1 Kings 13:3
“This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.”
King James Version
The long-range Josiah prophecy is sealed with a same-day sign: 'Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes... poured out' — which happens as Jeroboam stretches out his hand (1 Kgs. 13:5).
Fulfillment References
1 Kings 13:5-6
Archaeological & Historical Evidence
Large horned altars of the period have been recovered at Beersheba (reassembled from secondary use in a wall) and Tel Dan — physical examples of exactly the installation the oracle addresses.
How Traditions Read This Prophecy
Apostolic (Oneness) PentecostalGod's pattern: a near sign authenticates the far word. The rent altar guaranteed Josiah; the resurrection guarantees the return (Acts 17:31).
JewishThe sign-and-word structure follows Deuteronomy 18:22's own test of a true prophet.
CatholicThe immediate miracle authenticates the messenger and the distant prophecy together.
ProtestantShort-range verifiable signs paired with long-range prophecy form the Bible's built-in apologetic method.
AcademicThe pericope is a classic 'man of God' legend in form-critical terms; the sign-confirmation structure is its literary spine.
Scholarship & Sources
On the near-sign/far-word pattern see Walter Kaiser (The Messiah in the Old Testament, introduction); the Beersheba horned altar is published in Yohanan Aharoni's excavation reports.
Open the full interactive entry →Cross-references, Hebrew/Greek, Dead Sea Scrolls notes, study tools and multi-tradition analysis in the interactive explorer.
Bible Prophecy Explorer · based on J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy catalogue · an openly Apostolic (Oneness) Pentecostal study resource — all traditions presented fairly. Pastor: C. Myles Young, PhD · Bishop: Nathaniel J. Wilson, Ed.D.