The Bible is a very old book. Some parts of it are at least 3400 years old. Why, then, is it still worth reading, even today? After all, there are many interesting books in the world. The Bible, however, is in many ways completely unique in the history of mankind. Besides that, the way in which it is unique is also special. In fact, that the Bible is so incredibly and almost non-humanly unique, as we will see, is most likely a very strong clue for its divine inspiration. Moreover, the Bible itself claims to give us exclusively the words of the one true God himself. Because of this, one just cannot ignore the Bible.
Here are eight unique characteristics of the Bible:
1. The uniqueness of its origin.
How does a book normally come to be? Usually one first collects material and decides on a scheme, before writing the content and then finally publishing the book. If several writers collaborate on it, they must first plan the project very well and come to agreements. It was not so with the Bible. It was written by some forty writers, who had not made any mutual agreement with each other. That was not possible either, because they wrote over a period of at least 1500 years. Without any visible plan or design, one part after the other was added. When Moses died, the first five parts of the Old Testament (the Pentateuch) were complete. A few scrolls were added during the time of King David's reign. In the days of Ezra, shortly after the Babylonian exile, the Old Testament was almost finished. When the Old Testament was complete, about four centuries before our Christian era, a book had been created that looks exactly as it does today. The esteem for this Old Testament was so great that, as the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus wrote about it, "Nobody in the course of the centuries had had the courage to add or remove something from it".
The New Testament came into being in a similar way. Jesus himself did not, as far as we know, write a single line of divine revelation. No letter of the New Testament had yet been written even 50 years after the birth of Jesus. But then, without a preconceived plan, the parts of the New Testament arose, often very far away from each other and by way of very different people. These parts circulated and were collected by groups of Christians, who hardly had any difficulty with the question of which books belonged to the collection and which did not. Their respect for that which had been written was so great, that the New Testament was immediately recognized as Scriptures by almost everyone.
2. The uniqueness of its unity.
This point derives from the uniqueness of its origin. How could dozens of writers, from totally different backgrounds and surroundings, and without any agreement, write a work that is so perfect in its unity? The Bible deals with hundreds of topics and yet a very clear and consistent line can be discovered throughout it. How does one explain the harmony and continuity found throughout the Bible? The unity of the Bible cannot be seen more clearly than from the common threads that are woven through the whole book. The uniqueness of the Bible is not that it points to a religious program; rather, it is found in that it points to a Person: Jesus Christ, the true and only way for man to God. The whole Old Testament points forward to this Person. As we will see (in section 8) the New Testament shows us the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament, whether they are in images or in direct prophecies. In this way the New Testament sets forth the significance of the coming of Christ. This theme can only be found in the Bible and is completely unique! It is only because of unity that it has been possible to build a coherent and consistent Christian doctrine from the Bible.3. The uniqueness of its relevance.
Many books have been written that were completely forgotten within one generation. Many books were published that temporarily enjoyed more interest than the Bible. But how many books are there that are centuries old, and which are still read regularly and with great interest by many? Which medieval books are still printed on a large scale and read by a wide audience? Which classic books are being read, not because they must be read, but because they may be read, regularly? What is it about the Bible that makes it so popular? The Bible is among the oldest preserved writings that humanity possesses. And yet they are still being devoured by millions of people! And not only because of historical interest, but because people apparently feel the importance of the Bible for their every day life. This interest is also universal. It is the only Book in the world that is actively and actually read by so many people of every class and age.4. The uniqueness of its distribution.
Because of the enduring relevance of the Bible and of the enormous interest that exists for it, it is not surprising that the Bible is also unique in terms of the number of translations and editions that have been made of it. The Bible is one of the first books ever translated: around 250 BC the complete Old Testament was translated into Greek. This translation is called “the Septuagint” (= "Seventy"). Since then, the Bible has been translated many times. In 1970, the Bible had already appeared in 249 languages and dialects, individual Testaments, and 329 languages, while portions of the Bible had been published in 853 other languages. Taken together that adds up to 1431 languages. In 1975 these numbers were respectively 261, 384 and 932. That is, all together, 1577 languages. In 2017, the Bible was translated, in whole or in part, into 3312 living languages (Also look at the updated statistics of Wycliff Bible translators). Between 1950 and 1960 alone there were about 3000 Bible translators at work. Here too the Bible is unique! The same applies to the sales figures of the Bible. The Bible has been read by more people, published in more languages and sold in greater numbers than any other book in the world. Viewed over a longer period, there is no book whose sales numbers come close to that of the Bible. The Bible is by far the best-selling book ever. It is not known how many copies have ever been sold, but researchers agree that the Bible is the best-selling book ever of all time, without any doubt. It is estimated that hundreds of millions of copies of the Bible have been sold.5. The uniqueness of its survival.
