I felt led to do this research, because there are some who try to dissuade others from believing in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, because He has punished people over time, where some people have died. Having read the Bible from cover to cover many times, I wanted to research specifically to see if these consequences were unwarranted as they suggest.
To do this research, I will use the New King James Version of the Bible, also known as NKJV, and internet resources, as needed. Since the Bible sometimes uses the word “him” and the word “he” within the same verse, I will include who is speaking and who is being spoken to within brackets if I determine it’s beneficial for clarity.
Additionally, I will put my analysis, comments, observations, and conclusions within brackets, as well. For those who would like to read this research or previous Biblical Research Projects in their entirety, you can go to either of these two blogs I felt led to create: Biblical Proof! found at https://BiblicalProof.blogspot.com or Do Biblical Inconsistencies Really Matter? at https://Biblicalinconsistencies.blogspot.com/
[Note: At times, the same event will be in two different books of the Old Testament. In that case, I will analyze that event, most often, in only one of the books of the Bible, so the research is not repetitious.]
[The thing is, God gives us choices. We can choose to follow Him and His statutes, but when we don’t there are consequences. He most often explains what He expects/wants, and has prophets that will do this for him, but there is always the alternative for those who worship idols, live wickedly, and lead others astray.]
[Although those listening to this on the podcast can’t tell, on the blogs I mentioned, I will have the portions highlighted in yellow that show God’s compassion, the negative consequence of their choices in green, and when they are warned in turquoise. Note: God often uses prophets to warn people of their poor choices, but regardless, God has already shared the 10 Commandments, with His statutes to not worship idols/false gods, as well.]
Zechariah 1:11-4 says: In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, “The Lord has been very angry with your fathers. Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. Do not be like your fathers, [ancestors] to whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.”’ But they did not hear nor heed Me,” says the Lord. 1:16-17 goes on to say: ‘Therefore thus says the Lord: “I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it,” says the Lord of hosts, And a surveyor’s line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.”’ “Again proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “My cities shall again spread out through prosperity; The Lord will again comfort Zion, And will again choose Jerusalem.”’ [God tells Zechariah to warn the people who have chosen to worship false idols and have done wickedly to turn from their evil ways, because God is merciful and will turn back to them with prosperity when they choose to worship Him again.]
Zechariah 2:8-12 says: For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord. “Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. And the Lord will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem.” [Zechariah is told that God is going to have consequences for the people who choose to oppress them, so that they are freed to worship the Lord God and He will dwell in their midst and they will again choose Jerusalem.]
Zechariah 3:6-10 says: Then the Angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘If you will walk in my ways, And if you will keep My command, Then you shall also judge My house, And likewise have charge of My courts; I will give you places to walk Among these who stand here. Hear, O Joshua, the high priest, You and your companions who sit before you, For they are a wondrous sign; For behold, I am bringing for My Servant the Branch [foretelling of Jesus]. For behold, the stone That I have laid before Joshua: Upon the stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave its inscription,’ Says the Lord of hosts, ‘And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, “Everyone will invite his neighbor Under his vine and under his fig tree.”’ [Zechariah tells how the Angel of the Lord warned Joshua that if they chose to walk in God’s ways and to keep His command, He would provide His Branch, which is Jesus, to remove the iniquity of all in one day. Although they didn’t totally understand the important implications of all of this, God was telling them that those who choose to believe Jesus is their Savior will have their sins taken away when Jesus arose from the grave and conquered sin, death, and the devil. Of course, there is an implied consequence for those who don’t believe in the Branch [Jesus] as their Savior, in that their sins won’t be taken away.]
Zechariah 4:8-10 says: Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.” [A plumb line is a device to make sure a structure is centered and God uses this comparison to forewarn people that the Lord God has assistance in watching that people are choosing to worship God and not idols and that their lives, faith, and actions are centered, as well.]
