The Tripartite Helmet of Hope and Salvation: The Omniscience, Omnipotence, and Forgiveness of Our God

By Dave G. Becher

Part one of this work thoroughly documents the many instances of Biblical prophecy fulfilled within Scripture as well as in history outside of the Bible. Part two contains discourses on the many miracles in Scripture in both the Old and New Testaments, while challenging the naturalist explanations or atheist refutations. Part three documents the many instances of mercy bestowed upon repentant sinners. The design of the book is to prove the omniscience, omnipotence, and forgiveness of our God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Sep 28, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512756951

Dave G. Becher

Dave Becher was born in Queens, NY, and raised on Long Island. He attained a B.A. from Stonybrook University. He has been reading and studying the Bible for over 25 years. The last five years have gone into the research of this book, his first publication.

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Copyright © 2016 Dave G. Becher.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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Scripture quotes are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotes marked (NRSV) New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-5696-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-5697-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-5695-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016915144

WestBow Press rev. date: 9/27/2016

Contents

Part One - Biblical Prophecy Fulfilled

Introduction

The First Book of Moses, Called Genesis

The Second Book of Moses, Called Exodus

The Third Book of Moses, Called Leviticus

The Fourth Book of Moses, Called Numbers

The Fifth Book of Moses, Called Deuteronomy

The Book of Joshua

The Book of Judges

The First Book of Samuel

The Second Book of Samuel

The First Book of Kings

The Second Book of Kings

The First Book of Chronicles

The Second Book of Chronicles

The Book of Psalms

The Song of Solomon

The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

The Book of the Prophet Daniel

The Book of the Prophet Hosea

The Book of the Prophet Joel

The Prophecy of Amos

The Prophecy of Obadiah

The Book of Jonah

The Prophecy of Micah

The Prophecy of Nahum

The Prophecy of Habakkuk

The Prophecy of Zephaniah

The Prophecy of Haggai

The Prophecy of Zechariah

The Prophecy of Malachi

The Gospel According to St. Matthew

The Gospel According to St. Mark

The Gospel According to St. Luke

The Gospel According to St. John

The Acts of the Apostles

The First Epistle of St. Paul to Timothy

Conclusion

Part Two - The Miracles of the Bible

Introduction

The First Book of Moses, Called Genesis

The Second Book of Moses, Called Exodus

The Third Book of Moses, Called Leviticus

The Fourth Book of Moses, Called Numbers

The Fifth Book of Moses, Called Deuteronomy

The Book of Joshua

The Book of Judges

The First Book of Samuel

The Second Book of Samuel

The First Book of Kings

The Second Book of Kings

The First Book of Chronicles

The Second Book of Chronicles

The Book of Esther

The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

The Book of the Prophet Daniel

The Book of Jonah

The Gospel According to St. Matthew

The Gospel According to St. Mark

The Gospel According to St. Luke

The Gospel According to St. John

The Acts of the Apostles

Conclusion

Part Three - Biblical Forgiveness

Introduction

The First Book of Moses, Called Genesis

The Second Book of Moses, Called Exodus

The Third Book of Moses, Called Leviticus

The Fourth Book of Moses, Called Numbers

The Book of Joshua

The Book of Judges

The First Book of Samuel

The Second Book of Samuel

The First Book of Kings

The Second Book of Kings

The Second Book of Chronicles

The Book of Psalms

The Proverbs

The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

The Book of the Prophet Daniel

The Book of Jonah

The Gospel According to St. Matthew

The Gospel According to St. Luke

The Gospel According to St. John

The Acts of the Apostles

Conclusion

Special Thanks and Acknowledgments

References

To my beloved wife Judee, for her infinite patience, unwavering support, and love of the Lord.

Preface

As I was reading through the Bible over a passage of prophecy (and its subsequent fulfillment), I was struck with just how many instances of prophecy are actually recorded in the Bible. Some of them are somewhat vague, and lend themselves to multiple interpretations, but many of these prophecies are also very specific, such as the birthplace of the Messiah, His miraculous ministry, and His death and resurrection. Foretelling the details of His death is particularly astounding because crucifixion was a method of execution yet to be invented at the time the prophecy was made!

After reading of the fulfillment of these prophecies made hundreds, sometimes thousands of years in advance, I marveled at how anyone could not believe in the Bible when it is so obviously pregnant with proof of its divine origin. There is simply no way anyone could have predicted with such accuracy, so many events in the future that came to pass exactly as foretold, if not divinely inspired by the Spirit of the God who knows and sees all things past, present, and future. The prevalence in society of secular doubt in the Bible prompted me to sift through the Sacred Text and glean out as many instances of prophecy as I could find, and then match them up with their fulfillment, to prove the inerrancy of the Word of God.

Many of the scriptural prophecies are fulfilled within Scripture itself. It was the point of this work to connect the beginning of those prophecies with their end fulfillment (to connect their alphas with their omegas, if you will), to save the reader much time and effort in flipping back and forth throughout the Bible to find them. But there are other prophecies in which fulfillment is documented outside the Bible, in the realm of secular recorded history. Therefore, quite a bit of additional research was involved to connect those historical dots from foretelling to fulfillment as well.

