All that was written about Jesus in the Old Testament must be fulfilled as well as all prophecies in the Bible. The New Testament had not been written when Jesus was on earth. He proved He was the promised Messiah using only the Old Testament. From Genesis to Revelation the focus is on God’s plan of salvation through His Son, Jesus. This may be easier to see and understand in the New Testament, but The Word, Jesus, can also be found in the Old Testament. When you read The Word of God, you will get to know The Word.
Jesus in the Feasts (Festivals) of Israel
Leviticus Chapter 23
The New Testament speaks of the Festivals as a shadow of things to come. These things can be celebrated, but the substance is Jesus. Colossians 2:16-17 (NIV) Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.The Prophetic Feasts of the Lord
Passover (Pesach) – On the first Passover, a lamb without blemish (and without broken bones) was sacrificed and its blood placed on the door posts of each home. God made sure the death angel passed over and did not kill the first born male of that home.
Passover celebrates the Israelites’ release from Egyptian slavery.
What is the Passover Lamb?
Crucifixion/death of Jesus was during Passover. Jesus is the final unblemished, sinless Passover Lamb of God whose blood was shed for the forgiveness of sin and for our salvation. Christians escape eternal death through faith in Jesus.
Note: Jesus’ legs were not broken at His crucifixion as were those of others being crucified. The death of Christ marks our release from the slavery of sin.
Feast of Unleavened Bread (Matzah) - a remembrance of God delivering Israel out of Egypt. Jews must remove leaven from their homes. Leaven represents sin.
What is the feast of unleavened bread?
Burial of Jesus in the tomb was during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. He was like a kernel of wheat planted and waiting to burst forth as the unleavened (sinless) Bread of Life.
Unleavened bread is a picture of Jesus the Messiah. The bread is without leaven, as He is without sin. It also is striped and pierced as His body was beaten and pierced for our sins.
Isaiah 53:5 (NIV) But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
1 Peter 2:24 (NIV) “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
Feast of First Fruits (Reshit Katzir) - On Sunday, the third day after Passover, the priest would bring a sheaf of the first fruits of grain to the Temple.
What was the firstfruits offering?
Resurrection of Jesus took place on Sunday, the third day after Passover. Jesus was the first to be resurrected from the dead.
1 Corinthians 15:20 (ESV) But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Feast of Weeks - Pentecost (Shavuot) - occurs 50 days after the first day of the Feast of First Fruits and celebrates the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai.
(3,000 Jewish men died that day due to sin with the golden calf idol)
What is the Feast of Weeks?
The First Pentecost (after Jesus’ resurrection) - The Holy Spirit descended to indwell Jesus’ disciples and empower them for ministry.
Note: The Day of Pentecost is the birth of “The Church.” (God poured out His Holy Spirit and 3,000 Jews were added to the Church that day – a perfect fulfillment.) What a great harvest of souls!
The Rapture will occur before The 7 Year Tribulation (Jacob’s trouble) on earth.
Could the Rapture occur on The Feast of Pentecost so the "church age" (time of harvesting souls) ends on the day it began? Or, could the Rapture occur on The Feast of Trumpets as Yom Teruah has a dual meaning - announcing joy for those Christian believers being raptured to heaven and at the same time announcing the wrath of God's judgments on unbelievers as the Tribulation begins on earth? And, is it possible the 10 Days of Awe could include:
The Feast of Trumpets (the Rapture) - 2 days
The Tribulation - 7 "days"
Day of Atonement (Jesus' 2nd Coming) - 1 day
We can only speculate. Jesus could come at any moment. The Rapture will happen on God's timetable.
Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) - marks the beginning of ten days of consecration and repentance before God. The shofar (ram’s horn) and the priestly silver horns were used in the Feast of Trumpets. Yom Teruah can be a loud sound of joy/praise or it can be a loud sound of war/threats.
