The Old Testament contains more than 125 prophecies regarding Jesus’ life on earth. For example, the Prophet Micah, roughly 700 years before Jesus was born, foretold that Jesus would be born in the city of Bethlehem.
Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Joseph, His adoptive father, lived in Nazareth, in the province of Galilee, a long way from Bethlehem, in the province of Judea. Yet God had decreed that Jesus, of the lineage of King David, was to be born in David’s city – Bethlehem. And God used the decree of the Roman Emperor Augustus requiring the citizens of Palestine to return to the city their family was from, in order to pay tax and be counted in the census, to bring Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem in time for Jesus’ birth.
For a fascinating account of Jesus Birth, read chapter 4 of Desire of Ages
To explore more of the prophecies regarding Jesus’ life on earth, read Bible Study guide 1, Is There Anything Left you can Trust?