Zechariah 6:9-13 says: Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “Receive the gift from the captives- from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have come from Babylon- and go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah. Take the silver and gold, make an elaborate crown, and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Then speak to him, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying: “Behold the Man whose name is the Branch! [Jesus] From His place He shall branch out, And He shall build the temple of the Lord; Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne, And the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”’ [This is the next to the last book of the Old Testament and God has Zechariah foretelling of the Branch, which is Jesus, and how He will build the temple of the Lord. It doesn’t mean the literal, physical temple. It means He will build the heavenly temple of the Lord by teaching and encouraging people to choose to believe in Him as their Savior. Those that choose to believe in Jesus will be a part of the heavenly temple by joining Jesus [the Branch] in heaven some day.]
Zechariah 7:8-15 says: Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion Everyone to his brother, Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, The alien or the poor, Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother. “But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. “Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I [God] would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts. But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate.” [Through His prophet, Zechariah, God warns us that He wants us to choose to show mercy, compassion, and true justice to their brothers [fellow citizens]. God wants them to not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the poor, the alien and to not plot evil, but they chose to disregard the warning, so they were taken captive as their consequence. Because they turned their backs on God, He turned His back on them.]
Zechariah 9:9-10 says: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; The battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.’ [God tells through Zechariah that Jesus will ride into Bethlehem very humbly on a donkey and Jesus will speak of peace to all nations and that the whole world is His dominion, which means that choosing faith in Christ as our Savior is for everyone in the world, not just the Israelites.]
Zechariah 11:12-13 says: Then I said to them, “If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”- that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter. [Although Zechariah is the next to the last book of the Old Testament, it is a very significant book of the Bible. God has him foretell of Jesus [the Branch] coming to be Our Savior. He foretells in the previous passage that Jesus rides into Bethlehem on a donkey and in this passage that Judas got 30 pieces of silver for betraying Jesus, but afterward tried to give it back and that money paid for the purchase of the Potter’s field. More will be foretold, as well.]
Zechariah 12:10 says: “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only Son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.’ [Again, God has Zechariah prophesy that when Jesus is hung, He will be pierced as people look on and see the Only Son of God willingly give His life as a ransom for all who choose to believe in Him as their Savior.]
Zechariah 13:6-9 says: “And one will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms?’ Then he will answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.’ “Awake, O sword against My Shepherd, Against the Man who is My Companion.” Says the Lord of hosts. Strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered; And the sheep will be scattered; Then I will turn My hand against the little ones. And it shall come to pass in all the land,” Says the Lord, “That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, But one-third shall be left in it: I will bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, This is My people’’; And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.”’ [God has Zechariah reference the wounds that Jesus suffered when He gave His life on the cross as the substitute for us to free believers from their sins. It also mentions that Jesus was wounded in the house of His friends, which is speaking of how Judas was there partaking of the Last Supper and then chose to betray Jesus in Gethsemane afterward and the other disciples fled when the soldiers came.]
Malachi 3:1 says: “Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord whom you seek [Jesus], Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the Lord of hosts. [Malachi is foretelling that John the Baptist will be God’s Messenger to prepare the way of Jesus.]
Malachi 3:6-7 says: “For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the Lord of hosts. But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’ 3:16-18 goes on to say: Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, And the Lord listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the Lord And who meditate on His name. “They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him.” Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him. [Malachi warns that the unchangeable Lord will turn back to them when they choose to worship Him only and follow His ordinances. The Lord will have a book to remember His jewels, all those who chose to worship the Lord God, but to note those who chose not to and who continued their wicked ways.]
Malachi 4:1-6 says: “For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven,
And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which
is coming shall burn them up.” Says the Lord of hosts, “That will leave them
neither root nor branch. But to you who fear My name The Sun of
Righteousness [Jesus] shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go
out And grow fat like stall-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked, For they
shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this,” Says
the Lord of hosts. But Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, Which I commanded
him in Horeb for all Israel, With the statutes and judgments. Behold
I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful
day of the Lord. And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the
children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and
strike the earth with a curse.” [The very last chapter of the very last book of the Old Testament
forewarns of the severe consequences for those and their families who choose
not to worship the Lord God and turn from their wicked ways. The underlined
portions also have the promise of Jesus [The Sun of Righteousness] who will
heal those who choose to worship the Lord God and turn from their wicked ways.