Numbers 10:1-2 (NIV) The Lord said to Moses: “Make two trumpets of hammered silver, and use them for calling the community together and for having the camps set out.
Some celebrate Rosh Hashanah, a civil not biblical “head of the year” on Yom Teruah.
What is the Feast of Trumpets?
The Second Coming of Jesus Christ will occur at the end of the Tribulation.
The fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets, for the Jews, will be at the end of the Tribulation at Jesus’ Second Coming. That is when Israel will acknowledge Jesus is the Messiah.
Revelation 1:7 (NLT) Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see him— even those who pierced him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for him. Yes! Amen!
Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) - Yearly, the high priest would cleanse himself and perform elaborate rituals to atone for the sins of the people. A bull was sacrificed as a sin offering for himself and his family. The blood of the bull was then sprinkled on the ark of the covenant. Next, two goats were needed – one was sacrificed to atone for the uncleanness and sins of the people. The goat’s blood was then sprinkled on the ark of the covenant. The other goat was used as a scapegoat. The high priest placed his hands on the second goat’s head and confessed over it the sins of the people. That goat was not sacrificed, but released into the wilderness carrying the sins of the people on itself. The blood of bulls and goats could only atone for sins if the ritual was continually done year after year. There was no permanent removal of sins until the Messiah came.
What is the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)?
Jesus’ crucifixion atoned for our sins once for all people – past, present & future with His death, burial, and resurrection some 2,000 years ago. Jesus, our High Priest, was the perfect sacrifice – the Lamb of God.
Hebrews 7:27 (ESV) He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
Jesus propitiated (appeased) the wrath of God by taking that wrath upon Himself. At the same time, Jesus expiated (atoned for and removed) our sins forever. He cast our sins far away – as far as the east is from the west.
Psalm 103:12 (ESV) as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
After Jesus’ crucifixion, there was no more need for cleansing ceremonies or sacrifices.
At Jesus' Second Coming, the nation of Israel will recognize Jesus as their Messiah. Israel’s national salvation happens when the nation collectively morns the crucifixion of their Messiah.
Zechariah 12:10 (NKJV) “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.
Romans 11:26-27 (NKJV) And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”
This will be the fulfillment of the Day of Atonement for the nation of Israel.
God will then pour out His wrath on the wicked. He will do this through His son, Jesus. With the sword of His mouth, Jesus (The Word) will slay all unbelievers.
Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) - begins 5 days after the Day of Atonement and celebrates God’s continued provision and protection over His people. It is also a reminder of God’s deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. During this 8 day celebration, the Israelites would dwell in temporary shelters or booths in Jerusalem. Priests from all 12 tribes would be busy offering sacrifices. The Feast of Tabernacles begins and ends with a Sabbath day of rest. God blessed and sanctified the Sabbath day, making it holy.
What is the Feast of Tabernacles / Booths / Sukkot?
The Second Coming of Jesus Christ ushers in the Millennial Kingdom. The Lord will tabernacle (dwell) with us in the Millennial Kingdom and forever. Those who survive The Tribulation (believers in Jesus) will live forever – first in a 1,000 year period with Jesus in His earthly Kingdom and then eternally with Him in the New Heavens, New Earth, and New Jerusalem.
Could The Birth of Christ have occurred during the Feast of Tabernacles? The Apostle John speaks of Jesus dwelling among us.
John 1:14 (ESV) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The Feast of Tabernacles reminds us of Jesus’ First Coming when He dwelt among us and freed us from the bondage of sin. It also looks forward to Jesus’ Second Coming when He will dwell with all believers forever.
Jesus is our Sabbath rest. No longer do we labor from our own works - trying to keep the law in order to be acceptable to God.
Hebrews 10:12 (NLV) But Christ gave Himself once for sins and that is good forever. After that He sat down at the right side of God.
Just as God sanctified the Sabbath day and made it holy, Jesus sanctifies and makes holy all who believe in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
How is Jesus our Sabbath Rest?
