Chapter Three(Continued)
The next four prophecies told beforehand that Jesus would be a light to the Gentiles. In biblical times the Jews referred to all other nations and people as Gentiles. Gentiles were considered to be anyone who wasn’t a Jew. The Jews referred to Gentiles as heathens in the Old Testament. They were called heathen, because they did not worship or believe in the God of Israel. The Jews did not believe that Gentiles could be saved or be of God. .The Gentiles didn’t actually become believers in the God of Israel, or worship the God of the Bible until after Jesus had already ascended into heaven. The interesting thing about this is that before Jesus came the Gentiles didn’t believe in the God of the Bible, but Gentiles did believe in the God of the Bible after Jesus came. We should consider how many Gentile churches there are in the world today. God prophesied Jesus would be a light to the Gentiles, and that his salvation would reach out to the Gentiles several hundred years before Jesus was born. Here is the first account of Gentiles being saved in Acts 10:44-46 "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision (Jews) which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. This scripture is interesting, because it proves that Gentiles did not worship God until then, because the Jews would not have been astonished or surprised if the Holy Ghost fell on the Gentiles, if they thought Gentiles believed in God before then. This is historical evidence of an Old Testament prophecy being fulfilled. Jesus is the light of the world in John 9:5. Luke 2:30-32 "For my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people
Isaiah 9:1,2 "Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." The people who walked in darkness in this prophecy were the Gentiles, who did not believe in God at that time. Jesus was the light they seen in this scripture, and he was the light that shined on them. It also prophesied precisely where Jesus would start his ministry. Jesus started his ministry in
Matthew 4:13-16 "And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias (Isaiah) the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up."
Isaiah
Isaiah 42:6 "I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles." See Luke 2:30-32
Isaiah 49:6 "And he said, It is a light thing that thou should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of
The next two prophecies foretell that Jesus would speak in parables, and Jesus also explained why he did speak in parables, but notice the Spirit of Christ speaking beforehand, what he would do through the mouth of Jesus in Psalms 78:2 "I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:" This prophecy was quoted as being fulfilled at a time when Jesus was speaking in parables in Matthew 13:34.35 "All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world."
Mark
This next prophecy reveals why Jesus spoke in parables, and Jesus himself quoted this prophecy in Matthew 13:13, 14, 15 given below, while he was explaining why he spoke in parables, then he said this prophecy was fulfilled in the people he was speaking to, when he quoted this prophecy, which we find in Isaiah 6:9,10 "And he said, go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and covert, and be healed."
Matthew
The Lord is actually speaking to Isaiah in Isaiah 6:9 above, and he tells Isaiah to tell the people these things. This prophecy should be looked at in a collective sense. It prophesies about the people in Isaiah’s time who would not hear the words of the prophets, but it should be understood collectively as starting with the people in Isaiah’s time, and continuing unto the time of Jesus, so it also was being fulfilled by people in the days of Jesus. It also continues to be fulfilled today.
The whole meaning of Isaiah 6:9, 10 is if we close our ears and blind our eyes from God’s spiritual truths, then God will hide his truths from us, but if we open our hearts to see and hear God’s spiritual truths, then God will reveal his truths to us.
The reason Jesus spoke in parables which the people didn’t understand is because he knew their hearts were closed to what he had to say, so he spoke in parables, so God’s spiritual truths would be hidden from them. Look at what he said in Matthew 13:10, 11, and 12, when his disciples asked him why he spoke in parables. These are the three verses preceding Matthew 13:13, 14, and 15 given above, so he is speaking in the same context, or at the same time he quoted the prophecy above. Matthew
Jesus was speaking about those who have spiritual truth, when he said "For those who hath, to him shall be given." People will have spiritual truth when they open their hearts to it, and then he’ll give them more, but he was referring to people who do not have spiritual truth, when he said "but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath." These are people who have closed their hearts to spiritual truths, and that is why they don’t have any spiritual truths. He told his disciples it was given to them to know the mysteries of heaven, because their hearts were open to spiritual truth, but the mysteries of heaven would be hidden from the others, because their hearts were closed and blinded to the truth.
