[The Birth of Christ][The Character of Christ][Christ's Forerunner][Christ's Ministry]
[The Resurrection of Christ][Details About the Death of Christ]
[Objections to Messianic Prophecies]
[The Timing of Christ's Coming]

But what is important for our current discussion is that God also told His prophets in the Old Testament exactly what would happen as well. Many of the Old Testament prophets had a glimpse of some of the events surrounding the earthly mission of Christ. While it seems few of them had a complete understanding of what was to come, together, they form a very coherent picture. There is no question these prophecies were given, and subsequently written down many years, some many hundreds of years, prior to the actual mission of Christ. Furthermore, the actual odds against a chance fulfillment of all the messianic prophecies is just astounding - as well will later see.

Unfortunately, the Jewish leaders of Christ's time were not looking for the Suffering Messiah forecast in the Old Testament. They were living under tyrannical Roman rule and were looking for the other Messianic picture in the Old Testament - the Conquering Hero. We now understand that there will be two manifestations of Christ in history; the first has already occurred, and is the Suffering Servant who is very familiar to us from the New Testament manifestation. The other Messianic figure - the Conquering Hero - is yet to come - He is still in our future. The Second Coming of Christ is as certain as the first manifestation; He will appear at that time as the Conquering King, will overcome all adversity and the powers of this world, and will establish Himself as King. The prophecies of these two manifestations are scattered throughout the Old Testament, sometimes even in the same verse, and apparently this confused the ancient Jewish scholars so they were looking for the Conquering King when in fact they should have first been looking for the Suffering Servant. When He did come, even though He fulfilled these numerous prophesies to the letter, he was not recognized and was rejected.

Let's now go through some of these prophecies detailed in the Old Testament and how they applied to Christ. There are at least 300 prophecies of Christ in the Old Testament, but we will only go through some of the major ones.

Some redactors have proposed that these prophecies were written after the first manifestation of Christ, and so were really written after the fact. Besides intimating the writers of the Old Testament were dishonest deceivers, this theory cannot be true. There is approximately a 450-year history between the last book of the Old Testament and the birth of Christ. The period was punctuated with the formalized translation of the Old Testament into Greek - the Septuagint. This translation was done in the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus who lived from 285-246 B.C., meaning there was at least a 250 year interval between the writing of these prophesies and their fulfillment in Christ.

The Birth of Christ

Christ, the Savior of the World, would be born of a women.

The remarkable nature of this prophecy is realized when it is remembered that most of the "gods" of the ancient world were born from other gods - and certainly not born from a woman. At best, this would result in a "half-god" - such as Hercules, who would only have a fraction of the power of "real" gods.

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel." (Gen. 3:15).

This is the first prophecy concerning Christ in the Bible, and is interpreted by Cooper as follows,

'In Gen. 3:15, we find the first prediction relative to the Saviour of the world, called "the seed of the woman." In the original oracle God foretold the age-long conflict which would be waged between the seed of the woman' and 'the seed of the serpent' and which will eventually be won by the former. This primitive promise indicates a struggle between the Messiah of Israel, the Saviour of the world, on one hand, and Satan, the adversary of the human soul, on the other. It foretells complete victory eventually for the Messiah. Some commentators believe that an echo of this promise and Eve's understanding of it is found in Genesis 4:1 - the statement of Eve when Cain, her first son, was born. 'I have gotten a man even Jehovah.' She correctly understood this primitive prediction but misapplied it in her interpreting it as being fulfilled in Cain, her son. It is clear that Eve believed that the child of promise would be Jehovah Himself. Some old Jewish commentators used to interpolate the word 'angel' to this passage and say that Eve claimed that her son was 'the ngel of Jehovah.' There is no ground for this assertion." (Cooper, David., "God and Messiah")

Christ would be Born of a Virgin.

I remember being in Sunday School during my high school days, and discussing the virgin birth. Perhaps no prophecy has produced more derision of the Christian faith than the proposition that Christ was born a virgin birth. However, I believe that not only was Christ born from a virgin birth, he also did not have any contribution to his body from the woman either! There are several theological reasons why this must be true. First, Christ could not have a physical body born from the genetic composition of a woman since mankind was all tainted with original sin and this sin would presumably past on to him. Additionally, it was necessary for the Lamb of God to have a totally perfect body - witness the perfect lambs that were required for sacrifice in ancient Israel. Every person that is born today has many genetic defects passed on from his parents; the only reason most people aren't very ill from these genetic defects is that usually a matching pair is needed to actually have the illness - one from the father and one from the mother. This frequently happens tragically in cystic fibrosis, for example - a disease that is often fatal in young adulthood. Therefore, when Christ's body was conceived, it was a new creation entirely from God (the Holy Spirit), without any genetic input from Mary. This is just supposition on my part, but I believe it is justifiable from the Scriptures.

The Scripture from the Old Testament that predicts Jesus would be born from a virgin is as follows;

"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)

The fulfillment of this prophecy is indicated in this verse,

"...She was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit, and Joseph ... kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called his name Jesus." (Matthew 1:14,24,25).

The word translated "virgin" in the Old Testament has also generated some debate. Virgin is denoted by two words in Hebrew:

a. Bethulah - a virgin maiden. (Genesis 24:14, Lev. 21:13, Deut. 22:14,23,28, Judges 13:37, 1 Kings 1:2).

b. Almah - a young woman of marriageable age. This is the word used in Isaiah 7:14. The use of this word is explained by Unger,

"The Holy Spirit through Isaiah did not use Bethulah, because both the ideas of virginity and marriageable age had to be combined in one word to meet the immediate historical situation and the prophetic aspect centering in a virgin-born Messiah." (Under, Unger's Bible Dictionary, 1971).

Son of God. Recently, some revisionists have attempted to show that Christ did not consider Himself to be the Son of God; rather, writers later in history conferred this title. The Bible, however, speaks differently,

"I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, 'Thou are My Son, Today I have begotten Thee.'" (Psalms 2:7).

The fulfillment of this prophecy was in the beginning of Christ's ministry,

"...And behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-ease.'" (Matthew 3:17).

Also, the demons (Mark 3:11) and the high priest (Mat. 26:63) recognized Christ was the Son of God.

Hengstenberg says of Psalm 2,

"It is an undoubted fact, and unanimously admitted even by the recent opposers of tis reference to Him, that the Psalm (Psalm 2) was universally regarded by the ancient Jews as foretelling the Messiah." (Hengstenberg, Christology of the Old Testament and a Commentary on the Messianic Predictions, 1970).

