The Old Testament contains hundreds of prophecies made before the birth of Jesus Christ, all of which came true according to the New Testament. Scientists have explained whether this is possible from a mathematical point of view, write Daily mail.
Belmont University researchers Will Best and Robin Lovgren found that the likelihood of one random person fulfilling all of these prophecies is “very small.”
Stoner calculates the probability of each prophecy being fulfilled by chance. For example, the probability of being born in Bethlehem is 1 in 280,000, the probability of being betrayed for 30 pieces of silver is about 1 in 100,000.
Then, he applied the probability addition method to eight important prophecies. The result is “a number so small that it is almost unimaginable,” the Daily Mail wrote.
The scientists believe that their analysis “highlights a remarkable correspondence between the alleged characteristics and historical evidence of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.”
“For many believers, these calculations provide compelling evidence that Jesus of Nazareth was a prophesied person rather than a random person fitting the description,” the paper wrote.
At the same time, there are criticisms in the scientific community. They note that the results depend on which prophecies are chosen and the level of their interpretation.
Believers believe that Jesus' life fulfilled dozens of different predictions. For example, He was born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). That he was a descendant of Abraham and David (Genesis 12:3; 2 Samuel 7:12-13), performed miracles of healing (Isaiah 35:5-6), etc.
