MESSIANIC PROPHECY PRESENTED TO DR. LEVI BRENNAN BIBL 5113A: OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY TREVOR RAY SLONE MANHATTAN, KS OCTOBER 5, 2012

Transcription

1 MESSIANIC PROPHECY PRESENTED TO DR. LEVI BRENNAN BIBL 5113A: OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY BY TREVOR RAY SLONE MANHATTAN, KS OCTOBER 5, 2012

2 Abstract In today s world people are constantly looking to be saved from something, whether it be high levels of financial debt, an abusive relationship, or whatever the case may be. In this paper a particular Avatar will be discussed, namely the long awaited King of Israel. More specifically various prophecies regarding this Savior will be explored. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and other prophets foretold the coming of the God-man who would come to be known as Jesus the Christ, the Savior of the world, the Messiah. Some specific prophecies of Isaiah, along with the cultural circumstances that occasioned his writings and the possible reasons why he placed these prophecies where he did in his book will be examined. There will also be a discussion of several messianic prophecies by other prophets, and also how this theme of the Messiah is further developed in the New Testament. It will be shown that the Messiah was in fact mentioned many, many centuries before He ever actually showed up on the earthly seen.

3 In today s world it seems safe to say that most people are in some sense looking to be saved from something. Whether it be a horrible job situation, an enormous amount of debt, an abusive relationship, or whatever else it may be people want to be saved from it. They do not want to remain in these painful conditions. This is the type of situation that Israel found itself in many, many centuries ago when they were suffering in captivity under various rulers and tyrants. This is also the situation that Adam and Eve found themselves in in the Garden in Genesis chapter 3, and it is the situation that the first century Jews found themselves in as well. They all wanted to be saved from their situation. Ancient Israel and the first century Jews wanted political freedom, and Adam and Eve wanted freedom from the consequences of their sins and a restored relationship with God. 1 The prophets of the Old Testament (OT) prophesied about such a Savior that was sought by many people of ancient times and by many people today. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and other prophets foretold the coming of the God-man who would come to be known as Jesus the Christ, the Savior of the World, the Messiah. In this paper there will first be a brief discussion of the term Messiah, what it means, and a quick look at a list of some of the passages that mention Him in the OT. Then there will be a discussion regarding some of Isaiah s messianic prophecies, more specifically Isaiah 7:14 and 52:13-53:12, why Isaiah placed them where he did in his writings, and also a look into the historical circumstances that occasioned Isaiah s interest in the theme of the Messiah in these various passages. After that there will be a cursory look at some passages from Jeremiah (30:9), Daniel (7:13-14), and Micah (5:2) that also refer to the coming of the Messiah. There will also be a discussion of how these various passages 1 Although it is not expressly stated in the Scriptures that Adam and Eve wanted this, it seems more than fair to assume such a thing, especially since they, unlike people today, had known God and His greatness firsthand, and there was no question in their minds as to whether or not God existed, so they would probably not have been as nonchalant about their relationship with God as many people are today, even if they did sin against Him in such a blatant way. They would have no doubt felt the weight of their condemnation and sought salvation from it somehow. Of course this is an assumption, and it could be an invalid one, but it seems a fair assumption nonetheless.