While I was reading through the Bible, marking down as many instances of prophecy to research that I could find, I was becoming equally amazed at the amount of recorded miracles in the Bible I was discovering, many of which I had never before considered as such. It is unfathomable to me how anyone could dismiss these events as fiction or mythology. Though the prophecy section was intended at first to stand alone as a separate book, it seemed necessary to add another volume to this work by studying the miracles as well.

After completion of the prophecy segment, I then embarked upon the research of biblical miracles. This approach opened up new avenues of exploration and challenge as I encountered many works by others attempting either to explain away the supernatural as natural, or to denounce completely the event as fiction. To treat the subject fairly, I chose to include in this work as many of the naturalistic, scientific, and/or atheistic explanations I could find, and then address the many attendant problems they might pose to the faith of the reader. It was my hope to remove any obstacles to the belief in miracles as supernatural manifestations of God, through logical reasoning, so that they could not be dismissed as random events of chance or luck. Also, through providing archeological evidence, I hoped to remove the secular inclination to dismiss them as literary fabrications, or simply ascribe them to metaphor.

Having established a reverential awe of God’s omniscience (through prophecy fulfilled), as well as establishing a reverential fear of God’s omnipotence (through biblical miracles), it then became necessary to instill a reverential hope of God’s forgiveness, in order to dispel the inevitable despair that would ensue upon the realization that God sees all of our sins, and will punish us for them. A third addition to this work therefore became necessary to highlight the many instances of repentance and forgiveness found throughout the Bible, to provide that final element of hope—that though we’ve all sinned, and those sins are seen by an all-knowing God, and therefore liable to judgment by an all-powerful God—nevertheless we can be washed clean of them and forgiven by a merciful God. The threefold nature of this work (omniscience-omnipotence-forgiveness) shows that the law requires punishment for transgressors. By itself, this is a very disheartening prospect, as we are all sinners by nature. But with the added hope of pardon, we are no longer undone.

It is my greatest hope that after reading this work, you will be absolutely convinced that the Bible is not a work of fiction but is an accurate historical documentation of the Jewish people; that it is infallible in its message (despite the few inevitable errors in translation over time); and that there really is a Supreme Being to whom we are all accountable, Who is willing and eager to forgive us our sins if we turn back to Him in repentance through Jesus Christ.

All scriptural passages are taken from the King James Version of The Holy Bible (unless otherwise noted), which is now in the public domain. A few words have been taken from the New International Version (NIV) to highlight the difference in translations, when making certain points.

All canonical biblical quotations are in boldface. (Note: unless otherwise noted, all italicized words in the King James Bible were added by the translators to assist in readability.) A few passages from The Books of the Maccabees have been taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible (NRSV). Since they are not included in the canon of the King James Bible, they do not appear in boldface but are depicted in italics instead.

Throughout this work, there will be many references to other verses in Scripture within any particular discussion. This may have been done either to reinforce a certain point with additional Scripture, or possibly to highlight a certain fulfillment, etc. If the additional quoted verses are within the same Bible chapter being expounded upon, then they will be cited as a simple chapter and verse reference. However, if a scriptural reference is made outside of the chapter being expounded upon, then it will be properly identified as such by book, chapter, and verse. For example, if I’m commenting on Genesis 3:16, and make a reference to another Genesis verse, it will appear simply as (3:18). But if the reference is from another book of the Bible, Exodus for example, then the additional quote will be fully cited as (Exodus 3:18) instead.

Many quotes and observations are taken from the biblical commentators of the 1700-1800’s which are also in the public domain. They have been accessed through the excellent scriptural domain of biblehub.com, and are acknowledged with footnote attributions. Full footnote references (for any abbreviated citations) can be found at the back of the book in the Reference pages, under the specific chapter headings.

Finally, it should be noted that the publisher recommended I remove all boldface quotes for scriptural passages being expounded upon, and instead use indented block quotes, while similarly removing boldface scripture within all commentary, and replace it in simple quotes instead. While this is the industry-wide editorial standard, I have respectfully rejected those recommendations. It is my feeling that the reader should be able to distinguish immediately between reading the exalted Word of the Lord, and reading my words. Just as red-letter Bibles elevate Jesus’ words above all others in the Text, by highlighting them in red, I chose to highlight all Scripture in boldface. The Word of God is a higher language than the mere words of man, and this is my way of revering it as such.

Part One -

Biblical Prophecy Fulfilled

(Proof of the Omniscient God)

Introduction

According to the learned Dr. Grew, prophecy is "a declaration of the divine prescience, looking at any distance through a train of infinite causes, known and unknown to us, upon a sure and certain effect….So Tully argues: ...He who knows the causes of future events must necessarily know the events themselves; this is the prerogative of God alone….And therefore, we find that by this, the God of Israel proves Himself to be God, that by His prophets He foretold things to come, which came to pass according to the prediction."¹

I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it, (Isa. 46:11).