Of course a book that has sold in the millions doesn't run the risk of easily getting lost, but it has not always been that way. The Bible was originally written on material that decayed very easily and had to be copied for centuries by hand, before the printing press was invented. Compared to other antique works many more manuscripts were retained than of any dozen randomly selected classical works. The New Testament has been preserved in more manuscripts than any other work. There are over 5800 complete or fragmented Greek manuscripts, 1000 Latin manuscripts, and yet another 9300 manuscripts in other classical languages, such as Syrian, Slavic, Gothic, Ethiopian, Coptic, and Armenean. There are far less Old Testament manuscripts, but in fact they were even better preserved. Ancient rabbis kept registers of all letters, syllables, words and paragraphs of the Old Testament and were known to have special classes of men whose only obligation it was to copy and save the holy manuscripts with the greatest care possible. Who ever counted all the letters, syllables and words of works of Homer or Tacitus (the historian)? The accuracy of the text of the Bible is incredibly great, which can be demonstrated by the following comparison: The text of Shakespeare, which is only a few centuries old, is far less precise, and is even “corrupt” (i.e., uncertain, mutilated), than that of the New Testament, which has existed for about nineteen centuries, fourteen of them only in manuscript form. On the one hand, in all of the New Testament there are perhaps only ten or twenty verses about which there is yet uncertainty as to the correct reading, and in each case the meaning of the verses is not at stake. On the other hand, the stage plays of Shakespeare still feature a few hundred passages about which there are still disagreements, and in the majority of cases there are major differences in meaning.However, the Bible is not only unique in terms of its survival through ages pre-dating the printing press, but also in its survival despite many violent attacks. For centuries people have tried to destroy or burn it. Kings and emperors, but also religious leaders, have worked with zeal for its destruction. In AD 303 the great Roman emperor Diocletian issued an order to destroy all Christians and their holy book. It was the biggest attack on the Bible in history: hundreds of thousands of Christians died and almost all Bible manuscripts were destroyed. Yet the Bible soon reappeared, and the irony of history was that 22 years later Emperor Constantine raised the Bible to infallible authority at the first general council. He also ordered Eusebius to make fifty copies of the Bible at the expense of the government.
After the Roman empire the Middle Ages followed. The Roman Church kept the Bible so effectively hidden from the people, that for centuries the Bible was practically unknown. Even Luther, according to his own words, was almost an adult before he ever even saw a Bible. Council decisions and papal bans demanded that the Bible be publicly burnt. Bible readers were condemned by the Inquisition, tortured and burned. Things changed slowly only after the Reformation. But after that, then right in the womb of protestantism, a new series of attacks arose: the attacks of ‘Bible criticism’. Especially in Germany a whole army of rationalists appeared on the scene and invented wild and fierce attacks on the Bible. But since then the Bible has been distributed more, read more, and loved more than ever before. The attackers have died, their attacks have been refuted and the Bible still stands as a rock. What book can be compared to that? The Bible is the most widely distributed book because it is the most beloved book in the world. But the most surprising thing is that, at the same time, it is also the most hated and the most criticized book in the world. No chapter, no rule in the Bible, has been saved from criticism; there is no other book to be found in the whole world of which that can be said to the same extent. All in all, therefore, no sensible human being can deny that how the Bible has stood the test of time and survived attacks through the ages is evidence that it is absolutely unique.
6. The uniqueness of its literary character.
The Jewish leaders were astonished that the apostles (among whom were some of the New Testament writers) were uneducated and simple people — certainly not the persons from whom they expected literary masterpieces. And yet the Bible became exactly that: a collection of literary masterpieces, not only for the ancient Hebrews or the early Greek-speaking Christians, but also for those who spoke in the languages of all civilized peoples. This is generally acknowledged as such. According to the non-Christian Arthur Brisbane the Bible contains brilliant examples of great literature in every form: lyrical poetry (the Psalms); epic poetry (Genesis); dramatic poetry (Job); historical storytelling (the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles); rural idyll (Ruth); patriotism (Esther and Daniel); practical wisdom (Proverbs); philosophical reflections (Ecclesiastes); passionate eloquence (Isaiah); short historical writings (the Gospels); epistles of The New Testament (the letters); mystical rapture (Revelation). Dutch is formed by and developed from the great literary treasure of the State Translation. High German is completely "made" by the old Luther Bible. Thomas Carlyle wrote that the Bible is the most wonderful example of literature that has ever flowed from a human pen. He himself, a master of the pen, was able to judge that. The great English historian Froude, though not a Christian, said that the well-known Bible is literature in itself, the rarest and richest in all areas of thought. English has been mastered by the language of the Authorized Version (the King James Version). Such a literary masterpiece could not fail to exert great influence on world literature, and that it indeed has done so is abundantly clear.7. The uniqueness of its moral character.
Yet even more important than the literary character of the Bible is the uniqueness of its moral character. In my opinion this is of decisive importance and is that which makes the Bible extraordinarily unique. Professor Max Muller did not even dare to translate the Hindu scriptures literally in order not to be arrested for publishing pornography. There is an unbridgeable moral gap between the Bible on the one hand and other religious writings on the other hand. The uniqueness of the Bible is that it teaches a moral system that goes radically against the normal moral awareness of a human being! A morality that, for example, means that we must love our enemies and to do good to those who hate and persecute us, that says that a lustful gaze is adultery and that hate is murder, can be called quite unique. The Bible is without doubt written by men. And yet those men wrote in a totally different way from how others have always written. Normally people don't write about themselves negatively, as we find, for example, in Romans 3:10-23. They usually do not write about how they were overcome by the devil without any struggle (Genesis 3:6-19). And who would ever have thought up a hell as eternal punishment for sin and unbelief? By the same token, who would have invented an eternal bliss for the guilty who, without the slightest merit of their own, are relieved, by pure grace, of a punishment that they, as lost, had earned just as well as those who are condemned? Normally a man always seeks God's favor as a kind of reward for his "goodness"; his religion is always and everywhere a recipe for improving character and behavior.
