Who is this King of Glory
Christmas 2017 • Sermon • Submitted
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Who is this King of Glory that pursues me with His love
and haunts me with each hearing of His softly spoken words
My conscience a reminder of forgiveness that I need
Who is this King of Glory who offers it for me
Who is this King of angels, O blessed Prince of Peace
Revealing things of Heaven and all it’s mysteries
My Spirit’s ever longing for His grace in which to stand
Who is this King of Glory, Son of God and Son of Man.....
HIS NAME IS JESUS, precious Jesus
The Lord Almighty, the King of my heart
The King of Glory.....
As we begin this morning let this reality sink into the depths of your heart , GOD SEES YOU RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR MESS, Yet He loved you enough to reveal Himself anyway. THE KING OF ANGELS KNOWS YOUR NAME! THE ONE WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO EXPOSE THE FILTHINESS OF OUR HEARTS, LONGS TO CLEANSE YOU FORGIVE YOU AND WAS WILLING TO DIE TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE....
What kind of love is that? The kind of love that sees our trespasses against His Holiness and then instead of giving us what we deserve gives us forgiveness! Who does that? What other so called God offers such as this? ONLY ONE
Who is this King of Glory?
The author of this song Mac Powell key in to one thing that we should be thankful for all year long. HE REVEALS THINGS OF HEAVEN AND ALL ITS MYSTERIES. How many of you know that there isn’t a single soul on Earth who would understand the gospel if it were not for the willingness of God to reveal it to them. It ain’t about how smart ya are, it ain’t about how much you read ya Bible, IF THE KING OF GLORY DIDN’T REVEAL ETERNAL TRUTH WITHIN YOUR HEARTS YOU’D BE DAMNED TO AN ETERNITY SEPARATED FROM HIM.
Don’t we serve a good God?
I’m telling ya you can ask my wife I am not the sharpest tool in the shed but I am grateful for a God who didn’t leave me to my own devices to try to figure out who He was, but instead stepped out of eternity and into my heart so that he could change me and teach me the mysteries of His truth! We live in a world of skeptics who want to challenge the reality of God Himself coming to this Earth. They want to challenge it because if they can make Jesus just a mere man, then they wont have to deal with their sin. Often times these people who want to deny Jesus tend to say things like this… “Well if He would just give me a sign that He is alive today, then I would gladly do whatever He asked of me.”
The reality is this God has given multiple signs he spelled out everything in black and white and there is proof, that Jesus really is who He said He is. God outlines for us the HOW?, WHEN? and WHERE? His Son, the King of Glory, and SAVIOR of the world would be born. Things the New born baby would have no control over UNLESS HE WAS GOD IN FLESH.
So this morning were going to look at the evidence given in the scriptures and see if we have enough evidence to prove that Jesus was in fact God in the flesh. Were going to do this by calling some witnesses to the stand, from the OT. Who testified of this promised Messiah before Jesus was even born, through their testimony I pray that you see the miracle of the birth of our Lord.
Were going to let God answer for Himself HOW the Savior of the world was to be born and the circumstances surrounding His birth, The WHEN and the WHERE the location of this promised Son who would take away the sins of the world.
How the King of Glory was to be born!
“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.
So the first thing we need to understand is when this prophet Malachi said these words. These words were penned by the prophet Malachi in 445 B.C. Now yall think with me for a minute Malachi spoke these words from the very mouth of God the Holy Spirit revealed this to him 445 years before a baby named Jesus was born in Bethlehem. So one of the criteria that has to come true about God’s Messiah is that there has to be a messenger that comes before him and prepares a way. Malachi is not the only prophet to record this about the coming Messiah, Isaiah also says the same thing....
A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Oh this is even more amazing, how long ago was it that Isaiah was written? 701 B.C. Isaiah writes before Malachi even comes on the scene and he says that there would be a forerunner who would be a voice in the wilderness who prepared the way for the coming King of Glory 701 years before Jesus was born! Now heres the question did it actually happen that way?
Well I am glad you asked because the bible is very specific when it speaks of the events that preceded Jesus’ birth. You see before Mary became pregnant there was another girl in her family who got pregnant with a son. This woman’s name was Elizabeth and she was Mary the mother of Jesus’ cousin, and the Bible records that when Mary walked into the house to visit with her cousin Elizabeth the baby inside Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy!
Luke 1:41
And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,
and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
WOW your telling me that this baby inside of Elizabeth knew when the presence of baby Jesus was in the room even before He was born? No i’m not telling you that God’s word is telling you that! You see this youngin Elizabeth was having weren’t no regular youngin. He was special chosen of God to have a role he played in the redemption story. His name was John the baptist His role? HE WAS A MEGAPHONE FOR THE GLORY OF JESUS CHRIST. He was the one who would proclaim in the streets the coming of the Messiah. He was a pretty popular dude to had a following big ole crowd used to come to him down at the Jordan river and repent and be baptized.
John the baptist was excited in the womb about Jesus and he was excited out of the womb about Jesus because tells us how John the Baptist viewed himself.
It says there was some Jew who came asking ole JTB a question and they asked him “WHO ARE YOU?” you see the crowds coming out to hear him preach were getting pretty large and they didn’t know what was so special about him and how he answers tells you alot about JTB but it also tells you that He knew the one he was serving.
He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
John 1:
You see if these men were really religious elites as they tried to present themselves to be they would have been extatic that prophecy that was 700 years old was now claiming to be fufilled but they missed it.
So one of the criteria if Jesus was to be the Messiah, if that was to be His true identity he would have to have someone to prepare the way before him, here we have JTB preparing the way for the Messiah but is he talking about Jesus? or someone else?
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
So Godl told us ahead of time His Messiah would have a forerunner, did he oh yeah. Here JTB is proclaiming Him to be the SON OF GOD!!
John is like here He is the Son of God I am not worthy to even untie his sandals and here he is ladies and Gentleman.... follow him not me!
So Jesus had a forerunner just as it was prophesied the Messiah would have but how would this Savior be born?
You see Isaiah made another statement 700 years before Jesus was born and what he said a little something like this:
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Isaiah
In order for Jesus to be fully God and fully man there had to be a supernatural birth.
WHY?
Because mankind is under the curse of sin. Therefore when ANY man and woman come together and have a child that child is born in sin, and since God cannot sin he cannot allow a man and woman to have a child the normal way because that child would be under the curse of sin like the rest of us.
There had to be immaculate conception, the woman must have had never been with a man before and then conceive miraculously in order to carry within her womb the King of Glory.
