Every Prophecy about Jesus

John F. Walvoord

• Publisher: David C Cook
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9781434710130
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Theology

Considered by many to be the world's foremost authority on biblical prophecy, Dr. John F. Walvoord devoted much of his time and scholarship to interpreting the Bible's predictions about Jesus. From Jesus's birth, to His death and resurrection, to His return to earth, every prophecy about Christ in the Bible is relevant to us today. Now for the first time, these prophecies and interpretations are available by themselves in one book. This ultimate guide to messianic prophecy explores: • The historical background for every prophecy about Christ throughout the Bible
• How and when Christ will return to earth
• What today's events in the Middle East have to do with Jesus's life and purpose
• How all the prophecies about Jesus influence and confirm one another
• Why we can interpret biblical prophecies literally and why they matter to us today Understanding biblical predictions about Christ is crucial to the church, our awareness of world events, and our personal faith in a God who keeps His promises.

1

WHO IS THE MESSIAH?

Each book of Scripture—from Genesis to Revelation, in the Old Testament and New Testament—can be thought of like a part of a map that points to one man: the Messiah. What does God’s Word say about the signs of the Messiah? What are the characteristics of the Son of Man? Which events, miracles, and activities would have to take place in order to confirm Jesus as the chosen one?

As we journey through God’s Word, a complete portrait of the Messiah will take shape. We hope that you take time to study and absorb these selected prophecies, all of which were confirmed in the person of Jesus Christ. Allow them to edify your faith and draw you closer to Him.

Judgment and Promise of Salvation

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. (Gen. 3:15)

Genesis 3:14–24 is short, but its impact has sent ripples through every culture, community, family, and individual for the whole of human history. It was fulfilled by the spiritual death of Adam and Eve and their ultimate physical death (vv. 7–24). In fulfilling the prophecy of death, God added other prophecies, including the curse on the serpent (vv. 14–15). God prophesied that Eve would experience pain in childbirth. To Adam, God predicted that the ground would be cursed and Adam would have difficulty raising the food necessary for his continued existence. In the midst of these promises, which enlarged the judgment that had come on mankind because of the entrance of sin, a plan for redemption was also revealed.

In pronouncing the curse on the devil and the serpent, it was prophesied that there would always be enmity between the serpent and the descendants of the woman (v. 15). Referring to one of the woman’s descendants (Christ), God said, “He will crush your head.” In regard to the judgment on Satan, ensured by the cross of Christ, the prophecy was further enlarged: “You will strike his heel” (v. 15). This referred to the fact that Christ would die, but unlike the effect on Satan, Christ’s death would be conquered by resurrection. This was fulfilled in Christ’s death and resurrection (Rom. 3:24–25).

Provisions of the Covenant

I will make you into a great nation,

and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

and you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you,

and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

will be blessed through you. (Gen. 12:2–3)

God, in His goodness, cares for all the needs of His children. There is no need too small to capture His attention. In Genesis 12:1–3, God reveals His caring nature in the story of Abram, who was still in Ur of the Chaldeans.

The covenant with Abram was a major step in divine revelation, indicating that God had set Abram apart. Through Abram’s line, God would bring salvation to mankind. Though only eleven chapters were used to trace the whole history of the world prior to Abram, including creation and all the major events that followed, the rest of the book of Genesis was devoted to Abram and his immediate descendants, indicating the importance of this covenant.

The covenant required Abram to leave his country and his people and go to the land that God would show him. The expression “you will be a blessing” (v. 2) could be translated “be a blessing.” Abram was essential to God’s program of bringing blessing and revelation to the world and ultimately salvation through Jesus Christ. In keeping with Abram’s obedience, God made the promises: (1) “I will make you into a great nation”; (2) “I will bless you”; and (3) “I will make your name great” (v. 2).

Promise of a Future Faithful Priest

I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always. (1 Sam. 2:35)

In 1 Samuel 2:35–36, God made a declaration in contrast to the unfaithfulness of Hophni and Phinehas, reminding His people that He was the one who established and removed priests and rulers. The priesthood was taken away from Abiathar, who had descended from Eli, and instead was given to Zadok, who was a descendant of Eleazar, a son of Aaron (1 Kings 2:27, 35). This prophecy, however, seems to go beyond the immediate line of priests and was partially fulfilled by Samuel. It ultimately will be fulfilled by Jesus Christ, who is a priest forever (Ps. 110; Heb. 5:6; Rev. 19:16).

The Favor of David Passed down the Generations

I will maintain my love to him forever,

and my covenant with him will never fail.

I will establish his line forever,

his throne as long as the heavens endure. (Ps. 89:28–29)

Psalm 89:19–37 is a testament to how incredible David’s story is. When we first meet David, he is a humble shepherd boy, the youngest in a family of older, stronger men. Of all the men God could have selected to lead His people, David was the unlikeliest. Yet David rose to power and was declared “the most exalted of the kings of the earth” (v. 27). And God asserted that David’s line would live on forever (vv. 28–29).

The people of Israel, however, were warned that if they sinned, God would punish them: “If his sons forsake my law and do not follow my statutes, if they violate my decrees and fail to keep my commands, I will punish their sin with the rod, their iniquity with flogging” (vv. 30–32). In spite of the possibility of Israel’s sin, God promised that this would not alter the covenant:

But I will not take my love from him,

nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.

I will not violate my covenant

or alter what my lips have uttered.

Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—

and I will not lie to David—

that his line will continue forever

and his throne endure before me like the sun;

it will be established forever like the moon,

the faithful witness in the sky. (vv. 33–37)

Confirmation of this Davidic covenant is found in the words of the angel to Mary, announcing that she would be the mother of Jesus:

Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end. (Luke 1:30–33 NKJV)

In addition to the general promise that Jesus would be Mary’s son, the specific promises were given that He would occupy the throne of His father David and that His reign and His kingdom would never end.

Messianic Prophecy and the Kingdom

Ask me,

and I will make the nations your inheritance,

the ends of the earth your possession.

You will break them with a rod of iron;

you will dash them to pieces like pottery. (Ps. 2:8–9)

Psalm 2 describes God’s purpose to establish His Son as King ...

Table of contents

• NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER: THE ONE AND ONLY SAVIOR
• Before We Begin: UNDERSTANDING PROPHECY IN CONTEXT
• 1: WHO IS THE MESSIAH?
• 2: THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING
• 3: THE MARKERS OF THE MESSIAH: PROPHECIES OF JESUS’S BIRTH AND MINISTRY
• 4: THE MISSION OF THE MESSIAH: PROPHECIES OF JESUS’S DEATH AND RESURRECTION
• 5: ONE IN A MILLION: HOW JESUS’S LIFE FULFILLED ANCIENT PROPHECIES
• 6: JESUS’S PREDICTIONS: PROPHECIES THAT JESUS HIMSELF GAVE US
• 7: DEFEATER OF DEATH: HOW JESUS’S DEATH AND RESURRECTION FULFILLED ANCIENT PROPHECIES
• 8: PROMISED SALVATION: JESUS’S PROPHECIES OF ETERNAL REWARDS FOR HIS FOLLOWERS
• 9: CHRIST’S ENCORE: HOW JESUS WILL COME BACK AT THE SECOND COMING
• Major Events of Unfulfilled Prophecy
• Predicted Events Related to the Church
• Appearances of Jesus after the Resurrection
• Bonus Content: Chapters 1–2 from End Times Prophecy