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Mighty Messianic Prophecy:
Biblical Research of Predictions Proving that Jesus Is God
In this book of biblical research designed to unlock the deeper truths of Christianity, discover how analysis of Scripture can propel your faith and understanding to new heights. This massive Christian study guide is a non-fiction, no-nonsense, non-stop examination of the predictions proving Jesus to be the definitive and only Lord for all people and all nations. The identity of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, is revealed through this deeper research into the hundreds of Bible verses which point directly to the coming of our Savior, who is the Son of God and God in the flesh.
If the prophecies from Moses to Malachi are often an unsolved mystery for you, this book uses plain language, clear biblical references, verifiable research results, and logical commentary to explain God's Word. Build your faith and knowledge as to how God has been calling out to mankind with specific truths regarding Jesus since the Garden of Eden. Starting with the very first prophecy, get your answers in Genesis and all the prophets as they point to Jesus with uncanny consistency. Chapters and topics covered in this non-boring book of biblical research include the following:
- Lost in the Future or Anchored to the Ancient Book
- Will the Real Scriptures Please Stand Up?
- From Defective to Faithful Footing
- Messianic Questions
- Definitions of Biblical Terms
- Short List of Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled
- Why Is Messianic Prophecy So Valuable?
- Prophecies about the Resurrection
- The Very First Prophecy about Jesus
- Hanging on a Tree
- Supernatural Lineage
- God Has a Son, and That's a Big Deal
- The Son of God Is God the Father
- Father and Son Questions: Answering the Skeptics
- The Anointed One Is Set Above
- Statements, Dreams, Visions, and Events
- Amos on the Messiah
- The Radical Relevance of the Old Testament
- Zechariah Nails It
- The Messiah is the Branch
- Rebuilding and Reforming under Zerubbabel and Jesus
- Men Symbolic of Things to Come
- What about People Who Never Heard of Jesus?
- The Fate of Non-Christians
- The Global Importance of Jesus
- Are You Still Doubting God?
- Where Have All the Mighties Gone?
- God Is Mighty
- Jesus Is Mighty
- Men and Women Can Be Mighty
- Most People Vote Jesus Is God
Mighty Messianic Prophecy is loaded with new research and theological analysis of many Bible predictions never before discussed as messianic prophecies. Be inspired by a book designed to leave you rock-solid about who our Rock and Redeemer really is: Jesus the Christ. Award-winning author Joe Chiappetta holds up the scriptures with an evangelistic style that will have you bookmarking, memorizing, and sharing these faithful insights with your family, friends, and anyone else willing to explore the Gospel like never before.
172 pages. Also includes 40 illustrations.
Order Mighty Messianic Prophecy on Amazon
READ THE FIRST 3 CHAPTERS FREE ONLINE:
Chapter 1: Lost in the Future or Anchored to the Ancient Book
Do you know your maker? For too much of my life, I would sadly have to answer that question with a definitive "No"
or "Not really," or even "Get out of my face!" Looking back,
I must admit that my seeking of truth was quite pathetic. Fiction and fantasy were
more to my liking back then. In fact, my fictions and fantasies were more real to
me than the truth. I could tell you how Spiderman got his dangerous black costume
(in Marvel's
Secret Wars), yet have no clue how to remove the dark stains
of my sin from the depths of my soul.
However all that changed in 1998 when I became a follower of Jesus. The dark stains have been washed away by the
blood of Jesus in the waters of baptism. I am so grateful to be able to know God
through living out a new life by his word. I know my maker now. My maker is the
Messiah, and the Messiah, as we shall see from studying the Bible, is God.
Other peoples and nations can
go on inventing all sorts of bizarre origins of species that may dazzle the masses
for a time. Yet time is fleeting. And I choose to remain grounded in the truths
of my maker, my Messiah. I hope that you will join me.
So many people from around the
world that I run into here in Chicago are still like I use to be. They don't know
their maker and are doing very little to get to know him, due to an ignorance or
lack of faith. Recently, my wife and I ran into some graduate students from China
who said that they had never prayed at all to anyone in their entire lifetime. Not
only did they not know their maker, but they didn't even think they had a maker.
Thankfully, the Bible says in
Romans 10:17 that
"faith comes from hearing the message, and the message
is heard through the word of Christ." So we studied the Bible with those
students and got into their lives. Within a month's time, they became disciples
of Jesus Christ. Therefore, there is true hope for us all.
So much about God's message to
us comes alive on a deeper level when we gain a richer understanding about the Messiah.
We will look at who the Messiah is, what the word "Messiah" means, how
active the Messiah is throughout the scriptures, and how interconnected the Messiah
and God really are.
While the rest of the world chases
after entertainment, selfish ambition, and all sorts of idols, we will build our
faith in our maker through the role of his anointed one. That is actually the literal
translation of what Messiah means: anointed one. I am amazed at the amount of people--both
in and out of the church--who don't know this. Yet the significance of knowing the
anointed one is literally life-changing.
To illustrate the direction our
society is heading in, imagine this family scene, perhaps from the not too distant
future. A father and son are lounging around in their high-tech living room while
the son opens up an old and dusty box. Brittle, acidic cardboard gives off the stale
odor of mildew as it permeates out from the yellowing container. The father is surprised
at what his son has discovered in this long-forgotten box.
Glancing up from his virtual reality
goggles, the dad declares, "Wow that's a real authentic book! We should read
it." The father is referring to the top book in the box which his son grabs
in curiosity. The title of this giant vintage book evokes a sense of respect and
awe:
The Holy Bible.
The son, being only accustomed
to multimedia eBooks, movies, virtual reality, and multiplayer online video games,
has never seen an actual printed book. So, with sincerity, the boy asks "Where
is the start button?"
This allegorical scene depicting
the increasingly aloof attitude that our world has for the Bible has led me to a
significant observation; more and more, I find that people, self included, can be
easily captivated by the allure of anything new: Google Glasses, iPhones, iPads,
iWatch, Wii, the list goes on. I don't have any of these devices but I can't deny
a certain fascination with the development and progress of such toy-like technology
and the new content that these formats pave the way for.
While the facade of spinning everything
new as supremely better remains part of our societal value system, one ancient book
continues to hold up content that, despite being quite old,
"is perfect,
reviving the soul," as stated in Psalm 19:7. That book, of course, is The
Holy Bible.
As we enjoy a sense of newness
in life which God allows us to have, and as we search for the next big thing, I
am reminded that what really counts is for us to meditate on God's law,
"day
and night" (Psalm 1:2). Think deeply and repeatedly about what God calls
us to be and to do. Most people might scoff at this kind of talk. I know this for
sure, since I was such a person for three dark decades of my life.
Nevertheless, a few faithful believers,
anchored to the past that was transformed by Jesus Christ on the cross, will find
excitement in God's ability to
"revive the soul." No one but God
can do such a thing as to revive our inner life essence--our soul. Yet for God,
that is his main line of work! Luke 19:10 explains that Jesus
"came to seek
and to save what was lost." Being a former lost soul, and completely undeserving
of any sort of revival, I am so grateful that God still called me to him. I was
a lost cause, drunk on the future glory of self and fellow man, without a clue as
to which way was up. Yet I was revived, converted, and found--only by the grace
(undeserved favor) of God.
In the future, which seems to
be here today and full of tantalizing distractions, our population will become increasingly
polarized about God. The multitudes continue to abandon him in favor of the many
modern-day idols, while a select few will find an anchor for their soul in the promise
of salvation through Jesus Christ, as highlighted in Hebrew 6:19,
"We have
this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure...."
Therefore the following core question
is left as a warning, and as a challenge; are you lost in the future or anchored
to God's word? Accurately predicting the coming of Jesus Christ, the Bible may be
an ancient book, but it is the only book that has stood the test of time. In the
end, the Bible will also be the only book to remain.
If you need help finding the
start
button, messianic prophecy is an amazing place to begin.
Chapter 2: Will the Real Scriptures Please Stand
Up?
Most of my life, the topics that
I have researched and written about passionately often get started because I had
become alarmed or surprised about a particular issue that had previously caught
me off guard. Such is the case with this study of scriptures having to do with Jesus.
First of all, I became quite surprised
when I looked up the meaning of the word "scripture" in Thayer's Greek
Lexicon, which is a historical Bible dictionary that attempts to define words as
they were used at the time of their writing. Like most people, I assumed that the
word "scripture" had always and only meant what it has come to mean today:
the holy writings from God. Yet I was completely wrong.
Most of the word's usage in ancient
Greek literature is not dependent on any supernatural being authoring that which
had been written. Used 51 times in the New Testament, the Greek word for "scripture"
is "graphe," and it simply means "a writing," or "a thing
written." From Sophocles, the ancient Greek playwright (496 BC) on down the
line, the same Greek word, "graphe" has been used to mean "writing."
It originally started out to mean any kind of writing: legal documents, historical
accounts, letters, and of course, the recorded words of God.
This can best be seen by using the Perseus Digital Library at
www.perseus.tufts.edu. This is an online database cataloging most of the
surviving Greek works of antiquity. I have found it to be an amazing resource to
research word origins from Greco-Roman times. As a project of Tufts University,
their database is currently free to use.
Running the word
"scripture" (translated from "graphe") through the Perseus
Digital Library was quite an eye opener. As an example of the word graphe's everyday
usage from 431 BC, see this line from The Peloponnesian War by Thucydides (book
1, chapter 129, verse 1). "This was all that was revealed in the
writing,
and Xerxes was pleased with the letter. He sent off Artabazus, son of Pharnaces,
to the sea with orders to supersede Megabates, the previous governor in the satrapy
of Daskylion, and to send over as quickly as possible to Pausanias at Byzantium
a letter which he entrusted to him; to show him the royal signet, and to execute
any commission which he might receive from Pausanias on the king's matters, with
all care and fidelity."
The word translated as "writing"
in the first sentence is "graphe" in Greek. Of course, "graphe"
is the same word also translated into English as "scripture." Yet clearly,
the context is merely political correspondence through letters, not godly communication.
So what is going on here? What is scripture?
I began to wonder what many people
might start to wonder; when did the word "scripture," which originally
just referred to "writing" come to mean "writing from God?"
After long hours looking through ancient Greek books, letters and laws, it became
clear that the works of ancient Greeks like Sophocles and Plato held no clues to
some sort of transitional meaning for when the word known now as "scripture"
gradually changed into exclusively meaning "the writings from God."
Therefore, I came to a simple
conclusion. There is little transitional use of the word "graphe" because
writings are writings. Nevertheless, the New Testament writers, inspired by God,
were basically so excited about God's word that all other writings were typically
insignificant to even mention.
I liken this to a few decades
ago when I was poor and could only afford to make a sandwich composed of bread with
nothing but potato chips in the middle. Now fast forward to the present day where
my wife makes delicious veggie burgers from scratch that could easily sell for top
dollar in any restaurant. Putting down the sorely lacking sandwich of chips today,
I would scoff and say "That's no sandwich. This is the sandwich!" as I
held up my wife's homemade veggie burger.
How does that relate to the word
now known as "scripture?" It's as if "graphe," when used to
refer to writings from God, had been commandeered for the new plan that God was
unfolding. All other writings are simply not in the same league as the prophetic
blossoming of God's written rescue plan.
Romans 4:3 portrays the confidence
which was put into God's own words.
"What does the Scripture say? 'Abraham
believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.'" This could
equally be translated as such; "What does the writing say?" The New Testament
writers don't have to specify which writing they were referring to. They were writing
to believers who knew the only writing that really mattered was God's writing.
This is the case every time the
word "graphe" is used in the New Testament. It always refers to God's
inspired word even though the literal word by itself simply means "writing."
See 2 Timothy 3:16.
"All scripture is God-breathed and is useful..."
Even though literally this sentence could be translated as "All writing
is God-breathed," no one would accept that Paul is referring to all writings
from any writer. Rather, the implication is that every prophetic statement delivered
from God to man is from the very mouth of God. The context makes all the difference.
For a special purpose, God set aside (made holy) the writings that told his message.
This is confirmed in 2 Timothy 3:15, where the context is
"the holy scriptures,"
which Timothy had been taught from infancy. In other words, the writing in the
Bible is set aside for a special purpose. Indeed, no other book is
"living
and active," (Hebrews 4:12) except for the Bible. That's beyond special--that's
the amazing authorship of God.
In similar form, consider what
Timothy was told by Paul in 2 Timothy 4:2.
"Preach the Word…."
No one asks "Which word?" It is already understood that "the word,"
translated from "logos" in Greek, refers to a collection of things which
are put together in thought, gathered together in the mind, and are expressed in
words. That's Thayer's Greek Lexicon definition of "logos." Words spoken
by whom, you might ask? Spoken by Christ, of course, not that Christ is part of
the original ancient Greek definition of "logos" but everyone knows from
reading the rest of Paul's letter that the context is Christ. Therefore Paul is
commanding Timothy to preach the collected sayings and thoughts of Jesus. That,
of course, must bring us to the Bible--the written word of God.
God's word (logos) is so important,
that God even commandeers the meaning of logos and turns it into a proper name for
the Messiah in Revelation 19:13,
"He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood,
and his name is the Word of God." This, of course, refers to Jesus, who
is also named
"King of Kings and Lord of Lords," a few verses later
(Revelation 19:16) with writing
"on his robe and on his thigh."
When God talks about his word,
and his writing, all other writing pales by comparison. After all, God, through
his prophets and apostles, has revealed with the completion of the Bible, his complete
plan for our lives. It is centered on his coming in the flesh as the anointed one
(the Messiah) who loves us, died for us, and rose from the dead so that we too might
live a new life in Christ (Christ is Greek for Messiah, which means "anointed
one" in Hebrew).
In the case of the word
"scripture," by the time the Bible got translated into English, the
translators created a new English word for this phenomenon of God bringing holy
writings to his people. The word origin of "scripture" according to
Oxford Dictionaries supports this view: "Middle English: from Latin
scriptura 'writings', from script- 'written', from the verb scribere."
The best Bible verse to
demonstrate how the word "scripture" originally just meant
"writings" is in Matthew 26:56.
"'But this has all taken
place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.' Then all
the disciples deserted him and fled." The word that English
translators portray here as "writings" is "graphe." The
reason they translate it as "writings" and not "scriptures"
is because the English speaking world already understands that scriptures are
writings from prophets.
Therefore the phrase in English would be redundant to
say "the scriptures of the prophets." So in this case, the
translators use the more historical translation of "graphe" by calling
the writings what they literally are: writings.
As we focus on the scriptures, the writings from God through
the prophets, we will pay attention to the scriptures that show us who God is,
and what we need to do about it. While not the most trending topic of today's
distracted world, studying messianic prophecies will get you exactly what you
need to know: who God is, and what you need to do about it. Messianic prophecies
are promises from the Bible. Promises in the Old Testament turn into facts about
the Messiah in the New Testament--facts that define the very nature of God, and
facts that should change your life, unless you're too tired to stand up for what
is right in this dark world.
In Acts 2, the Israelites were remarkably attentive to the details
of the Apostle Peter's message at the Feast of Pentecost during 33 AD. But why?
It involved more than the miraculous tongues of fire that God had delivered to get
the people's attention. The first part of Peter's sermon was a sobering truth about
the death of the Messiah. Who killed the great king we've been waiting for all our
lives? You did. Statements like Peter's should move you to stand straight up in
grief and urgency.
Acts 2:23
"This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help
of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross."
That's a big deal. Imagine all
your life hearing about a hero that has been promised to be sent to rescue you.
But then you find out that this hero has been killed and what's even worse:
you are responsible! That is what was going on in Acts 2. But Jesus isn't your
average hero. He rose from the dead--just like he said he would all along!
Matthew 16:21
"From that
time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and
suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the
law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."
What is so amazing is that this
occurrence was not just predicted a few years before it happened. It was prophesied
about hundreds, and even over a thousand years beforehand.
From Genesis to Revelation, these
are the writings (scriptures) to be reckoned with. Accept no substitute--no boastful
words of men. Only the Bible contains verifiable statements that all came true about
our God in the flesh and our God in heaven. A careful study of the Bible reveals
that they are one and the same. These are the scriptures--the only writings--that
stand straight up in the name of truth. Examine them and do likewise: stand straight
up in the name of Jesus--
"the way and the truth and the life."
(John 14:6)
Chapter 3: From Defective to Faithful Footing
It was a typical Men's Midweek
Service in the church one Wednesday evening. Despite the cold Chicago winter, the
brothers were fired up, the singing was powerful and the fellowship was all a buzz
about our God. But as the Bible lesson started, something that was more than a footnote
happened to me.
While moving to the other side
of the room to get a better spot to listen to the sermon, a sudden stream of reddish
dirt began to spray outward from below me. Obviously, one of the other brothers
must have tracked in a giant clump of mud from outside and now I just stepped in
it. Don't these guys have the decency to wipe their feet before they come in from
the cold?
I came to this conclusion quickly and naturally. It couldn't possibly be me, since I wore clean winter boots from
home. From my car to the building there was only white snow and salty pavement.
But then I took another step,
which sprayed even more dirt across the floor. It began to look as if a football
player had stomped his filthy cleats out along the ground. Yet this was unnervingly
eerie: I was certain my boots were clean, so where on earth could this odd reddish
dirt becoming from? A closer look revealed that the reddish material emanating from
beneath me was unlike any mud a man could step in. Its appearance was finer than
sand, yet mixed with pebble-sized uneven clumps of... who knows what. Suddenly people
were starting to look at me funny. I quickly scampered toward a new spot but almost
tripped over my own foot along the way.
Totally dumbfounded, I looked
down at my right shoe to find that the entire sole of my extra thick winter boot
had flopped out unevenly from the rest of the footwear. The bottom inch of this
right boot had mysteriously ripped away from the rest of my foot, creating a wobbly
mess that was spraying the fine red powder in odd directions across the floor.
Gratefully, there was a garbage
can exactly where I had plopped down to listen to the sermon. Discreetly as possible,
I threw the ripped sole away. Yet I could not escape the trail of red dirt that
still emanated from the new bottom of my right boot. Every move I made resulted
in more mess. So I tried not to move. After careful examination, it was clear that the new bottom of my boot had somehow lost all
its flexibility and had transformed into a crusty deposit of dark red rubber powder.
Even with that understanding,
I couldn't help but wonder; "What is going on here? Is God trying to tell me
something? What is it? Is this some sort of warning message from the Lord?"
I wasn't sure. So, like a good
Christian, I tried to focus on the lesson being preached--while moving as little
as possible.
A baptism took place immediately
after the lesson, so all the men walked across the room to gather around the water
tub. As we went, I also wondered if anyone noticed that I was walking funny. Wearing
an uneven right shoe one inch lower than the other shoe made me sort of hobble over
to the baptism. And immediately after our new brother got out of the water, my left
foot began to flop just like the other foot. I looked down, and sure enough, now
both bottoms of my boots had mysteriously been ripped from the bottoms of my poor
feet. Inevitably, this spawned a whole new crop of red rubber powder. Everywhere
I stepped became a mist of red debris.
These strange happenings abruptly
shortened me by an inch and fixed my hobbling problem. But later, while sweeping
up my red trail of confusion, I again began to wonder; "What can a man possibly
learn from losing both of his shoe soles in one night at church? Am I being prompted
to take off my footwear because the place I am standing on is holy ground? Or was
this some sort of coded prophecy? Should I repent before I lose the very footing
from beneath me?"
After a score of wild interpretations,
I finally came to my senses and figured it out. Repentance is always good. But God
has no need for me to infuse extra meaning into defective shoes. Rather, he calls
me--and you--to look for true meaning in prophecy that has an eternal impact. I
am talking about messianic prophecies: real documented events in the life of Jesus.
These happenings were directly alluded to or specifically predicted hundreds of
years before they actually happened.
Before we go back in time again
to explore more examples of these predictive events, we need to pose some questions,
define some terms, and set a goal.
Messianic Questions
I have some questions for you
about the Messiah. These are important questions to ask yourself now, and every
day:
- Who is the Messiah?
- How important is the Messiah?
- Are you excited about the Messiah
now, or just at some long-gone point from your past?
- Whose Messiah is he?
- How will the Messiah impact the
world?
- How will the Messiah impact you?
- Do you know the Messiah?
Prophecy Ponderings
I also have some questions about
prophecy:
- What is prophecy?
- How important is prophecy?
- How will prophecy impact the world?
- How will prophecy impact you?
- Are you fluent in prophecy?
- Have you memorized any prophecy?
If you are not rock solid with
your answers to these questions, this lesson will help you to mature in your understanding.
Now perhaps you may be thinking, "Oh, yes, I pretty much know all that stuff.
I've heard it all before."
Great, but shouldn't these truths
still inspire you? Or is there an expiration date on the freshness of God's word
to you? Surely not! Moreover, can you sit toe to toe with an unbeliever, or even
a new Christian, and explain these prophetic concepts to them intelligently by using
the scriptures? This lesson will give you tools to help yourself and others gain
a deeper appreciation for God's consistent plan.
Definitions of Biblical Terms
Prophecy (noun). Source:
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
1) An inspired utterance of a
prophet
2) The function or vocation of
a prophet; specifically the inspired declaration of the divine will and purpose
3) A prediction of something to
come
Prophetic (adjective). Source:
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
1. Of, relating to, or characteristic
of a prophet or prophecy
2) Foretelling events: predictive
3) That which is revealed by God
Messiah (noun). Source:
A Concise Dictionary of the Hebrew
Bible by James Strong
Strong's Reference # 4899: mashiyach
"Anointed: usually a consecrated
person (as in king, priest, or saint)"
Basically the word "Messiah"
means anointed one, one rubbed with oil, as in a king anointed with oil. The Greek
word for anointed is Christ. By association in scripture, the anointed one is the savior
and redeemer. This, of course, is the role and title for Jesus of Nazareth.
Keep in mind that the Hebrew word
for "Messiah" (mashiyach) is used in the Old Testament 39 times. In the
New Testament, the word "Messiah" occurs 68 times. Additionally, the Greek
word "Christ," which means "Messiah," occurs in the New Testament
469 times. That's a total of 576 times. Clearly if we want to understand Jesus,
we must pay greater attention to Jesus' special title and the anointed activity
going on in the Bible.
Now today, if I came over to you
and poured oil on (anointed) you in this very moment, how would you take it? At
the very least, you'd wonder why I was trying to mess up your hair, or ruin your
favorite shirt. In fact, when I get olive oil on my neckties while eating pasta
or a sandwich (which happens all too often), I sometimes have to throw those hopelessly
stained articles of clothing away. But as Adam Clarke writes in his commentary (page
37) of
The New Testament (1817) anointing was no accidental spill. "...In
ancient times, prophets, kings, and priests were anointed with oil." This was
a great honor from days bygone.
In Psalm 133:1-2, the precious
nature of oil anointment is poetically portrayed in the anointing of Moses' older
brother Aaron.
"How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together
in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes."
In the case of the first kings
of Israel, the kings were anointed by the prophet Samuel as a sign that God was
with them and chose them specifically to lead. See the anointing of King Saul in
1 Samuel 10:1 as well as the anointing of David in 1 Samuel 16.
It should not be surprising then
that Jesus, the king of kings, also was anointed in Mark 14:3-9.
"While
he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the
Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure
nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present
were saying indignantly to one another, 'Why this waste of perfume? It could have
been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor.' And they
rebuked her harshly. 'Leave her alone, 'said Jesus. 'Why are you bothering her?
She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and
you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what
she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I
tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she
has done will also be told, in memory of her."
Women should take special note,
as this can inspire women's ministries around the globe; it was a female who anointed
Jesus. Look at how valuable Jesus' anointing was. The materials used to anoint Jesus
were worth
"more than a year's wages." Jesus calls this anointing
"a beautiful thing." Jesus wanted people to remember this humble,
yet expensive anointing forever, as evident from what he says at the end:
"wherever
the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told,
in memory of her." That Jesus wanted people to remember this anointing
shows how he felt about the importance of being the Messiah: everyone must know
it
"throughout the world."
On an only somewhat related side
note, there are companies even today that sell spikenard mixed with olive oil as
a perfume. While it is doubtful that this is what Jesus meant when he prophesied
the continual memory of this anointing, it is remarkable to see the impact of this
two-thousand year old anointing influence commerce even today.
Let's look at one more definition
that needs to become part of our regular vocabulary.
Messianic (adjective). Source:
Oxford Dictionary
1) Relating to the Messiah: the
messianic role of Jesus
2) Inspired by hope or belief
in a messiah: the messianic expectations of that time
3) Fervent or passionate: an admirable
messianic zeal
It should be noted that the word
"messianic" is not in the Bible. However it is still an important term
to comprehend. In writing about Christianity, it has become a standard word used
to describe things related to Jesus in his role as Messiah.
The purpose of these definitions
and this lesson is so that you see a greater need to know the Messiah and are moved
to faithful action by the prophecies about the Messiah.
In
The New Evidence that Demands
a Verdict, by Josh McDowell (1999), the author notes that the Old Testament
"contains nearly three hundred references to the coming Messiah" (Chapter
8, page 164). Imagine 300 predictions about Jesus' life: all written before the
fact and all coming true! That's what you get in the Bible--a lifetime of inspiration.
