The Messiah Prophesied
In as much as we are at the halfway mark in our Bible course
on the vital issues of life, we begin this lesson with a
brief recap of our findings so far.
- We have taken note of Adam's dismal failure to keep the trust which God had committed to him, and the dire results for Adam and his posterity. But nine generations removed from Adam the wickedness of man had become great in the earth, and the very imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5).
- A new era was ushered in with Noah. All evildoers were carried away with the flood, all but Noah and his family, but evil doings were not. Sin reared its ugly head again, and very soon.
- With the calling of Abraham there came a new line of promised, spelling blessings for all peoples and envisioning the birth of a great nation, Israel. Upon attaining nationhood status under the leadership of Moses, and upon receiving the Law of God as their charter, this people promised to do all that the Lord God had commanded them, but alas, it very soon became apparent that there was not such a heart in them to keep this promise. Witness the golden calf incident as an example.
- The tabernacle with its ritual ceremonies marked a forward step in giving content to God's gracious provision for the salvation of man. For their current infractions of the law, the daily sin offerings provisionally availed; for the expiation of all their sins, the special sin offering of the Day of Atonement availed. However, notwithstanding all the foregoing, the subsequent course of events in the history of Israel shows that except for the grace of God, there is not a heart in man to overcome his sinfulness.
The Prophets
At this point we turn our attention to the prophets, and their prophecies regarding the further unfolding of God's gracious provision for our salvation.
Isaiah 53
Isaiah 53 is a thought-provoking chapter. It is sometimes
captioned "the suffering servant of Jehovah (or Yahweh)," a
title derived from verses 13-15 of the foregoing chapter.
Read chapter 53 carefully, together with the foregoing
verses, and ask yourself of whom the prophet might have been
speaking here, and to whom this chapter was addressed. That
in the first place it was addressed to the people of Israel
is undebatably clear, but the contention of some that Israel
is the suffering servant of Jehovah of this chapter is
untenable. In doubt? Let us write out one of the verses, say
the fifth, and substitute the name Israel for every pronoun
that occurs therein and then see what is said. "Israel was
wounded for Israel's transgressions, Israel was bruised for
Israel's iniquities: the chastisement of Israel's peace was
upon Israel; and with Israel's stripes Israel was healed."
If Israel were the suffering servant of this chapter, should
not this rendering make sense? Does it? So again the
question. Of whom was the prophet here speaking? Further,
read this chapter in the light of what was commanded Moses
respecting the sin offering to be made on the Day of
Atonement as recorded in the 16th chapter of Leviticus, and
note the reciprocal relation of several portions. For
example, Isaiah 53:6 compared to Leviticus 16:22. the first
reads, "...and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us
all." The second: "And the goat shall bear upon him all
their iniquities." Again, Isaiah 53:10 versus Leviticus
16:15. Here the first reads, "When thou shalt make his soul
an offering for sin..." The second: "Then shall he kill the
goat of the sin offering, that is for the people..." Does
not this give warrant to say that the suffering servant of
Isaiah 53 is an antitype of the two-phase sin offering of
the Day of Atonement?
An Enlightening Incident
To further introduce the course of Messianic prophecy, we
adduce an incident form the New Testament part of the Bible,
given here in story form. Early in the year A.D. 30 or
thereabouts, two Jewish men were seen traveling afoot from
Jerusalem to Emmaus, a distance of about four miles. They
were dejected, and sadness was written on their faces. They
had been closely associated with a young Jewish man who
seemed to answer to every expectation regarding the long
awaited Messiah. Believing that he was indeed the promised
One, they had joined the inner circle of his followers. But
in a fortnight or two all was changed. His popularity waned
quickly. Some of their co-religionists charged Him with
blasphemy and by some of their compatriots he was charged
with insurgency. Hereupon he was adjudged guilty on both
counts, was sentenced by a Roman judge and was put to death
by crucifixion. How could such a One be the promised
Messiah? So they questioned.
As they neared the village, the were suddenly made aware
that someone had joined them and had been listening in on
them. Having now been noticed, this supposed stranger asked
them what it was that they were so deeply troubled about.
Was he a stranger here? Had he not yet heard what had taken
place at Jerusalem only three days ago? So they asked, and
went on to tell Him all. To their great surprise He
upbraided them for their slowness to believe the Scriptures.
He said: "O slow of heart to believe all that the prophets
have spoken. Ought not Messiah to have suffered all these
things, and to enter into his glory?" Hereupon follow these
words: "and beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he
expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things
concerning himself" (Luke 24:27).
This supposed stranger was none other than Jesus in one of
the first of His several appearances after His resurrection.
They had not recognized him because their eyes were holden
so that they should not know him, so the story has it. Now
turn to Luke 24:13-32 and read the story for yourself .
However, we are not mentioning this story here for the
purpose of discussing its context, but to call attention to
the challenge it holds or should hold for all, and
especially for sons of Israel, since it is to Moses that God
made known His ways and His acts, to the children of Israel
(Psalm 103:7). It is the challenge to consider Messiah's
coming and ministry in the light of what is written
regarding Him in Moses and the prophets. So, pursuing this
course, what do we find?
Messiah's Royal Seat
It is recorded in Midrash on Psalm 18:36 that one Rabbi
Jehudan once said, "In time to come the Holy One will set
Messiah at his right hand, according to the saying Jehovah
(Yahweh) said to my Lord, sit at my right hand." Right!