Unique among all books ever written, the Bible accurately foretells specific events—in detail—many years, sometimes centuries, before they occur. Approximately 2500 prophecies appear in the pages of the Bible, about 2000 of which already have been fulfilled to the letter—no errors. - Dr. Hugh Ross²

No book on earth describes the future with such shocking accuracy. Twenty-five percent of the Bible was prophecy when it was written. A world-class mathematician has calculated that there is one chance in 87 followed by 93 zeros, that the Bible could be right on the basis of random chance. - John Hagee³

There have been counted 366 prophesies about the Christ. 40-50 of those are about Jesus’ birth alone. If only 8 of those came true, it has been calculated that the odds of that happening are 1 in one hundred million, million. The odds of 48 of them coming true, are one in a trillion, trillion, trillion—thirteen times over! Yet all of them about Jesus have come true. - David Jeremiah⁴

One aspect differentiating the Bible from other religious, historical or inspirational works is this: throughout the Bible, future events are predicted with verifiable accuracy. If the Bible predicted the future (what biblical writers call prophecy) to the extent that it cannot be dismissed as mere coincidence, then the source of this book can only be an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God who chose to speak his word through individuals for his purposes and design. - Tim Burns⁵

This work represents my humble and quite non-academic attempt as a layman, to go through the Bible verse by verse (both Old and New Testaments), and identify verses that display a divine prescience in foretelling future events, by demonstrating their subsequent accomplishment. Many of these citations might not be considered as true prophecy by the experts, such as the times when David sought God’s foreknowledge of either victory or defeat in an impending battle. But in my opinion, any time there is a specific divine revelation of a future event that comes to pass as foretold, it qualifies for this work.

And so, above the inclusion of the noted prophets in Scripture who foretold events—sometimes centuries in advance—God must be thoroughly represented here in any manifestation of foreknowledge, however brief or distant in fulfillment. For example, there are so many instances in which God either promises a blessing or threatens a punishment, delivered in the form of prophecy. Some fulfillments come to pass very quickly, exactly as foretold, and at exactly the time foretold they would occur. Some are fulfilled much later in the longer term. To exclude any of these references would leave a huge hole in the purpose of this work which is to prove that God knows all in advance, is in control of everything, and that His Word here is absolutely and unequivocally, true.

Recorded instances of divine foreknowledge are included only when they occur outside the natural order of things and could not possibly have been known in advance. In other words, if a prophet says, Tomorrow the sun will rise, then I do not consider that a prophecy as it is the natural order that God has fixed upon this universe, and is a wholly natural occurrence that any reader of this work could also foretell. On the other hand, if a prophecy says that it will rain for forty days and forty nights; or that the sun will go dark; or that the rivers will be turned to blood; then it is not a natural occurrence and therefore fits my description of prophecy by demonstrating God’s omniscience in announcing (through the prophet) the event before its occurrence, as well as His omnipotence in the execution of it. It provides proof that what He says He will do, He does. It is incontestable evidence of the perfect veracity of His Word. Whether He chooses to say it Himself; or through His prophets; or through the Urim and Thummim; or by dreams or visions; or by angels; it is all of the same effect for it is His Holy Spirit speaking through each of them.

There are many instances in the Bible in which the history of Israel is repeated, (First and Second Kings, and First and Second Chronicles, for examples). Resolved not to weary the reader, I did not repeat those prophecies, nor recount them again in some of the later books of the individual prophets themselves who may have been present in the earlier books’ histories. In those instances, I have taken each prophecy in the order it has first appeared in the Bible and discussed it once, though I may give some reference to its later duplication without expounding upon it further.

Also, much of the Old Testament prophecies of the prophets Isaiah through Malachi are general descriptions of God’s judgments to come upon a backsliding Israel (as well as judgments upon her enemies) which I have documented previously with greater specificity in the books of the Kings, and in the Chronicles, because those books appear in the Bible before the books of the prophets. I have also chosen to exclude some of those duplications from this work as being too vague in specific details (though they have come true historically in the whole) to avoid making this work tedious and toilsome, as much study is wearisome of the flesh, (Ecclesiastes 12:12). While I intended this work to be inclusive, I’ve found it impossible to make it entirely exhaustive, as there is just too much material that could be interpreted in too many ways. And I did not include figurative accomplishments, or metaphorical and allegorical parallels that may offer themselves up to multiple interpretations of fulfillment in the historical record, so as not to fuel any unnecessary skepticism. My determination here was instead to show undeniable cause and effect, as documented in Scripture itself and/or in the historical record. The only parts left entirely undone are those prophesies unfulfilled for the end times to come, the greatest portion of which are found in The Revelation of St. John. I will not hazard speculation on those specific and contentious issues of conjecture, trusting instead in their fulfillment (to God’s ultimate glory) through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in His perfect timing, according to His perfect word.

I’m sure I’ve also missed quite a few instances of genuine prophecy here through my own ignorance and distractions. Nevertheless, I feel that there is still ample material here to prove that the Bible is the inerrant and infallible Word of God, given to us by His Holy Spirit. For only God is all-knowing, and there is no other book on earth that can boast of its success in foretelling future events. In fact, there is no other religious text on earth that comes even remotely close.

21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? 22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:21-22, on how to identify true propecy—the divine credentials of God—from false pretenders). Contrarily, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him, (Jer. 28:9)

The First Book of Moses, Called Genesis

2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

We have here the first instance of biblical prophecy—God Himself foretelling an event that if Adam eats fruit of the forbidden tree, on that day (through his disobedience) sin will enter the world, and with it pain, suffering, and death. Obviously, this is not meant to be taken literally, as we know that Adam and Eve did not die immediately that day. Rather, it is a metaphorical warning that on the day they disobey God, they will become mortal. That is of course the fate of all humanity now. Yet even then, God foretells salvation through His Son Jesus, as we see next.

