You might want to read these two books after you read the article.
A FAMILY AFFAIR
This book will demonstrate clearly that the "other Mary" in all four Gospels
is the very same woman, and she is the mother of four men,
three of which became apostles of Christ.
Available as AZW3 (Kindle) and EPUB2
IN THE COURSE OF MYSTERIOUS EVENTS
True, false, or fake? This is the book
that can really answer your questions on many events.
Available as AZW3 (Kindle) and EPUB2
|
This discussion centers upon documented incidents and their interpretation. Jesus Christ fulfilled 31 prophecies in all, although some of them are similar in nature. I have catalogued these prophecies for you. Everything included herein is about an actual prophecy fulfilled, not merely some link to the Old Testament, but actually a genuine prophecy fulfilled by Jesus. There must be a point in the New Testament whereby these Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled for me to list it. I do not include some very good quotes because they are not related to prophecies. Only prophecies are included. Matthew gives us the first 18 prophecies in his Gospel. First of all, when you read the New Testament, you come across references to the Old Testament. In checking all of these references, I have separated the prophecies from the other material. Indeed, in the 4 Gospels, many times the exact words of the Old Testament appear. These are the words which represent the prophecy, and therefore the words which define the prophecy. If similar words were used from two sources, it counts as one prophecy. If different words were used, the different quotes count as two prophecies. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are read in order, first to last, and therefore Matthew has the most, since he is first. Any repeated set of words in the ensuing Gospels are not counted separately, as I noted above. In order for a new prophecy to occur in the ensuing Gospels, there must be different words quoted than from Matthew. ************************************************** Before listing the 31 prophecies, however, I am going to list the most important prophecy from the Old Testament, which is 2 Samuel 7: 12-17, the literal prophecy of the Messiah as the descendant of King David, and the explanation of the term, "Son of God." This is the prophecy of Nathan. Keep in mind that this prophecy of Nathan is issued as if God Himself were speaking, because that is the way it was done. When a prophet would say, "Thus sayeth the Lord," what followed would be the words of what God would say.************************************************** 2 Samuel 7: 12-17 When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever. According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.************************************************** This is the prophecy of Nathan to King David, which requires that the Messiah, who shall be a descendant of David, live a life without sin. If the life is lived without sin, then this descendant of David shall be called "Son of God." If the descendant of David cannot live a life without sin, then he cannot deserve to be called "Son of God." The quote is a direct statement: "I will be his father, and he shall be my son." But, this happens only if the descendant lives a life without sin.Once again, remember this statement is made as if God Himself were speaking, so the "My son" part literally means "Son of God." Solomon, the most famous son of David, did not earn this title, because he, later in his life, committed serious sins, and he lamented them. Many descendants of David did not live a life without sin, all of them failing to heed the words of Nathan's prophecy. Only Jesus, during his life on Earth, lived a life without sin as a direct descendant of King David, and he became known as "Son of God" for this. "Son of God" is a TITLE that was earned by Jesus according to prophecy, for it was said that Jesus lived a life "without sin." It should also be said that Nathan, the prophet who issued the prophecy, was a son of David, evidently from a certain concubine of David from Jerusalem. Nathan, however, as a prophet, is not in the line of succession since he issued the prophecy. This is the Nathan of the genealogy of Jesus written by Luke, which is viewed as the incorrect genealogy of Jesus. Matthew's genealogy of Jesus, leading from Solomon, is viewed as the correct genealogy of Jesus. The confusion between the two statements of genealogy in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke happens during the Babylonian Captivity, where certain men had more than one wife, and certain men married out of their religion. Tracking those marriages through the Babylonian Captivity may be impossible. The genealogy of Jesus, Matthew 1: 1-17 is viewed as correct, whereas it counts forward from David to Jesus. The genealogy of Jesus, Luke 3: 23-38 is viewed as incorrect, whereas it counts backwards from Jesus to David. Keep in mind that Luke was not one of the original 12 apostles or of the original 120 or so disciples. He came a short time later, and more or less summed up everything as a unit so that others could understand. There is no question to a scholar of the Bible that Luke erred in going backwards, while Matthew is correct. Matthew and John were members of the original 12 apostles, and Mark, who is credited with writing the first gospel, was a member of the 120 or so disciples who also followed Jesus. The original 12 were like a Board of Directors for Jesus. Separate from this major Old Testament prophecy of Nathan, however, Jesus fulfilled 31 other