Seed of Abraham.

Abraham was the Old-Testament patriarch from whom many races would arise, and who was considered righteous because of the great faith he had in God. This trust would be the source of Abraham's justification, just as we are ourselves justified by our belief and trust in God (Christ).

"And in your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." (Gen 22:18).

The fulfillment of the prophecy is realized in that Christ, the Savior of the World, would be a descendent of Abraham,

"The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." (Math 1:1).

"Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed,' that is, Christ." (Gal: 3:16).

Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael was the product of the relationship between Abraham and Hagar, and would definitely be considered as highly as his second son through his wife, Sarah, whose name was Isaac. Abraham tried to have a child with another woman rather than wait for the miracle of God to have a child by his elderly wife. In so doing, he produced a son who would be the father of the Arab race - a race that has so bedeviled the Israelites through history.

But God said to Abraham ... through Isaac your descendants shall be named. (Genesis 21:12.

Jesus would be a descendent of Isaac,

"Jesus, ... the son of Isaac. ..." (Luke 3:23,34)

Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob. Even though Esau was the first born, and even though his father liked him better, his mother arranged for Jacob to receive his father's blessing rather than Esau through deception. It would then be through Jacob that the Messiah would be born,

"Is see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, And a scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth." (Numbers 24:17).

Interestingly, the ancient Jews were very aware that the Messiah would have this lineage. First, we can see that the Targum Onkelos comments on this passage,

"I see him, but not now; I beholdhim, but not night. When a king shall arise out of Jakob, and the Meshiha be anointed from Israel...."

Also, the Midrash Bismidhar Rabbah gives a Messianic meaning to this text. Paul Heinisch relates that,

"at the time of Hadrian (132 AD) the Jews revolted against the Roman yoke, they called their leader Barkochba, 'The Son of the Star.' For they believed that Balaam's oracle on the star from Jacob was then being fulfilled and that through him God would utterly destroy the Romans." (Hainisch, Paul, Christ in Prophesy, 1956).

Esau would also turn out to be a thorn in the side of Israel, for his descendants would be the Edomites. The Edomites lived to the East of Israel, and were frequently in battle with them. They were severely chastised for not helping Israel during its time of trouble with Babylon, and were themselves eventually destroyed.

Seed of Judah

Jacob would have twelve sons out of whom developed the 12 tribes of Israel, but the prophets declared that the Messiah would come out of Judah,

"The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples." (Genesis 49:10).

This was fulfilled in Christ,

"Jesus ... the son of Judah...." (Luke 3:23,33).

Jewish tradition also holds that the Messiah will arise out of the tribe of Judah, The Tarbum Johathan says,

"Kings shall not cease, nor rulers, from the house of Jehuda, nor sapherim teaching the law from his seed, til the time that the King, the Meshiha, shall come, the youngest of his sons; and on account of him shall the peoples flow together. How beauteous is the King, and the Meshiha who will arise from the house of Jehuda!"

Seed of Jesse

Jesse was a shepherd in northern Israel, from Bethlehem, and it would be through him that the Messiah would be born. Certainly, this family was an obscure one, from an obscure place in Israel - and yet it would be through him that the Messiah would be born.

Then a shoot will spring from the stem oif Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit." (Isaiah 11;1).

Fulfillment,

"Jesus ... the son of Jesse" (Luke 3:23,32).

The Jewish writers certainly knew that the Messiah would be born from the family of Jesse; the Targum Isaiah states,

"And a King shall come forth from the sons of Jesse, and an Anointed One (or Messiah) form his son's sons shall grow up. And there shall rest upon him a spirit from before the Lord, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord."

Similarly, Delitzsch comments,

"out of the stumps of Jesse, i.e., out of the remnant of the chosen royal family which has sunk down to the insignificance of the house form which it sprang, there comes forth a twig (choter), which promises to supply the place of the trunk and crown; and down below, in the roots covered with earth, and only rising a little above it, there shows itself a netzer; i.e., a fresh green shoot (from natzer, to shine or blossom). In the historical account of the fulfillment, even the ring of the words of prophecy is noticed; the netzer, at first so humble and insignificant, was a poor despised Nazarene." (Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah, 1950).

House of David

David was such an insignificant son, the last son as far as we know, of Jesse that he was not even brought forth to see Samuel when he came to their house. David was a poor shepherd boy; and yet as we will learn from his later life, he would be one of the greatest leaders of Israel. Even though he would sin greatly in the sight of God, and prove himself to be "human" and not perfect, he would still be counted among the favorites of God because his heart did not wander away from the Truth.

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, 'When I shall raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely. And do justice and righteousness in the land.'" Jer. 23:5.

Fulfillment of this prophecy,

"Jesus...the son of David." (Luke 3:23,31)

Moses Maimonides, certainly one of the greatest Jewish philosophers and great thinkers of the Middle Ages, was reported to say this,

"Dismissing the mystical speculations concerning the Messiah, his origin, activity, and the marvelous superhuman powers ascribed to him, Maimonides insisted that he must be regarded as a mortal human being, differing from his fellow-men only in the fact that he will be greater, wiser, and more resplendent than they. He must be a descendant of the House of David and like him, occupy himself with the Study of the Torah and observance of its commandments." (Minkin, The World of Moses Maimonides, 1957).

Jesse had at least eight sons; only one of these sons would be the direct ancestor of the Messiah; King David.

The Messiah Would be Born in Bethlehem

Bethlehem was one of the smallest cities in Israel; yet, it was to become honored above most other cities because it would be the birthplace of the Messiah.

"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephratha, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you Onee will go froth for Me to be ruler of Israel. His going forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity." (Micah 5:2).

Fulfillment of this prophecy,

"...Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea..." (Matthew 2:1).

It is only fitting that Christ - the Bread of Life - would be born in Bethlehem, which translates into English as the City of Bread. It was well known to the ancient Jewish scribes that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. In Matthew 2:6, these scribes assure Herod that the Christ child would be born there.

God now eliminates all the cities of the world - except one - as the birthplace of the Messiah.

Presented with Gifts

Many children get gifts when they are born, but the gifts given the Christ child were most unusual. The bearers of these gifts were from the land of the East - Arabia in today's atlas, but from the land of Seba and Sheba - the Sabeans.

"Let the kinds of Tarshish and of the islands bring presents; The kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts." (Psalms 72:10).

