Building Bible Confidence: Part 15

Part 15: The Promised Messiah Revealed (Part 3)

The Promised Messiah Revealed in Old Testament Books of Prophecy

The final section of Old Testament literature is the Written Prophets. These were also contemporary to some of the books of history in the Old Testament.  References to the Messiah within the Prophets are often easily identified. In addition to some popular prophecies, others are seen as the prophets preached of judgment and wrath on God’s people for not obeying His laws. The promised Messiah was needed more than ever. As a reminder, we’re observing one of the following elements in the prophecy:

(A) The sacrifice and/or priest element of the Messiah

(B) The kingdom(ship)/reign/covenant of the Messiah

(C) The depravity of the world without the Messiah and/or the inferred need for the Messiah

(D) The lineage and/or life history of the Messiah

(E) ‘Types’ of Messiah (to be fulfilled in the anti-type)

In Isaiah – The Suffering Servant (A)

But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him (Isaiah 53:4-5).

In some of the most compelling and striking language recorded, Isaiah foretells of Jesus as the suffering servant. Every gospel records some of this suffering. Consider reading more about Jesus’ sacrifice in Scriptures such as Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 19.

In Jeremiah – The New Covenant (B)

“Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. 

“But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people,” (Jeremiah 31:31-33). 

Jeremiah preached messages of destruction juxtaposed with messages of hope. In this Scripture, he shares God’s message of hope about a new covenant, one that would be written on the heart of God’s people. We can read about this in 2 Corinthians 3 and Hebrews 8.

In Lamentations – Lost People Cry Out (C)

Lamentations 5:7-8 | Our fathers sinned, and are no more; It is we who have borne their iniquities. Slaves rule over us; There is no one to deliver us from their hand.

During Jeremiah’s preaching, the nation of Judah was captured and taken into exile. The people mourned their fate, and the need for a Messiah and Deliverer was evident in their crying. Jesus preached that He came to set the spiritual captives free in Luke 4:18.

In Ezekiel – The New David (B)

Ezekiel 37:24 | My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them.

Not only did Jesus come through the physical line of David (see Matthew 1:1-17), but He also came as a king like David. He was called the Son of David and preached His spiritual superiority to David (see Matthew 22:42-46).

In Daniel – An Everlasting Kingdom (B)

Daniel 2:44 | In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.

Jesus’ kingdom, the church, is revealed in Matthew 16:18, Ephesians 3:10-11, Colossians 1:13-16, Hebrews 12:18-29 and other Scriptures.

In Hosea – Hope for the Gentiles (B)

Hosea 2:23 | I will sow her for Myself in the land. I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion, And I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they will say, ‘You are my God!’” 

The mystery of the gospel was revealed in Ephesians 2-3. Gentiles can be saved and receive an equal portion of all of Christ’s blessings. We can also see this Scripture quoted by Paul in Romans 9:25-28.

In Joel – The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit (B)

Joel 2:28-29 | It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.  

In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the apostles. Peter referenced their miraculous abilities as fulfillment of this prophecy. 

In Amos – Darkness at Noon (D)

Amos 8:9 | “It will come about in that day,” declares the Lord GOD, “That I will make the sun go down at noon and make the earth dark in broad daylight.  

These events, foretold around 740 BC,  took place during Jesus’ crucifixion (see Luke 23:44). During this exact time of day, God shrouded the area in darkness.

In Obadiah – A Kingdom Restored (B)

But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, And there shall be holiness; The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions…. Then saviors shall come to Mount Zion To judge the mountains of Esau, And the kingdom shall be the LORD’s (Obadiah 1:17;21).

This little book, written to the nation of Edom around 800 BC, foretells their destruction while promising the return and restoration of Israel. This is ultimately accomplished when Jesus died, buried and was resurrected as the risen King. His spiritual kingdom restored Israel while Edom, as historically observed, was destroyed. The Lord’s “Mt Zion” kingdom can be read about in detail in Hebrews 12:18-29.

