CHRIST IN THE PROPHETS

 

The Redeemer is Christ.  Jesus is the Kinsman Redeemer typified by Boaz in the book of Ruth. He is the one of whom Job declared, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth.” (Job 19:25). He is the Rock, the LORD/Yahweh (Ps 19:14; 78:35). Solomon speaks of him in Proverbs 23:11 as the strong Redeemer who plead their cause. Christ is the Friend who loves at all times and sticks closer than a brother (17:17).  Isaiah has a lot to say of the Redeemer, the holy one of Israel (Is 41:14; 43:14); the Redeemer who is the Lord of hosts (Is 47:4; 48:17). He unveils him as the Redeemer who will come to Zion (Is 60:20). He is the Servant of the Lord (see all the Servant Songs - Isaiah 42,43, 50, 51 & 53. Who can this be but Jesus Christ? He is the ‘angel of his presence’ regarded as the one who “redeemed them” and “lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.” (Isa 63:9). Clearly, the Lord Jesus came to the earth to help his people in and perhaps out of their distress and their need for guidance. That Christ is the only Redeemer of God’s elect is clear from the NT for he paid the ransom by his own blood. He gave his life as ransom (Mark 10:45) to redeem or purchase us. See Zechariah’s song celebrating the birth of Jesus in Luke 1:68 – “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David.” There was no doubt in his mind that the OT passages of a deliverer have been fulfilled in Christ. Paul in 1 Timothy 2:5-6 and Titus 2:13-14 makes it abundantly clear that the One Mediator is none other than Jesus Christ who gave himself as a ransom for all. He is the great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness. Peter simply tell us that, “… knowing that we were ransomed from futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (1 Pet 1:18-19) (Cf. Gal. 3:13; Rev. 14:3, 4).

The Anointed one, that is, the Messiah/Christ is none other than Jesus Christ. He is seen as the “Anointed” one in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 and the “faithful Priest” in 1 Samuel 2:35-36. But the most outstanding text is the Davidic Covenant text found in 2 Samuel 7, which is repeated in 1 Chronicles 17 and is further expounded in Psalm 132, which pointed to the dynasty/house of David as the place where God would establish his throne and kingdom forever. The promise given to David was so astounding that David cried out in 2 Samuel 7:19c that “This is the instruction (law/charter) for mankind.” This is the same as saying that God had just now conferred on David an amplification of the promise he had originally made with Abraham. The Lord confirmed that he is the Anointed one at the beginning of his ministry when he read from the scroll in Isaiah 61:1,2 as Luke records it in 4:18-19.

The Promised Messiah is Christ. There are at least thirty nine direct/express predictions of the Messiah in the Old Testament prophets. It was predicted that the Messiah would be born of a virgin (Isa 7:14; cf. Matt 1:33). His birthplace would be Bethlehem (Mic 5:2; cf. Mt 2:1, 6), and John the Baptist would be his forerunner (Isa 40:3-5; Mal 3:1; cf. Mt 3:3, Mk 1:3; Lk 3:4-6). The Messiah would return to the earth a second time (Daniel 7:13; cf Mk 13:26; Lk 21:27).

The Humble King is none other than Christ. He is the Anointed King who rules from Zion as stated in the second Psalm. His rule is greater than David’s reign, since he was both David’s son, yet David’s Lord (Ps 110). He would one day rule in the city of Jerusalem as the King of kings, as the nations would go up to the mountain of the Lord to be taught his ways, never more to “learn war any more” (Isa 2:3-4). It was further announced by Zechariah that Messiah would triumphantly enter Jerusalem as the crowd shouted “Hosanna” (Zech 9:9-10; Ps 118:25-26; cf. Mt 21:9; Mk 11:9; Lk 19:38; Jn 12:13).

The suffering servant is Jesus. There is an astounding accuracy of the fact that Jesus would be killed with the “wicked” ones, being numbered with them (Isa 53:9a, note the plural noun in Hebrew) [as he hung between two thieves], yet he would be buried with the rich one (Isa 53:9b, note its singular form in the Hebrew). Then he would be betrayed by one of his own (Ps 69:25; cf. Acts 1:20). His side would be pierced (Zech 12:10; cf. Jn 19:37), and he would suffer vicariously for the sins of the world (Isa 53:6, 9, 12; cf. I Pt 2:21-25; Rom 4:25).