So how was Jesus conceived?
And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to 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.”
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.
Luke 1:31-
We live in a world today where so called Christian scholars debate over whether or not Mary was actually a true virgin.. .. I’m telling you the more and more I hear of things like this being up for debate the more righteous anger wells up in me. MAN HAS NO RIGHT TO QUESTION TO SACRED ETERNAL TRUTH HE DOESN’T UNDERSTAND! There is no debate YOU TAKE AWAY THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION AND YOU TAKE AWAY THE DEITY OF CHRIST MAKING HIM JUST A MAN. God have mercy on the people peddling this heresy, but when Jesus Christ was conceived the Holy Spirit overshadowed “hovered over” Mary and she was with Child. GOD HELP US IF WE TRY TO MAKE EVERYTHING IN THE BIBLE FIT IN OUR FINITE MINDS TO THE POINT WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE FAITH ANYMORE THE BIBLE SAYS WE WALK BY FAITH AND NOT B Y SIGHT!!
Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
John 20
Since were presenting a defense of Jesus being the Messiah let’s just make one thing clear to a world that tries to put Jesus and His identity on trial, JESUS IS NOT THE ONE ON TRIAL WE ARE! WITHOUT THE MIRACULOUS BIRTH, SUBSTITUTIONARY DEATH, AND RESURRECTION OF CHRIST WE WOULDN’T HAVE A DEFENSE ATTORNEY PLEADING OUR CASE BEFORE OUR HEAVENLY FATHER WHO IS THE ONLY TRUE JUDGE! Thank you Jesus!
Since were presenting a defense of Jesus being the Messiah let’s just make one thing clear to a world that tries to put Jesus and His identity on trial, JESUS IS NOT THE ONE ON TRIAL WE ARE! WITHOUT THE MIRACULOUS BIRTH, SUBSTITUTIONARY DEATH, AND RESURRECTION OF CHRIST WE WOULDN’T HAVE A DEFENSE ATTORNEY PLEADING OUR CASE BEFORE OUR HEAVENLY FATHER WHO IS THE ONLY TRUE JUDGE! Thank you Jesus!
So God prescribes the perimeters that must be in place for how Jesus must be born, 700+ years before Jesus comes on the scene.
He must be born of a virgin..... check
He must have a forerunner preparing His way..... check
But God did not only tell us HOW the KING OF GLORY would be born he even laid out
2. WHEN THE KING OF GLORY WOULD BE BORN!
Daniel 9
“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”
add several more important facts about the Messiah: (1) This passage tells us when Messiah will appear on the scene. It obviously anticipates His birth. (2) It tells us that after His appearance, Messiah will be rejected by His people, and (3) that Messiah will be cut off temporarily, an obvious reference to the cross.
Verse 25 refers to a specific time for the coming of Messiah. The seven weeks with the sixty-two weeks combine to make 69 weeks of years (483 years) until the coming of Messiah. The starting point for the 483 years was the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. This is a reference to the decree given in the time of Nehemiah in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes in 445 B.C. (). After this, Messiah would appear on the scene.
The words “until Messiah the Prince” refer to a time when Messiah would be manifested as the prince of Israel. The point of manifestation is debated, but it most likely refers to the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday when He presented Himself and was recognized by the people as Messiah prince. This would be around A.D. 30-33, so the time of His birth as the Immanuel of God would have to be around A.D. 0-4.
After Daniel recorded this it was exactly 483 years...
Now can I submit to you that there were many Jews and others who knew this prophecy well and were looking for this miraculous King to be born. I believe this is why the wise men were looking to the skies because they knew that if this prophecy given was true there would be something going on in the Heavens.
Prophecies of the Birth of Christ
Prophecies of the Birth of Christ
They would have known and studied
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
Isaiah
They were looking to the skies at the expected time this King of GLory was to be born.
Re
Just look at how they asked King Herod about Jesus.
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Matthew 2:1
God laid out the time table and these men of wisdom simply followed directions, when they saw that sign in the Heavens they risked their own lives to come and worship the One who was fulfilling this prophecy.
But not only did God tell people when His King of Glory would be born he told them...
3. WHERE THE KING OF GLORY WOULD BE BORN!
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from of old,
From everlasting.”
Mic
Micah says there is one coming on to the scene 483 years from now and this One who shall be born a ruler is not like any other ruler because HE IS FROM EVERLASTING.
He HAS ALWAYS BEEN AND HE WILL ALWAYS BE!
I’M TELLING YOU WHEN JESUS WAS BORN IN THAT MANGER ETERNITY PUT ON FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US! He came to usher in the Kingdom of Heaven and bring a roadway by which we could be saved… through HIS BLOOD.
So how do we know that Jesus didnt just know the prophecies and then just act out what He knew the Messiah was supposed to do?
Let me ask you one question?
Did you determine where you were born?
Did you determine when you were born?
Did you determine the circumstances surrounding your parents when you were born?
There is no way that Jesus would have any prior control over these things UNLESS He was in control all along ushering in the day when He would step out of eternity and step foot on this Earth to die for the sins of the world!
The OT written hundreds of years before Jesus’ birht contain over 300 prophecies that Jesus fulfilled through His life, death and resurrection.
Mathmatically speaking the odds of anyone fulfilling this amount of prophecy are staggering. Mathmeticians put it this way:
“1 person fulfilling 8 prophecies is a 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000 chance.”
“1 person fulfilling 8 prophecies is a 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000 chance.”
“1 person fulfilling 48 prophecies is a 1 chance in 10 to the 157th power.”
“1 person fulfilling 48 prophecies is a 1 chance in 10 to the 157th power.”
“1 person fulfilling 300+ prophecies HUMANLY IMPOSSIBLE!”
“1 person fulfilling 300+ prophecies HUMANLY IMPOSSIBLE!”
(dimes over Texas)
The Mathemeticians were right the birth of Jesus and the fulfilling of so many prophecies is HUMANLY impossible but with GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!
WHO IS THIS KING OF GLORY?
HIS NAME IS JESUS, PRECIOUS JESUS!
So what does this matter to us?
Well as Christians we need to understand we have historical evidence which backs up the identity of Jesus.
We have scientific evidence that backs up the identity of Jesus
We have Mathematical proof that backs up the identity of Jesus
We have Geographical evidence which backs up the identity of Jesus
We have Geneologcal evidence which backs up the identity of Jesus
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY WHEN PEOPLE SAY I NEED A SIGN TELL THEM THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN OVER 300 JUST IN HIS BIRTH THATS WHY WE CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS GOD BECAME A MAN AND CAME TO RESCUE US!
