Educational Studies

Yeshua HaMashiach – Selected Prophecies Fulfilled

The Lord Jesus Christ in the Old Testament prophets · All Scripture quoted from the King James Version (KJV)

Yeshua HaMashiach is Hebrew for “Jesus the Messiah”. The Old Testament was completed centuries before Jesus was born, yet it speaks of Him again and again. After His resurrection, Jesus Himself walked through these Scriptures with two of His disciples:

“And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27 (KJV, opens in a new tab), KJV)

In this study we look at seven prophecies, side by side with the New Testament passages that record their fulfilment. Some are direct predictions. Others are passages that Christians have long understood to point to the Messiah. Where this matters, a note explains it.

1. A Light to the Gentiles

Prophecy: Isaiah 42:6-7 (KJV, opens in a new tab) (KJV)

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;

7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

Fulfilment. When the baby Jesus was brought to the Temple, Simeon, a devout man who had been waiting for the Messiah, took Him in his arms and recognised Him as this promised light:

“A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” (Luke 2:32 (KJV, opens in a new tab), KJV)

Later, in the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus read from Isaiah 61 (KJV, opens in a new tab), a passage with the same promises, and announced that it was fulfilled in Him:

Luke 4:18-19 (KJV, opens in a new tab) (KJV)

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Then He told them, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:21 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).

Isaiah 42 (KJV, opens in a new tab) opens with “Behold my servant” (Isaiah 42:1 (KJV, opens in a new tab)). Matthew 12:18-21 (KJV, opens in a new tab) quotes Isaiah 42:1-4 (KJV, opens in a new tab) and applies it directly to Jesus.

2. Wounded for Our Transgressions

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Prophecy: Isaiah 53:5 (KJV, opens in a new tab), KJV)

Fulfilment. Jesus was whipped and crucified (John 19:1, 18 (KJV, opens in a new tab)), and the apostle Peter quotes Isaiah 53 (KJV, opens in a new tab) to explain what His suffering achieved:

“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24 (KJV, opens in a new tab), KJV)

Isaiah 53 (KJV, opens in a new tab) was written about seven hundred years before the crucifixion, and a complete copy of Isaiah found among the Dead Sea Scrolls dates from before Jesus was born. It describes a Servant who suffers not for His own sins but for ours. This is the heart of the Gospel.

3. Numbered with the Transgressors, Buried with the Rich

Prophecy: Isaiah 53:8-10 (KJV, opens in a new tab) (KJV)

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

Fulfilment. Jesus was crucified between two thieves. The night before, Jesus had said that Isaiah 53:12 (KJV, opens in a new tab) must be fulfilled in Him: “And he was reckoned among the transgressors” (Luke 22:37 (KJV, opens in a new tab)). Yet He was buried in a rich man’s tomb:

Matthew 27:57-60 (KJV, opens in a new tab) (KJV)

57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple:

58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.

59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

Verse 10 says “it pleased the LORD to bruise him”. This does not mean God enjoyed His Son’s suffering. It means the cross was God’s deliberate plan to save us, not an accident (Acts 2:23 (KJV, opens in a new tab)). And the promise that “he shall prolong his days” points beyond the grave to the resurrection.

4. The King Riding on a Donkey

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” (Prophecy: Zechariah 9:9 (KJV, opens in a new tab), KJV)

Fulfilment. Around five hundred years later, Jesus deliberately sent His disciples to fetch a donkey and its colt, and rode into Jerusalem as the crowds cried “Hosanna”:

Matthew 21:4-5 (KJV, opens in a new tab) (KJV)

4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

Conquering kings rode warhorses. Jesus came “lowly” (Zechariah 9:9 (KJV, opens in a new tab)), as a King of peace who would “speak peace unto the heathen” (Zechariah 9:10 (KJV, opens in a new tab)). John records the same event in John 12:14-15 (KJV, opens in a new tab).

5. Pierced Hands and Feet, and Garments Divided

Prophecy: Psalm 22:16-18 (KJV, opens in a new tab) (KJV)

16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.

18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

Fulfilment. At the cross, the soldiers did exactly what verse 18 describes:

John 19:23-24 (KJV, opens in a new tab) (KJV)

23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.