Jesus in the Old Testament
Beginning with creation in Genesis, we can see the Pre-incarnate Jesus Christ stepping into our world in many different forms. What is important to remember is that God’s Son (the 2nd Person of the Trinity) was and always is eternal just as God the Father (the 1st Person of the Trinity) and The Holy Spirit (the 3rd Person of the Trinity) are eternal. They are co-equal in One God.
Jesus is the one we can relate to as He is both God and man – our mediator between man and God. How could we not worship, praise, thank, love and trust Jesus once we realize He was and is the Promised Messiah? He took our place on that cross 2,000 years ago and paid our sin debt in full – obtaining our salvation from eternal death and torment.
See the many ways our Savior appeared throughout the Old Testament…
| The Light of the world | Creation Day 1: Genesis 1:3 (YLT) and God saith, `Let light be;' and light is. Day 4: Genesis 1:14-19 (NKJV) Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the fourth day. John 8:12 (NKJV) Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 9:5 (KJV) As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. Psalm 27:1 (NKJV) A Psalm of David. The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 72:17 (YLT) His name is to the age, Before the sun is his name continued, And they bless themselves in him, All nations do pronounce him happy. NOTE: The Light (Jesus) is from everlasting. On day 1 of creation, Jesus stepped into our world as Light. This occurred before the sun, moon, and stars were created on day 4. His name was there before the sun. Jesus is not part of creation; Jesus is part of the Creator (the 2nd Person of the Trinity). |
| The Way The Truth The Life | Eden - God's Garden Genesis 2:8-9 (NKJV) The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Life in God’s Garden – The Forbidden Tree Genesis 2:15-17 (NKJV) Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” The Lord God provided everything Adam & Eve could need. More important, the Lord (Jesus) is everything Adam & Eve needed. The New Testament gives insight as to why eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was forbidden. John 14:6 (NKJV) Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. The Bible tells us Jesus is The Way to the Father in Heaven. Truth is considered to be knowledge. Jesus is The Truth (knowledge) and The Life (eternal life). Adam & Eve did not need to seek knowledge from a tree or even life from another tree. They already had truth (knowledge) and life (without death) through the Lord God (Jesus). Once they each sinned by seeking knowledge and life apart from Jesus, they became separated from Him and no longer had eternal life on earth. |
| The Word of God | The Creator of Creation - The Word Psalm 33:6 (NLV) The heavens were made by the Word of the Lord. All the stars were made by the breath of His mouth. Jesus is The Word who later became flesh. From the Father’s plan of creation, Jesus (The Word) spoke creation into existence with the help of the Holy Spirit. All three persons of The Trinity were involved in creating the heavens, earth, mankind, animals and everything. Adam & Eve heard the voice of The Word After Adam & Eve sinned, they experienced guilt. They were ashamed and hid themselves in the Garden of Eden. Whose voice did they hear? They heard the voice of The Word (Jesus). The early Rabbis in the 1st Century knew about The Word as written in this Aramaic translation. (YeYa Elohim = God) Genesis 3:8 [Targum Onkelos] וּשְׁמַעוּ יַת קַל מֵימְרָא דַּיְיָ אֱלֹהִים דִּמְהַלֵּךְ בְּגִינְּתָא לִמְנָח יוֹמָא וְאִטַמַּר אָדָם וְאִתְּתֵיהּ מִן קָדָם יְיָ אֱלֹהִים בְּגוֹ אִילַן גִּינְּתָא Translation: And they heard the voice of The Word of YeYa Elohim walking in the Garden in the evening of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of YeYa Elohim among the trees of the Garden. https://tanakh.info/gn3-8 |
| The Seed of the Woman | Punishment for Sin Genesis 3:13-15 (NKJV) And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” So the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” Women don’t have seed, so this Seed is divine and not from a human man. This Seed is Jesus, and He is the only one who can defeat Satan. Jesus was crucified in order to pay our sin debt in full. Jesus’ feet were nailed to the crucifixion cross. (Satan bruised Jesus’ heel.) When Jesus resurrected from the dead, He conquered sin, death, hell, and Satan. (Jesus crushed Satan’s head.) |
| The Angel of the LORD The Lamb of God | Judges 6:22 (NKJV) Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the LORD. So Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord GOD! For I have seen the Angel of the LORD face to face.” Abraham's Faith Confirmed Genesis 22:8-15 (NKJV) And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together. Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.” Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, Abraham obeyed God and was prepared to sacrifice his only son Isaac as a burnt offering for sin. The Angel of the LORD stopped Abraham and provided a ram instead. This is a foreshadowing of God sacrificing His only Son Jesus, The Lamb of God, for the sins of the world. Jesus appeared to Abraham as The Angel of the LORD and would one day sacrifice Himself as the perfect Lamb of God. What a foreshadowing! Behold The Lamb of God - Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist The Apostle John’s Account: John 1:29-34 (NKJV) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” The Apostle Luke’s Account: Luke 3:21-22 (NKJV) When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” In the New Testament, John the Baptist identifies Jesus as The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He knew there must be an atonement for not just the sin of Israel, its people or the priests, but for the whole world. John the Baptist (a Hebrew Nazarite) baptized those who repented of their sins and desired spiritual cleansing. Those who were baptized also made a commitment to follow God’s law in anticipation of the Messiah’s coming. NOTE: John the Baptist and the Apostle John were not the same person. |