But
Church fathers would always use the ascension psalm, psalm 24 to descrbe the ascension of Christ going into heaven after He rose from the grave. This is where we will bring this to a close as Christians we are constantly defending the diety of Jesus Christ. But never forget this JESUS CHRIST IS GOD in the most complete and full sense of the term. But Jesus Christ was man in the most complete and full sense of the term.
Introduction
Introduction
There is One god and One mediator between god and men the MAN Christ Jesus. A man has sinned, a race the human race is fallen. A man MUST DIE and a man MUST RISE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD, AND THEN THAT LONG AWAITED PRAYER OF JOB MUST BE ANSWERED.
I would like to invite you to climb on board an imaginary time machine with me for an intriguing journey back into history. Why do I invite you to go with me on this journey? Well, look at our world today. In spite of all the technological advances and social programs, it is a world ripped apart by strife, murder, moral breakdown of the highest magnitude, wars and rumors of wars, broken homes (divorce, child abuse, spousal abuse), and on and on the list goes. The Israeli-Arab dispute continues, yet without any real resolve. Pollution, the threat of nuclear holocaust and the destruction of mankind hangs over our heads, and yet we are helpless to solve these problems. People devise human social programs, reforms, and solutions, but the problems don’t go away. Not only do they continue, but they are increasing just as the Bible warns ().
YOU SEE A LADDER THAT REACHES ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP Charles Spurgeon tells us is no good. A ladder that reaches only to the bottom will do us no help. We need a ladder that reaches from bottom to the top and from the top to the bottm. We need a Savior who is GOD AND MAN. That MAN, THAT GOD, THAT MAN CHRIST JESUS ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD AND ON THE 40th day HE ASCENDED UP TO THE RIGHT HAND OF HIS FATHER AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ALL THE HISTORY OF HISTORY, a man walked up to the doors of Heaven and cried out what we find in
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
All of Heaven behind those doors are in utter shock, in silence and wonder. Finally a brave One lifts His voice and begins to speak. WHO IS THIS KING OF GLORY?
WHO DARES DEMAND TO DOORS OF HEAVEN BE OPENED?
NO MAN HAS EVER DARED COME THIS FAR, OR EVEN LAY HIS HAND TO THE LATCH! WHO IS THIS KING OF GLORY?
THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE LORD, THE MESSIAH, THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, THE MAN FOR US CRIES OUT:
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle!
“
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
IN THE FIRST TIME OF ALL TIMES, THOSE DOORS OPENED FOR A MAN.
He walked through those doors and everything that has ever been made fell on its face. “All hail the power of Jesus name, let angels prostrate fall. Bring forth the royal diadem and crown Him Lord of all”
CROWN HIM WITH MANY CROWNS
THIS LAMB UPON THE THRONE
I can just see Him now, walking up to His Father BOLD IT WAS HIS RIGHT! CLIMBING THE STEPS OF THIS THRONE THAT WOULD HAVE MADE SOLOMONS THRONE LOOK LIKE A PIECE OF GARBAGE. He then sits down at the right hand of His father without even asking permission.
Looks at His FATHER NOT AS A QUESTION BUT AS AN AFFIRMATION AND SAYS FATHER IT IS FINISHED!
the Father says SON it is finished indeed!
this Jesus whom you crucified God has made Him both Lord and Christ over all.
DON’T EVEN THINK I WILL ASK YOU TO MAKE JESUS LORD OF YOUR LIFE, JESUS CHRIST LORD OF YOUR LIFE WHETHER YOU SERVE HIM OR NOT WHETHER YOU BLESS HIM, CURSE HIM, HATE HIM, or LOVE HIM HE IS LORD OF YOUR LIFE BECAUSE GOD HAS GIVEN HIM A NAME ABOVE EVERY NAME SO THAT AT THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW AND EVERY TONGUE CONFESS THAT HE IS LORD!
SOME OF YOU WILL BOW OUT OF THE GRACE THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO YOU, AND OTHERS WILL BOW BECAUSE THEIR KNEE CAPS HAVE BEEN BROKEN BY THE ONE WHO RULES THE WORLD WITH A ROD OF IRON.
But for now HE sits on His throne fully God and fully man which means the ancient gates are open he bids you to come. As a friend as a brother he says today is the day of salvation to all who trust in me!
The ‘one worlders’ of our society, of course, see things very differently. For instance, in the past several years we have seen tremendous changes in Europe, the removal of the Berlin wall, the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the opening up of Russia, the ongoing talks about peace in the Middle East. We have seen the apparent changes toward freedom that have taken place in the other communistic countries, and government officials and society as a whole see this as a sign that we are on the verge of a new era of world peace. In fact, mankind has been saying for years that what we need is an influential, powerful, charismatic leader to come on the scene of human history to mold the world into unity and peace. So, the world watches for such a person, someone who has the skill, the wisdom, the political power and charisma to draw the world together into a new age of globalism where there will be peace.
Who is this King of glory?
But if we look among the world’s leaders, can we find such a person? No, not at all! The problems are just too big for any ordinary man. Scripture does, however, promise just such a Savior, and it is because of this promise that I invite you on this journey. It also warns us that in the last days three key counterfeit conditions will be prevalent:
YOU ALREADY KNOW HIS NAME.... HIS NAME IS JESUS CHRIST
(1) The last days will be days of apostasy: As time moves along, Scripture warns there will be a growing universal revolt against God and authority that will manifest itself in a humanism in which man, believing the age-old lie of Satan that he can solve his own problems, becomes the center, source, and answer to all his problems (, ; ).
Do you know Him?
(2) The last days will be days of globalism: Because of wars, rumors of wars, and the threat of international crises that will build in preparation for the scenario found in the Great Tribulation ( and ), and because of man’s humanism [human self-reliance], there will be a spirit of globalism (a modern day Tower of Babel). More and more the human race will look to a one-world international system to bring peace and safety ().
Are you serving Him?
(3) The last days will be days of false messiahs: This hope and search for some form of a one-world system will lead to the longing and search for someone who can come on the scene of human history and mold the world into unity and peace. The last days will be days of false messiahs, a time when the world will be looking for solutions in a great world leader until such a person arises in the form of the Antichrist, the Beast of the tribulation period (, ; ; ).
WILL HIS BIRTH BE THE FOCAL POINT IN YOUR HOME THIS CHRISTMAS?
Please note, this new globalism will not only be wrapped up in humanism, itself a form of religion, but it will involve a universal religion that is both mystical and eclectic--that is it will seek to draw all religions together regardless of beliefs. It will be tolerant of any and all religions, except, of course, Christianity which it will hate with a vengeance and persecute with gusto for two reasons:
I hope so because without Christ there is no such thing as Christmas
(1) Outwardly, it will be because genuine Christianity is not eclectic or broad-minded in this sense. While the Bible reaches out with its message to all men, it also teaches there is one way to heaven--the narrow way through faith in the Savior who alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Let’s pray
(2) Inwardly, this persecution will exist because the one-world movement and the people in it will be energized by Satan and his antichrist program.
We find in today’s New Age writings their religious heroes are Buddha, Jesus, Gandhi, Schweitzer, Teilhard de Chardin, Martin Luther King, Hammerskjold, and U Thant. These are individuals who transcend races, nations, and groups and fit well into their global ideology. But in their writings, if they list Jesus at all, he is simply passed over as just one of the religious greats. He is wedged between the likes of Buddha and Gandhi, thus betraying their open rejection of the Savior’s claims as the Son of God, the one and only Savior of the world--the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In the recent so called million man march in Washington DC, Jesus was mentioned, but only as another of the great world religious leaders, which is tantamount to his rejection.
The world is truly in a mess and desperately needs a deliver. We do need someone to come and take charge of our lives personally and universally. Again, the Bible promises just such a Deliverer, but how can we know who the true Deliverer is when he comes on the scene? How can we clearly identify and distinguish him from the counterfeits?
In writing to the Ephesians, Paul spoke of their past and reminded them that before they came to Christ they were like the rest of the Gentile world. They were “strangers to the covenants of promise (lit. the covenants [plural] of the promise [singular]), having no hope and without God in the world” (). All the covenants with their individual features were ultimately pointing to one great promise--the coming of the Christ. Because the Gentile world did not have or know these covenants and this great promise, which is woven everywhere into the fabric of the Old Testament like a golden thread, they had no hope.
Writing to the Romans, the Apostle said, “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (). The Scriptures we will look at in this study are those that deal with the lineage of Christ and the prophecies of His birth. These prophecies, as a part of that hope, form an incredible line of truth and remarkable evidence which authenticate the claims of Christ and shows us the real meaning of Christmas.
Every Christmas season I have watched a number of Christmas specials. Many were musical and most were stories with a Christmas theme. They were warm, entertaining, and usually sought to communicate some kind of moral or positive message about hope, giving, and loving one another. But generally, they never come close to communicating the true hope of Christmas as it is found in the coming of Jesus Christ according to the facts of Scripture. As stated by the Apostle, they were without true hope.
The early church and the writers of the New Testament appealed to a number of things to establish faith in Christ as the Old Testament Messiah and as the Savior and Son of God and hope of mankind. They appealed to: (1) His miracles and wonders as signs (; ) (2) His resurrection as that climactic event of Christ’s earthly life in His first coming that truly marked Him out as Son of God and Savior of all mankind (). (3) But there was also the character of His life, and the way His life, including His birth, fulfilled prophecy, an amazing and incredible line of evidence.
The Old Testament, written over a period of 1000 years and written several hundred years before the time of Christ, contains some three hundred prophecies of the coming Messiah. The fact these prophecies were written at least two hundred years before Christ is proven by the Septuagint [LXX], the Greek translation of the Old Testament written in 200 B.C., and by the Dead Sea Scrolls, some of which are dated over 200 years before Christ as well. All of these ancient prophecies were fulfilled in the one person of Jesus Christ, and they provide solid confirmation:
for His credentials as Messiah,
for His claims as the Son of God and Savior,
for His unique life in comparison to all the other
religious
leaders of the world, and
for our hope and confidence that truly He and He alone is the one to whom we (and the world) must look for salvation and meaning in life.
The probability of all these being fulfilled in one person as merely coincidence is beyond comprehension and, for all practical purposes, mathematically impossible. The entire Old Testament, though dealing with the history of the nations and of Israel, ultimately spoke of the Messiah, the Redeemer who would come. This is evident from the following verses of Scripture:
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.”
“And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.”
Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
“You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me;
When the person of Messiah comes on the scene is there some way we can clearly identify Him? How can we know that He is the right one and not an imposter--someone who ends up being a Hitler or the Beast as described in ? How can we know this Jesus of the New Testament is this Deliver to whom we are to look?
The Scripture not only promises the Messiah, but it does so in such a way that we can precisely identify Him. This is an important point because many have arisen who claimed to have the answers to society whether political or social, and the Bible warns us that many more will arise. How, then, can we identify this one of whom the Scripture speaks?
Let’s say that you are courier carrying a very valuable, highly classified document which must not fall into the wrong hands. You are to give the document to a particular person that you do not know and have never seen. How can you recognize and be sure that once you meet that person, he or she is the right one and not an impostor? One way is by having a number of marks of identification. The more marks of identification (gender, size, color of hair, complexion, meeting location, specifics of dress, password, etc.), the better your chance of identifying the right person. The Bible has done precisely this. It has given us dozens of ways to identify the promised Deliverer.
Using the Bible as our road map, we will climb aboard our time machine and journey back into ancient history, back to the Garden of Eden where we will begin our journey forward through the corridors of time with the Word of God to guide and illuminate our path. With the light of the Word, we will look for road signs and marks of identification to guide us on our journey in quest of finding and identifying this person of whom the Scripture speaks, the one promised to the human race as the only solution to the problems of the world--yet the one the world resists.
As we look at these road signs scattered along the highway of history, we need to note that each sign is above all else, an identifier. Many of them are also predictions, in some cases warnings, but also promises. We begin with Adam and Eve and each new sign or prophecy will add more details. This will constantly narrow the field of possible candidates until all the important factors of identification are revealed. As a result, there can be no doubt about God’s plan of salvation for mankind as well as where and in whom it can be found.
In our study, we are looking at only those signs that focus primarily on his birth or lineage, but many more focus on His life and works which further identify and prove the identity of the only one in whom we must place our trust for the salvation that is offered freely, without cost through faith.
Quickly now, let’s fasten our seat belts, and with everyone aboard, let’s journey back some 6500 years where we will arrive at a place called the Garden of Eden.
The Fall of Mankind
The Fall of Mankind
We find the Garden of Eden was designed by God to be a paradise. But wait a minute! Something seems to be wrong! It is quite apparent something terrible has happened. Our map shows us that, following the suggestions of the serpent, Adam and Eve sought to live independently of God and sin entered the human scene.