4 regarding the theme of the Messiah are developed in the New Testament (NT), but this will mostly be done along the way as the OT passages are discussed. Finally, this paper will end with a discussion of how the theme of the Messiah bears on my life personally as well as on the life and practice of the church today, followed then by some concluding remarks. The Term Messiah and a Brief List of Biblical Passages Where He Is Discussed The term Messiah means anointed one. 2 The NT term translated as Christ is the Greek-English equivalent of the word Messiah. Messiah is basically a transliteration of the Hebrew term mashiah. This idea of being anointed has royal significance and foreshadows the reality that the coming Messiah would be the long awaited King of Israel. Now, with the possible exception of Daniel 9:25-26, the title Messiah as a reference to Israel s eschatological king does not occur in the OT. 3 However, there are many passages in the OT that allude to the concept and theme of the Messiah. Some of these passages include: Genesis 3:15, where God mentions the seed of the woman who will bruise the serpent s head (here the serpent is Satan and the seed of the woman is the Messiah); Numbers 24:17, where the ruler from Jacob is mentioned; 2 Samuel 7:16, where David s future son is mentioned; Psalm 110:1, where the Lord of David is mentioned; and Psalm 118:26, where the rejected cornerstone is mentioned. 4 Isaiah 7:14 Isaiah 7:14 says, Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel (HCSB). Now, this is a hotly debated passage these days with regard to whether or not it really does speak of the Messiah. James Smith, in 2 Kevin Green, Zondervan All-In-One Bible Reference Guide (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008), Ibid. 4 Ed Hindson, Messianic Prophecy, TPEBP 1:

5 reference to chapter 7 of Isaiah, says this: In chapter 7 Messiah is about to be born. 5 Smith also points out, Since the days of Delitzsch the ranks of those who believe that Isaiah 7 contains personal Messianic prophecy have dwindled. To see the virgin birth of Christ in Isaiah 7:14 is no longer popular. Modern scholarship notwithstanding, the interpretation which identifies Immanuel as Messiah is superior to those which regard him as a child born in the days of Isaiah. 6 The issue seems to be one that can be resolved quite effectively if it is asserted that prophecies can have a double fulfillment. Stephen Miller agrees with this sentiment when he states that this passage, like most of Isaiah s prophecies, seem to apply to two eras of time. 7 Miller also points out that the term for virgin in this passage can also be translated as young woman, 8 and the Zondervan Handbook to the Bible says that this term virgin is possibly more like the English word maiden. 9 If this is the case, then it would seem that the virgin birth is actually not in view in this passage, and hence neither is the Messiah. However, Smith recognizes that the Hebrew term used here that is translated virgin (almah), since this term refers to a young woman of marriageable age, based on the demands of logic, can only mean one of two things, namely either an unmarried immoral woman, 10 or a virgin. 11 Smith also argues that since illegitimate children were so common in those days, as they are today, a baby born of an unmarried woman could not rightly be classified as a sign, 12 and so the Greek translators of the OT properly used the Greek word parthenos (virgin) when translating the Hebrew word almah in this passage in 5 James E. Smith, The Major Prophets: Old Testament Survey Series (Joplin: College Press, 1992), Logos Edition, no page numbers. 6 Ibid. 7 Stephen M. Miller, The Complete Guide to the Bible (Wheaton: Barbour Publishing, 2007), Ibid. 9 Pat Alexander and David Alexander, Zondervan Handbook to the Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999), This is because the woman is said to bear a child, and if she is not married then she must be immoral. 11 Smith, The Major Prophets. 12 The other reason that these are the only two logical options seems to be that a young married woman having a child would certainly not be abnormal enough to constitute a sign either.

6 the LXX. 13 The Concise Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament agrees with Smith s assessment of the definition of this Greek word as being virgin or one who has had no sexual relationship. 14 The simple fact that the Greek translators of the Septuagint used the Greek word for virgin here is a clear indication that, hundreds of years before the coming of Christ, this passage was understood to be referring to a virgin birth. However, if that is not enough to solidify such an argument, Matthew 1:18-23 and Luke 1:26-35 discuss this very birth from a virgin, and Mathew 1:22-23 explicitly quotes this passage from Isaiah when it states, Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel, which is translated God is with us (HCSB). It can easily be seen here that this passage states that the virgin birth of Jesus, the Messiah, was the fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14, and in Matthew 1:23 the same Greek word from the Septuagint listed above for virgin (parthenos) is used, and in Luke 1:27 a derivative of that same word is also used (parthenon). So, it seems as though The Zondervan Handbook To The Bible, which says that the sign mentioned in this passage seems to have both present and future significance, 15 is incorrect, as are is Miller regarding his above statements on the issue, for the immediate fulfillment of this passage could not have been in Isaiah s wife, or perhaps even the king s wife, 16 since a study of the grammar of the passage indicates that this passage is indeed referring to a virgin birth, and Jesus Christ is the only one known to have ever been born in such a way as that. It should also be remembered that proper hermeneutical procedures entail the maxim that a prophecy can actually 13 Ibid. 14 Fredrick William Danker, The Concise Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2009), Alexander and Alexander, The Zondervan Handbook to the Bible, Miller, The Complete Guide to the Bible, 187.

