05.07. Biblical Prophecy Concerning Jesus Christ
Biblical Prophecy Concerning Jesus Christ
Approximately 330 prophecies predicted the first coming of Jesus the Messiah (or, Christ). The level of detail with which the first coming of Jesus Christ was predicted is simply astonishing.
Below are some examples from the Old Testament. Corresponding New Testament passages are also given as a record of the fulfillment.
These prophecies and their fulfillment are important because they testify of the uniqueness of Jesus Christ revealed through the actual pages of human history. There is no other equivalent narrative of predictive prophecy relating to anyone else in human history. The prophecies of Scripture point to the fact that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, was exclusively GOD’s vessel for the future of all humanity. The prophecies of Scripture also point to the fact that Jesus Christ was not the product of human endeavor. For example the lineage of the Messiah was predicted. Jesus Christ the Messiah was predicted to be the seed of a woman [Genesis 3:15; Galatians 4:4]. He was the seed of Abraham that would unveil the blessing given to Abraham to be a blessing to all nations [Genesis 22:18; Matthew 1:1]. No one else in human history (past and in the future) can ever even begin to fulfill these prophecies.
Abraham had seven sons and more than thirty grandsons; Jesus Christ was predicted to be descended in the specific lineage of Abraham through his son Isaac and grandson Jacob [Genesis 17:19; Numbers 24:17; Luke 3:34; Matthew 1:2]. There are 12 tribes of Israel; the Messiah was predicted to be of the tribe of Judah [Genesis 49:10; Luke 3:33]. Again, no one else in human history (past and in the future) can fulfill these prophecies. The Messiah was declared to be GOD [Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6;John 8:58; John 10:30; John 17:6; John 17:26; John 20:28]. The Messiah was proclaimed as GOD in human form [Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6;John 1:1-2; John 1:14]. The Messiah was declared as the One who would establish the Government of GOD as a descendant of King David (circa 1000 BC) [Isaiah 9:6-7; Luke 1:32-33].
Jesus Christ announced the Kingdom of GOD and gave clarity to the Kingdom of GOD through His teachings and His miracles [Matthew 4:23; Matthew 13:1-58; Matthew 24:14; Matthew 28:18-20]. The Kingdom of GOD and its significance was prophetically predicted to be an everlasting dominion that will not be destroyed, by the prophet Daniel (circa 550BC) [Daniel 2:44-45; Daniel 2:1-45; Daniel 7:9-28].
Jesus the Messiah declared that He would come again - after His death and resurrection and ascension into heaven - to fully establish the Kingdom of GOD on earth [Matthew 24:3; Matthew 24:27-31; Matthew 25:31-46; Matthew 28:18-20; Revelation 22:7; Revelation 22:12-13].
Scripture declares that Jesus Christ was anointed to be the Messiah - in His Eternal Authority, as King and Creator GOD [Psalms 45:6-7; Psalms 102:25-27; Hebrews 1:8-12].
Scripture also predicted specific aspects of the Messiah’s Life and Testimony.
Jesus Christ was predicted to be born in Bethlehem [Micah 5:2; Luke 2:4-7]. Jesus the Messiah was also predicted to be born of a virgin [Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:26-30]. The timing of the Messiah’s coming was predicted by the prophet Daniel (circa 550 BC) from the date the decree to restore Jerusalem was issued in 444 BC [Daniel 9:25; Luke 2:1-2]. Centuries later, King Herod knowing the timing for the Messiah’s coming decided to eliminate Him by ordering the killing of infants below two years old [Matthew 2:13-18]. This slaughter of the infants was also predicted [Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:16-18].
[In the two paragraphs above we also see prophecy that can never be fulfilled by any other person in history – past, present and future!] The coming of Jesus Christ as Messiah was testified to, and prepared for, by another prophet called John the Baptist who would be His forerunner [Isaiah 40:3-5; Malachi 3:1; Malachi 4:5; Luke 3:3-6; Luke 7:24; Luke 7:27; Matthew 11:13-14].
John the Baptist would declare Jesus Christ as the Messiah, who would baptize by the Holy Spirit of GOD [Matthew 3:11; John 1:26-34].
John the Baptist after recognizing Jesus Christ as the Messiah would testify to this by releasing his own disciples to Jesus Christ. [John 1:35-37][Psalms 2:7-8; Psalms 110:1-2; The Scripture also addresses the Messiah as the Son of GOD with authority over all nations Proverbs 30:3-4; Matthew 3:17; Matthew 28:18-20]. The ministry of Jesus Christ the Messiah was also predicted and described:
That He would minister in Galilee [Isaiah 9:1; Matthew 4:13-16]
That He would speak in parables [Psalms 78:2-4; Matthew 13:34]
That He would minister to the down trodden and the broken hearted, to those in spiritual bondage and captivity [Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18-19]
That He would minister healing [Isaiah 29:18; Isaiah 35:5-6; Isaiah 42:7; Matthew 4:23-24]
That He would minister as a Prophet [Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 3:20; Acts 3:22]
That He would be rejected by His own people [Isaiah 53:3; John 1:11; Luke 23:18]
(vii) That He would minister as a Priest of the eternal Order of Melchizedek [Psalms 110:4; Hebrews 5:5; Genesis 14:18; Luke 22:14-20]
That He would in Himself be a Covenant to the people [Isaiah 49:8; Isaiah 42:6; Luke 22:20]
That the ministry of Jesus Christ would be vindicated before GOD and the heavenly hosts [Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 5:1-14]
That He would take upon Himself our sins. He would be pierced through for our transgressions (our deliberate sins). He would be crushed for our iniquities (our habitual sins). The chastening for our well-being would fall upon Him, and by His scourging we would be healed. [Isaiah 53:5; Romans 5:6-8; 1 Peter 2:24].
