Why the Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy Still Matters

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An Overlooked Argument for Christianity

Why the Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy Still Matters
August 27, 2026
— Gavin Ortlund

© iStock.com/EvanTravels

Jesus is a compelling historical figure. This is the case because of his own life and influence, but it also comes into view in the context of the larger biblical story. The Bible does not start with Jesus. He comes toward the end—like a long-awaited hero after much darkness and anguish. Specifically, Jesus arrives in history as the fulfillment of the hopes of a nation in the ancient world (the people of Israel).
We’re familiar with this concept of a “messiah” outside the Bible. We know what it’s like to long for a deliverer. We understand how Morpheus feels toward Neo in The Matrix, or how people can develop such high hopes for an incoming political leader.
What if this is what Jesus is for humanity? What if he’s the One we’ve all been waiting for—the hero in the long and troubled story of human history?

Messianic Expectation

You may be aware that the Bible comes in two basic parts. There is a longer, older, Hebrew section—more narrative and concrete (what we call the Old Testament). Then there is the more compact Greek counterpart—more systematic, full of letters (what we call the New Testament). The New Testament is concentrated in the first century AD, but the books of the Old Testament are scattered across several centuries of ancient history.
This twofold structure entails a chronological unfolding that distinguishes the Bible from many other religious texts (e.g., the Qur’an). This provides a unique benefit: It positions us to observe how the biblical story develops across time.
Christians claim there is coherence to this development. Specifically, the movement from Old Testament to New Testament is something like the movement from promise to fulfillment. And the biggest example (though not the only one) is messianic prophecies in the Old Testament predicting Jesus. This kind of appeal has a long tradition, tracing back throughout church history to the apostles and to Jesus himself (e.g., Luke 4:21).
But today it often sounds suspicious. How detailed are these prophecies? Could apparent similarities to Jesus be a coincidence? How do we know the texts haven’t been altered? And what about the possibility of an intentional fulfillment (by Jesus or his followers—or both)?
Arguments from prophecy have often failed to take these concerns seriously. Hence they tend to be unpopular today. But more careful expressions of argument are possible.
The key to the argument is the cumulative weight of Old Testament prophecies. It’s the sheer number of them, and the way they unfold organically and yet seemingly coherently—almost like a LEGO set being slowly constructed, piece by piece, with the end clearly in mind.

The key to the argument is the cumulative weight of Old Testament prophecies. It’s the sheer number of them, and the way they unfold organically and yet seemingly coherently.

Significantly, messianic expectation does not arise from one person but within a huge and evolving tradition. This is a point Blaise Pascal emphasized: “Here is a whole people who announce it, and who have existed for four thousand years, in order to give corporate testimony of the assurances which they have, and from which they cannot be diverted by whatever threats and persecutions people may make against them.”

the whole article can be read here

assoc. articles :
· The Covenant of Grace in the Old Testament
· Our Lord Jesus Christ
· Who is Jesus —A Comprehensive Study (booklet)

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