Consider this description of our God: Romans 4:17b “God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.”
Not only is God the only one who has the power to give life to the dead, He is also the only one who “calls those things which do not exist as though they did”. In other words, he knows what will happen in the future. Those things which he foretells and promises are so certain, that sometimes He speaks of them as already in existence. To Abraham He said: Genesis 17:5-6 “No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.” Of course, that is just what happened.
The Bible is filled with hundreds of prophesies that God sent through His chosen prophets. Many of these have been fulfilled, just as He said. Some are still for future events.
Here are just a few prophesies concerning Jesus. Deuteronomy 18:15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear.” Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” Isaiah 53:3-6 “He is despised and rejected by men a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
Jesus foretold the destruction of Jerusalem. Luke 21:20, 24 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” This happened just as He foretold in AD 70.
We also have prophesies for the future. Revelation 21:2-4 “Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’”
The apostle Peter gave this exhortation: 2 Peter 1:19-21 “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
God is the only one who has the power to give life to the dead and to know what will happen in the future. He has proven this time and again in the past. May your faith be strengthened as you look forward to your resurrection and living in His presence eternally.