Prophecies of the Lord's Advent
Napsal(a) New Christian Bible Study Staff
The Messiah. The Savior. For hundreds - maybe thousands - of years, people were waiting for the Lord to be born. Why? Because the Old Testament has many prophecies of the event.
It starts in Genesis 3:15, where the Lord admonishes the serpent in the Garden of Eden:
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. Genesis 3:15.
There's the well-known one from Numbers 24:15-24, when Balaam blesses Israel:
He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: "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."
In Micah 5:2, there's this one, in which Bethlehem is identified as the place where the Lord will come from:
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.
In Malachi 3:1-4, there's a prophecy that includes both John the Baptist and the Lord:
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to this temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifer of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.
In Isaiah, there's another prophecy of John the Baptist, and the Lord:
"A voice is crying -- in a wilderness -- Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, Make straight in a desert a highway to our God." Isaiah 40:3.
Then, in Isaiah 9:6-7, we have perhaps the best-known one of all:
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, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 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.
There are many other prophecies besides these. But Malachi was the last of the Jewish prophets, and for perhaps 500 years after his death, the records are silent.
Three hundred years before the time of Jesus Christ, the armies of Alexander the Great swept through Israel, and it became part of Alexander's empire. After his death, three of his generals divided the empire amongst themselves, and Israel became a borderland between the Seleucid and Ptolemaic empires. Greek culture became popular, threatening to swamp the Jewish culture that had been somewhat restored after the return from Babylon. Then there was again a brief independence under the Maccabees, but soon Judea came under Roman rule.
Somehow, through all these upheavals, there was still a remnant of good people who were waiting for the Messiah, and - when the time came - they were receptive. Mary was. Joseph was. The shepherds were. The wise men were. Zacharias and Elizabeth were. In the temple, Simeon and Anna were. So, there were a few, who knew the prophecies, and had not lost faith that they would someday be fulfilled.
Matthew 11
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It happened that when Jesus had finished directing his twelve disciples, he departed from there to teach and preach in their cities.
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Now when John heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples
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and said to him, "Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?"
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Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:
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the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.
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Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me."
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As these went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
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But what did you go out to see? A man in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in king's houses.
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But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet.
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For this is he, of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.'
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Most certainly I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.
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From the days of John the Baptizer until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
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For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
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If you are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, who is to come.
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He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
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"But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call to their companions
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and say, 'We played the flute for you, and you didn't dance. We mourned for you, and you didn't lament.'
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For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'
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The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her children."
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Then he began to denounce the cities in which most of his mighty works had been done, because they didn't repent.
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"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
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But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
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You, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, you will go down to Hades. For if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in you, it would have remained until this day.
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But I tell you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, on the day of judgment, than for you."
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At that time, Jesus answered, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to infants.
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Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight.
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All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son desires to reveal him.
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"Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.
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Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls.
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For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