That He would be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver [Zechariah 11:12; Matthew 26:14-15]. That this betrayal would be by a close friend [Psalms 41:9; Luke 22:47-48].
That none of His bones will be broken through His crucifixion [Psalms 34:20; John 19:32-33; John 19:36].
That His side would be pierced in His crucifixion [Zechariah 12:10; John 19:34].
That He would be rejected by His own people the Jews [Isaiah 53:3; John 1:11; Luke 23:18]. His message would also be dismissed by humanity in general [Isaiah 53:1;John 12:37-38].
There is more prophecy to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ than what is mentioned above. For example: the prophetic meaning to the Tabernacle of Moses, the sacrifices of the Tabernacle and the Feasts that were celebrated in the Tabernacle at their appointed times – all, refer to Jesus Christ and His redemptive work on the cross. The Tabernacle that king David raised (and the testimony of David in his Psalms) and, the temple of Solomon also have very deep prophetic significance vis a vis the testimony of Jesus. The ultimate testimony to Jesus Christ is declared in the following:
Jesus Christ rose from the dead and was witnessed to - in His risen state - by well over 500 men and women in several encounters with Him at different times and in different locations over a 40 day period. [Matthew 28:1-20;Mark 16:1-20; Luke 24:1-53; John 20:1-31; John 21:1-25; Acts 1:1-11; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8].
After His resurrection, His disciples were able to touch Him, watch Him prepare a meal for them, talk and fellowship with Him, eat with Him and, be taught and instructed by Him.
His disciples witnessed His ascension into heaven 40 days after His resurrection. Angels appeared to the disciples to proclaim that Jesus Christ would once again return to the earth.
It is a historical fact that many, many of His disciples were martyred because they refused to deny the Testimony of Jesus.
The disciples were instructed by Jesus Christ to wait for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit of GOD [Acts 1:4-8; Acts 2:1-47] who would empower them to bear witness to the Testimony of Jesus. And, when the outpouring of the Holy Spirit had occurred 50 days after His resurrection (10 days after His ascension) the disciples were empowered by GOD in the Name of the Lord Jesus:
To proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ
To have courage and strength to withstand persecution and suffering [2 Corinthians 11:23-33; Acts 5:12-41; Acts 11:19; Revelation 1:9]; many of them paying the ultimate price of giving their lives in martyrdom for the Testimony of Jesus [Acts 7:54-60; Acts 12:1-2] - a fact documented in history. Martyrdom has been and continues to be the testimony of the church today in many countries of the world.
iii.To perform thousands of miracles through the Name of Jesus by proclaiming His Testimony. The blind, the lame, the sick, the demonized and the dead were raised from the dead as evidence of the continuing ministry of Jesus Christ through His disciples [Mark 16:15-20; Acts 5:12-16; Acts 6:8; Acts 8:5-8; Acts 9:36-43; Acts 19:11-12; Acts 28:8-9]. These miracles continue today through the present day disciples of Jesus Christ. iv.To make disciples for Jesus Christ, as the Holy Spirit brought the realities of the Testimony of Jesus into human hearts [2 Corinthians 3:3]. Today that reality comprises hundreds of millions of lives. Countless numbers of books and millions of verbal testimonies of Jesus Christ’s continuing ministry of salvation have been and are being proclaimed across the nations of the world. In 1988, I myself came to Jesus Christ when I heard His loud commanding voice rebuke the hardness of my heart. From being an alcoholic GOD gave me the privilege of becoming a pastor and teacher of His Word. He continues to persevere with my weaknesses even today.
Paul the persecutor of the Church would have a supernatural encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus [Acts 9:1-43]. The resulting transformation of the apostle Paul would result in him becoming the apostle who would bring the Gospel to Asia Minor and the Mediterranean. Paul would become GOD’s instrument to pen two-thirds of the New Testament. Paul would testify of being caught up to heaven and experiencing heavenly realities [2 Corinthians 12:1-5].
And, finally the most dramatic and extraordinary testimony to Jesus Christ would come through the apostle John. The apostle John is actually taken to heaven to see the exalted position of Jesus Christ before GOD and His angels [Revelation 5:1-14]. In his extraordinary encounters with Jesus, the angels and the elders who stood before GOD, John records the cosmic realities that stand in the Testimony of Jesus. John sees all creation in heaven, on earth and under the earth being brought into subjection to the Name of Jesus - by GOD. This fulfills what the Psalmist proclaims in Psalms 110:1 in the Old Testament: “The LORD (GOD Himself) says to my Lord (the Messiah); ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.’”