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Messianic Prophecies
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coram_deo 07-Jul-21, 10:02 |
 Messianic PropheciesIn this thread, we’ll be citing some of them. Here’s the first: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) Written some 700 years before Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry. |
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coram_deo 08-Jul-21, 08:57 |
And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto thee.” (Zechariah 2:10-11) The book of Zechariah was written by the prophet Zechariah about 500 years before Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry. |
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coram_deo 08-Jul-21, 14:40 |
“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2) |
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coram_deo 08-Jul-21, 17:38 |
“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) Some Bible translations say “young woman” instead of “virgin” in Isaiah 7:14, but here are excerpts from two sources that contend “virgin” is the correct word. “Some critics argue that the word translated as "virgin" at Isaiah 7:14 in the KJV ought to be translated as "young woman". However, words are to be translated in its context. Here the context requires “עלמה (almah)” to mean “virgin.” The verse says the conception of the עלמה is “a sign” from the Lord. The word for “sign” (אות) is used throughout the Old Testament to refer to miracles or extraordinary displays (e.g. “signs and wonders”). The word may sometimes refer to non-supernatural signs, but it still refers to something that is worthy of note. Thus the conception in Isaiah 7:14 must be something that is different from a normal conception. The conception becomes extraordinary only by translating “עלמה” as “virgin.” A conception by an "old woman" would be a "sign" (such as the conception of John the Baptist, Luke 1:13-18), but a typical conception by a “young woman” is hardly a “sign.” “ www.kjvtoday.com “There is no conclusive argument for “almah” in Isaiah 7:14 being either “young woman” or “virgin.” However, it is interesting to note, that in the 3rd century B.C., when a panel of Hebrew scholars and Jewish rabbis began the process of translating the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek, they used the specific Greek word for virgin, “parthenos,” not the more generic Greek word for “young woman.” The Septuagint translators, 200+ years before the birth of Christ, and with no inherent belief in a “virgin birth,” translated “almah” in Isaiah 7:14 as “virgin,” not “young woman.” This gives evidence that “virgin” is a possible, even likely, meaning of the term.” www.gotquestions.org |
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coram_deo 10-Jul-21, 21:07 |
Here’s what I think is the most prophetic section of Psalm 22, which was penned by King David: “All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.” (Psalm 22:7-18) And the first part of verse 1 is what Jesus said while on the cross according to Gospel accounts: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?” (Psalm 22:1) |
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coram_deo 12-Jul-21, 09:11 |
Isaiah 53 This prophesy is so respected that an organization (called Isaiah53.com) was formed by Messianic Jews (those who believe Jesus Christ to be their Messiah and the Saviour of the world) to lead non-Messianic Jews to Him. It’s not surprising that so many Jewish people reject Jesus Christ as their Messiah (this too was prophesied about) when the Pharisees, who were the Jewish religious leaders in Biblical times, denied Jesus’ divinity even as Jesus taught and performed miracles in front of them. “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53) |
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coram_deo 15-Jul-21, 15:14 |
“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” (Daniel 9:24-27) “What are the seventy weeks of Daniel? The “seventy weeks” prophecy is one of the most significant and detailed Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. It is found in Daniel 9. The chapter begins with Daniel praying for Israel, acknowledging the nation’s sins against God and asking for God’s mercy. As Daniel prayed, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and gave him a vision of Israel’s future. The Divisions of the 70 Weeks In verse 24, Gabriel says, “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city.” Almost all commentators agree that the seventy “sevens” should be understood as seventy “weeks” of years, in other words, a period of 490 years. These verses provide a sort of “clock” that gives an idea of when the Messiah would come and some of the events that would accompany His appearance. The prophecy goes on to divide the 490 years into three smaller units: one of 49 years, one of 434 years, and one 7 years. The final “week” of 7 years is further divided in half. Verse 25 says, “From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’” Seven “sevens” is 49 years, and sixty-two “sevens” is another 434 years: 49 years + 434 years = 483 years The Purpose of the 70 Weeks The prophecy contains a statement concerning God’s six-fold purpose in bringing these events to pass. Verse 24 says this purpose is 1) “to finish transgression,” 2) “to put an end to sin,” 3) “to atone for wickedness,” 4) “to bring in everlasting righteousness,” 5) “to seal up vision and prophecy,” and 6) “to anoint the most holy.” Notice that these results concern the total eradication of sin and the establishing of righteousness. The prophecy of the 70 weeks summarizes what happens before Jesus sets up His millennial kingdom. Of special note is the third in the list of results: “to atone for wickedness.” Jesus accomplished the atonement for sin by His death on the cross (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 2:17). The Fulfillment of the 70 Weeks Gabriel said the prophetic clock would start at the time that a decree was issued to rebuild Jerusalem. From the date of that decree to the time of the Messiah would be 483 years. We know from history that the command to “restore and rebuild Jerusalem” was given by King Artaxerxes of Persia c. 445 B.C. (see Nehemiah 2:1-8). The first unit of 49 years (seven “sevens”) covers the time that it took to rebuild Jerusalem, “with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble” (Daniel 9:25). This rebuilding is chronicled in the book of Nehemiah. Using the Jewish custom of a 360-day year, 483 years after 445 B.C. places us at A.D. 32, which would coincide with Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-9). The prophecy in Daniel 9 specifies that after the completion of the 483 years, “the Anointed One will be cut off” (verse 26). This was fulfilled when Jesus was crucified. Daniel 9:26 continues with a prediction that, after the Messiah is killed, “the people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.” This was fulfilled with the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The “ruler who will come” is a reference to the Antichrist, who, it seems, will have some connection with Rome, since it was the Romans who destroyed Jerusalem. The Final Week of the 70 Weeks Of the 70 “sevens,” 69 have been fulfilled in history. This leaves one more “seven” yet to be fulfilled. Most scholars believe that we are now living in a huge gap between the 69th week and the 70th week. The prophetic clock has been paused, as it were. The final “seven” of Daniel is what we usually call the tribulation period. Daniel’s