But this (human) concept is completely alien to the Bible, in which people, driven by God, proclaim that salvation is by grace, a gift of God who wants to save people; that man is hopelessly lost and can do nothing else for his salvation than to believe in Jesus Christ. One can see this contrast from the way that the Bible speaks of sin. People usually tend to think lightly of evil. They call sin a mistake, a shortcoming or a bad habit. But the Bible calls sin rebellion against the holy and righteous will of God. Let's take for example sexual sins. People are usually inclined, when they speak about sexual subjects, to be either prudish or to experience lust from it. The Bible is completely different. It is never prudish but calls sexual evil for what it is. It is never lustful; rather, it unambiguously announces judgment about these sins. In a positive way, where sexuality is experienced within marriage, the Bible regards it as a gift from God. From their own dirty minds some have called the Bible an immoral book, because it so unscrupulously describes the sins of many main characters. Some have even claimed (without much self-knowledge) that the protagonists in the Bible were inferior, ignoble people, to whom we should pay no attention. How absurd this accusation is, is shown by the fact that in the Old Testament sexual sins were punished with death. The New Testament judges this even more strongly, if there is no repentance of evil. No, the moral standard of the Bible appears nowhere clearer than in the fact that it so bluntly sums up the sins and weaknesses of its noblest and most beloved main characters. Indeed, Noah became drunk; David was guilty of adultery and murder; Peter cursed and swore. That was wrong, but were they so exceptional? The Bible simply shows man as he is. Even the most attractive and noblest person is no better than anyone else. The Bible is real in a unique way. Imagine a Bible put together and published by a religious society. Would we ever had heard anything about the cunning lie of Abraham, the cowardly denial of Peter, the foolish idolatry of Solomon, the shame of Lot, the deception of Jacob, or the dispute between Paul and Barnabas, or the headstrongness of Moses? No way! A commission of venerable clergymen would have presented us with a Bible full of flawless people, examples of impeccable piety and holy walking, and not a Bible of those poor miserable sinners that they really were. In fact, some Bible writers are not even ashamed of describing their own sins, such as Matthew, John and Paul. What books can be pointed out that show such remarkable characteristics?
But isn't that maybe the core of emotions around the Bible? The absolutely unique moral character of this book irrevocably forces man to make a choice, a decision. No one seems to be able to remain unmoved and neutral towards the Bible. Is that maybe the reason that the Bible is the most sold, most widespread, most translated and most read book in the world? Is that why no other book than the Bible was so attacked, criticized, fought? Do they perhaps hate the Bible for the same reason why the criminal hates the law on the basis of which he is being punished? But the reverse is also true: the Bible is, like I said, also the most beloved book in the world. Jesus once said of the false prophets: By their fruits you will recognize them... Every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree gives bad fruit. Exactly the same can be said of the Bible. If the Bible is a good book, it must be apparent from the fruit it produces. Marcus Aurelius, Confucius and other moralists have written high-quality standard works on ethics. But who knows just one example of a man that has been brought to a truly good and holy life by studying these books? They do present a certain ideal, but practice shows that it totally lacks the power that apparently the Bible does have — to elevate the fallen man from that ideal. The Bible does this by bringing us into contact with Jesus Christ, who does not 'mend' the heart of the fallen man, but who died for him and, instead, gives him a 'new heart.' The fallen man has died in and with Christ. That is, according to the testimony of the Bible (Romans 6: 3-11), the one who has accepted Christ by true faith and who has been grafted into the resurrected Christ, is a completely new man, a new creation! That makes a great difference. The great biblical answer to the moral problem of modern man is a personal, a spiritual, a being born-again, a true inner-life change! Not a conversion to a system, but to a Person - and a sincere, passionate and living faith in the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, led by and being filled with the Holy Spirit who lives, as promised, in every true Christian; not someone that adheres to a religious system, but someone who has dedicated his life (handed himself over) to Christ.
8. The uniqueness of his predictive ability (fulfilled prophecies)
About 80% of Biblical prophecies have already come true (there are hundreds). Biblical predictions about the future have proven 100% reliable to date. The remaining 20% of those prophecies are, for a large part, about the end time, which is still to happen. Jesus speaks of a period in world history in which everything that is written will be fulfilled (Luke 21:22). In the time of the early Church Jewish people came to faith on the basis of the prophetic Word. That was a period in which many things from the Scriptures were fulfilled. Even the unbelieving king Agrippa knew the prophets and believed them. I focus here mainly on the Messianic prophecies, because they are so obvious in terms of clear prophecy and its fulfillment and also of the utmost importance (it is all about Jesus). Consider, for example, as a clear example, the prophecy in Micah. A wondrous prophecy, which says:"And you, Bethlehem-Ephratah (Ephratah, old name for the city of Bethlehem), although you are small among the thousands of Judah, from you will come forth the one Who will be a Ruler in Israel. His origins have always been from of old"(Micah 5: 2). Why is that prophecy so special? Because it was foresaid almost 700 years earlier, without any knowledge of it! About 700 years later, at the birth of the Lord Jesus, King Herod, in a panic, ordered all the chief priests and scribes to find out where the Child was born. Although these men were not believing, they were able to tell exactly where Jesus was born. The prophecy excludes all possible doubts and is as clear as can be. Down here you can find a list of more than three hundred Messianic prophecies fulfilled. I suggest you read them carefully and look both Old and New Testament verses up in the Bible. Think and pray with an open heart about what it means, and let it sink in.
