Prophecies of Scripture

What things are necessary to the validity of Scripture prophecy? In answer to this question Field says:

"1. That we have satisfactory evidence of the predictions having been delivered before the events, and not having been contrived and palmed upon the world after them.

2. That the events predicted should be such as, from their own nature, or their distance in time, from their complexity, or from other circumstances, could furuish no ground either of previous assurance or even of high probability to those who looked forward into futurity.

3. That the prophecy should be very full, very explicit, so that there could be no possibility of accidental coincidence of the event with the prediction.

4. That the event should most accurately correspond with the prophecy, and should be sufficiently notorious to admit of public examination."

He then quotes from Treffrey as follows:—" If in any writing said to be prophetic we meet with the union of these characteristics, we may at once pronounce it to be Divine. In Scripture prophecy they all concur. Take, for example, the dispersion of the Jews, as foretold by Moses (Deut. xxviii.); the destruction of Nineveh, as foretold by Nahum (iii.); of Babylon, as foretold by Isaiah (xlv.) and Jeremiah (1.); and of Tyre, as foretold by Isaiah (xxiii.) and Ezekiel (xxvi.); the succession of the Babylonian, the Medo-Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman Empires, as foretold by Daniel (ii., viii), and you will find that in them each of these particulars is realised.

But 'the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.' This is the great topic of prophetic Scripture, and the predictions on this subject were stated so distinctly as to maintain from age to age a growing expectation of His advent. They were so numerous as to extend almost from the birth of time to within five hundred years of His actual appearance; and, lastly, their fulfilment was to the letter, and in the most public manner."