prophecy reveals some of the actions of the Antichrist, the “ruler who will come.” Verse 27 says, “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’” However, “in the middle of the ‘seven,’ . . . he will set up an abomination that causes desolation” in the temple. Jesus warned of this event in Matthew 24:15. After the Antichrist breaks the covenant with Israel, a time of “great tribulation” begins (Matthew 24:21, NKJV). Daniel also predicts that the Antichrist will face judgment. He only rules “until the end that is decreed is poured out on him” (Daniel 9:27). God will only allow evil to go so far, and the judgment the Antichrist will face has already been planned out. Conclusion The prophecy of the 70 weeks is complex and amazingly detailed, and much has been written about it. Of course, there are various interpretations, but what we have presented here is the dispensational, premillennial view. One thing is certain: God has a time table, and He is keeping things on schedule. He knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10), and we should always be looking for the triumphant return of our Lord (Revelation 22:7).“ www.gotquestions.org gotquestions.org says the book of Daniel was written between 540 and 530 B.C. www.gotquestions.org |
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coram_deo 15-Jul-21, 15:39 |
“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.” (Isaiah 11:1-10) |
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coram_deo 17-Jul-21, 09:40 |
“Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?” (Proverbs 30:4) Proverbs 30 was written at least 700 years before Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry. |
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coram_deo 18-Jul-21, 10:47 |
“Date of Writing: The date of the authorship of the Book of Job would be determined by the author of the Book of Job. If Moses was the author, the date would be around 1440 B.C. If Solomon was the author, the date would be around 950 B.C. Because we don’t know the author, we can’t know the date of writing.” www.gotquestions.org But Job has this interesting verse: “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:” If the redeemer in that verse refers to Jesus Christ, and I’d wager it does, that’s pretty remarkable considering it was written at least 950 years before Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry and centuries before prophets like Isaiah, Micah and Zechariah wrote prophecies of Christ coming to earth to live among His people. “d. That my Redeemer: Job knew that he had a Redeemer; someone to rescue him from his crisis and despair and every accusation set against him. i. “Verses 25-27 are so tightly knit that there should be no doubt that the Redeemer is God.” (Andersen)” enduringword.com Here are the additional verses (26 and 27) referenced above: “And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.” (Job 19:26-27) Earlier, Job longs for a mediator between him and God: “For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment. Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both. Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me: Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.” (Job 9:32-35) Here is the same passage in the New International Version: “He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot.” (Job 9:32-35) And is not Jesus Christ our mediator and Redeemer? These verses may be the earliest references to Jesus Christ in the Bible. |
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coram_deo 22-Jul-21, 12:34 |
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15) Here are excerpts from a commentary on that verse: “The ultimate seed of the woman would be Jesus Himself. Therefore, we have in Genesis 3:15, the first promise of a Redeemer. It is the beginning of a long line of prophecies concerning the coming Messiah. The Promised One would be from the woman's seed an indication of the eventual virgin birth of Christ.” “The bruised heel of the seed of the woman refers to the crucifixion of Christ. The bruised head of the serpent speaks to the final judgment of Satan.” www.blueletterbible.org |
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coram_deo 24-Jul-21, 15:50 |
It’s a good one! “And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 25:7-8) The book of Isaiah was written 700 years before Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry and has quite a few Messianic prophecies. But there is apparently some disagreement over whether Isaiah 25:7-8 refers to Jesus’ earthly ministry 2,000 years ago or His Second Coming, which has yet to take place. Either way, it’s a Messianic prophecy - the question is whether it’s been fulfilled. The language “will wipe away tears from off all faces;” is reminiscent of the beginning of chapter 21 in Revelation, which was written around 60 years *after* Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and Resurrection: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” |
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coram_deo 25-Jul-21, 08:03 |
“Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.” (John 2:18-22) |
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coram_deo 25-Jul-21, 21:36 |
In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness.” (Jeremiah 23:5-6) The book of Jeremiah was written about 600 years before Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry. Excerpts from a commentary on this Messianic prophecy: “There are three prominent characteristics of the One prophesied in this text. First, there is His genealogical descent. He is the offspring of David: ‘Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch’ The ancestors of David include Jesse, Boaz, Judah, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Shem, Noah, Seth and Adam. The ‘Branch’ predicted by Jeremiah will be a descendant of David. Second, we are told His office. The ‘Branch’ will be a king. Not all the descendants of David were monarchs. In fact, only twenty of them in the Old Testament were. But the One spoken of in our text will be a king: ‘Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign’ Third, besides His descent and office, Jeremiah informs us of the character of the coming One. The ‘Branch’ will be righteous. Not all the kings of the line of David were righteous. Most of them were not, such as the last three mentioned in Jeremiah 22: Jehoahaz (Shallum), Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin (Coniah). The righteousness of the prophesied Davidic king is mentioned three times in our text: He is ‘a righteous Branch’ who ‘shall execute … justice [i.e., righteousness]’ and who is called ‘The Lord Our Righteousness’ (23:5-6). The other two descriptions of His piety serve His righteousness: He shall ‘prosper’ or act wisely and ‘execute judgment’ or justice. Nobility is one word that sums up what we have seen so far regarding the predicted Saviour. The ‘Branch’ is noble in birth, in office and in piety. Our text is a prophecy of the righteous, Davidic king. Now let us observe a couple of points about the way the ‘Branch’ is introduced in our text. First, the passage begins with the word ‘Behold’. This is the word order in both Hebrew and English. ‘Behold,’ that is, pay attention to this highly significant Word of God about the ‘Branch’: ‘Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper’. Second, the next few words speak of the time of His coming. From the perspective of Jeremiah, when he wrote these words by divine inspiration, he was not referring to a figure in the past or in the present but in the future: ‘Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness’ (5-6). In short, the introductory words of our text indicate that this righteous, Davidic king is highly significant (‘Behold,’ this great figure!) and coming in a time that is future to Jeremiah (‘Behold, the days come’). Clearly, we are dealing with a very important predictive prophecy concerning the ‘Branch.’ So what about the identity of the One predicted in Jeremiah 23:5-6? Is He Josiah? Josiah was a righteous, Davidic king. But Josiah did not belong to Jeremiah’s future, nor even his present, but his past (22:10-11). What about the Davidic kings who came after Josiah: Jehoahaz (Shallum), Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin (Coniah), the three other monarchs mentioned in Jeremiah 22? What about Zedekiah who succeeded them? None of these four was righteous; all were wicked.” “So many things can be said here by way of application but here we will focus on just three. First, we observe the fulfilment of prophecy. Jeremiah predicts the coming, righteous, Davidic king; 600 years later He came as promised (Galatians 4:4-5)! Second, we see here the prominence of Christ in the Old Testament. The Messiah is even central in Jeremiah, the Bible’s second longest book which is filled with so many judgments. Yet, even here, in the midst of man’s sin and God’s wrath, the coming ‘Branch’ is presented as the only hope! Third, in all this, we behold the glory of the Triune God, for, in this prediction of Christ and its fulfilment, Jehovah proclaims that He is all-powerful, infinitely wise and absolutely faithful in bringing this to pass. Let us believe, enjoy God’s rich salvation and praise Him in Jesus Christ!” www.prca.org It’s interesting to note that the same term “Branch” is used in a Messianic prophecy in Isaiah chapter 11, which was written even earlier than Jeremiah. |
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coram_deo 27-Jul-21, 08:42 |
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” (Isaiah 40:10-11) The book of Isaiah was written about 700 years before Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry. Jesus often compared Himself to a shepherd, as did King David in Psalm 23, which is probably the most well-known Psalm. Here’s one verse where Jesus refers to Himself as a shepherd: “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) And here David refers to the Lord as a shepherd in a Psalm written about 1,000 B.C. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” (Psalm 23) |
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coram_deo 01-Aug-21, 08:26 |
“When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.” (Ezekiel 33:13) Since no one can live a sinless life (except, of course, Jesus Christ,) I believe God in this verse (He is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel) is warning about the danger of people attempting to justify themselves or establish their own righteousness - because they can’t maintain it. I believe this is a subtle foreshadowing of how people can become righteous in God’s eyes and become righteous permanently: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) The book of Ezekiel was written about 575 years before Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry, and Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth was written about 20 years after it. |
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coram_deo 01-Aug-21, 11:34 |
“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34) Excerpts from a commentary on this prophesy: “b. I will make a new covenant: God announced that at a time future to Jeremiah’s day, He would make a new covenant. This new covenant would first be with Israel, but it would be not according to the covenant that God made with Israel in the Sinai desert.” “The Mosaic or Sinai Covenant gave Israel the law, the sacrifices, and the choice of blessing or curse (Exodus 19).” “Jesus specifically instituted this new covenant by His death on the cross, and He specifically instituted the recognition and remembrance of it with the bread and cup of communion (Matthew 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20). It was future to Jeremiah’s day, but it was put into effect by Jesus and specifically by His work of atoning sacrifice at the cross.” “c. My covenant which they broke: A new covenant was promised and needed because Israel did not and could not keep the covenant God made with them at Sinai. That covenant was not designed to be enough; it was preparation for the new covenant to come.” “d. I will put My law into their minds, and write it on their hearts: The new covenant brings inner transformation. The law of God was no longer only external; God would change the minds and hearts of those connected to Him by the new covenant. i. The new covenant does not do away with or renounce the law. It makes the law closer and more important by setting it in the mind and heart, instead of on a stone tablet or page. “It would no longer be like the external one made with the fathers, but spiritual and internal, and based on an intimate knowledge of Jehovah. (Morgan)” “ii. Obedience to the Law is not a prior condition for entering the New Covenant. Rather, it is one of the promised blessings of the New Covenant. (Ryken)” “iii. Things required by the law are bestowed by the gospel. God demands obedience under the law: God works obedience under the gospel. Holiness is asked of us by the law: holiness is wrought in us by the gospel. (Spurgeon)” “e. I will be their God, and they shall be My people: The new covenant brings new relationship with God. Those connected to God by the new covenant have personal, close relationship with God that they did not have before: they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. i. Notably, this relationship with God had a personal aspect (they all show know Me). ‘Probably the most significant contribution which Jeremiah made to religious thought was inherent in his insistence that the new covenant involved a one-to-one relationship of the spirit. When the new covenant was inaugurated by the atoning work of Jesus Christ on Calvary, this important development of personal, as opposed to corporate, faith and spirituality was made real for the whole of mankind. Henceforth anyone who submitted himself consciously in faith to the person of Christ as Saviour and Lord could claim and receive membership in the church of God.’ (Harrison) f. I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more: The new covenant brings true cleansing from sin. The sacrificial system under the old covenant could only cover sin and its guilt; the new covenant brings forgiveness so complete that it could be said that God no longer remembers the sin of those connected to Him through the new covenant. i. ‘The new covenant does not envision sinlessness but forgiveness of sin resulting in restoration of fellowship with God.’ (Feinberg)” enduringword.com |
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coram_deo 02-Aug-21, 11:44 |