3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

This verse is often called the protoevangelium, as it is the first Messianic prophecy in the Bible. It is the first promise given of the redemption of fallen man, fulfilled by the coming of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, (Gal. 4:4). No sooner had we sinned, than God in His love provided a way out for us. For this purpose the son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil, (1 John 3:8).

The enmity between the serpent and the woman would result in perpetual spiritual warfare between the wicked and the godly here on earth. The battle would be for our very souls. Christ’s heels were bruised by the crucifixion’s nails, but Satan’s head (his dominion over the inhabitants of earth) was bruised by Christ’s victory over death and sin. The genealogy of Luke 3:23-38 establishes Jesus as the son of Adam, and therefore also as the seed of the woman. The victory will be complete when He casts Satan into the lake of fire, (see Rev 20:10).

3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

God specifically foretells the pains of childbirth all women will henceforth endure because of the sin of Eve. Every woman who has ever given birth can attest to the severe physical discomfort of doing so. The obvious proof of this is in the popularity of epidural anesthesia to ease the pain.

We see further fulfillment of this prophecy in how women have been treated as inferior to men throughout history, continuing even to this day in many countries of the Middle East. The prophecy of a patriarchal world is fulfilled in the consensus among modern anthropologists and sociologists that a strictly matriarchal society has never really existed.⁶

God further elucidates to Adam (in 3:18) on the curse that shall befall all of humanity because of his sin—a life of toil and labor.

5:21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah.

After Enoch had Methuselah, he walked with God for the remaining three hundred years of his life. Enoch was obviously given a prophecy by God then (though unrecorded in Scripture), that upon Methuselah’s death, judgment would fall upon the earth. Hence, the name Methuselah signifies his death shall bring judgment. Within a week after Methuselah’s death, God’s judgment did indeed fall upon the Earth—in the great flood of Noah’s time.

It is calculated from Scripture that from the time of Adam’s creation (AC) to Methuselah’s birth, a period of 687 years had passed. Add in Methuselah’s life span of 969 years, and we have his death at 1656 AC. When Methuselah was 187 years old (874 AC), Lamech was born. Lamech was 182 years old when he had a son, as documented in 5:29 And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed. Therefore, Noah was born in 1056 AC.

Noah’s name is also prophetical (interpreted as giving comfort, or consolation) in that he would be instrumental in saving humanity (as a type of Christ) from God’s curse, by building the ark. The text states in 7:6, that Noah was 600 years old at the time of the flood. If you add Noah’s birth year of 1056 AC to his 600 years of age when the flood began, they equal the same year that Methuselah died, 1656 AC, thus fulfilling the hidden prophecy of Methuselah’s name that his death shall bring judgment.

7:4 For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.

God told Noah that He was about to flood the earth because of the sinfulness of humanity. He had previously instructed Noah to build a huge boat (ark) according to His specific dimensions so that Noah, his family, and pairs of all kinds of animals could escape the deluge. What was foretold by God was fulfilled and explicitly documented in 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

The meteorologists of this modern age, with all of their satellites and scientific instrumentation, have often been wrong in foretelling even tomorrow’s weather, let alone predicting what will happen in a week or for how long. Yet God gave a specific forecast here fulfilled exactly in 7:12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

It is interesting for the great flood skeptics to note that in almost every culture in the history of the world, there is a global flood story. H.S. Bellamy, in Moons, Myths and Man estimates that altogether there are over five hundred great flood legends worldwide, recorded from the vastly diverse geographic regions of China, Babylonia, Wales, Russia, India, America, Hawaii, Scandinavia, Sumatra, Peru, and Polynesia.⁷ The 1st century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (c. AD 37-100) notes in his historical work The Antiquities of the Jews (1.3.6) that all the writers of barbarian histories make mention of this flood....⁸

9:13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. 14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud.

God foretold to Noah (and to all future generations) that He would never again flood all the earth to destroy humanity. The symbol of that enduring covenant is the rainbow, a multi-colored arc in the sky. The proof of this promise lies in the fact that though it is now many thousands of year later, ever-more sinful humanity still has not been destroyed by another global flood, (though there have been many regional ones of great devastation since). 2 Peter 3:10 states that the end of the world as we know it will come by fire instead.

9:24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. 25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

It should be noted that Noah’s curse did not come from God. Yet, the Canaanites became enemies to God anyway through their own idolatries, and so the curse of Noah was ratified by God, who promised to take away their land and give it to the Israelites. This Promised Land was the final destination Moses was commanded to lead the Israelites to, after their exodus from Egypt. This prophecy was fulfilled about eight hundred years later when the Canaanites were either killed or enslaved by Israel.

As further examples of fulfillment, Joshua 9:23 tells the story of the Gibeonites in the land of Canaan who feared the conquering Israelites and deceived them into thinking that they were innocent people from a far land, so as not to be destroyed with the other Canaanites. After Joshua had made a vow to protect them, he discovered the truth. Rather than going back on his word and killing them, he made them slaves instead. Judges 1:28-35 also tells how the various other tribes of Canaanites were put to tribute after Israel had spared them, (though in defiance of God’s orders to eradicate them).

