The Nature of Old Testament Messianic Prophecy. 1 Samuel 16:1-13 It is important to point out that in the prophetic writings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the twelve minor prophets there is no talk of the messiah. The length of the time allowed for the exposition will determine if parts must be shortened or cut. Jesus will be written about in the very language of these promises, and so it is no wonder that we are able to identify him between the lines of the Old Testament and in the lines of the New. Of course, this is but a foreshadowing of the ultimate Messiah yet to come. Many of the royal psalms long for a righteous king, who will rule according to God’s will and thus bring justice and peace. 1:18-23; Luke 1:26-38). John 11:1-2, 12:1-8. He corresponds to the hope of an efficacious priest, who makes a sin offering, but he is a shocking surprise in that his sacrifice is not an animal and its blood, but rather his own self and his life blood. It indicates a special relationship between the king and God. He corresponds to the hope for a new prophet like Moses and the prophets of old, however he is a shocking surprise when his listeners realize that he is not only the prophesy but is united with the one who inspires prophesy, God the Father. It is only in the later books of the Old Testament, especially in the book of Daniel, that we begin to find the word messiah referring to an end of time saviour (cf. 1 Chronicles 16:7-36 Kingdom of God (Matt 3:2) by which he understood the coming of the Kingdom foretold in the Old Testament . Proved him through the number the claimed to us peace, and afflicted and judgment. Witness that of the number of messianic prophecies in old Prophets called the people to return to God, abandoning the evil ways that inevitably led to doom and destruction. In the five books of the Law, the central figure is the priest (seeking to make real the central commandment “Be holy as I am holy” from Leviticus 19:2). Yet, the task of the prophets was difficult for severalreasons. Many people in Jesus own day had questions about his identity. Jews who opposed the Hellenization policies were persecuted. “Messiah” in the Old Testament refers rather to three different figures in the life of the people of Israel. In the introduction to the Book of Samuel, Hannah prays for a son to come from her barren womb. Public space was under Persian rule but a large degree of religious autonomy was granted to the Jews and the space of that autonomy was in the Temple, where the priest presided. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, … The psalm concludes with a promise that God will preserve his faithful followers while allowing the wicked to perish in darkness. He is the King whom we should follow. This “son” is unmistakably Israel. Addressing a topic of perennial interest and foundational significance, this book explores what the Old Testament actually says about the Messiah, divine kingship, and the kingdom of God. The Messiah in Judaism is a savior and liberator figure in Jewish eschatology, who is believed to be the future redeemer of the Jewish people. A good example of this is Hosea 11:1, which Matthew says was fulfilled—meaning completed—by Jesus. Both priests and kings were anointed with oil when they were consecrated and they became instituted leaders, the priest in the Temple and the king in the kingdom. Therefore, it is not unexpected that we, too, should find Jesus present in the events and the predictions found in the Old Testament. Therefore He would be given the greatest of inheritance. By H. P. Liddon (1829-1890) T he Messianic belief was interwoven with the deepest life of Israel. 1 a. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Isaiah’s prophecy represents the Messianic hope that existed among the covenant people: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. And what a difference it was. They were to put on Christ, and have Christ dwell in them. “Not by might will a man be strong,” Hannah sings, prior to exclaiming that the enemies of the LORD will be dismayed and judged when God gives divine might to His king, the Messiah. The first clear reference to a Messianic King in the Old Testament comes from 1 Samuel 2. Finally, in the Prophetic Books, the prophet recalls the primordial vocation to be a child of a Father who seeks to gather the children and bring them home, pointing to how we obstruct this desire of God and how God nonetheless remains faithful. Often, Messianic prophecy is predictive in an indirect manner. However, there is one prophet who was anointed with oil, Elisha (1 Kings 19:16). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. God answers her prayer, and she sings a psalm of praise in response. It is only in the middle of the 2nd century BC that this figure begins to take on a fuller profile as a figure signaling the end of time, the Day of Judgement and the inauguration of the Kingdom of God. Finally, He would be crushed and broken because of our sins and carried away. The prophets warn the people that devastation is coming, but they also console the people, recalling that God is faithful and that God will restore kingship (primarily God as king), and this will reestablish harmony. Recent studies continue to insist that waiting for a messiah was not nearly as central to Judaism at the time of Jesus as is generally believed. Thus everything the Old Testament said the Messiah should be, Jesus was. The latter two did make reference to the Second Coming and the Tribulation, which, in the wider … After a brief discussion of the meaning and use of the Hebrew word xyvm in the Old Testament, I propose a definition of the phrase "messianic expectations" (expectations focusing on a … In that chapter, the role of the priest in offering the sacrifices for sin is described. (Additional refs: Heb 2:8-9, Titus 2:11-14, 2 Cor 1:21-22). The terms are applied not only to human rulers but also to God. In fact, the word is only used twice in Hebrew in the prophetic books (excluding Daniel), one in Isaiah (45:1), when the word is a reference to King Cyrus of Persia, who allowed the exiles in Babylon to return to Jerusalem, and one in Habakkuk (3:13), when the word refers either to a Davidic king or the people itself. The same could be said for everyone who followed them and who sinned, which is, of course, everyone. Jeremiah Garrett, He is also the former patriarchal vicar for Hebrew-speaking Catholics. However, when one analyses the Bible historically, one understands that until 587, the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple there, the preeminent figure was the king because the people had a degree of sovereignty. It speaks of God’s just judgement of those who oppress others and his righteous retribution for the oppressed. In fact, the priest and the king are the two anointed figures in the Old Testament. Alva J. McClain wrote in “The Greatness of the Kingdom,” p. 284: “The events attending the appearance of the Messianic King indicate a literal identity between the Kingdom preached in the Gospels and that of Old Testament prophecy.” (Alva J. McClain, “The Greatness of the Kingdom,” p. 284. Christians recognize in Jesus the messiah because he brings all this together in his person and incarnates the fidelity of God to His promises. This psalm became a psalm of hope for those who were taken into exile. Isaiah continues by saying that He would offer Himself for us, pleasing God. 10 Hosea 11:1 says, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” 11. Most… “Messiah” in the Old Testament refers rather to three different figures in the life of the people of Israel. It also offers a nuanced understanding of how New Testament authors make use of Old Testament messianic texts in explaining who Jesus is and what he came to do. The burden of Abraham's mission is clearly stated in God's calling to him: "I will bless thee ... and thou … When you climb a mountain, the higher you go up the better the view. 1 Samuel 2:1-10 Afterwards, David assumes the role, and the Messiah is lifted from the grave. What are the related symbols? “In times past (Old Covenant), God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors (Hebrews) through the prophets; in these last days (New Covenant), he spoke to us through a son (Messiah Jesus), whom he made heir of all things and It is significant that the Christian form of the Old Testament is indeed divided into four parts, each part focusing on one of these figures. The New Testament frequently cites Jewish scripture to support the claim of the Early Christians that Jesus was the promised Jewish Messiah, but few of these citations are actual predictions in their original context. Much later, Jewish Rabbinic thinking then developed this into a vision of two different Messiahs, but it is not a clear vision in the writings that preceded the birth of Jesus. Half the city will fall, and then the Lord will return to the Mount of Olives. What they did not know (apart from those who were given special revelation) was that the final, … The careful Christian reader is called to reflect on four great figures in the life of the people of Israel as represented in the Old Testament, the priest, the king, the wise man and the prophet. The figure of the messiah as an end-of-time saviour who brings peace and happiness is indeed a late development in Judaism, and marginal even in ancient Jewish literature not included in the Catholic canon of the Old Testament. Luke 4:16-21 Not because of Isaiah’s predictive prophecy, but because Jesus arrived and began doing things that made people realize this man is doing all the things God promised to David and Abraham. The psalm is more than a psalm of praise. Adam and Eve, because of the promise of Messiah, had hope, even in the midst of their fallenness and the curse which they had to bear. as he, too, saw what was ahead, namely, that Jesus would not be “abandon[ed] … to the grave, nor [would he] let his Holy One see decay” (Ps 16:8-11; Acts 2:30-31). The Old Testament teaching on God’s kingdom is the necessary context for making sense of Jesus’ teaching and preaching, especially His announcement that the kingdom of God was “at hand” (Matt 3:2). Numerous prophets, priests, and kings in the past had been called messiahs, with several good ones, such as Moses, David, and Josiah. In Greek, the word is translated in the ancient translation of the Old Testament as “Christos”. Copyright © 2017-2020 Dicasterium pro Communicatione - All rights reserved. This is also true of the psalms that describe the kingdom that will come. For example, Isaiah 7:14 provides that a young maiden or virgin will gives birth to a son, whose name will be Emmanuel (“God is with us”), thereby anticipating the Incarnation of Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary (Matt. The word “messiah” is derived from the Hebrew word “mashiah”. What do they reveal to us about His mission? TheOld Testament books, as we shall see, are filled with prophecies about theMessiah and His blessed Kingdom. However, what is described in greater detail than the person of the anointed king (messiah) is what we might call a “messianic” time, a time of peace and justice, a time of restoring creational harmony. Addressing a topic of perennial interest and foundational significance, this book explores what the Old Testament actually says about the Messiah, divine kingship, and the kingdom of God. Yes, Jesus fulfills Old Testament Messianic prophecies. The Jews Jesus preached to knew that God was king. The word son was a common way in the Old Testament of referring to various Davidic kings and also to the Davidic king, the future Messiah. For the prophets, part of their end-vision was focused on a king who conformed to God’s will, a new David who would shepherd the people in the return to the straight and narrow path. What is the origin of the word "Messiah"? Through His anguished experiences, many would be saved. In the same fashion, the discussion too often addresses the matter of the future land of Israel alone. The first clear reference to a Messianic King in the Old Testament comes from 1 Samuel 2. As you read and pray about the following Scriptures, keep an eye out for forms of the word “Anoint.” Our word Messiah comes from the Hebrew word meaning “Anointed.” Every time you see a form of the word “Anoint,” write it down. Can we say that He fulfilled and transcended them at the same time? However, after the Return from Exile in the Persian period (540-333), monarchy was not restored. Every year, the time of Advent - the time of waiting par excellence - allows us to prepare ourselves for the birth of Christ-Emmanuel, the Son of God made flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary, the Saviour “announced by the prophets”. Moody Press, Chicago, IL.) The basic claim of the four Gospel stories in the New Testament is that Jesus was that faithful king from the line of David. In the Historical Books, the “messiah”, the anointed one, is the king. Rather, it is a prophecy that foreshadows the rest of the book of Samuel and lays the foundations for … IV. So, I decided to spend all my time talking about one passage in the Old Testament — the prophecy contained in Zechariah 14:1-9. This gave rise to talk about the two messiahs, a Davidic (kingly) and an Aaronite (priestly) messiah. Messianic Kingdom www.MessiahBible.net 4 B. Reign of Messiah-King Today 1. . This prophecy states that a day will come when Jerusalem will be surrounded by enemy forces. Rather, it is a prophecy that foreshadows the rest of the book of Samuel and lays the foundations for the coming of the Messiah. The expectation is that God will come to rule the earth at the end of time. prophecies testament christology as the order. On the basis of what the prophets and the psalms say, what portrait can be drawn of this "Envoy of God"? In that chapter, the role of the priest in offering the sacrifices for sin is described. It is earth's 'Golden age'. Within the book of Samuel this prophecy is fulfilled when Saul, a human king who was to represent the Messiah, is killed in battle. There are a lot of verses concerning the second coming of Jesus... but not as many as this theme. Psalm 2:7—“You are my Son, today I have begotten you”—is quoted three times in the New