1-10 Old Testament Prophecies of Jesus
Earlier studies
have explained how God’s purpose of salvation for men was centred in
Jesus Christ. The promises which He made to Eve, Abraham and David all
spoke of Jesus as their literal descendant. Indeed, the whole of the
Old Testament points forward to, and prophesies about, Christ. The Law
of Moses, which Israel had to obey before the time of Christ,
constantly pointed forward to Jesus: “The law was our schoolmaster to
bring us unto Christ” (Gal. 3:24). Thus at the feast of Passover, a
lamb in perfect condition had to be killed (Ex. 12:3-6); this
represented the sacrifice of Jesus, “the Lamb of God, which takes away
the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7). The spotless condition
which was required for all the animal sacrifices pointed forward to the
perfect character of Jesus (Ex. 12:5 cp. 1 Pet. 1:19).
Throughout
the Psalms and prophets of the Old Testament there are countless
prophecies about what Messiah would be like. They particularly focus on
describing how he would die. Judaism’s refusal to accept the idea of a
Messiah who dies can only be due to their inattention to these
prophecies, a few of which are now presented.
Old Testament Prophecy |
Fulfilment in Christ |
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Ps. 22:1) |
These were the very words of Jesus on the cross (Mt. 27:46) |
“I
am despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they
shake the head, saying, He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver
him: let him deliver him” (Ps. 22:6-8) |
Israel
despised Jesus and mocked him (Lk. 23:35; 8:53); they shook their heads
(Mt. 27:39), and said this as He hung on the cross (Mt. 27:43) |
“My tongue cleaves to my jaws…they pierced my hands and my feet” (Ps. 22:15,16) |
This
was fulfilled in Christ’s thirst on the cross (Jn. 19:28). The piercing
of hands and feet refers to the physical method of crucifixion used. |
“They parted my garments among them, and cast lots upon my clothing” (Ps. 22:18) |
The precise fulfilment of this is found in Mt. 27:35. |
Note that Ps. 22:22 is specifically quoted as applying to Jesus in Heb. 2:12 |
“I
am become a stranger unto my brothers, and am an alien unto my mother’s
children. For the zeal of your house has eaten me up” (Ps. 69:8,9) |
This
well describes Christ’s feeling of estrangement from his Jewish
brethren and his own family (Jn. 7:3-5, Mt. 12:47-49). This is quoted
in John 2:17. |
“They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink” (Ps. 69:21) |
This happened while Christ was on the cross (Matt. 27:34) |
The
whole of Isaiah 53 is a remarkable prophecy of Christ’s death and
resurrection, every verse of which had an unmistakable fulfilment. Just
two examples will be given. |
“As a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opens not his mouth” (Is. 53:7) |
Christ, the Lamb of God, remained silent during his trial (Mt. 27:12,14) |
“He made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death” (Is. 53:9) |
Jesus
was crucified along with wicked criminals (Mt. 27:38), but was buried
in the tomb of a rich man (Mt. 27:57-60). |
It
is little wonder that the New Testament reminds us that the “law and
prophets” of the Old Testament is the basis of our understanding of
Christ (Acts 26:22; 28:23; Rom. 1:2,3; 16:25,26). Jesus himself warned
that if we do not properly understand “Moses and the prophets”, we
cannot understand him (Lk. 16:31; Jn. 5:46,47).
That
the Law of Moses pointed forward to Christ, and the prophets prophesied
of him, should be proof enough that Jesus did not exist physically
before his birth. The false doctrine of the physical ‘pre-existence’ of
Christ before birth makes a nonsense of the repeated promises that he
would be the descendant of Eve, Abraham and David. The early preachers emphasized that Jesus was “of David’s posterity” [Gk. Spermatos-
Acts 2:29-31; 13:23; Rom. 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:8]. If he were already existing
up in heaven at the time of these promises, God would have been
incorrect in promising these people a descendant who would be
Messiah. The genealogies of Jesus, recorded in Mt. 1 and Lk. 3, show
how Jesus had a pedigree which stretched back to those people to whom
God had made the promises.
The promise to David concerning Christ precludes his physical existence at the time the promise was made: “I will set up your descendant [singular] after you, which shall proceed out of your body...I will be his father, and he shall be my son” (2 Sam. 7:12,14). Notice the future tense used here. Seeing that God would be
Christ’s Father, it is impossible that the Son of God could have
already existed at that point in time when the promise was made. That
this seed “shall proceed out of your body” shows that he was
to be a literal, physical descendant of David. “The Lord has sworn in
truth unto David...Of the fruit of your body will I set upon your
throne” (Ps. 132:11).
Solomon
was the primary fulfilment of the promise, but as he was already
physically in existence at the time of this promise (2 Sam. 5:14), the
main fulfilment of this promise about David having a physical
descendant who would be God’s son, must refer to Christ (Lk. 1:31-33).
“I will raise unto David a righteous Branch” (Jer. 23:5) - i.e. Messiah.
Similar future tenses are used in other prophecies concerning Christ. “I will
raise (Israel) up a Prophet like unto (Moses)” (Dt. 18:18) is quoted in
Acts 3:22,23, which defines the “Prophet” as Jesus. “A virgin (Mary) shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Is. 7:14). This was clearly fulfilled in Christ’s birth (Mt. 1:23).
