JESUS CHRIST IS GOD (part 19)

​

​

“Although the following list of prophecies concerning the Lord Jesus is not exhaustive, you'll find 44 Messianic prophecies clearly fulfilled in Jesus Christ, along with supporting references from the Old Testament and New Testament fulfilment:

​

“1. Messiah would be born of a woman: ‘And I 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’ (Gen. 3:15). Fulfilment: ‘But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost’ (Matt. 1:20); ‘But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law’ (Gal. 4:4). ‘Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the Devil’ (Heb. 2:14 cf. Lk. 22:37; Acts 8:32-35; Isa. 53:5,10; Rev. 20:10).

​

“2. Messiah would be born in Bethlehem: ‘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’ (Mic. 5:2). Fulfilment: ‘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’ (Matt. 2:1); ‘And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered’ (Lk. 2:4-6).

​

“3. Messiah would be born of a virgin: ‘Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel’ (Isa. 7:14). Fulfilment: ‘And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with Child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us’ (Matt. 1:21-23); ‘And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name JESUS’ (Lk. 1:26-31).

​

“4. Messiah would come from the line of Abraham: ‘And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed’ (Gen. 12:3); ‘And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed My voice’ (Gen. 22:18). Fulfilment: ‘The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham’ (Matt. 1:1); ‘Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, Who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen’ (Rom. 9:5).

​

“5. Messiah would be a descendant of Isaac: ‘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’ (Gen. 17:19); ‘And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called’ (Gen. 21:12). Fulfilment: ‘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’ (Lk. 3:34).

​

“6. Messiah would be a descendant of Jacob: ‘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, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth’ (Num. 24:17). Fulfilment: ‘Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren’ (Matt. 1:2).

​

“7. Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah: ‘The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be’ (Gen. 49:10). Fulfilment: ‘Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda’ (Lk. 3:33); ‘For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood’ (Heb. 7:14).

​

“8. Messiah would be heir to King David’s throne: ‘And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish His Kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of His kingdom for ever’ (2 Sam. 7:12,13); ‘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’ (Isa. 9:7). Fulfilment: ‘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 for ever; and of His Kingdom there shall be no end’ (Lk. 1:32,33); ‘Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh’ (Rom. 1:3).

​

“9. Messiah’s Throne will be anointed and eternal: ‘Thy Throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of Thy Kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows’ (Psa. 45:6,7); ‘And in the days of these kings shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the Kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever’ (Dan. 2:44). Fulfilment: ‘And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His Kingdom there shall be no end’ (Lk. 1:33); ‘But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of Righteousness is the sceptre of Thy Kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands: They shall perish; but Thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail’ (Heb. 1:8-12).

​

“10. Messiah would be called Immanuel: ‘Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel’ (Isa. 7:14); Fulfilment:  ‘And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with Child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us’ (Matt. 1:21-23).

​

“In the prophecy of the virgin birth, Isaiah 7:14, the prophet Isaiah declared, ‘Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel’. This prophecy refers to the birth of Jesus in Matthew 1:22,23, This does not mean, however, that the Messiah’s name would actually be Immanuel. There are many names given to Jesus using the phrase ‘He shall be called’, both in the Old and New Testaments (e.g. Jer. 23:6; Matt. 2:23). This was a common way of saying that people would refer to Him in these various ways. Isaiah prophesied of the Messiah, ‘…His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace’ (Isa. 9:6). None of these titles was Jesus’ actual name, but these were descriptions people would use to refer to Him forever. Luke tells us Jesus ‘…shall be called the Son of the Highest…’ (Lk. 1:32), and ‘…the Son of God’ (Lk.1:35), but neither of these was His name. In two different places, the prophet Jeremiah says in referring to the coming Messiah, ‘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’ (Jer. 23:5,6; cf. Jer. 33:15,16). Now we know that God, the Father, is named Yahweh. Jesus was never actually called Yahweh as though it was His name, but His role was that of bringing the Righteousness of Yahweh to those who would believe in Him, exchanging that Righteousness for their sin (see 2 Cor. 5:21). Therefore, this is one of the many titles or ‘names’ which belong to Him. In the same way, to say that Jesus would be called ‘Immanuel’ means Jesus is God and that He dwelt among us in His incarnation and that He is always with us. Jesus was God in the flesh. Jesus was God making His dwelling among us (see Jn. 1:1,14). Jesus' name was not Immanuel, but Jesus was the meaning of Immanuel, ‘God with us’. Immanuel is one of the many titles for Jesus, a description of Who He is.