7 only be about one thing, as can any other passage. Multiple meanings are the result of faulty interpretation. 17 As far as why Isaiah chose to place this prophecy here in chapter 7 and the circumstances that led him to speak of the Messiah, it seems that Isaiah wanted to bring a certain level of assurance to king Ahaz and the people of Judah that even though they were doomed to be overtaken by foreign powers, one day there would be a child, born of a virgin, named Immanuel. This name means God with us. While this name is a fitting title for Jesus Christ, it also no doubt symbolized to Isaiah and the people of Judah that God would not abandon them forever, for one day He would return and restore His people to Himself. It is true that this messianic prophecy seems to be jammed in with other unrelated prophecy, but that only makes it stick out all the more, and it is quite possible that that was the intention of Isaiah when he wrote this passage. Also, Isaiah provided this prophecy as a future sign to Ahaz because Ahaz refused the offer by God to have virtually any sign he wanted in Isaiah 7: after putting his faith in Assyria instead of God. Isaiah 52:13-53:12 This section will have to be brief, since there is still a lot of ground yet to be covered in this paper. This passage in Isaiah is often known as the suffering servant song because it mentions several different aspects of the Messiah s life that would be very painful for Him when they actually took place. Some of these things include: having a disfigured appearance (52:14; NT counter-passage is Matt. 26:67); being despised and rejected (53:3; NT counter-passage is Jn. 17 Robert L. Thomas, Evangelical Hermeneutics: The New Versus the Old (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2002), Ibid, 243.

8 11:47-50); and being killed for the people s sin (53:8; NT counter-passage is 2 Cor. 5:14-15). 19 Some scholars suggest that this passage is referring to Isaiah, or perhaps the nation of Israel, 20 but if this passage and its contents are taken seriously, when one views it in light of further revelation as seen in the NT, there can be little to no doubt that this passage is a messianic prophecy, for it pictures the crucifixion scene of Christ in such a graphic manner. The section in Isaiah directly prior to this one (Isa. 48:1-52:12) is about the release and exaltation of Israel, 21 and the passage directly following this one (54:1-59:21) is about celebrating Judah s return to Jerusalem. 22 As for the circumstances surrounding the writing of these prophecies, it seems best just to say that Israel is in a time of crisis and Isaiah wanted to edify the people. Isaiah was an early major prophet (8 th century B.C.) and so although he was around to see the fall of Israel, 23 his homeland Jerusalem and the people of Judah survived the Syrian invasion and continued as a nation until they fell to the Babylonians in 587 B.C., 24 and so Isaiah would have been speaking either to Israel (pre-fall) or to Judah depending on when exactly he wrote and spoke these prophecies. Since it is safe to say that Isaiah was making these prophecies prior to the fall of Judah, 25 it also seems safe to say that Isaiah had a purpose for how he organized these prophecies, since none of them had been fulfilled yet and he was not just writing about them as they happened. The promise of atonement for the sins of humanity (53:8, 12) is sandwiched between a prophecy about the release of Israel from exile and a celebration of the return of Judah. It is almost as if Isaiah, starting in chapter 40, grabs the attention of his 19 Bill T. Arnold and Bryan E. Beyer, Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008), chart on Ibid, Ibid, Ibid, Charles Horne and Julius Bewer. The Bible and Its Story, Volume 7: The Prophets, Isaiah to Ezekiel (New York: Francis R. Niglutsch, 1909), Logos Bible Software, no page numbers. 24 Arnold and Beyer, Encountering the Old Testament, Ibid, 370.