They will be blessed and well taken care of when God comes on Judgment Day when
the others have their consequences.]
……………………………………………………………………………..
How do we know that God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son for Us?
[Think about it. How Could the Exact Things Done to Jesus, be Predicted All These 100+ Years Before His Birth, if it weren't for God the Father's Having Prophets Write These Predictions down to Be Included in the Bible! God knew that some would doubt, so He left us Biblical evidence, so We Know Jesus is Truly the Son of God by Fulfilling These Predictions!]
Prediction
in Psalm About Jesus being God’s Son
[God Letting David Know Something He Will Say to His
Only Begotten Son, Jesus]
· I will declare the
decree: the Lord hath said unto Me, Thou art My Son; this day have I begotten
Thee. Psalm 2:7
· New Testament Proof this prediction was fulfilled: God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that He hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second Psalm, Thou art My Son, this day, have I begotten Thee. Acts 13:33
Predicting a Virgin will
Bear the Son of God
· Therefore the Lord
Himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son,
and shall call His name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall He eat, that He
may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. For before the child shall
know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest
shall be forsaken of both her kings. Isaiah 7:14-16
· New Testament Proof of Prediction fulfilled: Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. '' and she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus. Matthew 1:18-25
Plot to Betray Jesus:
Predicting the 30 Pieces of Silver Judas was Given to
Betray Jesus, is Used for Potter's Field
· And I said unto them, If
ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed
for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said unto me, cast it
unto the potter: a goodly price that I was [priced] of them. And I took the
thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord.
Zechariah 11:12-13
· New Testament Proof of the Prediction fulfillment: And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, “and gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.” Matthew 27:7-10
This Predicts Jesus'
Disciple, Judas, Would Betray Him
· Yea, Mine own
familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of My bread, hath lifted up
his heel against Me. Psalm 41:9
· This is More than just New Testament Proof of fulfillment, because this
particular Bible passage shows Jesus knows full well He is going to be betrayed
by Judas. Who else could do that, but God’s Son, Jesus? : When Jesus had
said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke.
Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples whom Jesus loved.
Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke. Then,
leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus
answered, “It is he to whom I shall
give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of
Simon. Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him [Judas]. Then Jesus said
to him, “What you do, do quickly.” But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him. For
some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, “Buy
those things we need for the feast, “ or that he should give something to the
poor. Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately, And it
was night. John 13:21-30
· More New Testament Proof of the Prediction fulfillment: And while He [Jesus] was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.” Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. Matthew 26:47-50
Predicts That Jesus Will Be
Beat and Spit Upon Before They Crucify Him
· The Lord God hath
opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave My
back to the smitters, and My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid
not My face from shame and spitting. For the Lord God will help Me;
therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set My face like flint,
and I know that I shall not be ashamed. Isaiah 50:6-7
· New Testament Proof of the Prediction fulfillment: Then released he Barabas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped Him, and put on Him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head, and a reed in His right hand: and they bowed the knee before Him, and mocked Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon Him, and took the reed, and smote Him on the head. And after that they had mocked Him, they took the robe off from Him, and put His own raiment on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him. Matthew 27:26-31 [Jesus knew He would have to go through all of this in order to save us from our sins, so that believers could have salvation in heaven with Him, some day. If it were me, and I knew people were going to spit on me, mock me, and beat me, it would have been a real game changer, but Jesus went through all of this for us anyway, knowing all of this in advance!]
