The Vein of Messianic Prophecy

Christians treasure messianic prophecies, the Old Testament verses which point to the life and work of Jesus. Meanwhile, other precious prophecies lie overlooked, like a hidden gold mine.

Messianic Gems. John Perling, a pastor in Beverly Hills, California, once told me an amazing story.

The phone rang six times before John realized it wasn't a dream. "Hello?" he mumbled.

A voice whispered, "Is this Pastor John Perling?"

"Uh huh. What time is it?"

"I'm Rabbi Isador Zwern from Temple of Aaron in Santa Monica. You don't know me, but could you please meet me for lunch at my home tomorrow?"

"I suppose," John yawned. He groped for a pencil and wrote down the address. "Rabbi, what's this all about?"

"Can't say more. Too risky. Tomorrow." Click.

John was used to predawn phone calls, but he'd never had one like this. So at noon he knocked on Rabbi Zwern's door and was greeted with a smile and an outstretched hand.

"Pastor, thank you for coming. Please forgive my treating you so secretively last night. I couldn't afford to have my family overhear. They're all out of the house right now." Rabbi Zwern invited John into the dining room. Amid the tableware and food lay his large Hebrew Bible placed as though it were to be part of the meal. They began to eat while engaging in getting-acquainted conversation. Over matzo ball soup, the Rabbi opened his Bible and began to reveal his mystery.

"I've been studying the Holy Scriptures of Isaiah and other prophets. What astonishing discoveries I've made! For example, Isaiah 53:4-5 says:

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

"Pastor, do you know about whom Isaiah is speaking?"

John certainly did. But before he could phrase a response, the rabbi said, "I think it refers to Jesus of Nazareth. Surely He fulfilled these words of the prophet."

"I think you've got something there."

Eyes sparkling with delight, Rabbi Zwern raced from one prophecy to another and repeated, "Do you know whom the prophet is talking about?" And every time he trilled his newfound faith: "I think the prophet is speaking about Jesus of Nazareth. He must be the Promised Messiah."

The two men continued to eat, but food was hardly needed. The Word of God was the main course at this meal.

Today Isador Zwern still confesses "Yeshua ha Meshiach, Jesus the Messiah!" His story is not unique. The messianic prophecies, which foretold events centuries before their occurrence, are one of the greatest proofs of the Christian faith. Through the centuries, they have persuaded the minds and hearts of many skeptics.

When pre-Christians tell you, "I'd believe in God if He would perform a miracle right before my eyes," You can open your Bible and declare, "Here, feast your eyes on a whole flock of miracles. They are called messianic prophecies."

Think mining. Picture the Bible as a mountain. Running through it is a vein of literature called messianic prophecy. All the promises foretelling Christ's life and His work of redemption are like a bonanza of gold and jewels. Just as geologists and miners dig treasures out of the earth, so Christians have delved into the Bible to find messianic promises which lead us to trust in Christ.

Which details of Christ's life, foretold in messianic prophecies, have been most significant to you?

Nothing could match the messianic prophecies. Nothing. Unless... unless somehow more treasures still lay undiscovered. If a whole vein of promises from God lay overlooked and unexploited, would you dig in and explore it?

Prayer: Holy Spirit, thank You for the miracle of prophecies.
Action: Read Isaiah 53 and marvel at the details foretold there.

The Vein of Outreach Prophecy

Luke tells us that on Easter evening, Jesus "opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures." Do you want to understand too? Listen. He said: "Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms. This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,..." (Lk. 24:44, 46).

The Risen Savior wants to open our minds to the many messianic promises which He, the Messiah, fulfilled.

A discovery. But wait a minute! In Jesus' words quoted above, we read only half of what the Lord said to open our minds to understand the Scriptures. Look at the entire sentence in Luke 24:46-47, arranged in verse form:

In the last two lines, Jesus refers to prophecies about believers extending His invitation of salvation to all nations. What have we stumbled upon here? Could Jesus be pointing to another category of prophecy in the Bible? Yes. That is exactly what He is doing. In addition to the messianic prophecies, He speaks of another vein of prophecies in Scripture, outreach prophecies. They promise God will empower us to herald the gospel both to our neighbors and to distant nations. (Other allusions to outreach prophecy appear in: Acts 3:21-26; 10:43; 26:22-23; 2 Cor. 4:5; Eph. 1:9-10; 3:8-9; 1 Pet. 1:11; Rev. 5:9-10; 19:10.)

A game. Let's play the Psalm 22 Game. Although David composed this psalm centuries before the invention of crucifixion, it describes the sufferings of Christ in detail. Write down verses or ideas you recall from Psalm 22.

