Whenever there is a national election, we hear for months in advance what the polls have to say as to who is in the lead. Polls are usually fairly accurate, but they always include a plus or minus percentage when they make any kind of prediction. The reason being that by only sampling a certain percentage of people, it is impossible to ascertain with exact certainty, any outcome. All the pollsters can do is guess. And while they usually guess well, none of them would be willing to go out of business if they guess incorrectly. Who could expect them to be 100% accurate?

     If predicting what will become of an election in a few of only a few month is difficult, how much more would it be to predict with accuracy what might happen in 500 years or more? Would anyone like to venture a guess? Of course not. Not only could we not make the right choice from a number of possibilities, we don't even know what the possibilities are to choose from. To predict what might happen beyond someone's lifetime would necessitate making a vague prediction that could be fulfilled various ways, or it would require revelation from God. To make a prediction with great detail of something far beyond one's future can only be the work of a prophet of God.

     The prophecies concerning the events surrounding the day which we call Palm Sunday are truly amazing. They can only be the work of a prophet of God. For in great detail, the time of Jesus' entrance, the nature of His entrance, and the response to His entrance are given hundreds of years before the event took place. Because of the detail given in these prophecies, there should have been no doubt in anyone's mind on that day nearly 2000 years ago as to the identity of the One riding on that donkey. As we review these prophecies, I trust you too will be assured of just who Jesus Christ is and the veracity of His Word.

     The first prophecy that we will examine is found in Daniel 9:24-25. There Daniel marks out the time of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and the offing of Himself to the nation as their Messiah. In context, Daniel had been reading about the 70 years of judgment in Babylonian captivity, that Jeremiah the prophet had declared for the nation. After doing a little addition, he realized that the 70 years had about expired and it was time for the Lord to return Israel to its land. But restoration could not come without confession and cleansing. As Daniel began confessing his sins and the sins of the nation, the angel Gabriel was dispatched from God to give Daniel further insight into the course of time concerning the plight of the nation of Israel. Gabriel announced that 70 weeks were determined upon Israel in order to accomplish the finishing of the transgression, to make an end of sins, to provide atonement for sin, to bring in the kingdom of righteousness, to fulfill all prophecies pertaining to Israel prior to its entering the kingdom, and to consecrate the holy place of the temple for sacrifice. The word that is translated weeks is the Hebrew word "shabua" which means a period of 7. In this case it means a period of 7 years. 70, 7-year periods, or a total of 490 years, were determined to accomplish all of the above.

     Back in Leviticus 25, Moses speaks to the Jews and tells them that just as they were to rest every seventh day, so the land was to have a rest every 7 years. He then goes on to say that after a period of 7, 7-year periods was to be the year of Jubilee. here we see the idea of a shabua demonstrated clearly.

     In verse 25, Daniel states that after 69 weeks from the issuance of a decree to rebuild Jerusalem, Messiah will come. Sir Robert Anderson has done some considerable research and has concluded that the date of the decree mentioned here is March 14,444 b.c. He also concluded that the date of the first Palm Sunday was April 6, 32 a.d. This presents us with an apparent problem. If we add 483 years (69 weeks) to March 14, 444 b.c., we come up with March 14, 40 a.d. (there is no year 0). How are we to understand the prophecy of Daniel if the numbers do not add up?

     The problem is solved when we remember that the calendar of the Hebrews was based on 360 per ear rather than our 365-1/4 days per year. If we multiply 483 years times 360 days, we get a total of 173, 880 days. If we would add these 173,880 days to March 14, 444 b.c., we arrive at the date of April 6, 32. a.d., exactly the date that Jesus presented Himself to the Jews as their Messiah.

     This prophecy of Daniel could have been known and should have been known by every Jew living in that day. That date was to be the most important date in all of the nation's history. On every calendar there should have been a great big X marking the day that Messiah would come. Unfortunately, very few recognized the day. When we understand that the day of Jesus' entry in Jerusalem was a date that should have been known by all, added meaning is given to the statement Jesus made in Luke 19:41-44.

And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hast known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thy eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

     Now someone might say that anyone could have read Daniel's prediction and decided to go out and make an extravagant entry into Jerusalem, claiming to be Israel's Messiah. Certainly they could have. But there is just one problem with that thought. No one else came that day to Jerusalem as its Messiah. Jesus was the only One, there were no others!