9:27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem;

Many scholars consider this a reference to the Gentiles, whose lands were peopled by the seed of Japheth, (see Genesis 10:5). They were reconciled to God by dwelling in the tents of Shem, that is, by placing their faith in the Jewish Messiah to come. Others make it to be a direct reference to Jesus Christ, who descended from heaven and became as one of us and dwelt with the Jewish people, the tent of Shem.

12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.

God promised Abram (later named Abraham) that he would be the father of a great nation. At this time, Abram was an old man who had no children because his wife was barren. She too was now long past the age of childbirth, so it would seem quite impossible that the two of them could people a great nation under these circumstances. Yet, the name of Abram/Abraham is revered among Jews as their Great Patriarch, in fulfillment of this prophecy.

Upon accepting God’s covenant, Abram became the first Jew. Through his son Isaac, the Hebrew nation was born. Today, there are about fifteen million Jews globally, with over six million now living in modern-day Israel. (Before the Nazi holocaust, it is estimated that there were over seventeen million Jews in the world.) Abraham is also revered by Christians, who are as adopted children of God through Jesus. Muslims also revere Abraham as their Great Patriarch, since the Arab nation was established through Abraham’s son Ishmael. Abraham’s Hebrew name translates as Father of numerous nations.

12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

God promised His devotion and protection to the Jewish people (if they kept covenant with Him). We see this promised blessing fulfilled in the wonderful deliverances in the desert under Moses’ guidance, as well as all through the Old Testament battles and conquests of the Israelites against their enemies. We see the curse fulfilled against specific enemies of Israel such as Pharaoh, Haman (who attempted to exterminate the Jews but ended up being hung on his own gallows), Antiochus Epiphanes (who set up the Abomination of Desolation in the Holy Temple), and especially against the destruction of Nazi Germany. It is also a foretelling of the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, through the line of Abraham. The lineage proving it is found in Matthew 1:1-16, and in Luke 3:23-38.

All families of the earth are blessed by the written Word of God transmitted to us through the Jewish people, and by the Jewish Savior Jesus Christ, who takes away the sins of the world.

13:15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever.

Upon the separation of Lot and Abram, with Lot choosing the lands of the plain of Jordan, God promised Abram (Abraham) that the land of Canaan would become God’s chosen land for His people Israel.

This was fulfilled with the conquest of Canaan under Joshua. That promise endures to this day in the State of Israel in the Middle East—despite the temporary forfeiture through disobedience and Messianic rejection, which resulted in almost two thousand years of Jewish wandering (after the Roman conquests of AD 70 and 135). This is also an end-times promise of the permanent New Jerusalem under Christ the King, after Satan is defeated entirely.

15:4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.

Abram despaired of never having any children of his own, therefore Abram’s assumption was that his eventual heir would come from the steward of his house, Eliezer of Damascus. God foretells here to Abram that he will have his own son as heir, and through that son will descend countless offspring, as numerous as the stars. We had this also in 12:2. This was fulfilled with the birth of Isaac in 21:2, and in the continuance of the Jewish genealogical line to this day.

15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

God put Abram into a deep sleep, then revealed to him that his descendants (seed) would be persecuted and eventually subjected to slavery by the Egyptians. The afflictions began upon the weaning of Isaac on his fifth birthday, at the great feast Abraham had provided. It was then that Sarah observed the Egyptian Hagar’s son mocking Isaac, (21:9). The affliction by Egyptians then continued for the next four hundred years with the unjust imprisonment of Joseph in Egypt, when Potiphar’s wife mendaciously accused him of molesting her (39:20), up through the eventual decree of slavery by Egypt’s new king which knew not Joseph, (Exod. 1:8). The Israelites were forced to make bricks for the Egyptians to build their cities and monuments, (Exod. 1:13-14). Egyptian slave-drivers were set over them to increase their production, and misery, (Exod. 1:11). The final affliction came with the order by Pharaoh to murder all the male Hebrew babies, (Exod. 1:22).

God’s judgment of the Egyptians, the second half of this prophecy, was fulfilled in the plagues of Egypt in the Exodus account. God also foretold that He would lead them to the promised land carrying the spoils (great substance) of Egypt. This was fulfilled specifically in Exod. 12:36 ...And they spoiled the Egyptians….

The 430-year timeline of servitude given in Exodus 12:41, starts from God’s covenant with Abram, when He called him out of Mesopotamia and entered Canaan. It ends at the Exodus from Egypt. This is confirmed by the apostle Paul in Gal. 3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of no effect.

It was 215 years after God first called Abram that Jacob entered Egypt, and the Israelites were enslaved for 215 years after that. This gives us the total of 430 years confirmed by Paul. At first glance though, this seems to contradict God’s statement above, that Israel would be afflicted for only 400 years. But it should be noted that the first affliction of Abraham by any Egyptian didn’t start upon God’s initial calling. It started with the mocking of Isaac by Hagar’s son, Ishmael. Abram was called out of Mesopotamia by God when he was seventy five years old. Twenty five years later, Isaac was born. Five years after that (upon his weaning) is when the Egyptian afflictions began under Ishmael—thirty years after God’s initial call to Abram. So the actual time of affliction was only 400 years, exactly as prophesied, as well as ending the selfsame day 430 years after the covenant was made.