Moses and the prophets support this position. The saying
which the rabbi cited is a quote from Psalm 110:1, a Psalm
penned by David, King of Israel.
In this Psalm one who is called David's Lord is bidden to
sit at God's right hand. So the question, "who was this that
is called David's Lord, and where is the seat proffered
him?" Of David's contemporaries there was none who could
rightfully lay claim to this title, and of David's
descendants there was one namely, David's greater Son,
Messiah commonly referred to in Jewish writings as Meshiach
Ben David, that is, Messiah, son of David. Accordingly, it
is Messiah who was bidden to sit at God's right hand. And
where is this seat that is proffered him? Is it not at God's
throne in heaven?
Moreover, the part of Psalm 110:1 that the rabbi did not
quote suggests a time element which cuts across the
centuries and the span of a human's life. The full text
reads: "the Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right
hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." Until when?
Where did enmity against the Lord's anointed (the Lord's
Messiah) begin? And by whom? Read Psalm 2 and especially
note verses 1 and 2. "Why do the heathen rage, and the
people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set
themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against
the Lord, and against his anointed, (that is, Messiah)." and
where and when will this enmity come to an end? Does not the
"until" cover this entire span?
A Coronation Setting
Psalm 24:7-10 gives the setting for Messiah's
enthronement. Turning to this Psalm, we read, "Lift up your
heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting
doors: and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King
of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in
battle. Lift up you heads O ye gates; even lift them up, ye
everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who
is this King of Glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of
glory."
While it is likely that there was some local occasion for
composing this Psalm at the time it was written, such as
carrying the Ark (Aron Hakodesh) in through the city
gates and the temple doors (for the Ark was a symbol of
God's presence in the temple), the gates here referred to
were not the doors of the temple. Neither the one nor the
other was everlasting. The destruction of both Jerusalem and
the temple was the subject of several prophecies, and
destroyed they were. Were not the everlasting gates and the
everlasting doors spoken of here, the gates and the doors of
the city and the temple that was not made with hands? Were
they not the gates and doors that opened onto the throne of
God? As if for emphasis, twice over this Psalm asks who this
King of glory might be, and the answer is twofold. Who is
this King of glory? "The Lord strong and mighty — The Lord
of hosts." While either one or both of these appelatives
might be applied to God, the context quite clearly shows
that they here have reference to Messiah. Surely there never
was a time when it could be said that God would be thus
enthroned. God's throne is and was eternally in the heavens.
The Superhuman Aspect
Inasmuch as God made known his ways to Moses and his acts
to the children of Israel, one would expect to find good,
scripturally-documented information o the nature of
Messiah's being in Jewish religious writings. But, strange
to say, all one comes upon regarding this is negative -
postulations what Messiah is not. No more than a man; no
more than an ideal king; no superhuman qualities; no divine
attributes. How one on the one hand can profess to believe
Moses and the prophets, and, on the other, make such
postulations as these is difficult to understand. The fact
is that the testimony of Moses and the prophets abounds with
reference to Messiah's superhuman nature and his antemundane
existence. Also ascribed to him are divine names and divine
attributes; names and attributes that mere man could not
rightfully appropriate unto himself.
The prophet Micah, for one, has spoken clearly of Messiah's
ante-mundane existence. Speaking of Bethlehem, he said, "
... 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" (Micah 5:2). The Hebrew terms from which
the phrases "from of Old" and "from everlasting" are
translated, are significant. The first, when used with
respect to time, relates to that which has no beginning; the
second denotes from before the world. Does this then not
tell us that He who was to come forth from Bethlehem to be
ruler in Israel had being from before the world? And who
might this ruler in Israel be if not the Messiah?
Significant also is the fact that in several Messianic
prophecies, names and appelative are used that relate to
deity, spelling out Messiah's divine nature and status while
clearly speaking of his embodiment in human form.
Consider Isaiah 9:6 for example. 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,
Councellor, the might God, the everlasting Father, The
Prince of Peace." All these names are significant in that
they are indicative of Messiah's divinity and divine works,
but especially so the name, "Mighty God." The Hebrew text
has El-ge-bor. This combines a divine attribute with
the simple form of the name of God, that is, El. The
attribute is that of might and power. If this Scripture does
not speak of Messiah then of whom does it speak?
Isaiah 7:14 can serve as another example. "Therefore the
Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall
conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."
In the name Immanuel we again have the simple form of God's
name, El. The connotation of the first syllables are
given correctly in the translations; namely, "with us." This
prophecy then speaks of God being present with His people in
the person of Messiah; that is Messiah in person was to be
the embodiment of God's presence.
Yet another example is Jeremiah 23:5. In translation this
reads, "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will
raise unto David a righteous Branch...and this is his name
whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness." The
Hebrew text has Ad-do-noi Tsid-kei-nu. this, we
recognize, is also name of God, with the appelative "our
righteousness" added. This name is indicative of Messiah's
ministry of redemption. By virtue of his redemptive work His
people are accounted righteous before God.
In conclusion, we note that in the examples cited above
Messiah's embodiment in human form also comes to the fore.
"The mighty God" we see born as a child; "Immanuel" as born
of a virgin; "The Lord our righteousness" born as of the
seed of David. On this, however, we shall follow through in
our next lesson.
Summation
What Moses and the prophets in effect tell us is that in
His sin-bearing ministry, Messiah was to be subject to all
human limitations (sin excepted), while in the nature of His
being He stood above all, having antemundane existence and a
status that carries with it divine names and attributes.