Predicting Bystanders Would
Divide Jesus' Clothes & Cast Lots for His Coat
· They part my garments
among them, and cast lots upon My vesture. Psalm 22:18
· New Testament Proof of the Prediction fulfillment: Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: “They divided My garments among them. And for My clothing they cast lots.” Matthew 27:35
Predicts The Piercing of
Jesus' Hands & Feet When They Nailed Him on the Cross
· For dogs have
compassed Me: the assembly of the wicked have [enclosed] Me: they pierced My
hands and My feet. Psalm 22:16
· New Testament Proof of the Prediction fulfillment- the same day Jesus arose from the grave: Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? “Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” When He had said this, he showed them His hands and His feet. Luke 24:36-40
100’s of years before Jesus
was Born, It was predicted What Jesus would Say on the Cross When He Died for
Our Redemption:
· My God, My God,
why hast Thou forsaken Me? Why art Thou so far from helping Me, and from
the words of My roaring? Psalm 22:1
· New Testament Proof this verse was fulfilled is in Matthew 27:45-46: Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
Predicting Jesus Wouldn't
Suffer Corruption [His body wouldn’t rot!]
· For Thou wilt not
leave My soul in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see
corruption. Psalm 16:10
· The fulfillment of this verse is in John 20:25-29 when Jesus shows Himself to the disciples the second time after arising from the grave: The other disciples therefore said to him [Thomas], We have seen the Lord.” So he [Thomas] said to them, unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He [Jesus] said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
[You’ve heard all these predictions of Jesus being the Only Begotten Son of God, His Birth, Betrayal, Death, and Resurrection and the Fulfillment of these. Here are some additional noteworthy passages, so you are not led astray by those who would try to dissuade Christians from believing in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.]
Jude Forewarns Us of Those
Trying to Lead Believers Astray from Love of God and Jesus Christ, His Son
Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Jude v.1-4
Jesus
Christ, God's Son, Washed Our Sins From Us When He Died and Arose from
the Dead
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Revelation 1:5-6
[Jesus
Tells John in the Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ: They Should Stay Strong,
Hold Fast, and Repent, because Jesus Comes Like a Thief in the Night, and
Believers Undefiled Shall Walk in White with Him & Jesus Will Not Blot Out
Their Name from the Book of Life, but Will Confess Their Name to God the
Father, and They Should Focus on What the Holy Spirit Says to the Churches]
Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain,
that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If
therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt
not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not
defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white: for they are
worthy. He
that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white [clothes]; and I will not
blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name
before My Father, and before His angels. He that hath and ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Revelation 3:2-7
………………………………………..
[After all my research analysis, I have determined that it is very consistent that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to save us, when some in the Books of Zechariah and Malachi had consequences where they died.]
[God gives them and us choices. If we worship the Lord God and follow His statutes, He will provide for us and support us, but if we choose to turn our backs on Him, He will turn His back on us. ]
[Much the same as it says in Deuteronomy 7:16: “Also you shall destroy all the peoples whom the Lord your God delivers over to you; your eye shall have no pity on them; nor shall you serve their gods, for that will be a snare to you.”]
[Why is it significant that God gave His Only Begotten Son to Save Us?
Romans 6:23 says: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 John 4:9-10 says: In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation/substitute for our sins.
1 Peter 1:17-21 says: And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’ work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.]
[Not only do I base my analysis on all the predictions about Jesus in the Old Testament and fulfillment in the New Testament, but also on the following Bible verses.]
When He [Jesus] had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16-17
It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan [River]. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Mark 1:9-11
When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” Luke 3:21-22
And John [the Baptist] bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him [Jesus.] “I did not know Him, but He [God the Father] who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” Again, the next day, John [the Baptist] stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” John 1:32-36
At Jesus’ Transfiguration before He betrayed: While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” Matthew 17:5
And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” Mark 9:7
While he [Peter] was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” Luke 9:34-35
“Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. “Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” John 12:27-28
For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 2 Peter 1:16-17
Remember John 3:16-21 where Jesus says:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
[My advice to you is to follow Jesus, the Light of the World, that can lead believers to Salvation in Heaven with Him someday.]