Fulfillment of this prophecy,

"...Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem ... and they fell down and worshipped him; and opening their treasures they presented to Him gifts..." (Matthew 2:1,11).

The historical peoples of Seba and Sheba (the Sabeans) lived in Arabia. Matthew Henry in his commentary of the Bible, says that these wise men were "men of the east, who were noted for their soothsaying (Isa 2:6). Arabia is called the land of the east (Gen 25;6) and the Arabians are called, Men of the east (Judg. 6;3). The presents they brought were the products of that country...."

Herod Kills Children In Bethlehem

One of the saddest chapters in the Bible deals with the "slaughter of the innocents." King Herod in a failed attempt to kill the newborn King of Israel, killed every male child who was two years old and under. Jesus was at this time on His way to Egypt where he would apparently spend the first few years of his life.

"Thus says the Lord, 'A voice is heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; She refuses to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more.'" (Jer 31;15).

Fulfillment of Prophecy,

"Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its environs, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the magi." (Matthew 2:15).

The passage referred to in Jeremiah is found within a longer passage that is clearly Messianic in nature. Laetsch notes,

"The entire context of ch. 31, beginning ch 30:20 and continuing to ch. 33:26 is Messianic. The four chapters speak of the approach of the Lord's salvation, of the coming of Messiah to re-establish the Kingdom of David in the form of a new covenant, in which forgiveness of sins is to be the foundation (ch. 31:31-34); a kingdom in which every weary and sorrowful soul shall be fully comforted (vv. 12-13,25). As an example of this comfort the Lord introduces the consolation to be extended to mothers who had suffered great loss for the sake of Christ, the cruel murder of their infant sons." (Laetsch, Bible Commentary, 1953).

The Character of Christ

The Pre-Existence of Christ

Unlike us, Christ existed before the world began. Also, it was given to Christ to be ruler in Israel - to be the eventual crowned King,

"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 going forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity." (Micah 3:2).

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"And He is before [or, has existed prior to] all things, and in Him all things hold together." (Coil. 1:17).

Jewish commentary from the Targum Isaiah notes, "Thus saith the Lord, the King of Israel, and his saviour the Lord of hosts; I am He, I am He that is from of old; yea, the everlasting ages are mine, and beside me there is no God." (Isaiah 44:6).

Hengstenberg interprets this passage from Micah as follows,

"The existence of the Messiah in general, before His temporal birth in Bethlehem, is asserted; and then His eternity in contrast with all time is mentioned here.' (Hengstenberg, Christology of the Old Testament and a Commentary on the Messianic Predictions, 1975).

He Shall be Called Lord

Many who were seeking the new Messiah were looking for a mere mortal man; one who would lead them into victorious battle against the Romans. Also, many modern revisionists feel as though Christ never considered himself to be God - that was rather an appellation applied by later scribes. However, the Scriptures clearly indicate that the Messiah would be Lord - a manifestation of God.

"The Lord says to my Lord; 'Sit at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.'" (Psalms 110:1).

"He said to them, 'Then how does David in the Spriit call Him "lord," saying, "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand, until I put Thine enemies beneath Thy feet,'" If David then calls Him "lord," how is He his son?'" (Matthew 22:43-45)

Fulfillment of Prophecy,

"For today in the City of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.' (Luke 2:11).

Shall be Immanuel (God With Us)

"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14).

Fulfillment of Prophecy,

"'Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which translated means, 'God with us.'" (Matthew 1:33).

Delitzsch says about this Old Testament passage,

"There is no reason why we should take El in this name of the Messiah in any other sense than in Immanu-El; not to mention the fact that El in Isaiah is always a name of God, and that the prophet was ever strongly conscious of the antithesis between El and Adam, as in ch 31:3). (Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecy of Isaiah, 1950).

Shall Be a Prophet

"I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him." (Deut. 18:18).

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"And the multitudes were saying, 'This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.'" (Matthew 21:11).

Jesus Christ would be the greatest prophet; the fulfillment of the Old Testament. The great Jewish scholar, Maimonides, says,

"The Messiah will be a very great Prophet, greater than all the prophets with the exception of Moses our teacher...His status will be higher than that of the Prophets and more honourable, Moses alone excepted. The Creator, blessed be He, will single him out with features wherewith He had not singled out Moses; for it is sais with reference to him, 'And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of the ears.'" (Cohen, The Teachings of Maimonides, 1927).

Shall be a Priest

"The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, 'Thou art a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.'" (Psalm 110:4)

Fulfillment of Prophesy

"Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession." (Hebrews 3:1)

"So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, "Thou art My Son, Today I have begotten Thou': just as He says also in another passage, "Thou art a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.'"
(Hebrews 5:5,6).

"The final victory of Messiah's people over the world and Satan is ... certain. The oath of God did not accompany the Aaronic priesthood, as it does not Melchizedek-like Priest, who 'is made not after the law of a carnal commmandment, but after the power of an endless life.' 'After the order of Melchizedek' is explained, Heb. 7:15, 'after the similitude of Melchizedek.' The oath of covenant on the part of the Father to the Son is for the comfort of Messiah's people. Uzziah's punishment for his usurpation of the functions of priest shows that David cannot be the King-Priest here described (11 Chron. 26:16-21). The extraordinary oath of God shows that the King-Priesthood here is something unparalleled. David died, but this Melchizedek-like Priest lives forever. Zech. 6:9-15, especially 13, similarly describes Messiah - 'He shall sit and rule upon His throne, and He shall be a Priest upon His throne.'" (Fausset, A Commentary Critical, Experimental, and Practical on the Old and New Testaments, 1961).

Shall be a Judge

One of the titles of Christ is a Judge - He will judge the nations. This responsibility was understood by the Old Testament writers,

"For the Lord if our judge, The Lord is our lawgiver, The Lord is our King; He will save us...." (Isaiah 33:22).

Fulfillment of Prophecy,

"I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent me." (John 5:30).

Christ the Judge is a just judge for he will judge according to the will of the Father. Because He is also our Advocate before God who will defend us from the Accuser, we can be certain we will receive the most favorable hearing possible.

The Jews also understood the judgeship responsibilities of the Messiah,

"For the Lord is our judge, who brought us out of Egypt by his might; the Lord is our teacher, who gave us the instruction of the law from Sinai; the Lord is our King, he shall deliver us, and execute a righteous vengeance for us on the armies of Gog." Targum Isaiah)

Shall be a King

Christ also is the King of Kings - the supreme authority over everything that is,

"But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain." (Psalms 2:6).