A list of chronological Messianic Prophecies throughout the Bible:
(In order from Genesis to Malachi. If you hover over a link the Bible verse will show up)| Old Testament | Prophecy/Foresaying/Foreshadowing | Fulfillment (New Testament) |
| Genesis 3:15 | The Seed of the women would bruise the serpent’'s head | Galatians 4:4 Hebrews 2:14, 1 John 3:8 |
| Genesis 12:3 | The seed of Abraham will bless all nations | Galatians 3:8, Acts 3:25-26 |
| Genesis 14:18 | A priest after the order of Melchizedek | Hebrews 6:20 |
| Genesis 14:18 | Priest of the most high God, king of peace and righeousness | Hebrews 7:1-3 |
| Genesis 14:18 | The Last Supper foreshadowed | Matthew 26:26-29 |
| Genesis 17:19, Genesis 21:12 | Would be a descendant of Isaac | Luke 3:34 |
| Genesis 22:8-18 | God would provide himself a Lamb for a burnt offering | John 1:29 |
| Genesis 22:18, Genesis 26:2-5 | The seed of Isaac's will bless all nations (through Christ) | Galatians 3:14-16, Hebrews 11:18 |
| Genesis 28:12-17 | The Ladder to /gate of heaven (all nations will be blessed) | John 1:51 |
| Genesis 49:10 | The scepter shall not depart from Judah | Matthew 2:6 |
| Genesis 49:10 | Until ‘Shiloh’ (bringer of peace/rest) comes (from Judah) | John 17:3, Revelation 5:5 |
| Genesis 49:10 | Unto Him shall the gathering of the people be | John 10:16 |
| Exodus 12:5 | A Lamb without blemish | Hebrews 9:14; 1 Peter 1:19, 1 Peter 2:22-24; 2 Corinthians 5:21 |
| Exodus 12:13 | The blood of the Lamb saves from wrath | 1 John 1:7 |
| Exodus 12:21-27 | Christ is our Passover | 1 Corinthians 5:7, Revelation 5:6, Revelation 13:8 |
| Exodus 12:46 | Not a bone of the Lamb to be broken | John 19:31-36 |
| Leviticus 1:9, Leviticus 1:13 | His sacrifice a sweet smelling savor unto God | Ephesians 5:2 |
| Leviticus 16:15-17 | Prefigures Christ's as high priest and His sacrifice for mankind | Hebrews 9:7-14 |
| Leviticus 16:27 | Suffering outside the Camp | Matthew 27:33; Heb. 13:11, 12 |
| Leviticus 17:11 | The Blood-the life of the flesh | Matthew 26:28; Mark 10:45 |
| Leviticus 17:11 | It is the blood that makes atonement | Rom. 3:23-24; 1 John 1:7 |
| Numbers 9:12 | Not a bone of Him broken | John 19:31-36 |
| Numbers 21:9 | The serpent on a pole-Christ lifted up | John 3:14-18; 12:32 |
| Numbers 24:17 | Messiah would be a descendant of Jacob. | Matthew 1:2 |
| Deuteronomy 18:15 | Messiah would be a prophet | John 6:14 |
| Deuteronomy 18:15-16 | Had ye believed Moses, ye would believe me. | John 5:45-47 |
| Deuteronomy 18:18 | Sent by the Father to speak His word | John 8:28, 29 |
| Deuteronomy 18:19 | Whoever will not hear must bear his sin | Acts 3:22-23 |
| Deuteronomy 21:23 | Cursed is he that hangs on a tree | Galatians 3:10-13 |
| Ruth 4:4-10 | Christ, our kinsman (Boaz), has redeemed us | Ephesians 1:3-7 |
| 1 Samuel 2:10 | Shall be an anointed King | Acts 4: 26-27 |
| 1 Samuel 2:35 | A Faithful Priest | Heb. 2:17; 3:1-3, 6; 7:24-25 |
| 2 Samuel 7:12 | Kingdom from David's Seed | Matthew 1:1 |
| 2 Samuel 7:13 | His Kingdom is everlasting | 2 Peter 1:11 |
| 2 Samuel 7:14 | The Son of God | Luke 1:32, Romans 1:3-4 |
| 2 Samuel 7:16 | David's house established forever | Luke 3:31; Rev. 22:16 |
| 1 Chronicles 17:11-13 | From David's Seed a King to reign forever | Matthew 1:1; 9:27, Luke 1:32-33, Hebrews 1:5 |
| Psalms 2:1-3 | The enmity of kings foreordained | Acts 4:25-28 |
| Psalms 2:6 | To own the title King | Matthew 2:2 |
| Psalms 2:7 | Will be called ‘My Son’ (making it God’s son) | Matthew 3:17, Matthew 12: 18, Romans 1:4, Acts 13:33 |
| Psalms 2:12 | Life comes through faith in Him | John 20:31 |
| Psalms 8:2 | The mouths of babes perfect His praise | Matthew 21: 15,16 |
| Psalms 8:5, 6 | His humiliation and exaltation | Hebrews 2:5-9 |
| Psalms 16:10 | Was not to see corruption, was to arise from the dead | Acts 2:31; Acts 13:35, John 20:9 |
| Psalms 18:2-3 | The horn of salvation | Luke 1:69-71 |
| Psalms 22:1 | Forsaken because of sins of others | 2 Corinthians 5:21 |
| Psalms 22:1 | My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? | Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34 |
| Psalms 22:2 | Darkness upon Calvary for three hours | Matthew 27:45 |
| Psalms 22:7 | They shoot out the lip and shake the head | Matthew 27:39-44 |
| Psalms 22:8 | He trusted in God, let Him deliver Him | Matthew 27:43 |
| Psalms 22:9-10 | Born the Saviour | Luke 2:7 |
| Psalms 22:12-13 | They seek His death | John 19:6 |
