INTRODUCTION

The English version of the Old Testament was translated directly from the original Hebrew in which it was written. Later Greek became the cultural language of the Jews. An important translation of the Hebrew Old Testament was made into the Greek language. This was called the Septuagint, because the translation was made by 70 scholarly Hebrews. This Greek translation or version of the Old Testament was widely used by the Jews at the time the New Testament was written.

The Greek word for Messiah or Mashiah (anointed) is Christos, and is translated Christ. The Greek for Jehoshua or Jeshua is Iesous, and is translated Jesus, which means "Jehovah saves." Hence the Hebrew name for Jesus Christ is really Jeshua-Hamashiah. This leads us to the name of this message, Jeshua-Hamashia. Jesus Christ the philosopher? Or the Mashiah, the Anointed One, the Hope of Israel?

Let us consider intelligently Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah, and in consideration of these pages if Christ (Who 2000 years ago laid claim to being the Messiah, the promised One of Israel) came as prophesied, lived and died as prophesied; we must then accept in our minds and hearts the true facts of His being the true Messiah.

Published by World Evangelism, Inc. San Diego, CA

1.    MESSIAH LIKE ALL PEOPLE WAS TO BE THE SEED OF A WOMAN.

Note: Contrary to popular belief and longing of the depressed Jews of Bible days, who yearned for freedom and a mighty deliverer, this Messiah was not to drop out of heaven as a general, but was to come from the bruised seed of a woman. This is hard fact to accept; however, if we believe the Old Testament writing, we must clear this thought uppermost, for this lays the foundation for future prophecies.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Genesis 3:15 "And 1 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."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. Galatians 4:4. "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,"

2.    HE WAS THE PROMISED SEED OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Genesis 18:18. "Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?"

Genesis 17:19. "And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him."

Numbers 24:17. "I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel"

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. Acts 3:25 "Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed."

Matthew 1:2. "Abraham begat Isaac: and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;"

Luke 3:34. "Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,"

3.    MESSIAH WAS TO BE BORN IN BETHLEHEM.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Micah 5:2 "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."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. Matthew 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,"

4.    MESSIAH WAS TO BE BORN OF A VIRGIN.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Isaiah 7:14. "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. Matthew 1:18. "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost."

5.    AS A BABE HE TOOK FLIGHT TO EGYPT.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Hosea 11:1. "When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. Matthew 2:14. "When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:"

6.    MESSIAH WAS TO BE A PROPHET LIKE UNTO MOSES.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Deuteronomy 18:15. "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;"

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. John 6:14. "Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world."

7.    MESSIAH WAS TO BE A PRIEST LIKE UNTO MELCHIZEDEK.

Psalm 110:4. "The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. Hebrews 6:20. "Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec."

8. MESSIAH WAS TO MINISTER IN THE REGION PROPHESIED, GALILEE.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Isaiah 9:1, 2. "Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. Matthew 4:12-16. "Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; ‘The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.’"

9.    SOME OF MESSIAH'S CHARACTERISTICS.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Isaiah 11:2." And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;"

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. Luke 2:52. "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man."

10.    MESSIAH WAS TO ENTER JERUSALEM IN TRIUMPH.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY.

Zechariah 9:9. "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."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. John 12:13,14. "Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written."

11. MESSIAH WAS TO BE REJECTED BY HIS OWN PEOPLE.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Isaiah 53:3. "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."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. John 1:11. "He came unto his own, and his own received him not."

12.    MESSIAH WAS TO BE BETRAYED BY ONE OF HIS OWN CLOSE FOLLOWERS AND FRIENDS.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Psalm 41:9. "Yea, mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. Mark 14:10. "And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them."

13.    MESSIAH WAS TO BE SOLD FOR 30 PIECES OF SILVER.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Zechariah 11:12. "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."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. Matthew 26:15. "And said unto them, What will ye give me, I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver."

14.    MESSIAH IS TO BE ACCUSED BY FALSE WITNESSES.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Psalm 27:12. "Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. Matthew 26:60-61. "But found none: yea though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, And said, this fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days."

15. MESSIAH WAS TO BE HATED WITHOUT A CAUSE.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Psalm 69:4. "They that hate me without a cause are more than hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. John 15:23-25. "He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause."

16.    MESSIAH WAS TO BE SILENT BEFORE HIS ACCUSERS.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Isaiah 53:7. "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."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. Matthew 26:62, 63. "And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answereth thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God."

17.    MESSIAH WAS TO BE SMITTEN AND SPAT UPON BY HIS ENEMIES.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Isaiah 50:6. "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."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. Mark 14:65. "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."

