Messianic prophecies

   Prophecy should never be thought of as simply painting a picture of future doom and gloom, but rather presenting a picture of extraordinary hope and joy. Prophecy in fact serves several extremely important purposes for the benefit of Bible believers. First and foremost it provides proof that the true God of heaven is exactly what He says He is. The creator of of all space and time. Of all matter in the universe and of the life force in every living thing. Not only in this realm of the physical universe, but in the heavenly, angelic realm as well.

   As creator, God is constrained by neither space nor time, and only He can know the future. Knowing the end from the beginning, in astonishing detail. An ability not possessed by the Messiah, nor the angels of heaven, nor the prophets of man, except as revealed to them by God. An ability also denied Satan, who is an ancient being, and highly intelligent, but he cannot see the future, except as revealed by God.

   Secondarily, prophecy is meant to warn against danger, or to call one away from a perilous, destructive course that can cause loss of life or a separation from God. So it is throughout the Torah and the whole of the Tanakh, while also providing a broad picture of His plan for salvation. Inspired prophecy provided more than sufficient description to identify the promised Messiah. However, it is argued by some, and it must be conceded to a certain extent, that much of the prophecy identifying the Messiah could really only be recognized in hindsight, for instance, events surrounding his arrest, his trial, his execution and resurrection.

   There is a profound prophecy given to Daniel which identifies the time frame of the Messiah's coming and the destruction of the second Temple. While the exact dates and times are a little off, they are absolutely in the ball-park, or the "seasons." Daniel lived and began his role as a prophet of God during the exile in Babylon, about 500 years before Yeshua. One day, while praying, he was interrupted by the visitation of an angel named Gabriel, his second encounter with Gabriel, who appeared in the form of a man.

   Gabriel imparted to Daniel an important time-line concerning the rebuilding of the Temple and the coming of the Messiah. The seventy weeks vision;

   Again, there are so many more prophecies from the Hebrew scriptures that could have helped identify the Messiah while he was in their midst. Yet he was hated by the Rabbis, the priests, and the Pharisees for his criticism of them and his criticism of the Rabbinic oral tradition they had placed upon the people. From his ministry, death, resurrection, ascension and glorification, prophecy now turns to the End of Days and His return. 

see also - End Times prophecies

see also - Prophecy pages

Isaiah 7:14                                  

Micah 5:2                                

Genesis 12:3 / Genesis 22:18

Genesis 17:19 / Genesis 21:12 Numbers 24:17

Genesis 49:10 

Isaiah 7:14

Psalm 110:4

Isaiah 40:3-5 / Malachi 3:1

Malachi 4:5,6

Deuteronomy 18:15-18

Psalm 78:2-4 / Isaiah 6:9,10

Isaiah 61:1,2

Psalm 2:6 / Zechariah 9:9

Zechariah 11:12,13

Psalm 35:11

Isaiah 53:7

Isaiah 50:6

Isaiah 53:12

Psalm 22:7,8

Psalm 22:18

Exodus 12:46 / Psalm 34:20

Exodus 23:2

Deuteronomy 21:23

Isaiah 53:9

born of a virgin

born in Bethlehem

from the line of Abraham

through the line of Isaac

through the line of Jacob

of the tribe of Judah

would be called Immanuel

would be a king-priest as Melchizedek

would be preceded by a messenger

would be preceded by Elijah

Messiah would be a prophet

He would speak in parables and riddles

sent to heal the brokenhearted, the eyes of prisoners

a king, riding upon an ass

the price for His betrayal would be a potters field

would be falsely accused

would be silent before His accusers

would be struck and spit upon

would be executed with criminals

would be mocked and ridiculed

His enemies would gamble over His garments

His bones would not be broken

His execution was a mob action

He would be hung upon a stake

He would be buried with the rich

Matthew 1:

Matthew 

Matthew 1:1 / Romans 9:5

Luke 3:34

Matthew 1:2

Luke 3:33 / Hebrews 7:14

Matthew 1:23

Hebrews 5:5,6

Luke 3:3-6 / Matthew 3:1-3

Matthew 11:13,14

Acts 3:20-22

Matthew 13:10-15 / 34,35

Luke 4:18,19

Matthew 27:37 / Mark 11:7-11

Matthew 27:9,10

Mark 14:57,58

Mark 15:4,5

Matthew 26:67

Matthew 27:38 / Mark 15:27,28

Luke 23:35

Matthew 27:35,36 / Luke 23:34

John 19:33-36

Matthew 27:20-23

Acts 2:23, 5:30

Matthew 27:57-60

    foretold                                                   prophecy                                                                                fulfilled

   Scriptural prophecies warn of a great "turning away" in the end times. It's happening now, it's well under way. Stand firm, and never give up.

   Again, Jewish scholars do not recognize the Messiah in Isaiah's prophecy because their understanding is that the Messiah, once arrived, will rule eternally. Isaiah's Messiah gets "cut off" from the land of the living, "pours out his life unto death." Rabbinical teaching cannot reconcile the dichotomy. Instead, they interpret these words of Isaiah as a reference to the Jewish people, and nation of Israel in general. With all due respect, they're wrong.

   There are a large number of prophecies concerning the Messiah that were fulfilled in Yeshua. There are even entire periods of Jewish history that are prophetic of both the Messiah and the End of Days. We've compiled only an abbreviated list of some of the more significant Messianic prophecies. It's been pointed out that the odds against all these coming true in the person of a single individual are statistically mind-boggling.

Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord (Yahweh) been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord (Yahweh) has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked-- But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord (Yahweh) to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord (Yahweh) shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors. - Isaiah 53:1-12 (all parenthesis added to correct for poor translation NKJV. see - purging the Name of God from Scripture)

   This informed Daniel that the period of captivity in Babylon was coming to an end, that Jerusalem and the Temple would be rebuilt. Then there is what seemed a paradox to the Jewish reader. Messiah would be cut off and the city and sanctuary would be destroyed again by a "prince to come." This is paradoxical because the Jewish understanding of the Messiah is that he would be a conquering king, whose reign would be eternal. However, in this passage of Daniel and others such as Isaiah 53, there are indications that foretell the Messiah's rejection, suffering and death.

   Further contributing to this confusing Messianic dichotomy was the fact that Messiah was described as both a priest and a king. Jewish priests came from the line of Aaron and the tribe of Levi, while kings came from the line of David and the tribe of Judah. This moved some to speculate that the prophecies were speaking of two men. A two Messiah interpretation. Yet, nowhere in scripture is the Messiah ever described as anything but a single person. One that would die, and somehow rule eternally. One that would serve as both priest and king, as in the manner of Melchizedek. So others concluded that God would somehow unravel whatever paradox the prophecies had been presented, and indeed He did.

"Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy. "Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times. "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate." - Daniel 9

   When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of Yeshua, he sent his disciples to inquire, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” Yeshua replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” - Matthew 11

   Another of the great Messianic prophecies lay in the words of Isaiah 53, not only providing insights into the person of the Messiah, but also revealing how the Messiah fits into God's ultimate plan for mankind's redemption.

   Even so, in Jesus day, there were those anticipating, hoping that the long-awaited arrival of the Messiah was at hand. Wondering how he might present himself. He was expected by some. There was also the prophecy that a messenger would come prior to the Messiah, who would prepare the way for the Lord. (see Isaiah 40: 3-5 and Malachi 3:1)

the triumphant ride into Jerusalem

   As people were waiting expectantly and wondering in their hearts if John the Baptist might possibly be the Messiah; 

   Still, it was the Messiah's tour through Galilee that produced the greatest signs, everywhere he went. Even to the extent that large crowds began to follow him as he traveled, to see the things he was doing. Signs, that God's Anointed One had arrived.

meant to identify the promised Messiah, so they should know him when he walked among them

Zechariah 9:9

John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire." - Luke 3:16,17

And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. - Matthew 24:12,13

"For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing - testify that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life." - John 5: 36-40