24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.

After the resurrection, Thomas said he would not believe unless he saw “in his hands the print of the nails” (John 20:25 (KJV, opens in a new tab)), and Jesus showed him His hands. Psalm 22 (KJV, opens in a new tab) was written by David about a thousand years earlier, long before crucifixion is known to have been practised. Jesus quoted its opening words from the cross: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).

Note: in verse 16, the standard Hebrew text reads “like a lion” where the KJV has “they pierced”. The KJV follows the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint), a reading also found in a few Hebrew manuscripts, including one among the Dead Sea Scrolls.

6. Raised on the Third Day

“After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.” (Pattern: Hosea 6:2 (KJV, opens in a new tab), KJV)

Fulfilment. Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, and He taught that this had been written beforehand:

“And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:” (Luke 24:46 (KJV, opens in a new tab), KJV)

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (KJV, opens in a new tab), KJV)

Note: Hosea 6:2 (KJV, opens in a new tab) is first of all a call to Israel to return to the LORD, with the hope that He would restore them. It is not a direct prediction of the Messiah. Many Christians see in it a pattern fulfilled in Jesus, who represents His people and was raised on the third day. Jesus also pointed to Jonah’s “three days and three nights” as a sign of His resurrection (Matthew 12:40 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).

7. Messiah Cut Off, but Not for Himself

“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” (Prophecy: Daniel 9:26 (KJV, opens in a new tab), KJV)

Fulfilment. Christians understand “Messiah be cut off, but not for himself” as the death of Jesus, who gave His life for others. The prophecy goes on to say that the city and the sanctuary would be destroyed. Jesus foretold the same thing:

“As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Luke 21:6 (KJV, opens in a new tab), KJV)

In AD 70, about forty years after the crucifixion, Roman armies destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple.

Note: Daniel 9:24-27 (KJV, opens in a new tab) is one of the most debated passages in the Bible, and Christians count the “weeks” in different ways. What most Christian interpreters agree on is that the Messiah would be “cut off” before the city and Temple were destroyed.

Why These Prophecies Matter

No one could have arranged how Jesus would die, what the soldiers would do with His clothes, or where He would be buried, yet each was written beforehand. These fulfilled prophecies show that God keeps His word, and that Jesus is the Messiah the Scriptures promised. Jesus put it simply:

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” (John 5:39 (KJV, opens in a new tab), KJV)

Questions for Reflection

• Which of these prophecies stands out to you most, and why?
• Isaiah 53 (KJV, opens in a new tab) says the Servant suffered “for our transgressions”. What does it mean to you that He suffered in your place?
• Jesus entered Jerusalem “lowly, and riding upon an ass”. What does this show you about the kind of King He is?
• How do these fulfilled prophecies strengthen your trust in God’s other promises?

Bible Version and Copyright

All Scripture quotations are from the Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.

Messiah Throughout the Bible

Seeing Yeshua, the Lord Jesus Christ, in every book of the Bible · All Scripture quoted from the King James Version (KJV)

The whole Bible tells one story, and Jesus is at the centre of it. After His resurrection, He showed His disciples where He could be found in the Scriptures:

“And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27 (KJV, opens in a new tab), KJV)

Some of the lines below are direct prophecies of the Messiah. Others are “types”: people, events or objects in the Old Testament that give us a picture of Jesus before He came. Each line has a reference so you can read it for yourself. This list is inspired by a much-loved traditional devotional list, written afresh by Good Fruit Heritage with Scripture references added.

The Law

• Genesis – He is the Seed of the woman who will bruise the serpent’s head: “it shall bruise thy head” (Genesis 3:15 (KJV, opens in a new tab)). He is the Lamb God provides, as Abraham said: “God will provide himself a lamb” (Genesis 22:8 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Exodus – He is our Passover Lamb. God promised, “when I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13 (KJV, opens in a new tab); 1 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Leviticus – He is the perfect sacrifice pictured by the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16 (KJV, opens in a new tab)): “by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place” (Hebrews 9:12 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Numbers – He is the One lifted up so that all who look to Him may live: “every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live” (Numbers 21:8 (KJV, opens in a new tab); John 3:14-15 (KJV, opens in a new tab)). Like the cloud by day and the fire by night, He leads His people (Numbers 9:15-23 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Deuteronomy – He is the Prophet Moses promised: “a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me” (Deuteronomy 18:15 (KJV, opens in a new tab); Acts 3:22 (KJV, opens in a new tab)). He is also our City of Refuge (Deuteronomy 19:1-10 (KJV, opens in a new tab); Hebrews 6:18 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).