18. MESSIAH WAS TO SUFFER VICARIOUSLY.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Isaiah 53:4, 5. "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem his stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 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."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. Matthew 8:16-17. "And when the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,

Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses."

19.    MESSIAH WAS TO BE MOCKED AND TAUNTED.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Psalm 22:6-8. "But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. Matthew 27:39-40. "And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross."

20.    MESSIAH WAS TO SUFFER WITH TRANSGRESSORS AND PRAY FOR HIS ENEMIES.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Isaiah 53:12. "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."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. Matthew 27:38. "Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left."

21.    MESSIAH'S HANDS AND FEET WERE TO BE PIERCED.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Psalm 22:16. "For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. John 20:27. "Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing."

22.    MESSIAH WAS TO BE GIVEN GALL AND VINEGAR.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Psalm 69:21. "They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. John 19:29 "Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth."

23.    MESSIAH WAS TO HEAR PROPHETIC WORDS REPEATED IN MOCKERY.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Psalm 22:8. "He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him, deliver him, seeing he delighted in him."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. Matthew 27:43. "He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. "

24.    MESSIAH'S SIDE TO BE PIERCED.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Zechariah 12:10. "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 moumeth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness of his firstborn."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. John 19:34. "But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water."

25.    MESSIAH WAS TO DIE BY CRUCIFIXION.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Psalm 22:14,16-17. "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. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet, I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. Matthew 27:31. "And after that they mocked him, they took the robe from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him."

26.    THEY WERE TO CAST LOTS FOR MESSIAH'S GARMENTS.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Psalm 22:18. "They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. Mark 15:24. "And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take."

27.    MESSIAH'S BONES WERE NOT TO BE BROKEN.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Psalm 34:20. "He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. John 19:33. "But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs."

28.    MESSIAH WAS TO BE BURIED WITH THE RICH.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Isaiah 53:9. "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."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. Matthew 27:57-60. "When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock..."

29. MESSIAH WAS TO DIE AS A SACRIFICE FOR SIN.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Isaiah 53:5,6,8, 10-12. "But he was wounded for our transgression, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 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... for the transgression of my people was he stricken... 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.... he shall bear their iniquities... and he bare the sin of many."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. John 1:29. "...Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world."

30.    MESSIAH WAS TO BE RAISED FROM THE DEAD.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Psalm 16:10. "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. Matthew 28:9. "And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him."

31.    MESSIAH WAS TO ASCEND TO THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Psalm 68:18. "Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them. "

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT. Luke 24:50, 51. "And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them, And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. "

CONCLUSION

When Was The Messiah To Come?

According to the Prophet, Daniel, the Messiah was to come before the destruction of the second temple at Jerusalem. Here is the prediction:

Daniel's Prophecy

"...shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;" Daniel 9:26.

Messiah came, and was "cut off "as foretold; soon afterward "the city" of Jerusalem and "the sanctuary "of the Temple were destroyed by "the people of the prince...." Titus and his Roman legions, in A. D. 70, precisely as predicted long centuries before by Daniel the prophet.

ACTS 10:43: "TO HIM GIVE ALL THE PROPHETS WITNESS, THAT THROUGH HIS NAME WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHALL RECEIVE REMISSION OF SINS."

For 2000 years, men, nations, and kingdoms have tried to disprove the claims of Jeshua-Hamashiah, "Jesus Christ," to the Messiahship He proved. It had stood every test; been tried in the fire of life and bitter conflicts. Yet no other individual or power has affected the whole of humanity and civilization as this Person, for you see He was more than just the philosopher; He was the Messiah.

Of course, it is to be noted, that these are only some of many Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah, that he clearly fulfilled in "Iesous"Christ. With these I add a few words of my own: take your Old Testament and search the Scriptures, for in them you will find life, and your MESSIAH. It is my sincere prayer that after genuine consideration of the aforementioned you will receive this Jeshua-Hamashiah, Jesus Christ, as your Hope, Redeemer, and Messiah.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES YET TO BE FULFILLED

1. MESSIAH IS TO COME IN THE CLOUDS OF GLORY.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Daniel 7:13, 14. "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."

NEW TESTAMENT PARALLEL. Matthew 24:30. "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."

Note: Matthew 25:21, 26:24.

2. MESSIAH IS TO SIT ON THE THRONE OF DAVID.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Isaiah 9:6, 7. "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. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."

NEW TESTAMENT PARALLEL: Luke 1:32, 33. "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: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. "

3. MESSIAH IS TO REIGN OVER ALL THE EARTH.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Psalm 72:8, 11. "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from river unto the ends of the earth. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him."

NEW TESTAMENT PARALLEL: Philippians 2:9-11. "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Hebrews 1:8. “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre for thy kingdom.”

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