Testament: Acts 13:33 and Hebrews 1:5; 5:5. The psalm is more than a psalm of praise. Icon of Christ Pantrocrator Although those in exile and those returning would have read this to describe the nation of Israel being judged, tried, desecrated, carried away, and ultimately restored, we can see from a Christian perspective that these Old Testament passages apply to more than mere human kings. In the Book of Psalms where the word “messiah” appears a number of times, it refers almost always to a king. God answers her prayer, and she sings a psalm of praise in response. When most people think of prophecy in the Bible, probably what comes to mind is the idea of predicting the future. Jesus in the New Testament corresponds to the hope for a Davidic king, an anointed one, who brings about the long-awaited kingdom, but he is a shocking surprise that his throne is the cross and his crown is of thorns. The depth of application in the NT makes the Son exalted, but also his people redeemed, purified, sharing the anointing! The Prophet Isaiah echoes these themes when poetically speaking of the Messiah in chapter 53. 2 Samuel 7:1-17 There is a third figure also referred to as messiah but who received a different kind of anointing, an anointing by God not with oil but rather with the Holy Spirit, and that is the prophet. Christians are often shocked to learn that this word appears only about fifty times in the entire Old Testament and almost never refers to a saviour or redeemer. A good way of understanding the Messianic hope of the Old Testament is to understand its basic components. There are more than 300 Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by Jesus Christ, revealing the true Messiah who would come to atone for sin and to redeem both Jew and Gentile unto Himself.. But for Jesus himself, the Hebrew Scriptures were the key by which he understood his vocation and life. The record of the corporate mission of the people of Israel began with the fascinating story of a personal mission - the mission of Abraham. earthly messianic kingdom of one thousand years duration. The Bible is the record of a mission: the divine mission of saving the human race carried out by the Triune God and his commissioned people. In what way did Jesus correspond to messianic expectations? In the Wisdom Books, the central figure is the sage, who reflects on creation and through it is able to contemplate God and God’s kingdom in the ordinariness of daily life (as Jesus does in the parables). Daniel 9:25-26). He is married to Katie, and they have three children: Joshua, Alétheia, and Seraiah. This gave rise to a new type of religious thinking in Judaism, the apocalyptic, and it saw that the only way to escape the catastrophic circumstances of the period was through direct divine intervention, the sending of a messiah, who would save humanity from a world gone bad. The first time the word is encountered in the Old Testament is in the Book of Leviticus, in chapter 4, where the “messiah” is the priest (Leviticus 4:3.5.16.17). Jeremiah enjoys learning and teaching about the Old Testament and inductive Bible study. In the Historical Books, the “messiah”, the anointed one, is the king. Yet the poem does not end there. In the time after their sin and expulsion from the Garden Adam and Eve must have felt incredible despair. But what precisely do the Holy Scriptures tell us about this "messiah" of God who will restore justice and peace to Israel? King, Kingship. Jesus was everything a Messiah should have been, Prophet, Priest, and King, the only man who could claim to be God walking amongst us. Father David Neuhaus, SJ, is the superior of the Jesuits in the Holy Land and professor at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Jerusalem. (Dmitry Kalinovsky). Share your email and we’ll send you To Sow for A Great Awakening: A Call to Travailing Prayer, as well as weekly updates, announcements of new releases, special promotions, and more! But these kings were always insufficient, as even David was, for building God a perpetual kingdom. The history of the people of Israel is the history of a mission. What the Bible says about David's Prophecies of Messianic Kingdom (From Forerunner Commentary) 2 Samuel 23:1-7 Because of his zeal for Him and His Kingdom, God used David mightily as a prophet to flesh out many of those promises in his writings, the Psalms. Indeed, it was the high point of Old Testament prophecy and every writing prophet with the exception of Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Malachi had something to say about it. But having already determined in the exegetical process what the central theological ideas are, I will be able to condense around them rather easily. 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