15:15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again.

God foretold to Abram that he would live to a good old age (175 years, in fact) and die peacefully. This fulfillment of Abram’s longevity is detailed in 25:7, that he lived ...an hundred threescore and fifteen years.

The four generations of enslavement foretold from the time of Jacob’s entry into Egypt until the exodus are through Levi, Kohath, Amram and Moses. It should be noted first that because of the greater lifespan of the people in those times, a generation is marked as approximately one hundred years. This matches the four hundred years’ affliction prophesied of earlier, in 15:13. Also, it should be noted that Jacob and Levi came to Egypt together marking commencement of that timeline upon Jacob’s entry. But the lineage (taken from Exodus 6:16-20) is listed here through the line of Levi instead of Jacob, because it was Moses who was fourth from Levi, and who led the people out of bondage in Egypt.

16:10 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

Sarai’s handmaid Hagar had conceived a son by Abram. Sarai reasoned that her advanced age had precluded the opportunity now of ever having her own children, so she had Abram take her slave Hagar as a wife/concubine in order to obtain children. Once pregnant though, Hagar despised Sarai. Resenting this display of open contempt, Sarai asked Abram for permission to punish Hagar. She then treated Hagar harshly, forcing Hagar to flee. An angel of the Lord found Hagar in the wilderness and told her to return to her mistress. He informed Hagar that her eventual offspring would be too numerous to count. Islamic traditions consider Ishmael, the son of Hagar and Abram, to be the father of the Arab people, who today number in the hundreds of millions, thereby fulfilling this prophecy.

16:11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;

The fulfillment is documented in 16:15 with the birth of Ishmael to Hagar. The name Ishmael means God heareth. This signified God’s comforting of Hagar in the wilderness.

16:12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

Ishmael was violent, untamed, impatient, and undisciplined. He was constantly at war with his neighbors, just as much of the Middle East is still at war with Israel to this day (ideologically, if not militarily).

Ishmael dwelt in the presence of his brethren, having had twelve sons. The descendants of Ishmael, the Bedouin Arabs, have never been deprived of their freedom within the presence of their brethren either—despite the many conquerors who have tried over the ages to remove them. Josephus also confirms Ishmael as the father of the Arab nation, (see Antiq. 1.12.4).

17:16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

This prophecy was specifically fulfilled in 21:2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. Sarah then became the mother of nations through the twelve tribes of Israel under which the two great nation-state kingdoms of Israel and Judah emerged. It is through the lineage of Sarah and Abraham’s son Isaac that the Jewish kings descended, and through that line also came Jesus Christ the Messiah, as also foretold.

The spiritual ratification of this covenant is evidenced in the Sacred Text with God changing the names of Sarai and Abram, into Sarah and Abraham. The physical ratification was signified by the new ordinance for circumcision of the flesh of the males.

17:20 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.

Abram loved his firstborn son Ishmael, and pleaded for him before God. He was informed that Ishmael would have twelve sons who would establish another great nation, (but not that of Israel). This was fulfilled in 25:13. The sons are named as Nebajoth, Kedar, Abdeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadar, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.

19:13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.

Lot is forewarned by the angels of God that Sodom was about to be destroyed for its evil, sinful ways. Previously, Abraham had been notified of this also. He made offerings to God for the deliverance of the twin cities (in what many consider to be the first instance of formal prayer recorded in the Bible). Yet, because ten righteous men could not be found within the cities in accordance with God’s terms of mercy, this prophecy of doom was fulfilled.

We read in 19:24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; 25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. This event is also prophetical of the final judgment to come upon all unrepentant sinners in the last days.

19:17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forward, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.

The angels of God forewarned Lot and his family to leave Sodom, giving special instructions not to look back, lest evil befall them. This warning found accomplishment in Lot’s wife who looked back and became a pillar of salt, (in 19:26). The warning was a test of obedience. It was also a test of the heart, to see if anyone fleeing looked back in regret while abandoning this sinful place. It represents how making a reservation for sins in our own hearts, by refusing to abandon them, will destroy us as well. True salvation is exhibited by a longing to escape sin permanently, and with no regrets to look back upon.

Josephus claims to have seen this pillar of salt with his own eyes (Antiq. 1.11.4), as did Clement of Rome, a contemporary of Josephus. Irenaeus, in the next century, was another one who saw the pillar and wondered how it came to last so long, with all its members entire, according to William Whiston (1667-1752) translator of Josephus’ works.⁹

22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Abraham was prepared to sacrifice Isaac unto the Lord as requested by God, who was only testing Abraham’s faith and obedience, and therefore ultimately spared Isaac. For this great demonstration of submission, God rewarded Abraham (and all of humanity) with the future promise of a Messiah who would bless all nations that believed upon Him. Abraham showed that he was willing to sacrifice his own son to bless God. For that devotion, God proceeded with His redemptive plan to sacrifice His only-begotten Son so that the world would be blessed. The crucifixion and resurrection are the fulfillment of this prophetic blessing.

25:23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger.

Isaac’s wife Rebekah had been barren until Isaac prayed fervently to God for children. She then became pregnant with twins. This prophecy was two-fold. First, there was the foretelling by God of twins within her, fulfilled in 25:24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.

