adminIntroduction
There are hundreds of prophecies of Jesus in the old testament but in this article we are going to focus on top 30 prophecies of Jesus in the Old testament.
Most people think that Jesus appears only in the second half of the Bible but nothing could be further from the truth.
Contrary to popular belief Jesus is mentioned in every book of the old testament albeit under various pseudo names such as Messiah, the Anointed One, the Branch, the Servant, the Redeemer, the Shepherd, the Rule etc.
Jesus Himself confirmed that all the prophets before Him proclaimed the coming of the Messiah and this Messiah was none other than Jesus Himself.
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
John 5:39
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Luke 24:27
Messiah proclaimed at the very foundation of the world
The old testament lays the foundation for the arrival of a deliverer who will save mankind from a treacherous enemy.
The arrival of this hero figure was predicted in the very first story of the Bible. Yes thats right, in the very midst of the garden of Eden, the paradise of God, the very first prophecy of the world was uttered by none other than God Himself.
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.“
Genesis 3:15
A seed was promised who would battle satan, the enemy of souls. The very first prophecy predicts a duel between the hero of the Bible and the villain. This fight was to be a very unusual one because it would not involve swords or guns nor would it be a fist fight neither a flexing of muscles but would be one which involves obedience, sacrifice, humility and love.
The Bible in Revelation 13:8 calls Jesus a “lamb slain from the foundation of the world”.
This shows us that the arrival of the Messiah on planet earth was not an after thought or a sudden decision from God.
God in His foreknowledge knew that this world needed a Saviour even before the world fell into sin.
Prophecies of the coming Messiah
One of the most amazing attributes of God which sets Him apart from false gods and created beings is His ability to predict the future even before it happens. God Himself proclaims this in Isaiah 46:9-10
9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done…
Isaiah 46:9-10
So it should come as no surprise there are more than 400 prophecies of Jesus in the old testament.
In fact the central theme underlying the old testament is the arrival of the Messiah.
The Bible contains prophecies even about the second coming of Jesus but in this article we will review a select few prophecies which deal with the first coming of Jesus on our planet.
The prophecies of Jesus can be divided into the following categories:
– Prophecies of the Messiah’s birth
– Prophecies of the Messiah’s message and mission
– Prophecies that the Messiah would be betrayed
– Prophecies that the Messiah would be crucified
Prophecies of the Messiah’s birth
1. The Messiah would be from the tribe of Judah
10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
Genesis 49:10
Luke 3:33
14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.
Hebrews 7:14
2. The Messiah would be a descendant of Abraham and Issac
3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;
4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;Genesis 26:3,4
16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Galatians 3:16
3. The Messiah would be a descendant of David
12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
2 Samuel 7:12
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
Luke 1:31,32
4. The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem
2 But thou, Bethlehem 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.
Micah 5:2
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem
Matthew 2:1
5. The Messiah would be called the Son of God
7 I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
Psalms 2:7
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Luke 1:35
6. The Messiah would be born of a virgin
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.
Isaiah 7:14
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Luke 1:35
7. The Messiah would be called God even though he was born as a human
6 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.
Isaiah 9:6
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Matthew 1:23
8. Messiah would come from Egypt
1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
Hosea 11:1
14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
Matthew 2:14-15
Prophecies of the Messiah’s message and mission:
9. Messiah would be a prophet of the stature of Moses
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 hearken;
Deuteronomy 18:15
20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you.
22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
Acts 3:20,22-23
10. A great messenger would be raised to announce the coming of God the Messiah
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.
Isaiah 40:3
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Matthew 3:1-3
11. The Messiah would proclaim a new covenant
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.
Malachi 3:1
Luke 22:20
12. Messiah would come with a message of good news on how to get salvation
1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me 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
Isaiah 61:1
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Matthew 11:28-29
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
John 10:10
13. The Messiah would perform miracles to help people
4 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.
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
6 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 35:4-6
5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
Matthew 11:4-5
30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them:
Matthew 15:30
14. The Messiah would die for the sins of the world
12 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: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Isaiah 53:12
Mark 10:45
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
1 Peter 3:18
15. The Messiah would ride on a donkey to Jerusalem:
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.
Zechariah 9:9
5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
Matthew 21:4-7
16. Messiah would be poor and have no outward beauty or splendor
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.
Isaiah 53:2
Luke 9:58
For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Mark 10:45
17. The Messiah would be rejected by His own people:
3 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.
Isaiah 53:3
21 But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him.
22 And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go.
23 And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.
Luke 23:20-23
18. The Messiah would teach in parables
1 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2Â I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old
Psalm 78:1–2
34Â All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
35Â That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.
Matthew 13:34,35
Prophecies that the Messiah would be betrayed
19. Messiah would be betrayed by His own friend
9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.
Psalms 41:9
22 And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?
23 And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.
24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.
25 Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.
26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
Matthew 26:21-26
43 And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.
44 And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely.
45 And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him.
Mark 14:43-45
20. The Messiah would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver and the betrayal money would be used to pay a potter
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.
Zechariah 11:12
13 And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord.
Zechariah 11:13
15 What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
Matthew 26:14-15
Since Judas refused the payment out of guilt, it was used to buy a potter’s field
7 And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in.
Matthew 27:7
21. Messiah would be persecuted and his friends would abandon Him
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.
Zechariah 13:7
48 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me?
50 And they all forsook him, and fled.
Mark 14:27,48,50
22. Messiah would suffer in silence and would not retaliate or defend Himself
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Isaiah 53:7
63 But Jesus held his peace…
Matthew 26:62-63
12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
13 Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?
14 And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.
Matthew 27:12-14
32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
Acts 8:32,35
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps
23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
1 Peter 2:21,23
Prophecies that the Messiah would be crucified
23. Messiah who is God would be crucified
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.
Zechariah 12:10
18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.                                                                                                       Â
John 19:18
24. Messiah would be beaten badly before His crucification
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
Psalm 22:14-17
Jesus was whipped before His crucification
15 And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
Mark 15:15
25. Messiah would be humiliated
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.
Isaiah 50:6
65 And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.
Mark 14:65
33 Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:
34 And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.
Mark 10: 33-34
67 Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands
Matthew 26:67
26. The Messiah would be killed with sinners
12 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: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Isaiah 53:12
27 And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.
28 And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.
Mark 15:27-28
27. The Messiah’s clothes would be taken and gambled
18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
Psalms 22:18
23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.
John 19:23-24
28. The Messiah’s bones would not be broken even after a brutal death
20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
Psalm 34:20
32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
John 19:32,33,36
29. The people who crucify the Messiah will look at Him
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.
Zechariah 12:10
34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
John 19:34,37
30. The Messiah would be raised from death before His body decayed
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10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Psalm 16:10
31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Acts 2:31-32
Conclusion
By now its pretty obvious that no mere mortal could have written the Bible. The prophecies of Jesus are deeply intervowen throughout the old testament and form the dominating theme of God’s message to mankind. At this point I can safely conclude that I have never come across any book whose author is confident enough to boldly proclaim hundreds of prophecies hundreds and even thousands of years before their fulfillment. I am yet to find another book which has so many detailed prophecies all of which have been fulfilled to the very letter.
To know if coronavirus has anything to do with Bible Prophecy read the following article:
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BlueSky
Wow, such a great article, I need to do more research on this topic
GOOD POST