“The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 40:3-5) Here’s an excerpt from a commentary on these verses: “c. The glory of the LORD shall be revealed: His glory is revealed to the prepared hearts described in the previous verses. And it is revealed without regard to nationality; all flesh shall see it together. This glory of the LORD is not revealed only to Jerusalem or Judah, but to every prepared heart. The certainty of this word is assured because the mouth of the LORD has spoken. d. Prepare the way of the LORD: This passage of Isaiah 40:3-5 has a direct fulfillment in the New Testament, in the person and ministry of John the Baptist. Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, knew this at the birth of his son (Luke 1:76). And three gospels directly relate this passage to the ministry of John (Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:3, and Luke 3:3-6). i. Jesus was the coming Messiah and King, and John the Baptist’s ministry was to be one crying in the wilderness, and through his message of repentance, to prepare the way of the LORD. We often fail to appreciate how important the preparing work of the LORD is. Any great work of God begins with great preparation. John wonderfully fulfilled this important ministry.” enduringword.com |
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coram_deo 03-Aug-21, 09:54 |
“Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.” (Luke 18:31-34) |
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coram_deo 07-Aug-21, 10:07 |
“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27) Those verses refer to the New Covenant instituted by Jesus Christ as well as the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit in a person once he or she accepts and believes in Jesus Christ. The book of Ezekiel was written about 575 years before Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry. Here’s a good commentary on these verses: “a. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you: This is the spiritual transformation promised in the new covenant. Instead of the law working from the outside in, God promised a new heart to work from the inside out. i. ‘Israel will experience a real ‘change of heart’ and will become, by God’s gracious initiative, the kind of people that they have in the past so signally failed to be.’ (Taylor) ii. ‘True religion begins, then, with the heart, and the heart is the ruling power of manhood. You may enlighten a man’s understanding and you have done much, but as long as his heart is wrong, the enlightenment of the understanding only enables him to sin with a greater weight of responsibility resting upon him.’ (Spurgeon) b. A new heart and put a new spirit: Jesus referred to this great work of spiritual transformation through the new covenant when He spoke of being born again in John 3. Paul spoke of it when he wrote of believers being new creations in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). c. I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh: God promised a new nature in the new covenant. In that covenant men and women are made new, with a new nature patterned after the nature of Jesus Himself (Ephesians 4:21-24). i. ‘In the ancient world the heart was the center for volition and the intellectual catalyst for feeling and action. A ‘heart of stone’ implied inflexibility and willfulness, while a ‘heart of flesh’ meant submission and compliance.’ (Vawter and Hoppe) ii. The heart of stone: ‘Stubborn, senseless, untractable heart, that receives no kindly impressions from the word, providences, or Spirit of God in its ordinary operations and influences, that hardens itself in a day of provocation, that is hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.’ (Poole) iii. A heart of flesh: ‘One that can feel, and that can enjoy; that can feel love to God and to all men, and be a proper habitation for the living God.’ (Clarke) d. I will put My Spirit within you: Another aspect of the new covenant is the promise of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Under the new covenant, the Spirit dwells in every believer (Romans 8:9), and is promised to fill the believer with special presence and power (Acts 1:5 and 1:8). i. ‘Jeremiah [Jeremiah 31:33] and Ezekiel obviously have the same covenant renewal in mind, but what Jeremiah attributes to the divine Torah, Ezekiel ascribes to the infusion of the divine ruah.’ (Block) ii. ‘An incarnate God is a mystery, – the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us; but, here is another mystery, God dwells in every son of God. God dwelleth in us, and we in him.’ (Spurgeon) iii. ‘The Holy Spirit cannot dwell in the old heart; it is a filthy place, devoid of all good, and full of enmity to God. His very first operation upon our nature is to pull down the old house and build himself a new one, that he may be able to inhabit us consistently with his holy spiritual nature.’ (Spurgeon) e. Cause you to walk in My statutes: The spiritual transformation and indwelling Holy Spirit would help the believer to obey God’s law. Obedience would be more of a matter of being what God has already made the believer as a new man or woman in Jesus Christ, filled with God’s own Holy Spirit.“ enduringword.com |
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coram_deo 11-Aug-21, 05:16 |
“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” (Isaiah 61:10) This Messianic prophecy, which was written about 700 years before Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry, has its fulfillment in Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and Resurrection. As the apostle Paul wrote in a letter to the church in Corinth after Jesus Christ’s Resurrection and ascension into Heaven: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) |
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coram_deo 12-Aug-21, 06:54 |
“Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.” (Isaiah 35:4-5) I believe verse 5 refers not only to the physical healings that Jesus performed (and continues to perform) but also to opening eyes and unstopping ears to spiritual truth, that is, that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh and the express image of God the Father. As Jesus Himself says to His disciples: “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?” (John 14:7-9) |
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coram_deo 13-Aug-21, 09:12 |
“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.” (Zechariah 13:7) And this prophecy is fulfilled when Jesus Christ is arrested, as recorded in this passage from the Gospel of Matthew: “Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus and took him. And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.” (Matthew 26:48-56) |
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coram_deo 22-Aug-21, 08:23 |
“Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.” (Isaiah 42:1-9) And here are excerpts from a great (and long) commentary by David Guzik on this prophecy, which he says is quite obvious in referring to Jesus Christ’s arrival on earth seven centuries later: “ii. The New King James Version rightly capitalizes Servant because the context demonstrates this is a clear reference to Jesus. Additionally, Matthew quotes Isaiah 42:1-5 and plainly says it is a prophecy fulfilled in Jesus (Matthew 12:16-21). So, in this, the LORD commands all peoples to put their focus on Jesus. iii. Jesus described Himself as a servant in Matthew 20:25-28, Matthew 23:11, Mark 9:35, Mark 10:43-45. Peter, in his Acts 3 sermon, gives our Savior the title His Servant Jesus (Acts 3:13 and 3:26). In Acts 4, the praying people of God speak of Your holy Servant Jesus (Acts 4:27, 4:30). But Jesus isn’t just a servant. He is The Servant, and everyone should behold, as the LORD says, My Servant. iv. What do we see when we behold Jesus, the LORD’s Servant? Among many things, we see Him as the Servant. As Jesus said in Matthew 20:26-28 (also recorded in Mark 10:43-45), Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. When Jesus said let him be your servant, it means being a servant is