Biblical Prophecy and Fulfillment I often hear the argument that the veracity of Christ's claims in the gospels can be considered reliable based upon two things: miracles and fulfilled prophecy. This pre-supposes the validity of the gospels. When scripture authors such as Isaiah have provably written their works before Christ acted, we can consider the gospels as accounts of fulfilling these prophecies.

It is my understanding that there are early historians such as Josephus who wrote in support of these topics, but it is believed that most writings like this contain interpolations from Christians at later times.

My question is in two parts:

1) What fulfilled prophecies most validate the gospels?

2) What may we look to for assertion that these are indeed fulfilled prophecies and note merely works of men who had access to the prophetic writings and used them to invent stories that appear valid?
Key Old Testament Prophecies Jesus Fulfilled?

1A) Psalm 22 ~1,000 B.C. (NASB)


  Death: "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?... [I am] despised by the people. All who see me sneer at me... saying, “Commit yourself to the LORD; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.”... I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And my tongue cleaves to my jaws; And You lay me in the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet... They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots..."
  
  Resurrection: "But You, O LORD, be not far off; O You my help, hasten to my assistance... I will tell of Your name to my brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You... You who fear the LORD, praise Him;... And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel. For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from him; But when he cried to Him for help, He heard... The afflicted will eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the LORD. Let your heart live forever!"
  
  Legacy / Destiny: "All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, And all the families of the nations will worship before You. For the kingdom is the LORD’S And He rules over the nations... All those who go down to the dust will bow before Him... Posterity will serve Him; It will be told of the Lord to the coming generation. They will come and will declare His righteousness To a people who will be born, that He has performed it."


1B) Isaiah 53 ~700 B.C. (NASB)


  Life and Sacrifice: "...He grew up before Him like a tender shoot... He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief... Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed... the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
  So He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
  And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living... His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth."
  
  Reward: "But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; ...the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great... Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors."


Wow.  (I will assume the reader can make a few connections here; there are a LOT of fulfilled prophecies just from these two passages.)

Proof of Authenticity?

I am tempted to start talking about the testimony of historians, logic based on the life choices of the Apostles, the conversion of Saul, the impossibility of pulling off a resurrection hoax... but at the end of the day, there is no "natural" argument for which skeptics will not have a counterargument.  So here is my real answer:

2) If you want to know if God is real, or if Jesus is the Messiah, or if the Bible is trustworthy, or how to be saved... ask Him.  If you sincerely seek Him, you can bet you will find your answers.


  "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."  (Matthew 7:8, NASB)


I know this doesn't satisfy the desire for a rational proof, but in my opinion, the desire itself is based on flawed logic.  It assumes spiritual truth is knowable through natural reasoning, which it is not.


  "Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe."  (1 Corinthians 1:20-21, NASB)


While God is patient with us and sometimes willing to humor our requests for signs and proof, ultimately He requires faith.


  "At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants."  (Matthew 11:25, NASB)