What follows is a short list of
some of the key messianic prophecies that I have found very inspiring and faith-building.
Keep in mind that below is not a comprehensive list. Yet just these few are prophecies
that can quickly help you to build a great overview. It paints an undeniable picture
about who the savior of the world is. This list of prophecies is so rich, that whole
sermons and even books could be built around each passage. Some of the verses are
covered in greater detail elsewhere in this book, but it's also good to have a quick
reference list of powerful prophecies to bookmark. I do encourage you to study them
out further on your own.
Short List of Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled
- David's descendant will be God: Jeremiah 23:5-6 with Luke
3:23, 31
- Born of a virgin: Isaiah 7:14 with Matthew 1:18, 24, 25
- Born in Bethlehem: Micah 5:2 with Matthew 2:1
- Given gifts of gold and frankincense: Isaiah 60:6 with
Matthew 2:11
- Out of Egypt comes God's son: Hosea 11:1 with Matthew
2:13-15
- Ministry begins in Galilee: Isaiah 9:1 with Matthew 4:12-13,
17
- Spoke in parables: Psalm 78:2 with Matthew 13:34-35
- Entered Jerusalem on a donkey: Zechariah 9:9 with Matthew
21:4-7
- Praised by infants: Psalm 8:2 with Matthew 21:16
- Betrayed by a friend: Psalm 41:9 with Matthew 10:4 and
Matthew 26:49-50
- Sold for 30 silver pieces: Zechariah 11:12 with Matthew
26:15
- Wounded and bruised: Isaiah 53:5 with Matthew 27:26
- Bones not broken: Psalm 34:20 with John 19:32-33
- Pierced (crucified): Isaiah 53:5, Zechariah 12:10, Zechariah
13:6 and Psalm 22:16 with Matthew 27:35 See also Ezra 9:8. In the NIV the term translated as "firm
place" is literally a "peg" or "nail."
- Died with thieves: Isaiah 53:12 with Matthew 27:38
- Buried with the rich: Isaiah 53:9 with Matthew 27:57-60
- Resurrection: Psalm 16:10 and Amos 9:11 with Acts 2:31
- Raised on the 3rd day: Hosea 6:2 with 1 Corinthians 15:4
After going over these verses in detail, any person in their
right mind would have to conclude that Jesus--and only Jesus--fulfills every one
of these prophecies to the letter. That's inspiring! Beyond the inspiration, ask
yourself how such a list of messianic prophecies might be beneficial to you on a
daily basis.
Why Is Messianic Prophecy So Valuable?
1) The overwhelming amount of true predictions about Jesus confirms
the accuracy of the Bible and thus increases your faith in God's word.
2) You understand Jesus, your creator and God, thus strengthening
your relationship with him.
3) You will read your Bible more, or on a deeper level.
4) You can see the patience and larger plan of God over the centuries.
5) You can help others overcome their doubts about the accuracy
of the Bible.
Lists of messianic prophecies always inspire me about the power
of God and the perfection of his word. When the church started in Acts 2, one of
the characteristics of each member was that
"Everyone was filled with awe..."
(Acts 2:43). The actual Greek word translated as
"awe" here is
"phobos," which means "fear, dread, terror, reverence, and respect."
One of the reasons that these disciples were filled with such a powerful emotion
is because the scriptures about the Messiah--God in the flesh--had finally come
alive to them as fulfilled prophecies and it rocked their world.
Do you have that same sense of awe about God's word today? In
order to grow more in awe of God, my challenge to you is twofold:
1. Add to this list of prophecies as you discover more in God's
word.
2. Teach messianic prophecy to others.
In other words, know the Messiah, and make the Messiah known.
It takes patience and faith to step back, as God has, to see
the Messiah's comprehensive rescue plan: that's the big picture of salvation. The
scriptures spell this out so prophetically. Along the way, there will be many unforeseen
things that may make us trip and stumble in our own boots. I can say this from the
bottom of my "sole."
All kidding aside, persevere in God's word and stand on the trustworthy
and true prophecies of our Messiah Jesus. Then your footing, like mine, may not
always be pretty, but you will be anchored securely on God for an eternity, through
a resurrected life.
To read entire book, order from Amazon:
Mighty Messianic Prophecy: Biblical Research of Predictions Proving that Jesus Is God