Fulfillment of Prophesy,

"And they put up above His head the charge against Him which read, 'This is Jesus the King of the Jews.'" (Matthew 27:37).

Interestingly, these three responsibilities of Christ, Judge, Lawgiver, and King, describe all governmental functions in one person -- namely, judicial, legislative, and executive. This is in agreement with the fact that Christ will one day rule over the earth as a theocracy whereby all governmental functions will be exercised by Him in person.

Special Anointment of the Holy Spirit

One of the special characteristics of Christ was that he received a special anointing of the Holy Spirit so that he would be able to judge mankind according to the will of his Father rather than through His own

"And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord." (Isaiah 11:2).

Fulfillment of Prophesy,

"And after being baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.'" (Matthew 3:16,17).

The ancient Jews also recognized that the Messiah would receive such a special blessing from God,

"And a king shall come forth from the sons of Jesse, and an Anointed One (or, Messiah) from his sons' sons shall grow up. And there shall rest upon hjim a spirit from before the Lord, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord; and the Lord shall bring him to his fear: and not according to the sight of his eyes shall he judge, nor exercise judgement according to the hearing of his ears. But he shall judge with truth the poor, and adjudge with faithfulness the needy among the people." (Targum Isaiah)

Another Jewish source, the Babylonian Talmud, notes,

"The Messiah - as it is written, 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 of the fear of the Lord. And shall make him of quick understanding to the far of the Lord."

His Zeal for God

The description of Christ in the New Testament cannot be read without an appreciation for the zeal Christ had for his Father's mission.

"For zeal for Thy house has consumed me, And the reproaches of those who reproach Thee had fallen on me." (Psalms 62:9).

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple ... and ... He said, 'Take these thing away; stop making My Father's house a house of merchandise.'" (John 2:15-17)

Christ's Forerunner

Ministry Preceded by Messenger

One of the most colorful characters in the New Testament is that of John the Baptist. He was a cousin of Christ, and it would be he who would announce Christ's coming. John the Baptist would later lose his life preaching out against the evil of the day.

"A voice is calling, 'Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.'" (Isaiah 40:3).

Fulfillment of Prophesy

"...John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" (Matthew 2:1,2)

The Targum Isaiah notes, "The voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye a way in the wilderness before the people of the Lord, tread down paths in the desert before the congregation of our God.'

Christ's Ministry

Christ's Ministry would begin in Galilee

Galilee was like the backwater part of Israel. This area apparently had a distinct accent, probably dressed differently, and were probably poorer than those Jews living in Jerusalem. "But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulon and the land of Nephtali with contempt, but later on He will make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles."

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"Now when He heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, int he region of Zebulun and Naphtali. From that time, Jesus began to preach and say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" (Matthew 6:12,13,17).

Ministry of Miracles

"Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, And the earso f the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb will shout for joy." (Isaiah 35:5,6a).

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"And Jesus was going about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every king od disease and every kind of sickness." (Matthew 9:35).

Teacher of Parables

One of the most fascinating aspect of Christ's ministry is that he taught the multitudes by using parables. Not only would the parable make the point of the story more understandable, but also it would make the point more memorable.

"I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old...." (Psalms 78:2).

Fulfillment

"All these things Jesus spoke to the multitudes in parables, and He was not talking to them without a parable...." (Matthew 13:34).

Christ would Enter the Temple

"...And the Lord whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple...." (Malachi 3:10.

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"And Jesus entered the temple and cast out all those who were buying and selling in the Temple...." (Matthew 21:12).

Christ would Enter Jerusalem on a Donkey

Christ, the Suffring Servant, would enter Jerusalem on a donkey; initially He would be honored, later He would be reviled and killed - all within one week!

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in Triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey." (Zechariah 9:9).

Fulfillment of Prophesy

And they brought it to Jesus, and they threw their garments on the colt, and put Jesus on it. And as He was going, they were spreading their garments in the road. And as He was not approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives...." (Luke 19:35,36,371).

Christ would be a "Stumbling Stone" to the Jews

Christ is called the chief cornerstone of the church, and it would be against this stone that the Jews of Christ's day would stumble. They would fail to recognize Him as the Messiah because they were not looking for him. They were under Roman occupation and so wanted the Messiah described in the Scriptures as a Conquering Hero to rescue them from this occupation. Instead, it was the Messiah of the Suffering Servant who first manifested Himself to them - and for this reason (among others), he was not recognized.

"The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone." (Psalms 118:22).

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"This precious value, then, is for you who believe, but for those who disbelieve, 'the stone which the builders rejected, this because the very cornerstone.'" (1 Peter 2:7).

Interestingly, the Tarbum Isaiah recognized that Christ would be largely rejected,

"The Lord of hosts, him shall ye call holy;; and let him be your fear and let him be your strength. And if ye will not hearken, his Memra shall be amongst you for vengeance and for a stone of smiting, and for a rock of offense to the two houses of the princes of Israel, for a breaking, and for a stumbling, because the house of Israel hath been separated from them of the house of Judah who dwell in Jerusalem. And many shall stumble against them, and shall fall, and be broken and be snared, and be taken." (Targum Isaiah).

Christ would be a "light" to the Gentiles

Even though Christ would be largely rejected by the Jewish nation, He would also be largely accepted by the Gentiles, even though He was rejected by His own people.

"All nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising." (Isaiah 60:3).

Fulfillment of Prophecy,

"'For thus the Lord has commanded us, "I have placed you as a light for the Gentiles, that you should bring salvation to the end of the earth."' And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord...." (Acts 13:47,48a).

The Resurrection of Christ

The Resurrection of Christ

Certainly, there has been no point in the history of mankind more important than the Resurrection of Christ. Belief in the Resurrection is the foundation of Christianity; without it, Christianity would be like any other religion, and Christ would be nothing more than just another in a long line of "good teachers." It would be the Resurrection of Christ witnessed by hundreds of people that would transform the cowardly band of disciples who surrounded Christ when He was alive into the courageous army of men and women who would spread the gospel of Christ throughout the world. Most of these witnesses to the Resurrection would later give their lives freely in witness to its truth.

"For Thou wilt no abandon my soul to Sheol; Neither wilt Thou allow Thy Holy One to see the pit." (Psalms 16:10).

Fulfillment of Prophecy,

"...He was neither abandoned to Hades, not did his flesh suffer decay." (Acts 2:31).