​

“Is all this a contradiction? No. It is not. In ancient times names were often given as representations of the hopes and dreams of the parents or even of recognition of divine assistance. Names in the Old Testament had understandable meanings. For example: Abram means ‘exalted father’, but Abraham means ‘Father of a multitude’. Some names could even be translated into complete sentences as in Uzziel (‘God is my strength’—Ex. 6:18), Adoniram (‘my lord is exalted’—1 Kings 4:6), and Ahimelek (‘my [divine] brother is king’—1 Sam. 21:1). Names are more descriptive in the Hebrew and Greek than they are in English. They often refer to the character, purpose, etc., of the one being named. The closest we come to understanding this is in Native American culture. We are familiar with such names as ‘Running Bear’, or ‘Pretty Eagle’, or ‘White Owl’ as names. These names meant something and were far more descriptive than ‘Bob’, or ‘Tom’, or ‘Sue’. When we come to Isaiah 7:14, we encounter a prophecy about the Messiah—stating that His name will be Immanuel. Immanuel literally means ‘God is with us’. This is significant because Jesus is God in the flesh: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…’ (Jn. 1:1,14). ‘For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily’ (Col. 2:9). So, we can see that a prophecy of Jesus being ‘Immanuel’ is dealing with His being God—the Word in flesh. This was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus when the Word, known as the Son, the second Person of the Trinity, became flesh. We call this the incarnation. When it came time to name the Lord, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told Joseph, ‘…thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins’ (Matt. 1:21). The word ‘Jesus’ means ‘Yahweh is salvation’.” The name Jesus is ‘Yehoshua’ in Hebrew from which we get the name ‘Joshua’ which means ‘Yah is salvation’. “Jesus is an English transliteration of the Greek Iesoun. And this in turn is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew Joshua. And Joshua is a combination of Yah and ‘salvation’ or ‘save’. It means ‘Yahweh saves’. This is appropriate since Jesus is Yahweh, the second Person of the Trinity, Who became flesh and is the salvation of His people. So Jesus means ‘Yahweh saves’. Jesus is Yahweh with a human nature come to save His people from their sins.

​

“11. Messiah would spend a season in Egypt: ‘When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called My Son out of Egypt’ (Hos. 11:1). Fulfilment: ‘When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called My Son’ (Matt. 2:14,15).

​

“12. A massacre of children would occur at the Messiah’s birthplace: ‘Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not’ (Jer. 31:15). Fulfilment: ‘Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not’ (Matt.2:16-18).

​

“13. A messenger would prepare the way for the Messiah: ‘The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it’ (Isa. 40:3-5). Fulfilment: Isaiah 40:3 speaks about preparing the way for the LORD (Yahweh). When we compare this verse with Mark 1:3 we see that Jesus is the LORD Who had the way prepared for Him by John the Baptist, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight’. ‘And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; As it is written in the Book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God’ (Lk. 3:3-6).

​

“14. Messiah would be rejected by His own people: ‘I am become a stranger unto My brethren, and an alien unto My mother's children’ (Psa. 69:8); ‘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’ (Isa. 53:3). Fulfilment: ‘He came unto His own, and His own received Him not’ (Jn. 1:11); ‘For neither did His brethren believe in Him’ (Jn. 7:5).

​

“15. Messiah would be a prophet: ‘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’ (Deut. 18:15). Fulfilment: ‘And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you’ (Acts 3:20-22).

​

“16. Messiah would be preceded by Elijah: ‘Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse’ (Mal. 4:5,6). Fulfilment: ‘For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come’ (Matt. 11:13,14). ‘But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that He spake unto them of John the Baptist’ (Matt. 17:12,13).

​

“17. Messiah would be declared the Son of God: ‘I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto Me, Thou art My Son; this day have I begotten Thee’ (Psa. 2:7). Fulfilment: ‘And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: And lo a voice from Heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased’ (Matt. 3:16,17).

