Does the New Testament affirm the events prophesied in the Old Testament?

The fundamental issue determining an eschatological position is how the Old Testament prophets are read and understood. Should the events detailed in the prophets be read literally? Should they be read as having a spiritual reality only? Should Israel be understood now as the global church, and thus, events described in the OT now apply to the church? Or is Old Testament prophecy only historical and not bearing on future events?

We can save ourselves a lot of interpretative work if we adopt the same position that the New Testament authors held of the prophets. This begs the question – how did the NT authors reference the ongoing relevance of the prophets?

Thankfully, we don’t have to read between the lines of homiletical discourse in the epistles to understand their perspective on the prophets (as some are in the habit to form their understanding of Israel).

Here are four passages in the New Testament that explicitly state the validity of the general future prophetic events. The conclusion is clear: the OT prophets are the authoritative source of the details of future prophetic events.

Luke 24:44 (ESV): Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

Acts 3:20–21 (ESV):  that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.

Acts 24:14-15 (ESV) 14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, 15 having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.

2 Peter 3:1-2 (ESV) 1 …In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles.