| FLOYD HAYES |
| RELIGION |
| Ancient Jewish scriptures predicted that a Savior, often referred to as the "Messiah" (literally "anointed one"), would appear. What did the Old Testament scriptures predict about the Messiah? Did the Messiah ever appear? If so, who was he? Could Jesus Christ have been the Messiah? Did Jesus really die? If so, why did Jesus die? The following texts outline the Old Testament prophecies of a Savior. For an essay on whether Jesus Christ was the Messiah, click here. Old Testament Prophecies of a Savior 1. Cryptic prediction of a bruising battle between Satan and the Savior Genesis 3:15 -- "And I [God] will put enmity between thee [serpent, or Satan] and the woman [Eve], and between thy seed and her seed [descendants]; it [the Savior] shall bruise thy head, and thou [Satan] shalt bruise his heel." 2. System of sacrificial offerings pointed to a Savior Exodus 25:8-9 -- "And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it." [Note: in Exodus 25-28, God specified the design of the sanctuary to the Israelites, who built the sanctuary as they wandered in the wilderness. The sanctuary contained three compartments: a "courtyard" with the altar of burnt offering and laver; the "holy place" with the altar of incense, table of shewbread and lampstand; and the "most holy place" with the ark of the covenant. The sanctuary was built according to the pattern of the heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 8:2, 9:11).] Leviticus 1:1-4 -- "And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man [offerings for wives and children were made by the men on their behalf] of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock. If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD." [Note: various offerings, including atonement offerings (Leviticus 1), thanksgiving offerings (Leviticus 2), peace offerings (Leviticus 3), offerings for forgiveness (Leviticus 4), etc. (Leviticus 5-7) were offered daily in the "holy place" on behalf of the people; although several kinds of animals were permissible, for most offerings the animal was specified to be a "male without blemish" (symbolizing Jesus?). Through these offerings the sins of the people were symbolically transferred to the sanctuary.] Leviticus 16:15-16 -- "Then shall he [Aaron, the high priest] kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock [an earlier offering for himself and his house], and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness." [Note: once a year on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 17:29, 34), the High Priest would enter the "most holy place" for a special sacrifice. He would choose a goat for the LORD and a goat to be the scapegoat (Leviticus 17:6-10). The LORD's goat (symbolizing Jesus) was sacrificed and the blood (symbolizing Jesus's blood) sprinkled on the "mercy seat" (cover of the ark of the covenant), thus atoning for the sanctuary as well as for the sins of the people. The high priest (symbolizing Jesus as mediator) then took upon himself the sins of the sanctuary and symbolically transferred them to the scapegoat (symbolizing Satan), which was led into the wilderness (Leviticus 16:21), thus removing the sins of the people from the sanctuary and symbolizing the final banishment of Satan and sin from the universe (Revelation 20:7-10).] 3. Daniel's prediction of when the Messiah would appear Daniel 9:24-27 -- "Seventy weeks [490 days, or 490 prophetic "years" when 1 day = 1 year in prophecy (Numbers 14:34, Ezekiel 4:6)] are determined upon thy people [the Jews] and upon thy holy city [Jerusalem], to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity [atonement or reconciliation with God], and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand [this is no secret], that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem [1st decree to rebuild Jerusalem by Cyrus, 538 BC (Ezra 1:1-3); 2nd decree to rebuild Jerusalem by Darius, 519 BC (Ezra 4:24, 6:6-12); 3rd decree to rebuild and restore Jerusalem by Artaxerxes, fall of 457 BC (Ezra 7:7- 21)] unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks [7 + 62 = 69 weeks or 483 days, = 483 prophetic years; 483 years after fall of 457 BC takes us to fall of 27 AD, when Jesus began his ministry in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar (Luke 3:1; 1st year was 19 August to 14 October of 14 AD]: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off [killed], but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come [Romans] shall destroy the city [Jerusalem, 70 AD] and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [the 70th "week", or 7 years, from fall of 27 AD, when Jesus began his ministry, to fall of 34 AD, when Stephen was stoned, symbolizing the rejection of Jesus [by the Jews]: and in the midst of the week [3.5 years] he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease [Jesus's crucifixion in spring of 31 AD fulfilled the symbolism of sacrifices], and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate [destruction of Jerusalem and Jewish nation]." [Note: only Jesus could have fulfilled these prophecies, which could not possibly have been placed in the Jewish scriptures afterward. Several rabbis have pronounced a curse upon those who tried to calculate the arrival of the Messiah based on this text.] 4. Savior to be preceded by a prophet (John the Baptist) Isaiah 40:3 -- "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God." Malachi 3:1 -- "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts." 5. Savior to be born as a male child, conceived by a virgin Isaiah 7:14 -- "Therefore the LORD himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." 