In Jonah – 3 Days and 3 Nights (E)

And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17).

Jesus only made a comparison between Himself and one prophet: Jonah. In Matthew 12:39-40, He compared Jonah’s trial in the belly of the great fish to His own burial in the earth. Just as Jonah was within this death-like space for three days and three nights, so Jesus would be in death for three days and three nights.  

In Micah – Birthplace at Bethlehem (D)

But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity (Micah 5:2).

Around 700 years later, Jesus was born in the little village of Bethlehem, as recorded in Matthew 2:1-6 and Luke 2:1-7.

In Nahum – Wrath and Justice (C)

God is jealous, and the LORD avenges; The LORD avenges and is furious. The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies; he LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked. The LORD has His way In the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of His feet (Nahum 1:2-3).

Even Gentile nations like the Assyrians (who did not have the Jewish law) were guilty of disobeying God. They stood in need of a Redeemer who could save them from their sins. The Lord is just in His righteous wrath. Romans 1-3 explains how all people, Jew and Gentile, have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. All need a Savior. 

In Habakkuk –  The Just Shall Live By Faith (B)

Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith (Habakkuk 2:4).

The apostle Paul quoted this verse to make the point that Christ’s kingdom will be one based on faith (see Romans 1:13-14). This kingdom, the church, grants entrance to all who come in faith (see Ephesians 2:8-10).  

In Zephaniah – The Remnant (B)

I will leave in your midst A meek and humble people, And they shall trust in the name of the LORD. The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness And speak no lies, Nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; for they shall feed their flocks and lie down, And no one shall make them afraid (Zephaniah 3:12-13).

The apostle Paul wrote very plainly in Romans 9-11 about the “remnant of Israel.” The Holy Spirit revealed that this “remnant” was Jesus’ spiritual kingdom, those who would follow Him by grace through faith.  

In Haggai – The New Temple (B)

For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts,” (Haggai 2:6-9).

If we follow the new temple built during Haggai’s ministry around 425 BC, we observe that it never lived up to the glory described in the prophecy. Why not? Because Scriptures like Hebrews 12:25-29 confirm that the new temple is God’s holy people. As the church, we are the ultimate temple and Jesus is the great high priest.  

In Zechariah – A King on a Donkey / 30 Pieces of Silver (B, D)

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey (Zechariah 9:9). 

Then I said to them, “If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD for the potter (Zechariah 11:12-13).

Both of these powerful scenes were fulfilled by Jesus nearly 500 years later by Jesus. He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey (see Matthew 21:1-11) and was betrayed by one of His disciples for thirty pieces of silver (see Matthew 26:14-16).

In Malachi – A Messenger Prepares the Way (D)

Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the LORD of hosts (Malachi 3:1). 

400 years after this prophecy was recorded, the messenger came. John the Baptist prepared the way so that Jesus could begin preaching about the kingdom of heaven (see Matthew 3:1-17).  

In Review:

A few years after the resurrection, an Christian named Philip was called by the Holy Spirit to a road going down to Gaza from Jerusalem. There he met an Ethiopian, a convert to Judaism. When Philip approached him, he noticed that the Ethiopian was reading the sacred writings of Isaiah the prophet. He asked the man if he understood what he was reading. While discussing Isaiah 53, the Ethiopian sincerely inquired about the Scriptures. The Bible says:

The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” (Acts 8:34-37). 

What Scriptures did Philip use? Did he open up his New Testament? It hadn’t even been written yet. Starting with Isaiah 53, he used the Old Testament writings to preach Jesus. It was so effective alongside the good news of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection that the Ethiopian immediately knew what to do. May we look upon these sacred writings with the same sense of awe. May we not let the figurative dust gather upon the Old Testament, but rather, may we marvel at God’s grace, mercy, and promises as we see Jesus from the beginning to the end. 

*This article was taken from The Bible Series, a twelve-part study written by Jonathan Edwards. This study is available for free PDF download at www.pureandsimplebible.com