| Psalms 22:14 | His blood poured out when they pierced His side | John 19:34, 37 |
| Psalms 22:14, 15 | Suffered agony on Calvary | Mark 15:34-37 |
| Psalms 22:15 | He thirsted | John 19:28 |
| Psalms 22:16 | They pierced His hands and His feet | John 20:25-27 |
| Psalms 22:17, 18 | Stripped Him before the stares of men | Luke 23:34, 35 |
| Psalms 22:18 | They parted His garments | John 19:23, 24 |
| Psalms 22:20, 21 | He committed Himself to God | Luke 23:46 |
| Psalms 24:7-10 | Messiah would ascend to heaven. | Mark 16:19 Luke 24:51 |
| Psalms 30:3 | His resurrection predicted | Acts 2:32 |
| Psalms 31:5 | Into thy hands I commit my spirit | Luke 23:46 |
| Psalms 31:11 | His acquaintances fled from Him | Mark 14:50 |
| Psalms 31:13 | They took counsel to put Him to death | Mt. 27:1, John 11:53 |
| Psalms 31:14-16 | He trusted in God (the Father), that He would deliver Him | Matthew 27:43 |
| Psalms 34:20 | Not a bone of Him would be broken | John 19:31-36 |
| Psalms 35:11 | False witnesses rose up against Him | Matthew 26:59 |
| Psalms 35:19 | He was hated without a cause | John 15:25 |
| Psalms 38:11 | His friends stood afar off | Luke 23:49 |
| Psalms 38:12 | Enemies try to entangle Him by craft | Mark 14:1, Mt. 22:15 |
| Psalms 38:12-13 | Silent before His accusers | Matthew 27:12-14 |
| Psalms 38:20 | He went about doing good | Acts 10:38 |
| Psalms 40:6-8 | His delight-the will of the Father | John 4:34, Heb. 10:5-10 |
| Psalms 40:9 | He was to preach the Righteousness in Israel | Matthew 4:17 |
| Psalms 40:14 | Confronted by adversaries in the Garden | John 18:4-6 |
| Psalms 41:9 | Betrayed by a familiar friend | John 13:18 |
| Psalms 45:2 | Words of Grace come from His lips | John 1:17, Luke 4:22 |
| Psalms 45:6 | To own the title, God or Elohim, anointed with the oil of gladness | Hebrews 1:8-9 |
| Psalms 49:15 | Messiah would resurrect from the dead | Matthew 28:2-7 Acts 2:22-32 |
| Psalms 68:18 | Ascended into Heaven | Luke 24:51 |
| Psalms 69:4 | Hated without a cause | John 15:25 |
| Psalms 69:8 | A stranger to own brethren | John 1:11; 7:5 |
| Psalms 69:9 | Zealous for the Lord's House | John 2:17 |
| Psalms 69:14-20 | Messiah's anguish of soul before crucifixion | Matthew 26:36-45 |
| Psalms 69:20 | My soul is exceeding sorrowful. | Matthew 26:38 |
| Psalms 69:21 | Given vinegar in thirst | Matthew 27:34 |
| Psalms 69:26 | The Saviour given and smitten by God | John 17:4; 18:11 |
| Psalms 72:10, 11 | Great persons were to visit Him | Matthew 2:1-11 |
| Psalms 72:16 | The corn of wheat to fall into the Ground | John 12:24-25 |
| Psalms 72:17 | Belief on His name will produce offspring | John 1:12, 13 |
| Psalms 72:17 | All nations shall be blessed by Him | Galatians 3:8 |
| Psalms 72:17 | All nations shall call Him blessed | John 12:13, Rev. 5:8-12 |
| Psalms 78:1-2 | He would teach in parables | Matthew 13:34-35 |
| Psalms 78:2 | To speak the Wisdom of God with authority | Matthew 7:29 |
| Psalms 80:17 | The Man of God's right hand | Mark 14:61-62 |
| Psalms 88:8 | They stood afar off and watched | Luke 23:49 |
| Psalms 89:27 | Firstborn | Colossians 1:15, 18 |
| Psalms 89:27 | Emmanuel to be higher than earthly kings | Luke 1:32, 33 |
| Psalms 89:35-37 | David's Seed, throne, kingdom endure forever | Luke 1:32, 33 |
| Psalms 89:36-37 | His character-Faithfulness | Revelation 1:5; 19:11 |
| Psalms 90:2 | He is from everlasting (Micah 5:2) | John 1:1 |
| Psalms 91:11, 12 | Identified as Messianic; used to tempt Christ | Luke 4:10, 11 |
| Psalms 97:9 | His exaltation predicted | Acts 1:11; Ephesians 1:20 |
| Psalms 100:5 | His character-Goodness | Matthew 19:16, 17 |
| Psalms 102:1-11 | The Suffering and Reproach of Calvary | John 19:16-30 |
| Psalms 102:25-27 | Messiah is the Preexistent Son | Hebrews 1:10-12 |
| Psalm 109:3-5 | Messiah would pray for his enemies. | Luke 23:34 |
| Psalms 109:25 | Ridiculed | Matthew 27:39 |
| Psalms 110:1 | Son of David | Matthew 22:42-43 |
| Psalms 110:1 | To ascend to the right-hand of the Father | Mark 16:19 |
| Psalms 110:1 | David's son called Lord | Matthew 22:44, 45 |
| Psalms 110:4 | A priest after Melchizedek's order | Hebrews 6:20 |
| Psalms 112:4 | His character-Compassionate, Gracious, et al | Matthew 9:36 |
| Psalms 118:17, 18 | Messiah's Resurrection assured | Luke 24:5-7; 1 Cor. 15:20 |
| Psalms 118:22, 23 | The rejected stone is Head of the corner | Matthew 21:42, 43 |
| Psalms 118:26 | The Blessed One presented to Israel | Matthew 21:9 |