Commenting on the correspondence of the person and work of Christ in the prophets and specifically in the book of Isaiah, O Palmer Robertson rightly concludes this subject for when he writes,

Without even considering other predictions f the documents of the old covenant to which the life and ministry of Jesus correspond, the relationship of his person and work to the predictions about the individual servant in the book of Isaiah is remarkable enough for the world to take note.[1]

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[1] Robertson, O Palmer, Christ of the Prophets (Philipsburg: Presbyterian & Reformed, 2004), 482.

CHRIST IN THE LAW

 

From the beginning of the book of Genesis, Christ is introduced as the Creator God. The opening statement in Genesis 1:1 is, ‘In the beginning God…’ The word translated ‘God’ is, (El ohim), which is in plural and which introduces the aspect of the mystic plurality of God in Trinity. That is God is one being, and exists eternally as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as He reveals himself to us in the entirety of the Scriptures.

Therefore, it begs the question, who was the divine agent in creation? John 1 responds, “All things were made through Him, and without him was not anything made that was made… He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:3,10–14, ESV)” And Colossians 1:16 adds, “For by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through Him and for Him.” Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God became Man and so was and continues to be God and Man in two distinct natures and one Person forever – this is the Agent of creation in the Godhead.

Reading on, reveals that Jesus Christ is the Seed of woman in Genesis 3:15. He will one day crush Satan and conquer the ancient dragon (Rev 12:9; 20:2). He is the serpent-crusher, Satan killer. He is the all-conquering King of kings who reigns forever in heaven and on earth and there is no one who can thwart his purposes, even Satan cannot stop him. He became curse for us (Gal. 3:13).

Adam was a type of Christ. This is something expressly stated by Paul in Romans 5:14. Vos explains what type means when he writes, “A typical thing is prospective; it relates to what will become real or applicable in the future. In the New Testament the word ‘type’ occurs only once (Rom 5:14) where Adam is said to have been a ‘type of Christ.”[1]

The Angel of the Lord is Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus is first seen in the Old Testament as the person who appeared as “the Angel of the Lord” in his confrontation with Hagar (Gen 16:7). He then appeared every now and then in Genesis, for example, to Abraham (Gen 22:11,15) to Moses in the flame of fire in Exodus 3:2. These manifestations of Christ are called theophanies. These were convincing but temporary revelations of Christ’s person and work to the Old Testament saints in a human form, much before his final incarnation as a baby in the Bethlehem manger. There is no doubt that the “Angel of the LORD” is called and is addressed often as “the LORD/Yahweh” himself (Gen 12:7; 17:1; 19:1; etc.) indicating that Christophany, that is, the temporary appearance of Christ in the Old Testament, was a pointer to his incarnation

In Exodus there are many types of Christ. For example, in the story of the Passover Lamb, Christ is the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (Jn 1:29, 36). He is the tabernacle – as Immanuel (Matt 1:23), God dwelling with his people. Poythress commenting on this matter simply states, “The Old Testament tabernacle is full of meaning because it is a symbol of the Messiah and his salvation.”[2]

In Leviticus the high priests makes sacrifices for the people. Christ being human was qualified to be our priest, for every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. (Heb. 5:1) Christ has become is the great High Priest (Heb 4:14), making the perfect sacrifice to atone for the sins of his people.

The book of Numbers is full of Christ. Just as the bronze serpent had to be lifted up in the wilderness (Num 21:9) the Lord states that the reality of this is in himself in John 3:14-15.  In Numbers 12:3 Moses was very meek, but could he have been meeker than Christ? Consider that Christ’s invitation to take his yoke and learn from him for he is gentle and lowly in heart (Matt 12:29). Compare his meekness with what Paul says of him in Philippians 2:6-8.

In Deuteronomy Moses prophesied of a prophet who would come from among the Hebrews and be greater than him (Deut 18:15, 18-19) and Peter makes an inspired interpretation and conclusion that this is none other Jesus in Acts 3:22). Jesus is that Great Prophet. Who is the city of refuge (Deut 4:21) but Christ (Heb 6:18)? The cursed man must hang on a tree, in Deuteronomy 21:23 and this finds its fulfilment in Christ as Paul writes to the Galatians 3:13.

Time and space fails to write about all the types of Christ in the Pentateuch that speaks of Christ. But the reality is that all the promises of the new covenant are only found in Christ and only those in him will obtain every single blessing that he has promised.