a choice. When Jesus said let him be your slave, it showed how deep service should go. When He said that He did not come to be served, but to serve, it shows the essential heart of a servant. When Jesus said and to give His life a ransom for many, it showed how far servants go. v. But Jesus, the Servant, is more than an example to us. He is our Servant. He serves us; not only in what He did in the past, but also, He serves us every day through His constant love, care, guidance, and intercession. Jesus did not stop serving when He went to heaven; He serves all His people more effectively than ever from heaven. b. My Servant whom I uphold: This was certainly true for Jesus, but it is true also in the way the LORD deals with all His servants. He promises to uphold His servants. When someone is the servant of another, the servant is required to give full service and obedience to the master. But the master is also required to take care of the servant. The LORD always can say My Servant whom I uphold.” “d. I have put My Spirit upon Him: Jesus was filled with the Spirit and did ministry in the power and flow of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16). e. He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles: The ministry of the Servant, the Messiah, would not be restricted to the Jewish people. He would also have a ministry to the Gentiles, bringing justice and righteousness to them. f. He will not cry out, nor raise His voice: This doesn’t mean that Jesus never spoke loudly. It refers to His gentle, lowly heart and actions. Jesus didn’t make His way by bluster and loud, overwhelming talk, but by the Spirit of God upon Him. i. ‘He is not self-assertive: probably the three verbs here are cumulative, stressing his quiet, unaggressive demeanour, but shout (‘shriek’) could suggest that he is not out to startle, cry out (‘raise his voice’) not to dominate or shout others down, raise his voice (‘make his voice heard’) not out to advertise himself.” (Motyer) ii. ‘Think for a moment about the modesty of God. He is always at work: He guides the sun, the stars, and the universe. He controls every galaxy. He refreshes the earth constantly. But He works so quietly that many people now try to make out there is no God at all…. That is the hallmark of reality in service. God’s artists do not put their signatures to the pictures they create. His ambassadors do not run after the photographer all the time to get their pictures taken. It is enough that they have borne witness to the Lord.’ (Redpath) g. A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench: This is another reference to the gentle character of Jesus. A reed is a fairly fragile plant, yet if a reed is bruised, the Servant will handle it so gently that He will not break it. And if flax, used for tinder to start a fire, does not flame but only smokes, He will not quench it into extinguishing. Instead, the Servant will gently blow on the smoking flax, fanning it into flame again. i. Often we feel that God deals roughly with our weaknesses and failures. Just the opposite is true. He deals with them gently, tenderly, helping them along until the bruised reed is strong and the smoking flax is in full flame.” “iv. ‘He is not dismissive of others: however useless or beyond repair (bruised reed), however ‘past it’ and near extinction (smouldering wick) they may seem. The negative statements imply their positive equivalents: he can mend the broken reed, fan into flame the smouldering wick. The former has been internally damaged, the latter lacks the external nourishment of oil. The Servant is competent both to cure and to supply.’ (Motyer) v. Jesus sees the value in a bruised reed, even when no one else can. He can make beautiful music come from a bruised reed, as He puts His strength in it! Though a smoking flax – used for a wick on an oil lamp – is good for nothing, Jesus knows it is valuable for what it can be when it is refreshed with oil. Many of us are like the bruised reed, and we need to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man (Ephesians 3:16). Others are like the smoking flax and can only burn brightly for the LORD again when we are drenched in oil, with a constant supply coming, as we are filled with the Holy Spirit. vi. Jesus wants us to have His heart towards the lowly, broken, and hurting. It’s easy to pass them by just as quickly as the priest and the Levite passed the man on the road to Jericho. ‘The superficial Christian worker ignores that kind of situation. He wants a sphere to serve where it will be worthy of his talent, if you please. A task where his abilities will be recognized and used, something that is big enough to justify all the training he has undergone. In the eyes of the Lord, the test of the real servant is, does he bend with the humility of Jesus Christ over a bruised reed and smoking flax?’ (Redpath)” “a. Thus says God the LORD: The promise of the Servant and His ministry is so wonderful, that the One making the promise should state His credentials. Just as when we take out a loan, the bank asks for assurance we can fulfill our promise, so this verse is another ‘credit check’ on God. God the LORD is more than happy to do so. First look up, because He created the heavens and stretched them out. Then look down, because He spread forth the earth and that which comes from it. Then look in a mirror, because He gives breath to the people on it. The God who did such great things can fulfill His promises about the Servant. b. I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand: Specifically, this is a promise from the LORD to the Servant – Jesus Christ. Jesus must have received remarkable encouragement from passages like this when He faced difficult and trying times during His earthly ministry. i. Called You in righteousness: ‘Because there was nothing unholy or unrighteous in My calling, You can be confident that the calling will be fulfilled.’ ii. Will hold Your hand: ‘I am with You always, to love and guide You. I will never leave You. I am holding Your hand all the time!’ iii. I will keep You: ‘You will not get lost or left behind. I am always there to watch over You and keep You.’ iv. And give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles: ‘You will fulfill the purpose I have called You to. You will bring salvation, not only to Your people, but also to those afar off, who seem beyond salvation.’ v. To open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison: ‘I will use You to do miraculous works of restoration and healing, both physically and spiritually. You will be used to bring sight and freedom to many.’ vi. What glorious promises, each fulfilled in the ministry of Jesus! By extension, these promises also belong to us. Jesus prayed, As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world (John 17:18). We are sent as Jesus was sent and can receive these same promises as belonging to us. c. I am the LORD, that is My name: Such glorious promises need confirmation, and the assurance that the One making the promises is able to fulfill them. i. I am the LORD: ‘This is the famous tetragrammaton, or name of four letters, which we write Jehovah, Yehovah, Yehveh, Yeveh, Jhuh, Javah, etc. The letters are Y H U H. The Jews never pronounce it, and the true pronunciation is utterly unknown.’ (Clarke) d. My glory I will not give to another: First, no one else can fulfill these promises, because God will not share His glory with any other. i. It is important to understand that Jesus shares in the glory of the Father. Jesus prayed, And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. (John 17:5) If God the Son and God the Father each share glory, and the LORD shares His glory with no one, it means that the Father and the Son are the LORD God. The LORD God – Yahweh – is one God in Three Persons. e. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare: God is master of both the past (the former things) and the future (new things). Being the master of both the future and the past, God has the present well in hand also. i. We see this especially in the way that God can declare…new things, even before they spring forth. As Peter said, so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place (2 Peter 1:19). God’s prophetic word fulfilled shows us the confidence we can have in His word.” enduringword.com |