The Sanhedrin II, Babylonian Talmud states, "Mishnah. All Israel have a portion in the world to come, for it is written, 'Thy people are all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified.' But the following have no portion therein: He who maintains that resurrection is not a Biblical doctrine, the Torah was not divinely revealed."

Christ's Ascension

"Thou hast ascended on high...." (Psalms 68:18a

Fulfillment of Prophecy,

"...He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight." (Acts 1:9).

The ascension of Christ has become particularly important for us in these latter days because we were also informed that Christ will return in similar manner to the way in which he ascended.

Seated at the Right Hand of God

Christ is pictured as seated at God's right hand after ascending back to heaven This picture is important because it indicates that Christ's work is finished; he can sit down. Christ also so indicated that His work was finished with the last words He spoke while on earth.

"The Lord says to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand, until I make Thine enemies a footstood for Thy feet.'" (Psalms 110:1).

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"...When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." (Hebrews 1:3).

Details About the Death of Christ

Betrayed by a Friend

"Even my close friend, in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.' (Psalms 41;9).

Fulfillment of Prophesy

"...Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him." (Matthew 10:4).

Sold for 30 Pieces of Silver

"And I said to them, 'If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind!' So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages." (Zechariah 11:12)

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"...'What are you willing to give me to deliver Him up to you?' And they weighed out to him thirty pieces of silver." (Matthew 26:15).

Money to be Thrown in God's House

"...So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord."
Fulfillment of Prophecy

"And he threw the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and departed...." (Matthew 27:5a).

Price Given for Potter's Field

"...So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord." (Zechariah 11:12b)

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"And they counseled together and with the money bought the Potter's Field as a burial place for strangers. (Matthew 27:7).

Forsaken by His Disciples

"...Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered...." (Zechariah 13:7)

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"And they all left Him and fled." (Mark 14:50)

Laetsch notes that Zechariah is,

"a clear prophecy of the offense taken by the disciples when Christ was smitted. So Christ Himself interprets these words (Matthew 26:31; Mark 14:27). They were fulfilled (see Matthew 26:56); Mark 14:50ff). Yet the Lord would not forsake the sheep. The Lord Himself, acting in and through the person o His 'Fellow' (John 5:19) will turn His hand upon and come to the aid of the little ones. His despondent, terrified disciples (Luke 24:4f). These weaklings and deserters became the courageous, invincible heralds of the Messiah's kingdom." (Laetsch, Bible Commentary, 1953).

Accused by False Witnesses

Christ was tried and found guilty by false witnesses in front of judges who had previously determined they would find Him guilty. Because there was no credible evidence against Christ, witnesses were brought forth to falsely accuse Him,

"Malicious witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I do not know." (Psalms 35:11).

Fulfillment of Prophecy,

"Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, in order that they might put Him to death; and they did not find it, even though many false witnesses cam forward." (Matthew 26:59,60).

Dumb before Accusers

Because the trial of Christ was illegal - a mockery, Christ refused to recognize His accusers and remained quiet,

"He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth..." (Isaiah 53:7).

Fulfillment of Prophecy,

"And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He made no answers." (Matthew 27:12).

Wounded and Bruised

"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.' (Isaiah 53:5).

Fulfillment of Prophecy,

"Then he released Barabbas for them; but Jesus he scourged and delivered over to be crucified." (Matthew 2:26).

As Matthew Henry states in his Bible commentary,

"...But from the crown of the head, which was crowned with thorns, to the soles of his feet, which were nailed tot he cross, nothing appeared but wounds and bruises.'

Smitten and Spit Upon

"I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting." (Isaiah 50:60).

Fulfillment of Prophecy,

"Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; others slapped Him." (Matthew 26:67).

The Targum Isaiah says, "I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that pluck out the hair; I hid not my face from humiliation and spitting."

Matthew Henry notes in his Bible commentary,

"In this submission, He resigned Himself, (1) To be scourged; ... (2) To be buffeted; ... (3) To be spit upon; ... All this Christ underwent for us, and voluntarily, to convince us of His willingness to save us."

Mocked

"All who see me sneer at me; They separate with the lip, they wag the head saying, 'Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him. (Psalms 22:7,8).

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"And after they had mocked Him, they took His robe off and put His garments on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him." (Matthew 27:31).

Fell Under the Cross

"My knees are weak from fasting; And my flesh has grown lean, without fatness. I also have become a reproach to them; When they see me, they wag their head." (Psalms 110:24,25).

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"They took Jesus therefore; and He went out, bearing His own cross..." (John 19:17).

"And when they had Him away, they laid hold of one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus." (Luke 23:26).

Apparently, it would seem that Christ was so weakened by His scouring and beating that He was unable to carry His cross.

Hands and Feet Pierced

"...They pierced my hands and my feet." (Psalms 22:160.

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"And when they came to the placed called The Skull, there they crucified Him...." (Luke 23:33).

Crucified with Thieves

"...Because He poured out Himself to death, And wsa numbered with the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:12).

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"At that time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left." (Matthew 27:38).

Blinzler notes,

"Crucifixion was unknown in Jewish criminal law. The handing on a gibbet, which was prescribed by Jewish law for idolaters and blasphemers who had been stoned, was not a death penalty, but an additional punishment after death designed to brand the executed person as one accursed of God, in accordance with Deut. 21:23: 'For he is accursed of God that hangeth on a tree.' The Jews applied these words also to one who had been crucified. If crucifixion was the most shameful and degrading death penalty even in the eyes of the pagan world, the Jews in the time of Jesus regarded a person so executed as being, over and above, accursed of God." (Blinzler, The Trial of Jesus, 1959).

"...In 63 B.X., Pompey's legions cut their way into the Judean capital. Palestine became a Roman province, through nominally a puppet Jewish dynasty survived." (Wilson, Joseph., Did Daniel Write Daniel?)

Thus, what is quite remarkable is that the type of death pictured in Isaiah 53 and Psalms 22 did not even come into existence until hundreds of years after they were written.

Made Intercession for His persecutors

"...Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:12).

Fulfillment of Prophecy,

"...Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing...." (Luke 23:34).

Rejected by His Own People

"He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with gried; And like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him." (Isaiah 53:3).

Fulfillment of Prophecy,

"For not even His brothers were believing in Him. No one of the rulers or Pharisses was believed by Him, has he?" (John 7:5,48).

The picture we have of Christ is a very sad one; he was hated and despised by all who should have hailed him as their King.