History

• Joshua – Many believe He was the “captain of the host of the LORD” who appeared to Joshua (Joshua 5:14 (KJV, opens in a new tab)). The scarlet thread in Rahab’s window pictures salvation through His blood (Joshua 2:18-21 (KJV, opens in a new tab)), and Rahab herself became part of His family line (Matthew 1:5 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Judges – He is our Judge and Deliverer. Whenever His people cried out, “the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them” (Judges 2:16 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Ruth – He is our Kinsman-Redeemer. Like Boaz, who redeemed Ruth and took her as his bride, Jesus paid the price to make us His own (Ruth 4:9-10 (KJV, opens in a new tab); Ephesians 5:25 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• 1 & 2 Samuel – He is the Son of David, the King whose kingdom never ends: “thy throne shall be established for ever” (2 Samuel 7:16 (KJV, opens in a new tab); Luke 1:32-33 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles – He is the reigning King, greater even than Solomon, whose wisdom and splendour amazed the queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10:1-9 (KJV, opens in a new tab)): “a greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:42 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Ezra – He is the faithful Teacher of God’s Word. As Ezra set his heart to study, do and teach God’s law (Ezra 7:10 (KJV, opens in a new tab)), Jesus perfectly lived and taught it.
• Nehemiah – He is the Rebuilder of what is broken, whether walls or lives. Nehemiah said, “let us build up the wall” (Nehemiah 2:17 (KJV, opens in a new tab)); Jesus builds up His people.
• Esther – He is the One who stands before the King for His people. As Esther risked her life to save her people “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14 (KJV, opens in a new tab)), Jesus gave His life and now lives to intercede for us (Hebrews 7:25 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).

Poetry and Wisdom

• Job – He is our living Redeemer: “I know that my redeemer liveth” (Job 19:25 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Psalms – He is our Shepherd: “The LORD is my shepherd” (Psalm 23:1 (KJV, opens in a new tab); John 10:11 (KJV, opens in a new tab)). He is also the suffering King of Psalm 22 (KJV, opens in a new tab) and the risen King of Psalm 16:10 (KJV, opens in a new tab).
• Proverbs – He is the Wisdom of God: “Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24 (KJV, opens in a new tab); Proverbs 8:22-31 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Ecclesiastes – He is the true meaning that life “under the sun” cannot find on its own (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3 (KJV, opens in a new tab); John 10:10 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Song of Solomon – He is the loving Bridegroom: “My beloved is mine, and I am his” (Song of Solomon 2:16 (KJV, opens in a new tab); John 3:29 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).

The Major Prophets

• Isaiah – He is Immanuel, born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14 (KJV, opens in a new tab)), and the Suffering Servant who “was wounded for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Jeremiah – He is the Righteous Branch from David’s line, whose name is “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jeremiah 23:6 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Lamentations – He is the “man of sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3 (KJV, opens in a new tab)) who weeps over His people, as Jeremiah did: “he beheld the city, and wept over it” (Luke 19:41 (KJV, opens in a new tab)). Through Him, God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Ezekiel – He is the glorious One seen on the throne, with “the likeness as the appearance of a man” (Ezekiel 1:26 (KJV, opens in a new tab)). He is also the one true Shepherd God promised to set over His flock (Ezekiel 34:23 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Daniel – He is the Son of Man: “one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven” (Daniel 7:13 (KJV, opens in a new tab)). Many also believe He was the fourth man in the fiery furnace, whose form was “like the Son of God” (Daniel 3:25 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).