​

“18. Messiah would be called a Nazarene: ‘And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots’ (Isa. 11:1 cf. Judg. 13:5). Fulfilment: ‘And He came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene’ (Matt. 2:23).” Many people are under the mistaken belief that Jesus was a Nazarite, but never do the Scriptures refer to Jesus as a Nazarite. A Nazarite was one who had taken a particular vow, such as Samson (see Judges 13). “… references to Yeshua being a Nazarene relate to His growing up and coming from the town of Nazareth (see Matt. 2:23). In English, the town (Nazareth) and the vow in Numbers (Nazarite), seem to be similar. But in Hebrew they are two totally different words. The town, transliterated, would be: Nats-raht. While the vow would be: nah-zear. It becomes very clear then, that what the Gospels are doing is not making Jesus out to be the 'vow taker' but 'the Branch' for the meaning of Nazareth is 'branch,' a very powerful Messianic title used by a number of prophets (see Isa. 4:2; 11:1; 60:21; Jer. 23:5; 33:15; Zech. 3:8; 6:12).” “There is no direct Old Testament citation that prophesies the Messiah would be called a Nazarene. In fact, Nazareth (approx 1800 people at the time of Christ) is not mentioned anywhere in the Old Testament.” Nazareth does, however, appear in 29 verses of the New Testament. Jesus said: “…I am Jesus of Nazareth…” (Acts 22:8). “…we have several possible explanations for the words found in Matthew 2: Firstly, Matthew does not say 'prophet,' singular. He says 'prophets’, plural. It could be that Matthew was referring to several Old Testament references to the despised character of Jesus (see Psa. 22:6,13; 69:10; Isa. 49:7; 53:3; Mic. 5:1). Nazareth held the Roman garrison for the northern areas of Galilee. Therefore, the Jews would have little to do with this place and largely despised it. Perhaps this is why it says in John 1:46, ‘ And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?...’ So, it could be a reference not to an actual location, but the maligned character of the Messiah even as Nazareth was maligned for housing the Roman garrison, and Matthew was using it in reference to the implied hatred of Christ.” “Though the term ‘spoken in Matthew 2:23 can allude to a written document (cf. Mt. 3:3), it is also possible that it refers to a saying that was literally spoken, though not necessarily written in the record of the prophets. Should such be the case, Matthew may have been rehearsing a verbal prophetic saying, rather than something that had been written in an Old Testament text. Consider, for example, that Paul once quoted the words of Jesus, Who had said ‘…it is more blessed to give than to receive’ (Acts 20:35).These words are nowhere recorded in the four Gospel accounts; the apostle is obviously alluding to a well-known oral saying, or else he alludes to a written record that the Holy Spirit did not see fit to preserve (other than in Acts 20:35). This probably is not the most-likely explanation, but it cannot be ruled out absolutely as a possibility.” “Also, there could be a play on words (a common device in both Hebrew and Greek literature) that Matthew was referring to. In Isaiah 11:1 it says, ‘And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots’. In Hebrew, the word for ‘branch’ is netzer, ‘NZR’ which letters are included in NaZaReth. It seems that Matthew was referring to the branch, the Nazarene, in turn a reference to God's raising up of the Messiah. Clearly, Matthew was not exegeting Isaiah, but it seems he was referring to the Branch.” “The most likely explanation for this puzzling passage is to be found in the term ‘prophets’. The plural form would appear to suggest that no single Old Testament reference is in view, but rather the point being made rests upon a general ‘theme’ reflected in numerous prophecies of Hebrew literature.

​

“19. Messiah would bring light to Galilee: ‘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’ (Isa. 9:1,2). Fulfilment: ‘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’ (Matt. 4:13-16).

 

“20. Messiah would speak in parables: ‘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. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength, and His wonderful works that He hath done’ (Psa. 78:2-4); ‘And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed’ (Isa. 6:9,10). Fulfilment: ‘And the disciples came, and said unto Him, Why speakest Thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them…All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake He not unto them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world’ (Matt. 13:10-15,34,35).