"This was fulfilled in Christ, whose brethren did not believe on Him (John 7:5), who came to His own, and His own received Him not (John 1:11), and who was forsaken by His disciples, whom He had been free with as His brethren." (Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, 1972).

Hated without a Cause

We have been warned as Christians that we will often suffer for our convictions, even though this suffering might be unjust and unfair. Certainly, there are many devout Christians throughout the world who are now suffering for their faith, either from mob rule or from official or unofficial government sanction. We are the followers of our Master - and we should expect to be treated no better.

"Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head...." (Psalms 69:4).

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"But they have done this in order that the word may be fulfilled that is writting in their Law, 'They hated Me without a cause." (John 15:25).

Friends and Disciples Stood Far Away

"My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague; And my kinsmen stand afar off."

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things." (Luke 23:49).

People Shook their Heads

"I also have become a reproach to them; When they see me, they wag their head." (Psalms 109:25

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"And those who were passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads...." (Matthew 27:39).

"As though It was all over with me; and I and my cause were irretrievably ruined." (Psalms 22:7).

Stared Upon

"I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me." (Psalms 22:17).

"And the people stood by, looking on....' (Luke 23:35).

Garments Parted and Lots Cast

"They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." (Psalms 22:18).

"The soldiers therefore, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. They said...'Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be....'" (John 19:23,24).

To Suffer Thirst

"...And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." (Psalms 69:21).

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"After this, Jesus...said, 'I am thirsty.'" (John 19:28).

Gall and Vinegar Offered Him

"They also gave me gall for my good, And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." (Proverbs 69:21).

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"They gave Him wine to drink mingled with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink." (Matthew 27:34).

Fausset writes,

"His bitter sufferings might have been expected to soften even His enemies, who had caused these sufferings; but instead of cordials, they gave Him gall and vinegar. Twice vinegar was offered to the Savior on the cross - first vinegar mixed with gall (Matthew 27:34), and myrrh (Mark 15:23); but when He had tasted it, He would not drink it; for He would not meet His sufferings in a state of stupefaction, which is the effect of myrrh. As given to criminals, it was a kindness; as given to the righteous Sin-bearer, it was an insult. Next, in order to fulfill this Scripture, He cried 'I thirst,' and vinegar was given Him to drink" (John 19:38). (Fausset, A Commentary Critical, Experimental and Practical on the Old and New Testaments, 1961).

His Forsaken Cry

"My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?: (Psalms 22:1a)

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Eli, Eli lama sabachthani?' that is, 'My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?'" (Matthew 27:46).

This cry turned the people's attention back to Psalm 22 which is a clear prophecy of the crucifixion. As Fausset notes,

"This expressive repetition twice (v. 1) of the cry, 'my God,' implies that the Sufferer clung firmly to this truth, that God was still His God, in spite of all appearances tot he contrary. This was His antidote to despair, and the pledge that God would yet interpose as His Deliverer." (Fausset, A Commentary Critical, Experimental and Practical on the Old and New Testaments, 1961).

Committed Himself to God

"Into Thy hand I commit my spirit." (Psalms 31:5).

"And Jesus, crying out with a loug voice, said, 'Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit.'" (Luke 23:46).

Bones Not Broken

"He keeps all his bones; Not one of them is broken."

Fulfillment of Prophecy,

"...But coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.' (John 19:330.

Interestingly, there are two other prophecies concerning His bones in Scripture,

1. "And all my bones are out of joint." (Psalms 22;14). The disjoining of bones while the convicted criminal hung on a cross by the hands and feet could easily come about, especially since His body was attached to the cross when lying on the ground.

2. "I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me." (Psalms 22:17). All His bones could easily be seen as the extension of His body during crucifixion would make them appear more prominent.

Heart Broken

"My heart is like wax; It is melted within me." (Psalms 2:14).

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"...But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately there came out blood and water." (John 19:34).

His Side Pierced

"...They will look on Me whom they have pierced...." (Zechariah 12:10).

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"...But one of the soldiers pierced His body with a spear..." (John 19:34).

Darkness Came over the Land

"'And it will come about in that day,' declares the Lord God, 'That I shall make the sun go down at noon and make the earth dark in broad daylight.'" (Amos 8:9).

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"Now form the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour." (Matthew 27:45).

The Jews reckoned the start of their day from sunrise; therefore, the sixth hour would be at about noon, and the ninth hour would be at about 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon.

Buried in Rich Man's Tomb

"His grave was assigned to be with wicked men, yet with a rich man in His death...." (Isaiah 53;9)

Fulfillment of Prophecy

"...There came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph...and asked for the body of Jesus...And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb...." (Matthew 27:57-60).

Objections to Messianic Prophecies

1. The Prophecies fulfilled in Jesus were deliberate

This objection implies that somehow events were artificially maneuvered so as to fulfill the messianic prophecies which were so well known to the literate Jew of that time. This objection might have some validity were it not for the fact that many of these prophecies were out of control of Jesus, such as,

a. Place of birth

b. Time of birth

3. Manner of birth

4. Betrayal

5. Manner of death

6. People's reactions (mocking, spitting, staring, etc.)

7. Piercing

8. Manner of burial

2. The Fulfillment of these Prophecies was Accidental

There is certainly the possibility that a man's could fulfill one, or even several of these prophecies; however, the possibility of fulfilling the prophecies becomes progressively more difficult as the number required increases. In fact, if a man other than Jesus could be found (either living or dead) who would fulfill only half of these prophecies, the Christian Victory Publishing Company of Denver is ready to give a $1000 reward. So far, this reward has not been claimed.

H. Harold Hartzler, of the American Scientific Affiliation, Goshen College, writes,

"The manuscript for Science Speaks has been carefully reviewed by a committee of the American Scientific Affiliation members and by the Executive Council of the same group and has been found, in general, to be dependable and accurate in regard to the scientific material presented. The mathematical analysis included is based upon principles of probability which are thoroughly sound and Professor Stoner has applied these principles in a proper and convincing way."

"Now these prophesies were either given by inspiration of God or the prophets just wrote them as they thought they should be. In such a case the prophets had just one chance in 10^17 of having them come true in any man, but they all came true in Christ.

This means that the fulfillment of these eight prophecies alone proves that God inspired the writing of these prophecies to a definiteness which lacks only one chance in 10^17 of being absolute." (Stoner, Science Speaks, 1963).

