1,500 Years Before Christ: Redemptive Plan Set In Motion
Jesus’ birth was the fulfillment of prophecies from the most ancient of days, well before the account was formally recorded. Moses is believed to have written Genesis after the exodus from Egypt roughly 1,500 years before the birth of Christ.
From the beginning, God’s redemptive plan was set in motion to undue the damage done by Adam. Through Adam, sin entered the world because of his disobedience, eating from the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. His wife Eve was first deceived by Satan the serpent and then Eve gave fruit to Adam and he ate it. Adam knew better, God warned them both, but he listened to his wife instead. God then said to Satan:
Prophecy
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
Genesis 3:15, ESV
Fulfillment
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Romans 16:20, ESV
This statement by God describes the trouble that will come to the earth from that time forward. The offspring of Satan are his demons and all wicked people. The offspring of the woman is speaking of Christ who would come, born of a woman. Christ will bruise the head of the serpent Satan.
Though Satan’s head was bruised, he was not destroyed or even restrained. He continues to do his evil work in this world. Indeed, Satan is still the ruler of this world according to scripture. Christ came into this world and was tempted in every way, just as we are tempted. Yet, He did not sin. Not once. Every time He was tempted, he told Satan, “it is written that…” and proceeded to quote scripture that prohibited Him from doing what He was tempted to do. This is how He is the perfect and unblemished lamb of God. Being unblemished by sin, he became the perfect sacrifice (propitiation) for our sin. He is no longer a distant God who does not know our struggles but can relate directly to them.
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
Hebrews 2:14-15, ESV
In the future, after Christ returns, he will bind Satan for a thousand years. After which he will be released once more before being defeated by Christ. Then, He will put an end to sin forever.
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.
Revelation 20:1–3, ESV
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Romans 16:20, ESV
800 Years Before Christ: Out of Egypt I called my son
After the birth of Jesus, King Herod sought to kill all children under the age of two in an attempt to kill Jesus. He wanted to do this because he felt that his kingdom was threatened because of the prophesy that said Jesus would become a king to the Jews replacing him and his lineage. So, the Lord told Joseph to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt and to remain there until he told called them to return.
Prophecy
When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.
Hosea 11:1, ESV
After Jesus was born, an Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and told them to go to Egypt. King Herod felt threatened by Jesus’ birth because it was prophesied that he would be king of the Jews. So to protect him from the kings order to kill all children under the age of two, they went to Egypt. The angel told Joseph to remain there until he tells him to return.
Fulfillment
…This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son
Matthew 2:15
750 Years Before Christ: Birth place of Christ revealed
In Micah the birth place of Jesus was revealed around 750 years before Christ’s birth.
Prophecy
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
Micah 5:2, ESV
Fulfillment
And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Matthew 2:6, ESV
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.
Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?
John 7:42, ESV
700 Years Before Christ: Christ will be born of a virgin
The prophet writes that a virgin will conceive and the son’s name will have a symbolic meaning of Immanuel “God with Us”. Jesus, when he was born, dwelled among us as a human but also fully God. So, he was with us in the body at that time.
Prophecy
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Isiah 7:14, ESV
Fulfillment
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14, ESV
These scriptures demonstrate that Christ’s coming was not an imagination of Christ’s followers. These were established scriptures read for hundreds and even over a thousand years prior to their fulfillment. This redemptive plan was established from the beginning (in Genesis 3:15) since Adam’s fall, through the miraculous virgin birth, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It continues to this day as we await His return.
At that time He will put an end to all sin and restore the creation to it original glory. No more death, because the curse of death will be broken.