1. Whereas man and woman had life, now death rules.
2. Whereas there was joy and pleasure, now pain has been introduced.
3. Whereas there was a joyous occupation with abundance, now a meager subsistence by toil and the sweat of the brow has become the rule with pain in childbirth.
4. Whereas there was perfect fellowship with God and each other, now we see alienation and fear, blaming, hiding, and attempting to cover their nakedness with fig leaves.
So what now?
Road Sign Number 1:
The Promised Seed ()
Road Sign Number 1:
The Promised Seed ()
“And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
In this verse, we have the sign of the promised seed. This is often called the protevangelium, the first flicker of the gospel. It is only a broad generalization without a lot of detail, but, though only in embryo form, is: (1) a prophecy, (2) a warning, and (3) a promise. But above all, it is (4) the foundation for the many promises and the beginning of many road signs that follow down the pathway of Scripture. The signs which follow will clarify and develop many details in the progress of God’s revelation. These added details will point us clearly to the one who is to come and to what we can expect.
Some Important Observations About the Passage--Since this is the foundation of all the promises that follow, it is important to note a number of observations:
(1) The promise of is addressed to the serpent, not to mankind. Begun in 3:14, it is part of a sentence of judgment passed on one who is the enemy of both God and man. Though it contains, in seed form a promise for mankind, it is more directly a sentence of judgment on the serpent (clearly a reference to Satan). This teaches us that God’s plan “is about God’s rule as much as about man’s need.”1
(2) Though contains great hope for mankind as a promise, it is also a prophecy of hostility and struggle. “Enmity” comes from a Hebrew word which means “to hate.” This first road sign and prophecy is cradled in a warning of great c
(3) “Enmity” is a term not really applicable to dumb beasts. Its scriptural use limits it, like its verb root, to enmity between persons or morally responsible agents. This fact, and the revelation of the New Testament reveals the figure of Satan behind the serpent (; ; ). This rules out the idea of mere hostility between mankind and snakes.
(4) We note that the struggle is between the serpent and the woman, between his seed and her seed, and between a single individual and the serpent. The text says, “And I will put enmity between you (the serpent) and the woman (Eve), . . . he (the seed of the woman) shall bruise you (the serpent) on the head, And you (the serpent) shall bruise him (the seed of the woman) on the heel.” Adam is simply and plainly passed over. The reason for this is not given here, but as we journey through history the light of God’s revelation will both identify the serpent and show why Adam is passed over. The reason is the virgin birth. Though perhaps not understood then, we have in the anticipation of the virgin birth. Satan’s defeat and that of his seed (the unbelieving world) would come from the seed of the woman. It speaks of her seed, not his (the man’s) nor theirs (the man and the woman). Deliverance would come from the woman without the aid of a man. The seeds referred to here are not defined. Later revelation will do this, but the text is suggestive by itself:
First, the seed of the serpent is a collective noun meaning “offspring,” and must refer to the children of the evil one, those who are in a spiritual sense the children of the devil. reads, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (NIV). The text is obviously not talking about an offspring of snakes.
Second, if “seed” must refer to a whole class and is used in the collective sense in the first half of the statement, then “seed” in the second half of the statement must be used collectively for the descendants or posterity of the woman. The enmity is one that will exist between two groups throughout history, the serpent’s and the woman’s.
Third, in the last part of verse 15, however, the seed is narrowed to the singular “he” and the singular “you” which anticipates a person--a particular seed who does battle with the serpent--who is Satan. (Though and 19 deal with the seed of Abraham, it is still applicable. Also compare ; and ).
(5) Two things are stated about the seeds and their enmity: First, her seed would bruise, crush the serpent’s head. This clearly portrays a mortal wound which means her seed would be victorious. A deliverance is anticipated. Second, the serpent would bruise her seed on the heel. Her seed would suffer, but it would not be a mortal wound or one that would lead to defeat. A deliverer who suffers, but is ultimately victorious is promised.
We anticipate, then, a struggle but also a deliverance by one who will suffer. But to what or to whom shall we look? What form would the struggle take? Eve, the mother of all living, would have many sons and daughters who would eventually spread out all over the earth, so to whom do we look?
In we find the first mention of birth. Could the promised seed be Cain which is probably best understood to mean, “acquired” or “gotten.” “Cain” sounds like qana, the verb used here which means “to get, acquire”? Literally the Hebrew reads, “I have gotten (acquired) a man with the Lord.” This was apparently a cry of faith, an expectation from Eve. Did Eve think this was the promised seed?
Eve probably did not know or sense that the enmity in the human race would be so long. She may have thought Cain was the promised seed or at least the first in the lineage of the seed who would crush the serpent and restore what was lost. But as the passage shows, Cain was not a man of faith because he brought a bloodless offering. His brother Abel, however, brought a blood offering which was accepted by God. By doing so Abel displayed his faith in the coming Redeemer, perhaps even understanding he was one who must suffer.
Thus, Able represented the godly seed, the line of the Savior, while Cain represented the ungodly seed, the line of Satan.
But we immediately see that Cain murdered Abel. This is the first illustration of the enmity between the two seeds. Very early on we begin to see the trail of destruction and deception. As illustrated with Cain, not all would believe and the promise of became ignored or distorted by the ancient mysticism of Babylon and a religious system that has been call “the mother-child cult.” This was a clever counterfeit of the promise of which would flourish all over the world and rise again in the last days.2
In order to keep the promise pure, God would need a remnant, a godly line of believers who would believe the promise, proclaim it, and become the channel for the seed of the woman. So, in the lineage of the seed we will see how God protected the promise and eliminated millions that we might know just where to look for Messiah. We will see how God identifies the seed and fulfills His promises to Adam and Eve, to Abraham, and to others in spite of the continued opposition of the serpent.
This line of prophetic truth regarding the birth of the seed of the woman becomes more and more amazing and miraculous. These road signs will enable us to pinpoint with great accuracy just who this Deliverer is, when and where and how He would be born, and other amazing details foretold by the Scriptures hundreds of years in advance. Here stands an impressive line of evidence for the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. The evidence demonstrates that He is not just another of the world’s great religious leaders, but that truly He and He alone is the promised seed, the answer to mankind’s many needs, and the one in whom the nations would be blessed.
Road Sign Number 2:
The Line of Seth—The Godly Seed
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Road Sign Number 2:
The Line of Seth—The Godly Seed
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And Adam had relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for, she said, “God has appointed me another offspring in place of Abel; for Cain killed him.” And to Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the LORD.