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coram_deo 22-Aug-21, 22:38 |
“He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain: So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat. His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out. Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers. If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness: Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom. His flesh shall be fresher than a child's: he shall return to the days of his youth: He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness.” (Job 33:19-26) The “ransom” mentioned in verse 24 is, of course, Jesus Christ, and the last phrase in the quoted passage (verse 26) refers to believers receiving and becoming God’s righteousness by accepting and believing in Jesus Christ. Here is an excerpt of a commentary on verse 24: “I have found a ransom; which is no other than Christ the Son of God; whom Jehovah, in his infinite wisdom, found out and settled upon to be the ransomer of his people; to which he agreed, and in the fulness of time came to give his life a ransom for many, and for whom he has given himself as a ransom price, which has been testified in due time: and this ransom is for all the elect of God, and is of them from sin, Satan, law, hell, and death; and the finding of it is not of man, nor is the scheme of propitiation, peace and reconciliation by Christ, or of atonement and satisfaction by the sacrifice of Christ, as the word here used signifies, an invention of men; but is the effect of infinite wisdom, and a scheme drawn in the eternal mind, and formed in Christ from everlasting; see (2 Corinthians 5:19). Some take these words to be spoken by the Father to the Son, upon his appointment and agreement to be the ransomer and Redeemer, saying, ‘go, redeem him’ for so the words may be rendered; and others think they are the words of the Son the messenger to his Father, the advocate with him for his people, as before observed.” www.biblestudytools.com The book of Job is believed to have been written at least 1,445 years before Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry. |
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coram_deo 26-Aug-21, 10:34 |
What makes this prophecy especially interesting is that Jesus Christ Himself read this prophecy in a synagogue in Nazareth and said He fulfilled it! I’ll include that passage from the Gospel of Luke after the prophecy. Here’s the prophecy: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;” (Isaiah 61:1) And here is Jesus Christ reading this Messianic prophecy in a synagogue in Nazareth and saying He fulfilled it: “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” (Luke 4:16-21) The prophecy in Isaiah and the words Jesus read don’t match exactly due to differing translations into English from the original Hebrew text. I use the King James Version of the Holy Bible. |
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coram_deo 13-Sep-21, 11:14 |
“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” (Zechariah 12:10) Here’s a commentary on this Messianic prophecy. From gotquestions.org: Zechariah 12:10 reads, “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.” This prediction, that Israel will see someone whom they “pierced,” is amazing because it is God Himself speaking—the Lord is the One who is “pierced.” This appears to fit later descriptions of Jesus Christ’s suffering. Indeed, the New Testament specifies that this prophecy is truly Messianic. This verse indicates a future time when the Jewish people will plead for the mercy of God. This will happen when they see “the one they have pierced.” Zechariah’s verse is mentioned in John 19:36-37 when Jesus, hanging on the cross, was pierced with a spear: “These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: . . . ‘They will look on the one they have pierced.’” Revelation 1:7 adds, “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him”—definitely an allusion to Zechariah 12:10. Isaiah 53:5 also predicts that the Messiah would be pierced: “But he was pierced for our transgressions.” In addition to the idea of a “pierced” God is the concept of the “only child.” Zechariah’s mention of a “firstborn son” bears an unmistakable connection to Jesus as God’s Son. The Hebrew word bekor was translated in the Septuagint as prototokos, the same term used for Jesus in Colossians 1:15: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn [prototokos] of all creation.” And, of course, there is John 3:16, which includes a reference to Jesus as God’s “one and only Son.” This Messianic prophecy has not yet been completely fulfilled. Jesus has been “pierced,” but there will still be a future time when all of Jerusalem will see Him and mourn their ill treatment of Him. At that time, they will cry out to God for mercy, and He will answer them by saving them from their enemies: “On that day the LORD will shield those who live in Jerusalem. . . . I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:8-9). These events will occur at the end of the tribulation period at Christ’s second coming. In summary, Zechariah 12:10 predicts the piercing of the Son of God, the Messiah, fulfilled at the first coming of Jesus Christ when He died on the cross and was pierced by a spear in His side (John 19:36–37). The complete fulfillment of this verse awaits the last days when the Jewish people will plead for mercy from the One they have pierced. www.gotquestions.org |
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coram_deo 15-Sep-21, 13:30 |
Here’s the prophecy, which was written around 530 B.C: “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.” (Daniel 2:44-45) This prophecy is especially interesting because it came to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, in a dream, and the dream had to be interpreted by Daniel for the prophecy to become known. Here is the dream: “Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” (Daniel 2:31-35) And here is Daniel’s interpretation of the dream, which includes the prophecy of Jesus Christ’s Second Coming: “Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.” (Daniel 2:37-45) Here’s a great commentary on king Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, Daniel’s interpretation of it and the prophecy of Jesus Christ’s Second Coming: From blueletterbible.org: Intro. We have just elected a new president who has just completed the selections for his cabinet posts, and many people are looking to the government to provide jobs, health programs, a stronger economy, and cure whatever ails us, while reducing the National debt. They feel that we are entering into a new age, and have great hopes for the future. I wish I could share their optimism, but being a realist, I have given up hope on man's ability to properly govern his fellowman. I. THE FORMS OF GOVERNMENT TRIED IN ISRAEL. A. The first was a Theocracy, a people ruled by God. 1. The man at the head of the people was in direct contact with God receiving instructions from God for every situation. 