The Minor Prophets

• Hosea – He is the faithful Husband who buys back His unfaithful bride and loves her still (Hosea 3:1-3 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Joel – He is the One who pours out the Holy Spirit: “I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh” (Joel 2:28 (KJV, opens in a new tab); Acts 2:16-17, 33 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Amos – He is the One who restores David’s fallen house: “will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen” (Amos 9:11 (KJV, opens in a new tab); Acts 15:16 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Obadiah – He is the King whose kingdom will stand: “the kingdom shall be the LORD’s” (Obadiah 21 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Jonah – He is greater than Jonah, who, like Jonah in the fish (Jonah 1:17 (KJV, opens in a new tab)), was raised after “three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40 (KJV, opens in a new tab)), and He brings God’s mercy to every nation.
• Micah – He is the Ruler born in Bethlehem: “out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel” (Micah 5:2 (KJV, opens in a new tab); Matthew 2:6 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Nahum – He is the bringer of good news of peace: “Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings” (Nahum 1:15 (KJV, opens in a new tab)). He is also a stronghold in the day of trouble (Nahum 1:7 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Habakkuk – He is the One in whom the just live by faith: “the just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4 (KJV, opens in a new tab); Romans 1:17 (KJV, opens in a new tab)). He is the answer to the prophet’s prayer, “revive thy work” (Habakkuk 3:2 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Zephaniah – He is the mighty Saviour among His people: “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save” (Zephaniah 3:17 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Haggai – He is the One who fills God’s house with glory. Christians have long seen Him in the promise “the desire of all nations shall come” (Haggai 2:7 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Zechariah – He is the humble King “riding upon an ass” (Zechariah 9:9 (KJV, opens in a new tab)) and the fountain opened to wash away sin (Zechariah 13:1 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Malachi – He is the “Sun of righteousness” who will “arise with healing in his wings” (Malachi 4:2 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).

The Gospels and Acts

• Matthew – He is the promised Messiah and King: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Mark – He is the Servant and miracle worker who came “to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Luke – He is the Son of Man who came “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• John – He is the Word made flesh (John 1:14 (KJV, opens in a new tab)) and the Door through which we must enter: “I am the door” (John 10:9 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Acts – He is the risen and ascended Lord, whose light shone on Saul on the Damascus road: “there shined round about him a light from heaven” (Acts 9:3 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).

The Letters

• Romans – He is the One through whom God is “the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:26 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• 1 Corinthians – He is our Resurrection, “the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• 2 Corinthians – He is our Sin-Bearer: “he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Galatians – He is our Redeemer: “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law” (Galatians 3:13 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Ephesians – He is our treasure: “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Philippians – He is our Provider: “my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Colossians – He is God in the flesh: “in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• 1 & 2 Thessalonians – He is our coming King: “the Lord himself shall descend from heaven” (1 Thessalonians 4:16 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• 1 & 2 Timothy – He is the one Mediator: “one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Titus – He is “that blessed hope”, our great God and Saviour who will appear in glory (Titus 2:13 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Philemon – He is the Friend who pleads for us. As Paul asked Philemon to welcome back Onesimus, “receive him as myself” (Philemon 17 (KJV, opens in a new tab)), Jesus brings us to the Father.
• Hebrews – He is our great High Priest, who saves us by “the blood of the everlasting covenant” (Hebrews 13:20 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• James – He is the Lord who heals and restores: “the Lord shall raise him up” (James 5:15 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• 1 & 2 Peter – He is “the chief Shepherd” who will give a crown of glory (1 Peter 5:4 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• 1, 2 & 3 John – He is the love of God made known: “In this was manifested the love of God toward us” (1 John 4:9 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).
• Jude – He is the Lord who is coming: “the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints” (Jude 14 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).

Revelation

• Revelation – He is the King who reigns for ever: “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16 (KJV, opens in a new tab)).

Reflection

From Genesis to Revelation, every book points to Jesus. The more we see Him in the whole Bible, the more we understand how carefully God planned our salvation, and how much He loves us.

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” (John 5:39 (KJV, opens in a new tab), KJV)

• Which of these pictures of Jesus is new to you?
• Choose one Old Testament book from the list and read the passage referenced. What does it show you about Jesus?
• Which of these titles of Jesus speaks most to what you need from Him today?

Bible Version and Copyright

All Scripture quotations are from the Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.