“Seth” is from a Hebrew word which means “to set, place, appoint.” With this name and Eve’s statement in verse 25b, it is evident this child becomes the one appointed to be the godly line, the line out of which the seed of the woman will come.
Who names the child? Eve does, and I think this again illustrates her faith. The mention of “another offspring” in place of Abel, literally, “another seed,” takes up the promise of and in essence, announces from which of Eve’s sons the seed would come. So the line is narrowed, but note that in verse 26 we read, “Then, men began to call upon the name of the Lord.” The “then” refers to the logical consequences of the birth of Seth and the establishment of the godly line of men from which the seed of the woman would come. “This stands in contrast to the ungodly line of Cain, who ‘went out from the presence of the Lord’“ (vs. 16).3
Let’s move forward again several hundred years (at least 1656 years following creation) and maybe more if this list of the sons of Seth is not exhaustive and there are no gaps in the record. Ryrie writes, “It is likely, however, that the genealogy is selective, resulting in gaps in the list and pushing the date of creation farther back.”4
We turn next to and the time of Noah, but again we see the enmity and the path of destruction and deception in human history. Once again Satan attempts to stop the promise of . is an extremely puzzling and difficult passage which has a very pointed connection with the flood as God’s judgment on the earth. Time will not allow a discussion of this passage in this series, but it seems evident, regardless of one’s viewpoint concerning “the sons of God” and “the daughters of men,” that this passage describes Satan’s attempt to “take over the earth and banish the name of God and His Christ from this planet.”5 Regardless of one’s understanding of this passage, it was certainly Satan’s attempt to kill out any belief in the coming Redeemer with the grossest type of immorality.
Ross remarks, “ . . . describes how corrupt the world got when this violation was rampant. It is also a polemic against the pagan belief that giants (Nephilim; cf. ) and men of renown () were of divine origin, and that immortality was achieved by immorality.”6 In other w
But God raised up man, a preacher of righteousness, whose name was Noah. Noah, his wife, their sons and their wives believed God and for 120 years Noah warned of a coming judgment which would clearly prove that these heroes or “men of renown” were mere flesh, under God’s authority and control, and would die--which they did in the flood. So God destroyed the human race with the flood, except for Noah and his family. Now it is obvious the seed of the woman would come through Noah. But Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth who became the fathers of the entire human race. Which one would be the godly line, the one from which the seed would come?
Road Sign Number 3:
Blessings on Shem ()
Road Sign Number 3:
Blessings on Shem ()
He also said, “Blessed be the LORD, The God of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant.
The wording here is unexpected. In verse 25, Noah said, “Cursed be Canaan,” but here, rather than “blessed be Shem,” he said, “blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem.” The point is that Shem’s good fortune was the product of his relationship to the Lord as his God. This is not only a prophecy and a pronouncement of blessing upon Shem and his posterity, but in it God declares that Shem’s posterity would know and serve the one true God. His descendents would become the godly seed or line. From Shem would come the Deliverer, the seed of the woman and the means of blessing to the other brothers ().
We see two key developments as we continue to look for the seed of the woman.
(1) Shem also, had many sons. So to which one do we look? The descendants of Shem became the Semitic people, many of whom dwelt in the east around the land of Shinar or Babylon.
(2) Furthermore, as time moved along, the nations revolted under the leadership of a man called Nimrod, whose very name could mean “let us revolt” (). “The name Nimrod ‘no doubt suggested to the Israelites that idea of rebel . . . against God’”78 Nimrod’s Tower of Babel became Satan’s first attempt at a one-world system of government by which man sought unity and prosperity apart from God. It was clearly an anti-God, humanistic kingdom and the first try at a United Nations.
Unfortunately, this rebellion included the Semitic people (the descendants of Shem), many of whom lived in Babylon and all of whom became involved in this Babylonian system of idolatry. History teaches us that Nimrod had a wife by the name of Semerimus who established the worship of what may be called “the mother-child cult.” This became Satan’s clever counterfeit to the promise of the seed of the woman. Here was the beginning of the “Mother of Harlots” of .
Again we see the enmity at work, the trail of blood and deception. Let’s move on down the corridors of time and look for more road signs.
Road Sign Number 4:
The Call of Abram and the Abrahamic Covenant
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Road Sign Number 4:
The Call of Abram and the Abrahamic Covenant
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Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
The whole world had fallen in with Satan’s system just as it will again in the last days and the days of the Great Tribulation as described in the book of Revelation. The world lay in humanism, pantheism, idolatry, and unbelief. But God always has his man and His remnant and, as faithful and sovereign God, He will fulfill His promises and purposes. So, God called a man by the name of Abram. How we are not told, but while Abram was in Ur of the Chaldeans, a wealthy, populous, and sophisticated pagan center of idolatry, Abram heard the call of God and believed Him.
As foretold in Scripture, Abram is in the line of Shem from whom the seed would come. In this text, several new tidbits of information are given.
(1) A specific portion of land is now in view, one that will become the center of the world as God views it. The seed of the woman will come out of a special parcel of land, the land of Canaan, later to be known as Palestine.
(2) A specific nation is now in view, one that would come out of the loins of Abram. So we look for a nation that will arise out of the descendants of Abram.
(3) Universal blessings are promised for all the nations. Abram’s seed would become a channel of blessing to all the world. This means we look for the Redeemer and promised Seed to come from Abram’s people.
In subsequent sections in Genesis, God amplifies and enlarges on these promises, but now we know in what family and in what land we should look for the seed of the woman. We won’t look in China, in Babylon, in Assyria, in India, in Western Europe, in Italy, in Turkey, or in the Americas. No, we are to look for this Deliverer, this seed of the woman, from a small piece of ground along the Mediterranean Sea, the land of Israel.
But as we journey on down the pages of Scripture, we soon learn that Abram would be the father of a multitude. Many nations would come from Abram, so many God even changed his name to Abraham meaning “father of a multitude” ().
“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. “No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. “And I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come forth from you. “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. (NASB)
To whom do we look now? As we continue our trek down the pages of Scripture, we find another sign.
Road Sign Number 5:
In Isaac and His Descendants
( & 21:12)
Road Sign Number 5:
In Isaac and His Descendants
( & 21:12)
But God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.
But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named.
We are to look for the Deliverer in the descendents of Isaac. But wait! Isaac would have two sons and two nations would come from him. Which nation would be the channel for the seed? Would it be Esau, the father of the Edomites, or Jacob, the father of Israel?