2. The people were aware that God ruled. B. There came a dark day in their history when they came to Samuel, who was the man through whom God was ruling, and they demanded a king like the other nations. A monarchy is the most efficient form of government outside of a theocracy, and the best form, providing you have a good king. 1. The first king though he had great potential was a dismal failure. Chiefly because he refused to take orders from God and began to do his own thing. God rejected him from being a ruler over the people. 2. The second king was much better and brought the nation into the Zenith of it's glory and power. He was a humble shepherd who had the heart of a shepherd and ruled over the people like a shepherd watching over his flock. He sought the Lord for help in the decision making. 3. The kings gradually became worse, until they began to reign for their own benefit, rather than the benefit of the people. C. The time of the kingdom of Israel has come to a close, the nation has been conquered by Babylon and the people are now to be ruled by outside Gentile powers. There will be five major Gentile powers that will be given rule over them. 1. These major powers are represented in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon. 2. His dream of a great image of a man with a head of gold, chest of silver, stomach of brass, legs of iron, and feet and ten toes of iron and clay. a. It is significant that the image was that of a man. Man's attempt to govern over man. The elevating of man. Humanism, where God is eliminated, and man is supreme. b. Karl Marx the German Jew who founded Communism, had set for a goal the eradication of what he called four abominable things. 1. The idea of God. 2. The superstition of religion. 3. The dictates of conscience. 4. The sanctity of the home. c. These are the goals of the humanist today Norman Leer with the PAW and their ilk. It is frightening to see how well they are succeeding. 3. The first Gentile power to rule over them was Babylon the head of Gold. 4. In 538 B.C. the head of gold was conquered by the chest and two arms of Media and Persia. 5. The Medo Persian empire was conquered by the stomach of brass, or the Grecian empire headed by Alexander the Great, in 330 B.C. 6. In 63 B.C. the Grecian empire was subdued by the Romans, and after the Roman Empire fell, there has not been a major world dominating power. 7. This leaves one part of the image unfulfilled, the feet and ten toes of iron and clay. D. In as much as the iron represented the Roman Empire, the fact that the feet are part iron, means that it will be related in some way to the Roman Empire, yet the clay being mixed with it weakens the strength tremendously. 1. The clay being common represents the rule of the common people through a democracy, democracy is fine if the people are godly, but if they are not godly, power is given over to the devil. 2. That is exactly what is to happen when these ten nations formerly a part of the Roman Empire are united together with treaties, seek to dominate the world. The leader who will emerge from this coalition of nations will be none other than the anti-christ. 3. It is interesting that the Lord said of the iron and clay mixture, "They will mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another even as iron is not mixed with clay." 4. We see the difficulties that they are experiencing in bringing to pass the European Community. It is as a clumsy giant trying to rise to his feet while drunk. Every nation seeking the best for itself, and not anyone willing to give much to another. Some nations are even threatening to pull out of the union. 5. In a few days from now they are expected to take a giant step forward as the border guards will be removed within the community and goods will travel freely from one nation within the community to another. 6. It would appear that slowly but surely the iron and clay feet with ten toes are emerging. D. The truly exciting aspect of this whole scenario are the words of Daniel, that in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. II. THE STONE CUT OUT OF THE MOUNTAIN WITHOUT HANDS IS NONE OTHER THAN JESUS CHRIST. A. He is the precious corner stone that God has promised to lay in Zion. He is the stone that was rejected by the builders or religious leaders of the nation, but will become the chief corner stone. 1. Israel began as a Theocracy, they degraded to a monarchy, and for centuries have been under Gentile domination first by the Babylonians, then the Medo-Persians, in this period of time known in the scriptures as the time of the Gentiles. The Gentile rule over Israel. 2. Jesus said that Jerusalem would be trodden under the foot of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles were fulfilled. i.e. When Jerusalem again came under the authority and control of the Israeli government it would be a sign that the times of the Gentiles had come to an end. 3. In 1967 Jerusalem again came under the control of the Israeli government. 4. Israel is presently trying to operate as a democracy, but finds itself deeply divided between the Labor party and the Likud, neither party can gain a firm control. B. Israel is about to become a Theocracy once again. The Stone not cut with hands is about to appear on the scene and put an end to the miseries and suffering that man has experienced through corrupt governments. He will bring down the governments of man, and establish His kingdom in righteousness and justice and peace. His kingdom shall never be destroyed. C. Daniel closes this section with the words, God has made known to the king what is to come to pass, the dream is certain, and the interpretation is sure. 1. What can we say? Up to this point, it has been totally accurate in the presenting in advance the ruling kingdoms of the world. 2. At this very moment we see the nations of Europe seeking to combine the iron and clay, the final attempt of man to develop a government that can rule the world, and bring in an economic utopia. 3. We are talking here of the second coming of Jesus Christ. When He first came they declared "We will not have this man to reign over us." When He receives His kingdom, He will come again, and begin His reign over the earth as King of kings, and Lord of lords. And He shall reign forever and ever. 4. Sometime before this event, He will come for His church, that they might escape the great tribulation that is coming upon the earth as a judgment from God for their rejecting Him from ruling over them. 5. If the signs of His second coming are all about us, then that puts the rapture of His church that much sooner. Look up, lift up your head, for your redemption draweth nigh. www.blueletterbible.org |
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coram_deo 28-Sep-21, 12:59 |