9 readers with the concept of Israel s deliverance, and then right before he hits the climax of his story regarding the celebration of the return to Jerusalem he says, Now that I have your attention, let me tell you about the ultimate deliverer who will one day come and restore not only your land and your physical freedom, but will also free you from your sins! As far as how the NT develops this part of messianic prophecy, several correlating passages from the NT have already been given above. Suffice it to say that the whole of the NT makes it very clear that the suffering of Christ, which primarily took place on the cross, is the backbone of the gospel message (1 Cor. 2:2; Gal. 6:14), thereby making this particular passage in Isaiah one of the most famous OT passages of all. Jeremiah 30:9 In Jeremiah 30:9 the Lord mentions that He will restore David s line to the throne. This obviously cannot be referring to David himself, for he has been dead for quite some time by the time Jeremiah wrote this verse. In 2 Samuel chapter 7 God promised David that He would raise up someone from David in the future to rule over all the earth. This passage here in Jeremiah is referring to that promise from 2 Samuel, and it sees its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the Messiah, according to Luke 1: Matthew 1:1, 9:27, 15:22, 20:30, and other passages in the NT further show that Jesus is the fulfillment of this prophecy, as they ascribe the title Son of David to Him. Daniel 7:13-14 Daniel 7:13-14 is a passage that is alluded to quite often when people are discussing eschatology. It shows up in many of the Christian end of the world movies also. That is because this is a prophecy that is referring to the second advent of the Messiah, not the first, for

10 Jesus certainly did not come with the clouds of heaven (HCSB) at His first coming. He also did not receive worship and praise from everyone everywhere at his first coming, as this passage indicates He one day will. For these reasons this passage should be viewed, as was stated above, as messianic prophecy regarding Christ s second coming. In verse 13 the title son of man is used to describe the one being exalted and worshiped. There are several reasons why this must be referring to Christ and not some other person referred to as the son of man in the Bible. First, Jesus uses this term about 80 times in the Gospels as an indirect way of referring to Himself. 26 Second, Stephen referred to the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God just before he was martyred (Acts 7:56), and in Mark 16:19 the text shows that it is Jesus who is seated at the right hand of God. Several guesses have been made as to why Jesus was standing when Stephen saw Him instead of sitting. John Stott argues that it is likely that this was the case because Jesus was acting as Stephen s heavenly advocate, or that He was standing so as to welcome Stephen, His first martyr, into His kingdom. 27 This seems like a fair argument, but even if it is untrue, there is still no other indication anywhere in the Scriptures that anyone else besides Jesus is in any sense at the right hand of God, whether seated or standing. So it can be seen, by putting these two passages together, that the son of man again refers to Jesus. Finally, Revelation 1:13 mentions One like the Son of Man (HCSB), which is almost the exact wording used in Daniel 7:13, One like a son of man (HCSB). The statements that this One like the Son of Man makes in verses of Revelation chapter 1 make it clear that He is God. Therefore, it can easily be seen, based on this evidence, that Daniel 7:13-14 is messianic prophecy. 26 Walter A. Elwell and Philip Wesley Comfort, Tyndale Bible Dictionary (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), John R.W. Stott, The Message of Acts (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1990), 141.