     Not only was the time of the Messiah's arrival predicted in detail, the nature of His entry was also. About 500 0r so years before Jesus came to present Himself as Israel's Messiah, the prophet Zechariah predicted that the Messiah would come riding upon an ass and upon a colt, the foal of an ass (Zech. 9:9). It is interesting that Zechariah did not state that the Messiah would come to Jerusalem riding upon a horse. In the context of his prophecy, Zechariah stated the exploits of Alexander the Great, who would war in northern Israel. However Jerusalem would be spared from his invasion. But with the coming of the Messiah, war would cease, and the use of horses in warfare would not be necessary. Instead, the Messiah would make peace with the Gentiles by His Word (Zech. 9:10- where He would speak peace to the Gentiles).

     Some have suggested that the donkey is simply a symbol of Jesus' humility. However, the donkey was also used by kings and does not necessarily indicate humility. Rather, the donkey was synonymous with peace. We find that when Jesus returns in the battle of Armageddon, He will be riding a horse in order that He might make war with those who rebel against Him (Rev. 19:11). By Jesus riding into Jerusalem upon a donkey, He was presenting Himself as the One Who would bring peace to the city, the nation, and its inhabitants.

     As we see the fulfillment of this prophecy in Matthew 21:1-7, we find an interesting situation. Jesus instructs two of His disciples to go into a nearby village. Immediately upon entering the village they would find an ass and a colt tied. They were to bring them to Jesus. And if anyone should question them as to what they were doing, their response was to be that the Lord simply had need of them. Can you imagine the situation? Picture yourself as the owner of those two animals. In order to do so, let me paint for you a modern day scenario. You have just purchased a brand new car, which is parked outside the garage of our house. While relaxing one day you hear your car's security system being activated. Horns, whistles, and sirens are blaring and the words, "Step away from the car," are being heard over and over again. You run outside to see what is going on and you find two men, whom you have never seen before trying to open the car's door and drive away. You ask them what they are doing and they respond that the Lord has need of your car. So immediately you throw them the keys and say, "Take it, its yours." I don't think so. We do find in Mark's gospel that the owner did ask what the disciples were doing and the disciples answered they was Jesus instructed them to answer. How could the owner be so willing to allow the disciples to take his animals? The answer is found in verse 4 which says that all this was done in order to fulfill Zechariah's prophecy. May I suggest that the owner of those two animals have a big X on his calendar and he knew the need for the Messiah to have these two animals in order to fulfill Scripture.

     Well, someone might say that anyone could have known of that prophecy, and anyone could have gone and gotten an ass and a colt, the foal of an ass, and ride into town. Well, I guess so, but the problem is, once again, that no one did. Jesus was the only one that day that came to Jerusalem in such an manner.

     The third prophecy concerning Jesus' entry into Jerusalem is found in Psalm 118:22-26. Here we find a two-fold prediction as to how Jesus would be received on that day of entry. The first prediction is a prediction of rejection. The stone that the builders refused is to become the head stone of the corner. The builders would be those who are in authority in Israel. They would reject His pressentation of Himself as their Messiah.

     Others, though, would gladly receive Him, recognizing Who He was. They would cry out, "Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord, O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord..." (Psalm 188:25-26). On the day that the Lord had made, the day of Israel's Messiah's presentation, the people who knew Him would cry out for deliverance.

     Well once again you say that anyone could have said these things in order to fulfill prophecy. And again, that is true, but with the same problem. The leaders rejected no one else that day, nor did the people shout those words of praise for anyone else. All were fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.

     What do we learn from these Palm Sunday prophecies? First, with unmistakable clarity, the Bible is the Word of God. Who could have envisioned the exact day of the Messiah's presentation 550 years in advance of it as Daniel did? Who could have envisioned the very manner of the Messiah's entrance 500 years in advance as Zechariah did? Who could have predicted the two-fold response to the Messiah as did the psalmist 1000 before Christ? We balk at predicting with detail anything that may be only a few days in the future because the wisdom of man is limited to the present. To predict the future with such detail and have it fulfilled with such precision can only mean that those predictions were of God.

     Secondly, with unmistakable certainty, Jesus is proven to be the Son of God. No one else came to Jerusalem that day in order to fulfill these prophecies. Nor could anyone. But there is also one other aspect of Zechariah's prophecy that needs to be addressed. When Messiah would come, He would be possessing salvation for the people. Peter tells us in Acts 4:12 that there is not salvation to be found in any other person, for there is none other name given under heaven, among men, whereby we must be saved. Salvation can not be found the reception of religious rites such as baptism, communion, membership, or any so-called sacrament. They all have the wrong name. Salvation can not be found in any human priest, rabbi, swami, guru, dali lama, or anyone else. They all have the wrong name. Salvation is found in the person of Jesus Christ alone. He, alone, died for your sins on Calvary's Cross. He, alone, rose the third day and ascended into heaven with the Father. He, alone, is coming again. He, alone, is Lord. If you have never received Jesus as your Savior from sin, call on Him today to be saved.