Christ In The Old Testament

By David J. Stewart

How much do you really know about the Old Testament Messiah?

Before Jesus Christ came in the flesh, what "known" facts were there concerning the Old Testament Messiah?  According to the Gospels there were 7 "known" facts concerning the O.T. Messiah and His coming:

FACT #1 - The O.T. Messiah (or Christ) would be VIRGIN BORN in BETHLEHEM of the human SEED OF DAVID!

  1. VIRGIN BORN
    Matthew 1:20-23 and Isaiah 7:14

  2. BETHLEHEM
    Matthew 2:1-6 and Micah 5:2

  3. SEED OF DAVID
    Luke 3:15 - People in the O.T. knew that the Messiah would come in human form (Hebrews 2:6-8 and Psalm 8:4-6 and Romans 1:2,3 and 2nd Timothy 2:8; Hebrews 1:5 and 2nd Samuel 7:13,14 and 1st Chronicles 17:12,13; Matthew 21:9,15; Psalm 118:25,26; Psalm 132:11; Ezekiel 37:24-26).  Matthew Chapter one traces Jesus from the seed of David; thus, establishing Christ's kingly heritage.  Though Jesus had NO earthly father, Mary was of the kingly line of David.

FACT #2 - The O.T. Messiah (or Christ) would have a FORERUNNER!

  1. FORERUNNER
    John 1:21-23; Isaiah 40:3.  There was some confusion in the days of John the Baptist, concerning whether he was Elijah or not.  Malachi 4:5,6 prophesies that Elijah will return before the Lord's Second Coming (i.e., during the Tribulation Period).  Jesus quoted Malachi 3:1 concerning John the Baptist, saying that Elijah had come.  This confused some of the people, because John clearly stated that he was NOT Elijah in John 1:21.  Yet, Jesus plainly stated in Matthew 11:14 that John the Baptist was Elijah.  Why the discrepancy?  Luke 1:17 gives us the answer... "And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."  John the Baptist preached in the spirit and power of Elijah, preparing the hearts of the people to receive their Messiah.

FACT #3 - The O.T. Messiah (or Christ) would be JEHOVAH/ELOHEEM/EL in the flesh!

  1. JEHOVAH
    Matthew 3:3 and Isaiah 40:3; Revelation 19:11,16 and 20:4-6; Jeremiah 23:5,6 and Psalm 22:27-31 and Psalm 47:1-9 and Psalm 96:10 and Zechariah 14:9; Matthew 21:16 and Psalm 8:1,2; 1st Corinthians 10:9 and Numbers 21:5,6; Ephesians 5:14 and Isaiah 60:1; Ephesians 4:8 and Psalm 68:17-19.

  2. ELOHEEM
    Romans 14:9-12 and Isaiah 45:22-23; Hebrews 1:8,9 and Psalm 45:6,7; Revelation 19:11-16 and Psalm 82:8; Revelation 11:15-18 and Exodus 15:18; 1st Corinthians 8:6 and Ephesians 3:9 and Colossians 1:16,17 and Hebrews 1:2,3 and Hebrews 2:10 and Genesis 1:1,26 and Isaiah 44:24.

  3. EL
    Matthew 1:23 and Isaiah 7:14; Hebrews 1:10-12 and Psalm 102:24-27; Revelation 1:8 and Isaiah 9:6.  The O.T. Messiah came to this earth as God in the flesh!

FACT #4 - The O.T. Messiah (or Christ) would be the SON OF GOD!

  1. SON OF GOD
    John 1:48,49 (Nathaniel) - Isaiah 9:6,7
    Matthew 14:28-33 (Disciples) - Worship (Exodus 20:3)
    Matthew 16:13-16 (Peter) - Proverb 30:4
    Matthew 26:63-65 (High Priest) - Psalm 110:1
    Luke 1:30-35 (Angel) - Isaiah 7:14
    Luke 4:40,41 (Demons)
    John 6:67-69 (Peter)
    John 11:23-28 (Martha)
    John 20:30,31 (John)
    Acts 8:26-37 (Ethiopian Eunuch)
    Acts 9:17-20 (Paul)
    Acts 13:30-33 (Paul) - Psalm 2:7
    Hebrews 1:5 (Paul) - 2nd Samuel 7:14 and 1st Chronicles 17:13
    Hebrews 11:17-19 (Paul) - Genesis 22:1,2
    Jesus is the Son of God - John 10:30-36

FACT #5 - The O.T. Messiah (or Christ) would be the SAVIOR (Light or Redeemer)!

  1. GOD OUR SAVIOR
    1st Timothy 4:10 (Paul) - Isaiah 43:3,11; 45:15,21,22; 49:26; 60:16; 63:8
    Titus 1:3,4; 2:10-13; 3:4,6 (Paul) - 2nd Samuel 22:3 and Hosea 13:4

  2. CHRIST OUR SAVIOR
    Matthew 1:21-25 (Angel) - Job 19:25 (See Isaiah 41:14; 43:14; 44:6; Jeremiah 50:34)
    Luke 1:31 (Angel)
    Luke 2:11 (Angel)
    John 1:29 (John the Baptist) - Genesis 22:8
    John 4:42 (Samaritans) - Isaiah 53:4-10
    Acts 4:11,12 (Peter)
    Acts 13:37-41 (Paul) and Habakkuk 1:5

(It was prophesied in Habakkuk 1:5 that God would work a work which Israel would not believe.  It was a 2-fold prophecy.  The second part being that Israel would reject the REDEMPTIVE work of Christ according to ACTS 13:37-41).

