OLD TESTAMENT MESSIANIC PROPHECIES - THEIR NEW TESTAMENT FULFILMENT
'CP' denotes 'Compare Passage'
OLD TESTAMENT MESSIANIC PROPHECIES -
THEIR NEW TESTAMENT FULFILMENT
The first prophecy in scripture concerning the coming of Messiah was when God rebuked Satan through the serpent for provoking Adam and Eve to sin and bringing about the fall of man (CP Gen 3:15). This predicated the perpetual hostility between the children of the devil and the children of God. The seed of the woman is Jesus (CP Ga 4:4). "He shall bruise thy head" in Gen 3:15 prophesies of Jesus bringing complete and crushing defeat of Satan, both at Calvary and at the end of Christ's millennial reign, when Satan will be cast into the lake of fire to be tormented day and night forever (CP Col 2:15; He 2:14-15; 1Jn 3:8; Rev 20:1-3, 7-10). "And thou shalt bruise His heel" in Gen 3:14 is a prophecy of Satan inflicting only temporary suffering on Jesus - God would not leave Jesus' soul in hell, nor let His body suffer corruption (CP Psa 16:8-10; 49:15 with Mk 16:6; Ac 2:25-27; 13:35-37).
Jesus is the seed of Abraham through whom God prophesied that all the families of the earth would be blessed (CP Gen 12:1-3, also 17:19; 18:18; 21:12; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14 with Ac 3:25; Ga 3:8, 16; He 8:6; 11:18). These prophecies have all been fulfilled many times, and will be eternally fulfilled in the Millennium and the New Earth. Jesus fulfilled Jacob's prophecy of Shiloh - a Messianic designation - who would come from the tribe of Judah. Shiloh means "to whom dominion belongs" (CP Gen 49:8-10 with Rev 5:5). Jesus was the Star out of Jacob who Balaam prophesied did not then exist, but was to come (CP Nu 24:17 with Mt 2:1-2, 9-10; Lu 1:30-33). A Sceptre out of Israel in Nu 24:17 expresses the ruling power of Messiah who was to come (CP Rev 1:8). Although the following Old Testament prophecies are not Messianic in the strict sense of the word, they have all been fulfilled by Jesus in the New Testament, and should be included here. Moses' prophecy in De 18 that God would raise up from among the Jews another prophet like himself who must be obeyed was fulfilled in Jesus (CP De 18:15-19 with Ac 3:22-26). Jesus in His crucifixion prophetically fulfilled God's Old Testament law of execution by hanging (CP De 21:22-23 with Ga 3:13). Nathan's Old Testament prophecy that God would be a father to King David's son Solomon, had a double fulfilment in both Solomon and Jesus (CP 2Sam 7:12-14 with He 1:5). Solomon, not Jesus, sinned and was chastened by God. God formally declared Jesus to be His Son in the first Messianic prophecy in Psalms by King David (CP Psa 2:7 with Ac 13:33; He 1:5; 5:5). Ac 13:33 is not teaching as some believe, that Jesus became God's Son at His resurrection. When Paul quoted Psa 2:7 in Ac 13:33, he was simply illustrating that by Jesus' resurrection God was formally showing Him to be His Son. The resurrection fulfilled David's Old Testament prophecy. The whole of Psa 2 is a Messianic prophecy but only V7 has been fulfilled at Christ's first advent.
Psa 8:2 is also a Messianic prophecy which has been partially fulfilled (CP Psa 8:2 with Mt 21:16). David's next Messianic prophecy was fulfilled in the life, death, resurrection, and exaltation of Jesus (CP Psa 16:8-11 with Jn 20:9; Ac 2:25-33; 13:35-37; He 12:2). David's prophecy in Psa 21 applies to both him and Messiah (CP 21:1-7). While this prophecy also applies to David, V4-6 apply to Messiah alone and have been fulfilled in Christ - V4 in Ac 2:27-32 (CP 21:4 with Ac 2:27-32); V5 in He 2:6-10 (CP 21:5 with He 2:6-10); V6a in Eph 1:20-23; Php 2:9-11; 1Pe 3:22 (CP 21:6a with Eph 1:20-23; Php 2:9-11; 1Pe 3:22); and 6b in Ac 2:28 and He 12:1-2 (CP 21:6b with Ac 2:28; He 12:1-2). Jesus fulfilled David's next prophecy while He was dying on the Cross (CP Psa 22:1 with Mt 27-46; Mk 15:34). Jesus on the cross was the sin-bearer for all mankind, but God could not look upon sin even if it was borne by His only begotten Son, and at that moment in time Jesus experienced the abandonment and despair of being separated from God as punishment for sin. This was the cup that Jesus prayed the Father three times in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night of his arrest, to take away if He would (CP Mt 26:36-44; 2Cor 5:21).