But one more important thing to consider is the uses of the law, the Decalogue or the Ten Commandments commonly called the moral law. The law is one of the most important tools of driving us to Christ. We know that every sinner is under the condemnation of the law, since none is righteous no not one. This is because no mere man since the fall is able to perfectly obey the law of God but does continually break it in thought, word and deed. But Christ was born under the law (Gal. 4:4), he perfectly obeyed the law of God and fulfilled all righteousness. He pleased God perfectly. He obeyed God perfectly. He satisfied all the demands of the law perfectly. He fulfilled all the laws of God whether ceremonial or civil or moral. He fulfilled and obeyed them for us. So that when any sinner believes in Christ, all the righteousness of Christ is credited to him and all his sins are credited or imputed to Christ for which he died on the cross. Our inability to perfectly obey the law of God drives us to Christ for forgiveness and for righteousness. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5:21)

Are you in Christ? Do you believe in Him? Do you call upon his name? Have you found full forgiveness in him? Are you bound to him? He is our refuge, our Deliverer, the Captain of our salvation, the only Saviour of our souls! Run to him today and you will be eternally secure in Him!

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[1] Geerhardus Vos, Biblical Theology: Old and New Testament, (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1975), 144.

[2] Vern Poythress, The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses, (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian & Reformed, 1991), 10.

CHRIST IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

 

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”  

(Luke 24:44)

Introduction

Christ is the essence and substance of the whole corpus of the Scriptures (The Old & The New Testaments) and we must strive to see him as such. This article is one such humble attempt to help everyone to see Christ clearly in all the pages of the Old Testament.

The Bible is a divine story and has a unified objective truth. But how do we unlock it? Christ himself is the key that unlocks the riches of the Old Testament.[1] One of the greatest interpretive problems in Christendom is failure to see the relationship between the Old and the New Testaments. It can be arguably said that most of the doctrinal differences we witness today emanate from this hermeneutical problem.

There is both progression from the Old to the New or continuity as well discontinuity, where certain aspects of the Old find their fulfilment in Christ, e.g. animal sacrifice, priesthood and eventually the temple.

The Bible has one message – the gospel. The gospel is the good news about Jesus Christ as Philip told the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8:35. “Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.” [Emphasis mine]. Therefore, the good news regards the Son of God, the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Thus, Jesus Christ, the Word, is ‘the main character’ of the redemptive story.

Christ taught about Christ in the OT! 

This is exactly what Christ taught, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they (the Scriptures) that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40, Emphasis added). This is what he told Cleopas and his companion on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:27).

The Lord himself gave this Key to his disciples in Luke 24:44, of those things concerning Christ in the Old Testament beginning from Moses, i.e. the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms. For as the Lord said, “these things must be fulfilled.” Indeed they have been fulfilled in and through Christ. But the wonder of the passages quoted from the OT by the Lord himself, is that Jesus taught about Jesus in the OT!

But how is Christ in the Old Testament?

He is in the Old Testament through:

1.    Types like the animal sacrifices, the temple, the bronze serpent, and many others. He is in the Old Testament.

2.    Predictions such as the seed of the woman who shall crush the head of the serpent (Gen 3:15), the king from the lineage of Judah, who shall sit on the throne of David to reign forever (2 Sam 7:12-13).

3.    Christophanies such as the Angel of the Lord or the Commander of the Lord’s army (Joshua 5:13-15).

4.    Figures. There are many Old Testament figures that point to Christ like Melchizedek, Joseph, David among others.

5.    Perfect righteousness! Finally, reading the Old Testament should bring sinners to the foot of the cross of Christ. For example, when the law is read, it is a reminder that “no mere man since the fall is able in this life to keep the commandments of God (Ecc 7:20; 1 Jn 1:8,10; Gal 5:17), but does daily break them in thought, word or deed (Gen 6:5; 8:21; Rom 3:9-21; Jam 3:2-13).[2]

Therefore, Christ is in the Old Testament more than many Christians realize and my purpose is to show this reality.

 

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[1] Vern Poythress, The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses, (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian & Reformed, 1991), 5.

[2] The Baptist Confession of Faith & The Baptist Catechism: Q. 87, (Vestavia Hills, AL: Solid Ground Christian Books, 2010), 114.