The eight prophecies referred to in this quotation are; (1) born in Bethlehem, (2) preceded by a messenger, (3) entered Jerusalem on a donkey, (4) betrayed by a friend, (5) sold for 30 pieces of silver, (6) money thrown into God's house (the Temple) and used for a potter's field, (7) quiet before his accusers, and (8) hands and feet pierced and crucified with thieves.

The Timing of Christ's Coming

The Bible is full of prophesies concerning future events; it should not be surprising that it would also be full of prophecies concerning the first coming of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, many of the early Jewish leaders did not appreciate the significance of these prophecies and indeed, they are much easier to understanding from our vantage point in time. Also, these prophecies are extremely important because they provide an additional appreciation for the accuracy of Scriptures in that they are so precise, and could scarcely have pointed to any other time period than that of Christ's first advent.

The Removal of the Scepter

"The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples." (Genesis 40:10).

The word "scepter" in this passage is best understood in terms of a tribal staff. Every one of the 12 tribes of Israel had its own particular "staff" with its name inscribed upon it. Therefore, the tribal staff, or the identify of Judah would not be lost prior to the first advent of Christ (Shiloh). For many centuries, both Jewish and Christian commentators have understood "Shiloh" to mean Christ.

The national identity was threatened during the 70 year deportation to Babylon; however, it never lost its tribal identity during this period; they still possessed their own lawgivers and judges even while in captivity (Ezra 1:5,8).

The first visible sign of the removal of the scepter from Judah came about when Herod the Great succeeded the Maccabean princes (who belonged to the tribe of Levi), and who were the last Jewish kings to rule in Israel.

The next sign was the limitation of the power of the Sanhedrin shortly before the trial of Christ; they lost the power to pass the death sentence. Christ had to be sentenced to death by the Roman authorities, for the Jewish authorities no longer held that power. Ar;chelaus, the son and successor of Herod, was deposed in 11 A.D., and the procurators who then administered the area in the name of Caesar Augustus, took the power to pronounce a death sentence away from the Sanhedrin so they could exercise the power totally by themselves. Apparently, every nation which came under the rule of Rome lost this particular power to their rulers. Tacitus notes, "...The Romans reserved to themselves the right of the sword, and neglected all else."

The Talmud admits that,

"a little more than forty years before the destruction of the Temple, the power of pronouncing capital sentences was taken away from the Jews).

Interestingly, Rabbi Rachmon notes,

"When the members of the Sanhedrin found themselves deprived of their right over life and death, a general consternation took possession of them; they covered their heads with ashes, and their bodies with sackcloth, exclaiming: 'Woe unto us, for the scepter has departed from Judah, and the Messiah has not come!'"

Josephus, the great Jewish historian, notes,

"After the death of the procurator Festus, when Albinus was about to succeed him, the high-priest Ananus considered it a favorable opportunity to assemble the Sanhedrin. He therefore caused James the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, and several others, to appear before this hastily assembled council, and pronounced upon them the sentence of death by stoning. Al the wise men and strict observers of the law who were at Jerusalem expressed their disapprobation of this act....Some even went to Albinus himself, who had departed to Alexandria, to bring this breach of the la under his observation, and to inform him that Ananus had acted illegally in assembling the Sanhedrin without the Roman authority." (Josephus Ant., 20, Chap 9,1).

Interestingly, the Jews made up various excuses for having lost their ability to invoke capital punishment. For example, the Talmud notes,

"The members of the Sanhedrin, having noticed that the number of murderers had increased to such an extent in Israel that it became impossible to condemn them all to death, they concluded among themselves (and said), 'It will be advantageous for us to change our ordinary place of meeting for another, so that we may avoid the passing of capital sentences.'

Maimonides adds in the Const. Sanhedrin, chapter 14,

"forty years before the destruction of the second Temple criminal sentences ceased in Israel, although the Temple was still standing. This was due ot the fact that the members of the Sanhedrin quitted the Hall of Hews Stones and held their sessions there no longer."

The Talmud further notes,

"Since the Sanhedrin no longer had jurisdiction in capital offenses, there is no practical utility in this ruling, which can become effective only in the days of the Messiah."

The Sanhedrin then ceased its function, and the scepter was removed from judah as it lost its royal or legal powers. As the Talmud said,

"Woe unto us, for the scepter has been taken from Judah, and the messiah has not appeared!"

Of course, at that time, the Messiah was a young Nazarene working amongst them, whom they would crucify.

The Destruction of the Temple

Malachi notes,

"...And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple..." (Malachi 3:1).

This verse, along with four others (Psalms 118:26, Daniel 9:26; Zechariah 11:13; and Haggai 2:7-9) all indicate the Messiah would come while the Temple was still standing. Since the second Temple was destroyed by Titus in 70 A.D., this means the Messiah had to have come prior to that time. This temple has never been rebuilt.

"Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince which is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary...." (Daniel 9:26).

These succession of prophecies indicate the order will be as follows,

-The Messiah comes (assumed)

-The Messiah is cut off (dies)

-The Temple is destroyed.

Fulfilled Prophecy

In Daniel 9:24-27, probably the most remarkable four verses in prophecy, describes three specific events concerning the Messiah - among other things. The first part notes that at the end of 69 weeks, the Messiah will come to Jerusalem. (The 7 and 62 weeks are understood as 69 periods of 7 years each). The starting point of this countdown is the decree to rebuild Jerusalem. All of this takes place at the end of 69 weeks of years. However, Daniel 9:24 mentions 70 weeks (not just 69 weeks); the final week is described in Daniel 9:27. The author refers to a prince, but probably a different prince who is to come later in history. This is supported by their actions; the prince of 9:27 forces the Jewish temple practices to stop, but the prince in 9:26 has just destroyed the temple! So, probably the second prince comes after the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, which has yet to occur. However, no matter how the last week of Daniel is interpreted, it is still evident that the first 69 weeks can be examined historically.

"Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place.

"So you are to know and discern that form the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.

"Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.

"And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of the abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, and that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate." (Daniel 9:26-27).

Interpretations of the Prophecy

This prophecy in Daniel is one of the most important in the entire Old Testament, for it bears not only upon the time of Christ, but also upon our own futures.

Two princes are mentioned in this prophecy: (1) the Messiah (v 25), and (2) the Prince to come (v. 26).

The time period of 70 weeks both as a unit of time (v. 24), and as a divided time period: 7 weeks, 62 weeks, and 1 week (v. 25,27).

