Charles Pack

JESUS CHRIST - GOD'S ONLY SON
By Charles Pack

"For the testimony of Jesus, is the SPIRIT OF PROPHECY." (Rev. 19:10). Around what person does ALL BIBLE prophecy revolve? Is it Adam, Abraham, Solomon, David, Paul, Mohammed or Buddha? No! It is none of these well-known persons! Only ONE PERSON is the center (and circumference) of all Bible Prophecy. That One is none other than "Jesus, The Christ, God's Only Begotten Son." All prophecy testifies of Jesus! Every time you date a check, deed, or letter you testify to the fact that Bible Prophecy was fulfilled at the first appearing of Jesus, The Christ. His birth changed the calendars of the world. Prophecy at its very heart is designed to picture the beauty and loveliness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Christ is the major theme of all the Bible, and also the central theme of prophecy.
What is prophecy? Bible Prophecy is "history written in advance". It is accurately foretelling future events as if they had already happened. Anyone should wish to know the future. But, could you predict, with accuracy, an event with names of the chief characters, years before it occurs No! But God can, and did, Scores of prophecies are recorded about our Savior, Jesus Christ. Some have already been fulfilled. Some will be fulfilled shortly. Let me share a few of them. You will notice that these things are recorded hundreds of years before they happened, making it impossible for the human author to have brought about their fulfillment.
PROPHECY FULFILLED WHEN CHRIST CAME
Isaiah prophesied about the unusual way that Christ would be BORN, i.e. through a virgin: "Behold, the VIRGIN shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name 'Immanuel' " (Isa. 7:14 - B.C. 742). Mary, a Jewish virgin conceived a child without a human partner. An angel told Joseph about his fiancee, "That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 1:20).
The PLACE where Jesus would be born was predicted 710 years beforehand in Micah 5:2, "But thou, BETHLEHEM Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth". How could Micah have known that Mary would be about ready to deliver a child, and would be on a journey with Joseph from Nazareth back to Bethlehem to be taxed? He could not have known 710 years before, yet, the Bible says in Matthew 2:1, "Now when Jesus was born in BETHLEHEM of judaea".
How could the Psalmist have known that Jesus would have been CRUCIFIED, and that in some miraculous way, they would not break a single bone? The Psalmist recorded these facts 1,000 years before Christ was born. The Jews STONED persons to death. CRUCIFIXION became a Roman method of putting people to death. it was unknown when the Psalms were written. What brash arrogance to predict this manner of death UNLESS the author of the Psalms was told by Almighty God the way His Son would be put to death! When crucifixion became a way of death, before burial, they always broke the leg bones before removing the body from the cross. This was to assure and hasten the death of the one being crucified.
But, what did the Bible predict about the death of Jesus? "They PIERCED my hands and my feet" (Psalms 22:16 1,000 B.C.) "He (God) keepeth all His (Christ's) BONES: not one of them is BROKEN" (Psalms 34:20 - 1,000 B.C.). Note the fulfillment as recorded in John 19:23, "Then the soldiers . . . CRUCIFIED Jesus." and John 19:33, "They BROKE NOT His legs". it was predicted they would give Him vinegar to quench His thirst on the cross. Psalms 69:21 says: "In My thirst they gave me VINEGAR to drink". John tells us "They filled a sponge with VINEGAR . and put it to His mouth" John 19:29).
Isaiah predicted in 53:9 of his book, "Men appointed His grave with the wicked, but He was with the RICH in His death because He had done no violence, neither was there guile in His mouth" (A. C. Gaebelein's translation). Think of it! He was crucified between two other criminals and should have been buried as they were. But Christ was buried in a RICH MAN'S TOMB. How could Isaiah have known that! Matthew records the fulfillment of this 745 year old prophecy:
"When the evening was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple, He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the sepulcher, and departed" (Matthew 27:57-60). These prophecies were fulfilled when Christ came THE FIRST TIME!
RULES FOR GENUINE PROPHECY
For a prophecy to be genuine it must meet the following requirements. All of these were met at the first coming of Jesus Christ. The requirements are:
(1) it must have been made PRIOR to its fulfillment.
(2) it must have been beyond all HUMAN FORESIGHT.
(3) It must give details. (Twenty five specific details were given in advance about Christ's betrayal and death.) According to the law of compound probabilities, there was ONLY ONE CHANCE in 33,554,432 that ALL these predictions would be fulfilled in one person.
(4) A sufficient time must elapse between its publication and fulfillment to exclude the prophet or any interested party from fulfilling it.
(5) There must be clear and evident fulfillment of the prophecy.
There were ONE HUNDRED NINE PREDICTIONS literally fulfilled when Christ came the first time. The law of compound probability would give ONE CHANCE in a BILLION that these would all be fulfilled in ONE PERSON. But they were fulfilled when Christ came to this earth twenty centuries ago. Hallelujah! What a Savior! Amen!