| Psalms 118:26 | To come while Temple standing | Matthew 21:12-15 |
| Psalms 132:11 | The Seed of David (the fruit of His Body) | Luke 1:32, Act 2:30 |
| Psalms 129:3 | He was scourged | Matthew 27:26 |
| Psalms 138:1-6 | The supremacy of David's Seed amazes kings | Matthew 2:2-6 |
| Psalms 147:3, 6 | The earthly ministry of Christ described | Luke 4:18 |
| Job 9:32-33 | Mediator between man and God | 1 Timothy 2:5 |
| Job 19:23-27 | The Resurrection predicted | John 5:24-29 |
| Proverbs 1:23 | He will send the Spirit of God | John 16:7 |
| Proverbs 8:23 | Foreordained from everlasting | Revelation 13:8; 1 Peter 1:19-20 |
| Song of Solomon 5:16 | The altogether lovely One | John 1:17 |
| Isaiah 2:3 | He shall teach all nations | John 4:25 |
| Isaiah 2:4 | He shall judge among the nations | John 5:22 |
| Isaiah 6:1 | When Isaiah saw His glory | John 12:40-41 |
| Isaiah 6:8 | The One Sent by God | John 12:38-45 |
| Isaiah 6:9-10 | Parables fall on deaf ears | Matthew 13:13-15 |
| Isaiah 6:9-12 | Blinded to Christ and deaf to His words | Acts 28:23-29 |
| Isaiah 7:14 | To be born of a virgin | Luke 1:35 |
| Isaiah 7:14 | To be Emmanuel-God with us | Matthew 1:18-23, 1Tim. 3:16 |
| Isaiah 8:8 | Called Emmanuel | Matthew 28:20 |
| Isaiah 8:14 | A stone of stumbling, a Rock of offense | 1Peter 2:8 |
| Isaiah 9:1, 2 | His ministry to begin in Galilee | Matthew 4:12-17 |
| Isaiah 9:6 | A child born-Humanity | Luke 1:31 |
| Isaiah 9:6 | A Son given-Deity | Luke 1:32, John 1:14, 1Tim. 3:16 |
| Isaiah 9:6 | Declared to be the Son of God with power | Romans 1:3, 4 |
| Isaiah 9:6 | The Wonderful One, Peleh | Luke 4:22 |
| Isaiah 9:6 | The Counsellor, Yaatz | Matthew 13:54 |
| Isaiah 9:6 | The Mighty God, El Gibor | 1Cor. 1:24, Titus 2:13 |
| Isaiah 9:6 | The Everlasting Father, Avi Adth | John 8:58; 10:30 |
| Isaiah 9:6 | The Prince of Peace, Sar Shalom | John 16:33 |
| Isaiah 9:7 | Inherits the throne of David | Luke 1:32 |
| Isaiah 9:7 | His Character-Just | John 5:30 |
| Isaiah 9:7 | No end to his Government, Throne, and kingdom | Luke 1:33 |
| Isaiah 11:1 | Called a Nazarene-the Branch, Netzer | Matthew 2:23 |
| Isaiah 11:1 | A rod out of Jesse-Son of Jesse | Luke 3:23, 32 |
| Isaiah 11:2 | Anointed One by the Spirit | Matthew 3:16, 17, Acts 10:38 |
| Isaiah 11:2 | His Character-Wisdom, Knowledge, et al | Colossians 2:3 |
| Isaiah 11:3 | He would know their thoughts | Luke 6:8, John 2:25 |
| Isaiah 11:4 | Judge in righteousness | Acts 17:31 |
| Isaiah 11:4 | Judges with the sword of His mouth | Rev. 2:16; 19:11, 15 |
| Isaiah 11:5 | Character: Righteous & Faithful | Rev. 19:11 |
| Isaiah 11:10 | The Gentiles seek Him | John 12:18-21 |
| Isaiah 12:2 | Called Jesus-Yeshua | Matthew 1:21 |
| Isaiah 22:22 | The One given all authority to govern | Revelation 3:7 |
| Isaiah 25:8 | The Resurrection predicted | 1 Corinthians 15:54 |
| Isaiah 26:19 | His power of Resurrection predicted | Matthew 27:50-54 |
| Isaiah 28:16 | The Messiah is the precious corner stone | Acts 4:11, 12 |
| Isaiah 28:16 | The Sure Foundation | 1Corinthians 3:11, Mt. 16:18 |
| Isaiah 29:13 | He indicated hypocritical obedience to His Word | Matthew 15:7-9 |
| Isaiah 29:14 | The wise are confounded by the Word | 1Corinthians 1:18-31 |
| Isaiah 32:2 | A Refuge-A man shall be a hiding place | Matthew 23:37 |
| Isaiah 35:4 | He will come and save you | Matthew 1:21 |
| Isaiah 35:5-6 | To have a ministry of miracles | Matthew 11:2-6 |
| Isaiah 40:3, 4 | Preceded by forerunner | John 1:23 |
| Isaiah 40:9 | Behold your God. | John 1:36; 19:14 |
| Isaiah 40:10 | He will come to reward | Revelation 22:12 |
| Isaiah 40:11 | A shepherd-compassionate life-giver | John 10:10-18 |
| Isaiah 42:1-4 | The Servant-as a faithful, patient redeemer | Matthew 12:18-21 |
| Isaiah 42:2 | Meek and lowly | Matthew 11:28-30 |
| Isaiah 42:3 | He brings hope for the hopeless | Mt. 12:14-21; John 4:1-54 |
| Isaiah 42:4 | The nations shall wait on His teachings | John 12:20-26 |
| Isaiah 42:6 | The Light (salvation) of the Gentiles | Luke 2:32 |
| Isaiah 42:1, 6 | His is a worldwide compassion | Matthew 28:19, 20 |
| Isaiah 42:7 | Blind eyes opened. | John 9:25-38 |
| Isaiah 43:11 | He is the only Saviour. | Acts 4:12 |
| Isaiah 44:3 | He will send the Spirit of God | John 16:7, 13 |
| Isaiah 45:21-25 | He is Lord and Saviour | Philippians 3:20, Titus 2:13 |
| Isaiah 45:23 | He will be the Judge | John 5:22; Romans 14:11 |
