:13And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.
See All...; Matthew 27:3-10 [3] Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
[4] Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.
[5] And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
[6] And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.
[7] And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.
[8] Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.
[9] Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value;
[10] And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.

See All...).

• Wicked people would pierce His hands and feet (Psalm 22:16For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
See All...; Luke 23:33And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
See All...; 24:38-40). David wrote this some 800 years before the Romans adopted crucifixion as a form of punishment for criminals.

(See Jesus Christ's Life and Death in Prophecy and Jesus' Amazing Fulfillment of Prophecy for more details.)

• The prophecies that descendants of Abraham through Isaac, Jacob and Joseph would become a great nation and a great company of nations (Genesis 35:11And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;
See All...) have been fulfilled, though most do not realize it. The biblical and historical details are presented in our well-researched, full-color booklet The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy .

• The prophecy that humanity would be able to annihilate itself (Matthew 24:21For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
See All...) was not possible with bows and arrows or even automatic weapons, but began to be possible when nuclear weapons were developed in 1945. Thankfully the other part of that prophecy—the promise that the time of tribulation will be cut short and humanity will be saved by Christ's return—will also come true! VT

Who was Joan of Arc? One out of ten U.S. citizens thinks she was Noah's wife. (You know, the Flood guy with the floating ark and all the animals. Joan lived only about 4,000 years later in France and was burned at the stake before she turned 20.)

What about Sodom and Gomorrah? Fifty percent of U.S. high school seniors think "they" were married. (They were actually evil cities God wiped out.)

Surveys show most Americans, even religious Americans, don't know much about the Bible. Results like these sparked the cover of the April 2, 2007, issue of Time magazine: "Why We Should Teach the Bible in Public School (but Very, Very Carefully)."

But even if Bible facts and literary allusions were added back into the curriculum of modern public education, would it really address the deeper issues? Unlikely. The accuracy of the Bible has been under attack for decades, and few today would think of looking to this ancient book for advice.

To Help You Get the Most Help Out of the Bible...

The Bible is a big book written long ago, and it can be challenging to explore and understand. Our free resources can help you find the answers you are looking for. Here are a few of the things you can find in the literature library at www.ucg.org .

Booklets: How to Understand the Bible , You Can Understand Bible Prophecy , Is the Bible True?

"The Bible and Archaeology" series (these 24 articles are not in print, but can be downloaded as PDFs ).

Bible Study Course (the first lesson is "Why the Bible Is the Word of God").

"Has the Bible Been Preserved Accurately?" article reprint.

Teen Bible Study Discussion Guide: "The Authority of the Bible" .

The Good News Bible Reading Program .

If you have other biblical questions, you are welcome to send them in to be answered by ministers who help in our Personal Correspondence area (info@verticalthought.org ).