Road Sign Number 6:
In Jacob and His Descendants
( & 28:13-14)
Road Sign Number 6:
In Jacob and His Descendants
( & 28:13-14)
But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is so, why then am I this way?” So she went to inquire of the LORD. And the LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples shall be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger.”
And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. “Your descendants shall also be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
Again, God’s road signs, placed carefully along the pages of Scripture and the corridors of time, guide us and the line is narrowed. Still, as we continue our travels, we find that Jacob had 12 sons (). From which son do we look for the seed of the woman and the deliverer and source of blessing to the nations. Is it Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulon, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Joseph or Benjamin? As always, God does not leave us guessing.
Road Sign Number 7:
In The Tribe of Juda
Road Sign Number 7:
In The Tribe of Juda
“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
In Jacob pronounces blessing on each of his sons and in the process narrows the line to the tribe of Judah. Made on his death bed, this is a prophecy of Jacob describes the future of Israel. In this prophecy, God not only narrows the field again, but broadens our expectations to look for One who will one day become a ruler in Israel. Let’s note some of the ingredients of this prophecy.
(1) Judah means praise. In this tribe, God would do that which would cause men to lift up their voice to Him in praise.
(2) “The scepter” and “the ruler’s staff” clearly refer to the right to rule or to the royal line.
(3) “Shiloh” is clearly a messianic title for “the seed of the woman, the Deliverer who would come.”
(4) “Shiloh” may mean “peaceful” or “peacemaker” after the promise of (cf. ). Or it may mean, “whose it is” or “he to whom it belongs,” i.e., the right to rule.
This then is a prediction that tells us two important facts: First, Judah would become the royal line, the tribe that would rule in Israel and one day rule over the world through this Deliverer who is to come. Second, it is not saying that once Judah began to rule there would always be someone on the throne of Israel. Rather, the declaration is that the right to rule would remain in Judah and that out of Israel herself, no impostor would sit on the throne of Israel until Shiloh, the Peacemaker, comes to rule and his kingdom is established.
Now as we travel on down the pages of Scripture and history we find the tribe of Judah increases by many thousands. Again we look to Scripture to see who would be the channel?
Road Sign Number 8:
In the Family of Jesse
( & , )
Road Sign Number 8:
In the Family of Jesse
( & , )
Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have selected a king for Myself among his sons.”
, Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. … Then it will come about in that day That the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious.
Road Sign Number 9:
In the Person of David
Road Sign Number 9:
In the Person of David
Prophecy: ; ;
So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.
“When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 “And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”’”
Fulfillment: ; , ,
Now we can see that the prophecies become even more precise, so we not only know in what line, but when, where, and how. When we come to the lineage and birth of the Savior, the accuracy of Scripture and its uniqueness among the religious writings of the world is absolutely incredible and intriguing! Why? What does this do for us? In these prophecies and in the lineage of Messiah we see several things:
(1) We see that which is miraculous and impossible apart from the intervention and work of a personal God in human history.
(2) We see how God kept the line of identification clear so no impostor might be mistaken for Messiah.
(3) We also see how God minutely fulfilled His Word in the face of the enmity of Satan and the sinful acts of men.
In the people of Israel in stubborn rebellion cried out for a king like the nations (, ). It was God’s plan to give them a king, but one after His own heart who would rule under God’s authority with God ruling over the king’s heart.
The first king God chose was Saul of the tribe of Benjamin and not from the tribe of Judah as prophesied by Jacob in . Why? In we have the account of the sin of Judah and of his illegitimate child, Perez. There was also a twin, Zera. But since Perez was the firstborn he became the seed or the royal line (; ). However, declares that an illegitimate son could not enter the congregation of the Lord until the tenth generation. What does this mean? It means that such a son and none of his descendants until the tenth generation could serve as king or priest.
Jesse, the Father of David was a descendant of Perez and, as you might guess, he was the ninth generation making David the tenth (cf. and ). As a result, God chose Saul until David could come of age. In the process of this, (1) thousands of the line of Judah were eliminated, (2) the line of identification was kept clear, and (3) God’s Word was not broken.
Road Sign Number 10:
The Royal Line to Pass Through David’s Son, Solomon
Road Sign Number 10:
The Royal Line to Pass Through David’s Son, Solomon
Prophecy: and
“When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. “And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”’” In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
“Yet, the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever. For He has chosen Judah to be a leader; and in the house of Judah, my father’s house, and among the sons of my father He took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. “And of all my sons for the LORD has given me many sons, He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.
Fulfillment: , ;
declared God’s covenant with David. In this covenant (known as the Davidic Covenant) God passed the royal line through Solomon with certain unconditional promises. God assured David that his house, throne, and kingdom would be established forever. Though the house of David would degenerate and though there would be interruptions to its rule, the right to rule would remain with David’s family as predicted in , and one day it would be permanently established through Messiah (, cf. ,).
What happens following this is intriguing as well as miraculous because of what happens to the royal line of David through Solomon. The next prophecies (or road signs) along the course of prophetic history deal with this royal line and Messiah’s birth.
Road Sign Number 11:
Messiah to be Preceded by a Forerunner
Road Sign Number 11:
Messiah to be Preceded by a Forerunner
Prophecy: ;
A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.
“Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the LORD of hosts.
Fulfillment: ;
It is predicted that Messiah would be preceded by a forerunner who would prepare the hearts of the people for the Lord. Compare where Mark uses to introduce and explain the meaning and purpose of the Isaiah passage as it is fulfilled in John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ.
Road Sign Number 12:
Messiah to be Born by the Miracle of the Virgin Birth
Road Sign Number 12:
Messiah to be Born by the Miracle of the Virgin Birth
Prophecy:
Then he said, “Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well? “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. (NASB)
Fulfillment: ;
announces the birth of a wondrous child through a virgin as a sign of deliverance to the whole house of David--the birth of Messiah by the miracle of the virgin birth. This passage, quoted by the angel to Joseph to explain what had happened, is included by Matthew as one of the many fulfillment prophecies regarding Messiah that were fulfilled in the conception of Mary and the birth and life of Jesus. Though this will not be a detailed explanation of this passage, I do want to emphasize a few important points.
There is a promise and judgment on the house of David (). It is important to notice that this section is addressed to the whole house of David (vs. 13), and not to just Ahaz or the immediate situation. It becomes both a promise to the house of David and a judgment.
First, by the sign and promise of , God is assuring the house of David that this alliance of Syria and Israel (7:1-2) would not come to pass. No impostor would ever sit on the throne of David.