prophecies in living his life on Earth. ************************************************** (#1) Isaiah 7: 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel. This is the first prophecy fulfilled by Jesus in the New Testament, but many people do not know the historical facts which surround the prophecy of Isaiah. A virgin birth does not mean birth without sexual intercourse. A virgin birth, historically, meant that a man would find a pure woman and have sexual intercourse with her only one time. After that, they would wait for a sign. If the woman became pregnant, she would give birth to the child from the status of virgin since she was pure when she had sexual intercourse. If she did not get pregnant, the man would search for another virgin to try again. Since the first woman had already had sexual intercourse with the man once, and she did not get pregnant, she could no longer claim the status of virgin. So, the man would abandon her as barren, and find a true virgin who had never had sexual intercourse. This was the case with all virgins of the Old Testament and the New Testament. They had one chance to get pregnant with the first sexual intercourse. They would be abandoned if there was no success. Of course, such women could have sexual intercourse again with another man, but they could never again claim virginity. Joseph, in the New Testament, is a direct descendant of King David, passing the seed of David to Jesus through Mary, the virgin. About two dozen passages in the New Testament relate the fact that Jesus, as son of Joseph, was a direct descendant of King David. Jesus had several siblings, so we know that Joseph and Mary continued to have sexual intercourse while together. The other children of Mary did not come from the same type of arrangement as the birth of Jesus. With the birth of Jesus, we know that Mary had sexual intercourse once, and then Joseph did not touch her again until after the birth of Jesus. That is the only way it could have been done. But, the siblings did not require such strict rules. (#2) Micah 5: 2 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 have been from of old, from everlasting. This second prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus when he was born in Bethlehem. This happened because of the census that was being taken. Had this not happened, Jesus may have been born elsewhere. Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem to be counted. You cannot call this a coincidence if it is taken together with all of the other prophecies. In other words, are we talking about 31 coincidences? Certainly you could not have 31 coincidences, but rather a fulfillment of selected prophecies. Bethlehem was the place it had to be, and it happened only because of the census. (#3) Hosea 11: 1 When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. This third prophecy is indeed fulfilled by Jesus, and it could not have been a planned item. Jesus escaped Herod, when Joseph and Mary took him to Egypt. There, in Egypt, Jesus grew, until finally he could return to Galilee. Jesus did indeed come "out of Egypt." This is another situation where coincidence is a harsh word, but to be born in Bethlehem and come out of Egypt is very difficult to do. Yet, that is the way it was. (#4) Isaiah 9: 1-2 Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her as was in her who is distressed, as when at first He lightly esteemed the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward more heavily oppressed her, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. This fourth prophecy follows the third well, because Jesus did dwell in the land of Galilee. It is there, in Galilee, that Jesus brought the light of the truth. The phrase, "the nations," refers to the Gentiles. Therefore, here, with four prophecies, Jesus has established his life as a young man, from the birth by Mary and Joseph, to Bethlehem, to Egypt, and on to Galilee. From here, more prophecies are fulfilled as Jesus continues his ministry. These first four prophecies would require an enormous coincidence for one man. (#5) Isaiah 53: 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. The fifth prophecy is about the meaning of the Coming. Jesus will bear our ills, and our sins. Jesus heals by absorbing our sorrows. As Jesus lives a life without sin to fulfill the prophecy of Nathan, 2 Samuel 7: 12-17, he is surrounded by the sins of others. (#6) Hosea 6: 6 For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. This prophecy is to tell us that the Messiah will do away with sacrifice. Jesus, of course, we know, made the ultimate sacrifice. This is important, because the point is clear: Mercy, not sacrifice. Jesus has come for the lost sheep, not to sacrifice them as offerings, but to heal them. (#7) Isaiah 42: 1-4 Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice unto truth. He will not fail nor be discouraged, till He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands shall wait for His law. It must be said that this seventh prophecy is also one of the most important, because Jesus did preach to the Gentiles. The preaching to the Gentiles was by no means against Jewish people, but rather to state that all people deserved to know the truth. In reality, could any true Messiah not preach to everyone? Jesus was actually only the second person to preach to all people. The word "catholic" means "universal." But, the first "universal" or "catholic" preacher was Buddha, about five centuries before Jesus. Therefore, Jesus fulfills this prophecy eloquently, preaching to all who would listen. (#8) Isaiah 6: 9-10 And He said, "Go, and tell this people: Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive. Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed." and Psalms 78: 2-3 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. The Messiah is to speak in parables and riddles, to wake up dull ears. When Jesus arrived, many people were cynical, and the mention of a Messiah brought about a cool reception. When so many of the descendants of David had failed, who was still waiting for the Messiah? This is how Jesus would wake people up. He would speak in figurative language, in parables, and riddles. In these statements were the answers, of course, but not everyone had the ears to hear. Therefore, it would take a mighty speaker to reach the cynical crowds of the day. Jesus was famous for two things outside of miracles and healing. He was famous for fishing, and he was also famous for not being caught in his own words. (#9) Isaiah 29: 13-14 Therefore the Lord said, "Inasmuch as these people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people, a marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden. The Messiah, according to Isaiah, will identify and challenge hypocrites in public. This, indeed, was one of the primary concerns of Jesus, exposing people who were totally false in their composition. The hypocrites were often scolded by Jesus in public, in the temple, on the streets, and anywhere he walked. (#10) Zechariah 9: 9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just, and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey. This tenth prophecy is the only one of the 31 prophecies which may have been planned. This honor was bestowed upon Jesus, because he had earned the "Son of David" and the "Son of God" titles. The donkey was used, surely, to allow everyone to accept the reality of the ministry. Therefore, if Jesus had lived a life without sin, and he had fulfilled the other prophecies up to then, the ride into Jerusalem on a donkey was made to order. Even if you want to accept this prophecy fulfilled as being planned by the apostles for Jesus, it is certainly acceptable that it was done. By this time, all of the apostles had accepted Jesus as the Messiah, and they figured it was owed to Jesus to let this happen. More correctly, Jesus himself may have required it. (#11) Psalms 118: 25-26 Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. Blessed be he who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord. This prophecy makes certain that everyone knows that the House of David is the House of the Lord, that the descendant who lives a life without sin is the "Son of God." The "House of the Lord" is the House of David, even in Judaism. You can also check Matthew 21:9 below: Matthew 21: 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those that followed cried out, saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" In those days of Jesus, when anyone asked, "Who is the Messiah?" the answer would be, "He is the Son of David." (#12) Isaiah 56: 7 Even them will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations. and Jeremiah 7:11 "Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it," says the Lord. The Messiah, according to Isaiah, will invite all into his church, even those who worship idols, in hopes that they can be enlightened. In this way, Jeremiah sees the Messiah casting out the robbers too. Why would the Messiah allow those people to bring in burnt offerings? The answer is obvious: It would be the last time they would ever bring in burnt offerings. Therefore, the robbers are not brought in to continue robbing, but to be healed. You can see prophecy #22 for the account of the merchants being thrown out of the temple in the Gospel of John. (#13) Psalms 118: 22-23 The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. Despite being rejected, the Messiah will become the "cornerstone" to heaven. There is no need to examine this more deeply than it is stated. Jesus was rejected by many, as he himself attested. Many of the followers of Jesus were people who had originally rejected him. Much of this has to do with a lack of understanding. As was stated in other sections, Jesus spoke in parables, so only those who understood him could speak with him. The rejection came from a lack of understanding of the figurative language which Jesus used in his sermons. Once the language was understood, the followers came. (#14) Psalms 110: 1 The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool." This prophecy should be attached to 2 Samuel 7: 12-17, because it is the prophecy of the Messiah himself. You could also see Matthew 22: 41-46. Matthew 22: 41-46 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?" They said to Him, "The Son of David." He said to them, "How, then, does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying: The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool?' If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his Son?" And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore. Here, Jesus speaks about the honor of being able to take the title, "Son of God," and no longer "Son of David." Therefore, this prophecy is that the Messiah shall judge. As stated above, he will sit at the right hand of God. (#15) Zechariah 13: 7 "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the Man who is My Companion," says the Lord of hosts. "Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; then I will turn My hand against the little ones." The Messiah will be deserted by his apostles when he is threatened. We know, of course, this is true. The sheep did scatter when Jesus was called from the Garden of Gethsemane. (#16) Jeremiah 32: 6-9 And Jeremiah said, "The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you, saying, Buy My field which is in Anathoth, for the right of redemption is yours to buy it.'" Then Hanameel My uncle's son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the Lord, and said to me, "Please buy my field that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin; for the right of inheritance is yours, and the redemption yours; buy it for yourself." Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord. So I bought the field from Hanameel, the son of my uncle who was in Anathoth, and weighed out to him the money --- seventeen shekels of silver. The Messiah's betrayer, who was Judas Iscariot, will have his money taken to be used for a potter's field. See Matthew 27: 3-10. Matthew 27: 3-10 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And they said, "What is that to us? You see to it." Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself. But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood." And they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me." While this may appear to have been planned, if any planning happened, the plan was made on impulse at the time. It is difficult to imagine anyone planning this before Judas Iscariot was found dead. As a matter of fact, that would be ludicrous. (#17) Psalms 22: 18 They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots. The Messiah's garments shall be divided up. Indeed, many a hero, or leader, or even soldier, has had his garments divided up. (#18) Psalms 22: 1 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are you so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning? This is the prophecy that the Messiah will have doubts. On the cross, Jesus did indeed recite those words, having waited for something to happen, and seeing nothing happen up to then. The proper translation is usually made to say "groaning" instead of roaring. (#19) Isaiah 53: 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong. Because He poured out his soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. This prophecy is the vision of Calvary, where Jesus is numbered between his transgressors, and he does forgive one of the two. To make intercession for the transgressors is to make a plea for someone. Jesus makes a plea to God for the forgiveness of one of the men on the cross with him on Calvary. (#20) Isaiah 61: 1-2 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn. The Messiah, according to Isaiah, is sent to heal all wounds, physical and spiritual. See Luke 4: 16-20. Luke 4: 16-20 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on him. Jesus made public his wish to heal. (#21) Psalms 31: 5 Into Your hand I commit My spirit; You have redeemed Me, O Lord God of truth. These are the words of the psalmist, and of Jesus. (#22) Psalms 69: 9 Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me. This is a vision of the Messiah's carrying a burden of cleansing of the house. See John 2: 13-17, for the description in the Gospel about sending the merchants out of the temple. John 2: 13-17 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise." Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up." (#23) Isaiah 54: 13 All your children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children. The Messiah is sent to be a teacher, as well as a healer, or a savior. Indeed, the word "teacher" is a word that people used in calling to Jesus. (#24) Isaiah 53: 1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? Many disbelievers will trouble the Messiah. They will harass him and try to snare him. (#25) Psalms 41: 9 Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me. This is the direct betrayal of the Messiah. The betrayal shall be one of the supposed friends, not an open enemy. In fact, it could have been no other way. There was no television in those days, and certainly no newspapers with photographs. Few people knew what Jesus looked like compared to those who had never met him. How could anyone identify the Messiah if they did not know him personally, or at least have met him? To identify Jesus for those who came looking for him would have been betrayal. (#26) Psalms 69: 4 Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; they are mighty who would destroy me, being my enemies wrongfully; though I have stolen nothing, I still must restore it. Despite healing and teaching the masses, the Messiah will be hated without genuine cause. The Gospel of John paints this picture of Jesus better than anyone. To hate someone who has done wrong may be commonplace for many, but Jesus had done nothing wrong to anyone personally. Yet, the hatred was there without just cause against Jesus. (#27) Zechariah 12: 10 And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplication; then they will look on Me whom they have pierced; they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. The Messiah will be pierced upon the cross. (#28) Psalms 2: 1-3 Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His anointed, saying, "Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us." The rulers of the day will stand against the Messiah. (#29) Isaiah 53: 7-8 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken. The crucifixion of the Messiah will be done without the Messiah's objections, as a lamb is taken to slaughter. Truly, a man who had spent a good deal of his life talking became quiet at the time, and allowed all to happen, waiting for God to make the decision on his fate. Jesus waited for God to do something, but as we know the crucifixion took place, quite to the surprise of Jesus who was waiting for help. This is what makes Jesus ask why God has forsaken him on the cross. Yet, the rock was rolled away on Sunday by the earthquake, and Jesus emerged from the tomb, fulfilling the prophecy. (#30) Psalms 2: 7 I will declare the decree: the Lord said to Me, "You are My Son, today I have begotten You." You can also check the following: Isaiah 55: 3, Psalm 16: 10, for similar words. Isaiah 55: 3 Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you --- The sure mercies of David. Psalms 16: 10 For You will not leave My soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. This is directly related to 2 Samuel 7: 12-17, which is the prophecy of Nathan to King David. 