The other half of this prophecy was in foretelling the hostility between the Edomites and Israelites. We see the fulfillment of this prophecy begun when Esau the firstborn sold his birthright to Jacob (renamed Israel by God in Genesis 35:10) for some stew. We see its completion with the subjection of Esau’s people (Edomites) to the lineage of Jacob’s people (Israelites) during the reign of King David, (and all they of Edom became David’s servants, 2 Samuel 8:14). And so the elder served the younger just as foretold.

27:40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

Isaac here foretells his son Esau that his line of descendants, the Edomites, shall serve the line of Jacob until the time (about 150 years later) when they shall break off the yoke of slavery and be free. The Edomites were conquered in battle by King David (c. 1000 BC) in the valley of salt and subjected to servitude, (2 Samuel 8:13-14).

The breaking of that yoke foretold here was fulfilled in 2 Kings 8:20, when Edom revolted from Judah and set up for themselves their own king (c. 848 BC). 2 Kings 8:22 states that Edom was still in rebellion unto this day, which was written about five hundred years later. (See also 2 Chron. 21:10.)

28:12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

This dream of Jacob’s ladder foretells the ministering of angels upon Jesus during His life on earth in the flesh. This is confirmed by Jesus Himself (while calling on Nathanael to follow Him as an apostle), in John 1:51 ...Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of man.

We have the first recorded fulfillment of this upon Jesus’ birth, when the angel announced His arrival to the shepherds in the field, in Luke 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. We have another instance of an angel descending from heaven in order to protect the infant Jesus from Herod, in Matthew 2:13 ...the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt…for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. We see angels descending again after Jesus resisted the temptation by the devil while in the wilderness, in Matthew 4:11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. And then in the Garden of Gethsemane, while Jesus was praying for strength to face His impending crucifixion, And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him, (Luke 22:43). Finally, angels were present at His resurrection, as we read in Matthew 28:2 ...the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

The ladder is also symbolic of Jesus Christ Himself who was both God (in heaven) and man (on earth). He is the only Way to bridge the sin-gap between the upper and lower worlds, between God and humanity. Without Christ as our intermediary ladder to heaven, we have no way of ever ascending to God’s kingdom.

28:14 ...and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

God reaffirms to Jacob in this dream, that which was foretold to Abraham and Isaac. His posterity would greatly multiply and bless the world. This was fulfilled through the lineage of Abraham to Christ, (see Matthew 1:1-17 for the documented genealogy).

37:5 And Joseph dreamed a dream… 7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf…. 9 And he dreamed yet another dream…the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.

Because Joseph was the favorite of his father Jacob, his brothers were jealous and hated him for it. These prophetical dreams of Joseph only added to their anger and jealousy. One day, when they saw Joseph coming to them in Dothan, they conspired to kill him. The plan was to bring back his coat of many colors (a special gift to him from Jacob) covered in blood, and delivered with their personal testimony that animals killed and ate Joseph. Fortunately for Joseph, his brother Reuben did not agree to this murder plot. Instead, it was decided to put Joseph into a pit and let him die there without shedding his blood (with Reuben secretly planning to rescue him afterwards). However, after Reuben had departed on his own, a caravan of Ishmeelites appeared. Judah then suggested the idea that instead of letting Joseph die in the pit (absolving them of all guilt in his death), they should sell him as a slave to the Ishmeelites, who then brought Joseph into Egypt, (37:28).

The prophesies of obeisance were fulfilled in Egypt when his brothers were forced by famine to go there and beg for corn from the ruling authority. Unknown to them at the time, the ruling authority was none other than their brother Joseph who had been elevated over the years by Pharaoh to the position of Prime Minister. Joseph had long been in Egypt. He spoke their language fluently, and dressed accordingly. When his brothers arrived to beg of him food to purchase, they did not recognize him at all as he only spoke Egyptian while pretending to use a Hebrew translator to understand his brothers.

So Joseph stood upright before his prostrate brothers, exactly as prophesied in his dream. It’s curious to note that Joseph’s dream of the sheaves of corn was also prophetical in that begging to buy corn was the reason his brothers went to him in Egypt. The reference to the sun, moon, and eleven stars, signified Joseph’s father, mother, and brothers, and predicted the dependence they all would have upon him to survive the famine. We read in 42:5 for the famine was in the land of Canaan….6 ...Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

It should be noted that after Joseph had told his brothers the first part of his dream (before they sold him into slavery) they became particularly angry and asked, in 37:8, shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? In fulfillment, they answered their own rhetorical question when they stood (wrongly) convicted of stealing a silver cup and made obeisance to him saying ...behold we are my lord’s servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found, (44:16).

The symbolism of Joseph as a type of Christ is apparent by the many similarities in their lives. Joseph was firstborn of Rachel, Jesus of Mary. Both were shepherds—Joseph of sheep, Jesus of men. Both were beloved of their fathers. Both were falsely accused. Both were prophesied of as rulers. Joseph’s brothers did not recognize him, while Jesus came into the world, and the world knew him not, (John 1:10). Though Jesus was completely without sin, and Joseph a sinner by the nature of his flesh, there is much written in the Bible about Joseph, yet not once is there any mention of him sinning. The biggest similarities however are in their deliverances. Joseph delivered his people and all of Egypt from starvation. Jesus delivered humanity from sin. Joseph was thirty years old when he became Prime Minister of Egypt. Jesus was thirty years old when He began His ministry. The eleven brothers making obeisance to him foreshadow the eleven apostles, (the twelfth one was a devil).