| Isaiah 46:9, 10 | Declares things not yet done | John 13:19 |
| Isaiah 48:12 | The First and the Last | John 1:30, Revelation 1:8, 17 |
| Isaiah 48:16, 17 | He came as a Teacher | John 3:2 |
| Isaiah 49:1 | Called from the womb-His humanity | Matthew 1:18 |
| Isaiah 49:5 | A Servant from the womb. | Luke 1:31, Philippians 2:7 |
| Isaiah 49:6 | He will restore Israel | Acts 3:19-21; 15:16-17 |
| Isaiah 49:6 | He is Salvation for Israel | Luke 2:29-32 |
| Isaiah 49:6 | He is the Light of the Gentiles | John 8:12, Acts 13:47 |
| Isaiah 49:6 | He is Salvation unto the ends of the earth | Acts 15:7-18 |
| Isaiah 49:7 | He is despised of the Nation | John 1:11; 8:48-49; 19:14-15 |
| Isaiah 50:3 | Heaven is clothed in black at His humiliation | Luke 23:44, 45 |
| Isaiah 50:4 | He is a learned counselor for the weary | Matthew 7:29; 11:28, 29 |
| Isaiah 50:5 | The Servant bound willingly to obedience | Matthew 26:39 |
| Isaiah 50:6 | I gave my back to the smiters. | Matthew 27:26 |
| Isaiah 50:6 | He was smitten on the cheeks | Matthew 26:67 |
| Isaiah 50:6 | He was spat upon | Matthew 27:30 |
| Isaiah 52:7 | Published good tidings upon mountains | Matthew 5:12; 15:29; 28:16 |
| Isaiah 52:13 | The Servant exalted | Acts 1:8-11; Eph. 1:19-22, Php. 2:5-9 |
| Isaiah 52:14 | The Servant shockingly abused | Luke 18:31-34; Mt. 26:67, 68 |
| Isaiah 52:15 | Nations startled by message of the Servant | Luke 18:31-34; Mt. 26:67, 68 |
| Isaiah 52:15 | His blood shed sprinkles nations | Hebrews 9:13-14, Rev. 1:5 |
| Isaiah 53:1 | His people would not believe Him | John 12:37-38 |
| Isaiah 53:2 | Appearance of an ordinary man | Philippians 2:6-8 |
| Isaiah 53:3 | Despised | Luke 4:28-29 |
| Isaiah 53:3 | Rejected | Matthew 27:21-23 |
| Isaiah 53:3 | Great sorrow and grief | Matthew 26:37-38, Luke 19:41, Heb. 4:15 |
| Isaiah 53:3 | Men hide from being associated with Him | Mark 14:50-52 |
| Isaiah 53:4 | He would have a healing ministry | Matthew 8:16-17 |
| Isaiah 53:4 | Thought to be cursed by God | Matthew 26:66; 27:41-43 |
| Isaiah 53:5 | Bears penalty for mankind's iniquities | 2Cor. 5:21, Heb. 2:9 |
| Isaiah 53:5 | His sacrifice provides peace between man and God | Colossians 1:20 |
| Isaiah 53:5 | His sacrifice would heal man of sin | 1Peter 2:24 |
| Isaiah 53:6 | He would be the sin-bearer for all mankind | 1John 2:2; 4:10 |
| Isaiah 53:6 | God's will that He bear sin for all mankind | Galatians 1:4 |
| Isaiah 53:7 | Oppressed and afflicted | Matthew 27:27-31 |
| Isaiah 53:7 | Silent before his accusers | Matthew 27:12-14 |
| Isaiah 53:7 | Sacrificial lamb | John 1:29, 1Peter 1:18-19 |
| Isaiah 53:8 | Confined and persecuted | Matthew 26:47-75; 27:1-31 |
| Isaiah 53:8 | He would be judged | John 18:13-22 |
| Isaiah 53:8 | Killed | Matthew 27:35 |
| Isaiah 53:8 | Dies for the sins of the world | 1John 2:2 |
| Isaiah 53:9 | Buried in a rich man's grave | Matthew 27:57 |
| Isaiah 53:9 | Innocent and had done no violence | Luke 23:41, John 18:38 |
| Isaiah 53:9 | No deceit in his mouth | 1Peter 2:22 |
| Isaiah 53:10 | God's will that He die for mankind | John 18:11 |
| Isaiah 53:10 | An offering for sin | Matthew 20:28, Galatians 3:13 |
| Isaiah 53:10 | Resurrected and live forever | Romans 6:9 |
| Isaiah 53:10 | He would prosper | John 17:1-5 |
| Isaiah 53:11 | God fully satisfied with His suffering | John 12:27 |
| Isaiah 53:11 | God's servant would justify man | Romans 5:8-9, 18-19 |
| Isaiah 53:11 | The sin-bearer for all mankind | Hebrews 9:28 |
| Isaiah 53:12 | Exalted by God because of his sacrifice | Matthew 28:18 |
| Isaiah 53:12 | He would give up his life to save mankind | Luke 23:46 |
| Isaiah 53:12 | Numbered with the transgressors | Mark 15:27-28; Luke 22:37 |
| Isaiah 53:12 | Sin-bearer for all mankind | 1Peter 2:24 |
| Isaiah 53:12 | Intercede to God in behalf of mankind | Luke 23:34, Rom. 8:34 |
| Isaiah 55:3 | Resurrected by God | Acts 13:34 |
| Isaiah 55:4 | A witness | John 18:37 |
| Isaiah 55:4 | He is a leader and commander | Hebrews 2:10 |
| Isaiah 55:5 | God would glorify Him | Acts 3:13 |
| Isaiah 59:16 | Intercessor between man and God | Matthew 10:32 |
| Isaiah 59:16 | He would come to provide salvation | John 6:40 |
| Isaiah 59:20 | He would come to Zion as their Redeemer | Luke 2:38 |
| Isaiah 60:1-3 | He would shew light to the Gentiles | Acts 26:23 |
| Isaiah 61:1 | The Spirit of God upon him | Matthew 3:16-17 |
| Isaiah 61:1 | The Messiah would preach the good news | Luke 4:16-21 |
