Ancient Prophecies Fulfilled: The Old Testament Foretelling of Jesus’ Coming
While I have read the Old Testament, I am much more familiar with the New Testament. I always wondered about what scriptures foretold of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. I thought I would do a deep dive into the Old Testament which contains many prophecies about the coming of the Messiah. These prophecies have been fulfilled in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Here are some key passages that tell of the forthcoming of Christ.
1. Isaiah 7:14
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
This verse is often interpreted by Christians to refer to the miraculous birth of Jesus, with “Immanuel” meaning “God with us.”
2. Isaiah 9:6-7
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
This prophecy speaks of a child with divine attributes, one who will bring peace and establish a righteous kingdom, the kingdom of Heaven through Jesus Christ.
3. Micah 5:2
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
This prophecy points to Bethlehem as the birthplace of the future ruler, fulfilled in the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.
4. Isaiah 53
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
2 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.
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.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 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.
6 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.
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.
8 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: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
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.
10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
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.
The entire chapter of Isaiah 53 describes a “suffering servant” who bears the sins of others, is despised, rejected, and ultimately sacrifices himself. This passage is a prophecy of Jesus’ suffering, death, and role as a sin-bearer.
5. Jeremiah 23:5-6
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.”
This “righteous Branch” from David’s line is seen as a reference to the Messiah; Jesus lineage comes from the ancestry line of David.
6. Daniel 9:25-26
“Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing.”
This prophecy speaks of an “Anointed One” (Messiah) who will come and be “cut off,” a concept Christians interpret as pointing to the coming and crucifixion of Jesus.
7. Zechariah 9:9
“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
This prophecy is seen as fulfilled when Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a donkey, celebrated on Palm Sunday in Christian tradition.
These passages, among others, shape the foundation of Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament, which shows the fulfillment in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
I hope you enjoyed these passages as much as I did!
Vanessa Rooney – LDS Mum