I have a confession to make to the reader. There is part of me that wants to jump right into the next chapter right now, because I am concerned the reader might close this book, before we can view the prophecies of his crucifixion. The sufferings he endured throughout his trial and crucifixion were endured for our benefit, and it was his blood that paid for the penalty of our sins. His sufferings and crucifixion are really a love story about our Creator’s love for his creation, and reveals the depth of his love for us. Our Creator could have destroyed all of us with one word out of his mouth, but he chose to suffer the humiliation and agony of the cross, so our eternal relationship with him could be restored. It would be a shame to skip by his crucifixion, and miss the greatest love story ever told. This is a story about our Creator Jesus Christ, who shed his holy blood on the cross to purchase a most precious gift for his bride, who is the church. The gift he purchased with his holy blood was eternal life, which will be presented to her at the marriage feast of the Lamb recorded in Revelation 19:5-8. This will be a day of rejoicing and jubilee, when the saints will be resurrected, and live eternally with Jesus Christ.
It is easier for me to articulate the prophecies of his life and ministry in chronological order, so I’ll continue to write them in that order without jumping into the next chapter, but not all the prophecies of Jesus will be given here, because some reflect the three offices he held, which are King, Priest, and Prophet. I will be giving those prophecies in later chapters in this book. Also! Some prophecies reflect things he endured and suffered throughout his ministry such as how people rejected him, and made false accusations about him in evil and blasphemous ways. These were people who did not understand the prophecies from the Old Testament, which I’m sharing with you today. They didn’t understand it was their Creator who was speaking to them. He came to offer them eternal life, but they refused to open their hearts to him. I will take a short break here before continuing with prophecies, so I can write the following words to the reader, which will reveal another one of my motives for writing this book.
I’m bound by duty and the conviction of my heart to present the Gospel of the cross to the reader throughout this book, so that any reader who has not understood the Gospel of Jesus Christ, neither understood God’s love and salvation plan for him or herself might gain such understanding, and hopefully move some into a closer and deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, and learn to understand and appreciate the love our Creator has for us all. It is for that purpose that I have and will continue to share scriptures throughout this book, which will help achieve that goal. It should be understood by the reader that all prophecies and scripture are an act of God’s love for his creation. Scriptures reveal his love and salvation plan to redeem us back to our Creator, and point to Jesus Christ, and the blood he shed on the cross.
The suffering Jesus endured was not just an unfortunate time in history, but a demonstration of his love for his creation, and the price he paid to free us from the penalty of sin, by cleansing and purifying us, through the shedding of his blood for the remission or forgiveness of our sins. I feel led to take an intermission break from prophecies to share a few scriptures speaking about these matters, and my hope is that you will plant them in your heart, as you read through the prophecies of the sufferings and crucifixion of Jesus, when you do read through the following chapter, which will give those prophecies pertaining to his sufferings and crucifixion.
Romans 5:6-9 "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."
Colossians 1:14-20 "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and in visible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven."
Ephesians 1:5,6,7 "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace."
Matthew 26:26-28 "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission (forgiveness) of sins."
I will now continue with more prophecies of Jesus Christ, but I will ask the reader to remember the prophecies in Isaiah chapter 53, which were already given in the previous chapter. Some of the prophecies from Isaiah 53 will work together with some of the prophecies to follow. I will be giving them again to fit together with some of the following prophecies, so I can build line upon line and precept upon precept as stated in Isaiah 28:9, 10 "Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little."
These next two prophecies actually prophesy the same thing, and that is that Jesus would be hated without a cause. There were many who have hated Jesus without a cause, because there is no reason why anyone should hate him. Jesus came to offer all of us life, and died so our sins can be forgiven. Who can rightfully hate him for that?
Psalm 69:4 "They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not."
Psalm 35:19 "Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause..."
Jesus himself referred to these scriptures in John 15:24, 25 "If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, they hated me without a cause."
The prophecies above can be applied to David in the first place, because David wrote these Psalms, and David had many enemies, who hated him without cause, but they were also fulfilled at the time of Jesus, and Jesus himself testified to that fact in the scripture given above. It was the Spirit of Christ speaking through the heart of David, whereas expressing the heart of Jesus at the same time David was expressing his own heart. David was a man after God’s own heart, and I believe that is why the Spirit of Christ revealed his own heart through the heart of David. It should also be pointed out that David and Jesus lived a thousand years apart, but the Spirit of Christ is not subject to time, so he could feel the heart of Jesus at the same time David was feeling his heart.
I will now remind you of Isaiah 53:3, which I already wrote about in the previous chapter, because it’s similar and works in well with these prophecies. Isaiah 53:3 "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not." We should also remember John 1:10, 11 which say "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not."
Another prophecy in Psalm 69:8 says "I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children." John 7:5, 6, 7 say "For neither did his brethren believe him. Then Jesus said unto them "My time is not yet come: but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hates, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil."