Second, I believe the promise of the sign and the virgin birth was saying that the line of David which had spiritually degenerated would be replaced by One who was not degenerate, though still in the royal line of David and with all royal rights to the throne. God would set aside the physical line of the merely human and degenerate house of David, which would become even more degenerate during the reigns of the kings to come. This will become even more evident when we get to the curse of Jeconiah.
Finally, the sign guaranteed the deliverance of God’s people and the final establishment of David’s throne though the birth of this marvelous child called Immanuel, which means, “God with us.” No impostor would take the right of rule away from David’s line.
Many see a double fulfillment here. The first fulfillment in the birth of a contemporary whose birth represented God’s presence with the ultimate fulfillment referring to the Lord Jesus. I personally have problems with this and have become convinced this is a direct messianic prophecy which has its fulfillment only in the birth and person of Jesus Christ. True, there is a son born to Isaiah in the next chapter who becomes a confirmation of the Messiah prophecy of 7:14, but his name is not Immanuel. It is Maher-shalal-has-baz, “swift is the booty, speedy is the prey” (). The statement of 8:8, “. . . will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel” is not addressing Isaiah’s son. It addresses Messiah and declares that His land will be invaded by Assyria.
Regardless of whether one sees a dual fulfillment (one for the time of Isaiah and one for the time of Messiah) or exclusively messianic (referring to Messiah only), one of the primary purposes of the prophecy was to show the sinful, degenerate, and merely human line of Ahaz had become impotent, and that it would be replaced by One who was more than man. He would be the God-man, Immanuel, conceived miraculously in the virgin. He would be the One who would become the marvelous Son of chapter 9:6, the One called “Mighty God,” and the Son of 11:1, the One who would one day “strike the earth with the rod of His mouth . . .” Furthermore, no child as recorded in Scripture is ever called Immanuel. No son of Isaiah or Hezekiah or any other contemporary was ever called Immanuel. When Christ was born He was called “Jesus,” never “Immanuel.”
What’s the Point? “Immanuel” is not a name, an appellation; it was instead a designation, a title or a description of who this Child would be--God with us in the flesh, both God and man (; ).
“Virgin” is the Hebrew, `alma, which means “a mature, young, unmarried, and chaste woman.” `Alma . . . represents a young woman, one of whose characteristics is virginity. This is born out by several facts:
(1) The Septuagint, long before any Christological controversies, used parthenos (the Greek word for virgin) in two of the seven occurrences of `alma, and this includes . This is what the angel quoted to Joseph as a prediction of the virgin birth.
(2) There is no instance where one can prove that `alma designates a young woman who is not also a virgin.9
(3) Further, it is the only Hebrew word that unequivocally signifies an unmarried woman. No other Hebrew word would clearly indicate that the one whom it designates was unmarried.10
(4) It is sometimes argued that the Hebrew language had a more precise word for “virgin,” bethulah, but this word may also designate a betrothed virgin or one who was actually married (cf. ). In such a case, the birth of the child might be viewed as the result of the normal husband/wife relationship. Had Isaiah used this word, he would or could have left us in confusion or with the wrong idea (cf. Young, p. 288). But not so with `alma. He is speaking of a young, unmarried virgin who conceives miraculously. `Alma was used because it combines both the ideas of virginity and the condition of being unmarried.
In this way, one would be born, but not by normal conception, but by a miracle work of God so that the one born would not only be true man, but God with us in the sense of being the God-man (cf. , ). Thus, we are to expect precisely what we find in the gospel accounts of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Road Sign Number 13:
The Royal Line Cut Off and Cursed, Yet the Promise Preserved
Road Sign Number 13:
The Royal Line Cut Off and Cursed, Yet the Promise Preserved
clearly shows the royal line was to be cursed and cut off. Included in the royal line of David through Solomon was Jeconiah (or Coniah).11 The curse clearly states that no physical seed of Coniah could ever occupy the throne of David. This means the royal line of David through Solomon was cut off. God saw to it that this prophecy was carried out by the following conditions:
(1) The captivity of Babylon and the nations that followed Babylon which would rule over Israel with the result that no one would be able to sit on the throne of Judah or of David. The nations following Babylon were Medo-Persia, Greece and finally Rome.
(2) This condition has been maintained by what the New Testament calls “the times of the Gentiles,” the period of Gentile domination that will continue until the second advent of Messiah according to .
But what about God’s promises to David concerning his throne and kingdom? Are they abrogated and thus fulfilled in the spiritual reign of God in the church as many teach today? Is God finished with the nation of Israel? Will there be then no millennial reign? The answer is and emphatic NO! God is not finished with Israel. And YES, there will be a millennial reign! God’s promises to David are not abrogated and the reason they are not is because of the Immanuel promise and its fulfillment in the birth of Jesus Christ. How does the virgin birth accomplish this? Through the virgin birth Jesus became the legal son of Joseph by adoption, but the physical son David through Mary. Joseph, who was in the royal line of David through Solomon, gave Jesus legal title to the throne by adoption (). Mary, by the Spirit-wrought miracle of the virgin birth, made Jesus a literal son of David through Nathan another one of David’s sons ().
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Remember we said that the prophecies of the birth of the Messiah, or the seed of the woman, are so precise that they not only tell us how, (that the Savior would come through the miracle of the virgin birth), but they would even tell us when and where and more about how!
Road Sign Number 14:
The Time of Messiah’s Birth
Road Sign Number 14:
The Time of Messiah’s Birth
The Prophecy:
“Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place. “So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”
Fulfillment: ; , the Triumphal Entry.
add several more important facts about the Messiah: (1) This passage tells us when Messiah will appear on the scene. It obviously anticipates His birth. (2) It tells us that after His appearance, Messiah will be
Verse 25 refers to a specific time for the coming of Messiah. The seven weeks with the sixty-two weeks combine to make 69 weeks of years (483 years) until the coming of Messiah. The starting point for the 483 years was the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. This is a reference to the decree given in the time of Nehemiah in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes in 445 B.C. (). After this, Messiah would appear on the scene.
The words “until Messiah the Prince” refer to a time when Messiah would be manifested as the prince of Israel. The point of manifestation is debated, but it most likely refers to the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday when He presented Himself and was recognized by the people as Messiah prince. This would be around A.D. 30-33, so the time of His birth as the Immanuel of God would have to be around A.D. 0-4.
By the way, though somewhat debated, it is a believed that at the time of Christ’s birth there was an air of expectancy among godly Jews who still had the hope of Messiah.