| Son of Man | Daniel 7:13-14 (NKJV) “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed. In the New Testament, Jesus refers to Himself as the Son of Man when He predicts His death and resurrection. Jesus a Third Time Predicts His Death and Resurrection Matthew 20:17-19 (NKJV) Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.” |
| Melchizedek King of Righteousness | Genesis 14:18-20 (NIV) Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. Melchizedek, priest of God Most High and king of Salem (Jerusalem) blessed Abram (later named Abraham). Abram then gave a tithe (a tenth of everything) to Melchizedek. Tithes and offerings are only given to God. As we see in the New Testament, Melchizedek has no mother or father, and no genealogy. He remains a priest forever and has no beginning of days or end of life. Jesus is the alpha and omega; and He is our King and High Priest forever. Hebrews 7:1-10 (NIV) This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor. Hebrews 5:1-10 (NIV) Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was. In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” And he says in another place, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek. Revelation 22:13 (NIV) I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. To learn more about Melchizedek, visit Who Was Melchizedek? |
| The Man who wrestled with Jacob (Israel) | Jacob Wrestled with The Man & He Changed Jacob’s Name to Israel Genesis 32:22- 32 (NKJV) And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip. Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the muscle that shrank. |
Jesus in The Psalms
Did you know that of the 150 Psalms, 16 of them are Messianic Psalms. David and other psalm writers were moved by the Spirit of God to speak the words of Christ Himself. These psalmists did not know who they were actually quoting because they lived long before Jesus came to earth. Without understanding it, David wrote about Christ’s crucifixion in Psalm 22. David obeyed The Word and The Spirit of God as he wrote.
Psalm Chapter 22 (NKJV) – The Suffering, Praise, and Posterity of the Messiah
To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Deer of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David.
| My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning? 2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent. 3 But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. 4 Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them. 5 They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed. 6 But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. 7 All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8 “He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!” 9 But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts. 10 I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God. 11 Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help. 12 Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. 13 They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death. | 16 For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; 17 I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. 18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots. 19 But You, O LORD, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to help Me! 20 Deliver Me from the sword, My precious life from the power of the dog. 21 Save Me from the lion’s mouth And from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered Me. 22 I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You. 23 You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel! 24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from Him; But when He cried to Him, He heard. 25 My praise shall be of You in the great assembly; I will pay My vows before those who fear Him. 26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the LORD. Let your heart live forever! 27 All the ends of the world Shall remember and turn to the LORD, And all the families of the nations Shall worship before You. 28 For the kingdom is the LORD’s, And He rules over the nations. 29 All the prosperous of the earth Shall eat and worship; All those who go down to the dust Shall bow before Him, Even he who cannot keep himself alive. 30 A posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation, 31 They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, That He has done this. |
Jesus in the Books of the Prophets
We see the coming Messiah (Jesus) not only in the Psalms, but also in the books of the prophets. The prophets wrote about man’s separation from God due to sin and the promised solution – the miraculous birth of Christ. They wrote about His rejected 1st coming, His sufferings, His sacrifice, and His victorious 2nd coming. Isaiah Chapter 53 is a perfect example.
