Messianic Prophecies of the Old Testament Part Four

By Rev. David Lee Brown

The Messianic Prophecies of the Old Testament Part Four continues our superficial walk through Biblical messianic prophecy. Today, I will share more Messianic prophecies from the Book of Isaiah and Jeremiah. These are both major prophets of the Bible and have much to say about the Messiah and other prophecies. We will continue our focus on Messianic Prophecies for the next few articles. So, let's discover a few more of these Messianic prophecies.

The Messianic Prophecy in 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." The phrase made his grave with the wicked is a reference to being crucified between two thieves. These men, according to Roman and Jewish law, deserved to be put to death. So, they were not just simple thieves but hardened criminals. In contrast, Jesus had committed no violent acts and always told the truth.

The phrase "and with the rich" refers to Jesus being placed in a new borrowed grave that a rich man offered. Therefore, we can also conclude that the surrounding graves were reserved for wealthy men. The poor were often buried in mass graves, while the rich could afford to have men cut tombs out of solid rock with a stone bench to hold the body and a stone door that could be rolled into place. Jesus was put into this type of grave.

The Fulfillment of Messianic Prophecy in Isaiah 53:9

Matthew 27:57-60 says, "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: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed."

So, Jesus was placed in Joseph of Arimathaea's grave, just as the prophet Isaiah predicted about 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. Joseph had to petition Pilate for Christ's body, and Pilate agreed and commanded that the body be delivered. So, the Romans delivered Jesus's body to the grave site where Joseph was waiting. Both the Romans and Joseph had extended contact with the body, so there is no possibility that Jesus could still be alive. They would have noticed.

The Timeline of Christ's Death and Burial

Wednesday

Jesus was crucified and died around 3 p.m. (Matthew 27:46-50). This day was the preparation day for the annual or special Sabbath, which began at sunset (Mark 15:42; Luke 23:52-54; John 19:31). This was not the weekly Sabbath. They put Jesus' body in the tomb just before sunset (Matthew 27:57-60).

Thursday

This day was the Sabbath for the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (John 19:31). It is the day after the "Day of Preparation" (Matthew 27:62). Wednesday night and the daylight portion of Thursday were the first night and day that Jesus' body was in the tomb.

Friday

The first day of the annual Sabbath was complete, so the women bought the prepared spices for anointing Jesus' body before the weekly Sabbath day, which began at Friday sunset (Mark 16:1; Luke 23:56). Thursday night and the daylight portion of Friday marked the second of three days and nights when Jesus' body was in the tomb.

Saturday

The weekly Sabbath day started Friday night at sunset. Jesus rose sometime after sunset on Saturday, exactly three days and three nights after His body was placed in the tomb, fulfilling the sign of Jonah and authenticating the sign He gave of His messiahship. (Matthew 12:38-40; Luke 11:29-32)

Sunday

The women brought the prepared spices early Sunday morning while it was still dark (Luke 24:1; John 20:1). Jesus had already risen (Matthew 28:1-6; Mark 16:2-6; Luke 24:2-3; John 20:1). He rose three days and three nights after being put in the tomb, just as Jesus foretold.

The Messianic Prophecy in Isaiah 53:10-11

"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. 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."

It sounds strange to think God was pleased to bruise or crush His Son Jesus. But God has done many things that people, in their arrogance, feel are cruel or unwarranted. They think they know better and have more moral high ground than the all-knowing creator God of everything. That never ceases to amaze me. God is sovereign; literally, anything He has done or will do is justified and good. We may not see the good, but our puny minds and morals are nothing, so how can we judge God? It's just plain absurd.

Jesus was offering up His very soul to eradicate our sins. Through this sacrifice, His seed (disciples, apostles) will prolong his days. In other words, His followers (including us) will continue sharing the Gospel and bringing people to Christ, which will please the Lord. Through Jesus's sacrifice, many will be justified or declared "Not Guilty" in the sight of God because Jesus is bearing their iniquities (sins). Philippians 2:7-11 

The Fulfillment of Messianic Prophecy in Isaiah 53:10-11

Acts 2:22-24 says, "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it."

God the Father and, therefore, the Trinity knew and approved of Jesus's sacrifice. God was pleased with this offering that would have eternal consequences for billions. Those who accept Christ have wonderful consequences, and everyone else has horrifying consequences. There is no middle ground – wonderful or horrifying – God already knows what you'll choose but allows and requires you to make your own decision. Choose wisely!

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 shares, "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" and Romans 5:19 says, "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."

Jesus allowed Himself to be offered up as a sacrifice for our sins. Then he was buried and rose again. So, due to Adam's sin, we are all sinners, but through Christ's obedience to the calling to die for our sins, all those who have accepted Christ by faith are made righteous. This truth is precisely what God shared with Isaiah about 2,700 years ago, and Isaiah shared it with the Jews, and it was written down for us in the Bible about 2,000 years ago. Then, it was translated into English in 1382 by John Wycliffe. Isn't God amazing? He has preserved His Word for us for thousands of years, and it's just as relevant today as it was then.

The Messianic Prophecy in Jeremiah 23:5-6

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness."

Jeremiah prophesied that a king would be born from the lineage of King David, and He would pronounce judgment and execute justice in the earth (worldwide). He, Jesus, will bring peace to Israel and Judah. This occurrence happens at the end, but before the millennial reign of Christ. Many have started coming to Christ already, but many will flee from Israel at the start of the tribulation, and the remnant of Jews will come to Christ during the tribulation. Jesus shall be called "The Lord Our Righteousness."

The Fulfillment of Messianic Prophecy in Jeremiah 23:5-6

Matthew 2:2 "Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him." And also, Romans 3:21-22 which says, "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:" We also see in 2 Peter 1:1, "Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:"

Jesus was born in the lineage of King David and was not only declared King of the Jews but was also worshiped by the Magi. In his letter to the Romans, Paul professed Jesus the righteousness of God, as does Peter in 2 Peter 1. The title "The LORD Our Righteousness" is literally YHWH our righteousness. In other words, Jesus is the LORD (YHWH) and embodies righteousness (holiness). Jesus is the holiness of God, or He is The LORD Our Righteousness.

Messianic Prophecies of the Old Testament Part Four: Final Comments

Christ fulfilled hundreds of prophecies from the Old Testament that share his sacrifice for us. Those mentioned today were ancient prophecies that give us assurance that we are forgiven or justified by Jesus taking the punishment for our sins. Isaiah's prophecies were written between 740 BC and 686 BC, and Jeremiah prophesied between 630 and 580 BC; both were Southern Kingdom prophets. Jesus fulfilled these prophecies. The fulfilled prophecies of the Bible make it impossible to question its validity. The Bible is God's inspired, inerrant, infallible Word, and I choose to obey its precepts and morality.