Old Testament Prophesies

The Infancy narratives of the New Testament record the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies as they unfold in their historical sequence.

Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem as prophesied by the prophet Micah:

         “But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah too small to be
         among the clans of Judah, from you shall come
         forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; whose
         origin is from of old, from ancient times.” (5:1)

The slaughter of the innocent children had
been foretold by Jeremiah:

         “Thus says the Lord: In Ramah is heard the sound
          of moaning, of bitter weeping! Rachel mourns her
          children, she refuses to be consoled because her
          children are no more.” (31:15)

The prophet Isaiah provides us with a prediction of the effect the holy Infant was to have on Egypt and the Egyptians:

        “Oracle on Egypt: See, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud on his way to Egypt; the
         idols of Egypt tremble before him, the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them.
         On that day there shall be an altar to the Lord in the land of Egypt, and a sacred
         pillar to the Lord near the boundary.” (19:1.19f)

According to the traditions of the Coptic Church, ‘the altar’ mentioned is that of the Church of Mary in Al-Muharraq Monastery, a site where the Holy Family is believed to have settled for a period of more than six months; and the altar-stone was the bed, upon which the Infant Savior lay.

Al-Muharraq Monastery is located, literally, in the midst of the land of Egypt standing at its exact geographical center.

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