6. Savior to be born as a male child, both human and divine, a descendent of David Psalm 2:6-7 -- "Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou are my Son; this day have I begotten thee." Isaiah 9:6-7 -- "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulders: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this." 7. Savior to be a Jew Deuteronomy 18:15-- "The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall harken;" Deuteronomy 18:18-- "I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him." 8. Savior to be a descendent of Abraham Genesis 12:3 -- "And I will bless them that bless thee [Abraham], and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." Genesis 22:18 -- "And in thy [Abraham's] seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." 9. Savior to be a descendent of David Jeremiah 23:5-6 -- "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." Jeremiah 33:15 -- "In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land." 10. Savior to be born in Bethlehem Micah 5:2 -- "But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." 11. Galilee to be honored by the Savior Isaiah 9:1-2 -- "Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." 12. Savior's mission to heal the blind and lame sinners Isaiah 35:4-6 -- "Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert." Isaiah 42:1-7-- "Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therin: I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house." Isaiah 61:1-3 -- "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath annointed me [after Jesus's baptism by John the Baptist (Mathew 3:3-17)] to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified." [Jesus read this text in the synagogue at Galilee just after beginning his ministry (Luke 4:16-21).] 13. Savior to speak in parables Psalm 78:1-2 -- "Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:" 14. Savior to enter Jerusalem riding upon an ass Zechariah 9:9 -- "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass." 15. Savior to be betrayed by a friend who ate bread with him Psalm 41:9 -- "Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me." 16. Savior to be sold for thirty pieces of silver Zechariah 11:12 -- "And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver." 17. Savior's disciples to be scattered Zechariah 13:7 -- "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones." 18. Savior to be beaten and spat upon during trial Isaiah 50:6 -- "I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting." 19. Savior's clothes to be gambled for Psalm 22:18 -- "They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture." 20. Savior's hands and feet to be pierced Psalm 22:16 -- "For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet." Zechariah 12:10 -- "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." 21. Savior to be scorned, despised and rejected by men when he was crucified Psalm 22:6-8 -- "But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him." Isaiah 52:13-15 -- "Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider." [Note: this remarkable reference to the "suffering servant" continues below in the next chapter.] Isaiah 53:1-8 -- "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter [reference to Jewish system of sacrifices], and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living [died]: for the transgression of my people was he stricken." [Note: this remarkable chapter continues below.] 22. Savior to be buried with the wicked and the rich Isaiah 53:9 -- "And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth." 23. Savior's death to make intercession for transgressors Isaiah 53:10-12 -- "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin [symbolized by the Jewish system of sacrifices], he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days [resurrection predicted], and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied [his death was not in vain]: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death [on the cross]: and he was numbered with the transgressors [as a sinner]; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." [Note: the "suffering servant" depicted in Isaiah 53 could only refer to Jesus, who died to make "intercession for transgressors"; other interpretations, such as the nation of Israel or Isaiah himself, did not die for our sins. The Dead Sea scrolls contain two manuscripts of Isaiah, 1QIsa (complete) and 1QIsb (fragmentary), both dated from the 1st or 2nd century BC; thus, this vivid portrayal of Jesus's sufferings could not have been added afterward to the Jewish scriptures.] 24. Savior to be resurrected Psalm 16:9-11 -- "Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." [Peter applied this prophecy of David to Jesus, stating that God "would raise up Christ to sit on his throne" and that David, "seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ" (Acts 2:29-31).] 25. Savior to be rejected by the Jewish nation and to be a light to the Gentiles Isaiah 49:6-7 -- "And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the [Jewish] nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee." (see also Isaiah 42:1-7) 26. Savior to sit at the right hand of God Psalm 110:1 -- "The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." 27. Savior to be a priest forever Psalm 110:4 -- "The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek." |
| WHO WAS THE MESSIAH? |
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