2 Samuel 7: 12-17 When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever. According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David. All of these are in reference to the Messiah's resurrection, the mercies of David, and the fulfillment of Nathan's prophecy where the Messiah shall earn the title of the "Son of God." Also, see Acts 13: 29-35, for clarification. Acts 13: 29-35 Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead. He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. And we declare to you glad tidings --- that promise which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: You are My Son, today I have begotten You. And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: I will give you the sure mercies of David. Therefore he also says in another Psalm, You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption. The prophecy of Nathan to David, for the Messiah, is fulfilled with Jesus. (#31) Habakkuk 1: 5 Look among the nations and watch --- be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days, which you would not believe, though it were told you. The Messiah offers salvation to all on Earth who believe, even to the Gentiles. Similarly, see Amos 9: 11-12. Amos 9: 11-12 On that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, and repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old; that they may possess the remnant of Edom, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord that does this thing. For clarification, see Acts 13: 36-41. Acts 13: 36-41 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, and was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; but He whom God raised up saw no corruption. Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you: Behold, you despisers, marvel and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work which you will by no means believe, though one were to declare it to you. Salvation, redemption, the chance to renew your love of God, and to live a righteous life, all of these things are proclaimed by Jesus. *************************************************** These 31 prophecies, separate from 2 Samuel 7: 12-17, which is the major prophecy, are all referred to in the New Testament. Everywhere that a prophecy is commented upon, the prophecy is written. Some are similar, but they are separate prophecies. Where the similarity is so great, the prophecies were combined as one, so that there would be no confusion as to what was the aim.In some instances above, the actual New testament quote was issued for clarification. Nevertheless, what is issued here is the prophecy, and not simply a reference to the Old Testament. There are many references to the Old Testament made by Jesus himself. Here, however, only prophecies are entered. **************************************************** CERTAIN IMPORTANT QUOTES: While not one of the quoted 31 prophecies of the New Testament, the following two quotes cannot be ignored from the Old Testament.They are Isaiah 49: 6, and Genesis 45: 4-8, as written below. Isaiah 49: 6 Indeed He says, "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth." Genesis 45: 4-8 And Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come near to me." And they came near. And he said, "I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. Certainly, Isaiah sees the connection between Joseph of the Old Testament and Jesus of the New Testament. In Genesis, the redemption Joseph grants to his family is clear, and it is very much the same as Jesus offering redemption in the New testament. Jesus, however, offers an eternal redemption, for those truly sorry. All in all, it is impossible to make all of these things into a collection of mere coincidences. There are examples which can call for interpretation certainly, but that is not the real issue. The real issue is that these 31 episodes were acts of fulfilling an Old testament prophecy. Concerning the Resurrection, it is irrelevant whether you believe Jesus was buried alive (as I do), or that he was fully resurrected. It is irrelevant because Christianity begins with the Sunday when Jesus walked out of the tomb to forgive anyone who was truly sorry. Those who were not sorry could go to hell. Indeed, redemption is the issue. Imagine someone being crucified and then be willing to forgive his killers if they were truly sorry. That is what Jesus made clear. This was the GOOD NEWS. This is what sent everyone into a frenzy, and Christianity spread like wildfire. **************************************************** Mr. J.V. Presogna is a writer, composer and artist with a background in science and mathematics. He is a Christian-Buddhist. Sources cited: New King James Version of the Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN. |