This one is for Greg. I tried to keep it as short as possible, but it is a long one.
“What were the prophecies that foretold Jesus’ coming? Verses please”
This is a heavy question. You weren’t very specific, but I’m going to limit my answer to prophecies specifically about his birth and the events surrounding it. I won’t go into the prophecies about what he would do after he was born except for a few points I will save for the end. One important thing to consider when dealing with prophecy is that a specific prophecy may be fulfilled more than once, or in more than one way. Many prophecies about the birth of Jesus are first fulfilled by David, Jesus’ ancestor, or by the nation of Israel itself. There are many prophecies about the descendants of Abraham. Most of these are taken as at least marginal prophecies of Christ. I will try to stick to the more absolute ones.
So let’s start at the beginning, or at least very close to it. The first verse in the bible that is taken as a prophecy of Jesus’ coming is in the book of Genesis. It comes right after the incident with Adam and Eve in the garden.
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15
This verse is known as the protoevangelium, a compound word of two Greek words, protos meaning "first" and evangelion meaning "good news" or "gospel". This is the first point in the bible where we get a hint that Christ is coming. We also get an idea of what he will do. Whoever this coming figure is, he will strike a mortal blow to Satan, but he will be wounded in turn.
The book of Micah gives us information about where Jesus will be born. It also mentions that Bethlehem is connected with the clan of Judah, the same clan that David and Jesus belong to. The gospels record Jesus’ birthplace as Bethlehem. They also record his lineage going back to David.
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:2
The book of Isaiah gives us information about Mary.
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14
This one is debated based on the word that is translated as virgin. It can also mean something along the lines of young girl or maiden. However the Septuagint, a Greek translation from around 200 years before Christ, uses the word virgin. This translation is upheld in the gospels.
Genesis says that all nations will be blessed through the offspring of Abraham.
I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:3
“and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” Genesis 22:18
In the book of Numbers, the prophet Balaam tells of a coming king.
“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the people of Sheth. Numbers 24:17
This is one instance where David is seen as the first fulfillment of the prophecy, and Jesus is seen as the final fulfillment of it.
Genesis tells us that a ruler will come from the tribe of Judah, and he will be over all nations.
The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his. Genesis 49:10
God gives David prophecies about his descendants.
When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 2 Samuel 7:12-13
This is one case where the first part of the prophecy is fulfilled by Solomon when he built the temple, but Solomon’s kingdom was not forever. Jesus is the final fulfillment of the prophecy.
There are many other prophecies that deal with what Jesus would do during his time on earth, and after. The most well known prophecy aside from the virgin birth is probably the suffering servant narrative from Isaiah 53. We have copies of these verses from the Dead Sea Scrolls that date hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus.
Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. - Isaiah 53
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Stephen Mayo lives in Montana with his wife, daughter, corgi, and three cats.
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