Lesson 7: Messianic Prophecy
LESSON 7:  MESSIANIC PROPHECY
Darryl Nunnelley & David R. Reagan

FACT: There are 109 separate and distinct prophecies in the Old Testament regarding the First Coming of the Messiah.

Key Scripture:  "But from you, Bethlehem Ephrathah...from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.  His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity" (Micah 5:2) 

The Quantity of Messianic Prophecy
Most scholars agree that there are about 300 prophecies in the Old Testament that relate to the First Coming of the Messiah.  But, these are not 300 different prophecies.  Many, like the prophecy that the Messiah will be born of the seed of Abraham, are repeated several times.

When all the repetitive prophecies are culled out, there remain slightly more than one hundred distinctively different, specific prophecies about the Messiah's First Advent.

There are also many First Coming prophecies in the New Testament Gospels.  An overview of these are presented in chapter 11.

Old Testament Prophecies
In the outline that follows, a sampling is given of the 109 Old Testament specific prophecies about the First Advent.  They are classified into categories related to the chronology of the life of Christ.  In each case the prophecy's origin is cited from a major Old Testament source, followed by a reference to the New Testament fulfillment.

One interesting thing to note is that most of the 34 prophecies regarding the Messiah's death were all fulfilled in a 24 hour period.

The Messiah's Lineage:
  • From the Shemite branch of humanity - Genesis 9:26 / Luke 3:36
  • Through Abraham - Genesis 12:3 / Matthew 1:1
  • Through Abraham's son, Isaac - Genesis 17:21 / Luke 3:34
  • Through the tribe of Judah - Genesis 49:8 / Luke 3:33-34
  • Through the family of Jesse - Isaiah 11:1 / Matthew 1:6
  • Through the house of David - Jeremiah 23:5 / Luke 3:31-32

The Messiah's Birth & Childhood: 
  • Place of the birth - Micah 5:2 / Matthew 2:1
  • A star will signal the birth - Numbers 24:17 / Matthew 2:2
  • Born of a virgin - Isaiah 7:14 / Luke 1:34-35
  • Presented with gifts at birth - Psalm 72:10-11 / Matthew 2:1, 11
  • Infants of Bethlehem to be massacred - Jeremiah 31:15 / Matthew 2:16
  • Sojourn in Egypt - Hosea 11:1 / Matthew 2:14-15

Messiah's Life and Ministry
  • Spirit-filled and anointed from birth - Isaiah 11:1-2 / Luke 2:46-47
  • Preceded by a prophet who would prepare His way - Isaiah 40:3 / Matthew 3:1-3
  • Do battle with Satan - Genesis 3:15 / Matthew 4:1
  • Ministry centered in Galilee - Isaiah 9:1 / Matthew 4:13
  • Prophet - Deuteronomy 18:15,18 / Matthew 21:11
  • Miracle Worker - Isaiah 11:2 / John 3:2
  • Humble in Spirit - Zechariah 9:9 / Philippians 2:8
  • Preach the Gospel to the poor - Isaiah 61:1 / Matthew 11:4-5
  • Heal the sick - Isaiah 53:4-5 / Matthew 8:16-17
  • Rejected by the Jews - Psalm 69:7-8 / John 1:11
  • Accepted by the Gentiles - Hosea 2:23 / Acts 28:28

Messiah's Nature 
  • Eternal - Micah 5:2 / John 1:1,14
  • Divine - Isaiah 9:6 / John 10:30
  • Human - Psalm 8:5 / John 1:14
  • Son of God - Psalm 2:7 / Matthew 3:17
  • A sacrificial lamb - Isaiah 53:7 / John 1:29
  • A sin bearer - Isaiah 53:4-6 / 1 Peter 2:24

Messiah's Death 
  • Entry into Jerusalem on a donkey - Zechariah 9:9 / John 12:12-15
  • Betrayal by a friend - Psalm 41:9 / Matthew 26:20-21
  • Betrayed for 30 pieces of silver - Zechariah 11:12 / Matthew 26:14-15
  • Forsaken by His disciples - Zechariah 13:7 / Matthew 26:55-56
  • Scourged - Isaiah 50:6 / Matthew 27:26
  • Death by crucifixion - Psalm 22:16 / Luke 23:33
  • Darkness at noon - Amos 8:9 / Matthew 27:45
  • A cry of victory - Psalm 22:31 / John 19:30
  • Buried in a rich man's tomb - Isaiah 53:9 / Matthew 27:57-60

Messiah's Resurrection and Ascension
  • Resurrection - Psalm 16:10 / Mark 16:6
  • Ascension - Psalm 68:18 / Acts 1:9
  • Exaltation at the right hand of God - Psalm 110:1 / Mark 16:19

Amazing Fulfillment
 Now, these are only 41 of the 109 prophecies about the Messiah, all of which were fulfilled in the life of Jesus.

The absolutely amazing fulfillment of Messianic prophecy in the life of Jesus was illustrated brilliantly back in the 1950s by a California professor of mathematics and astronomy named Peter Stoner.

Stoner selected eight of the best known prophecies about the Messiah and calculated the odds of their accidental fulfillment in one person as being 1 in 10 of the 17th power.

Stoner illustrated the meaning of this number by asking people to imagine filling the State of Texas knee deep in silver dollars, with one of those coins having a black check mark on it.  Then, turn a blindfolded person loose in this sea of silver dollars.  The odds that the first coin he would pick up would be the one with the black check mark are the same as eight prophecies being fulfilled accidentally in the life of Jesus.

The fulfillment of all these prophesies in the life of Jesus is proof that He was who He said He was - namely, God in the flesh.  They are also proof that the Bible is the Word of God.


A Great Messianic Passage
 One of the most important Messianic passages in the Old Testament is Isaiah 53.

It prophesies that the Messiah will be a "man of sorrows" and a "lamb that is led to slaughter."  He will be "pierced through for our iniquities."  He will be a "guilt offering" in our behalf.  He will die with wicked men, but his grave will come from a rich man.  And despite His death, He will live again to "see His offspring."  In summary, He will "pour out Himself to death in order to "justify the many," both Jew and Gentile who place their faith in Him.

Lamb & Lion Ministries www.lamblion.com
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