The Coming One: A Consideration Of Prophecy

To celebrate Christmas once again, I would like to examine a few prophecies concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. We will quote the Old Testament prophecy, and then the New Testament fulfillment as it is found in our Lord. What did the Old Testament prophets say regarding Jesus of Nazareth? And how was it brought to fulfillment in Him? Let’s find out together, and enjoy the wonder of the greatest of miracles: the birth of the Son of God, the advent of our Lord and Savior.

The first prophecy concerning Jesus is found immediately in Genesis, right after the Fall, circa 4000 BC, roughly. If you follow James Ussher’s, The Annals of the World, the date is set at 4004 BC.

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel,” Genesis 3:15.

Isaiah, writing around 700 BC, added, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel…For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace,” Isaiah 7:14, 9:6.

Turning to the New Testament corollary, circa 5 BC according once more to James Ussher, we find the gospel accounts. Matthew records Christ’s birth and the angel that appeared to a troubled Joseph.

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins,” Matthew 1:20, 21. Luke, ever diligent with details, contributes, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob, and of His kingdom there will be no end,” Luke 1:31-33.

The promised Son spoken of in Eden, who would be born to undo the deceptions of Satan and the Fall of man had come. But where would He be born? We turn once more to Genesis and consider the words of Jacob, spoken in 1689 BC, according to Ussher’s Annals.

“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people,” Genesis 49:10. Balaam, the apostate prophet, uttered these words, “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; a Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel…out of Jacob one shall have dominion,” Numbers 23: 17, 19.

The prophet Micah, a contemporary of Isaiah’s, wrote this passage around 700 BC. “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting,” Micah 5:2.

The New Testament answer to these prophecies may be found in Luke’s gospel, where we read, “Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David…so it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered . And she brought forth her firstborn Son,” Luke 2:4, 6, 7.

So far we have seen the primeval promise of a deliverer, given to crush the serpent’s head. We have seen not only that this deliverer would be born from a virgin woman, but that the child in question would be God incarnate, or Immanuel, which means God with us. This child would be born out of Israel, from the tribe of Judah, and the house of David. Furthermore, He would be born in the city of Bethlehem. Did you know that there are more than 100 prophecies about the Lord Jesus Christ in Scripture? His birth is one matter; what He accomplished through His death was another entirely. God willing, I will do a sequel for this post at Easter and highlight several of the passages between the Old and New Testament to show how the prophets of old foretold by the Holy Spirit what the coming Messiah would do, and what we in turn would do to Him.

Finally, there was a time limit set to when the Messiah could be born. Daniel (circa 540 BC) records this amazing record. The angel informs Daniel, “Seventy weeks (of years) are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish 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 to the command to restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks (of years); the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times. And after sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself,” Daniel 9:24-26.

What does this all mean? We find the beginning of the answer in Nehemiah 2:5 when Nehemiah begs the king to let him return to Judah and rebuild the city; a request the king grants, Nehemiah 2:6. This was in 445, beginning 483 years (or sixty nine weeks) of 360 day years from the old calendar, as evidenced in Genesis around the time of the Flood when a year was only 360 days, not 365. In Genesis 7:11 it is recorded that the fountains of the great deep broke up on the seventeenth day of the second month and prevailed 150 days, Genesis 7:24. Then, in Genesis 8:3, 4 we read that after the 150 days the waters decreased and the ark rested on the seventeenth day of the seventh month in Ararat. That is a difference of exactly five months only if each month is precisely 30 days apiece.

Daniel’s extremely precise prophecy gives a timetable that cannot be ignored. Ussher has our Lord’s death in 33 AD, while Sir Robert Anderson places it in 32 AD in his book, The Coming Prince. In either case, one must accept this truth: Christ our Lord needed to be born not only to Israel, Judah and David in Bethlehem of a virgin, but also before the end 69 weeks of Daniel’s 70 weeks. Why? Because that was God’s time table, as given in the Old Testament. If Messiah hadn’t arrived by the cessation of the 483 years (or 69 of the 70 weeks), then Messiah would not come at all because Daniel 9:26 clearly indicates that after the 483 years of 360 days Messiah would be cut off, or killed, but not for Himself. And as both secular and sacred history attest, He did in fact arrive (and die) as prophesied in Daniel and the rest of Scripture.

So, as we celebrate Christmas, remember Jesus Christ and make Him preeminent in our celebrations this day and always! The Bible made His coming clear, demonstrated by plainly worded prophecy, brilliantly fulfilled in God’s timing by the advent of His Son. It is to this Son that we bow the knee and declare Him to be Lord and Savior: Jesus Christ, Lord of lords, and King of kings! Merry Christmas everyone, and God bless!