CHRISTIAN REUBENS M.

MORANTE DLT 2 FAMILY LIFE

WHAT TO TEACH YOUR CHILDREN

PROPHECIES

Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and
there is none like me.

I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My
purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.

Isaiah 46:9-10

SUMMARY

Isaiah is a prophet that spoke in behalf of God to the Leaders of Jerusalem and Judah. He
gave them warnings on what is to come as a consequence of their disobedience to the
Law. From these warnings there is a message of hope. However the people of Jerusalem
continue to doubt hence in a sort of trial scene, God, thru Isaiah responds to the doubts
of the people declaring upon them that he is the King of the History and not their Idols.
That everything, including the judgement, exile and suffering was pre-determined by
God for good. That the people of Israel may have their own plans and purpose but it is
Gods will that shall prevail over them.

The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. The shaggy goat is
the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king. The four horns that
replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation
but will not have the same power.

Daniel 8:20-22

SUMMARY

A short backgrounder will show that Babylon was just attacked by Jerusalem and Daniel
(Belteshazzar) shares his struggles and his vision as well. The angel Gabriel tells Daniel this
goat represents the kingdom of Greece and its large horn is its first king, which would be shown
by later history to be Alexander the Great. After over 200 years of rule, the Medo-Persian
Empire came to an end in 331 B.C.

The large horn being broken represents Alexander’s untimely death at the young age of
33. His kingdom was divided into four weaker kingdoms. Historically, the four divisions
were (1) Greece and Macedonia, ruled by Cassander; (2) Asia Minor, ruled by
Lysimachus; (3) Egypt and Palestine, ruled by Ptolemy Soter; and (4) Syria, Babylonia
and east to India, ruled by Seleucus Nicator.
 Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases. After he has
arisen, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not
go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted
and given to others.

Daniel 11:3-4

SUMMARY

This is evidently descriptive of Alexander the Great, a ruler who only obeyed his own
will as history would show no one dared to contradict or oppose him. Alexander died at
a very young age. Alexander had his empire divided among his four chief captains
leaving none for his family as they died horrible deaths.

Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

“‘Because you said, “The Nile is mine; I made it,” therefore I am against you and against your
streams, and I will make the land of Egypt a ruin and a desolate waste from Migdol to Aswan, as
far as the border of Cush. The foot of neither man nor beast will pass through it; no one will live
there for forty years. I will make the land of Egypt desolate among devastated lands, and her
cities will lie desolate forty years among ruined cities. And I will disperse the Egyptians among
the nations and scatter them through the countries.

“‘Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians
from the nations where they were scattered. I will bring them back from captivity and return
them to Upper Egypt, the land of their ancestry. There they will be a lowly kingdom. It will be
the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations. I will make it so
weak that it will never again rule over the nations.

Ezekiel 29:9-15

SUMMARY

Ezekiel was a priest and a prisoner of the Babylon. He becomes a witness to Gods Glory
and is commanded to do God’s will and send to Jerusalem a prophetic message. One of
which is to point out Mans folly and weakness towards pride in themselves and in their
worldly attachments. Ezekiel bares the consequences should man fall in love with
themselves (self-idolatry). God is against those who do harm to his people, and more so
against those who lead them into sin. Egypt in history indeed became a kingdom, but it
was reduced to the basest of the kingdoms; God brought forth little wealth and power
and history shows the complete fulfilment of this prophecy. God, not only in justice, but
in wisdom and goodness to his people had willed all these so the people may lean not on
their own self but towards God who ultimately knows what is good for His people.

ISRAEL

And I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be
inhabited, and the wastes shall be built:
 And I will multiply on you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will
settle you after your old estates, and will do better to you than at your beginnings: and you shall
know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 36:10-11

SUMMARY

The promises of abundant blessings gives hope to the people at the time following the
return from the exile and thereafter. Ezekiel shows a glimpse of hope for the future in a
form of a promise that goes beyond its fulfillment extending generations upon
generations up to the present. “I will do better unto you than at your beginnings,” which
can only be considered as fulfilled in the spiritual blessings, far higher and better than
anything of earth, of the Messianic kingdom as God gave his only son to save us all.

Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in
a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives
birth to her children.

Isaiah 66:8

SUMMARY

For every new beginnings, there are birthing pains. Literally no country nor a nation be
born in a day nor in a very short period as it takes years to establish one. But there is such
an event that happened that God had caused, whereas upon the death of one has brought
forth life for all. This is similar to the cornerstone theology, where upon one rock the
Christian church was established and had grown so fast that it may seem instantaneous
compared to other nations that man had built.

PROPHECIES ABOUT JESUS CHRIST

1. Born in Bethlehem: Micah 5:2, Luke 2:4

2. Born of a virgin: Isaiah 7:4, Matthew 1:22-23
3. Descendant of David: 2 Samuel 7:11-16, Matthew 1:1
4. Betrayed for 30 pcs of silver: Zechariah 11:12, Matthew 26:15
5. Crucified, pierced: Psalm 22:16, Matthew 27:35
6. Divided his garments: Psalm 22:18, Matthew 27:35
7. Buried in a rich man’s tomb: Isaiah 53:9, Matthew 27:57-60
8. Resurrected: Psalm 16:10, Matthew 28

INSIGHTS

Our great challenge in life is the temptation to focus on worldly things, temporary things
that do not matter in the end. History has shown that man had been consistent in one
thing that man continues to falter over and over again. These prophecies counters this
basic frailty of man as it shows that while man may be committed to sin, God remains
committed in loving us not because of us but because that is God's nature. God’s graceful
nature is not just foretold but is established permanently thru these prophecies showing
how truly He is faithful.

Hebrews 6:18 says God cannot lie, nor can He break an unconditional promise that He
says He will fulfill. Every covenant He made is kept. Every promise or foretelling has or
will come true. Testimony after testimony of God’s faithfulness is certainly found
throughout the Bible and is still given in testimonies by people today.

In fact, accounts of covenants between God and His people can be found approximately
277 times in the Bible. Deuteronomy 7:9 says “Know therefore that the LORD your God
is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of
those who love him and keep his commandments."

JESUS DEATH AND RESURRECTION

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins
according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to
the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to
more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still
living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and
last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

1 Corinthians 15:3-8

INSIGHTS

If one were to disprove Christianity, one only had to disprove one thing and that is the
resurrection of Jesus Christ, that He never died nor was he raised up from the dead.

And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you
are still guilty of your sins. – 1 Corinthians 15:17

Some theories that I have read had said that someone might have just stolen the body.
But this is contrary to rules on evidence particularly in establishing motives and intents
of all possible suspects. The Romans had nothing to gain in stealing the body, in the same
light as the Jewish leaders as well as this would fuel opposition against them as it would
prove that Jesus is the true Messiah and King. The followers of Christ also had no reason
to steal the body as experts had proven that no one is willing to die for a lie. Followers of
Christ died horrible deaths at the hands of their persecutors. Some say the resurrection is
just someone assuming the identity of Christ but this theory too was disproven as
thousands witnessed personally Christ appearing before them. Bottom-line, so many had
attempted to disprove the resurrection but the evidence is always overwhelming.

Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter

how improbable, must be the truth. – Arthur Conan Doyle

The death and resurrection of Jesus validates that Jesus is indeed the Son of God, it shows
that he is the promised Messiah and demonstrates the truth of the entire Christian faith
therefore the fact that these are unquestionable truths, it gives us peace in our reliance on
who we are, why we were created, and what happens after our death. Our identity in the
world is then given a purpose and a meaning and shows that we have a destiny.