Did you remember verse 1, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Verses 7-8 describe the mocking of His accusers. Verse 14 portrays His agonized suffering. Verse 15 tells why Jesus requested a drink. Details of the crucifixion and the soldiers gambling for Jesus' clothes are foretold in verses 16-18.

Wow! These are 24-carat messianic prophecies.

You probably did pretty well with this game. Or at least the verses sounded familiar when I mentioned them.

Second half. The game is not over. All the verses mentioned above are from the first eighteen verses of Psalm 22. What verses or ideas do you recall from the rest of the psalm?

Are you curious how Psalm 22 ends? Verses 27-31 contain marvelous predictions.

All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations. All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him--those who cannot keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn--for he has done it.

The Savior who was promised in Ps. 22 will impact all the world. Key phrases from the psalm show us no one is omitted.

• Geographic: "all the ends of the earth"
• Political: "the nations"
• Ethnic: "all the families of the nations"
• Socioeconomic: "all the rich... all who go down to the dust"
• Chronological: "future generations... people yet unborn"

Lessons. Playing the Psalm 22 Game taught us two lessons. First, messianic prophecies and outreach prophecies often appear together. Second, if we lack a mental category labeled "outreach prophecies," we will tend to overlook them.

The Lord wants us to mine both veins of prophecy for the distinct treasures found in each.

Prayer: Christ, open my mind to understand the Scriptures by showing me the treasures in the vein of outreach prophecies.
Action: Invite someone else to play The Psalm 22 Game.

The Honor of Fulfilling Outreach Prophecy

A question. Jesus the Messiah, fulfills the messianic prophecies which foretell events of His life and ministry. But who fulfills the outreach prophecies?

Consider these words spoken by Peter the Missionary before the Jewish supreme council. "God exalted him [Jesus] to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit..." (Acts 5:31-32, emphasis mine).

According to Peter, witnessing the gospel to lost people is an honor shared by the Holy Spirit and by people who confess Christ.

An honor. When you share Christ with a friend, you are fulfilling evangelism prophecy. When you write a missionary an encouraging letter, you are fulfilling mission prophecy. Even though no Bible verse states specifically, "In the future, on this exact date, you will do such and such," your witnessing efforts are implied and included in outreach prophecies such as: "My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun" (Mal. 1:11); and "...you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life..." (Phil. 2:15-16).

Through your witness and mission activity, you have the honor of participating in the fulfillment of outreach prophecy. How does this make you feel?

Ongoing prophecies. I nominate the Energizer® Bunny as a Christian symbol. This pink, mechanical rabbit is the corporate symbol of a battery manufacturer. The advertisements claim his long-lasting batteries keep him going and going. So why nominate the Energizer® Bunny as a Christian symbol? Let me explain.

When we celebrate the coming of the Magi to worship the Christ child, we often read this prophecy from Ps. 72:10: "The kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts." On the basis of this verse, many a preacher has concluded, "When the Magi presented gold, incense, and myrrh to Jesus, the prophecy of Psalm 72 was fulfilled."

I agree. And I disagree. When the Magi came, the prophecy was not completely fulfilled, rather it began to be fulfilled. Many outreach promises, including this one, keep on going and going, just like the Energizer® Bunny.

Psalm 72 was written either by King Solomon or for him. In either case, it expresses a longing for a king to bring universal peace and justice. The psalm abounds with expressions like: "For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help" (v. 12). In addition, the psalm describes the king's reign as ongoing and global.

He will rule from sea to sea and from the River [Euphrates] to the ends of the earth. The desert tribes will bow before him and his enemies will lick the dust. The Kings of Tarshish [Spain] and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba [southwest Arabia] will present him gifts. All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him.... May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed (8-11, 17).

The kings of Israel could never fulfill these messianic/outreach prophecies, because they were mortal, finite, and prone to sin. Only an eternal, all-powerful, and holy King can work these wonders. Only Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, can fulfill the prophecy. He began to do so when the Magi visited Him, and He continues to do so today through the evangelistic expansion of His reign. Whenever rulers and other power brokers trust in Christ as their Savior, Psalm 72 is still being fulfilled. Whenever, in the name of Christ the King, believers serve the needy and rescue them from oppression, Psalm 72 is still being fulfilled.

To participate with the Holy Spirit in the fulfillment of such prophecies is the highest joy and honor. May God's ongoing outreach prophecies energize you to keep on going and going and going: in prayer, in serving those in need, in witnessing, and in church planting at home and abroad.

Now can you picture the Energizer® Bunny in a stained-glass window?

Prayer: Jesus, I praise You for the honor of proclaiming You.
Action: Since outreach prophecies are ongoing, what outreach activity do you think God has planned for you to do today?

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.