The next part of David's Messianic prophecy in Psa 22 is in V6-21. It concerns Messiah's sufferings (CP Psa 22:6-21). The sufferings of Messiah prophesied here were all fulfilled in the sufferings of Jesus leading up to His death on the cross. He took the lowest place among men to be rejected, scorned, spat upon, humiliated, and shamed for them (CP V 6-8 with Mt 20:17-19; Mk 10:33-34; Lu 18:31-33). Psa 22:9-10 shows the Father and Son relationship between God and Messiah from the womb, fulfilled in Jesus, Son of God (CP V 9-10 with Mt 1:18-21; Lu 1:31-35; 2:40-52; Jn 1:1-2, 14). Psa 22:11 proves that Jesus was alone in His work (CP Psa 22:11). David then prophesied that the self-willed and obstinate rulers of Israel determined to kill the Messiah. They were as ravening lions attacking Him (CP Psa 22:12-15). Messiah's lifeblood "poured out like water, and His bones out of joint" in V14, foretold Jesus' lifeless body hanging limp upon the cross by nails driven into His hands and feet. Messiah's statement "my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels" was fulfilled in Jesus' complete surrender to His destiny - He would not retaliate in any way (CP Mt 27:1-66).
As David prophesied next of Messiah surrounded by dogs and enclosed by the assembly of the wicked, so Jesus was at the mercy of both Gentiles and Jews wanting Him killed (CP Psa 22:16 with Mt 27:20; Mk 14:1, 55; Lu 22:1-2; 23:13-24; Jn 19:6-15; Ac 4:27). Dogs in the context of Psa 22:16 refers to Gentiles, as Ac 4:27 confirms (CP also Mt 20:19). The next part of David's prophecy in Psa 22 concerning lots being cast for Messiah's clothes was fulfilled in the soldiers casting lots for Jesus' garments as He hung on the cross (CP Psa 22:18 with Mt 27:35; Jn 19-24). Psa 22:22 has been fulfilled in He 2:12 (CP Psa 22:22 with He 2:12). Although the soldiers broke the legs of the two who were crucified with Him, no bone of Jesus was broken in His death on the cross, fulfilling David's next Messianic prophecy in Psa 34 (CP Psa 34:19-20 with Jn 19:31-33, 36). It should be noted here that no bone of the Passover Lamb, sacrificed by the Israelites to God preparatory to their deliverance from Egypt, was to be broken either. The Passover Lamb was an Old Testament type of Christ and the redemption He provides in His sacrificial death (CP Ex 12:3-13, 46; Nu 9:12 with Jn 1:29; 1Cor 5:7; 1Pe 1:18-20). David's next prophecy, in Psa 35:19 and also 69:4 was quoted by Jesus of Himself in Jn 15 (Cp Psa 35:19 and 69:4 with Jn 15:24-25).
It was only Jesus' sacrifice of Himself in fulfilment of David's next Messianic prophecy that satisfied God's justice and provided permanent sanctification of Christians (CP Psa 40:6-8 with He 10:5-10). The plain teaching here is that in dying on the cross as the expiatory sacrifice for the sins of all mankind in complete obedience to God's will, Jesus abrogated the Old Covenant in its entirety and replaced it with the New Covenant in Him. The next part of David's Messianic prophecy in Psa 40:9-10 concerns Messiah's ministry, which has been fulfilled in Jesus. He has not held back anything that God had given Him to declare. He preached righteousness, and proclaimed God's faithfulness and salvation, His steadfast love and truth, to the multitudes (CP 40:9-10 with Mt 9:35; Lu 4:16-22; 5:15; Jn 3:16; 17:23).
David also prophesied that Messiah would be betrayed by a friend. This was fulfilled in Judas Iscariot's betrayal of Jesus (CP Psa 41:9; 55:12-14 with Mt 26:14-16, 21-25, 47-50; Jn 13:18, 21-27). While Psa 55:12-14 also applies to the betrayal of King David, it is a Messianic prophecy and applies to the betrayal of Jesus too. Jesus fulfilled David's prophecy of a Messianic King who God calls God, whose throne is forever (CP Psa 45:6-7 with He 1:8-9). The writer of Hebrews here contrasts Jesus as God, with angels. This is a proof text of the Deity of Jesus. In His ascension to Heaven when "He led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men", Jesus fulfilled another of David's Old Testament prophecies (CP Psa 68:18 with Eph 4:8-10). Opinions are divided among Bible scholars as to when this ascension took place, and what the captivity is that is referred to. Knowing is not fundamental to salvation, so they will not be an issue here. The gifts He gave unto men are the ministries in Eph 4:11-12 (CP Eph 4:11-12). David's next Messianic prophecy was fulfilled in the hatred of Jesus by those who rejected Him (CP Psa 69:4 with Jn 15:25). David's next prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus' brothers' attitude toward Him (CP Psa 69:8 with Mt 12:46; Mk 3:31; Lu 8:19). Jesus' mother and brothers had come to lay hold of Him and take Him away because they thought He was out of His mind - beside Himself (KJV) - being completely fanatical about religion (CP Mk 3:19-21). Jesus' family wanted to take Him away but could not get to Him because of the crowd. None of His brothers believed in His Deity until His resurrection (CP Jn 7:1-5 with Ac 1:14; 1Cor 15:7). James was one of Jesus' brothers (CP Mt 13:54-55 with Ga 1:19).