​

“21. Messiah would be sent to heal the brokenhearted: ‘The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me; because the LORD hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn’ (Isa. 61:1,2). Fulfilment: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And He closed the book, and He gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on Him. And He began to say unto them, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears’ (Lk. 4:18-21).

 

“22. Messiah would be a priest after the order of Melchizedek: ‘The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek’ (Psa. 110:4). Fulfilment: ‘So also Christ glorified not Himself to be made an high priest; but He that said unto Him, Thou art My Son, to day have I begotten Thee. As He saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec’ (Heb. 5:5,6).

 

“23. Messiah would be called King: ‘Yet have I set My King upon My Holy hill of Zion’ (Psa. 2:6); ‘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’ (Zech. 9:9). Fulfilment: ‘And set up over His head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS’ (Matt. 27:37); ‘And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and He sat upon him. And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when He had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, He went out unto Bethany with the twelve’ (Mk. 11:7-11).

​

“24. Messiah would be praised by little children: ‘Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength because of Thine enemies, that Thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger’ (Psa. 8:2). Fulfilment: ‘And said unto Him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise?’ (Matt. 21:16).

​

“25. Messiah would be betrayed: ‘Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me’ (Psa. 41:9); ‘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. And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD’ (Zech. 11:12,13). Fulfilment: ‘And while He yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?’ (Lk. 22:47,48); ‘I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with Me hath lifted up his heel against Me. Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am He’ (Jn. 13:18,19); ‘Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him’ (Matt. 26:14-16).

 

“26. Messiah’s price money would be used to buy a potter’s field: ‘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. And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD’ (Zech. 11:12,13). Fulfilment: ‘Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me’ (Matt. 27:9,10).

​

“27. Messiah would be falsely accused: ‘False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not’ (Psa. 35:11). Fulfilment: ‘And there arose certain, and bare false witness against Him, saying, We heard Him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands’ (Mk. 14:57,58).

 

“28. Messiah would be silent before His accusers: ‘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’ (Isa. 53:7). Fulfilment: ‘And Pilate asked Him again, saying, Answerest Thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against Thee. But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled’ (Mk. 15:4,5).

​

“29. Messiah would be spat upon and struck: ‘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’ (Isa. 50:6). Fulfilment: ‘Then did they spit in His face, and buffeted Him; and others smote Him with the palms of their hands’ (Matt. 26:67).

​

“30. Messiah would be hated without cause: ‘Let not them that are Mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over Me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate Me without a cause’ (Psa. 35:19); ‘They that hate Me without a cause are more than the hairs of Mine head: they that would destroy Me, being Mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away’ (Psa. 69:4). Fulfilment: ‘If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had 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’ (Jn. 15:24,25).

​

“31. Messiah would be crucified with criminals: ‘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’ (Isa. 53:12). Fulfilment: ‘Then were there two thieves crucified with Him, one on the right hand, and another on the left’ (Matt. 27:38); ‘And with Him they crucify two thieves; the one on His right hand, and the other on His left. And the Scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And He was numbered with the transgressors’ (Mk. 15:27,28).

 

“32. Messiah would be given vinegar to drink: ‘They gave Me also gall for My meat; and in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink’ (Psa. 69:21). Fulfilment: ‘They gave Him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when He had tasted thereof, He would not drink’ (Matt. 27:34); ‘After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to His mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost’ (Jn. 19:28-30).

​

“33. Messiah’s hands and feet would be pierced: ‘For dogs have compassed Me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed Me: they pierced My hands and My feet’ (Psa. 22:16); ‘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 mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn’ (Zech. 12:10). Fulfilment: ‘The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe. And after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 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’ (Jn. 20:25-27).

 

“34. Messiah would be mocked and ridiculed: ‘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’ (Psa. 22:7,8). Fulfilment: ‘And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided Him, saying, He saved others; let Him save Himself, if He be Christ, the chosen of God’ (Lk. 23:35).

 

“35. Soldiers would gamble for the Messiah’s garments: ‘They part My garments among them, and cast lots upon My vesture’ (Psa. 22:18). Fulfilment: ‘Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted His raiment, and cast lots’ (Lk.23:34); ‘And they crucified Him, and parted His garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted My garments among them, and upon My vesture did they cast lots. And sitting down they watched Him there’ (Matt. 27:35,36).