Isaiah Chapter 53 (NKJV)
The Sin-Bearing Messiah
| Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. 3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. | 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. 9 And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You 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. 11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors. |
The Old Testament and The New Testament
What is the purpose of The Old Testament? Under the Law, the lambs and other animal sacrifices could only cover the sins of the people. The law was like a mirror revealing each person’s sins. No one could keep the law perfectly. Therefore, the law pointed out the need for a Messiah. The Old Testament (Covenant) promised a coming Messiah who would take away the sins of the whole world. The New Testament (Covenant) tells us why the Scriptures were written. Romans 15:4 (NKJV) For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
Was the New Testament written just to start a new religion – Christianity? No. In fact, the Old Testament prophesies of the New Testament. Jeremiah 31:31-34 (NKJV) “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when 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 lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
The law shall be written in their hearts (spirits) by the finger of the Spirit, as formerly written in the tablets of stone. The written law kills, but the Spirit of God gives life. Hebrews 8:13 (NLT) When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear.
The Promised Messiah
The promised Messiah, who we now recognize as Jesus, appeared in various forms throughout the Old Testament times. Under the New Testament (Covenant) the promise of the coming Messiah was fulfilled as He appeared in the form of a baby. Jesus our Savior was born in Bethlehem, just as prophesied in Micah 5:2 (NKJV) “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”
Isaiah the prophet speaks of a promised Child being born who is a Son and yet Everlasting Father! Isaiah is not speaking of a mere human, but a Mighty God. Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV) For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
But did the Jews recognize Jesus as the Messiah? No, they were short sighted and only looking for someone to redeem Israel in an earthly way – someone to free them from Roman rule. While Jesus was on earth, He spoke of the Kingdom of God coming to earth one day. Zechariah 9:9 (NKJV) “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey. Jesus is that King!
Claim Your Salvation with Faith in the Promised Messiah – Jesus
After His crucifixion, Jesus was the first to be resurrected and remain alive forever. The Jews did not recognize the Son of God who had taken their place on that cross and paid their sin debt in full with His death, burial and resurrection. No longer were animal sacrifices needed. Jesus, the Lamb of God, was the perfect sinless sacrifice acceptable to God the Father. What the law couldn’t do, Jesus did do for the whole world. But our salvation only becomes effectual once we individually recognize Jesus as the Son of God and then claim Him as our personal Savior.
At Jesus’ Second Coming, Israel will finally recognize Jesus as the Son of God and realize they crucified the Messiah. Zechariah 12:10 (NKJV) “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.
Do you recognize Jesus as the Son of God – the promised Messiah? With faith, are you ready to claim Jesus as your Lord and Savior? See why we need a Savior by visiting SIN – Who Cares?
Also, watch Amir Tsarfati’s video, Jesus in the Old Testament.
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Bible Versions: AMP (Amplified Bible), ESV (English Standard Version), KJV (King James Version), MSG (The Message), NOG (Names of God Bible), NCV (New Century Version), NET (New English Translation), NIV (New International Version), NKJV (New King James Version), NLV (New Life Version), NLT (New Living Translation), RGT (Revised Geneva Translation), RSV (Revised Standard Version), TLB (Living Bible), TLV (Tree of Life Version), YLT (Young's Literal Translation)
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