The specified beginning of the 70 weeks (v. 25)

Messiah appears at the end of 69 weeks (v. 25)

Destruction of the city and sanctuary by people of the prince to come (v. 26).

Covenant made between Israel and the Prince to come and the beginning of the last week (i.e., 70th week); this covenant is broken mid-week (v. 27).

At the end of 70 weeks, Israel will finally have everlasting righteousness (v. 24).

Time period indicated by 70 weeks

Perhaps little in this prophecy is more important to our day than understanding the proper time periods indicated by the 70 week prophecy of Daniel. The 70 weeks is actually an allusion to 70 weeks of years, or a total of 490 years. This is true for the following reasons,

a. The Hebrew word for "week" is "shabua" and literally means a seven. Then in the Hebrew, the idea of 70 weeks is 70 sevens.

b. The Jews were familiar with the idea of a "seven" in terms of both days and of years,

c. Leviticus 25;2-4 illustrates this fact, in that there was a multiple of a week of years.

Finally, there are these contextual reasons for believing that the 70 weeks referred to in Daniel are actually sevens of years.

a. Daniel had been thinking in terms of years and multiples of years earlier in the chapter (Daniel 8:1,2),

b. Daniel understood that the length of the Babylonian captivity was based upon the violation of the sabbatical years; since the Jews were in Babylonian captivity for 70 years, evidently the Sabbatic year was violated over 490 years. (Leviticus 26:32-35).

c. The context makes sense when understood in this context

The Length of the Prophetic Year

The length of the prophetic year can be ascertained using the Scriptures themselves. Many Scriptures refer to the Great Tribulation in future terms, but all of them use the common length of 360 days.

a. Daniel 9:27 - "midst" of the 70th week = obviously 3.5 years.

b. Daniel 7:24,25 - "a time and times and the dividing of time" - literally 3.5 years

c. Revelations 13:4-7 - "forty and two months" (3.5 years)

d. Revelation 12:13,14 - "a time, and times, and half a time"

e. Revelation 12:6 - "a thousand two hundred and three score days (1,260 days, or 3.5 years).

Beginning of the 70 weeks of Daniel's Prophecy

The dating of the beginning of Daniel's 70 weeks - or 490 year - prophecy becomes of obvious importance. There were several commandments to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem that might be considered for the beginning of this 70 week period. They are,

a. The decree of Cyrus, 539 B.C. (Ezra 1:1-4)

b. The decree of Darius, 519 B.C. (Ezra 5:3-7).

c. The decree of Artaxerxes to Ezra, 457 B.C. (Ezta 7:11-16).

d. The decree of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah, 444 B.C. (Nehemiah 2:1-9).

The only decree that seems to fit the data is the last one; the decree of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah.

J.D. Wilson comments on the start of the prophecy,

'The ... decree is referred to in Neh ii. It was in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes. The words of the decree are not given, but its subject matter can easily be determined. Nehemiah hears of the desolate condition of Jerusalem. He is deeply grieved. The King asks the reason. Nehemiah repies, 'the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire.' The King bids him make request. He does so promptly, asking an order from the King that 'I be sent to the city that I may build it.'

Nehemiah was indeed given this opportunity to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the gate around the city that would protect Jerusalem and the Temple from their neighbors.

"The decree then, is the 'commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.' There is no other decree authorizing the restoration of the city. This decree authorizes the restoration and the book of Nehemiah tells how the work was carried on. The exigencies of their vairous theories have led men to take some other decree for the terminus a quo of their calculations, but it is not apparent how any could have done so without misgivings. This decree of Neh. Ii is the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem; no other decree gives any permission to restore the city. All other decrees refer to the building of the temple and the temple only." *Wilson, Joseph D., Did Daniel Write Daniel?)

Because the issuing of this decree was done by one of the great kings of ancient history, accurate dating becomes possible. This accurate dating of the decree allows us to then accurately predict the first coming of the Messiah.

a. "...In the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes" (Nehemiah 2:1).

b. Artaxerxes' became King in 465 B.C.

c. There was no precise date specified, but according to Jewish custom, the date is understood to be the first date of the month, which would be Nissan 1, 444 B.C.

d. Our corresponding calendar date would be March 5, 444 B.C.

Interestingly, it took 49 years to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, and it was at this point where the rebuilding of Jerusalem was accomplished that Hebrew prophecy ends at the conclusion of Malachi.

The time from the edict to rebuild Jerusalem until the coming of the Messiah should be 483 years (69 weeks of years, or 69 X 7, or 483 years). Since the Hebrew calendar is 360 days long as previously indicated, then 483 years equals 173,880 days.

A.H. Hoehner has researched out this part of the prophecy,

"Multiplying the sixty-nine weeks by seven years for each week by 360 days gives a total of 173,880 days. The difference between 444 B.C. and A.D. 33 then is 476 solar years. By multiplying 476 years of 365.24219879 or 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 45.975 seconds in a true year, one comes to 173,855 days. This leaves only 25 days to be accounted for between 444 B.C. and A.D. 33. By adding the 25 days to March 5 (of 444 B.C.), one comes to March 30 (or A.D. 33) which was Nisan 10 in A.D. 33. This is the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem." (Hoehner, Harold. Chronological Aspecs of the Life of Christ, 1977).

The Interval between the 60th week and the 70th week of Daniel

After the termination of the 69th week of Daniel and before the commencement of the 70th week that is still in our future, two events had to occur,

a. The 'cutting off' of the Messiah (Dan 9:26). Christ was crucified during the week marked by His triumphal entry into Jerusalem,

b. The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (Daniel 9:26). The destruction of the Temple occurred in A.D. 70 when it was destroyed by the Roman Legions led by Titus. As Wilson notes when discussing this prophecy,

"After that, the Roman prince [Titus] sent an army which utterly destroyed the city and temple of Jerusalem.

"That destruction was complete. The temple was not simply polluted, as it was by Antiochus Epiphanes - it was destroyed. It has not been reared in Jerusalem since. The Jewish ritual was ended. It has never been restored, and it never can be. It has had no priesthood since Jerusalem fell; for every son of Aaron was slain. There can be no more priestly sacrifices, not atonement by high priest; for in that dire disaster, the older covenant passed away. Its vitality and validity had ceased when the Lamb of God was offered upon Calvary; but for forty years the outward shell remained. That shell was removed on the destruction of Jerusalem, 70 A.D." (Wilson, Joseph, Did Daniel Write Daniel?)

The Last Week of the 70 week Prophecy of Daniel - yet to come

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