11 Micah 5:2 Micah 5:2 entails a prophecy about a future eternal ruler who will come forth out of Bethlehem. Now although some have argued that these words refer to Zerubbabel, such as Chrysostom, Theodoret, and others, it seems better to argue that this passage refers to the Messiah, Jesus Christ. 28 This is because the idea of coming forth out of Bethlehem involves the idea of descent. 29 Zerubbabel was born in Babylon, 30 not Bethlehem, and so he cannot be the one that is referred to in this passage. Also, Zerubbabel obviously was not an eternal ruler, and so again this passage cannot be referring to him. Instead, it seems best to attribute this passage to Jesus, as stated above. Matthew 2:1 indicates that Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, and in John 7:40-44 this passage from Micah is alluded to by the people when they are discussing whether or not Jesus is the Messiah. One of the people says in verse 42, Doesn t the Scripture say that the Messiah comes.from the town of Bethlehem (HCSB)? The people seem to think that Jesus is from Galilee though (v. 41), which is why some of them doubted that He was the Messiah. With these things in mind, and knowing that 1 Timothy 1:17 calls God the King eternal and that Jesus is God (Jn. 10:30), it is clear that Micah 5:2 is a messianic prophecy. How Does This Theme Bear On My Life and the Life and Practice of the Church Today? The fact that the Messiah was foretold of so many years prior to His coming shows me how great and awesome God is in a certain sense, for He had the power and the ability to give His prophets foresight into things that would not take place for many, many centuries after they spoke about them. It also shows me that God knows the future, which gives much greater 28 C.F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament: Minor Prophets (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 2011), Ibid. 30 Elwell and Comfort, Tyndale Bible Dictionary, 1331.

12 meaning to His promises throughout the Scriptures that He will take care of His people and that it will all turn out well in the end for those who love Him, for if He did not know the future, or have control of it at least, then He would not be able to guarantee such promises. As for how this information bears on the church, when one views both the OT and the NT together it becomes clear that the Messiah, from Genesis to Revelation, is the focal point of God s message to us in His Word. The church by and large needs to get back into the habit of utilizing the OT more thoroughly, for in recent times it certainly seems as though the OT has been largely neglected. To some extent this is probably due to the rise of covenantal theology, and to some extent it is probably just because people are lazy and the OT seems hard to understand and apply at times, and so the NT is generally the default testament to be studied. Whatever the case is, a full and adequate understanding of theology proper, soteriology, eschatology, hamartiology, and many other aspects of Christian theology cannot be attained unless we return to a diligent study of both the OT and the NT, both because the NT builds on the theology of the OT and because there are still many prophecies, messianic and otherwise, in the OT that have yet to be fulfilled. Conclusion It has been seen in this paper that Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and other prophets prophesied about the coming God-man who would become the Savior of the World, the Messiah. The reasons why Isaiah placed his prophecies where he did in his writings and the circumstances surrounding them were also examined. Finally, how messianic prophecy and the OT bear on both me and the church was briefly discussed. It is important to pay attention to these prophecies, for they are of great apologetic value when it comes to showing others that Jesus truly is the Christ.

13 Bibliography Alexander, Pat, and David Alexander. Zondervan Handbook to the Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Arnold, Bill T., and Bryan E. Beyer. Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, Danker, Fredrick William. The Concise Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, Elwell, Walter A., and Philip Wesley Comfort. Tyndale Bible Dictionary. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Green, Kevin. Zondervan All-In-One Bible Reference Guide. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Hindson, Ed. Messianic Prophecy. Pages in vol. 1 of The Popular Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy. Edited by Tim Lahaye and Ed Hindson. 1 vol. Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 2004 Horne, Charles, and Julius Bewer. The Bible and Its Story, Volume 7: The Prophets, Isaiah to Ezekiel. New York: Francis R. Niglutsch, Keil, C.F., and F. Delitzsch. Commentary on the Old Testament: Minor Prophets. Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, Miller, Stephen M. The Complete Guide to the Bible. Wheaton: Barbour Publishing, Smith, James E. The Major Prophets: Old Testament Survey Series. Joplin: College Press, 1992.

14 Stott, John R.W. The Message of Acts. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, Thomas, Robert L. Evangelical Hermeneutics: The New Versus the Old. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2002.