The O.T. Messiah is the Savior - John 1:6-8 and Luke 2:30-32

FACT #6 - The O.T. Messiah (or Christ) would be the ETERNAL ONE!

  1. ETERNAL ONE
    John 12:32-34 and Micah 4:7 and Isaiah 9:6,7 and Psalm 72:15-18; 110:4 and Daniel 7:13,14
    Revelation 1:8,11,17,18 and Isaiah 41:4; 44:6; 48:12

FACT #7 - The O.T. Messiah (or Christ; Anointed One; Chosen One; Holy One) would be a PROPHET, PRIEST, & KING

NOTE: The Hebrew word for MESSIAH is the same word for ANOINTED.  It is the word MASHIYACH (MAW-SHEE-AKH) which comes from the root word MASHACH (MAW-SHAKH) which means "to rub with oil; anoint."  The word MASHIYACH is translated 2 times MESSIAH (Daniel 9:25,26) and 37 times ANOINTED.

In the O.T. there are 3 offices that are referred to as ANOINTED.  The offices of Prophet, Priest & King.

PROPHET
1st Chronicles 16:16-22 and Psalm 105:9-15 (Abraham, Isaac & Jacob). 
Habakkuk 3:13 (Moses)

PRIEST
Leviticus 4:3,5,16; 6:22; 8:2,10-12 (Aaron)

KING
1st Samuel 10:1; 12:3,5; 15:17; 24:6,10; 26:9,11,16,23 and 2nd Samuel 1:14,16 (Saul)
1st Samuel 16:6,13; 19:21; 22:51; 23:1 and 2nd Samuel 2:4,7; 5:3 and 2nd Chronicles 6:42 and Psalm 18:50; 20:6; 28:8; 132:10,17 (David)
Lamentations 4:20 (Zedekiah)
Isaiah 45:1 (Cyrus)

NOTE: The word MASHIYACH could have been translated MESSIAH 5 times (Daniel 9:25,26 and 1st Samuel 2:10,35 and Psalm 2:2 - See Acts 4:25-27) instead of just 2 times.

*These 3 offices undoubtedly picture the 3 great offices of Christ.

PROPHET
John 4:42 (Samaritans) - Deuteronomy 18:15,18,19
John 7:40,41 (Many people) - Deuteronomy 18:15,18,19
Acts 3:20-23 (Peter) - Deuteronomy 18:15,18,19
Acts 7:37 (Stephen) - Deuteronomy 18:15,18,19

PRIEST
Hebrews 5:6; 6:20; 7:14-28 (Paul) - Psalm 110:4

KING
Matthew 2:1-4 (Herod, Priests & Scribes) - Micah 5:2 (Ruler) and Isaiah 44:6 and Isaiah 6:1-5
Matthew 15:31,32 (Chief Priests & Scribes) - Numbers 24:7, 17-19 and 2nd Samuel 7:12,13,16 and Psalm 2:6
Luke 1:31-33 (angel) - Exodus 15:18 and Psalm 45:6; 145:10-13; 146:10
Matthew 22:41-46 (Jesus) - Psalm 110:1-7
Acts 2:30-36 (Peter)
Hebrews 1:13 (Paul)

IN CONCLUSION - Was Jesus the O.T. Messiah?

  1. According to Simeon He was! (Luke 2:25-30)

  2. According to the crowd He wasn't (Luke 23:34,35)

  3. According to Andrew He was! (John 1:40-42)

  4. According to the High Priest (i.e., the religious crowd) He wasn't (Matthew 26:62-66)

  5. According to the sinful woman at the well He was! (John 4:24-29)

  6. According to John the Baptist He was! (John 1:6-23)

*Good advice - Don't follow the crowd... follow Jesus.  Get in the Word of God!

NEXT...

A Chronological Order of Christ in the Old Testament

All Scriptures are from the trustworthy King James Bible.

Biblical evidence of Jesus Christ's pre-incarnate existence...

John 17:5, “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”

John 17:24, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.”

John 1:1-2,14, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

Jesus Christ spoke the universe into existence by the Word of His mouth. Jesus is almighty God, a member of the Godhead. The trustworthy King James Bible mentions the importance Word “Godhead” in three places; that it, Acts 17:29, Romans 1:20 and Colossians 2:9. One reason why I expose all modern Bibles as being corrupted by Satan is because they completely remove the Word “Godhead.” Bible-corrupters do this because the Biblical doctrine of the Trinity offends unbelievers and modern Bibles were written to increase sales and profits by expanding their marketing base. Since the Bible doesn't mention the Word “Trinity,” it is critically important that the Word Godhead be left alone, because Godhead teaches the Trinity.

To no surprise they also butchered 1st John 5:7, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” The wicked New International Version (both the 1984 and 2010 NIV versions) read, “For there are three that testify:” Notice that the NIV translators removed the important Words... AND THESE THREE ARE ONE!

There are no murderers, homosexuals, adulterers or child-rapists any more wicked than those who deliberately corrupt the Bible to make money. The Bible does not warn about being cursed for committing the sin of homosexuality. The Bible does not warn about committing the sin of abortion. Albeit, the Bible does warn that there is a curse upon anyone who tampers with the holy Scriptures (Revelation 22:19; 2nd Peter 3:16; Deuteronomy 4:2; Galatians 1:7-9). The Gospel is not of man, but is of the Lord (John 1:12-13)...

Galatians 1:11, “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

NEXT...

A Chronological Order of Christ in the Old Testament

All Scriptures are from the trustworthy King James Bible.

Bible Study

Christ is God!

Chronology of Christ in the Old Testament

Ye Must Be Born Again!