Jesus suffered reproaches from many, who would say many blasphemous things against him. These were them who wanted to degrade him by speaking shameful lies about him. Jesus suffered through persecution, and he said his servants will also suffer persecution in John 15:20 "Remember the word that I said unto you "The servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also."
Psalm 22:6 "But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people."
Psalm 69:9 "For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproach thee are fallen on me."
Psalm 69:20 "Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none." See Isaiah 63:5
Jesus made a whip, and chased the money changers out of the temple in John 2:15, 16. The disciples then remembered it was written "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up" in John
Paul refers to Psalm 69:9 above in Romans 15:3, 4 "For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."
The next prophecy that will be given here is well known as his "Triumphal Entry Into
I would like to share a story about the three different types of hearts, which were present that day. It’s a story I believe the Holy Spirit revealed to my heart, when I was meditating about this event in my living room one day. The three different type of hearts present that day were those who believed in him, those who didn’t believe in him, and his own heart, that I refer to as the heart of the Bridegroom. His heart was the heart of the bridegroom, who was going to
There was the heart of those who didn’t believe in him like the scribes, chief priests, and Pharisees. There were many saying "Hosanna" unto him when he came into the city, and many were saying "who is this guy?" The multitude was saying "this is the prophet Jesus of
His triumphal entry into Jerusalem was prophesied in Zechariah 9:9 given below, but Matthew 21:4,5 quotes from both Zechariah 9:9 and Isaiah 62:11 as pertaining to that day, so both scriptures will be given.
Isaiah 62:11 "Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him."
Zechariah 9:9 "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of
Matthew 21:4, 5 "All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of
The next prophecy was fulfilled the same day when Jesus arrived in
I wonder if the reader can see the Spirit of Christ echoing one thousand years back in time through the words of David in this prophecy. The Scribes and Chief priests were his enemies, who were out to destroy him, and it was these very ones, who plotted to have him crucified. Jesus suffered much reproach through them as I wrote earlier in this chapter, but he found strength in praises out of the mouth of babes.
The next prophecy speaks about his own friend who would betray him. This prophecy is written in Psalm 41:9 "Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me."
Jesus spoke in John 13:18, 19 and said these words "I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me. Now I tell you before it come, that, when it comes to pass, ye may believe that I am he."
Matthew 26:21-25 "And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? And he answered and said "He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.......... Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said."
Luke
It was also prophesied in the Old Testament that he would be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver in Zechariah 11:12 "And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver."
Matthew 26:14,15 "Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver." It was also prophesied that the chief priests would take the thirty pieces of silver and buy a potter’s field with it in Zechariah 11:13 "And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them, And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord."
Matthew 27:6, 7 "And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in." Judas repented of betraying the Lord, and went to the Chief Priests and said he had sinned and had betrayed innocent blood, and then he threw down the thirty pieces of silver to the Chief Priests, and that is when the Chief Priests purchased the potter’s field. It is recorded in Matthew 27:3,4, 5.
Some people might be surprised to learn that it was not Romans who wanted to crucify Jesus, because he had not broken any of their laws. It was the Jewish Chief Priest and elders of the temple who conspired to destroy him. They are the ones who pleaded with the Roman authorities to have him put to death. It was all a big conspiracy between them, and so they persuaded the Roman authorities to crucify him. Crucifixion was a Roman method of execution, and it was the Romans who crucified him, but it was the Jewish Chief Priests and elders of the temple who persuaded the Roman authorities to do so.
Psalm 2:1,2 "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves; and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed."
Jesus is the Anointed One, and he is also the Lord whom the rulers of his day did conspire against. Peter and John referred to Psalm 2:1,2 above in Acts 4:25,26,27 "Who by the mouth of David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of
It was the Chief Priests and elders who sought after false witnesses to testify against Jesus. This was also prophesied beforehand in Psalm 35:11 "False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
Matthew 26:59 ,60 "Now the Chief Priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; But found none: though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At last came two false witnesses."
Mark
This will conclude this chapter, but I urge the reader to continue with the next chapter regarding the sufferings of Jesus Christ. I ask the reader to remember Isaiah chapter 53, where God’s salvation plan was revealed several hundred years before Jesus was crucified for our sins. I also want to remind the reader that Jesus was crucified during Passover week, when he became the Passover Lamb of God whose holy blood was shed for you and me. This was God’s salvation plan for us, and Jesus went to the cross willingly. Peter drew a sword, when they came to take Jesus away, but Jesus told him to put it away. He then said he could have had twelve legions of angels rescue him if he wanted them to. Jesus told Pilate in John