2022-5-1

Isaiah and the prophets speak of the Redeemer as both Suffering Servant and Conquering King. It was baffling to them how the Redeemer could be both. From our vantage point, with the completion of biblical revelation, we get to understand what wasn’t clear to the prophets of the OT, that the Redeemer would come twice, fulfilling both roles with each advent.

It is as if in their vision of future things, they were seeing the peaks of two mountains which aligned according to their line of sight. So they couldn’t tell that they were looking at two peaks of two mountain tops. This makes it look like just one advent for both the Suffering Servant and Conquering King.

Scripture alludes to their perspective...

1 Peter 1:10–12 ESV

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

The prophets knew they couldn’t see the whole picture, yet they knew that they were part of helping a later group see the greater picture. That group includes you and me.

The other item which they were not given to know is the valley between the first and second peak. In that valley resides the church. The church was an unknown to those before Christ.

Ephesians 5:32 ESV

32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

Christ will be the King, and redemption of Israel will be His initial work.