1. Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

2. Introduction
The kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians in 722 B.C.
The kingdom of Judah was conquered by Babylon in 605, 597 & 586 B.C.

3. Prophecies of Destruction
Israel and Judah were destroyed & deported because of their many sins
Moses, Joshua and the many prophets warned the nations of the consequences of continued disobedience

4. Prophecies of Hope
Leviticus 26:44-45 assure them that God would not break His covenant with them.
Deuteronomy 4:29-31 assure them that if they sought the Lord, they would find Him

5. Prophecies of Return
Jeremiah 25:11-12 & 29:10 predicted the captivity would only last for seventy years
Daniel was carried into captivity in 605 BC & became a key official in Babylon
Ezekiel was a prophet during the time of the Babylonian exile
After reading Jeremiah’s prophecies, Daniel prayed for their soon fulfillment

6. Prophecies of Return
Isaiah predicted Cyrus would decree the return from exile more than 150 years before it happened.
Cyrus the Great decreed the return in 538
Ezra 1-6 records the first return under Zerubbabel with 49,697 people
They resumed the sacrifices and laid the foundation of the temple in the first year of their return

7. Prophecies of Return
Opposition caused the work to stop by 534 B.C.
The Lord sent Haggai as the prophet of that time to encourage them
King Darius found Cyrus’ decree and work resumed in 520 B.C.
The Temple was completed in 516 B.C. - seventy years after the first temple had been destroyed

8. Prophecies of Return
Ezra 7-10 recounts the return of a second group in 458 B.C. under Ezra
Ezra was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses and he brought moral reforms among the exiles
The story of Esther occurs between the first & second returns.
Esther is queen to Xerxes & is used by God to deliver the Jews from their enemies

9. Prophecies of Return
A third return occurs in 444 B.C. under Nehemiah
Nehemiah organized and motivated the people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in only 52 days
He brought additional reforms including abolishing usury
Malachi was probably the prophet during this time

10. Prophecies of Return
The prophecies about the return from exile were fulfilled to the smallest detail
There were no more prophets or revelation from God from the time of Malachi to John the Baptist

11. Prophecies of Return
Alexander the Great conquered Israel in 332 B.C.
Israel was variously under either Seleuced or Ptolomy control until 164
Pompey conquered Israel in 63 B.C.
Daniel 7, 8, 9 & 11 foretell the inter- testamental events with chapter 11 being very detailed

12. Prophecies of Messiah
2 Samuel 7: God would establish the throne of the kingdom of an heir of David forever
The Old Testament if full of prophecies concerning the life, death, character, nature & work of Messiah

13. Prophecies of a Still Future Kingdom
Titus captured & destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
Israel became a nation again in 1948
Prophecies are confusing because many of them deal with more than just one time period / event
People confuse prophecy because they confuse or replace Israel with the church.

14. Prophecies of a Still Future Kingdom
Romans 11 gives Israel a future hope based on the prophecies of Isaiah 59:20-21
Jeremiah 31 speaks of a new covenant in the future
Amos prophesied a time when Israel will not again be rooted out of their land

15. Prophecies of a Still Future Kingdom
Micah prophesied the coming of Messiah and the end of war
Joel’s prophecies include blessing, safety and an eternally inhabited Jerusalem
Isaiah has many prophecies that have not happened yet, but will happen in the future

16. Conclusions
Fulfilled prophecies attest to the nature of God and His faithfulness

17. Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