​

“36. Messiah’s bones would not be broken: ‘In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof’ (Ex. 12:46); ‘He keepeth all His bones: not one of them is broken’ (Psa. 34:20). Fulfilment: ‘But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they brake not His legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the Scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of Him shall not be broken’ (Jn. 19:33-36).

 

“37. Messiah would be forsaken by God: ‘My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? Why art Thou so far from helping Me, and from the words of My roaring?’ (Psa. 22:1). Fulfilment: ‘And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?’ (Matt. 27:46).

​

“38. Messiah would pray for His enemies: ‘For My love they are My adversaries: But I give Myself unto prayer’ (Psa. 109:4). Fulfilment: ‘Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted His raiment, and cast lots’ (Lk. 23:34).

​

“39. Soldiers would pierce Messiah’s side: ‘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 mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn’ (Zech. 12:10); ‘…they pierced My hands and My feet’ (Psa. 22:16). Fulfilment: ‘But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water’ (Jn.19:34 cf. Rev. 1:7).

​

“40. Messiah would be buried with the rich: ‘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’ (Isa. 53:9). Fulfilment: ‘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’ (Matt. 27:57-60).

​

“41. Messiah would resurrect from the dead: ‘For Thou wilt not leave My soul in Hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption’ (Psa.16:10); ‘But God will redeem My soul from the power of the grave: for He shall receive Me.’ (Psa. 49:15). Fulfilment: ‘And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from Heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead; and, behold, He goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see Him: lo, I have told you’ (Matt. 28:2-7); ‘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. For David speaketh concerning Him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because Thou wilt not leave My soul in Hell, neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; Thou shalt make me full of joy with Thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, He would raise up Christ to sit on His Throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in Hell, neither His flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses’ (Acts 2:22-32).

​

“42. Messiah would ascend to Heaven: ‘Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift 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 your 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’ (Psa. 24:7-10). Fulfilment: ‘So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into Heaven, and sat on the right hand of God’ (Mk. 16:19); ‘And it came to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into Heaven’ (Lk. 24:51).

 

“43. Messiah would be seated at God’s right hand: ‘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’ (Psa. 68:18); ‘The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool’ (Psa. 110:1). Fulfilment: ‘So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into Heaven, and sat on the right hand of God’ (Mk. 16:19); ‘The LORD said unto My Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand, till I make Thine enemies Thy footstool?’ (Matt. 22:44).

 

“44. Messiah would be a sacrifice for sin: ‘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. 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. 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. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His generation? for He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of My people was He stricken. 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. 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. 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’ (Isa. 53:5-12). Fulflment: ‘For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us’ (Rom. 5:6-8).”

​

These Scriptures containing prophecies fulfilled in the life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, show clearly that Jesus indeed was and is the Messiah, that He was and is the Saviour of His people, that He was, is and always will be Almighty God.

 

The following is a condensed collection of Scripture references which stand as abundant and eternal evidence for the reality and veracity of the Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity:

​

“I. THERE IS ONE GOD

1. One God: explicit statements

   1. OT: Deut. 4:35, 39: 32:39; 2 Sam. 22:32; Isa. 37:20; 43:10; 44:6-8; 45:5, 14, 21-22; 46:9

   2. NT: John 5:44; Rom. 3:30; 16:27; 1 Cor. 8:4-6; Gal. 3:20; Eph. 4:6; 1 Tim. 1:17; 2:5; James 2:19; Jude 25

2. None like God (in His essence)

   1. Explicit statements: Ex. 8:10; 9:14; 15:11; 2 Sam. 7:22; 1 Chr. 17:20; Psa 86:8; 1 Kgs. 8:23; Isa. 40:18, 25; 44:7; 46:5, 9; Jer. 10:6-7; Micah 7:18

   2. Being like God a Satanic lie: Gen. 3:5; Isa. 14:14; John 8:44

   3. Fallen man became ‘like God’ only in that he took upon himself to know good and evil, not that he acquired godhood: Gen. 3:22