PROPHECY IS GOD'S WILL
Prophecy came to us by the Will of God, "For the prophecy came not at any time by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit". (2 Peter 1:21). God has promised to bless us if we read', hear and keep the teachings of prophecy. This is stated in Revelation 1:3, "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it, for the time is at hand". Christ is the greatest subject of prophecy. Listen, "To HIM give ALL the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins" (Acts 10:43). Jesus said to His disciples, "All things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses (first five books of the Bible), and in the prophets, and in the psalms, CONCERNING ME" (Luke 24: 44). Just as sure as we read the 0. T. prophecies, and history, then recognize their fulfillment; we can read unfulfilled prophecies and LOOK FORWARD to their future FULFILLMENT.
PROPHECIES ABOUT CHRIST'S SECOND COMING
Jesus predicted He would come again: "I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:3) "For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He shall reward every man according to his works" (Matthew 16:27). Did Jesus lie? Is He God? Will He return? You have to decide! I believe that He did not lie, and that He is God, and that He will return.
The angels prophesied that Jesus would return: "And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men (angels) stood by them in white apparel; who also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:10-11).
The apostles said that Jesus would come again. Here are just a few of their statements about His future return: (Paul) "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Phillipians 3:20). James said (5:7) "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord". Peter said (2 Peter 1:16), "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty". Enoch prophecied (Jude 14) "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints." John said, "And now, little children, abide in Him, that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming" (1 John 2:28).
In the Apostles' Creed and the Lord's Supper, Christians today testify to His coming, but few probably believe what they say and do. The Apostles' Creed says in part, "HE SHALL COME (from heaven) to judge the living and the dead." Every time you partake of the elements of communion you show forth the fact of His coming again. "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, YE DO SHOW THE LORD'S DEATH TILL HE COME" (1 Cor. 11: 26).
The Bible tells us that Jesus HIMSELF will return (first in the air) and take to heaven all the dead and living saints: "For the Lord HIMSELF shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; Then we (Christians) who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them (ones who had died) in the clouds, to meet the Lord IN THE AIR" (1 Thess. 4:16-17). John said every dead Christian WILL HEAR CHRIST'S VOICE: "Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming, in which ALL that are in the graves shall hear His voice" (John 5:28). The Bible tells us that He will come in "like manner" as He left. " . . This same Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come IN LIKE MANNER as ye have seen Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).
In the latter part of His second advent He will come, not "in the air", but to the earth. job, one of the oldest books in the Bible, predicted this-so does Zechariah. "For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day UPON THE EARTH" (Job 19:25). "And His feet SHALL STAND IN THAT DAY UPON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, which is before Jerusalem on the cast ... and the LORD, my God, shall come, and ALL THE SAINTS with Thee,, (Zech. 14:4-5).
When Christ returns in the revelation, God says every one will see Him. "Every eye shall see Him, and they also who pierced Him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen" (Rev. 1:7). The Bible tells us in several places when He comes to reign on the earth that the saints (the true church) will return with Him. " . . at the coining of our Lord Jesus Christ WITH all His saints" (1 Thess. 3: 13). The Bible predicts that He will rule all nations from His throne in Jerusalem, Israel, and the church will reign with Him: "At that time they shall call JERUSALEM the throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem . . . "
(Jeremiah 3:17). "To him (the overcomer) will I give power over the nations, and He shall rule them with a rod of iron." (Rev. 2:26-27) The Bible says that the kingdom of this world will become Christ's: "The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever" (Rev. 11:15). Glory! Praise God!
The Bible foretells the rebuilding of the Millennial temple and the coming of all nations to Jerusalem to worship God's Christ: Details of this Millennial temple are recorded in Ezckiel chapters 40-47. Notice Zech. 14:16: "And it shall come to pass that every one that is left of all the nations Which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles". Christ will reign with the church upon the earth for 1,000 years says John: "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years" (Rev. 20:6).
ARE YOU READY FOR HIS SECOND COMING?
When Christ comes, here is what will happen to the unbeliever, and this could be a PROPHECY ABOUT YOU, unless you receive Christ: "When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; Who shah be punished with EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power" (2 Thess. 1: 7-9). Will you be the recipient of this prophecy? Was Paul writing about you here? You can be in this next group that are mentioned in a prophecy written in Rev. 5:10: "And (Jesus) hast made us unto our God, a kingdom of priests, and WE SHALL REIGN ON THE EARTH". Will you rule and reign with Christ and us or be burned with everlasting destruction for rejecting Jesus Christ?
The Bible tells us that you are already condemned. You will not have to do another, single thing to end up in Hell. " . . He that believeth not is CONDEMNED ALREADY, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:18). 1 know why you do not believe. Listen: "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, BECAUSE THEIR DEEDS WERE EVIL" (John 3:19). You are not coming to Christ because of your rotten, filthy sins, You must turn from them and receive the Savior. He died for your sins. He has paid the price necessary to have them forgiven. His blood was shed on a cruel, Roman cross to keep you from having to eternally suffer for your sins. How can you be the recipient of this wonderful blessing of salvation?
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:9, 10, 11, 13). Will you call upon His name where you are right now, and be saved? May God, The Holy Spirit, cause you to do it!