Loving Christmas
The Old Testament Prophecies Fulfilled By Christ
PROPH´ECY, n. [Gr. προφητεια, from προφημι, to foretell; προ, before, and φημι, to tell. This ought to be written prophesy.]
1. A foretelling; prediction; a declaration of something to come. As God only knows future events with certainty, no being but God or some person informed by him, can utter a real prophecy. The prophecies recorded in Scripture, when fulfilled, afford most convincing evidence of the divine original of the Scriptures, as those who uttered the prophecies could not have foreknown the events αpredicted without supernatural instruction. 2 Pet. 1.
A. Pre-Crucifixion Prophecies
1. That he would be born of a virgin (compare Isa. 7:14 with Matt. 1:22-23)
2. That he would be given the throne of David (compare 2 Sam. 7:11-12; Psa. 132:11; Isa. 9:6-7; 16:5; Jer. 23:5 with Luke 1:31-32)
3. That this throne would be an eternal throne (compare Dan. 2:44; 7:14, 27; Mic. 4:7 with Luke 1:33)
4. That he would be called Emmanuel (compare Isa. 7:14 with Matt. 1:23)
5. That he would have a forerunner (compare Isa. 40:3-5; Mal. 3:1 with Luke 1:76-78; 3:3-6; Matt. 3:1-3).
6. That he would be born in Bethlehem (compare Mic. 5:2 with Luke 2:4-6; Matt. 2:5-6)
7. That he would be worshiped by the wise men and presented with gifts (compare Psa. 72:10; Isa. 60:3, 6, 9 with Matt. 2:11)
8. That he would be in Egypt for a season (compare Num. 24:8; Hos. 11:1 with Matt. 2:15)
9. That his birthplace would suffer a massacre of infants (compare Jer. 31:15 with Matt. 2:17-18)
10. That he would be called a Nazarene (compare Isa. 11:1 with Matt. 2:23)
Nazarene. i.e. kept, guarded, preserved; a flower
Ναζωραῖος Nazōraíos; gen. Nazōraíou, masc. proper noun. A Nazarene, an inhabitant of Nazareth. Spoken of Jesus (Matt. 26:71; Mark 10:47; Luke 18:37; 24:19; John 18:5, 7; Acts 3:6; 4:10; 6:14); in the inscription on the cross (John 19:19); by Peter (Acts 2:22); by Paul (Acts 26:9); by our Lord Himself (Acts 22:8). In Matt. 2:23, we find the expression “He shall be called a Nazarene,” i.e., according to the meaning of the Hebr. word netser (5342), “he shall be called a shoot” or branch. This is in allusion to such passages as Is. 11:1; 53:2; Zech. 3:8; 6:12, but here also it implies reproach from the contempt in which Nazareth was held. Used once of Christians held in contempt as the followers of Jesus of Nazareth (Acts 24:5).