3. Only one true God: 2 Chr. 15:3; Jer. 10:10; John 17:3; 1 Thess. 1:9; 1 John 5:20-21

4. All other ‘gods’ are therefore false gods (idols), not gods at all: Deut. 32:21; 1 Sam. 12:21; Psa. 96:5; Isa. 37:19; 41:23-24, 29; Jer. 2:11; 5:7; 16:20; 1 Cor. 8:4; 10:19-20

5. Demons, not gods, are the powers behind false worship: Deut. 32:17; Psa. 106:37; 1 Cor. 10:20; Gal. 4:8

6. How men are meant to be ‘like God’

   1. The image of God indicates that man is to represent God and share His moral character, not that man can be metaphysically like God: Gen. 1:26-27; 5:1; 1 Cor. 11:7; Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10

   2. The goal of being like Christ has the following aspects only:

      1. Sharing His moral character: 1 John 3:2; Rom. 8:29

      2. Being raised with glorified, immortal bodies like His: Phil. 3:21; 1 Cor. 15:49

   3. Becoming partakers of the divine nature refers again to moral nature (‘having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust’), not metaphysical nature: 2 Pet. 1:4; see also Heb. 12:10; on the meaning of ‘partakers’, see 1 Cor. 10:18, 20; 2 Cor. 1:17; 1 Pet. 5:1

7. Are mighty or exalted men gods?

   1. No. Scripture says explicitly that men are gods

   2. Powerful, mighty men are explicitly said not to be gods: Ezek. 28:2, 9: Isa. 31:3; 2 Thess. 2:4

   3. Men and God are opposite, exclusive categories: Num. 23:19; Isa. 31:3; Ezek. 28:2, 9; Hosea 11:9; Matt. 19:26; John 10:33; Acts 12:22; 1 Cor. 14:2

   4. Moses was ‘as God’, not really a god: Ex. 4:16; 7:1

   5. Ezek. 32:21 speaks of warriors or soldiers as ‘mighty gods’, but in context they are so regarded by their pagan nations, not by God or Israel; cf. Ezek. 28:2,9

   6. The elohim before whom accused stood in Exodus was God Himself, not judges, as many translations incorrectly render: Ex. 22:8-9, 28: compare Deut. 19:17

   7. The use of elohim in Psalm 82, probably in reference to wicked judges, as cited by Jesus in John 10:34-36, does not mean that men really can be gods.

      1. It is Asaph, not the Lord, who calls the judges elohim in Psa. 82:1, 6. This is important, even though we agree that Psa. 82 is inspired.

      2. Asaph’s meaning is not, ‘Although you are gods, you will die like men’ (which is how Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, etc., read it), but rather, ‘I called you gods, but in fact you will all die like the men that you really are’.

      3. The Psalmist was no more saying that wicked judges were truly gods than he was saying that they were truly ‘sons of the Most High’ (v. 6b).

      4. Thus, Psa. 82:1 calls the judges elohim in irony. They had quite likely taken their role in judgment (cf. point 5. above) to mean they were elohim, or gods, and Asaph’s message is that these so-called gods were mere men who would die under the judgment of the true elohim (vss. 1-2, 7-8).

      5. Christ’s use of this passage in John 10:34-36 does not negate the above interpretation of Psalm 82.

      6. The words, ‘the Scripture cannot be broken’, means ‘the Scripture cannot go without having some ultimate fulfillment’ (cf. John 7:23; Matt. 5:17). Thus Jesus is saying that what the OT judges were called in irony, He is in reality; He does what they could not do, and is what they could never be (see the Adam-Christ contrasts in Rom. 5:12-21 and 1 Cor. 15:21-22, 45 for a similar use of OT Scripture).

      7. The clause, ‘unto whom the Word of God came’ (John 10:35) shows that this ‘word’ was a word of judgment against the so-called gods; which shows that they were false gods, not really gods at all.

      8. Finally, these wicked men were certainly not ‘godlike’ or ‘divine’ by nature, so that in any case the use of elohim to refer to them must be seen as figurative, not literal.

   8. Even if men were gods (which they are not), this would be irrelevant to Jesus, since He was God as a pre-existent Spirit before creation: John 1:1

​