| Isaiah 61:1 | Provide freedom from the bondage of sin | John 8:31-36 |
| Isaiah 61:1-2 | Proclaim a period of grace | Galatians 4:4-5 |
| Jeremiah 11:21 | Conspiracy to kill Jesus | John 7:1, Matthew 21:38 |
| Jeremiah 23:5-6 | Descendant of David | Luke 3:23-31 |
| Jeremiah 23:5-6 | The Messiah would be both God and Man | John 13:13, 1Ti 3:16 |
| Jeremiah 31:15 | A massacre of children would happen at Messiah's birthplace. | Matthew 2:16-18 |
| Jeremiah 31:22 | Born of a virgin | Matthew 1:18-20 |
| Jeremiah 31:31 | The Messiah would be the new covenant | Matthew 26:28 |
| Jeremiah 33:14-15 | Descendant of David | Luke 3:23-31 |
| Ezekiel 34:23-24 | Descendant of David | Matthew 1:1 |
| Ezekiel 37:24-25 | Descendant of David | Luke 1:31-33 |
| Daniel 2:44-45 | The Stone that shall break the kingdoms | Matthew 21:44 |
| Daniel 7:13-14 | He would ascend into heaven | Acts 1:9-11 |
| Daniel 7:13-14 | Highly exalted | Ephesians 1:20-22 |
| Daniel 7:13-14 | His dominion would be everlasting | Luke 1:31-33 |
| Daniel 9:24 | To make an end to sins | Galatians 1:3-5 |
| Daniel 9:24 | To make reconciliation for iniquity | Romans 5:10, 2Cor. 5:18-21 |
| Daniel 9:24 | He would be holy | Luke 1:35 |
| Daniel 9:25 | His announcement | John 12:12-13 |
| Daniel 9:26 | Cut off | Matthew 16:21; 21:38-39 |
| Daniel 9:26 | Die for the sins of the world | Hebrews 2:9 |
| Daniel 9:26 | Killed before the destruction of the temple | Matthew 27:50-51 |
| Daniel 10:5-6 | Messiah in a glorified state | Revelation 1:13-16 |
| Hosea 11:1 | He would be called out of Egypt | Matthew 2:15 |
| Hosea 13:14 | He would defeat death | 1Corinthians 15:55-57 |
| Joel 2:32 | Offer salvation to all mankind | Romans 10:9-13 |
| Jonah 1:17 | Death and resurrection of Christ | Matthew 12:40; 16:4 |
| Micah 5:2 | Born in Bethlehem | Matthew 2:1-6 |
| Micah 5:2 | Ruler in Israel | Luke 1:33 |
| Micah 5:2 | From everlasting | John 8:58 |
| Haggai 2:6-9 | He would visit the second Temple | Luke 2:27-32 |
| Haggai 2:23 | Descendant of Zerubbabel | Luke 2:27-32 |
| Zechariah 3:8 | God's servant | John 17:4 |
| Zechariah 6:12-13 | Priest and King | Hebrews 8:1 |
| Zechariah 9:9 | Greeted with rejoicing in Jerusalem | Matthew 21:8-10 |
| Zechariah 9:9 | Beheld as King | John 12:12-13 |
| Zechariah 9:9 | The Messiah would be just | John 5:30 |
| Zechariah 9:9 | The Messiah would bring salvation | Luke 19:10 |
| Zechariah 9:9 | The Messiah would be humble | Matthew 11:29 |
| Zechariah 9:9 | Presented to Jerusalem riding on a donkey | Matthew 21:6-9 |
| Zechariah 10:4 | The cornerstone | Ephesians 2:20 |
| Zechariah 11:4-6 | At His coming, Israel to have unfit leaders | Matthew 23:1-4 |
| Zechariah 11:4-6 | Rejection causes God to remove His protection | Luke 19:41-44 |
| Zechariah 11:4-6 | Rejected in favor of another king | John 19:13-15 |
| Zechariah 11:7 | Ministry to "poor," the believing remnant | Matthew 9:35-36 |
| Zechariah 11:8 | Unbelief forces Messiah to reject them | Matthew 23:33 |
| Zechariah 11:8 | Despised | Matthew 27:20 |
| Zechariah 11:9 | Stops ministering to those who rejected Him | Matthew 13:10-11 |
| Zechariah 11:10-11 | Rejection causes God to remove protection | Luke 19:41-44 |
| Zechariah 11:10-11 | The Messiah would be God | John 14:7 |
| Zechariah 11:12-13 | Betrayed for thirty pieces of silver | Matthew 26:14-15 |
| Zechariah 11:12-13 | Rejected | Matthew 26:14-15 |
| Zechariah 11:12-13 | Thirty pieces of silver cast in the house of the Lord | Matthew 27:3-5 |
| Zechariah 11:12-13 | The Messiah would be God | John 12:45 |
| Zechariah 12:10 | The Messiah's body would be pierced | John 19:34-37 |
| Zechariah 12:10 | The Messiah would be both God and man | John 10:30 |
| Zechariah 12:10 | The Messiah would be rejected | John 1:11 |
| Zechariah 13:7 | God's will He die for mankind | John 18:11 |
| Zechariah 13:7 | Both God and man | John 14:9 |
| Zechariah 13:7 | Israel scattered as a result of rejecting Him | Matthew 26:31-56 |
| Zechariah 14:4 | He would return to the Mt. of Olives | Acts 1:11-12 |
| Malachi 3:1 | Messenger to prepare the way for Messiah | Mark 1:1-8 |
| Malachi 3:1 | Sudden appearance at the temple | Mark 11:15-16 |
| Malachi 3:1 | Messenger of the new covenant | Luke 4:43 |
| Malachi 3:6 | The God who changes not | Hebrews 13:8 |
| Malachi 4:5 | Forerunner in spirit of Elijah | Mt. 3:1-3; 11:10-14; 17:11-13 |
| Malachi 4:6 | Forerunner would turn many to righteousness | Luke 1:16-17 |