The Old Testament prophets named over 300 identifying characteristics of the coming Messiah; Jesus fulfilled them all (source: Bibleprobe.com)!  What does science say is the probability that any one person would fulfill all of these identifying marks? 

Professor Emeritus of Science at Westmount College, Peter Stoner, has calculated the probability of one man fulfilling the major prophecies concerning the Messiah.  The estimates were worked out by 12 different classes representing 600 university students.  The students weighed all the factors, discussed each prophecy at length and examined the various circumstances which might indicate that men had conspired together to fulfill a particular prophecy.  They made their estimates conservative enough so there was finally unanimous agreement, even among the most skeptical students. 

Professor Stoner then took their estimates and made them even more conservative.  He also encouraged other skeptics or scientists to make their own estimates to determine if his conclusions were more than fair.  Finally, he submitted his figures for review to a committee of the American Scientific Affiliation.  Upon examination, they verified that his calculations were dependable and accurate regarding the scientific material.  For example, concerning Micah 5:2, where the prophet states the "Ruler of Israel...from everlasting" would be born in Bethlehem Ephratah, Stoner and his students determined the average population of Bethlehem from the time of Micah to the present, then they divided it by the average population of the earth during the same period.  They concluded that the chance of one man being born in Bethlehem was 1 in 300,000. 

After examining only eight different prophecies, they conservatively estimated that the chance of one man fulfilling all eight prophecies was 1 in 10^17.  To illustrate how large the number 1 in 10^17 is (a figure with 17 zeros), Stoner gave this illustration:

If you mark 1 of 10 tickets and place all the tickets in a hat and thoroughly stir them and then ask a blindfolded man to draw 1, his chance of getting the right ticket is 1 in 10, of course.  Suppose that we take 10^17 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas.  They will cover all of the state 2 feet deep.  Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly over all the state.  Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one marked silver dollar and say this is the right one.  What chance would he have of getting the right one?  

There are many more than eight prophecies.  Stoner concludes his study by saying, "Any man who rejects Christ as the Son of God is rejecting a fact, proven perhaps more absolutely than any other fact in the world."

That's exactly why God created such a word as "fool."  The Word of God says, "A 'fool' has said in his heart, 'There is no God'" Psalms 14:1.   That's also why the Word of God tells us that those who are not spiritual are blind and they are unable to see truth, truth as profound as these facts laid out before you today.  "The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" 1 Corinthians 2:14. 

Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hears My voice and will open the door, I will come in to him and sup with him, and he with Me" Revelation 3:20.  Jesus wants to give you the Spirit to discern the things of God; He wants to save you from sin, death and hell - the penalty of sin pronounced by a Holy God.  If you haven't received the Lord as your Savior, won't you receive Him today?  You only have this life to make a choice between eternal life, or eternal death in hell, and tomorrow is not guaranteed for anyone.  Please visit the How Can I Be Saved page of this website.  God bless you.