‍PROPHECY                 FULFILLMENT
Isaiah 28:16-18                 1 Peter 2:6-7
Psalm 118:22                      Acts 4:8-12
Isaiah 7:14                          Matthew 1:18
Isaiah 53:3                         John 1:11
Isaiah 53:12                       Matthew 27:38
Isaiah 9:7                            Matthew 1:1
Zechariah 12:10                John 19:34
Psalm 34:20                      John 19:33
Psalm 16:10                        Matthew 28:9

What is going to happen next? Today as never before people are striving to find out what the future holds. If one makes the claim that he understands prophecy, people will flock to hear him. Many are turning to fortune-tellers, astrologers, and the occult to find answers. In our lessons for this quarter, we are going to study what God inspired some of the old-time prophets to write concerning the days in which we now live. Since they also foretold Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection with 100 percent accuracy, we can believe that their predictions of the present time and of coming events will certainly happen.

QUESTIONS
The dictionary definition of the word prophet is, “one who declares what will happen in the future, one inspired by God to teach His will to men and to announce future events.” How is it that seers, specialists in the occult, etc., of our day, appear to be correct in some cases?
What are the qualifications of a true prophet? How can we determine if the words of a prophet in our day are true or false?
In Matthew 21:42, Jesus refers to Psalm 118:22. Why do you think He made this reference?
Read Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20, and our key verse. What do these Scriptures have in common?
Genesis 3:15 is the first prophetic reference to Jesus in the Bible. How do you think the salvation of a sinner “bruises” the head of Satan?
Which Scripture in our text foretells the virgin birth? How does the fulfilling Scripture in the New Testament confirm it?
Isaiah 9:7 tells of Jesus upon the throne of David. Matthew 1:1 confirms that He was of the lineage of David. How long will Jesus actually sit on the throne of David? See Luke 1:31-33.
In Psalm 34:20 there appears an isolated prophecy concerning the crucifixion of Jesus. How does John 19:32-33 confirm this?
Read Isaiah 53:3, then define the words despised and rejected. Using John 1:11, with these definitions in mind, write your own description of how the Jews received Christ.
In the study of this lesson we have seen how the prophecies about Christ have been fulfilled with complete accuracy. What does this reveal to you concerning the prophecies of the future?

THEME THOUGHTS
Time is running out! The human race today is facing a crisis that is literally unimaginable for most people. But indicators in God’s Word reveal that the dramatic events happening all around us signal the end time is at hand. In this quarter we will be delving into these events and their meanings in light of prophecy. In the heart of every true believer is the assurance that Jesus Christ will come back to earth and deal with the insurmountable troubles that face this globe, and will establish His dominion here upon earth. This quarter revolves around the statements made by a group of ancient Hebrew prophets, whose predictions and statements have the stamp of divine authenticity. Much of what they prophesied is yet to come. But we can have confidence in their predictions. All of their prophecies whose time for fulfillment has already come have been literally fulfilled with 100 percent accuracy. The events detailed by John in the Book of Revelation are interwoven with these earlier prophecies. The first lesson focuses on Christ. By establishing the validity of prophetic statements concerning Him, we provide a basis for the remaining lessons in the quarter and for our faith that soon the end-time prophecies will be fulfilled. The second lesson moves on to explore prophecies concerning the nation of Israel which have already been fulfilled. The third lesson, Signs of the Times, establishes where we now stand on the timeline of history. Succeeding lessons move on into events prophesied which are yet to come. The purpose of this quarter is to help us understand the events we are facing in this world and to recognize the urgency of being ready for the most exciting and glorious event of all—the Rapture of the Church.