“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. But thou, O Lord, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them.” (Psalm 41:9-10) Psalm 41 was written by King David about 1,000 years before Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry, crucifixion and Resurrection, Gotta believe “mine own familiar friend” refers to Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ original 12 disciples who betrayed Him into the hands of His enemies for 30 pieces of silver. And I believe “raise me up” refers to Jesus Christ’s Resurrection. But it appears most Bible commentaries support 41:9 being a Messianic prophecy but not 41:10. Here’s a commentary on 41:9. From enduringword.com: c. Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me: David’s woe was made more bitter because among his enemies were those who had once been a familiar friend to him. He knew what it was like when trusted friends – those he had close relationship with (who ate my bread) – betrayed him. i. David was betrayed by his own son Absalom (2 Samuel 15) and by a trusted adviser named Ahithophel (2 Samuel 15:12 and 15:31). “What greater wound can there be than a treacherous friend?” (Trapp) ii. In the ultimate and most sinister sense, this was fulfilled when Judas betrayed Jesus. Jesus specifically applied these words to Judas and his treachery. In John 13:18 Jesus quoted this phrase, but only the words He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me. Some think Jesus deliberately left off the words in whom I trusted because He didn’t trust Judas. However, Jesus did make him the treasurer among the disciples (John 12:6 and 13:29). iii. “The kiss of the traitor wounded our Lord’s heart as much as the nail wounded his hand.” (Spurgeon) iv. “So these words were literally fulfilled in David, and yet the Holy Ghost, which dictated them, looked further in them, even to Christ and Judas, in whom they received a further and fuller accomplishment.” (Poole) v. “The idiom ‘has lifted up his heel against me’ signifies a treacherous act (cf. Genesis 3:15; Psalm 55:12-14).” (VanGemeren) vi. “Not merely turned his back on me, but left me with a heavy kick such as a vicious horse might give.” (Spurgeon) enduringword.com And here are two commentaries that supports 41:10 as referring to Jesus Christ’s Resurrection. From biblehub.com: In this prayer of David, that God would raise him up, is included a prophecy of the exaltation of Christ, whom God raised from the dead, that he might be a just avenger of all the wrongs done to him and to his people, particularly by the Jews, whose utter destruction followed not long after. Thus, “the hour is coming when the church shall arise to glory, and all her enemies shall be confounded.” — Horne. But thou, O Lord, be merciful unto me, and raise me up,.... Not from a bed of illness, nor from a state of poverty and want; but from the dead: it was by the will of his divine Father that he suffered death, and it was to him he made satisfaction and reconciliation for the sins of his people, by his sufferings and death; and therefore it was but a reasonable request, that, having done this, he should be raised from the dead: besides, his Father had promised it, and he had believed it; so that this prayer was a prayer of faith, founded upon a divine promise; and the resurrection of Christ is for the most part ascribed to God the Father as his act; though not to the exclusion of the Son, who had power, as to lay down his life, so to take it up again; and though the resurrection of Christ from the dead is not only an act of power, but also of justice, he having paid his people's debts, atoned for their sins, and satisfied law and justice, it was but right and equitable that he should be discharged from the prison of the grave, and set free; yet here it is requested as an act of mercy, grace, and kindness; for, by doing it, it would appear that his Father's wrath was taken away from him, and that he had turned himself from the fierceness of his anger to him, and that he was well pleased with his righteousness and sacrifice; besides, it was giving him glory, as well as rolling away the reproach he lay under; and, however, it was in mercy to his body the church, whom he represented, since it was for their justification; nay, their regeneration is influenced by it; and so is the resurrection of their bodies, of which Christ's resurrection is the pledge and pattern. The end Christ had in view in making the request follows; that I may requite them: not "him", Judas, last mentioned; for justice pursued and overtook him; he destroyed himself, and was gone to his own place, before Christ's resurrection from the dead; but them, the Jews, as a body; his enemies that spoke ill of him, wished ill to him, conspired against him, to take away his life, and did bring him to the dust of death: and this his requital of them, after his resurrection, was either of good for evil, by ordering his disciples to preach his Gospel, first at Jerusalem, to those very persons who were concerned in his death, many of whom were converted, baptized, and added to the church; or of evil, for their evil to him, which had its accomplishment in part, at the destruction of Jerusalem, and will more fully at the day of judgment, when they that have pierced him shall see him come in the clouds of heaven. biblehub.com |
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coram_deo 28-Sep-21, 13:52 |
“And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord. Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.” (Zechariah 11:12-14) This prophecy is referenced in the Gospel of Matthew, though Matthew attributes the prophecy to Jeremiah. “Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.” (Matthew 27:3-10) Here’s a commentary on this Messianic prophecy. From enduringword.com: a. Give me my wages: Zechariah was “play-acting” this prophecy, employing himself as a shepherd over a flock. Now he asked his employer for his wages, and they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. b. That princely price they set on me: Zechariah spoke sarcastically here. Thirty pieces of silver was not an insignificant amount, but it was the price of a slave (Exodus 21:32). It was the lowest they could pay, and it said that they regarded Zechariah as a slave. i. This speaks prophetically of Jesus, who was contemptuously betrayed for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15 and 27:3) – the price of a slave. ii. Matthew 27:9-10 says: Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, and gave them for the potter’s field, as the LORD directed me.” This is a problem because clearly Zechariah records the passage mentioned in Matthew 27:9-10. There are generally three solutions offered for this problem: · Some think it is an error but not by Matthew – an early copyist made a mistake. Perhaps Matthew wrote Zechariah, but an early copyist put Jeremiah instead. · Some think that Jeremiah spoke this prophecy and Zechariah recorded it. This may be the word spoken by Jeremiah, but recorded by Zechariah. · Some think that Matthew refers to scroll of Jeremiah, which included the book of Zechariah. c. Threw them into the house of the LORD for the potter: Curiously, Zechariah said that the thirty pieces of silver were thrown into the house of the LORD but that they were also given to the potter. This is an exact fulfillment of what Judas did with his thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 27:3-10). i. The money to betray Jesus – His purchase price – went to buy a potter’s field (Matthew 27:7). A potter’s field was a piece of useless land where the potter threw his broken, damaged, and rejected pots. Jesus really did purchase the potter’s field – the place where broken, rejected, and useless people like us are scattered. d. Then I cut in two my other staff, Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel: After the exchange of the thirty pieces of silver the staff of Bonds (unity) was broken. This was fulfilled when Israel was scattered by the Romans after their rejection of their Shepherd Jesus. enduringword.com |
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