40:13 Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place.

While Joseph was in prison after the false accusations of Potiphar’s wife, it happened that both Pharaoh’s chief butler and chief baker were also imprisoned. During this time, each of them had a prophetic dream on the same night. The next morning, both of them were left greatly disturbed, so Joseph offered to interpret the dreams for them.

The butler’s dream was that he saw a vine with three branches. The buds opened and blossomed, immediately forming clusters of grapes. The butler squeezed the grapes into a cup and handed the cup to Pharaoh. Joseph’s interpretation of this dream was that the three branches of the vine represented three days. Within that time, Pharaoh would pardon whatever the butler’s transgression was that landed him in prison, and restore him to his place as chief cupbearer. This is recorded as fulfilled in 40:21 And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.

40:19 Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.

Meanwhile, the chief baker had a dream in which he had three baskets of bread on his head. The top basket held freshly-baked bread for Pharaoh. But as he stood there, birds came and ate the food in the basket. He asked Joseph to interpret his dream. Joseph informed him that the three baskets also represented three days. But unlike the butler, the baker would not be restored to his former position. In fact, he would be beheaded and his body hung on a tree for the birds to eat. This prophecy too was fulfilled exactly in 40:22 But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them.

41:29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: 30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land.

Joseph was still in prison when Pharaoh had this prophetic dream. He sent for all the wise men, but none could interpret the dream. It was then that the chief butler remembered how Joseph had correctly interpreted his own dream while they were imprisoned together, (see 40:13). Joseph was then sent for by Pharaoh and, as we read above, interpreted Pharaoh’s dream by foretelling the seven fruitful years to come, followed by the seven years of extreme drought and famine.

This prophesy was fulfilled in 41:47 And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls….53 And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended. 54 And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands.

It was this particular revealed prophecy that set Joseph in good standing with Pharaoh, eventually leading to his prime ministerial position. Though some blame the chief butler for forgetting all about Joseph in prison up until this moment, it should be noted that had Joseph been released those two years earlier, it is likely that he would have returned to Canaan. Yet due to divine Providence, he remained in prison until it became necessary for him to deliver Egypt from famine through the grace of God’s forewarning, in fulfillment of the prophecies.

48:19 ...but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

This was a prophecy made by the dying Jacob (renamed Israel) when he crossed hands and placed his right hand of blessing upon Ephraim the younger brother, instead of on Manasseh, the first-born son of Joseph.

We see this fulfillment first in the numbering of the tribes, with Ephraim being listed before Manasseh and in greater numbers, in Num. 1:33 of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand and five hundred, and in 1:35 of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty and two thousand and two hundred. Also in Num. 2:18-20, in giving the order of the congregation, Ephraim is again listed first with Manasseh relegated to his side. Joshua, who led the Israelites in their military conquests of Canaan, was an Ephraimite. His prominence as leader of the people after Moses died, assured Ephraim’s prominence over Manasseh, which later became referred to as the half tribe of Manasseh, (see Josh. 13:7).

49:3 Reuben….4 unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.

Chapter 49 of Genesis is all prophecy made by a dying Jacob, regarding the fates of his twelve sons. This passage refers to the infamous incident in Gen. 35:22, when Reuben lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine. In fulfillment, we do not read of any man of piety or excellence ever coming from the tribe of Reuben. Not one has ever excelled as judge, prophet, or ruler, to earn special mention in the Bible.

49:5 Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations….I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

Simeon and Levi were the ones who (as part of their deceitful plot) massacred the Shechemites while they recovered from voluntary circumcision, (see Gen. 34).

In fulfillment of this prophecy, the Simeonites were forced to disperse themselves within the tribe of Judah to find settlements and subsistence. Their lot of inheritance was taken from Judah, (see Joshua 19:9). As for the Levites, they were scattered throughout the tribes of Israel as their priests. They were never allowed to own any land of their own.

49:8 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise…thy father’s children shall bow down before thee. 9 Judah is a lion’s whelp….10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Judah was praised as the tribe that led the other tribes out of the wilderness of Sinai (Num. 10:14) per God’s command. They were the first to go up against the Canaanites after the death of Joshua per God’s command, (Judges 1:2). Judah was the recipient of the first lot in the division of Canaan, and it was the most fertile land.

This prophecy specifically foretells the lineage of Shiloh, the Messiah. Jesus Christ is the Lion of the tribe of Judah (see Rev. 5:5 ...Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed….) Also, it is stated with a certainty in Hebrews 7:14, that Jesus was of the line of Judah. We see the gathering of the people fulfilled in Matt. 15:30, which tells of the great multitudes that followed Jesus everywhere.

49:13 Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.

Fulfilled hundreds of years later by the drawing of lots to divide up Canaan the promised land, we read in Joshua 19:10 the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid….11 ...up toward the sea…and reached to the river. Zebulun’s lot extended from the Sea of