Of the 31,124 verses in the Bible, at least 8352 of those contain prophecy (roughly 27 percent). Of those 8352 prophetic verses, 6312 have already been fulfilled. This leaves 2040 verses that are modern-day and future end-time prophecies.
The first prophecy of the Bible is found in Genesis 2:17, and the last prophecy is found in Revelation 22:20. In between those two verses, prophecy is found throughout the Bible—occurring in single verses and in large continuous portions.
Certain books—particularly the 16 books named after Old Testament Prophets and the Book of Revelation in the New Testament—are primarily focused on prophecy.
For example, 8 of the 12 chapters of Daniel are prophetic in nature, and 18 of the 21 chapters in Revelation concern future prophecies about the tribulation period, the millennial kingdom, and the eternal state.
A small number of books in the Bible—such as Esther and the Song of Solomon—do not contain any specific overt prophecies, but they contain prophetic types and figures linked to various prophetic themes and details.
Without question, the primary theme of prophecy is the coming of the Messiah. Genesis 3:15 prophesied that the seed of the woman (the virgin-born Savior) would one day crush the head of the serpent. From that verse to the end of Revelation, the key prophetic themes are primarily connected to the first and second advents of Jesus.
There are over 300 prophecies about the first coming of Christ, and for every prophecy about the first coming of Christ, there are eight related to His second coming. In the Old Testament there are over 1800 references to the return of Jesus.
One out of every 30 verses in the New Testament is about the return of Christ. Of the 27 New Testament books, 23 give prominence to the second coming. Prophecy is the backbone of the Bible. Every key person, theme, and line of theology connect directly to Bible prophecy.
Fulfilled prophecy is the built-in verification system that proves the Bible is indeed the Word of God. God often points to prophecy as proof of His Word and His character.
Fulfilled prophecy separates the Bible from any other religious work. One cannot study the pages of Scripture without bumping into prophecy.
This post is an excerpt from The Prophecy Pros Illustrated Guide to Tough Questions About the End Times by Jeff Kinley and Todd Hampson.